Are you ready for some Brazilian-style tacos? Fairhaven has this new option for lunch
After overcoming a variety of regulatory/permitting hurdles, Brazilian-style barbecue tacos are now being served on the corner of 11th St. and Harris Avenue, home of the Fairhaven Village red bus.
Sam and Nancy Hassan leased the unused property last spring with plans to offer food, a nano brewery and have a hydroponic greenhouse to grow herbs and tomatoes year-round. The Hassans also operate Milano’s restaurant nearby. The process took longer than expected because it’s a different setup than the traditional brick-and-mortar property, so they had to adapt the concept a few times, Sam Hassan said in an email.
Right now the taco stand is in place and also serves tamales and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It will also have a bakery stand soon, offering breads and pastries, Hassan said.
The nano brewery is expected to take around four months. Once it is ready, Hassan plans to start with four beers, which he said will have very different styles than what is normally seen in Whatcom County.
Ken Imus, a major developer in Fairhaven for several decades, bought the bus in California and refurbished it at his Ford dealership before shipping it to this area in 1973, said his son, Brad Imus. Ken Imus originally planned to use the bus to transport people from around town into Fairhaven, providing exposure to his new developments. The bus was towed to its present spot in the early 1990s, where it was used as an espresso cart before becoming a longtime fish-and-chips business until 2019.
Further details can be found on the Milano’s Facebook page.
This story was originally published October 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
