‘Pump House 2.0’ will include some menu items from short-lived Rogue Taqueria
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Pump House 2.0 is expected to open in March, combining elements of both the original Pump House which closed last fall and the short-lived Rogue Taqueria at the corner of Talent Avenue and East Main Street in downtown Talent. Owners Jeven Showers and Garth Evey say they hope customers will agree it is the best of both worlds.
Showers has been working with Rogue Taqueria Chef Vanessa Rodas to define the new menu for the once-again reimagined restaurant. The winning elements of both the Mexican offerings and classic American food will be combined in a more “streamlined” menu.
Pump House 2.0 will offer a burrito, tacos and a torta sandwich alongside the classic favorite burgers and smothered fries and tater tots.
Rodas formerly worked as a chef at Louie’s Restaurant where she became well acquainted with burgers, fries and classic American food, Showers said. But as chef to both Rogue Taqueria and Taqueria Picaro, Shower’s restaurant on Pioneer Street in Ashland, Rodas can serve both sides of the new menu.
The new menu will still include the beers and ciders on tap now, with a few margaritas and the revival of the Pump House cocktails menu.
While the Taqueria had some genuine regulars, business at the Mexican restaurant dropped to between a third and a quarter of what it had been as the Pump House.
“We had to shut down Rogue Taqueria because, with the business we were getting, we wouldn’t have made it through the winter,” Showers said.
The Pump House was open at 102 Talent Ave. from 2016 until its closure in August, when the owners opened Rogue Taqueria in the space, according to the Oregon Secretary of State business records. Staffing and inflation were problems for both restaurants in the space, but by trimming down the menu to favorite items, Showers said they hope to reopen their doors to a new success.
When the Rogue Taqueria closed a couple of months ago, Showers said he and Evey, “listened to the community.” Talent residents and patrons missed the space during the closure, but they really missed the burgers, fries — and especially the tater tots — of the Pump House.
The owners hope by returning community favorites to the menu, the restaurant can return to its status as a community hub where families and friends gathered together.
“By bringing back what the community wanted and what they missed, we’re hoping to get people around the fire pits again,” he said.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.
