This post has been updated with new business hours

Anna Bran-Leis is no stranger to the hard work of feeding a crowd. But even seven years as owner of Union Market’s DC Empanadas couldn’t have prepared her for the “all-encompassing nature” of owning her first full-service restaurant.

That restaurant is Taqueria del Barrio (821 Upshur St. NW), home to Latin American cuisine and handcrafted margaritas. It is the latest spot to make its debut in Petworth, and the restaurant has been filled to capacity since opening its doors on March 30. DCist had the opportunity to attend a media preview for the opening.

Staff here press and fry dough for more than 1,000 homemade tortillas every night and go through two cases of corn tortillas for hand-fried chips—these are a thicker, chewier version, fried to perfection—by closing time. Some nights, Bran-Leis doesn’t leave until 3 a.m.

“I told my husband, other than being on chemo, I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired,” says Bran-Leis, who has battled cancer on and off since 2011. “But no matter how tired I am, I’m so energized and excited to be able to live out my dreams.”

Those dreams became reality after friend and Hank’s Oyster Bar owner Jamie Leeds asked Bran-Leis to check out the restaurant space that housed Domku until last May. When she stood in the middle of the room—with its high ceilings, exposed brick, and wide bar—something clicked.

“It was the right space at the right time,” she says.

The taqueria’s transformation was the work of architect Sucha Khamsuwan, who decked the bar in Mexican tiles and created a patio feel with rope, wood, and strands of lights, and the artist Matthew McMillan, whose colorful handiwork includes visual representations of Bran-Leis’ memories in Guatemala, including a replica of the patron saint Virgin of Guadalupe.

Bran-Leis runs both the restaurant and empanada food truck with her husband, co-owner Shawn Leis. She is also the taqueria’s chef.

“Empanadas are a hard thing to focus an entire restaurant around,” says Bran-Leis.

With her latest concept, she tried to create dishes that are authentic to the cuisine, while adding a signature spin wherever she can. The menu draws flavors from Mexico and Bran-Leis’s native Guatemala.

“That’s the beauty of it—to make it simple and make it right,” she says.

Tacos here (all $3) come in 14 varieties, such as lengua, beer-battered shrimp, and grilled cactus paddle, or rotating fillings like fried chicken or a foie gras “foi-co.” There are Latin staples—guacamole, tamales, Mexican street corn—and hefty tortas ($8.99) spread with black bean puree and a choice of taco filling. The cheese dip is a glorious mass of Mexican beer, Oaxaca and Chichuahua cheeses, and garlic. Bran-Leis’ favorite of the entrées ($12-15) is the chile relleno peppers filled with meat, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes and smothered in a chipotle cream sauce. There will, of course, be a rotating signature empanada.

Because Bran-Leis also wants the restaurant to be a place where the neighborhood’s families feel welcome and where her own children can eat, a kids’ menu serves options like Mexican creamy rice.

Bar manager Chris Martino, who has crafted drinks for spots like Toki Underground, created a cocktail list that he hopes will transport drinkers south of the border, with his own twist. A range of rums, tequilas, and piscos are the base for classic cocktails ($11), while signature cocktails ($12-14) tie in sage, olive oil, banana leaves, passion fruit, chartreuse, or cardamom.

The restaurant’s namesake margarita features mezcal, caramelized pineapple, habanero-turmeric syrup, and a rim rolled in chili-lime seasoning. There are also beers on draft and a list of Latin and Spanish wines. On weekdays, a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. happy hour features $5-$7 drinks, including a classic margarita, red and white wine, and sparkling champagne. The taqueria plans to offer lunch and brunch on weekends and expand seating with an outdoor patio.

Food has always been Bran-Leis’ go-to, what she made to “unwind.” Her cancer diagnosis was the nudge she needed to leave a nonprofit position and start DC Empanadas. She and her husband, who both grew up in Silver Spring, plan to continue splitting their time between both projects.

“Life so often gets in the way,” Bran-Leis says. “But to be able to do this—it’s just me and my husband and our retirement savings. When I say I have everything invested here, it’s not just words. My heart and soul is here now.”

Taqueria del Barrio is located at 821 Upshur St. Northwest in Petworth. Full-service hours are Tuesday—Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The bar closes one hour later.