Victor Villa, the taquero behind three-time TACO MADNESS champions Villa’s Tacos, is opening his third taquería—just up the street from his original location in Highland Park, where he started selling tacos on the street. This time, though, he is delving into memories of visiting his family home by the beach in Rosarito for the menu.
“Baja fish tacos have always been a favorite for me, “Villa tells L.A. TACO as he gets ready to open for service on Thursday. “So Villa’s Tacos #3 is my version of that, but with my signature organic blue corn tortillas and salsas, like my hibiscus-pickled onions.”
Villa officially opened last Sunday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring live banda, dancing, and free beer for his loyal customers. More than 3,000 people came out to support him, happily waiting hours to try his fish, shrimp, and octopus tacos. They also took photos in front of the restaurant’s soon-to-be iconic murals, in which local artists depict Freddy Freeman’s recent grand slam in the World Series and a sleeping Mexican on a saguaro next to a lowrider, among other things.