The journey of Victor Villa and his celebrated establishment, Villa’s Tacos, is a masterclass in the “American Dream” reimagined through the lens of Los Angeles street culture. What began as a backyard pop-up in Highland Park and has long been part of the fabric of this multicultural city, reached the world’s biggest stage in a truly historic edition alongside Bad Bunny, who put Latino culture and Spanish in the spotlight.
A Taste of Mexico at the Big Game
Right at the start of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX performance, as he moved through a set of faux sugarcane fields, he passed by a series of small businesses. One of those moments immortalized Villa’s Tacos: the singer took a piragua (a traditional Puerto Rican shaved ice dessert) from one vendor and handed it to Victor Villa, who stood behind a cart proudly displaying his business’s name.
“It was an honor, especially for my parents, who immigrated to this country to give me a better life. In that moment, I was just thinking about the people who came before me: my grandpa, Alberto Pineda Celis, to whom this restaurant is dedicated,” Victor explained. He later emphasized, “It was an honor to represent the people of Los Angeles, to represent my city, my parents’ homeland, and all the Mexicans. Even though I wasn’t speaking, I was a voice for the city and a voice for where a dream could take you.”
Street food with Michelin quality
Behind its seemingly simple facade, Villa’s Tacos hides flavors that set it apart from the countless other taco spots in the city. Victor Villa’s blue corn tortillas have become legendary, so much so that the restaurant earned a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, an honor recognizing outstanding food at great value, thanks to the tacos’ authentic flavor, consistency, and quality.
When asked which order he would recommend to Benito, he replied, “I’m going to give him a Villa’s Trio, which has a little bit of this, a little bit of that: three quesotacos: one asada, one chorizo papa, one ranchera asada. No más dime dónde, cuándo, y ahí llego.”