How One California Taco Shop Grew Into A Multistate Phenomenon

Drive the busy streets of Southern California and you'll probably barely make it a mile before you spot a Roberto's Taco Shop. Or, maybe it was an Alberto's Taco Shop? Now you're definitely sure you just drove passed a Filiberto's Taco Shop, but it looks almost exactly the same as the last two. It's not a freaky coincidence, but instead, a taco-filled phenomenon that's taken SoCal by storm and even expanded into neighboring states.

Roberto's Taco Shop is the blueprint for all of the 70+ other "berto's" taco shops sprinkled throughout California, Nevada, Texas, and even Utah. It was the first of its kind, easily making our ranking of the absolute best tacos in San Diego. When founders Roberto and Dolores Robledo opened the shop in 1964, it became so successful that they were happy to let close friends and family members open restaurants under the same name, reaping the rewards together. That all changed when Roberto Robledo caught one of Roberto's Taco Shops forgoing fresh ingredients, became angry with the situation, and forced them to stop using the "Roberto's" name. So, they did, simply changing a letter or two and going about daily business. The trend caught on, and now you'll spot Hilberto's, Riliberto's, Juanberto's, and many more of the "berto's" scattered alongside Roberto's.

The humble beginnings of Roberto's Taco Shop trace back to when the Robledos immigrated to the United States from Mexico between the 1940s and 1950s. In the early 1960s, the family opened their first business, making and selling tortillas to local establishments, by converting one of their properties into a tortilla factory. On top of selling in bulk, the Robledos sold bean and cheese burritos with their fresh tortillas (here's the traditional way to make tortillas if you want to try for yourself) until they eventually purchased several pre-existing restaurants in the area. By their fifth purchase, the Robledos took a leap and branded the new restaurant "Roberto's." Thus, a legend was born.

No matter the variation, most "berto's" taco shops will look the same: Featuring a color scheme of varying oranges, yellows, and reds accompanied by an image of a traditional sombrero. The menus are typically inexpensive and filled with a selection of Mexican dishes spanning from tacos to burritos to tamales and everything in between (fun fact: tamales are one of the world's oldest recipes). While there are dozens of "berto's" sporting dozens of names across Southern California and the Southwest, there are over 80 actual Roberto's Taco Shops in operation, and the original location in San Diego still stands.