Photo by Merrill Shindler
Highland Park—You can often see Victor Villa working at his Figueroa Street taquerias or a stand at the Grand Central Market.
But today, the Highland Park taquero and owner of Villa’s Tacos made a guest appearance at the Super Bowl during the halftime show with superstar Bad Bunny, according to a post on the taqueria’s Instagram.
Villa, standing behind his cart, accepts a Puerto Rican piragua (a shaved ice sweet) from Bad Bunny as the performer sings and makes his way through a stage designed to resemble a sugar cane field.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
That brief cameo brought nationwide exposure and recognition for a first-generation Mexican American who sold his first taco eight years ago from his grandmother’s front yard in Highland Park before eventually opening his first brick-and-mortar outlet. In 2023, Villas’ Tacos was added to the California Michelin Guide.Â
“I couldn’t have sold that 1st taco, if my parents didn’t make the difficult decision to leave their homeland for a better life & immigrate to the U.S.” said Villa of his on Instagram. “This one is for all the immigrants who paved the way before us to make this moment possible”
399 Monthly Reader Sponsors and Counting!
Join the nearly 400 readers who make monthly contributions to The Eastsider..
Even a small monthly contribution will create a more stable source of revenue, giving us confidence to expand staff and provide you with more of the community news you can’t find anywhere else.
—Jesús Sanchez, Publisher