Tito's Tacos is a

taco stand A taco stand or taquería is a food stall, food cart or restaurant that specializes in tacos and other Mexican dishes. The food is typically prepared quickly and tends to be inexpensive. Many various ingredients may be used, and various taco st ...

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

. Opened in 1959, it is known for its American-style

hard-shell taco The hard-shell or crispy taco is a Mexican dish that developed in the United States. The earliest references to hard-shell tacos are from the early 1890s, and by the early 20th century this style of taco was available in Mexican-American commu ...

and

burrito A burrito (, ) is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or stea ...

s. Considered a Los Angeles-area icon, the restaurant was named to

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ...

' list of the ten best tacos in America in 2014, and was ranked #1 on

The Daily Meal The Daily Meal is a food and drinks website. It is the first site launched by Spanfeller Media Group. Jim Spanfeller is a former CEO of Forbes.com. In 2016, Spanfeller was acquired by Tribune Publishing. Content The Daily Meal produces original co ...

's "Top 35 Burritos in America" list in 2015.

History

Tito's Tacos was established in 1959 by Benjamin Davidson. The menu was developed by Davidson's business partner, Benny Vizcarra, with additional input from the restaurant's first employee, Amado Madera (From Huejuquilla el Alto, Jalisco). A year after its opening, Vizcarra wanted to buy out Davidson but did not have enough money to do so. At that point, Davidson solicited funds from his ex-wife, a native of Mexico, and bought out Vizcarra. The business came under the ownership of Davidson's son, Norman Davidson, a few years later. In 1981, Norman's daughter Lynne Davidson assumed ownership. In 2016, the restaurant changed its long-standing cash-only policy to accept credit cards. In 2016, Tito's Tacos successfully filed a

cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not dis ...

order against the owner of Tito's Tacos of Vermont for trademark infringement. The

Brattleboro, Vermont Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about ...

taco stand, which had been in business for ten weeks, agreed to change its name; it renamed itself Tito's Taqueria. As of 2018, Tito's Tacos employs 95 workers. Full-time employees receive full medical and dental insurance coverage for themselves and their families.

Menu and service

Tito's Tacos' cheese, lettuce and beef tacos

The menu is notable for its use of hard-shell rather than soft-shell tacos, which is unusual for Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, and for using cold cheese. Its

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

has also attracted attention. The tacos are made to the same recipe introduced in 1959, and the menu has remained unchanged for decades. Tito's Tacos is considered a Los Angeles-area icon. Many of its customers have nostalgic memories of eating there as children. The restaurant is known for its ubiquitous lines, although the lines "move quickly". Its high volume is reflected in its product use. On an annual basis, Tito's Tacos uses more than of tortillas and more than of beef.

Critical response

In 2015, Tito's Tacos' bean and cheese burrito placed #1 on

's ranking of the top 35 burritos in America. Also in 2015, Tito's Tacos was named one of the "20 Places Where You Can Get the Best Tacos in the U.S." by ''Tech Times''. In 2014,

placed the taco stand on its top-ten list of the "Best Tacos in America".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tito's Tacos Fast-food Mexican restaurants Restaurants established in 1959 1959 establishments in California Buildings and structures in Culver City, California