Tacos Mi Reynita: Oakland’s Tijuana-Style Taco Pop-Up That’s Earned a Cult Following | Eater SF

"The first thing I noticed driving past was the always-long line at this popular East Oakland pop-up that emerged onto the taco scene a year and a half ago. Tacos Mi Reynita serves a distinctive Tijuana-style taco—mesquite-grilled meats on hand-pressed corn tortillas topped with diced onion, cilantro, and a thick dollop of guacamole—and the family-run operation, named after Florencia Villa Ayala’s mother Reyna, clearly explains the hype. I learned they started by selling 500 tamales a day before switching to tacos after a relative suggested the idea, posting on Facebook Marketplace in early 2021 and moving from in front of their home near the Oakland–San Leandro border to a semi-permanent parking lot as demand surged. Florence wakes up early to marinate meats, make eight flavor-packed salsas, and press a mountain of masa; relatives grill asada, chorizo links, and tripa, roast al pastor on a trompo, and assemble orders at record-breaking speeds—piling smoky hunks of meat onto freshly gridded tortillas, flicking on onion and cilantro, smearing a gob of guacamole, and wrapping each taco in a thin square of paper. Their drinks are a standout too: 100 percent fruit-based agua frescas in uncommon Bay Area flavors like mango–passionfruit, cucumber–lime with chia, and the popular fresa con leche. With a family of about 15 helping out and dreams of expanding to a fleet of food trucks, the operation is energetic, deeply rooted in family recipes, and, in my experience, absolutely worth the wait." - Lena Park