Across the street from the famous Mission Inn Hotel lies one of the zaniest, and most legendary, taco shops in the land: Tios Tacos of Riverside.
What could've been a simple shack slinging Mexican classics such as the burrito, taco and tamale, has been transformed into a massive art garden of awesomeness. And I'm not kidding, it's basically the work of a complete madman, and I mean that as a total compliment.
At Tio's, the food is very much secondary to what you're seeing above. Your senses get lost in the wonderfully cluttered world of ginormous sculptures made from trash and recycled materials, leaving very little brain power to think about what type of topping you want on your nachos.
The scene is truly a creative hoarders paradise— there's giant men and woman made of tin cans, bottle houses, ceramic pyramids made from bathroom tiles, etc— and no household appliance goes unused for these creations. We're talking bikes, sinks, stuffed animals, toy cars and old tractors frankensteined together, all for the sake of art. There's so much visual stimulation going on here that you could actually get lost for hours, days, maybe a year, or two....or three.
Most creations are a little bizarre, others are quite inspiring and some are downright terrifying.
Sweet dreams, kiddies.
Let us pray that these sculptures never come to life to take on their creators; it'd be the end of mankind as we know it.
Garbage sculptures aside, the food here is actually pretty legit. You've got all the genre classics that make LA great: carnitas, fajitas, chips, salsas, fish tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a pretty gnarly juice bar. In fact, I would argue that the juice bar, stocked with everything under the sun, is almost as epic as the sculptures. Almost...
And if art gardens aren't your thing, just take a trip to that other wacky taco shop Trejo's Tacos in LA. Or hit them both for an unforgettable fiesta. Viva Titos Tacos!
HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
The brainchild of Martin Sanchez, Tio's has been a passion project many years in the making.
Born in a small village in Mexico, Sanchez has credited his childhood poverty as the driving force behind his art and collecting. Growing up in a household where things "were never thrown away" Martin began to infuse discarded items he'd find around the neighborhood. Car parts, toys, and bicycles were some of the earliest materials he worked with, often creating statues and murals with the items.
After arriving in Riverside in 1984, Sanchez sold oranges and peanuts under the freeway ramps until he was able to buy a hot dog cart and start selling tacos outside of Tio's. He quickly gained a following and ended up renting the place in 1990, and eventually buying the property in 1995. The coming years would bring purchases of the adjacent restaurant and parking lot next to it the restaurant, which would become the garden and home for his family. Now, Tio's basically monopolizes the entire city block.
Remembering that "never throw away" motto from his childhood, Sanchez set out to build his sculptures. With no real background in art, Sanchez spent years collecting and creating. Now, his family (and even the occasional costumer) help with the bigger projects, and Tio's Tacos continues to grow and astound every day.
