The Taco Tracker visits The Taco Man

Sinaloa Seafood

Gordo Burrito is a well-known name in the local taco game, and it’s difficult to miss the brightly colored taco truck at 8th and Salem Streets, with their steady flow of daily customers. Though Gordo Burrito is indeed local, its history started years ago in the coastal state of Sinaloa, Mexico, where José Uriarte was born and raised.

A butcher at his family’s business, José grew up learning the ins-and-outs of cooking firsthand and the proper way to prepare meat. In fact, there was little else he thought about during those early years. In 1989, José took the opportunity to move his family to California, intent on providing them a better life. The journey, which ended in Chico, was anything but a straight line. José and his family first touched down in Escondido, before traveling up the coast to Crescent City, where he took up work as a fisherman. When work began to slow, José sought work elsewhere, finding it with his sister at an olive harvest in Corning. He worked numerous jobs between Corning and Orland before finally deciding to make a final move to Chico. It was here that he decided to start his own food truck in 2000.

Appropriately naming his truck “The Taco Man,” Jose set out to make a name for himself in Chico. Growing up in Sinaloa, he was heavily influenced by the region’s focus on seafood, so he decided to make it the star of his truck, quickly differentiating his business from the other trucks in town.

The truck’s success gave Jose the confidence to expand. He opened his first brick and mortar location, La Cocina Económica, at 905 Wall Street, and its success not only drew crowds this time, but investors as well. He eventually sold the business and used the profits to open a second food truck located at Park Avenue and 20th Street, and a smaller dine-in restaurant named Gordo Burrito in 2008 at 1295 E. 8th Street.

Seven months ago, after many years of operating his businesses in Chico, José decided to hand the reins to his three children: Cecilia, José, and Juan, before retiring to Mexico. We will miss José’s smiling face and morning chats while waiting for orders to be prepared. According to Cecilia, Gordo Burrito will remain the same, although there will be growth in the near future. Gordo offers some of the best deals in town, and their grilled tacos at the restaurant are one of my go-tos. The taco truck, located at 598 E. 8th Street, offers delicious fare, with their shrimp tacos, chicken tacos, and classic burrito being my all-time favorites. The flavor packed into a burrito with only three ingredients is something everyone needs to try, and I highly recommend you do just that.