At the intersection of Sunset and Rampart, on the Silver Lake/Echo Park border, a taco stand is attempting to run an In-N-Out playbook with Sonoran asada.
This is Tacos Royale, and it may be the most ambitious taco in Los Angeles right now — a tight menu, total ingredient obsession, and cult branding, down to the red-and-yellow, lowrider-script on everything. Founder Saúl Pérez García calls it “a fine dining or steakhouse experience in a taco. For $7.”
That’s the bet: In-N-Out’s discipline and cult devotion, but built on USDA Prime over mesquite instead of a 99-cent burger.
It’s only been open since mid-June, Thursdays to Sundays, but his ambition is to create a chain that’s as big as “10% of In-N-Out” — about 80 locations across America, drive-thrus and all, family-owned and never franchised.
His background
Pérez is no newcomer to L.A. kitchens. He’s a self-taught cook who likes to call himself a “creative entrepreneur.” When Pérez is not slinging tacos, he runs his own furniture and interior design business. He’s also worked at The Butcher’s Daughter in Venice, Ceviche Project, and chef Enrique Olvera’s ATLA and then launched the Sinaloa-Chinese mariscos truck La Hija del Marondo at 8th and Grand…