Pepe's Red Tacos (Birria Truck)

A revolutionary beginning

Francisco Almeida Alvarez (our great-grandfather) was born in Jalisco, Guadalajara. He joined the military at the age of 13 and later fought with the Mexican Calvary during the Mexican Revolution. He made the military a lifetime career and retiring at the rank of El Cabo (Corporal) in 1930, finally passing away in 1976. Today he lives on in our name and through the values of commitment, loyalty, endurance and faith that he passed on to all of us.

The Original El CaboAbuelita Chayo (Maria del Rosario Almeida Mercado) with 8 of her 11 children.

A passion for food was born

One of our grandmothers, Maria del Rosario Almeida Mercado enjoyed cooking, family gatherings and sharing meals. She learned to cook from her mom, which in turn, taught her son Joe, aka Pepe (our father). Maria would give her 11 children different chores one of which was cooking. Joe quickly developed a curiosity for cooking and learned some of her recipes, going on to apply his passion in the food truck industry in 1981, at the age of 18 that has lasted over 35 years.

A true tradition continues

Our Abuelita Carmen (Joe’s mother in law) has guided us throughout our journey in crafting our version of the Birria recipe you enjoy today. She makes sure our traditional recipes stay true to their Guadalajara roots. She is a great resource and frequently answers questions about how things were prepared back Mexico. The memory of our great-grandparents, Abuelitos Mercado in heaven, and the love and support of our Abuelita Carmen are a constant reminder of why these dishes hold a special place in our hearts – and stomachs.
Abuelita Carmen at the Grand Opening of the first location in August 2019.Joe and Irma Mercado with Yaneva's daughter | Priscilla, Joe & Yaneva

A look to the future

After pursuing our own careers, we realized that our true passion was food — more specifically food trucks. Our father, Jose, worked in the food truck industry for over 35 years so we grew up working in the food trucks with him. Our mother, Irma, was hardworking and determined to raise strong business women. Our father’s passion and our mother’s perseverance inspired us to leave the corporate world and carve our own path in our family business. El Cabo Pepe’s – formerly Pepe’s Red Tacos – is our homage to our parents, grandparents and all our ancestors.