Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance captivated the nation with its vibrant sounds and unapologetic representation of Latino pride. But for Los Angeles, a local taqueria stole the show.
Neighborhoods from East Los Angeles to DTLA erupted in cheers on Feb. 6, 2026, when Villa’s Tacos was featured during the opening song of the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
In the opening act of the Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny paused the action during hit song “Titi Mi Pregunto” to interact with various street vendors that symbolized Latino culture.
Among the street vendors that Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, bought from was Victor Villa, the owner of Villa’s Tacos.
Villa started Villa’s Tacos as a backyard pop-up stand in 2018. The business is known for its authentic street tacos, fresh guacamole, and signature homemade blue-corn tortillas. Finding himself standing behind a cart with a large Villa’s Tacos logo shining on the front, Villa received a shaved ice cone from the show’s headliner during the halftime show.
Nicky Taylor, a Cal State LA student who grew up in Highland Park, recalled the surprising moment.
“I was at a family party where my sister and I were the only people from Highland. When we saw the stand, we both looked at each other in shock,” Taylor said.
This brief encounter put Villa’s Tacos on the biggest stage in the nation, putting a spotlight on the Highland Park community during the most viewed televised sporting event in America.
Villa’s story is one of perseverance and triumph.
Villa began his journey in his grandmother’s yard with nothing but a roadside stand and her s recipes. Villa is a first-generation Mexican-American who has brought the flavor of Michoacán to America by feeding Los Angeles with traditional family recipes, with a customer favorite being the frijoles con nopal taco served on the restaurant’s signature fresh blue tortillas made from scratch with blue corn.
Since 2018, Villa has slowly built his roadside stand into a brick-and-mortar franchise, with tens of thousands of followers across social media platforms.
The first Villa’s Tacos restaurant was built on Figueroa Street in 2023, with 2 more locations opening in the following 3 years, and Villa plans for the franchise to expand out of state in the near future.
Beyond growing Villa’s Tacos into a franchise with over two hundred thousand followers on Instagram alone, Villa built a cornerstone for his community. Highland Park resident Jason Lizama explained what it meant to see Villa’s Tacos on screen.
“I think that’s a cool thing. It’s nice to have representation in the community,” Lizama said. “Especially in the times we’re in right now, shedding some light on a dark moment.”
Villa’s Tacos isn’t only known for their excellent tacos and guacamole, but also for the heart of their workers. Customers come into a taqueria and leave feeling like they are a member of the Villa family. Lizama also shared a memory about the people behind the counter of the taqueria.
“My first time having those tacos was on graduation night. Workers were coming up and celebrating me while I was wearing my graduation gown,” he said.
After the Super Bowl, Villa’s Tacos saw a dramatic spike in new customers. Lines filled the inside of the taqueria and wrapped all the way around the block at its Highland Park location. Overnight, the Villa’s Tacos Instagram account gained tens of thousands of followers. Bad Bunny’s halftime show inclusion has stretched the taqueria’s reach far beyond LA neighborhoods.
Yet this moment was about more than just the taqueria’s food. Taylor expanded on his feelings after seeing Villa’s Tacos take the stage.
“It’s very safe to say that Villa’s Tacos is a pillar of Highland Park. Them being highlighted is a way to present us as a community through them,” Taylor said. “I felt super proud. It’s fantastic to be part of them, even just as a loyal customer.”
Despite reaching the biggest stage in America, Villa never lost sight of his community.
Per Benito’s request, the NFL production team reached out to Villa at the beginning of 2026 to cast him in the halftime show.
Bad Bunny had been a long-time fan and customer of the taqueria, with Villa’s tacos quickly becoming a must-stop spot whenever the pop star found himself in Los Angeles.
Villa represented more than his business at the Super Bowl: as the halftime show ended, Villa brandished Mexico’s flag as Bad Bunny and the crowd sang the hit song “DtMF.” The crowd roared, “Debi tirar mas fotos de cuando te tuve,” while Villa stood wiping his tears.
Villa looked to the sky, screaming, “Abuelo! This one’s for you!” while waving his country’s flag. Bad Bunny’s Grammy-winning album, “DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS,” contained messages of cultural pride, family, and love.
Villa has exemplified the American dream, as a first-generation Latino business owner on the biggest stage of America, remaining true to the culture and family that got him to the Super Bowl. Bad Bunny intended to unite the country through love and culture, and he could not have picked a taqueria more representative of that than Highland Park’s Villa’s Tacos.
