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Just over a month after T4 closed in downtown Los Altos, Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán opened. And for such a quick turnaround time, it’s actually not run by the same owner.
Rigo Gutierrez grew up in Michoacán, Mexico, and moved to the United States when he was 15 years old. He opened his first taco truck in 2015 in Burlingame, expanding to a total of three (one in his hometown of San Mateo, the other in Millbrae). Two years ago, he opened a commercial kitchen space in Belmont to help with catering, which makes up a large part of his business, he said. And on Jan. 29, Gutierrez opened Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán along Main Street in downtown Los Altos.
Gutierrez wasn’t intending to open a restaurant – he was more interested in operating food trucks and catering events. But when his friend and owner of the Los Altos building that formerly housed T4 told him a vacancy was upcoming, Gutierrez jumped at the opportunity. He said he had never been to Los Altos before opening his business.
“I love it,” he said. “People are so nice, so supportive.”
Gutierrez said he always worked in customer service and was around food, but prior to starting Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán, he wasn’t really in the kitchen. Gutierrez previously worked at Safeway and a Mexican market and only learned about cooking when he helped a friend open a restaurant. Now, he’s developed his own recipes.
“We serve traditional Mexican food,” he said. “Everything is made from scratch. Tacos with fresh, handmade tortillas. We also make gluten-free tortillas. Everything is made from scratch.”
And everything on the menu is curated by Gutierrez, who said he’s a big foodie.
“The way we sell it and the way we do it is the way I like it,” he said. “Everything that we sell here is because I like it.”
It’s not just Gutierrez who likes it. During lunchtime, you’ll often see lines of Los Altos High School students out the door. The prices are significantly less expensive than nearby offerings, such as Lulu’s, which is also on Main Street. A single taco at Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán goes for $3 versus $5 at Lulu’s. Even agua frescas go for $3 at Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán versus $5 at Lulu’s.
Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán offers self-serve tortilla chips and a salsa and escabeche bar. Guests can order and pick up at the counter, and there’s space for 12 diners to sit and eat. There’s plenty of options for tacos as well – it’s not only asada and pollo on the menu. Find beef cheek (cabez), beef tongue (lengua), pork stew (chicharron), beef tripe (tripa) and more. In addition to tacos, Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán sells burritos, quesadillas, sopes, nachos and tortas.
“Whenever you eat our tacos, you’ll know that you’re eating something fresh, something good, something you’re not going to regret eating,” Gutierrez said.
Tacos Al Vapor Michoacán, 131 Main St, Los Altos; 650-619-9431. Instagram: @michoacantacosalvapor. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.