Taqueria famous for handmade tortillas gets big High Desert welcome
McKenna Mobley- Taqueria 2 Potrillos has opened a new location in Hesperia, drawing large crowds since its soft opening.
- Despite initial setbacks, the restaurant's success has led to plans for another Victorville location by the end of 2027.
- The restaurant is known for its Michoacan-inspired menu, with al pastor tacos being a customer favorite.
Hungry High Desert residents packed the Taqueria 2 Potrillos grand opening on Tuesday eager to try the decadently fried cheese burritos and bite-sized mulitas of one of the Inland Empire's most delicious Michoacan-inspired restaurants.
Mariachis helped celebrate the long-awaited day with fan favorites like "Guadalajara" and "Amanacer en Jalisco" before the April 14 ribbon-cutting ceremony and words of gratitude from co-owner and CEO Jorge Rosales.
"Everyone told us not to open in the High Desert," Rosales addressed the crowd in Spanish. "They said it was too far, that it was isolated. Well, you are helping us prove them wrong."
The Taqueria 2 Potrillos sign debuted above the old Pieology building on Main Street last November. Rosales and family hoped to open the High Desert location at the beginning of the year but underwent a series of setbacks getting plans approved by the city for a prompt grand opening.
As a result of the waiting, Victor Valley residents have been flooding the restaurant since its soft opening on March 17, craving to know what the newest flavors of the High Desert taste like at last.
Rosales, who is an Inland Empire local, told the Daily Press that the restaurant has gotten such a great response from the community that he has signed a new lease to open a location in Victorville at the close of 2027 in the Desert Sky Plaza.
He opened the first restaurant with his cousin 15 years ago in Corona. Now, the two High Desert locations mark their 10th and 11th stores.
With the opening of the Hesperia location came 20 new jobs. The restaurant's expansion signals growing commercial interest in the region while offering residents a new dining option rooted in familiar flavors.
What's on the menu?
Logan Savidan likes the al pastor tacos at Taqueria 2 Potrillos, easily the most popular menu item. When the Daily Press spoke to Savidan at the restaurant's grand opening, she said it was her second day in a row at the new restaurant.
This time, she was trying the birria quesadilla and had high hopes for decadent flavor. She works at the Petco next door and is happy her new neighbor offers something slightly more delicious than milk and sugar.
Maria and Rosie Martinez have been to Taqueria 2 Potrillos a few times since the soft opening. They make the commute from Victorville and said they will keep going back for the al pastor tacos until the Victorville location is open.
Hesperia resident Anthony Gomez likes to explore the menu. When the Daily Press spoke to him at the grand opening, his carnitas burrito was already halfway gone, and he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon.
Hot, familiar food served faster
Taqueria 2 Potrillos has a displayed assembly line of handmade tortilla makers and al pastor carcass slicers that bears resemblance to a fast-food Chipotle setup or Subway sandwich line.
What's unusual about Taqueria 2 Potrillos, however, is that after customers watch cooks prepare their orders like teppan chefs down the line and pay, they take a seat at the Jalisco-imported wood tables and turn what could be a quick-paced experience into a dine-in ordeal.
Almost no one takes their food to go at the taqueria, and that's not a coincidence. Rosales previously told the Daily Press he pays extra to curate a welcoming environment, similar to eating at home with a mom-cooked meal. Fittingly, most of the recipes at Taqueria 2 Potrillos come directly from Rosales' mom in Michoacan.
The Montclair store, conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the only Potrillos taqueria with a drive-thru.
"It's all about the experience. If someone is removed from that and orders a burrito from the drive-thru, all they'll get is a burrito," Rosales said. Drive-thru customers will never know the tortillas are handmade, or that the cheese is grill-fried first before being tucked tight into a massive burrito, accompanied by even more fresh cheese on top.
Seeing how the food is prepared is a big draw at Potrillos restaurants.
The Hesperia Taqueria 2 Potrillos is the third express store. These locations are designed to get food to customers even quicker. Rosales says wait times at these locations average two minutes from order to bag. For this reason, deep-fried foods like sopes and empanadas are omitted from the traditional menu to save time.
The High Desert restaurant also features an optional kiosk to order from during high times and long lines.
If you go: Taqueria 2 Potrillos
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- Address: 13325 Main St., Suite 109, Hesperia
- Phone: 909-743-3129
- Website: taqueria2potrillos.com
- Facebook: Taqueria 2 Potrillos
- Instagram: @taqueria2potrillos
- TikTok: @taqueria_2_potrillos
- Cost: Choices of meat for all menu items include the choice of al pastor, carnitas, asada, birria, chicken or buche. Tacos are $2.99, burritos are $10.99, mulitas start at $2.99 and tortas are $10.99.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at [email protected].