Traveling down Sorenson Rd. in Hayward, the fresh scent of rich carne asada and warm tortillas fill the air. Follow the scent, and find the huge grill and red canopy of Taqueria Los Perrones, one of Hayward’s hidden gems for authentic Mexican street food.

Originally started in Los Angeles, Taqueria Los Perrones expanded to Sacramento and the Bay Area to share its renowned tender meats and fresh horchata with a wider audience. The owners, Harcio and his son Umberto, make it their mission to serve the best street tacos in the Bay Area while using the freshest ingredients, starting with the meat.

“We get the freshest meat in the market and make sure we only get the freshest ingredients from our local farmers for our customers. The patron, our boss, makes sure every ingredient is up to standards and then we pack the food to our vans. We make the drive from Sacramento to Hayward everyday,” said Eduardo, a Taqueria Los Perrones employee.

“Hayward is where we get some of our best customers. Some customers eat here weekly, and we have built connections with the community. We feel welcomed by everyone, especially our people [the Hispanic community]. We love to spread our love of street tacos through flavor, and make sure to only deliver the best,” he added.

As for the food, Taqueria Los Perrones offers a variety of delicious, fresh beef: cabeza (head), asada, al pastor, tripa (gut), lengua (tongue), chorizo, suadero and buche. The asada and lengua tacos are especially bound to wake up the taste buds and make the stomach growl with excitement. 

Taqueria Los Perrones also sells tortas, quesadillas, stuffed potatoes, burritos, and homemade horchata. A foodie couple, who call themselves “The Taste Duo” on social media, highly recommend Taqueria Los Perrones, and make it one of their go-to destinations for a late night meal. 

While chowing down on a stuffed potato, they said, “It’s like a masterpiece, it’s so heavy and I can’t believe it’s all in a potato. The meat and potato goes super well. We got a suadero and cabeza as a topping. It’s an absolutely big yes!”

Taqueria Los Perrones is open Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and until 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. You can find them on the corner of Sorenson Rd. and Mission Blvd., just down the hill from campus, or near the Target on Whipple Rd.