When Hermosillo, Mexico-born chef and culinary entrepreneur Eloy Aluri and his cousin, chef Saúl Pérez García (formerly of Ceviche Project and Atla), looked at Los Angeles’ culinary scene, they saw something missing: tacos from Hermosillo in Sonora, Mexico.
This gap sparked the inspiration for Tacos Royale, which fills a niche in Southern California’s Mexican food scene by spotlighting Sonora’s time-honored carne asada traditions.
The cousins co-founded the street taqueria Tacos Royale near the border of Silver Lake and Echo Park in June 2026. Both describe food as a defining part of their childhood and family celebrations, and say they aim to create that same experience for the people of Los Angeles.
Running a restaurant is no easy feat amid rising labor costs and inflation, but for García and Aluri, taking shortcuts and cutting costs are not options. The pair insist on sourcing only the highest-quality ingredients, which they say is what sets their tacos apart from the competition.
At Tacos Royale, the carne asada is made with USDA Prime steak, and the flour tortillas follow a traditional ancestral recipe made with beef tallow and Yosemite Organics wheat flour.
“We’re doing it the right way on the right tortilla, with the right meat, with the right cut, with the right seasonings, using the original and ancestral ingredients,” García says.
The tacos’ appeal also lies in their simplicity — each soaking up a smoky flavor from Tacos Royale’s charcoal grill. The focus here is on quality and tradition over unnecessary flair.
Tacos Royale’s strength comes not only from its food but also from what each cousin brings to the table. Guadalajara native García is a self-taught cook who describes himself as a “creator,” saying he has a childlike mind that dreams up ideas for where Tacos Royale can go. Aluri, who has years of culinary experience and appeared on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, is more business-minded. Based in Hermosillo, Aluri focuses on culinary development and expansion plans, strategizing how to bring his cousin’s ambitious ideas to fruition.
“[He’s] a good complement because we are very smart, risky people, and we know about the business,” García says.
The next big undertaking for Tacos Royale is a second location in West Hollywood, located at 529 N. La Cienega Blvd., which is scheduled to have a soft opening in December.
For the cousins, bringing the Hermosillo experience to L.A. goes beyond flavor. Aluri aims to give people a reason to gather over a shared meal — something his family cherishes back in Mexico.
“The idea for Saúl and me is to bring that energy, to have an excuse for you to call a friend and say, ‘Let’s go to the taqueria,’” Aluri says. “The taco doesn’t make you feel alone because you’re around people and it’s a good taco. That’s what we want — how it feels, how it tastes and that intention in everything that we’re putting together.”
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