Villa’s Tacos owner shares Super Bowl halftime show story: “Every taco along the way got me here”

A Los Angeles-based taqueria made a guest appearance during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, putting an even larger spotlight on the restaurant already loved by Angelenos. 

Villa’s Tacos, which has two locations in Highland Park and one in Grand Central Market, and Chef Victor Villa were featured as Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performed “Tití Me Preguntó,” while walking through what looked like sugar cane fields meant to mimic his home country. 

“VILLA’S TACOS IS ALWAYS IN THE BUILDING, BUT TODAY, VILLA’S TACOS WAS IN @BADBUNNYPR’s SUPERBOWL HALFTIME SHOW BUILDING!!!!!!” said Villa’s Tacos’ post on Instagram. 

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, grabs a piraquas, or shaved ice, and hands it to Chef Villa as he continues dancing during his performance, moving past several symbols representing Puerto Rican culture.

After the show, Villa, a first-generation Mexican-American who was born in Los Angeles, took to Instagram to thank the singer and his support system. 

“I want to give a huge thank you to @badbunnypr for hand selecting me & giving me an opportunity to represent my people, my culture, my family & my business,” Villa said. “This Super Bowl halftime performance goes down as one of, if not the biggest Super Bowl halftime performance of all time & what an absolute honor it is to have been part of such a special moment!”

Related: SoCal ties front and center in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show

He went on to mention where he got his start, selling tacos out of his grandmother’s front yard in Highland Park eight years ago, to where he and his business are today. 

“I couldn’t have sold that 1st taco, if my parents didn’t make the difficult decision to leave their homeland for a better life & immigrate to the U.S.,” Villa said. “It was an honor to represent my raza & all the taqueros of the world by bringing my taco cart to @badbunnypr ‘s Super Bowl LX 2026 Halftime show.”

Villa spoke with CBS LA on Monday, just hours after the Super Bowl ended. He attributes his success to his immigrant family and his supporters, each of whom he says helped make Sunday possible.

“Man, it means everything, it was an honor, it was a pleasure, and it was one for the books being able to represent my community,” Villa said. “I just kept on going, I never gave up. You know, every taco along the way got me here to this moment on the biggest platform there is.”

 He says that he’s been practicing with Bad Bunny’s crew for the last three weeks to get ready for the show, because the singer wanted to ensure that it felt like a collective with every player in unison with one another.

“Benito, if you’re watching this, and all your team, I should have told you over there in Santa Clara, but I got you on the tacquiza,” Villa said. “I want to cater an event for you and your team, your family, as a token of my appreciation.”

Villa also offered a word of encouragement for anyone else looking to follow their own life goals. 

“If I can do it, so can you. Don’t give up on your dreams,” he said. 

After the game, dozens of people flocked to the taco shop to enjoy the delicacies they have to offer. 

“I was surprised, but it makes sense. We learned that they had reached out to Bad Bunny and that he invited them to come on,” said one diner. “I think it’s an amazing thing that in this current time, we’re seeing that representation of a Latino-owned business.”

Villa’s Tacos is renowned for its handmade blue corn tacos, queso tacos and flavorful meats. In 2024, Jack Flaherty, the starting pitcher who helped the Dodgers to the first of their back-to-back World Series titles, worked a shift at Villa’s Tacos at their Grand Central Market location.