Taco Mafia

Meet Nixta Taqueria owners Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico, Discada owners Xose Velasco and Anthony Pratto, and Cuantos Tacos owner Luis ‘Beto’ Robledo as they introduce their parents, discuss their childhood experience as children of immigrants, and explore the paths that led them to becoming celebrated small business owners and local heroes in the Austin community.

Edgar and Sara work a night shift at Nixta Taqueria while recounting how they fell in love; Beto picks up his daughter from school and discusses balancing business ownership and co-parenting while working on his menu from home; Anthony and Xose explain the history of the discada recipe and recount how they became best friends while hosting a backyard discada party at Xose’s parents’ house.

Edgar and Sara fly to Oaxaca and visit a corn farm in San Martin Tilcajete to see the man behind the heirloom corn they use at Nixta Taqueria; Beto and his General Manager drive to San Antonio to tour their tortilla purveyor’s tortilla factory and get lunch at Taquitos West Avenue; Anthony and Xose have lunch at The Olive Oil Greek Restaurant and reflect on challenges they faced after high school.

Edgar and Sara explore Mercado Benito Juárez in Oaxaca City and tell their engagement story; Beto catches up with his friends and neighbors at La Santa Barbacha and Ensenada ATX and discusses the importance of supporting others in your community; Xose and Anthony serve discada tacos at a charity event for Relief Gang at J-Bar-M in Houston.

Anthony and Xose host a pop-up at Discada serving a special made by their employee; Edgar and Sara invite their friends to Xochimilco to celebrate their wedding, then return to Austin to view a potential new restaurant space; Beto reflects on his personal and family health issues while reconnecting with his roots in Mexico City; the Taco Mafia reflects on its formation.

Beto visits the taqueria that was his biggest source of inspiration for Cuantos Tacos and talks about on his life-changing surgery; Xose and Anthony recount a nearly fatal car wreck at Discada that almost put them out of business; Edgar and Sara plant a community garden and visit their friend at Side Eye Pie to reflect on past fundraising efforts to support Beto, Anthony and Xose in times of need.

Sara introduces three women she has supported over the years, and stocks the Free Fridge at Nixta Taqueria; Edgar and Sara visit their friends at Birdie’s and reflect on gentrification in East Austin. Beto and his dad pick up a new trailer he bought for a new business concept and begin building it out; Xose and Anthony host an anniversary party at Discada to celebrate five years in business.

The Taco Mafia looks back on the power outage caused by Winter Storm Uri, the actions they took to support their city, and other times they have rallied for their community; They discuss the recognition and support they have received from the hospitality industry and the Austin community; U.S. Representative Greg Casar visits the Discada trailer; Beto has big news for his General Manager.