Tio's Tacos, a 30-Year Journey of Authentic Mexican Cuisine and Recycled Art

If you drive through downtown Riverside, you might spot a huge orange butterfly hanging off the side of a building, an airplane parked on its roof and two giants made from recycled aluminum cans.

Inside, you’ll spot mariachi musicians forged in metal and decorated with bottle caps. This is Tio’s Tacos. It’s not just a Mexican restaurant; it’s a sculpture garden and one immigrant entrepreneur’s labor of love.

Owner Martín Sanchez has spent more than 30 years developing authentic Mexican food inspired by frequent visits to his home country. And along the way, he’s transformed his one-acre taquería into a showcase for hundreds of works of art — all recycled from what most people call “garbage.”

“I saw an opportunity in the garbage, in recycling,” Sanchez said. “I don’t have money to buy materials, but I have bottles. I have cans. I have what the restaurant throws away.”

Sanchez’s love for his hometown of Sahuayo, in the Mexican state of Michoacánis, is reflected in many of his pieces.

“Here we have ‘The Dance of the Old Men,’” Martín said as he pointed to a statue of traditional folk dancers in his back patio. “I always wanted to create different spaces. If you notice here, this dining area represents what my town is about.”

He said his art also represents a journey to heal a childlike wonder that was sacrificed a long time ago. Sanchez said it’s a sacrifice many immigrants face due to the pressure to provide for their families.

As a young boy, Sanchez loved to create toys made from scrap metal he found lying around. But after his father passed away, Sanchez had to work to contribute to the family’s finances.

Years later, in 1984, at 16 years old, he immigrated to the United States and sold oranges on the side of the road in East Los Angeles. After some time, he opened a hot dog and taco cart business.

“During the day, I’d sell hot dogs, and at night, I’d transform the cart to sell tacos,” Sanchez said. “And that’s how Tio’s Tacos was born.”

Sanchez saved money for six years to buy the land where Tio’s Tacos stands today. Yet, as he was growing his business, he felt a pressure inside him that needed to be released.

“I released the boy that I’d hindered, that I had to freeze in order to become a responsible adult as a kid,” Martín said. “Then, when I reached this point as an adult, I let that boy out, and that’s when the art began.”

He started collecting garbage from his restaurant and neatly separated the recyclable materials into different piles for upcoming projects he envisioned in his head. Over time, the plot of land behind his restaurant became filled with trash, and it became extremely noticeable. It reached the point where his family chastised him for the mounting garbage near his restaurant.

“I understood the sentiment from the people, from those around me,” Sanchez said. “But I saw the trash’s potential.”

Eventually, his trash piles would also catch the attention of the local government. He said he received complaints from the city. But as they saw this public eye-sore transform into a work of art, the complaints slowed.

“They must have said, ‘We have to leave this crazy guy alone and see how far he gets,’” Sanchez said. “Nowadays, thank God, I have the support of the city. They support me, they congratulate me. I am what they call a ‘landmark’ here.”

Sanchez also has the support of the local arts community in Riverside. His work has been featured at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture, which is only a couple of blocks away from the restaurant.

Maria Esther Fernandez, the museum’s artistic director, said Tio’s Tacos makes her feel at home and said the art uniquely reflects the city’s culture.

“He’s creating a place here in Riverside, and it’s a destination,” Fernandez said. “It’s a place where people go and see themselves, see their family, their history, their memories.”

Sanchez’s three daughters also consider Tio’s Tacos, a vital part of the Riverside community and are slowly inheriting the business. Estephanie, the oldest, said she plans to preserve the art and continue growing the restaurant.

“We’ve always said that the restaurant is something living and breathing. It moves and is constantly changing,” Estephanie said. “Equally important is that the community, the families, feel comfortable here and relax.”

Martín Sanchez said he’s happy to hand the business over to his daughters and is excited to see where they take it. He said it gives him more time to create art.

“I used to dream like a boy, and I continue to dream like a boy and play like a boy,” Sanchez said. “That’s why every time I do a project, I imagine that I’m playing, and that’s the key to success to achieve something.”