Two years ago, a Mexican taco stand with an Italian twist named Shredded Tacos opened up in Granada Hills. Over time it became a hit, with articles, accolades, and even a segment on KTLA, which is where I first heard about it. How could it be that a place could have Mexican food with an Italian twist? Well, as of today, we have our very own Shredded Tacos in Valencia, so everyone can go find out for themselves.

The heart behind Shredded Tacos is a woman named Jean, whose secret salsa recipe is what helped launch the business. You see Jean is the owner’s mother, and for years everyone loved her unique salsa, one that merged Italian spices with the traditional. The recipe remains secret, but Kim and Joe Niemi have built a restaurant concept that centers around Jean’s famous salsa.

The place is called Shredded Tacos so naturally I had to try one…

It was much smaller than expected, but it did come with a side of chips and salsa. The tacos are priced slightly higher than I thought they would be, but then again they do take extra care in preparing them, even pan frying them to order.

For those that need more than just one taco, they have other menu items like the wrap (pictured below):

Filled with slow cooked chicken or beef and loaded with yellow cheese, the wrap is essentially a burrito (they have those too) but without rice and beans.

Out of everything I tried, the quesadilla was a clear favorite, the melted yellow cheese and heavily seasoned beef really worked for me.

Everything they serve at Shredded Tacos is packed in boxes which is nice for taking home leftovers or taking it to-go.

This place isn’t 110% authentic Mexican and it doesn’t claim to be. Shredded Tacos is really doing their own thing, and is a fresh twist on Bromex (a term coined some years ago by SCV’s very own Mike Devlin). I never knew I liked Italian/Mexican salsa until I tried it today. I would be content with just some salty chips and salsa from here.

Little by little, Santa Clarita is getting some new eats, and the best thing we can do as residents is go out and support and try out these new businesses. Sure, you might not like it because it isn’t as good as (insert LA place it is being unfairly compared to here), but the reality is, this is not Tito’s, this is not LA, this is Shredded Tacos and this is the Santa Clarita Valley, so go in there with an open mind and try something new. And if you are a fan of Shredded Tacos, then tell your friends and spread the word. And if you don’t end up liking it, then at the very least you went out and tried it for yourself.

I want to end this post by saying a few things. First of all, this place just opened and as is the norm in SCV, new places  get crowded very early on. They are still in a soft opening phase and working out some kinks that come with opening a new restaurant. Be patient, be kind, and be understanding.

Shredded Tacos is located at 27530 Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia, and has taken over the space previously occupied by TriTipps.