A Family’s Food Truck Finds Its Footing

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

On National Parks Highway, just past San Jose Boulevard, to the right on the property where there’s a Super 8 motel, an unassuming food truck parked off to the side is quietly becoming a local phenomenon.

Edgar, whose family runs Birrieria Leo’s, still remembers a time when two orders in an eight-hour shift felt like a miracle. That was just three years ago.

“It was that bad,” Edgar said, sitting in his truck. “We were ready to throw in the towel.”

The business started not as a grand plan, but as a solution. Edgar’s cousin had a food truck and seemed to be doing well with it. Back then, Edgar’s mother was working in housekeeping at a local hotel and was struggling with the physical toll of the job. Her arm was hurting, and making beds was becoming difficult.

Around the same time, that same cousin upgraded to a newer truck, leaving her old one available. The pitch was simple: Mom makes good food. Why not give it a shot?

Edgar’s father bought the truck, giving Edgar’s mom a way out of a job that was wearing her down. It was a chance to build something of her own. They set up shop across from the Food Jet, at a spot regulars might remember as Zia’s food place. But in the beginning, no one came.

“We weren’t interacting much with the customers,” he admitted. “We weren’t promoting. We were that little hidden gem you had to take a risk to find out about.”

The turning point, as Edgar recalls, didn’t come from a marketing campaign or a secret menu item. It came from a 15-minute conversation.

An oil field worker stopped by, sat down with Edgar’s father, and the two talked for nearly 20 minutes. The man left with two orders. A week later, he was back with friends.

“They told my mom, ‘We need 35 orders of what you do, because this is amazing,’” Edgar said. “She couldn’t believe it. Friends of friends told their friends, and it just caught fire.”

The food they come to order is birria tacos, made with a traditional Mexican stew typically made with goat or beef, slow-cooked with chiles and spices until tender, then often stuffed into folded tortillas with cheese and served with a side of rich consommé for dipping. It’s a dish that has exploded in popularity across the United States and even internationally in recent years, but in Carlsbad, it was something new.

That global appeal was on display just last month during a small surge of international visitors who were here to visit the caverns. Birrieria Leo’s served a family from Indonesia, another from Tokyo, and one from the Philippines.

“They had never tried this type of Mexican food,” Edgar said. “It was their first time in the United States.”

The family elder from one group was initially skeptical, balking at the price. Edgar explained the reason behind their price. He made an order and paid. Fifteen minutes later, after the family finished eating, he came back and bought the exact same order without a word of complaint.

“He said the taste was worth it,” Edgar smiled. “Those are the little things that make us keep pushing. When we see that satisfaction on a customer’s face, it’s an amazing feeling.”

The recipe itself is a family heirloom. The business is named after Edgar’s grandmother, Leonella, who passed the recipe down to her daughter. That daughter is still referred to as “the head honcho,” though she has stepped back from the day-to-day grind and is settling into semi-retirement. The recipe has now been passed down to the next generation, to Edgar and his older brother, Christian, who run the truck 24/7 most days.

The family is originally from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, where the recipe was born, though Edgar grew up mostly in Arizona. His parents lived in Taos for about 15 years before the oilfield boom brought other family members to Carlsbad. They followed, and after his father passed away two years ago, Edgar and his brother decided to stay and help their mother with the business.

“I love Carlsbad,” Edgar said. “I love the people. You get some folks showing up, having a bad day, but once we interact with them, it’s a different vibe.”

That vibe is about to get a little bigger. The family has already purchased a new, larger food truck and hopes to have it fully inspected and running by next week. They are remodeling the original truck with plans to station it in Loving, hoping to capture the attention of truck drivers passing through.

They want to be more present at community events—school games, homecoming, festivals at the plaza—wherever they are invited.

“We just want to get the word out,” Edgar said. “That’s what we want.”

As for the future, Edgar’s mother has one more goal: giving back. She has floated the idea of helping with fundraisers or volunteering for community events when the business is in a good place financially.

For now, the family is focused on the week ahead, the new truck, and the customers who made it all possible.

“We’re just thankful that people are vibing with us,” Edgar said, “for the respect and the love they show us.”