A folsom boulevard parking lot fixture for more than two decades is about to go dark. Island Tacos, the tiny East Sacramento taco stand known for $2.25 tacos and $6.50 burritos, will close on September 30 as founders Antonio and Maria Valderrama retire, according to a sign posted at the stand.
The Valderramas, immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico, opened Island Tacos in 2005 and have run it ever since, as reported by Abridged by PBS KVIE. Their son, Jose Valderrama, told the outlet that his parents opened the stand in 2005 and have continued running it themselves in the years since. The stand operates out of a small kitchen and ordering counter, with just two outdoor tables for the customers who want to eat on-site rather than take their order to go.
Before opening Island Tacos, Antonio Valderrama cooked at 524 Restaurant.
No One Left To Take Over The Counter
The sign at the stand announces Island Tacos' closure. Jose Valderrama told Abridged that the Valderramas' children pursued their own careers and that the business has no successor. It's a familiar story nationally — only about 30 percent of small businesses survive the transition from first- to second-generation ownership, according to SomerCor. SCORE reports that while roughly 30 percent of family businesses reach the second generation, just 12 percent survive into the third.
The sign left behind by the Valderramas reads, in part: “We're deeply grateful for every conversation, every purchase, and every familiar face that walked through our doors.” The stand's menu has stayed remarkably affordable over the years, with tacos at $2.25 apiece, chicken or pork tamales at $2.50 each, and bean-and-cheese burritos at $6.50 — everything on the menu costing $9 or less. A refrigerator by the counter stocks Jarritos, Mexican Coke and Peñafiel for customers grabbing a drink alongside their order.
A Corner Sustained By Neighborhood Foot Traffic
Nearby businesses including Trader Joe's, Ace Hardware and CVS sit around the stand, while parking near the East Sacramento Trader Joe's has become harder, per the report.
Across 51st Street sits East Patio Mexicano, a full-service restaurant that opened in 2021 in the space once occupied by Three Sisters Mexican Restaurant, according to SacramentoRevealed.com. Where Island Tacos has operated as a takeout counter with just two outdoor tables, East Patio Mexicano offers sit-down patio dining — giving the intersection two very different takes on Mexican food within sight of each other.
Part Of A Larger Wave Of Retirements
Burr's Fountain, a beloved ice cream and lunch spot at 4920 Folsom Blvd, closed in October 2018 after 25 years when founder Jim Burr retired, according to Mix 96. Nearby at 5201 Folsom Blvd, the location that housed The Shack closed in July 2022 after its longtime owners had owned it for 17 years, before the space reopened as Cervecería at The Shack under new operators.
The trend has continued into 2026. Midtown wine bar 58 Degrees & Holding Co. closed in May after two decades in business, Hoodline reported in its coverage of the closure. Island Tacos now joins that list of long-running Sacramento food and beverage spots closing their doors this year.
The story was reported by Benjy Egel, senior food editor for Abridged by PBS KVIE, who has covered Sacramento restaurants and bars since 2018 and writes the outlet's weekly City of Treats food and drink newsletter. Island Tacos will serve its last tacos, tamales and burritos on September 30, closing a 21-year run in the Folsom Boulevard parking lot it has called home since 2005.
