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Mike’s Red Tacos dips into Pasadena with prototype restaurant

Photo: Mike's Red Tacos

November 4, 2026

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San Diego-based Mike's Red Tacos has opened its first Pasadena, California, restaurant, a corporate-run location that will serve as the prototype for the birria brand's national development pipeline.

"Pasadena is a major milestone as Mike's Red Tacos opens its fourth restaurant and takes the next step in its expansion," Andrew Feghali, CEO of Mike's Red Tacos, said in a company press release. "We are building for the future while protecting the details that made people fall in love with Mike's Red Tacos in the first place."

The restaurant, at 899 E. Del Mar Blvd., will serve as a brand training center for the Mike's Red Tacos system, which has more than 300 franchise locations in development, according to the company.

The 3,400-square-foot restaurant seats 62 and includes an outdoor patio designed for group and family dining, with street-art-inspired murals by Los Angeles-based artists.

The opening follows the brand's announcement that LeBron James has joined Mike's Red Tacos as an investor.

Founder Mike Touma launched Mike's Red Tacos as a food truck in San Diego, then opened the first brick-and-mortar restaurant in August 2022. Feghali leads the company alongside Touma, President Vincent Montanelli and Chairman Bill Phelps.

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