The name The Tilted Taco comes from a simple observation: when people eat a taco, they often tilt their heads.
Behind that playful name is a much deeper story—one that connects Mexico City, decades of restaurant experience, a small taco tent and an independent restaurant built around fresh food and community.
Located on Lake Shore Road in Angola, New York, The Tilted Taco is owned by Edmundo Estrada, whose path to the restaurant began long before its doors opened.
From Mexico City to Western New York
Estrada is originally from Mexico City. He came to the United States in 1989, first arriving in San Francisco before later spending time in Atlanta and Orlando, Florida.
His restaurant experience began from the ground up. Estrada worked as a busboy in Atlanta and continued learning the industry through years of restaurant work. Altogether, he has accumulated more than two decades of experience in the business.
After eventually making his home in Western New York, Estrada continued cooking for friends and family. Their response encouraged him to take his food beyond his own kitchen.
The Tilted Taco Began as a Pop-Up
Before The Tilted Taco had a permanent restaurant, Estrada operated a taco tent on Seneca Nation territory two days a week.
The pop-up was already known as The Tilted Taco. It allowed Estrada to introduce his food directly to customers, build a following and discover whether the idea could grow into something larger.
It eventually did.
The Tilted Taco established a permanent home in Angola, giving Estrada the opportunity to turn years of cooking and restaurant experience into a business of his own.
In 2024, he made an even larger commitment: Estrada left his position with the New York State Department of Corrections to dedicate himself to The Tilted Taco full-time.
Birria Made with Time and Passion
The restaurant identifies itself as a “Casa de Birria,” and birria tacos have become its most popular menu item.
For Estrada, the process depends on more than following a recipe. He describes time and passion as essential parts of preparing the birria properly.
Large batches cook slowly in the restaurant’s kitchen, developing the braised beef and consommé served with The Tilted Taco’s birria dishes. The restaurant’s menu extends that birria into tacos, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, nachos, chimichangas and birria ramen.
Still, the birria tacos remain the dish customers request most often.
Fresh Preparation Beyond the Main Dish
The restaurant’s approach to fresh preparation extends beyond its signature birria.
The Tilted Taco makes its corn tortilla chips in-house, producing the irregular shapes, crisp texture and seasoning that distinguish them from packaged chips.
Its salsa is also prepared in-house using tomatillos and fresh vegetables.
The restaurant’s creamy queso is made in the kitchen with cream cheese, giving it a rich texture served alongside the chips or incorporated into several menu items.
According to Estrada, ingredients are prepared fresh daily and every customer’s order is made fresh to order.
That approach can require patience, particularly when a restaurant is busy, but it reflects the same philosophy Estrada applies to the birria: food should receive the time needed to prepare it properly.
For Edmundo, the Customers Are the Community
The Tilted Taco’s relationship with Angola is not separate from the restaurant’s daily work. As Estrada explained to Latin American Dining, his customers are the community.
During a November initiative, Estrada offered free meals to people in need. For him, giving back is part of what The Tilted Taco can do for the surrounding community.
A Mexican Independence Day Tradition
The Tilted Taco also marks Mexican Independence Day with an annual limited-time creation known as the Chimichanga Mexicana.
In 2026, the restaurant continued the special for its third year.
The tradition gives Estrada another way to connect the menu with Mexican culture while offering customers something available only during the September celebration.
More Than a Permanent Address
The Tilted Taco’s story did not begin with a storefront. It began with Estrada’s years in restaurant kitchens, the encouragement of friends and family, and a taco tent operating two days a week.
The permanent restaurant represents the next chapter of that progression, but the foundation remains the same: food prepared with patience, personal involvement from the owner and a direct relationship with the people being served.
For Edmundo Estrada, The Tilted Taco is not only about what the restaurant can sell. It is also about what the restaurant can give back.
Visit The Tilted Taco
The Tilted Taco
9542 Lake Shore Road
Angola, NY 14006
716-780-7080
View the restaurant’s current menu and online ordering options:
https://order.yourmenu.com/thetiltedtaco
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