Four years ago, Jose Arturo Salas turned his culinary passion into reality, launching Tacos de la H, a food truck inspired by his roots in Hermosillo, Mexico.
“Most of my family works in the food industry, and I studied gastronomy in Hermosillo,” Salas said. “After moving here, I knew I wanted to share my food with people.”
Salas always aspired to own a food business, but the opportunity came in an unexpected way. While driving around Tucson, he spotted a food truck for sale. Though he didn’t purchase it outright, he negotiated a unique deal.
“I had a ’72 Mustang that I was fixing up,” Salas said. “When I saw the truck, I made a deal with the owner. He wanted my car, and I wanted his truck. So, we ended up just trading. That’s how it all started.”
Bringing Hermosillo to Tucson
With the truck secured, Salas focused on bringing an authentic taste of Hermosillo to Tucson. He named his business Tacos de la H, with the “H” standing for his hometown.
“I added a lot of things you’d find in a restaurant in Hermosillo,” he said. This includes sesos (beef brain), ojo (eyes), and lengua (tongue).
To maintain authenticity, Salas sources specialty ingredients from Houston, as sesos is not readily available locally.
A Unique Take on Chilaquiles
One standout menu item is the chilaquiles with chicharrón, a dish that blends tradition with innovation. Chilaquiles typically consist of lightly fried corn tortillas cut into quarters and cooked in green or red salsa. Salas, however, presents his version with a twist.
In this case, the salsa is served in the container first with tortillas layered on top, followed by cheese, crema, tomato, cabbage, and chicharrón.
Salas credits a television show for inspiring his take on the dish.
“I saw a woman preparing something similar, and it sparked an idea,” he said. “I wanted to create my own version.”
Tacos de la H is located at 1239 W. Speedway Blvd. For more information, keep up with Tacos de la H on Instagram.
