SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA — One of Oakland’s most acclaimed neighborhood taquerias has officially expanded to San Ramon.
Rico Rico Taco is now open at City Center Bishop Ranch, bringing its handmade tortillas, spit-roasted al pastor and Mexico City-inspired menu to the Tri-Valley.
The restaurant is located at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road in the former C Casa space between West Elm and Fieldwork Brewing Company. It is currently open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, according to City Center.
We’ve been following it since the construction began, and saw signage go up earlier this year. Now it’s in a soft open.
The opening gives local diners a much closer way to try a restaurant that has built a devoted following at its original location on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland.
Rico Rico Taco is especially known for its al pastor, made with pork cooked on a vertical spit and served with pineapple, onion, cilantro and salsa. Other taco choices include carne asada, carnitas, grilled chicken, shrimp, fried fish, mushrooms and nopales.
The broader menu includes burritos, burrito bowls, flour and corn quesadillas, plates and huarachitos — handmade oval corn tortillas filled with refried beans and topped with meat or nopales, onion, cilantro, salsa and cheese.
Vegetarian and vegan options are also a major part of the menu. The restaurant’s original Oakland location is joined by Rico Rico Vegano, a fully plant-based sister concept located nearby.
Rico Rico Taco has deep roots in the East Bay’s Mexican food scene. Owners Ricardo and Marisol Montero come from the families behind Tacos El Gordo and Taqueria Sinaloa, two longstanding East Bay taco truck operations.
The couple combined elements of those family traditions when they opened Rico Rico Taco in Oakland in 2018.
The restaurant quickly earned attention for its fresh-pressed corn tortillas and prominently displayed al pastor spit. Former San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho once described its al pastor taco as a personal Bay Area favorite.
The San Ramon restaurant marks a significant expansion beyond the business’s Oakland home. Ricardo and Marisol Montero previously said City Center’s family-friendly environment, events and mix of local and established businesses helped persuade them to bring the concept through the Caldecott Tunnel.
Rico Rico Taco occupies a roughly 1,464-square-foot restaurant space that became available after C Casa closed. Plans for the taqueria were first announced in fall 2025, although its anticipated opening was delayed as the space went through permitting and construction (isn’t that a familiar story…)
Its arrival continues a period of restaurant growth and change at City Center Bishop Ranch. The center has increasingly recruited independent and locally established Bay Area concepts alongside national retailers, positioning the development as more than a traditional suburban shopping center.
For San Ramon diners, the newest opening means that a trip to Oakland is no longer required to try Rico Rico’s fresh tortillas and signature al pastor.
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