May 29, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Meet the Man Behind the Burritos: Severiano Gonzalez Marks Four Decades at Tito’s Tacos

One Man’s Dedication, Four Decades of Flavor: Tito’s Senior Cook Speaks

By Dolores Quintana

Severiano Gonzalez is the senior cook at Culver City’s iconic Mexican restaurant Tito’s Tacos. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Gonzales was hired to work at Tito’s in 1985. After working at a plastics manufacturing company, when he was offered a job at the restaurant, he took it and never looked back. The seventeen-year-old knew opportunity when he saw it.

After forty years with Tito’s and as the father of a family of four, Severiano Gonzales is known as a man of few words but a sincere dedication to his craft as a cook and, dare I say it, a chef.

I spoke with Severiano Gonzales, through an interpreter, about his work and his passion for cooking. One of the other employees, who has worked with him for many years, said that he was surprised that Gonzales spoke so freely, because he is a man of few words. 

After the interview, I stopped to order food, and I had to wait for a bit because the restaurant had a line. It was clear that people love the food that Tito’s Tacos serves and the food that Severiano cooks with love. 

Dolores Quintana: When did you first decide you wanted to be a cook?

Severiano Gonzalez: When there was an opportunity [at Tito’s Tacos], when they gave it to me. I took it. 

Dolores Quintana: But I wondered if your family cooked a lot and if you learned how to cook at home. If you loved cooking with your family in your home, if that’s where your desire to cook came from. Also, I know that the cuisine in Mexico is different from what people in the United States know as Mexican food. 

Severiano Gonzalez: Yes, my family always cooked, but restaurant cooking is different from homemade cooking. Home cooking is different because it’s not in a restaurant setting where you’re making tons of food all at once, but it’s also different because you’re making something for your children. Yes, I agree, Mexican food in Mexico is much different than Mexican food in the United States. 

When the opportunity was given to me, and I found that I loved working here at Tito’s, I took that opportunity because I wanted to grow. I wanted to learn. I was taught by the ones that came before me, the managers and the bosses that I worked with before when I was young. They taught me everything about the restaurant business: how to cook and how to manage the volume. Tito’s is a family business, and the ingredients have been in the family since the business started. They haven’t changed, so I have learned the Tito’s way. 

Dolores Quintana: How long have you worked at Tito’s?

Severiano Gonzalez: 40 years. I started as a runner and a server, and then moved up to making food for the customers. I have been the senior cook for 25 years. I am in charge of cooking beans, rice, and enchiladas, and in charge of always being on top of what they need in the front of the house. 

Dolores Quintana: Does that mean that part of your skill as a cook is knowing and anticipating the needs of the business throughout the day? Is it that you have an eye for those needs or training?

Severiano Gonzalez: It’s both. I was very well trained to be on top of what is needed out in the front, and because I was so well trained, it has given me the eye to watch what is needed and to know what will be needed. I do this daily, so it’s something that comes naturally now. 

I love what I do, and I’m very good at it, and I always strive to do my best when I am working. 

Dolores Quintana: I’ve noticed that to cooks and chefs, cooking is more than just a job. It’s like a passion that is within them. How do you feel about your work?

Severiano Gonzalez: You have to be very vigilant when cooking because you know you want to make sure everything is coming out correctly. You’re right, what you say is correct. It’s a passion, and you do it, not just with passion, but with your heart.

Dolores Quintana: Cooking is a craft, and like a lot of other crafts, like writing or filmmaking or acting, or dancing, it’s also an art. I believe that chefs and cooks know that there is a magic of creativity involved. I think it is very similar. I’ve heard it described that they just want to feed people, and it’s just what makes them happy, you know? When they see people enjoying their food, they say, “My life has meaning.”

Severiano Gonzalez: It is a great pleasure to see people love what they’re eating, especially when the food is something that you’ve cooked.

Dolores Quintana: Is there anything like a specific dish or a type of food here that you really enjoy? 

Severiano Gonzalez: I eat a bean, cheese, and rice burrito and one taco with cheese every single day.

Translator: When I started here, I asked him because I saw what was on his plate every day. I try to take care of myself, and I love Tito’s. But sometimes, I have to hold back. I asked him one day, “Do you eat here every day?” Severiano said, “Every day. Since the day that I started working here.” That’s why when you ask that question, I smiled because I know what he eats, and that’s what he has eaten every day for 40 years. 

When he was in Mexico, he grew up eating a lot of beans, and he was raised on them, so he loves beans. 

Severiano Gonzalez: I cook them in a way that I think someone will enjoy. I cook them in a way that I enjoy the food when I eat it. When I’m making the food, I’m thinking about how to cook them the Tito’s way, but also how I enjoy eating them. I have ordered beans at other restaurants, and I can tell when they are canned beans. It’s not just the color, the beans that I cook must have the right flavor, the right texture, and they must be hot. 

Founded in 1959 by Benjamin Davidson and now run by his granddaughter Lynne Davidson, Tito’s Tacos is an iconic Mexican fast-casual restaurant in Los Angeles. Known for its “folded” hard shell tacos and burritos beloved by celebrities, locals, and visitors, Tito’s menu features crispy beef tacos, tamales, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, and guacamole, among other dishes. The award-winning cuisine is made from scratch using original recipes and served to thousands of loyal fans daily, often by employees who have been with Tito’s for decades. Available for takeout or delivery.

Related Posts

(Video) Interviews with Rick Caruso and Elyse Walker, with a Dennis Quaid cameo

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

We spoke at the Press Conference to announce plans to reopen Palisades Village Shopping Mall. Actor Dennis Quaid arrives to...

(Video) Shoreside Restaurant Unveiled by Santa Monica’s Shore Hotel

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Guests can expect dishes like the Harris Ranch Prime Filet, along with plates like the California Yellowtail Crudo and Superior...

Levain Bakery Debuts ‘Levain à la Mode’ with Local Ice Cream Partners for Summer

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Seasonal Offering With Wanderlust Creamery is a First in Cookie Shop’s History For the first time in its three-decade history,...

Beverly Glen Sixth Grader Advances to Finals of National Student Cook-Off

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Twelve-Year-Old Heads to Virginia to Compete in K12 Culinary Competition Abijah Levy Minor, a 12-year-old student from Beverly Glen, has...

Sarah Paulson to Host Charity Bingo Night for Pasadena Humane Society on June 5

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Evening of Food, Wine, and Live Music to Raise Funds for Animal Rescue Efforts Emmy-winning actress Sarah Paulson will host...

Bay Cities Italian Deli Responds to Health Code Closure, Commits to Corrective Action

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Santa Monica Landmark Disputes Rodent Claims but Acknowledges Violations Bay Cities Italian Deli, a Santa Monica staple renowned for its...

Film Review: Bring Her Back

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Grief is the price of love.  Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s second feature film, Bring Her Back,...

County Assessor Stresses Need For Fire-Affected Households to Update Addresses to Receive Relief Checks

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Assessor’s Office Offers Automatic Tax Relief for Fire-Affected Homeowners Following the destruction caused by wildfires earlier this year, the Los...

Caltrans Schedules Public Meeting for $143.7 Million I-405 Rehabilitation Project

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Virtual Forum Set to Brief Residents on Upcoming Construction The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will hold a virtual public...

Crustacean Launches ‘Little C’ Vietnamese Pop-Up to Celebrate Chef Helene An’s Legacy

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Three-Day Lunch Series Honors AAPI Heritage Month With Chef’s Personal Recipes Crustacean Beverly Hills will host a limited-run pop-up dining...

Academy Award Winning Director Sean Baker to Attend Anora Screening in Support of Theater Preservation

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Acclaimed Director Joins Special Event on May 30 to Help Keep Historic South Bay Cinema Open The independent studio Neon,...

Motorcyclist Killed in Westchester Collision with Vehicle Near Centinela

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Crash Prompts Hours-Long Investigation of Crash Site of Violent Accident One person was killed Monday evening when a motorcycle collided...

Metro LA to Host Public Meetings This Week on Westside to Valley Transit Alternatives

May 26, 2025

May 26, 2025

Community Input Needed as Release Draft Environmental Impact Report Approaches Metro LA is inviting the public to a series of...

Over 100,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Seized in Los Angeles County Before July 4th

May 26, 2025

May 26, 2025

Cal Fire, ATF Uncover Massive Stockpile, Urge Residents to Report Incidents More than 100,000 pounds of illegal fireworks were confiscated...

Missing West Hollywood Woman Found Safe, According to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department

May 26, 2025

May 26, 2025

Woman Who Was Last Seen on May 19 near Hayworth Avenue Reunited with Family The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department confirmed...