Banzito’s Tacos gained fame at Golden 1. It now plans to cook at Auburn brewery
A Sacramento-area taco truck owner is taking a step toward his goal of running his business as a cantina.
Adam Saldaña, owner of Banzito’s Tacos, will move his taco truck into Knee Deep Brewing Company’s Auburn brewery in early 2026, he announced in a social media post on Dec. 10.
“(Knee Deep Brewing) gives us the perfect home base to continue growing our brand with the quality, consistency and experience our customers expect from us,” Saldaña said.
At the taproom, 13395 New Airport Road, Suite H, in Auburn, Banzito’s will serve its fan-favorite loaded tacos with crispy, cheesy tortillas and heaps of toppings. Saldaña said he also hopes to work with the Knee Deep Brewing team to develop beer pairings for his dishes.
With indoor and outdoor seating available at the Auburn taproom, Saldaña said he strives to bring a “cantina-style atmosphere.”
“This partnership is just a genuine step toward that vision that we’ve been building since day one,” he said. “We couldn’t be more content and excited for what’s ahead.”
Banzito’s Tacos is slated to launch at Knee Deep Brewing Company on Jan. 2, 2026, according to the business’s Instagram announcement. The truck will operate noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays.
Taco dreams blossomed thanks to NBA player attention
Saldaña started his business in 2022, originally as “Bandito’s,” he said. According to Saldaña, he rebranded to Banzito’s in 2023 to develop a unique brand identity.
Running a taco business had been his dream for years, even during the seven years he worked as an analyst for the Twin Rivers Unified School District.
During the basketball season, Banzito’s would normally park in front of Golden 1 Center in downtown, where Saldaña and his team cook for thousands of Sacramento Kings fans. There, former Kings player De’Aaron Fox became a fan of the cheese skirt-encrusted tacos.
“(Fox) invited us out to do one of his caterings at his house, and he like fell in love with it,” Saldaña said. “Once that kind of got word, people came out and tried the food, and people loved it.”
The attention Fox gave to Banzito’s allowed Saldaña to leave his desk job and work at the truck full-time, he said.
In early 2024, Fox debuted his newest sneakers — a custom turquoise and yellow pair of Under Armour shoes paying homage to his favorite brightly colored taco truck, The Bee reported at the time.
The one-of-a-kind shoes later had their own consumer spinoffs in two colorways. The Under Armour Curry Fox 1 comes in a striking orange hue with a black band reading the “Banzito’s” name, while the Curry Fox 2 is primarily white with a bolt of color fading from bright blue to orange.
“It’s just grown from something organically to ... stuff as cool as partnering with the Kings,” Saldaña said. “We’re just thankful for how much it has grown.”
Following the basketball frenzy, Banzito’s Tacos now operates in Saldaña’s hometown of Lincoln, at 98 Lincoln Blvd., and offers private catering. The truck will be in its current spot until Dec. 30. And then, Saldaña will prepare for the major move to Knee Deep Brewing.
Saldaña said he considers the new Auburn home base as a sort of brick-and-mortar location. Still, he continues to look ahead to his ultimate goal of operating a restaurant.
“As we move to the next chapter, we just really want people to know that our mission is bigger than a food truck,” he said. “Our goal has always been to create spaces where families gather ... we’re really heavy on culture and bringing people together.”
