Ziggy Leon

Showgoers hang out outside of Taqueria Mila between sets at a show on March 8, 2024.

Taqueria Mila has been at the forefront of Sonoma County’s recently booming underground music scene. From punk shows to goth dance nights, the family-owned taqueria satiates a variety of music-lovers with delicious tacos.

Located at 2790 Santa Rosa Avenue, Taqueria Mila is an immigrant family owned business that serves authentic Mexican food with handmade tortillas. On the weekends, you can add “music venue” to that description.

David Ortega, son of Mila Ortega and one of the business owners, first thought of hosting shows in the restaurant in 2023. “Turning the taqueria into a venue was definitely a hard sell, but my family was super supportive,” he said.

On most weekends, you can find some sort of live music in the 888-square-foot restaurant (a third of it is usually occupied by bands’ equipment).

This isn’t Ortega’s first time operating a venue. Prior to this, he managed the “Vibe Den” in Petaluma, so the idea of a DIY music venue wasn’t totally foreign to his family. He said that turning the taqueria into a venue was a solid choice for business.

“The community that shows up has been incredibly supportive, not just of the shows but of us as well,” Ortega said. “Huge shoutout to the homie Nick Sereno from Hexen House and Gabe from Down the Street Booking for setting up shows here and spreading the word about us and Santa Rosa as a whole.”

Patrick “Enrique” Busch, drummer of local hardcore punk band Eleventeen and the man behind Enrique Presents, has hosted multiple ‘Taqueria Beatdowns’, bringing in bands like Dissociation from Vallejo and Noogy from Texas.

“The taqueria is a fun and small space, so no matter what it always feels like a packed show,” he said. The 50-person capacity venue forces the crowd to move in a way because there’s little room to stand around.

The thought of eating a burrito while watching a mosh pit is a novelty among eateries. “I believe that when you hear of a show going on at a taqueria, that sets it apart from any other venue,” Busch said.

Taqueria Mila’s community following has helped it thrive through recent challenges. . On Jan. 11, a burglar broke into the restaurant by smashing the front window and stole money from the cash register. The following day, Ortega shared a post to Taqueria Mila’s Instagram asking for support. He shared a Venmo link for donations to go towards repairs and to recover the lost cash.

The community showed out, sharing the fundraiser over 500 times and raised enough to help the taqueria bounce back.

Taqueria Mila has evolved into much more than just a place to grab a bite. Thanks to the passion of the owners and the vibrant community it has garnered, the family-owned business has become a staple of Santa Rosa’s underground music scene.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Ziggy Leon

Novato slam band Bog Body performs inside of Taqueria Mila on March 8, 2025.