The green awning still reads “Tuccio’s,” but Woodland Hills’ newest restaurant is totally Trejo.

At Warner Center along Oxnard Street, Trejo’s Cantina opened its doors Monday, replacing a former Italian eatery. It’s the latest venue in the rapidly expanding restaurant empire founded by actor Danny Trejo and partners Ash Shah and Jeff Giorgino.

“I live in the Valley, so now I can just wake up and go have breakfast,” Trejo told the Los Angeles Daily News. “I love the food.”

In less than two years, Trejo’s has gone from a single taco restaurant on LaBrea avenue in the mid-Wilshire area to six locations overall, including a coffee and donut shop. A Trejo’s Tacos opened at USC Village on Sunday. The Woodland Hills locale is the first Trejo’s in the San Fernando Valley.

“Everybody’s been asking me, ‘Hey, when are you going to open one in the Valley?’ So now everybody’s like super happy,” Trejo beamed.

Jeff Georgino, co-owner of Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Cook Gerardo Badillo makes tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Carne Asada tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Fried chicken tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)



Carnitas tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

A cauliflower taco at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Brisket taco at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Tacos at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jalapeno Margarita at Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)



A Diablo, Made West Pale Ale, and a Jalapeno Margarita at the new Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jeff Georgino, co-owner of Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Trejo’s Cantina in Woodland Hills, CA., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)



Giorgino said the new site made sense from a business perspective.

“We had a lot of people going to our existing restaurants that were coming from the Valley,” he said while surveying operations after Wednesday’s lunch hour rush. “We were looking around and this opportunity came up… There’s pent-up demand here.”

A silkscreen image of Trejo holding a pair of meat cleavers hangs above one of the booths, a sly reference to the actor’s best-known movie character, “Machete.” Between booths and other tables there is seating for over 200, plus a large patio dining area. There’s also a well-stocked bar.

“We have probably over 20 tequilas and over a dozen mezcals,” Giorgino noted. “We brew our own beer. It’s a Mexican lager. We’re contract brewing it downtown but it’s our recipe.”

Lunch is served in what Giorgino described as “fast casual” style, where customers order at the counter. Signature tacos — young jackfruit, cauliflower and blackened salmon among the options — run between $4 and $6. Burritos, quesadillas and other dishes are priced from $6 to $14.

Beginning next week, the Woodland Hills site will become the first Trejo’s to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the morning crowd there are donuts from 7am-11am, with varieties dubbed Machete, Low Rider, Abuelita, and Piña Fritter, to name a few.

The Woodland Hills’ Trejo’s may not remain the only Valley location for long. Giorgino revealed plans for further expansion elsewhere in the actor’s old stomping grounds, and beyond.

“We want to create something much larger than one restaurant or a handful of restaurants in L.A.,” he said. “There’s huge opportunities in California. There’s huge opportunities in the U.S.”

As his restaurant business grows, Trejo, 73, remains in high demand as an actor. He has more than half a dozen films in the pipeline.

“I just did a movie called ‘The House Next Door’ and it’s about vampires, with Mike Epps and Katt Williams and it is funnier than hell,” Trejo said with a laugh.

Despite his hectic acting schedule, Giorgino says Trejo stays closely engaged with the restaurant enterprise.

“Danny loves the business,” Giorgino said. “We’ll have discussions about food. He knows the staff and he’s in the restaurants frequently. He’s in weekly, if not several days a week.”

“I’m so blessed and so happy,” Trejo added. “I’m overwhelmed at the response that we’ve gotten.”

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He explained how he’s able to pursue two careers at once — actor and restaurateur.

“A busy man has time to do everything,” he said, joking, “That saying is out of the Book of Danny, verse 5 psalm 7.”