New restaurant takes up former Gilberto’s Tacos location

By Sara Beth Williams–
A new Mexican restaurant has taken the place of the former Gilberto’s Tacos on Auburn Boulevard.

Los Nogales Mexican Restaurant opened about six weeks ago, restaurant owner Elizabeth Martinez said on Wednesday, adding that it took a couple of months to prepare and finalize things before officially opening.

Martinez said it was scary to open without any indoor seating, but things have been going well so far, and a lot of customers who came within the first week have been returning regularly.

The interior and exterior have fresh paint and a new color scheme of black, white, and orange instead of red and green. The existing outside seating still has red umbrellas, which have been a recognizable feature of the small outdoor eatery.

The Mexican restaurant is located at 7150 Auburn Blvd. across from the Whatsupstairs thrift shop. Previously, the site was home to Gilberto’s Tacos, which announced in August 2024 that they would be losing it in September of the same year.

Gilberto’s Tacos owner, Martha Patricia Garcia, told The Sentinel in an interview last August that the lease had expired in February 2024 and that the restaurant has since been paying month to month. Garcia said she knew the property would eventually sell but didn’t expect it to so soon.

Garcia had indicated she wanted to remain in Citrus Heights because she has built a reputation in the city and wants to remain loyal to her customer base. Gilberto’s Tacos attempted to open a food truck for a short time in the fall of 2024, but the food truck also closed.

Gilberto’s Tacos opened across the street from the former site of Sylvan Middle School in 2016. Prior to Gilberto’s, Jolly Burger occupied the space for decades with a classic diner-like style. The restaurant was taken over in 2013 by the Ward family, who struggled to keep the memories of the old restaurant alive.

Los Nogales is located at 7150 Auburn Blvd.