Two stands inside Graze Food Hall by Travail are ending their tenure: Tixtli by Nixta has closed, and Caja, the fried chicken spot from chef Alex Roberts, will leave at the end of January. But two new spots are on the horizon — both from Travail.
Opening on Jan. 9 will be Berto’s, specializing in the burrito stand comforts familiar to anyone from the Southwest, where tortillas are stuffed with meat and French fries.
“This one is deeply personal for me,” said Travail Collective partner Mike Brown. “My mom grew up in a Mexican restaurant founded by her grandmother in 1940 in La Tapatia. Brown said he remembers soaking in all the sights, smells, sounds and flavors of the kitchen when they’d go home to visit. “I remember mashing the beans — this is the food I grew up with.”
The cuisine is inspired by Jalisco region with that Baja influence, and Berto’s menu is fortified with long-simmered goods wrapped in tortillas and served with a customizable mix of spice and toppings from the salsa bar.
Anyone who has hopped off a plane in Southern California and stopped at a burrito stand on the way to their final destination will recognize these dishes: crispy-rolled tacos/taquitos/flautas filled with birria; carne asada fries, loaded with steak and smothered in nacho cheese; tacos with crusty fried fish served with fresh slaw; and more.
For beverages, there will be agua de Jamaica, horchata, Mexican Coke, Sprite and six flavors of Jarritos that Brown has determined are the best.
When the chef-run restaurant group took over the food hall in late 2025, Tixtli by Nixta was one of several new concepts. It’s an idea that we might see again. Run by the Oro by Nixta team, they said it hopes to revive the taco project “once immigration, small business and food footings feel less shaky.”
News of Travail’s second, unnamed concept coming to Graze will come after Caja ends its run.
