As night falls on the University of Arizona campus, the scent of sizzling Sonoran-style tacos drifts down University Boulevard, guiding late-night students to a bright red food truck with a giant shark logo.

Shark's Grill, run by UA alum Manuel Davilla, has turned the pursuit of post-class or post-bar cravings into a culinary ritual, serving up authentic Sonoran flavors to hungry Wildcats until the early hours.

Shark's Grill sets up at popular spots around campus, attracting mostly students out for a night on the town, sometimes greeted by a towering inflatable shark.

“Just good food for hungry students,” Davilla told Tucson Spotlight during a recent visit.

Davilla, 30, graduated from the University of Arizona in 2016 with a degree in business administration. Earlier this year, he left his corporate job to start a business rooted in a craft he has been around his entire life.

“I’m from Tucson, but growing up, if I wasn't in school, I was in Santa Ana, Sonora,” Davilla said.

The mascot and name of the trailer itself came simply, with Davilla saying he wanted something “memeable.”

Plus, “the Sonoran desert has great beaches,” Davilla said.

The truck rotates between two locations depending on the day of the week, posting up behind the South Campus Recreation Center from 7 p.m. until the gym closes.

This brings him a steady stream of students fresh out of their workouts and looking for a quick bite to eat.

After the gym closes, the stand moves over to Tyndall Avenue, where it stays until sometimes as late as 4 a.m.

Here, Shark’s attracts all kinds of guests, many of whom are just leaving popular campus spots like Frog and Firkin, No Anchovies, and Fuku Sushi.

“Sobriety is the biggest difference between the types of customers at each location,” Davilla said with a laugh. “From 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday or Saturday is the busiest. For the gym, it's near closing time.”

Davilla, whose family is Mexican, wishes more people understood that his stand serves not just Mexican food, but specifically Sonoran cuisine.

Shark’s serves a variety of dishes, including quesadillas, tacos, drinks, and chilaquiles, which Davilla said are overlooked by many patrons.

“I wish people knew more about what chilaquiles are,” he said.

He spends significant time researching popular spots around town and uses that to his advantage when choosing where to set up shop.

“In Tucson it's easier to find out if the business will take off,” Davilla said. “We'll probably start [expanding] with more food trucks around the UA. I think we can do another one in Tucson, then move to Phoenix, and one day out of state.”

Despite his quick rise in popularity in both Mexico and Tucson, his recipes remain his own and he still runs a tight team.

“There are three of us on the weekends, two during the week,” he said, crediting the close-knit group of workers as something that helps the trailer stand out among other late-night spots.

That teamwork, he said, is part of why customers love the food.

“I honestly think our food is way better," he said. "And the best part of running a taco stand is people telling us they love our food.”

Davilla has developed a friendly rapport with the students who frequent his trailer, reflecting on one of his most memorable experiences.

“We have an inflatable shark that we put out sometimes. One night this one student came out and she got into the costume and hung out in the costume for a bit,” he said.

Macy Hernandez is a journalism and business administration major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at macyhernandez@arizona.edu.

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