LA Tacos
Essential Tacos
Taco's are part of the day to day life in LA and you can't go home without one (or 500). I've listed several of the best spots here. You can't leave LA without trying at least one taco.
Barbakush
3909 Merced AveFamily recipes, family staffed, authentic af
Food truck turned brick and mortar. Teddy's sits just by the beach in a prime location, and serves up the same delicious birria de res, or simmered beef, tacos with signature bright red (yes, red) consomme as his Slauson truck original.
6 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Teddy’s Red Tacos Venice
46 Windward AveFood truck turned brick and mortar. Teddy's sits just by the beach in a prime location, and serves up the same delicious birria de res, or simmered beef, tacos with signature bright red (yes, red) consomme as his Slauson truck original.
Al pastor’s second wave was ushered in by the Oaxacan brothers behind a Mexico City-style food truck strategically placed on Venice and La Brea. Vertical spits finished with the spectacle of flying chunks of pineapple snagged with Ozzie Smith-like precision onto a tortilla. Leo’s now has a fleet of trucks spreading the gospel of traditional al pastor to all Angelenos.
74 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Leo's Tacos Truck
415 Glendale BlvdAl pastor’s second wave was ushered in by the Oaxacan brothers behind a Mexico City-style food truck strategically placed on Venice and La Brea. Vertical spits finished with the spectacle of flying chunks of pineapple snagged with Ozzie Smith-like precision onto a tortilla. Leo’s now has a fleet of trucks spreading the gospel of traditional al pastor to all Angelenos.
Connie Cossio is a second-generation cook and seafood cocktailer from Acaponeta, Nayarit — the traditional seafood capitol of Mexico and home to amazing ceviches, cocktails, stews and pescado zaradeado (whole grilled fish). The smoked marlin tacos with melted cheese are a required order.
8 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Coni’Seafood
4532 S Centinela AveConnie Cossio is a second-generation cook and seafood cocktailer from Acaponeta, Nayarit — the traditional seafood capitol of Mexico and home to amazing ceviches, cocktails, stews and pescado zaradeado (whole grilled fish). The smoked marlin tacos with melted cheese are a required order.
Maria Ramos is a third-generation Oaxacan barbacoa master with deep roots in the Mercado de Tlacolula in Oaxaca. Her barbacoa enchilada, or pit-roasted lamb in a chile-based marinade, is a smoky, spicy taste of pre-Hispanic tacos de barbacoa.
6 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Gish Bac
4163 W Washington BlvdMaria Ramos is a third-generation Oaxacan barbacoa master with deep roots in the Mercado de Tlacolula in Oaxaca. Her barbacoa enchilada, or pit-roasted lamb in a chile-based marinade, is a smoky, spicy taste of pre-Hispanic tacos de barbacoa.
Take a handmade flour tortilla and spoon in silky scrambled eggs and brisket, and add the green salsa.
188 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
HomeState
4624 Hollywood BlvdTake a handmade flour tortilla and spoon in silky scrambled eggs and brisket, and add the green salsa.
This popular tire shop establishment grills steak over mesquite, which is finely chopped, then wrapped in a made-to-order corn tortilla and dressed in a tasty red salsa and the signature creamy guacamole.
Tire Shop Taqueria
4077 S Avalon BlvdThis popular tire shop establishment grills steak over mesquite, which is finely chopped, then wrapped in a made-to-order corn tortilla and dressed in a tasty red salsa and the signature creamy guacamole.
Yucatán peninsula style tacos. Order a taco de relleno negro, where shredded turkey is cooking in a black achiote paste contrasted by pickled red onions and a creamy guacamole.
La Flor De Yucatan Bakery
1800 Hoover StYucatán peninsula style tacos. Order a taco de relleno negro, where shredded turkey is cooking in a black achiote paste contrasted by pickled red onions and a creamy guacamole.
One of the original tire shop taquerias of Los Angeles, this team of seasoned taqueros are a double threat, serving some of the best al pastor in the city by night and turning out high quality Mexico City-style carnitas on weekend mornings that include exotic cuts like ears, snouts, kidneys, and uterus. On Friday and Saturday nights they load up two impressive trompos, effortlessly carving sweet, crispy pork onto corn tortillas putting on a show for taco lovers from all over town.
Tacos Los Guichos
320 W Slauson AveOne of the original tire shop taquerias of Los Angeles, this team of seasoned taqueros are a double threat, serving some of the best al pastor in the city by night and turning out high quality Mexico City-style carnitas on weekend mornings that include exotic cuts like ears, snouts, kidneys, and uterus. On Friday and Saturday nights they load up two impressive trompos, effortlessly carving sweet, crispy pork onto corn tortillas putting on a show for taco lovers from all over town.
Homemade recaudo, better known as achiote paste, with tender pork broken down by bitter orange juice roasted in banana leaves from a Cetina family recipe.
13 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Chichen Itza
3655 S Grand AveHomemade recaudo, better known as achiote paste, with tender pork broken down by bitter orange juice roasted in banana leaves from a Cetina family recipe.
True to taquero code, Piña only serves fish and shrimp tacos; he’s the specialist that reenergized the LA taco scene back in 2009 with an ideal of craft tacos made by professionals.
16 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Ricky's Fish Tacos
True to taquero code, Piña only serves fish and shrimp tacos; he’s the specialist that reenergized the LA taco scene back in 2009 with an ideal of craft tacos made by professionals.
Lamb barbacoa, pancita, and goat birria with fresh tortillas made to order. It's a down and dirty Texco flavor (with organ meats) but no one does it better.
Barbacoa Estilo Taxco
Lamb barbacoa, pancita, and goat birria with fresh tortillas made to order. It's a down and dirty Texco flavor (with organ meats) but no one does it better.
Regional Sonoran tacos, well-seasoned chicken, melted cheese, roasted Anaheim peppers, and tomatoes wrapped in a tasty flour tortilla, which is then lightly fried
35 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Sonoratown
208 E 8th StRegional Sonoran tacos, well-seasoned chicken, melted cheese, roasted Anaheim peppers, and tomatoes wrapped in a tasty flour tortilla, which is then lightly fried
Get the puffy tacos with shrimp or a juicy carne guisada (stewed beef) floating above a delicate fried corn tortilla puffed up.
89 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Bar 107
118 W 4th StGet the puffy tacos with shrimp or a juicy carne guisada (stewed beef) floating above a delicate fried corn tortilla puffed up.
The vampiro is moistened by a modish garlic aioli to ward off the vampires for an original take on the Sinaloan vampiro.
23 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Mexicali Taco & Co.
702 N Figueroa StThe vampiro is moistened by a modish garlic aioli to ward off the vampires for an original take on the Sinaloan vampiro.
The hype is real at Tacos 1986. This is my favorite taco in LA and Eater gave it a place in the top 10 new restaurants in the US. There are 4 styles of tacos and 3 different meats or veggies.
13 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Tacos 1986
609 S Spring StThe hype is real at Tacos 1986. This is my favorite taco in LA and Eater gave it a place in the top 10 new restaurants in the US. There are 4 styles of tacos and 3 different meats or veggies.
Quality steak, a thick tortilla with asiento (unrefined pork lard) and melted cheese then pile on the steak, creamy avocado salsa, pico de gallo, and slices of cucumber to snack on the side.
Tacos La Carreta
1703 E Alondra BlvdQuality steak, a thick tortilla with asiento (unrefined pork lard) and melted cheese then pile on the steak, creamy avocado salsa, pico de gallo, and slices of cucumber to snack on the side.
Order deep fried beef taquitos drowned in a runny avocado salsa oozing beefiness and thickened with avocado.
Cielito Lindo
23 Olvera StOrder deep fried beef taquitos drowned in a runny avocado salsa oozing beefiness and thickened with avocado.
They have an ever changing menu of fresh, seasonal flavors so you never know what you're going to get. I love the Oxtail or roasted sweet potato. all of the tortillas are GMO free and delicious.
22 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Guerrilla Tacos
2000 E 7th StThey have an ever changing menu of fresh, seasonal flavors so you never know what you're going to get. I love the Oxtail or roasted sweet potato. all of the tortillas are GMO free and delicious.
Order the taco dorado de camarón from San Juan de Los Lagos.
17 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Mariscos Jalisco
3040 E Olympic BlvdOrder the taco dorado de camarón from San Juan de Los Lagos.
Tacos Cuernavaca
5523 Whittier BoulevardThe house-cured cecina (soft jerky) is the best truck after the bars close.
From backyard barbacoa to a brick and mortar in Boyle Heights, veteran barbacoa master Petra Zavaleta offers one of the most unique barbacoa styles in LA from her hometown of Tepeaca Puebla. In addition to tender, flavorful lamb, and barbecued lamb skulls with eyes, tongue, and cheeks attached for making tacos with warming lamb consommé, their a rich, iron flavored lamb menudo, called mole de panza enchilada.
Barbakush
3909 Merced AveFrom backyard barbacoa to a brick and mortar in Boyle Heights, veteran barbacoa master Petra Zavaleta offers one of the most unique barbacoa styles in LA from her hometown of Tepeaca Puebla. In addition to tender, flavorful lamb, and barbecued lamb skulls with eyes, tongue, and cheeks attached for making tacos with warming lamb consommé, their a rich, iron flavored lamb menudo, called mole de panza enchilada.
Eating golden brown flautas (rolled, fried tacos) filled with ground beef is always the move at this unsung San Juan de Los Lagos-style restaurant in Boyle Heights. The flautas come with a heaping pile of shredded lettuce, pickled pork rinds; cured pork loin rubbed with adobo, and diced tomatoes, drowned in Mexican cream, and can be finished with chile de árbol salsa.
Las Margaritas Restaurant
2914 Whittier BlvdEating golden brown flautas (rolled, fried tacos) filled with ground beef is always the move at this unsung San Juan de Los Lagos-style restaurant in Boyle Heights. The flautas come with a heaping pile of shredded lettuce, pickled pork rinds; cured pork loin rubbed with adobo, and diced tomatoes, drowned in Mexican cream, and can be finished with chile de árbol salsa.
The best way to have carnitas at Romulo Acosta’s shrine to Mexican confit-style pork cuts is to skip the onions and cilantro, and squeeze in some juices from a pickled jalapeño, chasing each bite of moist pork with some of the chile. That’s the way it’s done in Salamanca, Guanajuato. For more than half-century, “Momo” has been making artisanal carnitas, a trade he’s passed onto his children, ensuring the best carnitas in the U.S. are here to stay.
Saturdays: Alameda St. near 135th, Compton; Saturdays and Sundays: 6015 S Avalon, Florence
6 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Carnitas el Momo
2411 Fairmount StThe best way to have carnitas at Romulo Acosta’s shrine to Mexican confit-style pork cuts is to skip the onions and cilantro, and squeeze in some juices from a pickled jalapeño, chasing each bite of moist pork with some of the chile. That’s the way it’s done in Salamanca, Guanajuato. For more than half-century, “Momo” has been making artisanal carnitas, a trade he’s passed onto his children, ensuring the best carnitas in the U.S. are here to stay.
Saturdays: Alameda St. near 135th, Compton; Saturdays and Sundays: 6015 S Avalon, Florence
Tacos arabes aren’t possible without the special tortillas, called pan arabe, that are made exclusively in Puebla. Most vendors will just place the roasted pork — cooked on a vertical spit just like al pastor but with a different marinade — on a corn tortilla, which are actually called tacos orientales in Puebla. The Villegas family brings in traditional products from Puebla and prepare their tacos with tender pork and a tangy chipotle salsa.
Los originales Tacos Arabes De Puebla
3600 E Olympic BlvdTacos arabes aren’t possible without the special tortillas, called pan arabe, that are made exclusively in Puebla. Most vendors will just place the roasted pork — cooked on a vertical spit just like al pastor but with a different marinade — on a corn tortilla, which are actually called tacos orientales in Puebla. The Villegas family brings in traditional products from Puebla and prepare their tacos with tender pork and a tangy chipotle salsa.
Before Guerrilla Tacos, it was this Mexican-American taqueria in Eagle Rock that first made LA wonder about the possibilities of a taco, be it duck carnitas, Nieman ranch pork belly chicharrones, or Tijuana-style quesatacos. The tempura battered shrimp chile güero relleno topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin and a drizzle of chile serrano soy salsa is a delicious ode to the Californias (Alta and Baja) on a tortilla.
72 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
CaCao Mexicatessen
1576 Colorado BlvdBefore Guerrilla Tacos, it was this Mexican-American taqueria in Eagle Rock that first made LA wonder about the possibilities of a taco, be it duck carnitas, Nieman ranch pork belly chicharrones, or Tijuana-style quesatacos. The tempura battered shrimp chile güero relleno topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin and a drizzle of chile serrano soy salsa is a delicious ode to the Californias (Alta and Baja) on a tortilla.
Jalisco is the gold standard when it comes to goat birria, followed by respected traditions in Aguascalientes and Zacatecas, especially Nochistlán de Mejia, Zacatecas, just three miles from the Jalisco state line, where the Moreno family originates. Their Boyle Heights outpost serves an austere rendition of braised goat in stock made from the drippings with only a hot chile de árbol salsa, chopped onions, and cilantro as condiments.
Birrieria Nochistlan
3200 East 4th StJalisco is the gold standard when it comes to goat birria, followed by respected traditions in Aguascalientes and Zacatecas, especially Nochistlán de Mejia, Zacatecas, just three miles from the Jalisco state line, where the Moreno family originates. Their Boyle Heights outpost serves an austere rendition of braised goat in stock made from the drippings with only a hot chile de árbol salsa, chopped onions, and cilantro as condiments.
For State of Mexico-style tacos with cecina (soft beef jerky), adobo (marinated pork), barbacoa and tacos filled with wild greens, the Omega-2, no one comes close to Max Gutierrez, an eccentric taquero prone to flipping tortillas with a spatula to impress his customers and behind-the-back passes of paper plates covered in tacos. Tacos come with cheese fried on the plancha, plated sticky side down, crispy side up, adding a flair to the best vegetarian taco option in town.
Tacos Quetzalcoatl
For State of Mexico-style tacos with cecina (soft beef jerky), adobo (marinated pork), barbacoa and tacos filled with wild greens, the Omega-2, no one comes close to Max Gutierrez, an eccentric taquero prone to flipping tortillas with a spatula to impress his customers and behind-the-back passes of paper plates covered in tacos. Tacos come with cheese fried on the plancha, plated sticky side down, crispy side up, adding a flair to the best vegetarian taco option in town.
Their ovens design is to simulate the conditions in an underground pit. Pit-roasted tender lamb cuts, pancita (offal stuffed stomach), and lamb skulls are served with corn tortillas.
Aqui es Texcoco
5850 S Eastern AveTheir ovens design is to simulate the conditions in an underground pit. Pit-roasted tender lamb cuts, pancita (offal stuffed stomach), and lamb skulls are served with corn tortillas.
Get their guisados sampler; grab a stack of handmade flour tortillas made by Melva Pérez, and start tacoing.
Asadero Chikali
1321 S Atlantic BlvdGet their guisados sampler; grab a stack of handmade flour tortillas made by Melva Pérez, and start tacoing.
Smoked cauliflower taco is the thing to order here. The cauliflower is smoked low and slow and then basted with a mushroom jus then crisped. The result is a layered flavor I bet you've never experienced.
22 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Guerrilla Tacos
2000 E 7th StSmoked cauliflower taco is the thing to order here. The cauliflower is smoked low and slow and then basted with a mushroom jus then crisped. The result is a layered flavor I bet you've never experienced.
Holbox
3655 S Grand Aveseasoned octopus ink that's cooked down over hours. Life changing flavors.
slow-cooked Tinga style with chile ancho, morita, chipotle, and topped with a tart salsa verde and microgreens. It's smooth as silk and healthy to boot. (vegan options)
14 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Bee Taqueria
5754 W Adams Blvd slow-cooked Tinga style with chile ancho, morita, chipotle, and topped with a tart salsa verde and microgreens. It's smooth as silk and healthy to boot. (vegan options)
Macheen’s fried chicken taco is the thing to look for at Smorgasburg, a food truck gathering spot. LA is crazy about friend chicken so this truck offers the best of two worlds.
59 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Smorgasburg
777 S Alameda StMacheen’s fried chicken taco is the thing to look for at Smorgasburg, a food truck gathering spot. LA is crazy about friend chicken so this truck offers the best of two worlds.
Very hip taqueria where you can order a taco omakase which is a 5 course tasting at 6:00 and 8:00.
14 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Bee Taqueria
5754 W Adams BlvdVery hip taqueria where you can order a taco omakase which is a 5 course tasting at 6:00 and 8:00.
Neighborhoods
Counter culture on the beach. Points of interest are Muscle Beach, Abbot Kinny Blvd, The Venice Pier, and The Venice Canals.
352 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Venice
Counter culture on the beach. Points of interest are Muscle Beach, Abbot Kinny Blvd, The Venice Pier, and The Venice Canals.