What are the best taco trucks in Los Angeles?
July 8, 2013 1:11 PM Subscribe
What are the best taco trucks in Los Angeles? Not Twitter trucks or Kogi trucks or grilled cheese vans or mobile record stores or cheesecake-foie gras-waffle-popsicle high concept rickshaws. Those are all cool, but looking at trucks that sell straight up Mexican food like tacos and cemitas and tortas and seafood, what are your favorites? And what days/hours are they there?
Extra happy with suggestions between Hollywood and East LA, but South Central and SFV and the suburbs and the West side are cool too.
Thanks!
Extra happy with suggestions between Hollywood and East LA, but South Central and SFV and the suburbs and the West side are cool too.
Thanks!
Taco truck blog. (older)
LA Weekly list.
Echo Park Taco Zone guide
Carnitas trucks and stands.
Of course, people from Mexico or of that heritage will have different standards of "best" than do Echo Park hipsters. Most places on the Eastside (which means east of the LA River, not Western, not La Brea) aren't trucks, but small stands. Trucks typically go to construction sites, or car washes--like
Tacos Los Guichos at Olive and Slauson.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:43 PM on July 8, 2013
LA Weekly list.
Echo Park Taco Zone guide
Carnitas trucks and stands.
Of course, people from Mexico or of that heritage will have different standards of "best" than do Echo Park hipsters. Most places on the Eastside (which means east of the LA River, not Western, not La Brea) aren't trucks, but small stands. Trucks typically go to construction sites, or car washes--like
Tacos Los Guichos at Olive and Slauson.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:43 PM on July 8, 2013
Blue corn Oaxacan quesadillas in Echo Park! On the west side of Echo Park Ave just south of Sunset Blvd. Most weekdays from about noon to five and occasionally on Saturdays. The lady who runs the little cart has a bunch of fillings, I'm partial to both the mushroom and squash blossom. Don't forget to add some of the pickled nopales from the jar next to the hot sauce.
Tacozone (on the Alvarado side of the Vons parking lot in Echo Park, after 9 pm) has become sort of an unfortunate hipster destination, but the green sauce rules and my carnivorous friends swear by all the fun kinds of meat. I'm a huge fan of the bean and cheese mulitas myself.
Flaming Taco (I think? It's a taco truck with flames painted on it...) shows up around 8 in the car wash parking lot on the southeast corner of Sunset and Alvarado. I love their huaraches, and also highly recommend their tacos and mulitas since the tortillas are made on the truck. I've heard their meat is a little substandard, but they have an awesome selection of sauces and pickled stuff on offer.
If you're looking for al pastor, I've had friends rave about a truck located on Pico and Westmoreland...not sure what that neighborhood is, and I've only ever been there very late at night.
posted by justjess at 1:44 PM on July 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Tacozone (on the Alvarado side of the Vons parking lot in Echo Park, after 9 pm) has become sort of an unfortunate hipster destination, but the green sauce rules and my carnivorous friends swear by all the fun kinds of meat. I'm a huge fan of the bean and cheese mulitas myself.
Flaming Taco (I think? It's a taco truck with flames painted on it...) shows up around 8 in the car wash parking lot on the southeast corner of Sunset and Alvarado. I love their huaraches, and also highly recommend their tacos and mulitas since the tortillas are made on the truck. I've heard their meat is a little substandard, but they have an awesome selection of sauces and pickled stuff on offer.
If you're looking for al pastor, I've had friends rave about a truck located on Pico and Westmoreland...not sure what that neighborhood is, and I've only ever been there very late at night.
posted by justjess at 1:44 PM on July 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
FYI there is endless talk about this sort of thing on the Los Angeles board at Chowhound.com.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:56 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:56 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
The 3 that come to mind:
Taco zone: Alvarado and Montana in front of the Vons. Many meats, very good salsas, open late. Can get crowded with the bar-crowd after 2am.
Tacos D.F.: In my neighborhood, on Washington between Arlington/Western. Wide selection of meats not commonly found at other trucks. Open from 5-6ish to midnight. Not a late-night truck, and I think they aren't there on Tuesdays.
Tacos Tinos: In Highland Park, Ave 50 & Monte Vista in a parking lot. Late night. They have a giant spit with Pastor roasting and a pineapple on top. They cut slices off the pineapple into your past tacos as you order. Amazing salsas.
posted by wcfields at 2:49 PM on July 8, 2013
Taco zone: Alvarado and Montana in front of the Vons. Many meats, very good salsas, open late. Can get crowded with the bar-crowd after 2am.
Tacos D.F.: In my neighborhood, on Washington between Arlington/Western. Wide selection of meats not commonly found at other trucks. Open from 5-6ish to midnight. Not a late-night truck, and I think they aren't there on Tuesdays.
Tacos Tinos: In Highland Park, Ave 50 & Monte Vista in a parking lot. Late night. They have a giant spit with Pastor roasting and a pineapple on top. They cut slices off the pineapple into your past tacos as you order. Amazing salsas.
posted by wcfields at 2:49 PM on July 8, 2013
Mariscos Jalisco shrimp taco on Olympic near Soto.
Tacos Leo for al pastor tacos on Venice near LaBrea. They're there at night and I think they may have added lunch.
posted by biscuits at 3:59 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tacos Leo for al pastor tacos on Venice near LaBrea. They're there at night and I think they may have added lunch.
posted by biscuits at 3:59 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have never been disappointed by the Cemitas Poblanos truck that parks outside the Smart and Final on Venice near Culver City. Usually there during the week for lunch.
posted by mzurer at 4:12 PM on July 8, 2013
posted by mzurer at 4:12 PM on July 8, 2013
Tacozone (on the Alvarado side of the Vons parking lot in Echo Park, after 9 pm) has become sort of an unfortunate hipster destination, but the green sauce rules and my carnivorous friends swear by all the fun kinds of meat.
Taco Zone is the closest taco truck to my house, but a lot of the meat there is really, really dry. I mean, it's a taco truck and I'm not expecting great consistency, but I have gotten some disgustingly dry carnitas from them.
But I will continue to go to Taco Zone for a $5 dinner because it's close to my house.
There's a woman near Taco Zone who makes papusa in her backyard and they are amazing! I think she's on Montana between Glendale and Alvarado. There's usually a sign on the sidewalk that says "Papusas" or something equally informative. She's usually there after dark.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 4:38 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Taco Zone is the closest taco truck to my house, but a lot of the meat there is really, really dry. I mean, it's a taco truck and I'm not expecting great consistency, but I have gotten some disgustingly dry carnitas from them.
But I will continue to go to Taco Zone for a $5 dinner because it's close to my house.
There's a woman near Taco Zone who makes papusa in her backyard and they are amazing! I think she's on Montana between Glendale and Alvarado. There's usually a sign on the sidewalk that says "Papusas" or something equally informative. She's usually there after dark.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 4:38 PM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
There is a stand with an al pastor spit that smells delicious on Melrose at Mahattan Place. I haven't tried it yet, but there's always a line.
The truck that parks on Santa Monica just west of Virgil has solid tortas, especially if they have the chipoltle sauce on hand.
Tacos Arizas in Echo Park has tasty carnitas.
But really, there are so many delicious stands set up on the sidewalk all over the city in non-bougie 'hoods. Follow your nose and look for a crowd of people around a table on the sidewalk.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:40 PM on July 8, 2013
The truck that parks on Santa Monica just west of Virgil has solid tortas, especially if they have the chipoltle sauce on hand.
Tacos Arizas in Echo Park has tasty carnitas.
But really, there are so many delicious stands set up on the sidewalk all over the city in non-bougie 'hoods. Follow your nose and look for a crowd of people around a table on the sidewalk.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:40 PM on July 8, 2013
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