Skip to Content

Javier Cabral

Editor for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-Author of “Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling” (2023, Abrams).

The 13 Best Tacos In Boyle Heights

Boyle Heights is arguably the city’s most important local taco galaxy in the larger taco universe that is Los Angeles. Remember, this is Boyle Heights! It's not East L.A., and it is most definitely not just some vague place known as “the Eastside.”

May 16, 2024

Here Are All the Restaurants (and the One Taquería In the Entire Country That Got a Star) On Michelin’s First Ever Mexico Guide

Europe's Michelin Guide recognized both Baja Californias, Quintana Roo, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Nuevo Léon. Most of the usual nice restaurants got stars, but there were some questionable omissions. Also, in a country teeming with life-changing street food, only one taquería in the entire country was awarded "1 star."

May 15, 2024

Juárez-Style Burritos Have Arrived in Southern California, And They are Already Selling Out In Less than An Hour

The month-old strip mall taquería in Anaheim make all their flour tortillas from scratch using both lard and butter, resulting in an extremely tender vehicle for their juicy guisados like carne en su jugo, carne deshebrada, chile colorado, chile relleno, and chicharrón. Every tortilla is cooked to order, too.

April 23, 2024

The 11 Best Backyard Restaurants in Los Angeles

Despite many requests to publish this guide, L.A. TACO has been somewhat protective of these gems to not "burn out the spots." However, we wanted to share it with our small, loyal pool of paid members, as we appreciate your support (and know you to be okay, non-NARCs). Please enjoy responsibly and keep these 'hood secrets...secrets.

April 18, 2024

Announcing the TACO MADNESS 2024 Winner: Our First Ever Three-Time-Champion From Highland Park

Stay tuned for the new date of our TACO MADNESS festival, which was unfortunately postponed this last Saturday due to rain.

April 15, 2024

Facing ‘Immediate Layoffs,’ L.A. TACO Launches Membership Drive to Save Our Publication

After Sunday, we do not have enough money to make another payroll. We need 5,000 members to become sustainable. Our deadline is April 26th to hit this goal.

April 12, 2024

L.A.’s Next Big Fine Dining Taquero Is Cooking Out of a West Adams Backyard

Through dishes like crispy pig ear chilaquiles, a grilled fish taco with a koji-enriched guacamole salsa, and duck confit draped with a hauntingly smokey, spicy date mole that creeps up on you, the former Chef de Cuisine at Bestia is finally "finding his own cooking voice” over an open fire on his days off.

April 4, 2024

This Crispy Aguachile-Inspired Fish Sandwich In Boyle Heights Is Worth Eating Even Beyond Lent Season

Why have a blandish fish sandwich when you can have one inspired by one of the greatest mariscos dishes ever? Chef Jonathan Perez's crispy fish sandwich is a contender for the best fish sandwich in Los Angeles.

March 29, 2024

The Seven Best Tacos Across the J Line (Formerly Known as The Silver Line), From La Puente to Gardena

From calamari tacos to Oaxacan-style braised goat on handmade freshly nixtamalized corn tortillas and Mexicali-style "cooler burritos," this may be the best Metro bus line to take for tacos in the county.

March 28, 2024

Manager at La Casita Mexicana Suspected of Embezzling More Than $300,000 Over 12 Years

"When you own a restaurant, it's easy to lose yourself in perfecting a new dish or making sure a recipe is done correctly every single day, but this taught us that you have to be just as meticulous, if not more, about the administrative side as well," Jaime Martin Del Campo, co-owner of La Casita Mexicana tells L.A. TACO. "He was like family to us."

March 21, 2024