Tacolandia, curated by Bill Esparza and hosted by LA Weekly, is back for another year, and promises to be the most comprehensive taco event in the United States if not the world. There are vendors upon vendors, and all of them are hand-selected by Bill, meaning you really can't go wrong anywhere you eat all day long.
That said, your belly can only handle so much taco action, and the event has unlimited bites for all attendees, so you at some point you're going to have to make compromises. If you're a regular reader of this site, you have probably already had some of LA's top tacos, so this list is designed for those already in the know. Here are some potentially under-the-radar tacos that may or may not have big lines, but which will be absolutely worth your time. If you already have tickets, read on, if not stop procrastinating, grab some now and then come back and plan your day...
1. Tacos Baja is an LA institution and a place worth driving to if you don't live near one of their locations. However, despite being one of LA's best fish tacos, they don't get a lot of press and quietly go about their business of creating one of the lightest fried fish tacos we've ever had. They are coming to Tacolandia for the first time ever this year. If you love Ricky's Fish Tacos or Tacos Punta Cabra, and have never tried Tacos Baja's classic version, Tacolandia is your chance to give them a try in their native environment. It should be a nice sunny day, and there's very little better than a Baja fish taco and a cold beer...
2. La Guerrerense has consistently been one of our favorite bites at Tacolandia every single year, but they have always done tostadas. The big news this year is that they will be presenting a taco for the firs time, specifically an octopus taco from their new restaurant, Sabina in Ensenada. Curator Bill Esparza promises it will be "epic". This will probably be our first stop, just like it was the last couple of years.
3. Barrio Cafe is a small, charming, and delicious restaurant, and its owner, Chef Silvana, is one of the most important Mexican chefs in the U.S. Unfortunately for us Angeleños, the restaurant is located in Phoenix, Arizona. We've eaten at the restaurant and it's absolutely delicious, with complex and exciting takes on classics, along with unique dishes and combinations. No word on what Chef Silvana is bringing to Tacolandia, but whatever she cooks will be a must-try.
4. One of the perennial crowd favorites at Tacolandia is always San Diego's Puesto, which does stylish and inventive Mexican-American style tacos. They don't have a huge profile yet in L.A. so your friends may not have heard of it, but once the party starts going, their stand fills with people based on word of mouth. They have won the people's choice award at Tacolandia two years in a row, and are gunning hard to win it again, so get there early and start your day off correctly!
5. If you've been to Tortas Ahogadas Ameca in East Los Angeles, most likely you had the namesake dish, but it turns out they can also make an incredible taco. This year they will be serving Beef birria tacos, which is a typical taco found in LA's Jaliscan restaurants but one that is often overlooked. by patrons and the taco media. The richness of the beef will give you a perfect bite full of flavor that you may not expect, with just enough heat to make you crave more.
There you have it, our list of 5 spots you need to try at this year's Tacolandia. There are limited numbers of tickets left, so get yours now before they sell out.
Below we have the full list of every taco available. Which ones are you planning to try? Let us know in the comments.
Amor y Tacos Aqui es Texcoco Barrio Cafe Benaddictz Birrieria Jalisco Birrieria Nochistlán Broken Spanish Burritos La Palma Cacao Mexicatessen Caló Provisions Carnitas El Momo Casa de Brisa Casa Oaxaca Cascabel Cassell’s Hamburgers Cena Vegan Ceviche Project Chalio Mexican Restaurant Chef Priscilla Curiel Chicas Tacos Chichen Itza Cielito Lindo Cities Cobblermania Colonia Tacos Guisados Coni’Seafood Coolhaus Corazon Cocina Corazón de Tierra DELALUZ and Bocanegra presentes En Tu Boca Dia de los Puercos Don Ramen East Los Musubi El Coraloense El Shuko Guatemalan Cuisine El Tepeyac Cafe Ephen Tacos Erizo* BAJA FISH HOUSE & MARKET Fat Dragon Fresh Love Bites Galaxy Taco Gracias Señor Guerrilla Tacos Helados Pops La Cahua del Yeyo La Carmencita La Fonda De Los Camperos La Mascota Bakery La Monarca Bakery Las 7 Regiones de Oaxaca Las Molenderas Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Los Dogos Sonora Style Loteria Grill Macheen Mariscos El Bigotón Mariscos El Marinero Mariscos German Mariscos Guerrerense Mariscos Jalisco Mascarpone Cheesecake by Chef Turok McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams Mexikosher Mezcalero Mondo Taco Naugles Tacos Petty Cash Pez Cantina Pink Taquiza Puesto Quality 1 Ice Cream Ragtop Fern’s BBQ RBTA x Monkey Bar Revolutionario LA Food RJM Mexican Grill Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen Romega Taqueria Romero y Azahar / Alfredo Villanueva Salazar Sammy’s Mexican Corn Shuck Oyster Bar Slapfish SOL Cocina Sonoratown Ta’ Carbon Mexican Taqueria Tacolized Taco Bar Service Taco Mell Catering Tacos Baja Tacos Kokopelli Tacos Way TacoTeca Taqueria Vista Hermosa The Chori-Man The Taco Man Tlayuda L.A. Topanga Tacos Tortas Ahogadas Ameca Vchos Pupuseria Moderna Westside Taco Co. White Boy Tacos Zamora Bros
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