In 2025, amid the devastation of raging firestorms and violent ICE raids, it sometimes felt like L.A.'s only bright spot was the city's taco obsession.
That endorphin rush from that first big bite of a new taco you've been wanting to try? That kept us going.
This year introduced many new, life-affirming tacos to Los Angeles, along with a deeper appreciation for local legends who stepped up to feed first-responders and those who fearlessly kept their doors open to feed their communities despite masked, armed federal officials kidnapping their customers in broad daylight.
Whether it’s the taco stand a block away that you walked to because that’s all you had the energy for after a hard day's work, a traffic-clogged trek across the city to a tried-and-true weekend classic, or simply when you've rolled the dice on a new spot you caught wind of—tacos fuel Los Angeles. Our world-renowned taco life is the one constant blessing everyone can share in our fine city and no administration can ever take that away.
This year’s openings emboldened our claims of being the best taco city in the country, as ever more regional styles commanded the respect they deserve. Meanwhile, hard-working immigrants continue to hustle their way into features in North America's "50 Best List," Michelin star rankings, fevered media profiles, and the hearts of L.A. foos everywhere ... while being hunted on the street by allegedly federal officials.
This marks the second consecutive year in which L.A. TACO is ranking our list of the city's best tacos. This annual, members-only guide is also dedicated to our loyal supporters who have had our back, from the week when we near shut down last year to this past summer's rush of international press. Every time you buy a shirt from us, take the time to read a story we wrote, share a post from our Instagram account, or just shout us out from your car and high-five us when walking down the street, your enthusiasm for our taco-fueled indie journalism means the world to us.
And sure, you can be as mad as you want about the rankings. Our newsroom cracked open a few cold ones and had to slug it ourselves, with not a staffer left unscathed. But as the city's only James Beard Award-winning publication led by editors who were raised in Los Angeles, who understand the taco life because we live it every day, we are prepared to defend our rankings in a dark alley if need be.
Our ranking criteria considered the quality of meats, tortillas, produce, and salsas, regional representation or originality, consistency, and accessibility; in that order. A certain X factor also went into play. Every year we set the bar higher. This year in particular, tortilla quality played an even more important role because it is 50% of a taco.
While tacos are one of the most democratic and working-class foods, they can also be ephemeral and sophisticated—dictated as much by what’s in season as how things were done in the hometown of one's mother, depending on the taco. We took everything into account. The taco is a many-faced god, after all. Catch us in the streets!
Here are the tacos that define Los Angeles ranked.
1. Komal Molino ~ Taco de Costilla ~ South Central
Fátima Juarez, the owner and nixtamal genius behind Komal Molino, has been on fire this year. She's won almost every award possible, landing on both Eater and Bon Appétit's best new restaurants-of-the-year lists. Juarez deserves it all for giving her soul to her antojitos.
She has introduced a whole new style of taco to L.A.: one from Mexico City's streets, made with ethically and transparently sourced heirloom corn masa that supports Indigenous communities.
While their “Taco Sonia” was our first love, this year was all about her taco de costilla, made with slices of short rib, seared on a plancha and adorned with a bouquet of Mexican-style home fries—all topped on her salsa de tomatillo crudo and wild cilantro. These are the kind of working-class tacos that you find on the streets of CDMX and now at Mercado La Paloma.
Each taco is filling too, with handmade, house-nixtamalized, six-inch tortillas that are a contender for the best corn tortillas in the city. Don't believe us? Just ask the half dozen or so clients she sells wholesale tortillas or masa to, like Holbox next door, Lugya'h by Ponchos Tlayudas, both chef Carlos Gaytan's restaurants, Rustic Canyon, and more.
3655 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro J Line - “37th/USC”
2. Taquería Frontera ~ Birria de Lengua ~ Cypress Park
To be one of the best of the best in the most competitive taco city in the nation, you have to excel at all three facets of a taco, and Frontera's taco de birria de lengua does just that. It starts with heating paper-thin yellow tortillas, imported from El Grano de Oro tortillería in Tijuana, to a slight oily crisp on the plancha, making for a tremendous textural introduction as you take your first bite. This is followed with slices of lengua slow-cooked in birria broth; a Tijuana-style technique that not many other taqueros in L.A. offer.
A perfect order at Taquería Frontera has to include their taco de lengua. Otherwise, you're not appreciating the two generations of taquería experience that owner Juan Carlos "JC" brings to every single one of his tacos. As if this perfect taco, representing the Tijuana-to-L.A. conduit, isn't already enough, Frontera's unbeatable message of “more tacos, less borders” exemplifies the best of L.A.’s cross-cultural, transnational relationship with tacos, especially right now.
700 Cypress Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90065
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro J Line - "Lincoln/Cypress"
3. Holbox ~ Smoked Kampachi ~ Historic South Central
It’s hard to choose the best taco at Holbox, the pioneering Mexican marisquería that was the first to win a Michelin Star award in the U.S. But this year, we are mixing it up with their smoked kampachi taco, that is pleasure-on-pleasure-on-pleasure. It has melted cheese, smoked and buttery fish, a slice of ripe avocado, and spoonfuls of refreshing tomato salsa, along with salsa macha if you want to add yet another layer of flavor. And it's one of Gilberto Cetina Jr.'s best sellers for a reason; a deep dive into seafood umami-land that will round out the rest of the ceviches and aguachiles on your table. If there is a line to order, this taco is worth the wait alone.
In Mercado La Paloma ~ 3655 S. Grand Ave. #C9 Los Angeles, CA 90007
Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro J Line or Bus Line 460 - “37th Street/USC Station"
4. Sonoratown ~ Taco de Tripa ~ Downtown
Whether visiting their Downtown, Mid-City, or Long Beach location, Sonoratown consistently delivers when it comes to tacos that stand out from 99% of their competition. The taquería is beloved for its San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora-style flour tortillas and mesquite grilled asada. You also can’t go wrong ordering its chicken chimichangas, either.
But the taco de tripa is the secret star of the menu. High-level taco eaters know about this underdog already, and word is spreading slowly, since it is increasingly known to sell out early on various days.
Owners Jenn Feltham and Teo Diaz abide by the same tripas technique maintained at the San Luis Rio Colorado taquería they are inspired by, where they purposely leave a bit of the tripa's "velvet" interior before boiling it for hours. They render the fat and crisp it up with no extra oil, resulting in some of the naturally crispiest and tastiest tripitas in L.A.
208 E. 8th St. Los Angeles, CA 90014
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 76 - “Spring/7th"
5. Mariscos Jalisco ~ Taco Dorado de Camarón ~ Boyle Heights
Mariscos Jalisco's taco dorado de camarón is L.A.'s most iconic taco, certainly by daylight. It is everything you want in a taco: filling, with balanced heat, but refreshingly cool, custardy, and buttery, thanks to the thoughtful addition of avocado slices. Speaking from the euphoria-to-bite ratio, no other taco is as purely delicious to inhale as these: crispy, creamy, refreshing, and spicy all at the same time. This taco is timeless; this taco is perfect.
3040 E. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023.
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 62 - “Olympic/Dacotah” or Bus Line 605 - "Grande Vista/Olympic"
6. Evil Cooks ~ Chorizo Verde ~ El Sereno
After popping up around L.A. for years and developing a cult following, Alex and Elvia García's power-slid into northeast L.A.’s modern Mexican food arena with their death metal-inspired taquería in 2024.
This year, it's their taco de chorizo verde that won over our hearts and stomachs. Green chorizo is red chorizo's more elusive cousin that swaps out fresh green chiles like serrano and jalapeño instead of dried chiles, and adds fresh herbs like cilantro and other secret herbs that the Queretaro-raised Alex learned when he was seven years old. The kicker in chorizo verde also finds nuts added to the ground pork.
Garcia keeps his recipe secret, but he does disclose that it has peanuts and pistachios for allergy reasons. He makes his chorizo verde accessible to vegetarians as well, making a vegetarian version that dare we say . . . is almost as good? Especially with that crispy, oozy cheese costra at the base.
3333 N. Eastern Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90032
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 78 - “Huntington/Eastern"
7. Tire Shop Taquería ~ Taco de Carne Asada ~ South Central
If there's one taquería that everyone reading this list was expecting to see here, it's this one. Tire Shop Taquería is one of Los Angeles' most beloved taquerías and confidently holds its place among L.A.'s street-taco royal court. Its fame didn't grow with social media or heavy marketing. It earned it by serving delicious, Tijuana-style tacos served on handmade tortillas with bright green creamy guacamole and smokey cuts of meat.
In a city bulging with tacos, Tire Shop stands out for its consistency—year after year—and ability to recreate the euphoria only mesquite and thicc guacamole can provide, though usually after driving two and a half hours to Tijuana. South Central L.A. is lucky to have Tire Shop Taquería and it's worth any detour on the way back home.
4077 Avalon Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90011
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 51 - “Avalon/41st”
8. Tacos Pasadita ~ Suadero ~ Van Nuys
This taco stand, set up in front of a drug store in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, embodies everything great about L.A.'s Taco Life. When you're speeding by Victory Boulevard, it looks like any other unassuming stand, while quietly making one of the best suadero tacos in Los Angeles.
Unlike every other street taquero in L.A. who fries their suadero in lard or vegetable oil, these taqueros, hailing from Oaxaca's Mixe region, gently simmer untrimmed brisket in water until it falls apart. When you order it, they grab it and cut off a piece—luscious fat included—and are extremely generous with each taco. Their salsas are also potent.
As if that wasn't enough, they make their own tortillas to order, using a steel roller. Where has this taquería been all our life? In the Valley, naturally, where L.A. TACO contributor Noe Adame is lucky enough to call himself a regular here.
13231 Victory Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91401.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 164 - “Victory/Fulton”
9. Ditroit ~ Fish Flauta ~ Arts District
Ditroit’s crispy fish machaca flauta, fried in rice bran oil, and topped with avocado salsa and a creme fraiche-queso fresco mixture, is the loftiest expression of a taco dorado in Los Angeles. The highly-pedigreed Arts District taquería located in the back alley of Enrique Olvera's L.A. outpost of his Mexican restaurant empire, came out swinging with this pescatarian beauty of a taco. They tend to use confit tuna for it but mix it up with another meaty wild fish like swordfish as well. It is virtually greaseless, and the fishiness that can exist in the apex fish used is minimal. You are not alone if you find yourself spending a small fortune on three of these. What makes this taco really stand out is the genius mixing of both crema and queso fresco in one sauce, and of course, the heirloom masa that Cervantes and his crew nixtamalize daily to make the paper-thin tortillas especially made for frying. It’s no wonder why Chuy Cervantes’ from Ditroit was unanimously crowned champion at TACO MADNESS two years ago, for another taco .
2117 Violet St. Los Angeles, CA 90021
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 60 - “Santa Fe/Violet”
10. Brothers Cousins ~ Suadero ~ Sawtelle
Not only has Brothers Cousins become a formidable street stand staple on the Westside, they’ve maintained their dominance with their taquero-esque banter, a delicious trompo, and chorizera full of meats, nopales, and papas. Of their stewing meats, their suadero stands out as one of the best in the city. The added sear on the plancha after it's chopped gives it the nice seared bits to balance out this juicy meat's tender texture. It’s one of the best bites on the Westside, if not in all of L.A.
11341 National Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064
Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro E Line or Bus Line 233 or 761 - “Expo/Sepulveda Station.”
11. Tacos El Toro ~ Lengua en Trozos ~ East Los Angeles
Tacos El Toro is the greatest in the al vapor game in Los Angeles. Just follow the smell of steamed cuts of beef to their truck in Whittier. Standing behind the vaporera, the Mexican cooking vessel used to keep the meat hot and tender, you'll find the Padilla family slanging tacos al vapor, offering cachete, steamed lip, cabeza, and our favorite, tacos de lengua en trozo (en trozo meaning "sliced").
While it offers a version where the lengua is finely chopped, the pro move is to better enjoy this lengua by the slice. The taquero pulls a hot and steamy piece of lengua out of la vaporera before slicing it into a thick, meaty strip and placing it on top of the steamed tortillas. One glance and you might think the slab of tongue is too thick, but here at El Toro, there’s no such thing because the tongue is cooked so well, it is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Accompany it with their salsa verde and a dash of their spiciest salsa, and top everything with cilantro and onion. Trust us, you will be ordering another one in seconds.
600 Bradshawe Ave. East Los Angeles, CA 90022
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 40 - “Beverly/Bradshawe” or Bus Line 18 - “Whittier/Leonard”
12. A Tí Los Angeles ~ Fish Tacos ~ Echo Park
A Tí's Andrew Ponce is perhaps the underdog of the year for L.A. TACO. He won TACO MADNESS 2025 for his duck confit-in-mole taco in his first year competing at the onstage blind taste test, and he continues to get better every day at his tiny restaurant in Echo Park. That duck confit is not available in taco form but his striped bass fish tacos are, and they demand just as much respect.
We've had a couple of iterations, including one with a koji-enriched guacamole. Currently, he is serving them with a habanero-and-Kewpie mayonnaise at his freshly opened bar in Echo Park. The one constant with any of his tacos is dedication and a love for Kernel of Truth Organic's U.S.-grown corn masa, which is nixtamalized in Boyle Heights.
1498 W. Sunset Blvd. #2 Los Angeles, CA 90026
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Sunset/Portia”
13. Dunsmoor ~ Chile Verde ~ Glassell Park
Despite some controversy surrounding Dunsmoor when it opened, it serves a variety of a taco that is hard to find in L.A. and irresistible to us: an actual Southwest-style taco that objectively is a stunner, especially during Hatch chile season in the land of enchantment, from August to September.
Chef Brian Dunsmoor channels his Colorado ranch roots—summers in Fowler, where cows outnumber humans, and family roasts over flames, a tradition from his mother’s 11-sibling clan and legendary aunt Emmy Nesselhuf.
“I grew up eating that my entire life,” he says.
Shredded Pead’s and Barnett pork shoulder bubbles in a broth of punchy Hatch chiles, inspired by Pueblo’s slopper: lightly browned in summer or winter-caramelized, swimming in a broth that shifts from light to cornstarch-thick. Crowned with two-year-aged Hooks cheddar, it evokes an inside-out chile relleno—best scooped with a buttery, flour tortilla that kisses the grill for 30 seconds, crafted from a recipe via their sous chef Manuel Mendoza. It's the one menu item that has stayed on every year since opening and virtually on every table at the Glassell Park restaurant.
3501 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90065
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 251 - “Eagle Rock/Ave. 35”
14. Mochomitos ~ Taco de Costilla con Frijoles~ Whittier
A taco served with a smokey grilled brontosaurus bone? Yes, please. While Mochomitos in Whittier may not be serving up dino bones exactly, they are serving up one of Los Angeles's best and most impressive tacos de costilla (beef rib).
The family-owned truck is known for its paper-thin handmade flour tortillas, and everything on its menu is done just right, from its rich aguas frescas to the tacos it serves. They are the first truck in Los Angeles to treat asada like an adjective by offering such options of cuts as arrachera, costilla, and sirloin.
The beef rib tacos are a must when stopping by, coming with perfectly grilled meat on a freshly handmade flour tortilla, topped with cilantro, onion, guacamole, and, on the side, a rib bone to nibble on. We recommend you top your tacos with their silky smooth beans, which they will add only upon request.
2252 Whittier Blvd. Whittier, CA 90602
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Lines 251 “Soto/Whittier” or 18 “Whittier/Boyle”
15. El Barrio Cantina ~ Tacos de Papa ~ Long Beach
The best tacos come with a story, and these crispy tacos de papa have one we can all relate to: Tacos de papa is a simple meal that most Mexican mothers prepare as comfort food, and this recipe comes from chef Ulisses Pineda-Alfaro’s late mother’s own.
What makes them so good isn’t just the heavenly crunchy bite and rich potato filling; it’s also the salsa de aguacate and queso fresco with onions and cilantro pre-mixed in to it These are techniques passed down from home to your plate for you to enjoy.
1731 E. Fourth St. Long Beach, CA 90802
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 151 “4th/Walnut"
16. Villa's Seafood ~ Fish Taco ~ Highland Park
Victor Villa, three-time TACO MADNESS champ and Highland Park taquero legend, channels Rosarito beachside memories into Villa’s Tacos #3—a seafood taco destination that is mere steps from his street-slinging roots.
Leading the charge? Baja meets L.A.-style fish taco, made with sustainable wild mahi-mahi, beer-battered to golden perfection in nutty, clean-tasting rice bran oil, then layered onto Kernel of Truth's organic blue corn tortillas with chipotle mayo, fresh guacamole, and a tart pop of hibiscus-pickled onions.
This taquería stands as a heartfelt dedication to the Zuniga brothers, Jesse (19) and Benigno (25), lost to a tragic 2019 hit-and-run just blocks away—names etched on the windows alongside a bilingual pledge of enduring remembrance, building on Villa’s tributes to his grandfather at the first outpost and his daughters at his Grand Central Market gem.
The menu’s star shines brightest, but don’t sleep on their taco de pescado asado (with grilled mahi mahi over refried black beans), the indulgent Mar y Tierra (a $10 fusion of Mediterranean seabass and A5 wagyu), or veggie standouts like sweet potato and mushroom tacos.
Sip exclusives such as dairy-free Oaxacan horchata or pulpy tamarindo agua fresca, all executed with Villa’s mantra: “You get things the right way, even if it’s a lot more work.”
6103 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro A Line “Highland Park"
17. Santa Cecilia Mexican Food ~ Taco de Tripa Bien Doradita ~ Boyle Heights
This unassuming storefront, serving L.A.’s best taco de tripas, is nestled in a hidden corner of Mariachi Plaza with hand-painted signage, mirroring the secrets of the taco de tripas themselves. Because when requested “extra crispy,” they are nothing short of a revelation.
The tripa is so addictively crispy, it borders on the levels found in a great chicharrón; it is also seasoned magnificently—with the haunting flavor of tripa as the backbone. We suspect dried chile and cumin.
Whatever Don Armando Salazar uses, the tripa taco will convert even the most squeamish into a tripas-fiend. This study in the savory is underscored by a soft, warm, handmade white corn tortilla, a rarity in L.A.'s tripa taco game. It’s the kind of taco you still think about, days after eating it.
1707 Mariachi Plaza de Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro E Line or Bus Line 106 - "Mariachi Plaza Station."
18. Taco Nazo ~ Fish Taco ~ Multiple Locations
Arguably the first fish and shrimp tacos to start it all in L.A., Taco Nazo still stands out all these decades later for serving ever-crispy batter and potato tacos forged in the style of Ensenada, Baja California—since 1978.
Also on the menu are micheladas, shrimp ceviche, and extremely addicting fried chiles güeros dusted with chile powder. They are to their fish tacos what french fries are to a legendary burger. Unlike many other spots in Los Angeles that cut corners and use lower-priced tilapia for their fish, Taco Nazo still keeps it wild and uses cod in their fish tacos.
Several locations across L.A. County. Check out their website to see which one is closest to you.
19. Tacos La Carreta ~ Carne Asada Torito ~ Long Beach and Whittier
What makes Tacos La Carreta float among L.A.’s sea of amazing taqueros? It's chef José Manuel Morales Bernal’s hyper-focus on Sinaloan-style asada. For the longest time, it was the only carne that the taquero carried on the menu, and the heavenly smell of the grilled sirloin attracts those who know what’s up from all corners of L.A. County to his taco truck.
La Carreta’s torito is the stand-out offering, an absolutely beautiful charred Anaheim chile that is butterflied and layered with a scant amount of cheese and asada. The tiny details Morales puts into his tacos don’t get enough love. Like the fact that he uses a fatty piece of beef like a paintbrush to gently brush each and every tortilla, instead of dipping them in oil to toast them, boosting each tortilla with an added dose of beefy umami as they crisp up.
401 E. 69th St. Long Beach, CA 90003
11402 Washington Blvd. Whittier, CA 90606.
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 266 - “Lakewood/Flower” or Bus Line 265 - "Paramount/70th"
20. Balam Mexican Kitchen ~ Tropical T Taco ~ Lynwood
It's okay to be taco-curious. So if your eye catches the coconut shrimp on a "jicama tortilla" on the menu at Balam, go for it. Is it officially a taco if it has no flour or corn tortilla? Maybe not, say some corn and flour tortilla die-hards. But it's still one of the most memorable taco-ish bites in a city full of easily identifiable tacos. It's refreshing, tart, crispy, and definitely carries the feeling of paradise that its ingredients—mango, forever mango—suggest.
11700 Long Beach Blvd. Lynwood, CA 90262
Closest Metro lines and stops: Metro C Line or Bus Line 251 - "Long Beach Boulevard Station" or Bus Line 60 - “Long Beach/Josephine”
21. Cacao Mexicatessen ~ Duck Carnitas ~ Eagle Rock
Enjoyed inside of one of the most underappreciated tacos in L.A., these duck carnitas come from Cacao Mexicatessen, a long-standing community gem in Eagle Rock. There’s nothing quacky about this taco, in which duck carnitas are served on Kernel of Truth’s organic blue corn tortillas. The taco is fluffy, light, and juicy. They're also astonishingly pillowy, no less considering its confit rendering method. Be ready to let out a slight “holy duck” with your first bite.
1576 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 180 - “Colorado/Townsend”
22. Tacos La Rueda ~ Tripa de Leche ~ Bellflower
A mural of an Indigenous Yaqui man looks down, mid-stride in La Danza del Venado in the Sonoran desert coast, as you take your first big bite of an Obregón-style taco de asada at Tacos La Rueda, located in a Bellflower strip mall.
The crispy-grilled tripas are a contender for the best in this part of town. They are also of the rare "tripa de leche" variety, wherein a cow's milk ducts are cooked until tender and then fried to a crisp. If you're lucky, you'll get a little cottage cheese-like action in a delicious 2-for-1 bite.
La Rueda’s thin flour tortillas are made just for them by a local tortillería, specifically with lard, because that’s how it’s supposed to be if you’re eating tacos in Sonora. The salsa recipes were coaxed out of the owners' mom, who flew into L.A. just to be able to recreate them and teach this place how to scale up.
16900 Lakewood Blvd. Bellflower, CA 90706
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 266 - “Lakewood/Flower”
23. Tacos Árabes de Puebla ~ Taco Árabe Especial ~ Boyle Heights
On the corner of Olympic and Esperanza in Boyle Heights, you will find a bright-colored food truck named Los Originales Tacos Árabes, where the Villegas family specializes in Puebla-style food like cemitas and their renowned taco árabe especial.
So what is a taco árabe? It is the Lebanese-influenced cousin of al pastor, according to the Poblano owners, and while both are cooked similarly, the taste is significantly different, filled with marinated pork sliced straight off the trompo. It is topped with stringy quesillo, fresh slices of avocado, and a drizzle of chipotle salsa.
That all sits on a flour tortilla known as "pan árabes" because of its thicker, pita-like consistency. Pair one with a refreshing agua de maracuya and you'll have a superlative street food supper in Boyle Heights.
3600 E. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90023.
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 260 - “Olympic/Mirasol” or Bus Line 66 - "8th/Mirasol"
24. Tacos y Birria La Única ~ Quesabirria de Chivo ~ Boyle Heights/Mid-City
La Única is one of the first and most famous birria trucks in the birria game and a frequent caterer to celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. One of their competitive advantages is that they sell both birria de chivo and birra de res on handmade corn tortillas, which are equally as tasty.
The quesatacos are the main attraction, crisp tortillas filled with melted jack cheese and beef or goat birria. Their adobo leans heavily on tomatoes and the taste of cloves, the way many devotees feel that birria should taste like.
2840 E Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023
5871 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 251 - “Soto/Olympic” and Bus Line 217 - “Fairfax/Venice”
25. Three Flames ~ Fish Taco ~ Westchester
5608 W. Manchester Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90045
Chef Josh Gil, the resilient "cooking pirate" behind Santa Monica's gone-but-not-forgotten Taco Punta Cabras, is breathing new life into his fish taco legacy by reviving the concept at the 52-year-old Three Flames Mongolian BBQ in Los Angeles.
Despite battling stage four colorectal cancer with everything he's got, Gil's unyielding grit has led to the triumphant return of his vermillion rock cod fish taco, fried in a tempura batter and nestled in handmade corn tortillas enriched with mochiko rice flour and olive oil for a gluten-free, unforgettable bite.
These fan-favorite tacos, once mourned as lost in the annals of shuttered tacos, now anchor the menu alongside fish sauce-spiked scallop cócteles and cauliflower ceviche, drawing crowds eager to savor Gil's modern mariscos black magic.
5608 W. Manchester Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90045
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 115 - “Manchester & Osage”
26. Tigres Fuego ~ Turkey Carnitas ~ Redondo Beach
It may not seem like much, but this tiny Redondo Beach taqueria is low-key one of the best in all of Los Angeles. Not only do they purposely source tortillas from Mejorado (flour) and masa from La Princesita for their house-pressed corn tortillas, but they satisfy a deeper taco craving when you're seeking something just a bit more original and nicer than your average taco.
We've never seen anything quite like their "turkey carnitas" taco, but it makes all the sense in the world once you go in for that first big bite. The secret to making turkey as tender as it can be is delicious duck fat, and using lots of it. It drips from your taco as you pick it up to eat it, transforming the turkey into a surprise carnitas-adjacent protein. The salsas are also great. Their sweet potato taco and crispy fish (cod) taco also deserve a shout-out.
1223 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 232 - “Pacific Coast Highway/Avenue F"
27. Macheen ~ Beet Al Pastor Taco ~ Boyle Heights
You can tell a lot about a neighborhood by their best-selling tacos. In Boyle Heights, Macheen's beet al pastor tacos tell the story of a changing part of town that still keeps its sazón roots.
While Macheen's Jonathan Pérez's is known for his talents with a pork belly breakfast burrito, he transforms humble beets into a vegetarian revelation with his iconic beets al pastor taco.
Drawing from his Guatemalan roots and Compton upbringing, Pérez marinates the earthy roots in achiote. Nestled in soft, housemade blue corn tortillas, these tacos arrive piled high with those spiced beets on a bed of requesón and frisée instead of cilantro.
Recognized by The New York Times as one of L.A.'s top 25 restaurants, Macheen's playful finesse shines in this dish, proving plant-based pastor that can rival its porky origins in depth and satisfaction. Pérez's journey from skater kid to Oi! skinhead to taquero trailblazer underscores Macheen's ethos: blending classical techniques with Mexican soul to feed the changing neighborhood.
2633 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. Los Angeles, California 90033.
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 70 - “Cesar E Chavez/Mott” or Bus Line 251 - "Soto/Cesar E Chavez."
28. Birriería Gonzalez ~ Birria de Res ~ Multiple Locations
You gotta give it up to one of the O.G. beef birrieros of L.A., who brings consistently well-balanced birria de res to the streets. They have grown to ten locations in L.A. and are one of the first L.A. locals to also open in Las Vegas. A good tortilla, robust broth, and sharp salsa roja make these ones of L.A.’s most sought-after birrias. Many have come and gone, but L.A. will always have Birrieria Gonzalez in its heart.
Multiple Locations.
29. Teddy’s Red Tacos ~ Birria de Res Vampiro ~ Echo Park
The vampiro at Teddy’s Red Tacos is made with two of Teddy’s signature chile de árbol-stained tortillas, which are seared on a plancha and topped with a thin layer of Monterey Jack cheese that spills onto the grill, making for a satisfying crispy border.
For his birria de res, Teddy Vasquez uses shoulder clod as the cut, which yields a strong beefy flavor. The meat is shredded into a texture of thin and incredibly tender strings, making it one of the best versions of birria de res in the city. Instead of radishes, vampiros come garnished with cucumber, which help to balance out the intense flavor and spice from the birria and salsa.
Multiple locations, check IG for addresses and business hours.
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Sunset/Beaudry” (Echo Park location)
30. Asadero Chikali ~ Guisado de Chicharrón ~ East Los Angeles
This Mexicali-style food truck and stand launched on Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles in 2018 before opening its second location in Inglewood. The food at Asadero Chikali straight-up tastes like home cooking.
Here, you will get a northern Mexico-style breakfast with guisado offerings like rich beef barbacoa, carne asada, and our favorite, their chicharrón en salsa roja. All the tacos are simple: a perfectly cooked flour tortilla, a smear of their creamy refried beans, and a spoonful of chicharrón en salsa roja.
While they come with salsa on the side, it is unnecessary, as the guisado itself packs all the right levels of punch. The beans and flour tortilla, combined with the tender strips of chicharrón, are instant nostalgia; the closest thing you will have to a traditional Mexicali breakfast.
321 S. Atlantic Blvd. East LA, CA 90022
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 260 - “Atlantic/Olympic”
31. Simón L.A. ~ Soft Shell Crab Taco ~ Silver Lake
Simon L.A. is unlike any other mariscos truck in L.A., stoked by the sure hand and innovative ideas of a progressive Oaxacan fine-dining chef who knows the coastal cuisine of Mexico’s Pacific Coast like the back of his ocean blue lonchera. In between owner Francisco Aguilar’s classic taco gobernador and unique shrimp, bacon, and bean taco, his softshell crab taco awaits.
Delicately poised on a corn tortilla, the entire body of a formerly feisty crustacean now stands immobile, tempura-fried and paired with pickled red onion, pineapple pico, and a creamy yellow sauce made from chintextle, the Oaxacan paste of pasilla chiles, avocado leaves, and shrimp shells. Crunch into this lightly battered beauty, and you’ll be hooked.
3667 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 2 - “Sunset/Maltman”
32. Tacos Don Cuco ~ Vampiro Con Chorizo ~ East Los Angeles
Tacos Don Cuco and their mini Tijuana-style empire have stayed loyal to the very same craft chorizo maker they’ve used since starting in East L.A. six years ago. Each link is handmade, and they pride themselves on keeping their chorizo maker local and 100% ground pork-based, not industrial.
Their customers know this, too, since they sell just as many chorizo tacos as they do asada and adobada. The chorizo is charred on their mesquite grill until crispy, chopped, dolloped with thick guacamole and salsa de molcajete, and rolled tightly in Don Cuco’s handmade corn tortillas sourced from Acapulco Tortillería in East Los Angeles. It’s one of the best taco bites in the extremely competitive East Los Angeles taco-space.
Multiple locations. Check IG for addresses and business hours.
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 18 - “Whittier/Ferris” or Bus Line 258 - "Arizona/Whittier." (East L.A. location)
33. Tacos El Vampiro ~ Vampiro Con Cabeza ~ Sylmar
This family-owned Sylmar taco shop earns instant points in our book for its subtle, vampire-taqueria design touches like the vintage "Dracula" poster and adorable bat mascot on the walls.
Not that it needs any extra credit. Its true strength already stems from the clever engineering of its vampiros. These are thinner, lighter versions of the convex, meat-loaded, grilled tostadas, shattering in two or three bites with a corn-concentrated blast into a base of stretchy mozzarella and succulent chorizo, cabeza, lengua, tripas, pastor, asada, and chicken that each pack a ton of personality.
We like the super-soft lengua and beefy, buttery cabeza best, especially when loaded with their fiery, oregano-steeped pickled onions and colorful housemade salsas. If you like your masa audibly crispy, El Vampiro is a must-stop Valley shop.
12737 Glenoaks Blvd. Ste. 27 Sylmar, CA 91342
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 235/236 - “Glenoaks/Sayre”
34. Tacos Los Cholos ~ Taco de Panela ~ Various Locations
Tacos Los Cholos won our online taco tournament in 2023, knocking out two-time champion Villas Tacos with their grilled meat and high socks. The original Tacos Los Cholos is located throughout O.C., recently opening a location of their family-run taquería in Huntington Park. Their award-winning tacos include premium prime-grade meat upgrades for nearly every taco they offer.
While the taste and texture of their grilled meats are the people’s favorite, their panela taco is a sleeper hit. It is deceivingly simple: a fresh corn tortilla sourced from La Rancherita in Santa Ana, filled with a slice of grilled panela cheese, a firm Mexican cheese that holds its shape when grilled. Add any of their endless salsa options and you are set for a very satisfying, bouncy, meat-free bite.
The taco as a whole is an ode to the founding taqueros' mother, who prepared this dish for them growing up. In a taco universe of quesadillas, it's surprisingly really hard to find an unmelted cheese taco like this unforgettable one at Tacos Los Cholos.
7127 Pacific Blvd. Huntington Park, CA 90255
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Lines 60 or 251 “Pacific/Florence.”
35. Barbacoa Ramirez ~ Taco de Costilla De Borrego ~ Arleta
There are plenty of barbacoas around Los Angeles, but many, if not most, fail to please or attract the masses. But if you were to give one lamb barbacoa a try, it should be Barbacoa Ramirez. From raising the goats, roasting them in an agave-lined pit, to serving them with handmade tortillas, Gonzalo Ramirez is genuinely devoted to mastering his craft.
He pops up every weekend across from the Arleta DMV, serving the traditional flavors of his hometown of Atotonilco El Grande, Hidalgo, Mexico. For real barbacoa lovers, enjoy the pansita (stomach) and homemade moronga (blood sausage), as well. This is one of the Valley's true hidden treasures.
14263 Hoyt St. Arleta CA, 91331
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 233 - “Van Nuys/Canterbury”
36. Tacos Estilo Guadalajara ~ Taco De Cabeza ~ Lynwood
If there’s ever been a taco that’s particularly addictive, it’s the fluffy taco al vapor from Tacos Estilo Guadalajara. It is consistently one of L.A.’s most underrated and underappreciated tacos. The textural variety of the protein—made using all the meats from a cow’s head—is the only complex part of this simple dish, served on sand-dollar-sized tortillas softened with steam and finished with habanero salsa. You should have no problem putting down at least a dozen of these.
10733 Long Beach Blvd. Lynwood, CA 90262.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 60 - “Long Beach/Martin Luther King Jr.”
13121 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA 90242.
Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro C Line - "Lakewood Boulevard Station" or Bus Lines 117, 265, or 266 - “Lakewood/Gardendale.”
724 W. Holt Blvd. Ontario, CA 91762.
Closest transit line and stop: Omnitrans Line 61 - "Holt/San Antonio."
37. Antojitos Los Cuates ~ Tacos Dorados de Requesón ~ Compton
The food at Antojitos Los Cuates makes this Compton taqueria a bastion of straight-up home cooking. It's a small, peach-colored restaurant decorated with yellow lettering and iconic locations from Jalisco. Upon entering, you just know amazing antojitos are coming to pull your heartstrings from the feel of the dining room alone.
Its tacos de requesón come with four tacos dorados filled solely with requesón (Mexican ricotta cheese), one of the simplest tacos in L.A. at the only place we've found that makes them. This place hooks it up with repollo (cabbage), rábanos (radish), salsa de tomato, and salsa de botella, too, for additional texture and heat. The tortilla never gets soggy despite the fresh cheese. If you are craving nostalgia for home-cooking in the form of a taco, this is the place to check out.
1811 N. Long Beach Blvd. Compton, CA 90211
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 60 - "Long Beach/Pine" or Bus Line 125 - "Rosecrans/Long Beach”
38. Chulita ~ Hanger Steak ~ Venice/Mid-City
There's one truth with tacos: a good one always starts with a good tortilla. Chulita starts with a few heirloom corn tortillas, and even a housemade cassava flour one. But they don't stop at the tortilla, they continue their focus on quality with market sourced ingredients, including a Creekstone Naturals Hanger Steak, cooked to a steakhouses standards, but served with salsa and guacamole. The results speak for themselves.
533 Rose Ave. Venice CA 90291
5160 West Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90061
Closest transit lines and stops: Big Blue Bus Line 18 - "Rose/6th" (Rose location) and Metro Bus Line 212 - "La Brea/Adams” (West Adams location)
39. Carnitas Los Gabrieles ~ Taco de Carnitas Con Jalapeño ~ Downtown
One taquera has risen above the colorful papier-mâché-lined streets of the Piñata District to become queen of the block: Guadalupe Baez, found in Downtown with her cauldrons of Michoacán-style carnitas.
Her tender and juicy cuts of pork, from cueritos to costillas, have earned her an army of loyal patrons over a three-to-four year stretch. To top it off, this might be the only carnitas maker in Los Angeles who, after spending hours preparing and cooking pork, still puts in the extra effort to make handmade tortillas for her customers.
Carnitas Los Gabrieles isn’t just one of the best tacos in Downtown L.A., it’s also one of the best carnitas in the whole county. It’s also worth noting that Baez isn’t just excelling with her carnitas, but she’s also succeeding with a typically male-dominated taco specialty.
1251 E. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90021
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 53 - "Central/Olympic"
40. Taquería Juquilita ~ Taco Al Pastor ~ Hollywood
The unassuming taco stand outside of Hollywood Forever cemetery was first covered on our editorial trompo by activist Odilia Romero, whose first report for L.A. TACO traces how Oaxaca’s Indigenous Mixe culture has led to the opening of some of the city’s best al pastor taquerías, including Leo’s Tacos and Tacos Tamix (both L.A. TACO hall of famers).
However, Taquería Juquilita is on another level of sazón completely. The layers are compressed as tightly as a chocolate babka, the tinge of the crimson adobo appears to have seeped deeply into the thinly-carved pork, showing that the pork had enough time to marinate in the adobo before being stacked and impaled on the trompo. Juquilita's trompero is also one of the most skilled in the city, always slicing paper-thinnest pork directly onto your tortilla.
5944 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Lines 2 or 4 - "Santa Monica/Bronson"
41. Tijuanazo ~ Taco de Asada ~ East Los Angeles
Tijuanazo, the legendary Tijuana-based taquería chain founded by Antonio Esquivel, made its L.A. debut last year in taco-saturated East Los Angeles. Spearheaded by Esquivel's 26-year-old daughter, Aria, who grew up on both sides of the border, it quickly grew a following for their full-flavored guacamole and smoky asada.
This family endeavor builds on the success of her half-brother's recent success opening Taquería Frontera in Cypress Park and Silver Lake. Esquivel also imports tortillas from Tijuana and sources better meats from El Rancho in Lincoln Heights to uphold the family's meticulous quality under Antonio's oversight, conducted from Tijuana over FaceTime.
The standout is a textbook-style TJ-style taco de asada. Still, don't shy away from the adobada, shaved from a spinning trompo onto crisp tortillas with the clan’s secret cilantro cream recipe and grilled pineapple.
For those in the taco life that prefer maximalist tacos, Tijuanazo offers engaging twists such as the tortilla-free taco “Azteca,” crowned with succulent grilled nopal, asada, and guacamole; "fantasmas" of meat atop costra de queso with beans and tostadas. There are also buttery handmade sopes fried to golden perfection, streamlined burritos, and robust vasos de frijoles loaded with cheese, all underscoring Tijuanazo's border-blending domination of our taco culture.
355 S. Atlantic Blvd. East Los Angeles, CA 90022
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro E Line - “Atlantic”
42. Tacos Tamix ~ Al Pastor ~ Various Locations
Tacos Tamix is one of the big players in the al pastor game, beating out ones that still have more buzz and appearances on food writer's "best of" lists. After trying a taco de pastor, you’ll see why. The crispy pieces of marinated pork manage to stay juicy even though they are sliced very thin. The tortillas are small but packed with this iconic, sweet-and-savory L.A. al pastor.
4817 Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 33 - “Venice/Rimpau,” Bus Line 30 - "Pico/Rimpau Transit Center," or Bus Line 212 - "La Brea/Pico"
43. Gracias Señor Taquería ~ Taco de Hongos ~ Pacific Palisades
DREAMer Rudy Barrientos' Pacific Palisades taco truck has defied the odds, parking a tried-and-true taqueria in a wealthy Westside suburb and quickly gaining a dedicated following of locals and Westsiders for his hand-pressed tortillas, rich sazon, and marinades and salsas made from scratch each day.
There's no going wrong with the meats here, be it the high-quality asada or the Tecate-battered tilapia. Still, the taco de hongos is our favorite, with its juicy shroom innards lending an earthy, sweet funk to the taste of the clean, corny, and rustic tortillas.
15120 W. Sunset Blvd. Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Closest transit lines and stops: Big Blue Bus Line 9 “Sunset/Carey”
44. Angels Tijuana Tacos ~ Taco al Pastor ~ Multiple locations
If you don’t currently have an Angel’s within spitting distance of your place, just wait. This workhorse of a Tijuana taqueria has stands spread widely throughout the city, from Chatsworth to West Covina, the Inland Empire, and even O.C. This means it seldom has the hour-long lines of its past to get its tender, thick handmade corn tortillas filled with charcoal-grilled asada and massive, loaded spuds.
We tend to skip the beef entirely for Angel’s tacos that come stuffed with al pastor, plane-shaved from a squat trompo of salty pork packed with crispy-edged angles, soon to marry with a sizable plop of guacamole, onions, cilantro, a nub of pineapple, and your pick of a salsa roja and/or verde to hold you over until your next visit to El Gordo.
Multiple locations.
45. Los Cinco Puntos ~ Surtido By The Pound ~ Boyle Heights
Los Cinco Puntos is a Boyle Height institution, a hallowed hall of carnitas that also serves excellent menudo by the pot. The tacos are made on thicker tortillas, which you can see being made live as the tortilleras place fresh masa on a plancha, flip them and carefully watch as they inflate. The carnitas here have a pinkish hue, offered by the pound or in taco-ized form. Make sure to get your tacos here fully loaded with guacamole and a scoop of nopales.
3300 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90063
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 70 - “Cesar Chavez/Indiana”
46. Saby’s ~ Taco De Tinga De Pollo ~ Mar Vista
We could eat the supple quesadillas with flor de calabaza at Alejandra’s Quesadilla Cart in Echo Park every day. Unfortunately, due to its limited days and hours, that isn’t an option.
Mar Vista’s Saby’s, which is now under the ownership of mother-and-son Graciela and Javier Diaz, has come to the rescue, serving mammoth, folded machetes on tortillas made with blue corn that the family nixtamalizes themselves.
Landing on your table with all the weight that the biggest tacos in town should have, the craggy, crusty masa splits impressively into a morass of smoky chicken tinga, melding the masa's nutty flavor with a creamy cheese, tiny fried potatoes, and tangled briar of lettuce. As big as our forearms, it’s impressive long before you slick it down with Saby’s fresh salsa verde y roja.
12900 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - “Venice/Beethoven”
47. Bar Amá's Takoria ~ Puffy Taco ~ Downtown
At Bar Amá, chef Josef Centeno’s “bizarro take” on the San Antonio Tex-Mex cooking that raised him, the most famous dish you can order isn’t even on the menu. Always available, yet only as an off-menu item by request, Centeno’s signature “puffy taco” is a taco-style that is seen all over Texas and the southwest, but is all but non-existent here in Los Angeles.
Centeno’s version of the iconic puffy taco is built on a flash-souffléd tortilla made with masa from a local, undisclosed tortillería where one of Bar Amá’s staff members’ family works. It puffs up like a pillow and crackles like a burning pile of dry wood when you bite into it. The tortilla is filled with your choice of shrimp, “ranchero chicken,” Kennebec potatoes that are chopped and then formed into Centeno’s version of a hashbrown, or mushroom birria, and then topped with thinly chopped iceberg lettuce, various salsas, and a sprinkle of crumbled cheese.
You can fulfill your South Central Texan cravings with the Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated chef’s squash blossom quesadillas, hefty bowls of queso, hen of the woods mushroom birria, chile rellenos, and crispy half chicken with sriracha, as well as a certain Texan version of blue cheese.
But the ten commandments of L.A. tacos state that you shall not leave Bar Ama without enjoying a puffy taco. And your life will be better for it, no matter what eternity holds for your soul.
118 W. 4th St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
Closest Metro lines and stop: B or D Lines - “Pershing Square”
48. Tacos La Güera ~ Taco al Pastor ~ Multiple Locations
Tacos La Güera is like the AC/DC of tacos; accessible, consistent, universal, and electric. With numerous locations throughout the city, you’re likely to find one within driving range. Watch as your taquero goes all-Edward Scissorhands on a big red beehive of adobo-marinated pork, skinning off big meaty shards of finely grained pork and snipping off a big chunk of pineapple, which will then do a Biles straight into your double tortilla.
Many of the meats at these Tijuana-style street stands are worthy, but the al pastor, with its caramelized edges, citrus-forward acidity, and the tropical sweetness that backs up its tender pork, is the meat candy you require and without doubt the best taco here.
Multiple locations.
49. La Flor De Yucatán ~ Cochinita Pibil ~ Pico-Union
In Pico-Union, La Flor de Yucatán Bakery stands as a timeless beacon of pork where second-generation owner Marc Burgos, now 50, cheekily dubs his restaurant's iconic cochinita pibil tacos his "fountain of youth," upholding a legacy that predates even L.A.'s famed King Taco by a year—launching in 1971 as the city's very first.
Born in L.A. but raised in Yucatán, Burgos reluctantly stepped into his parents' pioneering venture two decades ago, transforming immigrant necessity into a menu of pure nostalgia, starting with that achiote-marinated pork, slow-roasted overnight in banana leaves until it's so exorbitantly juicy and fall-apart tender that each two-bite taco unleashes a glorious, citrus-kissed waterfall of pork broth down your arm, demanding you devour it with primal urgency.
Sourcing premium achiote paste and bitter orange concentrate straight from Yucatán, Burgos honors his father's pioneering ways while smartly ditching extra lard for the pork's own rendered magic from bone-in butts, then amps up the glory with taquería-style guacamole and supple Northgate corn tortillas. Pair it with their ethereal tamal colado for a transcendent bite of strained, gelatin-soft masa that melts like a dream.
Over 50 years strong through community loyalty and unwavering product devotion, this Hoover Street gem is clawing back from pandemic woes toward an exciting expansion, proving once and for all that the ultimate taco isn't just food—it's a life-affirming, forearm-drenching revolution in every achingly perfect fold.
1800 Hoover St. Los Angeles, CA 90006
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 35/38 - “Washington/Bonnie Brae”
50. Razo’s Tacos ~ Lobster Taco ~ North Hollywood/Various Farmers Markets
Razo Bakhtamian does fish and lobster tacos differently. The Armenian-born, Russian-raised former fine-dining chef has been in L.A. for less than a year but has already staked a serious claim to some of the city’s best fish and lobster tacos. He hand-batters, sears, and fries each lobe of lobster to order, using sunflower oil, then snipping each piece in half to allow its pearly white meat to peep through a gaping hole in its golden hull.
Lobster, so frequently misused, tough, and lost in luxe sides of mac-and-cheese and over-the-top tacos, may have finally met its taco-apex here. These are snappy, juicy tacos where the flavor of lobster pops beneath waves of butter and garlic, among the very best Baja-style seafood tacos we’ve had in town.
Thurs. 5-10 p.m., 11513 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601
Sundays, Westchester Farmers Market.; Tuesdays, Manhattan Beach Farmers Market; Saturdays, Marina Del Rey Farmers Market; Wednesdays Playa Vista Farmers Market; Thursdays Westwood Village Farmers Market.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 224 - “Lankershim/Burbank”
51. Mariscos Corona ~ Tacos Gobernador ~ Van Nuys
While the hype mostly surrounds Mariscos Corona's unique take on mariscos, their tacos are also worthy of a trip on their own. A trio of tacos de gobernador ooze with sauteed shrimp and cheese, folded inside tortillas that are so seasoned you could mistake them for quesabirria tacos.
The fried fish taco features a flaky sea bass served with pickled onions and salsa, while an off-menu pulpo a la diabla taco finds a zesty hot marinade on perfectly grilled octopus tentacles. The usual proteins, like asada, al pastor, and carnitas, get the same dank treatment, as well.
14901 Sherman Way Van Nuys, CA 91405
Closest transit line and stop: LADOT DASH Panorama City/Van Nuys bus - “Kester/Sherman Way Southbound”
52. Borreguitas ~ Taco de Papas ~ Pomona
Pomona has a low-key but solid vegan presence in its taco community. Borreguitas stands out above many taquerías in the general Los Angeles area. Their papas con soyrizo, re-chicken (“repollo” aka cabbage, lol), papas con nopales, and veggie-based al pastor, to name a few, belong in the larger conversation of L.A.’s best vegan tacos. From the tortillas to the “meats” and salsas, these tacos carry the full palate-pleasing flavors that most non-vegan tacos in Los Angeles only pretend to provide. If you have a vegan skeptic friend, this is the restaurant to enjoy a convincing lunch with them.
987 S. Garey Ave. Pomona, CA 91766
Closest transit line and stop: Foothill Transit Line 291 - "Garey/Ninth"
53. Sky’s Tacos ~ Crawfish Taco ~ Mid-City
Each taco is wildly different at Sky’s longstanding stronghold of healthy-leaning, soul food-inflected tacos and burritos. The substantially-sized, amply-priced crawfish taco is one we’ve been returning to for 20 years. It’s a seafood-forward, Cajun-inspired taco heaped with cumin-and-paprika-spiced mudbugs and shredded cheddar cheese on a grilled, slightly firm corn tortilla, sprinkled in diced tomatoes and cilantro, and served with a small cup of sweet, red, tomato-based liquid that tastes like salsa roja if it was made by Old Bay. It’s a little like étouffée in a tortilla and so much easier to eat by hand.
5303 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest transit line and stop: Big Blue Bus Line 7 - “Pico/Cochran”
54. Super Carne Asada Panchos ~ Taco de Asada ~ Maywood
In the taco-saturated streets of Boyle Heights, where birria and al pastor reign supreme, Super Carne Asada Panchos first burst onto the scene like a smoky mesquite thunderclap at the corner of Soto and 6th—before uprooting to its current Maywood outpost.
Helmed by Sonora-born taquero Francisco Alcantar Chavez, who has wielded dual cleavers like a banda drummer since the age of 13, and his partner, Carmen Perez Ramirez, they dish out "el sazón de Cajeme" from a lone stand that's already cult-favorite.
But it's their taco de carne asada that steals the spotlight: diesmillo beef grilled low and slow over crackling mesquite coals, kissed with coarse salt for that perfect char-crusted edge, then piled high on a pillowy flour tortilla (the true Sonoran flex) or sturdy corn, crowned with crisp-chopped cabbage and a scalding pour of brothy red tomato salsa that soaks every bite into juicy, lip-smacking oblivion—tender yet seared, savory-and-salty with a whisper of smoke that demands you chase the last drips with a complimentary buttered baked potato or dive into a loaded papa loca.
Echoing the bold flavors of Sinaloa-adjacent Cajeme, this isn't your average asada; it's rhythmic, cleaver-chopped bliss that skips the onions for pure, unadulterated beef flavor, rounding out a menu of mulitas, bacon-wrapped burritos percheron, vampiro-like lorenzas, and decadent dogos mummified in cheese and bacon—proving the Sonora invasion is here to stay.
3540 Slauson Ave. Maywood, CA 90270
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 108 - “Slauson/Everett”
55. Tacos Cinco y Diez ~ Taco Gigante ~ Mid-City
Under the rumbling shadow of the 10 freeway in West Adams, mother-son duo Juana Bernardino and Danny Martinez's El Taco 5 y 10 defies every stuffy taco taxonomy with its audacious, sobaquera-sized corn tortilla masterpiece—a freshly pressed behemoth stretching from bicep to wrist, griddled to supple perfection, then lavished like a Oaxacan tlayuda with a whisper of black beans, molten cheese, crunchy cabbage, your pick of succulent meats (carnitas or al pastor from that pineapple-crowned trompo spinning over vertical flames), and creamy guac dollops before being rolled into a light-as-air, flavor-bomb cylinder that's more euphoric wrap than burrito, delivering a full-meal symphony of textures and tastes without the gut-punch heft, harking back to borderlands originals when "taco" meant whatever rolled-up revelation that made your soul sing. (Takes big breath).
Nodding to Tijuana's iconic Plaza 5 y 10 for that instant T.J.-heartstring tug, this pandemic-born sensation has exploded in Mid-City love with its mesquite-kissed tlayudas crisping to brittle bliss and those giant tacos that shatter labels in the best way—because who needs definitions when every unfurling bite is a textural tango of smoky, cheesy, verdant euphoria?
2426 Hauser Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 14/37 - “Adams/Hauser”
56. Arturo’s Puffy Taco ~ Puffy Taco With Carne Guisado ~ Whittier
Arturo's was the first to unlock this new taco over four decades ago in Whittier, serving generations of Angelenos with the minor miracle of puffy tacos ever since.
Credited to San Antonio, Texas, the style involves masa that is deep-fried into V-shaped tortilla-balloons with airy, puri-thin skins. These get filled quickly and efficiently with iceberg lettuce, fluorescent orange cheese, your choice of carne molido, carnitas, guisado de res, chicken, or picadillo, and chunky salsa roja or a spicier, creamier salsa verde. Hot and messy, sweet dreams are made of these.
15693 Leffingwell Rd. Whittier, CA 90604.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 120 - “Santa Gertrudes/Leffingwell"
57. El Nuevo Pedimento ~ Costilla Oaxaquena ~ Whittier
Tacos El Nuevo Pedimento—a dramatic phrase of sorts that literally translates to "Tacos The New Petition," but is also a play on words meaning "here’s the new hot drop everyone’s been anticipating"—pops up in Exposition Park and at Whittier’s 5 Points, where the billowy smoke helps to ameliorate the confusing, mangled intersection.
The popular taco stand brands itself as "100 percent Oaxaca flavors." Naturally, the move here is the costillas oaxaqueñas, a massive plate of long, thin-cut pork rib strips, grilled over an open flame until they look painted by charcoal and heat, served with a pile of handmade tortillas.
10550 Whittier Blvd. Whittier, CA 90606
Closest transit line and stop: Montebello Bus Line 10 - “Whittier/Redman”
58. Anajak Thai ~ Dry Aged Striped Bass Fish ~ Sherman Oaks
Anajak's fish taco is one of the few recurring menu items featured at the
44-year-old Thai restaurant's weekly “Thai Taco Tuesday" event. The striped bass is seared to develop a crispy skin. The taco is then topped with a Thai-style chili crisp sauce, as well as a house mayo for a touch of Ensenada realness. The firm, sweet striped bass showcases the sauce's heat and the mayo's umami, while the tortillas are sourced from La Princesita.
In addition to the tacos, Anajak's Thai Taco Tuesday is also appealing because of the vibe and natural wine. It's a truly "only-in-L.A." phenomenon that we hope stays around for another 44 years, at least.
14704 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 155 or 240 - “Ventura/Cedros.”
59. Tacos Lionydas ~ Taco Al Pastor ~ Long Beach
The Mixe-style adobo found on many of L.A.'s pastor trompos usually has a higher amount of vinegar and dried chiles, reflecting Oaxaca’s similar allegiance to these flavors in their famed chorizo. The Mixe-powered al pastor taquería playbook usually also includes supplementary options of excellent, fatty cabeza (steamed beef head), and decent mesquite-grilled asada. All these taco standards are honored at Tacos Lionel.
E. Atherton St. and Clark Ave. Long Beach, CA 90815
Closest transit line and stop: Long Beach Transit Bus Line 171 - “PCH/Ximeno,” Long Beach Transit Bus Line 172 - “Ximeno/Atherton,” Long Beach Transit Bus Line 173 - “Atherton/Ximeno,” or Long Beach Transit Bus Line 175 - “PCH/Ximeno”
60. The Basket Taco ~ Tacos De Papa ~ Whittier
Tacos de canasta stand out in L.A.'s taco universe because they are the only ones proudly not made to order, and that's the point of them—so the flavors can meld together throughout the day. We can safely say that the best ones in town are at The Basket Taco Co. in Whittier.
In L.A., it has become common to add cotija cheese to tacos de canasta, which is something you don't see in Mexico City where these tacos are really popular. But we're not mad at it. The most common fillings you’ll find inside these specialty tacos are frijol, papa, and chicharrón—the holy trinity of taco de canasta guisados.
At The Basket Taco, we love their fluffy potato tacos the most, exploding with savory flavor. In all of Los Angeles, only about two dozen or less taqueros specialize in this taco, but this one in Whittier is the one to seek out.
7012 Walnut Grove Dr. Whittier, California 90601
Closest transit line and stop: Montebello Bus Line 10 Whittier Blvd Bus - “Whittier/Philadelphia”
61. Chuy's Tacos Dorados ~ Carne Desebrada ~ Downtown
At Chuy’s, they do everything just as their great grandparents would—no cutting corners. Take, for example, the carne desebrada (shredded beef). It’s simmered for six to eight hours, with undeniable results. The shell has an audible crunch while still managing to be airy. The tacos with shredded beef are a perfectly packaged gift that has a mellow beefy flavor enhanced only by the warm salsas. The cheese starts to melt from the heat of the salsa, as the various flavors and textures combine wonderfully into every perfect bite.
300 S. Santa Fe Ave. Unit A, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 106 - “1st/Vignes” or LADOT DASH Downtown D Bus - “Temple/Vignes”
62. MidEast Tacos ~ Falafel Taco ~ Silver Lake
Falafel balls—airy, light, and crisp—are spiced liberally, making for one of the city's more standout falafels. Served as a taco with sumac and a yellow, arbol chile-and-chipotle-stained toum (a garlicky Armenian aioli, this colorful version inspired by Wes Avila's own salsa de árbol), this is Mideast Taco's signature and a great introduction to this fusion concept from partner and chef Armen Martirosyan, a scion of the family behind Glendale's cherished Mini Kabob.
3536 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Sunset/Maltman”
63. El Cocinero Restaurant ~ Vegan Birria ~ Van Nuys
It all started with a vegan pop-up-turned-taco truck, formally named Vegatinos, which reached its apex when winning our "Vegan Taco Madness" tournament before disbanding to start El Cocinero.
If you want a vegan birria with consomé, this is the spot for you. Made from a jackfruit base that has been conquered by chiles and spices, this taco could please even the goat birria-aligned purists out there. Birria isn’t the only protein that chef Vargas has successfully substituted. You can find crunchy soy chicharrón and a juicy al pastor, amongst other choices. Van Nuys would be home to nothing less than L.A.’s elite vegan tacos.
6265 Sepulveda Blvd. Unit 12, Van Nuys, CA 91411
Closest Metro lines and stops: G Line - "Sepulveda Station" or Bus Lines 154, 164, 234 or 237 - “Sepulveda/Victory”
64. Doomie's Next Mex ~ Vegan Carnitas ~ Hollywood
In the neon-drenched underbelly of Hollywood's strip-mall sprawl, Doomie's Next Mex channels the shadowy swagger of its goth overlord owner—Doomie, the enigmatic industrial music pioneer whose black-lipsticked legacy began in 2007, when he started slinging unpretentious vegan comfort bombs from the upstairs aerie of a thumping Chinatown goth nightclub. There, punks and nightcrawlers alike devoured his DIY fried "chicks" amid the haze of fog machines and EBM beats.
Fast-forward to today, when this all-vegan taquería has gone all comfort food, that same DIY sorcery transmuting plant-based protein into carnitas that are nothing short of alchemical wizardry: tender, citrus-kissed shreds of jackfruit and seitan slow-braised in a cauldron of secret sauces that mimick lard-laced melt of Michoacán's finest, piled onto fluffy handmade corn tortillas with pickled onions, cilantro, and a squiggle of salsa verde for a bite that collapses into porky euphoria without a single animal harmed—pure nostalgic heresy for vegans haunted by meaty what-ifs. It's Doomie's defiant middle finger to dietary dogma.
1253 Vine St. # 9, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Closest Metro line and stop: B Line - “Hollywood/Vine” or Bus Line 210 - “Vine/Fountain”
65. Not Yo Tacos ~ Enchilada Taco ~ Leimert Park
Not Yo Tacos, which recently celebrated three years, is home to the enchilada taco, a lightly crunchy taco dipped in enchilada sauce and filled with parmesan and romano cheeses, sour cream, cilantro, olives, and onion. You can choose proteins like ground meat, turkey, chicken, and more.
Not Yo Tacos is a proudly Black-owned food truck that started out when the owner—who preferred to stay anonymous for this story—wished to create a taco that he hadn’t tasted before. He said he knew he wanted a taco “with color” but didn’t want to make birria tacos.
One day, he had the idea to create an enchilada taco. The taco itself is crunchy and reminiscent of a Michoacán-style enchilada where it’s folded in half and fried; it is deliciously messy. However, it has its own distinct L.A. flavor that is one of a kind in a city full of just about every taco variation on the planet.
3722 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018
Closest Metro line and stop: E Line - “Expo/Crenshaw”
66. La Purepecha ~ Taconazo ~ Santa Monica
La Purepecha, named for an Indigenous culture and people in the Mexican state of Michoacán, quickly proved itself to be the best taqueria in Downtown Santa Monica after debuting with its thick, soft handmade corn tortillas and fresh fillings.
While the fish and shrimp tacos are local favorites at the immaculate, family-run shop by the sea, the taconazo is more like an entire meal in the form of a single taco. We like ours with the pork butt carnitas, slow-cooked in a pot off-site for hours, variously using high and low heat for tenderness and significantly crispy edges.
Those get mounted high on a jagged-edged corn tortilla spackled with cheese and piled with a giant dollop of fresh guacamole, onions, and cilantro, with a side of carrot and jalapeno escabeche, every ingredient popping off in a medley of explosive flavors as your take this big, piping hot baddie down to the ground.
725 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Santa Monica/Lincoln”
67. Taquería Vista Hermosa ~ Taco Al Pastor ~ Downtown
Craving a plate full of al pastor during your lunch break? Taquería Vista Hermosa is one of the few taco spots in the city that offers you a "night-quality" al pastor trompo during daylight. Raul Morales has been making al pastor tacos for most of his life. He respects the craft of tacos enough to also feature these al pastor tacos on handmade corn tortillas, which is a rarity. It is his most precious family legacy. The pork glows red and is juicy from its slow rotations, roasting on the trompo until the edges are crispy. Each al pastor taco is served with a freshly homemade curtido (pickles) of carrots, onions, and jalapenos along with a creamy salsa verde.
3655 S. Grand Ave. #C5 · In Mercado La Paloma
Closest Metro line and stop: J Line “37th/USC”
68. Tacos El Tijuanense ~ Quesataco de Birria ~ Various San Fernando Valley Locations
In the scorching San Fernando Valley, where triple-digit temperatures bake the arid landscape like an eternal trompo's fire, Daniel Vazquez's Tacos El Tijuanense in Northridge fights fire with fire through its boldly-spiced taco de birria—a textbook perfect example of tender, slow-stewed Tijuana-style beef swimming in a rich consommé. Each bite is relentless, like the blazing heat outside, transforming sweltering discomfort into a euphoric, sweat-inducing ritual of spice and solace. Vasquez is your classic from-rags-to-[birria]-riches story, starting off as a dishwasher before building a small birria empire with four locations around the Valley. If the birria tastes familiar, it's likely because his cousin is Teddy Vazquez, whose Teddy’s Red Tacos had its own viral birria revolution via TikTok and Snapchat that reshaped Mexican street food nationwide.
Multiple locations
69. Tacos Guelaguetza ~ Taco Al Pastor ~ West Hollywood
Tacos Guelaguetza, not to be confused with Guelaguetza in Koreatown, is what nightlife tacos are all about. Whether you are in West Hollywood for the clubs, bars, or Pride celebrations, these tacos are how you'll eventually sober up and fill your late-night cravings.
The taco stand, located right in front of Pavilions on Melrose and Vine, features an open salsa bar with offerings that range from mild to spicy. Their giant and vibrant red trompo easily draws in the crowd as it spins and lets out the smell of charred meats in clouds of smoke. From the moment they set up, the line begins to form, and hungry customers choose between their nine meat options, which include asada, chicken, suadero, cabeza, tripas, and chorizo, among others.
Not doing tacos? Okay. Try their famous $10 burritos filled with your choice of protein with a great grilled cheese skirt melted onto the tortilla before it gets filled. Either way, you're be happy.
5848 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 210 “Vine/Melrose”
