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Javier Cabral

Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief 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 27 Best Vegetarian Tacos in L.A., Mapped

Tender, flaky young coconut battered like an Ensenada-style fish filet, crispy lions mane mushrooms with the texture of pork belly, roasted cauliflower with more sazón than the overcooked carne asada you had the other night. L.A.'s best and most original tacos are vegetarian.

As Protests Raged Around Them, this ‘Banned In L.A.’ Punk Band Played to Hundreds At MDC

As the U.S. government wages war on immigrants, with Los Angeles bearing the brunt of ICE's violent tactics, this DIY Dead City show felt historic—echoing Rage Against the Machine's legendary protest set outside the 2000 DNC.

February 2, 2026

Letter From the Editor: L.A. TACO Shop Closed Tomorrow, and How We Are Striking

We are shutting down and closing down our online shop for the day. We will only be posting our essential ICE coverage and Daily Memo, which has been proven to prevent abductions and has helped families identify loved ones who have been unfairly taken.

January 29, 2026

L.A. TACO Neighborhood Guides: Chinatown

A stroll through Chinatown feels like slipping between the shifting planes of time and space. Here are our recommendations for places to eat and shop, along with a look into its dark history.

L.A.’s 7 Best Tacos Fusing Middle Eastern and Arabic Influences

Fueled by a deep love for Mexican and Middle Eastern cuisines or by their own family recipes, chefs in L.A. are remixing recipes to create tacos that are L.A. through and through.

January 22, 2026

‘It’s Colonizing All Over Again:’ Chefs and Tortilleros React to California’s Fortified Tortilla Mandate

A new California law, penned by a Fresno assemblyman, mandates folic acid in corn tortillas to curb birth defects in Latina women—rattling L.A.'s taco universe. Tortilla makers in California, who have followed the same 12,000 year-old recipe, now must add a synthetic vitamin... but not all are complying.

January 8, 2026

British Baker Richard Hart Insults a Nation—And Shows What He Doesn’t Get About Mexican Bread

There is a clear difference between cultural colonization and cultural appreciation and it’s not that hard to get right if you come with an open heart and unbounded humility.

December 18, 2025

These Hacienda Heights Latino Punk Phenoms Are Under 20 and Fronted By the Reincarnation of Darby Crash

Meet the four young guys from the SGV playing punk shows they way they should be played.

November 20, 2025

The Class That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen: L.A. TACO’s Historic USC Partnership

As part of our exciting new project, the L.A. TACO Media Lab, which aims to publish even more emerging voices in the city. We are teaching a groundbreaking class at USC titled “Bridging the Media Gap Between L.A. Influencers and Independent Journalists" trying to create a new style of ethical hybrid reporting that will usher in this brave new era of journalism.

November 5, 2025

Little Tokyo’s New ‘Punk Izakaya’ Is Also a Temple of L.A. Punk History

The inspiration for Tsubasa Muratani's menu is Japanese-style drinking food but 4 the punx, so accessible and not too douchey in other words. 

October 31, 2025