This year, L.A. TACO compiled unique lists and guides for our readers to deepen their appreciation for L.A. and the people in it. We shared our top picks for local independent businesses, ways to get involved within your community, and strategies for resisting ICE in Los Angeles.

L.A. TACO’s Most-Read Lists and Guides of 2025

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.</span></p>


a woman sits outside wearing a black long sleeve outfit

Lauren Bethke

<p>One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.</p>


Hadley Tomicki

<p>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 &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).</p>


Javier Cabral

L.A. Taco Guides

The 17 Best Steakhouses in Los Angeles, Ranked

<p>Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

<p>Julianne Le graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Le is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


Julianne Le

<p>Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.</p>


Lexis-Olivier Ray

<p>Andrew Bangs, or simply Bangs to his compatriots, is a long-time LA Taco supporter and occasional contributor. He spends a lot of time thinking about his dog.</p>


Andrew Bangs

Chicken wing skewers grilled over charcoals

The 21 Best Street Kebabs in L.A.

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

a drawing of a federal immigration agent behind caution tape

Taco Members Only

What to Do If a Federal Immigration Agency Kills Your Loved One

<p>Jared Cowan is a photographer who also writes and podcasts extensively about L.A. filming locations. He is the co-founder of My Valley Pass, through which he leads film tours of the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena. Jared is also the co-editor of the recent book &#8220;World Film Locations: Los Angeles Volume 2&#8221; and the editor of the upcoming &#8220;World Film Locations: Philadelphia.&#8221;</p>


Jared Cowan

The Ten Most Shocking Movie Scenes Ever Shot in L.A., Ranked

<p>Stephanie Mendez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer based in the LBC. Her work has appeared on ABC News, TODAY, E! News, SPIN, and more.</p>
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Stephanie Mendez

a man in a jersey posing at a desk with a gaming computer

Sports

Ten L.A. Gamers Tell Us How to Make Money Playing Video Games For a Living

<p>Publisher, L.A. TACO.</p>
<p>I enjoy exploring every corner of Los Angeles, looking for art wherever I can find it.</p>


Blazedale

How (and Why) to Remove Yourself From Data Miners Tracking You, Using California’s New Privacy Website

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

a man and woman on either side of a poster with Donald Trump's face and text that says "UNCLE DON F**KS YOU"

Robbie Conal, L.A’s Most Infamous Street Art Firebrand, Is Still Flaming Our Power-Mad Leaders at 81

Beijing’s Crispy Bing Burgers Are Coming to the SGV This Week

<p>Erick Gabriel is an L.A. native with a background in journalism &amp; communication. Passionate about storytelling and a lover of pop culture, his work has been featured in Flaunt Magazine, E! News, and NPR&#8217;s KCBX.</p>


Erick Gabriel

Montebello

After More Than 20 Years, This Iconic Gay Bar In Montebello Is Closing

Site News

Here Are The Six L.A. Punk Bands Playing Our Zine Release Show On Friday

Food

Mom Channels Grief into New Boba Truck after Firework Tragically Killed Her Eight-Year-Old Daughter

L.A. TACO STAFF

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A crowd celebrates Dia de los Muertos, watching a performer in celebratory makeup and attire.

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<div dir="ltr">Shylah Featherstone is a journalism student at Cerritos College and an intern at L.A. TACO, where she covers food, culture, and community stories across Los Angeles. Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, she hopes to build a career in multimedia journalism that connects people through thoughtful storytelling.</div>
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Shylah Featherstone

L.A.’s 11 Best Jamaican Restaurants, Ranked 