Los Angeles' best and most original tacos are vegetarian. Wild statement, we know. But we are prepared to back it up.
Sure, we have outstanding al pastor that can go head-to-head with the best in Mexico City and birria and mesquite-grilled carne asada that can hold its own against Tijuana, but vegetarian tacos are 100% L.A., such a wide range rarely seen anywhere else.
Think about it: For all our food allergies, diets, and sensitivities, outstanding tacos that forego anything with a pulse fits our hyper-picky eating ways perfectly. Bring four random Angelenos to a vegetarian taqueria and everyone will get to feast with abandon.
We arrived at this conclusion after driving through the city hunting down the absolute best in meat-free tacos for you. We are not simply spotlighting alternative fake-meats in tortillas; though we did include a few of those, too, given there are some tasty versions out there that vegetarians love when feeling like eating something a little extra meaty.
No, these veggie tacos are filled with . . . actual vegetables: tender, flaky young coconut battered like an Ensenada-style fish filet, crispy lion's mane mushrooms with the texture of pork belly, roasted cauliflower with more sazón than the overcooked carne asada you had the other night.
And the craziest part of all of this is that L.A.'s plant-based taco life only has room to grow. To live and eat meatless tacos in L.A. . . .
These are the best vegetarian tacos in the city today.
FRIED AVOCADO TACO ~ TU MADRE ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
We pity the foo who calls vegetarian tacos meek.
No more proof of their might may be needed than a look at Tu Madre’s fried avocado tacos, in which sizable lobes of avocado are encased in a golden tempura batter, shellacked with hot honey, and topped with chopped, fermented Fresno chiles and a bed of fried onions.
You’ll eat them still damned hot, with the slippery, soft, and creamy avocado squishing out of their gilded cages and the whole arrangement comically way too big to really fit on top of Tu Madre’s silver dollar size tortillas.
No matter. They’re delicious. And your jeans needed a little splash of color in any case.
Locations in Larchmont, Los Feliz, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West Hollywood.
WILD RICE AND TOFU TACOS ~ STUFF I EAT ~ INGLEWOOD
The wild rice and tofu tacos at Ron and Babette Davis’ Stuff I Eat were among the best plant-based tacos we’ve tried in L.A. Lightly fried corn tortillas come folded over a blend of wild rice that, like all the best plant-based foods, resound with the natural flavor and freshness of the featured produce, with tofu bulking up the texture into a smooth bite.
Big, filling, hot, and spicy enough, even when opting for “medium heat,” make sure to order the guacamole for 50 cents to help tame the tacos’ raging insides, as you take in the restaurant’s trippy beats, local art, and books on clean eating only to realize you’re exactly where you want to be.
114 N. Market St. Inglewood, CA 90301
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro K Line - “Downtown Inglewood”
POTATO AND CHEESE TACO ~ SKY’S GOURMET TACOS ~ MID-WILSHIRE
One thing we know by now about Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, chef Barbara Burrell’s veteran soul food-taco shop that’s been at a few different Pico addresses in its 33 years, the food will be unique, resounding with the pure taste of fresh ingredients, and possessed of all the strengths of good homecooking made on the spot. This extends no less to the restaurant’s six plant-based tacos, including one in which Sky’s makes its own beef substitute in house.
We’re a sucker for the sauteed mushroom tacos and these potato-and-cheese tacos, which come hot and made-to-order with boiled potatoes being sliced and grilled in olive oil then placed into a tortilla spackled with melted cheese (which can be made vegan if you want).
The soft and buttery, black pepper-sprinkled shingles of spud are total comfort, contrasted with a tangled nest of crunchy cabbage and tangy pico de gallo, and insanely good. Characteristically, Sky’s prepares its vegetarian items with nothing less than driven intentionality, employing a separate designated grill for plant-based items.
5303 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 28 bus - “Olympic/Cochran”
STEAK AL PASTOR TACO ~ PLANTA ~ MARINA DEL REY
Planta puts a most glamorous stamp on 100% vegan dining, offering plant-based sushi, tartares, udon, and robata skewers in beautiful rooms across the country, complete with cocktails and cool soundtracks.
Its Marina Del Rey location has just launched an exclusive Taco Tuesday menu, featuring a Baja fish taco made from hearts of palm and a taco de birria made from chile guajillo and mushrooms, all coming on housemade flour tortillas. For $25, you can try all five of Planta’s Taco Tuesday tacos.
They’re all satisfying, but the steak al pastor with cilantro crema and charred tomato salsa stood out as our clear favorite, its plant-based steak from a company called Chunk, built of cultured soy protein, wheat, and coconut oil, and colored with beet juice. Both texture and flavor reminded us of the real thing, packed with sweet, pastor-y notes of cumin and cinnamon, and even dripping an orange oil onto our plates in a glorious moment of authenticity that could make Hollywood’s best special effects teams envious.
4625 Admiralty Way Ste. 104 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 108 bus - "Admiralty/Bali"
JACKFRUIT CARNITAS ~ OTRO DIA TACOS ~ BEVERLY HILLS
Otro Día, one of five concepts stuffed into a single small space on Little Santa Monica Boulevard, slings simple, street-style tacos in one of the most heavily surveilled cities on Earth. Four of its eleven tacos are plant-based, so vegans, too, can eat here like everyone’s watching.
Its jackfruit carnitas tacos might not mirror the lush, sweet, fatty splendors of a taco from Carnitas Los Gabrieles, but make for a wholly satisfying masterpiece on their own meat-free merits. Red-stained jackfruit, spiced something like an al pastor, are slow-cooked before it’s slid, onto small, single corn tortillas, confident enough to stand with no embellishment save for diced onion, cilantro, and as much salsa tomatillo as you desire.
The chunks of this massive tree fruit look a bit like rib meat, complete with its own grain, all but dissolving into soft, smooth, and juicy bites with a texture like artichoke hearts; deeply savory, with a smack of bitterness on the end. It’s still stunning what just a little masa, fruit, and spices can do when joining forces. Smile for the cameras.
9909 S. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90212
“THE CRISPY TACO” ~ CHICAS TACOS ~ MID-WILSHIRE
Chicas Tacos' wide menu throws a few bones to vegans, with dishes like nut-and-meat-free nachos and jackfruit tacos. But it's Chicas' crispy taco that winks to a classic taste of L.A. nostalgia, providing a totally vegan take on the Tito’s Tacos experience.
This healthier hardshell taco hits the table quickly; a crisp corn tortilla cradling a plant-based, protein-rich ground beef substitute from Venice-originated Abbot’s Butcher, made from porcini mushrooms, seasoned with thyme and onion, mostly invisible under a pile of shredded cheddar cheese from Daiya, plus radish, iceberg lettuce, and thick, spicy salsa roja.
All the textures and flavors of the style it models are found within this plant-based clone, including the crispy fried tortilla and crunchy lettuce, the short shot of savory beef, cooling shreds of cheese, and flavorful heat that lingers in your mouth long after you leave.
It’s not only better-for-you than your typical taco dorado, it tastes better than many of its better-known progenitors.
800 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Rapid 720 bus - “Wilshire/La Brea”
O.G. TACO WITH TOFU ~ KOGI ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
10 out of 10 cardiologists agree that you can’t eat carnitas, suadero, and chorizo for every meal. When facing this hard truth, we reach for the tofu taco at Kogi.
While the Korean short rib and spicy pork tacos still draw the bigger crowds, those who have been eating at Roy Choi’s genre-shifting taco truck for a long time concur that the tofu tacos have bomb-ass flavor, if not the greatest tortillas in the world.
Soft, milky cubes of tofu are soaked in a bath of garlic, citrus, and chiles, then crisped on the grill before being slotted into their corn-based slipcovers and drizzled with tangy salsa verde and a texturally clever combination of crunchy cabbage and soft lettuce slicked with sesame dressing.
Never has a taco that tasted so good been conceivably so good for you.
Track the schedule of Kogi’s four taco trucks online, as locations vary.
TACO DE HONGOS ~ GRACIAS SEÑOR TAQUERÍA ~ BRENTWOOD
After defying the odds to become a neighborhood fixture in Pacific Palisades over ten years, Gracias Señor Taquería, Rudy Barrientos' taco truck, can now be found serving Brentwood.
Stop by anytime and you’ll surely hear words of praise from his dedicated following of locals, flocking for hand-pressed tortillas, rich sazón, 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 mushroom innards lending an earthy, sweet funk to the taste of the clean, corny, and rustic tortillas.
It’s just one of many reasons, including his volunteer work for first responders, why Barrientos won our first-ever Taquero of the Year honor at the end of 2025.
11941 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049
MASHED POTATO TAQUITOS ~ UN SOLO SOL ~ BOYLE HEIGHTS
Worthy vegan Mexican cuisine usually comes with the qualifier, “Well, it’s good for vegan Mexican anyway.” Un Solo Sol bucks the need for these modifiers, standing on its own as simply great food that also happens to be vegan.
After celebrating its quinceañera last year across from Boyle Heights’ Mariachi Plaza, El Salvador-born owner Carlos Ortez lives up to his restaurant’s planet-encompassing name, offering plant-based dishes that skip the use of fake meats for vibrant vegetables and spores, and serving recipes from India, Lebanon, Peru, Central America, and Iran alongside them.
While we’re loyal to the assertive flavors of the mushroom al pastor-based enchiladas and pozole here, we suggest starting with the taquitos, in which a trio of crunchy rolled corn tortillas comes filled with mashed spuds or black beans with a little salad on the side.
No matter what you choose, be it shiitake mushroom al pastor wraps, a lentil-based picadillo, or a bowl of Iranian ghormeh sabzi bowl, it will taste great going in, while you’ll feel just as good when you leave; light, nourished, and energized enough to lift some weary troubadour’s tuba down the steps to the E line.
1818 E. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90033
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro E Line - “Mariachi Plaza”
AL PASTOR ~ EL COCINERO ~ VAN NUYS
El Cocinero is the one that really went for it, attempting to body-snatch a typical taco truck menu with a fully vegan selection that offers cruelty-free takes on carnitas, asada, birria, chicken, and cabeza using vegetables and plant-based proteins, complete with tortas, aguas frescas, pozole, and nut-cheese nachos.
Jalisco-born owner Alex Vargas stepped out of his Vegatinos truck to open El Cocinero’s steamtable-strapped brick-and-mortar in Van Nuys in 2020, becoming one of the first Latino owners of all-vegan Mexican restaurant in L.A. Most likely also why it’s the best of them.
For us, the al pastor is the most successful in recreating the highs of a street taco. Super tender, marinated soy curls with red onion and cilantro come in a thick, surprisingly marinara-like tomato sauce on a non-GMO corn tortilla, a sweet depth emanating from within, whether you’ve opted for the smoky salsa roja, the earthier salsa verde, or a little bit of both.
This is one of those completely vegan places that still lands on meat-eaters taco lists. And brings them back to try more of the flavorful, plant-based explorations.
6265 Sepulveda Blvd. Ste. 12 Van Nuys, CA 91411
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 234 bus - “Sepulveda/Victory”
CAULIFLOWER AL PASTOR ~ SAUSAL ~ EL SEGUNDO
Only a few years ago, L.A. was awash in cauliflower steaks and cauliflower rice. Though the ubiquitousness of the bleach-white brassica has waned more recently, the cauliflower taco endures as a menu mainstay for taquerias and upscale Mexican restaurants as an olive branch to the meat-free.
At Sausal, you’ll be served a hearty, tropical take on the cauliflower taco, with whole limbs of rust-colored cauliflower on a bed of guacamole spread across a corn tortilla. Atop the vegetable is a pile of healthy ingredients adding texture and acid-pops, including pepitas, sprouts, red onion, cilantro, and a pico de gallo of diced mango with pineapple. A thick salsa verde with a sweet-spicy profile completes the calico coat that your tortilla will struggle to restrain.
Sitting at the bar, the faint stirrings of a sea breeze wafting alongside a whiff of blood-oil, a gaggle of someone’s tipsy co-workers slurping palomas at your side, you could almost see yourself spending more time in El Segundo. You know, when in need of a civilization, some sort of reservation.
219 Main St. El Segundo, CA 90245
MUSHROOM TACOS ~ LOQUI ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Loqui’s mushroom tacos affirmatively answer the question, “Can a meatless taco still be meaty?”
A seven-inch flour tortilla (or corn, if you choose, though we don’t) centers the earthy, fungal funk of white button mushrooms over an ornate backdrop of the spicy chile oil and soy sauce they’re cooked in. Add a big dollop of guacamole, melted cheese, pinto beans, onion, and cilantro, with a little smoky salsa negra habanero and smokier salsa chipotle, and you’re looking at a truly filling taco made with mushroom lovers in mind with the ability to fill you up.
The soft scrunch of the mushrooms perfectly punctuates the snap of your flour tortilla, editing out any need for extras so its pure shroomy essence can triumph.
We usually like to throw shade towards San Franciscan incursions into L.A., particularly when they come bedecked in orange-and-black ball caps, but Loqui, starting up north as a pop-up at Tartine Bakery, has worked its way into our hearts with this plant-based taco.
Locations in Culver City, Playa Vista, Woodland Hills, Downtown Arts District, and Studio City
PURIST BREAKFAST TACO ~ TREJO'S TACOS ~ MID-WILSHIRE
Spanning four L.A. locations, Danny Trejo’s taco chain teeters the line between tourist trap and hometown hero’s domain. Each location’s menu is unique, serving the same core dishes along with a few specialties. They all offer vegetarian tacos, but only at Trejo’s Tacos on La Brea can you find "The Purist Breakfast Taco."
This taco is simple and just fucking solid: scrambled eggs, blend of three cheeses, salsa roja, and tater tots on your choice of corn or flour tortilla. The scrambled eggs and cheese meld perfectly together, forming a fluffy and buttery centerpiece to dally with the salsa (it's on the milder side, but there’s a self-serve salsa station if you need more heat) and crispy tater tots.
Usually found in LAUSD school lunches or by the side of a smashburger, the concept of tater tots on a taco is borderline sacrilegious. But Trejo’s told us from the start that they don’t strive for tradition, aiming to “find their own style.”
Breakfast burritos get all the love in L.A., but Trejo’s is a reminder that all-day breakfast tacos can be just what you need on those days when downing a burrito before noon means never getting up again.
1048 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 28 bus - “Olympic/La Brea”
COLIFLOR ROJO TACO ~ CACAO MEXICATESSEN ~ EAGLE ROCK
Established in 2009 and considered one of L.A.’s best restaurants by the late Jonathon Gold, CaCao Mexicatessen is a taqueria/cantina nestled in Eagle Rock, beloved for its duck carnitas tacos. This taco may have inspired an entire generation’s CaCao orders, but nothing on the menu should be skimmed over–especially the vegetarian picks.
Plant-based taco options include fried avocado, bean and cheese, and coliflor rojo, all served atop a locally made tortilla from Kernel of Truth.
For the latter, diced cauliflower and potatoes are cooked down to create a texture that’s soft and inviting, contrasted with crisp purple onions and fresh cilantro. The taco is filling, and the naturally mellow flavors of the cauliflower and potato make great foundations for the deep flavor CaCao develops.
Cauliflower earned its praise as a worthy buffalo wing replacement and half-hearted rice substitute in recent years, but now it’s time for us to realize that CaCao got it right by giving cauliflower a home in a blue corn tortilla.
1576 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 180 bus - “Colorado/Townsend Ave.”
CARNITAS TACO ~ DOOMIE'S NEXTMEX ~ HOLLYWOOD
Nestled in a Hollywood plaza next door to its sister store, Doomie’s Home Cookin’, Doomie’s NextMex declares itself “L.A.’s very first all-vegan taqueria.” They also operate “Hot Vegan Chicks” from the same spot, serving vegan hot wings alongside their beloved tacos packed with proteins like mushroom-soy carnitas.
The carnitas is the most-popular meat here: soft and flavorful with a slight chew. Chef Doomie and his team work their back-of-house magic to develop a texture that mimics pork carnitas, the mushrooms and soy operating with a texture you’d find in shredded pork.
All of this greatness lies atop a bed of a supple, homemade corn tortilla to create a carnitas taco topped with diced onions, cilantro, and a flavorful but mild salsa verde made in-house. (will.i.am told L.A. TACO that the salsa is what solidified Doomie’s as his favorite taco in L.A.)
Customers in search of vegan renditions of their favorite traditional meals or Mexican dishes (remixed) have always found what they’re looking for at NextMex–from its chile rellenos to Baja-style tacos made with fried artichokes, both now discontinued.
In a 2016 VICE interview, Chef Doomie told L.A. TACO's Javier Cabral, “I gotta keep moving, doing different things, and keep my edge in this industry.” So, check out Doomie’s NextMex–your future favorite has probably been on their menu for a while now and is just waiting for you to pull up.
1253 Vine St. # 8, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro B Line - “Hollywood/Vine”
CALABACITAS TACO ~ GUISADOS ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
The city-wide Guisados chain got its start in Boyle Heights in December 2010 when the De La Torre family began to replicate their mom’s recipes.
Now spanning 10 locations, Guisados is a familiar favorite to locals in every corner of L.A., a reliable beacon for finding tacos piled high with stewed meats, seafood, and vegetables.
The calabacitas taco presents itself with a colorful stack of diced squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and kernels of corn, all topped with queso fresco and a chipotle crema.
Absolutely sopping with flavor and nutrients, this vegetable medley can bring you back to life after a weekend of over-indulgence. There’s something about eating a whole lot of warm veggies on a housemade tortilla in a small dining room decorated with wooden furniture that makes you feel like someone is looking out for you.
According to its site, Guisados' stews and masa are all made and delivered from its OG Boyle Heights location multiple times a day.
"We do this not to change the world, but rather show the world just how talented mom really was," they write. Chances are, there's a Guisados not too far from you, and you can get a taste for the charm that the De La Torre family has been invoking for over 15 years.
1261 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 4 bus - “Sunset/Marion”
VEGETARIANA TACO ~ TAQUERÍA FRONTERA ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
With one location in Cypress Park and another in Silver Lake, Taquería Frontera is lauded across L.A. for its birria de lengua and al pastor tacos fueled by generations of taquería talent.
Its vegetarian taco is packed with seared nopal, frijoles Peruanos, and thick guacamole, forming a taco that fills you up without forcing you into a food coma.
Its flavors are more low-key, letting the texture and flavor of the nopal really shine. Behind the food is a powerful message of solidarity displayed on the storefront: “MORE TACOS LESS BORDERS.”
700 Cypress Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90065; 2590 -D Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 94 - “Ave. 26/Idell” or Bus Line 251 - “Cypress/Pepper”
GRILLED SOYRIZO TACO ~ VILLA'S TACOS ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
The Villa’s Tacos location in Grand Central Market opened in 2024, marking its first expansion beyond Highland Park.
This family-owned business and three-time TACO MADNESS winner is known for its fish tacos and handmade blue-corn tortillas, but they also offer a few meat-free options including a vegan taco sampler. If you’re eating your way through the market and don’t have room for three tacos, get the grilled soyrizo taco–a hefty serving of flavorful soyrizo that holds up against its pork counterpart.
The texture isn’t chewy like some faux meat substitutes, and the coolness of the guacamole is harmonious alongside the soyrizo’s slight smokiness. Paired with red salsa, this taco has a lick of heat, a little tang, and home cooked flavor all atop a pillowy tortilla.
With the Hollywood location opening later this year, this superbly rich soyrizo taco will be available to even more of L.A.’s flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans alike.
Grand Central Market ~ 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 92 - “Spring/2nd” or Metro B Line - “Pershing Square”
LA FLOR ~ TOCAYA ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Tocaya Modern Mexican got its start in Venice a decade ago, but now you can find seven locations throughout L.A. (plus one all the way out in Scottsdale, Arizona). Known for its organic ingredients and a style fit for pilates lovers, they offer a solid number of vegan options including faux meats like Beyond chicken and whole food alternatives like crisp cauliflower.
Among two other vegan tacos, its fried squash blossom taco, La Flor, is stuffed with vegan mozzarella and topped with sautéed black beans, corn, and vegan chipotle crema. It’s melty, creamy, and completely dairy-free thanks to the vegan mozz. The slight crunch from the squash blossom and the ultrafresh toppings gather and create the most balanced deep-fried taco you’ll find out there.
Downtown Location ~ 801 S. Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90017
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 92 - “Spring/9th” or Metro B Line - “7th/Metro Center”
BIRRIA TACO ~ CENA VEGAN ~ MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Right across from Lincoln Park is a 100% vegan, take-out only spot called Cena Vegan. They’ve been in the business of creating vegan versions of Mexican street food for over 15 years now, operating from taco stands, trucks, and now brick-and-mortars. its Whittier location across the city offers dine-in, which is probably the optimal way to consume one of its “nacho boats.”
Cena Vegan’s innovative style comes through poignantly in its birria taco. Using tofu skin, aka bean curd, as the “meat” just makes sense; chopping the bean curd into bits invites the flavor of the birria to totally coat it. The texture is not an exact match to birria de res, but it’s not supposed to be when you’re experimenting outside the world of faux meats.
One of the key players here is the soft corn tortilla that’s somehow able to withstand the loaded serving of soy birria. Albeit on the sweeter side, this taco is packed with flavor and (like any good birria taco) the ability to temporarily dye your fingertips with evidence of just how damn good it was.
Lincoln Heights location ~ 3317 N. Mission Rd. Unit K-4, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 76 bus - “Main/Mission”
TACO DE QUESO SPECIAL~ BIZARRA CAPITAL ~ WHITTIER
In the discussion for best meat-free tacos in L.A., Ricardo Diaz's taco de queso at Bizarra Capital deserves to be front and center. It's a must try if you're in Whittier.
Grilled queso fresco with lightly crispy edges, thinly sliced potatoes—themselves also crisp-edged, with buttery avocado slices, and a sweet and spicy salsa verde served on a handmade tortilla de maíz deep with corn flavor. It's a simple pleasure that instantly reminds you that vegetarian tacos don't need to have any healthy or preachy vegan undertones, they can just be a mashup of comfort favorites like this one.
While there, definitely also order its flautas de platano, which taste like 100% vegetarian chimichangas, given Bizarra uses flour tortillas. Fun fact: Diaz is the co-founder of Guisados and his original recipes are still present to this day throughout its locations.
12706 Philadelphia St. Whittier, CA 90601
TIKKA MUSHROOM TACOS ~ KITCHEN MOUSE ~ HIGHLAND PARK
Highland Park's Kitchen Mouse is so good, you'll wonder how its entire menu is gluten free and vegan. However, the option to make anything vegetarian is available on any menu item by adding an egg.
Kitchen Mouse has been serving the neighborhood for more than ten years and has earned its title with locals as a reliable brunch spot. When choosing between its great options on the menu, both the breakfast and tikka mushroom tacos are easy ways to shorten your choices.
Its breakfast taco is layered perfectly with poblano potato mash, prepped slaw, and topped with Kitchen Mouse's chipotle cream. Served generously with four tacos per order to stretch your dollar.
If you missed the breakfast cutoff, get the tikka mushroom tacos that come with roasted crimini mushroom and fresh cilantro-mint chutney, waltzing perfectly together in one bite.
As if this plate of tacos wasn't L.A. enough, it's served with a hearty side of daal, paired to remind you of your vegan phase many moons ago. As if all these reasons weren't enough, Kitchen Mouse has been loyal to using Kernel of Truth Organic tortillas since the start.
5904 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro A Line - "Highland Park"
MASALA POTATO TACOS ~ SAUCY CHICK INDI-MEX EATERY ~ PASADENA
When eating around restaurants in L.A., you may sometimes ask yourself, "Could I have cooked this at home?" The answer will always, usually be "No."
Case in point: The tantalizing ingredients that Saucy Chick Indi-Mex Eatery strings together to whip up these amazing Mexi-Indian veggie tacos. Known for delivering tasty birria, Saucy Chick has a few unsung heroes on the menu.
The charred Haldi cauliflower and Masala potato taco will have you coming back for these specialties that you can't find anywhere else. Please ask for its homemade chile oil and start asking yourself: "Why did I never think of putting Indian classics on top of a corn tortilla? "
203 S. Rosemead Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 266 bus - "Rosemead/Del Mar"
BEET AL PASTOR TACO ~ MILPA KITCHEN ~ BOYLE HEIGHTS
You can tell a lot about a neighborhood by its best-selling tacos. In Boyle Heights, Macheen's beet al pastor tacos at Milpa Kitchen (recognized by The New York Times as one of L.A.'s top 25 restaurants) tell the story of a changing part of town that still keeps its sazón roots.
While Macheen's Jonathan Pérez is known for his talents with a pork belly breakfast burrito, he also 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 and roasts them until tender. Nestled in soft, housemade blue corn tortillas, these tacos arrive piled high with those spiced beets on a bed of lemon zest-enriched whipped requesón (ricotta) and frisée instead of cilantro, with some salsa macha, including all the crispy garlicky bits, added for good measure.
Macheen's playful finesse shines in this dish, providing plant-based pastor that can rival the original's 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, CA 90033
Closest Metro lines and stops: Bus Line 70 - “Cesar E Chavez/Mott” or Bus Line 251 - "Soto/Cesar E Chavez."
TACO DE PESCADO ~ GRACIAS MADRE ~ WEST HOLLYWOOD
Gracias Madre is a lesson in "never judge a taco by it's cover."
We can talk your ear off extolling the virtues of how they are one of L.A.'s best destinations for vegetarian tacos, plant-based entrees, and cocktails made with obscure agave spirits, but the average Angeleno may not believe us given its luxe location on the intersection connecting West Hollywood to Beverly Hills.
Take our word for it: Gracias Madre's young coconut-battered version of a fish taco tastes of the ocean, thanks to the addition of dulse and nori seaweed to its batter, and it's flaky thanks to the buttery coconut meat. They don't skimp on the toppings either, adding 1/3 of a whole damn avocado—all resting on a beautiful, organic Kernel of Truth yellow corn tortilla.
You'll pay for the quality, but it's worth every penny. And while you're balling out, order a grilled lion's mane taco, too, which tastes eerily like carnitas thanks to the mushroom's fleshy flavor and texture. These are also full-sized tacos as well, so two will fill-up the average taco eater.
8905 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90069
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro Local 4 bus - "Santa Monica/La Peer"
TACOS DE PAPA ~ El BARRIO CANTINA ~ LONG BEACH
The best tacos come with a story and El Barrio Cantina's 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.
What makes them so good isn’t just the ethereal, crunchy bite and buttery potato filling; it’s also the salsa de aguacate and queso fresco with onions and cilantro pre-mixed in. These are techniques passed down from home to your plate for you to enjoy.
Wash it down with a can of one of Barrio's ice-cold Tijuana craft beers, like Juan Lupúlo from Cervecería Insurgente. Chef Ulisses is also the first to pioneer a "Recession Menu," so four of these tacos will set you back only $9.
1731 E. Fourth St. Long Beach, CA 90802
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro A Line - "1st Street"
LEEK AND POTATO TACO ~ KATEEN ~ HOLLYWOOD
Fourteen years ago, chef Wes Avila revolutionized the classic taco de papa by featuring seasonal, local sweet potatoes in an innovative, accidentally vegetarian creation. The taco remains a best-seller and showcases Avila's wildly inventive approach to tacos at his last-standing brick and mortar restaurant in Hollywood, Kateen.
Its a simple yet perfect formula—with crunchy elements like Corn Nuts, velvety sweet potato, creamy cheese, thick spicy salsa, and fresh vegetal notes—that has been published in his 2017 cookbook Guerrilla Tacos.
This taco has inspired widespread emulation across Los Angeles and even in Japan, influencing chefs who credit it with changing their perspective on tacos. In just over a decade, Avila's creation has earned its place as a modern classic in the taco canon alongside traditional favorites.
Go pay some respect to these game-changing tacos!
6516 Selma Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro B Line - "Hollywood/Vine"
