There are many great tacos in Los Angeles, but very few hit legendary status right from the first bite. I had no idea Tacos Royale even existed until June 11, when Octavio Olivas of Ceviche Project casually mentioned that his former employee had just opened a taquería while watching Mexico beat South Africa.
The name stuck with me. I’d only been back from Basque Country a few days, still thinking about the incredible txuleta—a contender for the best steak in the world—I’d eaten two days in a row at Extebarri, one of those meals that sharpens your standards for everything that follows.
The following week, after watching Mexico beat South Korea, I knew where I was going to go. Pulling up into the parking lot that is also home to the formerly viral Elio’s Woodfired Pizza, I could tell the tacos were going to be great the moment I heard the cashier’s warm northern Mexican accent, one of my favorite sounds in all of Mexican Spanish.
It also dawned on me that this streetside taco stand, with its glowing white tent, string lights, and refined menu board featuring classic rotuló-style typography and vibes you’d normally only see in Monterrey or Mexico City, was clearly trying to appeal to a different audience. That could have gone either way.