7148 Pacific Blvd (@ Florence) ~ Huntington Park, CA 90255 ~ (323) 585-4433 (TACO Map)
Having spent some time in Huntington Park in the past year, I have grown to love the area, especially the bustling commercial strip of Pacific Boulevard between Florence and Slauson. One of the most action-packed hubs here is the sizable "El Gallo Giro" restaurant on a corner with Tokyo-sized foot traffic. I met up with TACO-loco editor Hadley and an OG Vegas friend of ours from the juvenile delinquent days, along with his dog, Buster, so that we could tackle the restaurant's formidable best-seller: the torta cubana ($6.95).
Upon entering, you find your senses gang-banged by the multicolored papel picado decor strung from the walls, the almost too loud pre-recorded mariachi music, and various confusing lines of people. Gallo Giro is usually pretty busy -- for restaurants, this is typically a good sign, no? Unfortunately, the set-up is slow and inefficient: there is one line for ordering at a taco station, one line for ordering tortas, one line for guisados (stews), and then one line used to order homemade horchata, atole, and fresh juices, then one to pay. It's crazy but it suits the place, the aggravation is just part of the Gallo Giro experience.