Skip to Content
L.A. TACO home
L.A. TACO home
Log In
Tacos

KO / Machete Taco Truck Review

1:30 PM PDT on August 16, 2010

The blackened shrimp taco is magic.

I thought I knew what a gourmet taco was. Then I tried Knockout tacos, a gourmet taco truck that launched this summer. Knockout taco truck is piloted by Chris Goossen, former head Chef at Bottega Louie and El Pearl Cantina. At El Pearl Cantina Goossen had a menu consisting of 42 different tacos!

The taco menu at Knockout Taco is paired down to 10 different types of tacos ranging from carne asada to tacos de papa and fish tacos; habanero albacore and Hawaiian Tuna Poke. I ordered the blackened shrimp taco, carne asada, habanero albacore, and bbq burnt ends taco.


The blackened shrimp taco is magic. Three plump shrimp on top of a single fresh corn tortilla. Underneath the shrimp is bacon cheese grits and a cajun salsa with strong chile taste (maybe habanero?) that brings both heat and flavor. As I’ve said before, I’m not really a food critic and at times I wonder if my palette is even sophisticated enough to pick up on things your dedicated foodie would recognize but this taco was setting off all kinds of happy things in my mouth. I don’t think you’ll find a more flavorful shrimp taco in LA.

Read the full review on Great Taco Hunt.

Share the Taco:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

ICE

U.S. Congressman Accuses ICE Of Hiding Deaths In Its Custody

“ They're trying to underreport what is happening and trying to skew the numbers. We already know the number is higher than it's ever been,” Rep. Rob Menendez told the media in a press call on August 3.

August 5, 2026
Taco Members Only

The 14 Dumplings You Have To Try In L.A.’s San Gabriel Valley

Dumpling crawl? Sometimes they have lacy, crispy skirts, and sometimes they are chewy, broth-filled bombs of delicious joy. Either way, you’ll find the best dumplings in Los Angeles among the neighborhoods that make up the SGV.

August 5, 2026
People

Burbank’s Annual Latin Clown Convention Made Me Embrace My Inner Payasa

Every year, the collective hosts the Congreso, a multi-day gathering where clowns from across the United States and Latin America swap techniques, attend workshops, discover new products, and uplift one another, even hosting an Oscars-style awards show on the final night in one last hurrah.

August 5, 2026
Food

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

Los Angeles may lack the famous Jamaican restaurant scene of New York or Miami, but there are some insanely delicious family-run Caribbean meals hiding in our strip malls and Black family-owned storefronts if you know where to look.

August 4, 2026
News

West Hollywood Sold Its Soul to Flock Cameras

The City Council voted 3-2 to install a network of cameras that photographs and logs the license plate of every vehicle entering and leaving the city.

Nik Roybal
August 4, 2026
ICE

Here’s Every Single Death Linked to Immigration Enforcement Since Trump’s Raids Began in 2025

We hope this register offers a moment to remember the names and stories of the victims. For each one, we’ve included the backstory we were able to gather alongside the official account from government agencies.

August 3, 2026