I drove by 1st Street and Evergreen where El Tropico used to be. The mural of the palm trees and sunset are gone, but in my mind the smell of perfume, cologne, beer and brandy are still in there. The brandy was often poured for free by the owner out of a plastic bottle. It was so fucking bad that as soon as he walked away we would pour the drinks under the table.
Several of my buddies and I would pile into a couple of cars and head to El Tropico to play pool, drink and look at the dancers from LA, Mexico and Central America. I can't play pool, I hate beer so I just went for the dancers. I became friends with the owner and his wife and they let me take photos once in a while so they could use them for their fliers.
No one ever seemed to care if I shot photos. No even the time that I climbed up on stage and shot customers shooting dollars into the bra of a dancer.
A wise female security guard there once told me in Spanish, " Men are stupid. They work all week and give it all to la nalgona in a few hours."
Yeah. I miss the nalgona.
Photos and text by Foto Devil.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from L.A. TACO
How Your Business Can Benefit From Sponsoring L.A. TACO
When your company sponsors L.A. TACO, you receive a variety of quick and cost-effective benefits for far less than what we price our traditional advertisements and social media mentions at.
Juárez-Style Burritos Have Arrived in Southern California, And They are Already Selling Out In Less than An Hour
The month-old strip mall taquería in Anaheim make all their flour tortillas from scratch using both lard and butter, resulting in an extremely tender vehicle for their juicy guisados like carne en su jugo, carne deshebrada, chile colorado, chile relleno, and chicharrón. Every tortilla is cooked to order, too.
Urgent: L.A. TACO Falling Short of Fundraising Goals and Needs Your Support
Emergency. This is not a test. This is not a ruse. This is not a marketing scheme. We need your support if we're going to make it and every single membership counts.
What To Eat In L.A. This Weekend: Mexican-Style Pastrami, ‘Trashburgers,’ and Flamin’ Jim Morrisons
Plus, a new shawarma spot in Tarzana and the country's first wine festival dedicated solely to orange "skin contact" wine happening in Hollywood.
