It's been a long journey with plenty of amazingly close battles, but the final four is finally set. In the Sabrocho by far the fiercest competition was between Yuca's and MexiKosher. Going into the final day, MexiKosher looked strong, having gotten the most total votes through the first 3 rounds, but at the end Yuca's voters came through with a torrent of votes in the final 6 hours. Yuca's ended up with the most total votes of any of the final four competitors. Another very close contest was Carnitas el Momo vs. Guerrilla Tacos. Fans of Carnitas El Momo should know that they came within a dozen votes of making it to the next round, and went farther than any carnitas specialist ever has in the history of Taco Madness.
So who are the finalists? Let's explore...
(10) Yuca's
The first ever champ of Taco Madness has returned to the glory of the final four for the first time in several years. Helmed by taco lifestyle legend Dora Herrera, this family-owned restaurant has two locations in the Hollywood/Los Feliz area, and has legions of fans from the neighborhood and all over Los Angeles. Yuca's is a classic L.A. Taco stand, serving tacos made with love from multiple generations of Angeleños. Yuca's pulled off upset after upset in their road to the Final Four, why shouldn't it happen again?
VS.
(1) Mariscos Jalisco
Another past winner, Mariscos Jalisco was favored by our judging panel to make the finals, as they have done each of the past 3 years, and they delivered. This truck that parks on Olympic Blvd. in Boyle Heights draws people from all over the world to taste their famed shrimp taco, which won "best in show" at Taco Madness 2013 at Grand Park last year. Raul and his crew are poised and ready to claim their second online vote title.
(3) Guerrilla Tacos
It's been quite a year for Wes Avila's Guerrilla Tacos. The one-time taco stand manned solely by Wes and his wife Tanya has developed into a lauded taco truck that pops up in the Arts District and Culver City and at the city's best parties and events. Awards (including Best Taco of 2014 from us), accolades (Jonathan Gold flipped his lid in his full page LA Times review) and adoring fans have made this the year of the Guerrilla. But can it continue? It will be a hard road to the championship, even having bested fierce competition already.
VS.
(8) El Coraloense
This dark horse candidate for LA's favorite taco wowed our judges but was not well-known by the public at large. The story of El Coraloense is that of a hard-working family restaurant taken over by a son and daughter with the benefit of training, experience and skills. The young, classically-trained chef, Leo Curie, has the tattoos and motorcycles you'd expect from someone who represents L.A. to the fullest, but the inventive cooking within a classic medium of Ceviches, mariscos, and tacos that you're definitely not prepared for. Is this the year for a complete newcomer to make it to the finals? We will find out this week...
