&#8220;Takedowns&#8221; are a series of amateur chef competitions that take place all over the United States, with various foods as the centerpiece. The event is coming to Los Angels for the first time on January 31st at El Cid. Want to compete? Email matt@thetakedowns.com to get a slot. Here&#8217;s some more details: We&#8217;ll provide the…

Taco Take Down Los Angeles ~ Call For Cooks

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.</span></p>


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Lauren Bethke

Events

A Filthy Night of Hard-Rocking Sleaze From Your Favorite Jumbo’s Dancer

<p>One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.</p>


Hadley Tomicki

a painting showing three skulls with a colorful background featuring Spanish text, smaller skulls, and th heading Pobre Sonador and "Before I Die" on the bottom

World Cup Heartbreak Hurts. This Artist Turned That Pain Into New Paintings

<p>A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.</p>


Ivan Fernandez

Featured

The Ultimate Guide To 2026 World Cup Watch Parties And Fútbol Events In L.A.

L.A. TACO STAFF

Free Flautas and Fresh Beer: L.A. TACO’s Watch Party at Homage Brewing Today at 5 PM!

<p>Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

L.A TACO’s 2026 Guide To Free Summer Concerts in L.A.

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Microdosing World Peace at Downtown L.A.’s Michelin Restaurant-Themed Sex Party

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

<p>Julianne Le graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Le is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


Julianne Le

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Taco Members Only

These L.A. Comedy Stars Sprang From One of the First Ever YouTube Channels

2 tacos on flour tortillas spilling oput beans, steak, and onions next to cups of red and green salsa at el ruso

Tacos

El Ruso Brings Sonoran Burritos and Tacos to a Studio City Brick-and-Mortar Next Week

<p>Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.</p>


Izzy Ramirez

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Daily Memo: Federal Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction in Adelanto ICE Processing Center Lawsuit

<div class="html-div xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x6ikm8r x10wlt62">
<div class="html-div xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x14ctfv x13sv91t x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1n2onr6 x1vjfegm x1k4qllp x1mzt3pk x13faqbe x1xr0vuk x1jm4cbz x114wg8e xrrpcnn x14rx4xb x13fuv20 x18b5jzi x1q0q8m5 x1t7ytsu x19livfd x1h2krnu x3p3xfz xet2kk3 xaymx6s x1lu5o8o x1ou5ly4 x1pczhz8 xm7lytj xpdmqnj x1ykpatu x1g0dm76" role="presentation">
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Myriam Gurba

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Sports

How Many Sexual Abusers Have We Cheered For During the World Cup?

<p>Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).</p>


Javier Cabral

Food

L.A.’s First Handmade Colombian Pastas Are Topped with Octopus and Picanha in Long Beach

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<p><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”</span></p>


Janette Villafana

Cannabis flower products are lined up inside a glass case at Green Qween on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Every cannabis product in the store is open to public view, giving guests a sense of transparency that illegal cannabis dispensaries don't tend to offer.