Tacos El Compita ~ Los Angeles

These were exceptional tacos, robust in both size and flavor

Lately I have found myself visiting the oft-overlooked taco stand on Pico Blvd., Tacos El Compita. I say overlooked because not only does Tacos El Compita lie almost equi-distance from El Chato and the aforementioned Tacos Leo, which are hugely popular in their own right, but there is also the taco truck El Compita in Watts (no relation), which is famous for its fried tacos dorados de barbacoa. Located in an residential stretch of Mid-City, a drive past Tacos El Compita in the daytime would look completely unremarkable, if not downright dilapidated. However, those wise enough to visit after 7pm on the weekdays will find something completely different. The interior of the restaurant shuts down completely except for the cashier, leaving the stainless steel kitchen bare and deserted. Just outside, a small grill table is set up where the menu has been reduced to two items: al pastor and carne asada tacos. Two taqueros alternate between grilling meats, warming tortillas and preparing the condiments all from a table which measures no more than 3 feet by 5 feet. I ordered two of each style, and watched as the men went to work slicing the pork from the spit and chopping the carne asada as it was pulled from the grill.

Read the entire review at The Los Angelicious Times