Orange County hip-hop group Imperial Stars, which claims to be on a mission to help homeless children, were arrested after causing a massive traffic jam on the 101 yesterday morning. They took a giant bus and blocked the middle of the 101 in Hollywood and started performing their song &#8220;Traffic Jam&#8221; in front of thousands…

There Is Such Thing as Bad Publicity

core/paragraph

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.

Hadley Tomicki

Architecture

UPDATE: Mr.Tempo Cantina Closes Controversial Hollywood Location

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.

a woman sits outside wearing a black long sleeve outfit

Lauren Bethke

Food

Your Favorite Jumbo’s Clown Room Dancer’s Favorite Meal

Nya Manneh is a 22-year-old Master&#8217;s student from Minnesota studying at the University of Southern California. She is passionate about writing stories that highlight underrepresented voices and meeting new people from all walks of life.

Nya Manneh

A woman poses in front of the Hollywood sign, but is blurry

Film

With Film Production Down, Is the Sun Setting on the Hollywood Dream?

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.”

Janette Villafana

A family member of street vendor organizer Emma De Paz holds up a poster with his grandmother's photo. The words "Come back soon" and "We Miss You" are written across the poster.

Street Vending

Unbroken Spirit: How a Detained Street Vendor Is Now Aiding Detainees From ICE Facility

Lynn Q. Yu is a food and culture writer based out of Los Angeles. You can find her on social media @lynnqyu.

Lynn Q. Yu

Hollywood

Nine Noodle Dishes From Nine Different Regions In Asia  to Try in L.A.

L.A. TACO STAFF

L.A. Taco Guides

The Ultimate Guide to All the Day of the Dead Events in Los Angeles ~ 2024

Explore

Footer - NEW

Legal Footer

Main - NEW

Mobile

Neighborhoods

Top Guides

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

L.A. TACO is paid for by readers, not billionaires. 7,800 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

This one's for members.

No advertiser paid for this. No hedge fund owns us. Investigations take records requests, lawyers, and reporters on the ground for months at a time, and 7,800 members are the only reason we can do them. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

This investigation took months.

We're paid for by readers, not billionaires. 7,800 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent, and members read everything. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

Keep reading L.A. TACO.

Free registration

Please register for L.A. TACO to Vote 

Register to continue

We don't take endorsements and nobody pays us to cover local politics. Create a free account to keep reading, and we'll send you the next voter guide before you need it.

Free to Read, just share your email 

Every place on this list was visited by someone on our staff. Create a free account to read all of it. No payment, no catch.

The rest of this guide is free. We just need an email.

Create a free account and keep reading. No payment, no catch. We're reader-funded, and this is how we get to know who we're writing for.

Read this one on us.

Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.

Memo Torres

a screengrab of a video call between a man in a black tshirt calling a man in a yellow tshirt

EXCLUSIVE: Cuban Asylum Seeker Deported to Africa Without ID, Money, or Cell Phone

Publisher, L.A. TACO.
I enjoy exploring every corner of Los Angeles, looking for art wherever I can find it.

Blazedale

How (and Why) to Remove Yourself From Data Miners Tracking You, Using California’s New Privacy Website

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.

Karina Soriano

Watts’ Viral Tri-Tip BBQ Smoker Just Wanted to Feed His Sick Dad. Now He Feeds a Community

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Cockroach Found in Adelanto ICE Detention Cell

Amy Torres is a student at the University of Southern California pursuing her Bachelor&#8217;s in Journalism and Master&#8217;s in Studies of Law. Most of her journalism work has revolved around immigration, sports, and politics. As a native New Yorker living in Los Angeles, she thrives to elevate the voices and stories that shape L.A.

Amy Torres

Three DIY Zine Makers to Support In a Time When Their Craft Is Criminalized

An achiote-and-saffron-marinated chicken in a handheld pita

Taco Members Only

A Persian-Mexican Jam For Hoja Santa Lamb Shanks and Flash Tattoos

post

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).