Welcome back to L.A. Taco’s weekly TacoWire report. Here is what is going on in our tortilla-fueled city this weekend.
Black Restaurant Week Starts Today
There are 39 restaurants stretching from the West Valley down to Long Beach highlighted in this year’s Black Restaurant Week. They include everything from delicious BBQ at Inglewood’s The Wood Urban Kitchen to Sky’s Gourmet Tacos on Pico Boulevard. Explore new zones of your palate with Creole and Cajun food or get comfortable with some stress-crushing soul food. This year they have added some fun activities and ways to win gift cards, cash prizes, and more. Follow the link below for more information and go support!
August 7th - 16th ~ https://blackrestaurantweeks.com/los-angeles-directory/
East LA BBQ Saturday Pop-up
Raider Dave and his smoked beef tacos are back! They won’t be serving their signature tacos and tortas de Lengua, but the smoked brisket and cachete (beef cheek) tacos should more than makeup for that during this Saturday’s pop-up. Suadero and chorizo will also be on the menu along with jars of mango habanero and chipotle BBQ sauce to take home.
Saturday, August 8th, 5-10 PM ~ 102 Dickerson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90063
‘L.A. Style’ Birria, Coffee & Aguas Preparadas Takeover Milpa Grille
Milpa Grille continues its support of local pop-ups by again opening up their kitchen to weekend takeovers. On Saturday, El Café by Primera will be serving his rich and aromatic coffees sourced directly from Mexico and prepared with a love of the craft and a respect for the coffee beans. All proceeds will be donated to No Us Without You, an organization that is feeding undocumented kitchen and bar staff ineligible for unemployment benefits during the shutdown.
Sunday’s line-up is filled with excellent cruda curing options. Get some coffee from Cafe Cafe Mobile, aguas frescas preparadas in a cantarito with chamoy and Mexican candies from El Cantarito Loco, and some “L.A. style birria” made from Choice-grade beef chuck by Birria Pa La Cruda. They have al fresco seating options as well for you to enjoy a cute date on a Sunday.
Milpa Takeover ~ 2633 E. Cesar Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
August 8th, 8am-5pm ~ El Cafe by Primera
August 9th, 9am-4pm ~ Birria Pa La Cruda ~ El Cantarito Loco ~ Cafe Cafe Mobile
A New Empanadas de Camarón Pop-Up in East L.A.
Laura Tejeda recently posted on her Instagram, @hungryineastlos, a video of herself eating crunchy empanadas de camarón con queso drizzled in chipotle mayo. In the video, you can hear the loud potato chip-like crunch as she sank her teeth and revealed a stretch of ivory-colored cheese, refusing to let go of its shell. According to Laura, the vendor is Peruvian and sets up daily from morning till about 4 PM. Finding this small street stand should be a fun adventure for all the street food scavenging enthusiasts. Just look for an easy up with “Empanadas de Camarón” written on a piece of paper.
Corner of E. Cesar Chavez Avenue and N. Rowan Avenue
Xelas Brunch is Back, al Fresco
The gleeful House of Xelas is back and invites everyone to enjoy a “one of a kind historic Boyle Heights ‘al fresco’ experience.” They’ve set up a new outdoor dining area to enjoy your favorite Xelas eats and drinks. Reservations are encouraged, especially for their popular weekend brunch. Strict masks, social distancing, and temperature check policies will be followed. Come prepared for a safe and chill time.
House of Xelas ~ Thurs-Sat, 5pm-10pm, Sat & Sun, 11am-3pm (Brunch) ~ 1846 ½ E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033 ~ (323) 685-5767 for reservations.
Burgers & Brews in Montebello
Angry Horse Brewing will be hosting The Burger Game for brews, burgers, and sweets on Saturday. They have two burgers on the menu. The first is their Animal Xing made with USDA Prime beef with cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, bbq and house sauce, pickles, and grilled onions on a brioche bun. The second is a super smash burger with cheddar, grilled onion, their smash sauce, and pickles on brioche bun. Have a single of each or pick one and make it a triple.
The Burger Game ~ Saturday, August 8th, 2-8pm ~ 603 W. Whittier Blvd, Montebello, CA 90660
Masataco Now Has al Fresco Dining
Vegans and non-vegans alike can now enjoy fresh jackfruit mole, chile relleno, and vegan birria tacos alongside traditional asada and al pastor in a comfortable open setting in Whittier. The tortilla specialists who made waves by selling KN95 masks by the millions at the start of the pandemic are reclaiming their parking area and their taco making passions.
Masataco ~ 14103 Lambert Rd, Whittier, CA 90605
The First 100-Percent Authentic Vegan Mexican Restaurant in The Valley
Taco-loving vegans in the valley were shocked to hear early in June that the recent Vegan Taco Madness winners, Vegatinos, broke up to pursue different ventures. One of those ventures happens to be El Cocinero Restaurant in Van Nuys. The restaurant, opened for a little over a month now, has been received with excitement in the valley. Our Resident Valley Foo, Noe Adame, has reported long lines at the establishment so expect a wait during the busy hours.
El Cocinero Restaurant ~ Tues-Sun, 1pm-8pm ~ 6265 Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Ray’s BBQ in Huntington Park Says Hello to American Wagyu and Goodbye to USDA Prime for Their Famed Juicy Smoked Brisket
Rene “Ray” Ramirez of Ray’s BBQ in Huntington Park has announced and held an IG Live presser to announce a big move: the switching over from USDA Prime-grade beef to American Wagyu. The latter of which is known for having a juicier, beefier flavor. Ray’s BBQ’s Texas-style brisket was already considered one of the best in L.A., so we could only wonder what this new even richer beef would taste like. He will start serving his American Wagyu brisket starting this Tuesday.
Ray’s BBQ - 6038 Santa Fe Ave, Huntington Park, CA 90255
Pobres Tacos LA is Back
Due to popular demand, Pobres Tacos LA and their self-proclaimed number one quesabirria in the city is returning to the streets. They’ll be heading back to their original location on Pico Boulevard after hundreds of customers flooded their DMs pleading for them to return. Pobres Tacos is only selling quesabirrias though, that means no burritos or other meats. Owner and chef, Janet Gonzalez, says in her Instagram post, “We missed you all and are very happy to be back.”
Pobres Tacos LA ~ Fri-Sun, 2 PM-10 PM (or sellout) ~ Find them on Pico Blvd just east of La Cienega.
