This Popular Vegan Taquero In Whittier Just Opened ‘La Wagyu Carnicería’ in Brea

[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]ummer may be over, but in Sur Califas, it’s always carne asada season.    

It’s been amazing to witness the growth of L.A.’s carne asada culture over the last decade. At taquerías, Sonoratown led the way for consumers to understand the golden rule with carne asada: If there is no smoke, it is not carne asada. At El Ruso, Walter Soto took a significant risk using Prime-grade beef (and its higher cost) for his carne asada masterpieces. In the backyard worlds, Lynwood’s La Carnicería was the first to offer Prime and Wagyu-grade beef in popular carne asada-friendly thin cuts. 

But now, the next level of carne has arrived….in the deepest east of east neighborhoods: Brea. 

La Carnicería Wagyu, the latest exciting project from David Fuerte of Made For Chefs, is hosting a grand opening event on October 15th, complete with meat giveaways. This latest project is the polar opposite of  Fuerte's last plant-based project, MasaTaco. He is a son of Whittier, born and raised there from immigrant parents from Sinaloa and Chihuahua. He tells L.A. TACO that La Carnicería Wagyu results from 20 years working in Southern California’s restaurant industry and the connections he’s made. “From heartbreak to the blood, sweat, and tears that revolve around being an entrepreneur, I’ve been through it all.”

All those years of hard work have equated to the butcher case full of beautifully marbled cuts that is currently soft-opened at La Carnicería Wagyu. For true luxury Wagyu from Japan (Omi Farms), Fuerte tells L.A. TACO that the cheapest cut will set you back about $106 a pound at the time of publishing (note that the cost of red beef fluctuates) while the most expensive will go up to $300 a pound. Prime-grade ranchera flap meat will start at $17.99 and will be sourced exclusively from Creekstone Ranch. Tasajo (a steak-like beef riblet cut). Suppose customers want to get a taste of true Wagyu first before committing to larger cuts. In that case, Fuerte is also offering shabu-shabu (paper-thin cuts) of beef that is perfect for guisados and other quick-cooking applications. 

The luxury carnicería boasts its hashtag proudly #LaWaGucci proudly, which captures its carne asada philosophy beautifully. So far, Fuerte shares that Brea residents has been nothing but welcoming and that he is surprised with how much Wagyu meat he’s sold. With the average household income in Brea hovering well above the national average at $81,857 a year. (The US average is $53,482 a year), the community’s love of buttery beef is no surprise. 

La Carnicería Wagyu is at 105 W Lambert Rd Unit C, Brea, CA 92821

All photos by Memo Torres for L.A. TACO.