For a city like LA, or El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, which is incredibly rich in food diversity, there sure are a lot of taco trucks. According to Discover Los Angeles, there are over 4,000 of them. LA County itself has 30 percent of the state’s Mexican restaurants. As someone with both Angeleno and Mexican roots, I’ve eaten my fair share — hard shell, soft shell, flour, corn. Greasy as can be, sopping with salsa, doused with sour cream or smothered with queso. They’re the perfect afternoon pick-me-up, the ideal late night snack. As I go into my last year at Occidental, I’ve curated a dependable and delectable taco crawl of spots in close proximity to campus. Try out one a week, or spend a night hitting up each place back to back (at your stomach’s own risk), like my dedicated photographer, Addie, did. You’ll probably recognize a few must-have inclusions, but I encourage you to revisit them with a keener eye and a more sensitive tongue. Like a strong cup of coffee or an expensive glass of wine, a good taco is worth closing your eyes, breathing in the smell and letting the magic happen. Let’s taco ’bout it.
Tacos La Estrella
Down a ways on York Boulevard, past Avenue 53, there lies a truck called Tacos La Estrella. These tacos are the closest I’ve found nearby to the kind of tacos you have at a family party. They’re simple, classic and unassuming — yet, they’re perfect. With only beef and pork options, Tacos La Estrella forgoes pomp and circumstance in favor of traditional flavors and low prices, and it pays off. I usually order a carnitas taco and a lengua (cow tongue) taco, but always end up wishing I had ordered more. What makes La Estrella so unique is the consistency. Unlike other trucks that might have a much wider menu, La Estrella always delivers the same delicious tiny taco you can rely on for comfort. It might not be a fusion-filled, revolutionary experience, but it’s a lovely pit stop as you go about your day or night.
Charlie’s Tacos
A bright red beacon shines luminously at the corner of York and Eagle Rock Boulevard, beckoning you to park in front of the CVS and come closer to read their menu, as if you were in “Charlie and the Taco Factory.” Charlie’s Tacos, a staple of Highland Park, always brings to my mind one clear image — greasy meat. In the best way, Charlie’s offers up possibly the juiciest tacos on this list, at least based on what I order. I usually order the birria tacos, with onions and cilantro. Get ready for some grease running down your hands and your chin, but these tacos are worth every drop. Birria is a popular meat served at Charlie’s, and it doesn’t stop at tacos. Birria ramen, birria rolls, a birria plate, birria mulitas, birria in a taco dorado (hard shell). If you’re looking for birria, look no further. In truth, I haven’t tried the other meat options, so if you do, please let me know which direction I should expand my order choice. With these tacos, either you eat right there on the street, or you take your container back to campus, where a roll of paper towels may do you some good.
Angel’s Tijuana Tacos
A gift from high above, Angel’s Tacos is, admittedly, my favorite option on this list. From walking up on the sidewalk to get in line to running back for extra napkins as you finish up eating, the whole shebang is slow enough to make a fun memory, but fast enough to get you out of there in time to run back to campus and finish your paper. In front of the small Target on Eagle Rock Boulevard, Angel’s makes you grapple with standing at your car and munching on your meal in the Target parking lot, or rushing back to Oxy to eat while the food is still hot. Angel’s has multiple pop-ups in Southern California, and I’m grateful they placed one of their locations so close to my current home base. With Angel’s, you get to watch everything being made in front of you, bringing you closer to the actual process of making a taco. Personally, I choose to get the queso tacos every time; they melt the cheese into the tortilla, creating a new layer and texture beyond a traditional taco. After that, I request the al pastor meat so I can watch the cooks shave off the pork from the trompo, adding pineapple as well. My mouth salivates as I watch them add three different kinds of salsas, and I go get my little bag of limes and radishes ready to add on top. There are many more options than tacos on the menu: a vampiro, a mulita, a burrito or a quesadilla could easily step in and fulfill your Angel’s craving. But the queso taco — it’s interesting enough to give your taste buds things to mull over and light enough to leave you full but still capable of walking back to campus. Angel’s is the place I take someone who is visiting me at college, and the place I return to time and time again when I know I need something special to make me feel better about the pile of homework waiting for me and the deadlines I’m rushing to meet. With two queso tacos, a horchata and a boatload of napkins, I feel ready to enter the world again.
Villa’s Tacos #1
You know ‘em and love ’em. Starting out as a roadside stand, Villa’s Tacos now has three locations: two in Highland Park and one in Grand Central Market. While the newest venture, Villa’s #3, is definitely worth taking a deep dive into (they sell fish tacos), there’s nothing like the first brick-and-mortar storefront. Villa’s #1, with its Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, mastered the blue corn tortilla, by far the most impressive component of their taco. There’s often a lengthy line to order, but Villa’s is worth the wait as you glance at the faces of the excited soon-to-be devoted customers around you. You can get a sampler trio if you’re a first timer, or pick out a few favorites if you’re a veteran. My personal go-to is the frijoles con nopal taco (beans and cactus). These tacos are stacked with toppings, like the house-pickled onions, and jam-packed with flavor — prepare for a departure from your preconceived expectations of what a taco tastes like. I also highly recommend grabbing yourself an agua fresca from Villa’s. They have a rotating selection, but if they’re offering cucumber, snatch it!
Delia’s
Oh, sweet Delia’s. More of a traditional Mexican restaurant, I’d say Delia’s is an honorable mention for this crawl — a morning-after addition on the corner of Avenue 45 and York Boulevard. With their lovely outdoor patio, Delia’s is the best spot to actually stay and eat in. However, tacos aren’t necessarily what they’re known for. I typically opt for a larger plate, with enchiladas or chilaquiles, but this past week I went back and dutifully ordered a few tacos. Their salsa had a subtle kick and I enjoyed the asada, but I did find myself yearning for one of their breakfast burritos. In that vein, don’t skip out on the freshly made orange juice! Delia’s is cash only, so make sure to come prepared. I recommend these tacos if you’re looking for a slower, more relaxed dining experience, or if the other people you’re eating with are looking to order a heartier meal.
Now, I cannot claim to be a taco expert. There are (literally) thousands of tacos left for me to try in LA. But what I am able to discern is when a taco stands out from the crowd, when it connects with its customer and when it’s worth returning to. Real tacos aren’t just a fast food staple to be thrown around in conversations in competition with McDonald’s or even Taco Bell. They carry the traditions from the regions they were perfected in, and they create community between you, the person you ordered from and the people standing around you on the street making the same “mmm” noises you are as you all chow down. Going to get tacos with your friends is a chance for you to have an intentional culinary moment in which you can share your differing opinions and admire the rich flavors, without having to break the bank. If you’re going to be an honorary Angeleno during your time at Occidental, I’d encourage you to think of consuming tacos as an opportunity to connect with the city, with your own tastes and with each other. I hope you enjoy these spots as much as I do — even if you can barely walk after trying them all in one night.
Contact Ava LaLonde at lalonde@oxy.edu
