A Taco Journey: Carne Asada, Al Pastor, Pacific Spiny Lobster, and more - Leo's Tacos #2, Tire Shop Tacos, Revolutionario, Ricky's Fish Tacos, Guerrilla, BS Taqueria and more!

Crushed 5 asada tacos at tire shop last night… first time there insanely good, definitely In top 3 tacos for LA imo.

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Love Tire Shop Taqueria! Glad you liked it. :slight_smile:

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Just hit ricky’s for the first time, was driving by and saw the truck… had to try it.

I know some recent reports were trashing ricky’s but i loved it. I ordered one and had to get a second after… one of the best fish tacos ive ever had. Maybe some of the recent reports got them on a bad day but very delicious today wit the tastiest batter.

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Always been my favorite but it has been a while

Update 15:

After the Pizza Journey we just had, we were ready for a full year of Salads! :sweat_smile: But some of our friends insisted we grab some Fish Tacos, and wanting to give one of our old favorites another chance, we relented.

Ricky’s Fish Tacos (Revisit)


We hadn’t been back to Ricky’s ever since the horrendous experience we had with the fake Lobster Taco and pretty sub-par Fish Tacos as well. Owner Ricky Pina was not present today, having 2 assistants helping out and they seemed to be rather overwhelmed (really slow processing orders).

They didn’t have their “Lobster” Tacos today, but I don’t know if we could stomach the risk of getting ripped off again.

Fish Taco:

Update, Ricky’s has now changed to using Catfish in their Fish Tacos. :frowning: It’s a step up from Swai, and Tilapia that used to use, but I could definitely taste the trademark muddiness in my Fish Taco (as did one of my best friends). The other 2 Fish Tacos in our group wasn’t noticeable.

This Fish Taco is definitely smaller than it used to be (same as last visit): If you take away the gigantic mound of Cabbage and Pico de Gallo and look at the size of the Catfish sliver, it’s very clear how much smaller it is compared to Ricky’s glory days. It’s smaller than Holbox and Guerrilla Tacos, and the bigger slap in the face is that Holbox uses a Wild Caught Rock Fish (we’ve also had variations with other Wild Caught Fish before), and Guerrilla uses Wild Cod Fish.

The actual batter is still crunchy, but saltier and just not as delightful as it used to be. There’s very little here for $3.50 (+tax & tip).

Shrimp Taco:

Their Shrimp Taco feels a bit underhanded: Removing the gigantic mound of Cabbage and Pico de Gallo reveals only 2 Smashed Small-Medium Shrimp, and they are smashed length-wise, to conveniently reach both ends of the Tortilla. :expressionless: So it’s made to look like there’s Shrimp “all the way through the Taco” (and there is), but it’s 2 flattened Small-Medium Shrimp. Our friends who love Ricky’s Shrimp Taco more than we do (and order them more often) remembers that it used to be at least 3 Shrimp back in the day. :frowning:

The Fried Shrimp, in the same batter as the Fish, tastes better, but the portion after you remove the mound of Cabbage that’s hiding the actual protein is very precious. For $3.75 (+tax & tip) it’s also poor QPR.

It feels very much like Ricky’s is resting on his laurels from years earlier, delivering worse product, smaller portions and the quality degradation, sub-par ingredients make Ricky’s Fish Tacos one of the biggest and most tragic downhill alerts in years.

Ricky’s Fish Tacos
3061 Riverside Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

https://twitter.com/rickysfishtacos?lang=en

Tacos 1986 (New Storefront)

Originally opened up as a street stand and forced to move multiple times, Tacos 1986 finally found a permanent brick-and-mortar location in Downtown L.A. We were hoping that Owner Victor Delgado with his partner on the trompo, slicing and dicing, “El Joy”, would be able to find their footing.

Our previous 3 visits to their various locations yielded mediocre / mixed results. This new storefront has the same menu as their stand:

A nice selection of Housemade Salsas:

But when we walked in, neither El Joy, nor Delgado were in. We were worried, but held out hope they taught their staff well.

Then we glanced at the Trompo, where they serve their Adobada Tacos from:

The fire was off. It wasn’t spinning, and it looked sullen and abandoned, with no real Taquero manning it (just 3 helpers shuffling around preparing various orders). :cry:

We ordered each of their Tacos, hoping that this would make up for the sub-par outing at Ricky’s.

Carne Asada Taco:

As I’m attempting to chew through tons of gristle and a complete Salt bomb, I found myself pondering why I got suckered into ordering Tacos 1986’s overhyped, terrible Carne Asada Tacos yet again? :sob: This would make @TheCookie and any Taco lover cry. Stringy, gristly, oversalted Carne Asada. Avoid. :frowning:

Adobada Taco:

One of the strengths of 1986 was their Adobada Taco, essentially a regional variation of Al Pastor Tacos. If you look closely at the picture (above), you can see how dried out, stringy, and lifeless it was (and it was lukewarm). :sob: They ruined their Adobada.

Mushroom Taco:

Their other highlight at the late night stand was their Hongos, or Mushroom Tacos. It may sound strange, but it was such a huge umami flavor bomb, so savory and crave-worthy that that was a true highlight for 1986. On this day?

Cold (seriously, they have a full, real commercial kitchen and they can’t keep the Mushrooms warm?!), chewy, slightly dried out, a shell of their former glory. :sob:

Chicken Taco:

Decent. Salty, but less salty than the Carne Asada, dry Chicken chunks… in a Taco. That’s pretty much what it tasted like.

We were so stunned by how bad this visit was to Tacos 1986, this felt like a huge bait-and-switch in the vein of so many famous Ramen restaurants that have plagued Southern California over the years (@PorkyBelly @Ns1 @Sgee @A5KOBE @beefnoguy and others).

But we decided to give them another shot:

2nd Visit (to the New Storefront):

Walking in, we noticed El Joy was manning the Trompo, but Owner Delgado wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Still half of the OG 1986 group was better than none. We held out hope.

Adobada Taco:

This time, with El Joy (real name Jorge Alvarez) manning the Trompo, the Adobada tasted much better! It was actually hot, the Pork tasted moist, and the flavor was mostly there. But it wasn’t as great as when they were up-and-coming at the street locations nor Smorgasburg early on. Still it was pretty tasty thankfully. :slight_smile:

Mushroom Taco:

The Mushroom Taco was better as well, but not as dramatically improved: You could see that with a full kitchen El Joy was only preparing the Adobada off of the Trompo, not cooking the Mushrooms or other options. But perhaps his presence alone was able to inspire the rest of his staff to work more diligently in preparing the food?

Tacos 1986’s new, permanent brick-and-mortar location has allowed the staff to set down roots, and work in a more stable environment. There’s actually covered (indoor) tables, a smoother operation for taking orders, but the actual product seems to have suffered with this expansion. Their Carne Asada Taco is still as oversalted and mediocre as before, the Chicken Taco is salty and forgettable.

Their Adobada Taco was downright awful during our 1st visit when Taquero El Joy wasn’t in the house, dry, cold and terrible. But our 2nd visit when he was present made for a much better Adobada. But it wasn’t as good as their preparations at their OG stand and Smorgasburg. Their Hongos / Mushroom Tacos suffered the same fate of being cold, chewy, dried out during our 1st visit (when none of the management group was there), and OK, more flavorful and moist during our 2nd visit, but also not as great as before.

At this point, sort of like how FTC’ers in the know will keep on driving if you pass by Leo’s when the Trompo (Spit) isn’t out, if you stop by Tacos 1986 and don’t see Taquero El Joy, you might want to consider other options. And at $3.25 per Taco, while they are bigger than Leo’s Tacos (maybe twice the size), we’d rather eat the $1.25 Al Pastor Tacos at Leo’s instead, until they can increase their consistency at this new location.

Tacos 1986
609 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014

And at:
Smorgasburg (Every Sunday):
777 S. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Sonoratown (Revisit)

At this point, having 2 mediocre Taco experiences back-to-back, we tried to salvage the day, thinking about any decent Taco stand nearby. Sonoratown came to mind, so we decided to head over. As we walked up to Sonoratown, there was a massive line of people (maybe about 20+ people snaking out the door)(!). Confused - it had some business, but was never popular / busy like this - we thought maybe it was due to some tour bus or special event. We tried waiting in line for about 10 - 12 minutes but it never moved at all. So we left. :expressionless:

But this led us to research online a bit to see what might be going on - it turns out that Sonoratown was featured in a Netflix show, and the owners posted on IG, apologizing for the long wait times, apparently their business doubled because of it(!).

The following weekend, we returned:

This time, we showed up right before they opened, and there was already 20 people in line(!). The Netflix influence was real.

Aguas Frescas - Guava + Tamarindo:

Tropical, sweet, balanced by the inherent tang that Guava has. Wonderful. :slight_smile:

Sonoratown has always talked about its Handmade Flour Tortillas, made with special Flour imported in from Sonora, Mexico. We began with:

Tripa Taco (Crispy Intestine):

The Intestine is unfortunately on the chewy side. It’s also a bit too salty.

Costilla Taco (Grilled Steak):

And their claim-to-fame, the Steak Taco that Netflix’s show proclaimed as authentic and one of the best in L.A. Taking a bite…

There’s some char, a little bit of smokiness, but the Beef itself has no flavor. :frowning: The predominant taste you get is just a mouthful of well-done, slightly chewy, barely there char-smokiness, and mainly a one note saltiness.

The Handmade Flour Tortillas are also blistered and dryish, nowhere near as good as Loqui or Burritos La Palma. :frowning: (@JeetKuneBao avoid the hype and save your time and money.)

Chorizo Taco (Sonoran-Style Pork Sausage):

Their Chorizo is better, as they utilize Pork Sausage from local artisan maker Chori-Man. It’s flavorful, lightly spicy and zesty.

Shredded Chicken Chivichanga (Small Burrito, Flour Tortilla, Guisado of Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Blistered Tomato, Smoky Anaheim Chile):

A specialty of Sonora according to the server, these are like Small Burritos, and as with our previous visits, their Shredded Chicken Chivichanga is a standout: Flavorful, stew-like concoction of Shredded Chicken, Melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar, with Tomatoes and Chilies. It’s tasty.

Sonoratown is another of the recent wave of heavily hyped places, selling Sonora-style Tacos and other variations from the state. The staff are friendly, they seem earnest, and it’s great that they import in their flour from Sonora, or they claim they get a special cut of Beef for their Steak Tacos (a cut that’s not normally available in the U.S., but the way it’s cut in Sonora), but all of that doesn’t matter if they’re chopping up their “special Steak cut” into tiny bits and cooking them to beyond well-done. The taste is of pretty average tasting Steak Tacos, supplemented by Handmade Flour Tortillas that are on the dry side. There are multiple places executing much better Carne Asada / Steak Tacos, and places with better Flour Tortillas, but we wanted to try them again to verify, so off we went…

Sonoratown
208 E. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel: (213) 628-3710

Angel’s Tijuana Tacos


A newer Taco spot that has started getting some mention and hype, it seems this is one of those Taco street stands that @Ns1 mentioned about, seemingly popping up overnight with multiple locations around the Valley. Angel’s looks the part, with multiple tents, huge plumes of charcoal smoke pouring out and massive lines.

They use Instagram and seem to push themselves smartly to generate crowds and attention. It was pretty crazy, on a Friday early evening there were 40+ people in line(!).

Carne Asada Taco:

This was so disappointing because it looked the part: Charcoal open grill, plumes of smoke. But it was chewy, full of gristle, salty, awful! :sob: This wasn’t as bad as Tacos 1986, but it was right up there. Avoid.

Pollo Taco (Chicken):

The Chicken had some mesquite charcoal flavor, but was dryish. It was passable, but nothing worth going out of your way for.

Cabeza Taco (Beef Head):

The Cabeza Taco was a stunner: Moist, juicy, ultra tender, there was a real bovine funk (in a good way). This was a noteworthy Cabeza Taco! :blush:

Al Pastor Taco:

Angel’s Tijuana Tacos had a huge Trompo (Spit) set out, there was a Pina (Pineapple) on top, it looked great…

Sadly this Al Pastor Taco was semi tough, dryish Pork. It was slightly chewy and a chore to eat. :frowning: The flavor was decent, but lacked the boldness and brightness of Leo’s Tacos.

Angel’s Tijuana Tacos is a brilliant marketing strategy by someone with business savvy: They sprung up quickly, have multiple locations across the Valley, run an Instagram account, and seemingly check off all of the “boxes” for selling “authentic street tacos” that would capture the imagination of those that seem more interested in tagging a place that they’ve been to, rather than actually seeing if the food is actually good. They have Handmade Tortillas, with a couple of workers furiously pressing them out at the front of the stand for all to see (check); mesquite charcoal grill with plumes of smoke visible from both sides of the street (check); a Trompo with a huge orange-hued block of Al Pastor and a Pina on top (check).

But unfortunately they have great marketing, but no soul. The Carne Asada is poorly cooked, and full of gristle, and a salt bomb. The Chicken is overcooked and dry. The Al Pastor is all visual with no real depth, chewy and mediocre in taste; a shell of what makes Leo’s Tacos and other standouts in the city so great. But their Cabeza Taco is a surprise, and something we wouldn’t mind eating again if we were in the area.

(Cash Only)

Angel’s Tijuana Tacos
4211 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90065

El Ruso


Eater LA had mentioned this place as a stop for Handmade Flour Tortillas, so we decided to stop by to see how it compared.

Birria de Res (Beef Birria) Taco + Consome:

The Beef Birria Taco is fine. We’re more Birria de Chivo (Goat Birria) fans, but at least this was better than the overhype machine of Teddy’s Red Tacos. Still this wasn’t anything worth driving out for, a bit chewy, light spiced flavors, slightly too salty Consome.

Carne Asada Taco:

El Ruso’s Carne Asada was mesquite grilled Steak, lightly smoky (barely), a bit tough, and the Flour Tortillas while pliable and better than Sonoratown’s, were still pretty underwhelming compared to Loqui and Burritos La Palma.

Chorizo Taco:

Their Chorizo tasted like a store bought Chorizo blend. Mildly spicy, salty, one-note. The Frijoles were toothsome at least.

Tacos El Ruso is a nice idea - we can always use more places that do Handmade Flour Tortillas - but the execution and flavors are passable at best.

(Cash Only)

El Ruso
3631 Union Pacific Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90023

Loqui (Revisit)


Despite being close by, we haven’t been back to Loqui since the early days, as it’s unfortunately embedded in the hamster enclave known as Platform in Culver City. But we wanted to see how their Handmade Flour Tortillas held up in comparison to the more recent places being talked about.

To cater to the local clientele, Loqui has changed up their menu since the early days, with “Plates” being offered (and being by far the most popular items on the menu from what we saw), which essentially were like “bowls” of Protein, Rice, Beans, Guac, Cheese, Onions & Cilantro (and seemingly everyone eschewing the Handmade Tortillas to go Low Carb).

Mushroom Taco:

You can tell how impressive a Tortilla might be when the first thing you notice about a Taco is its Tortilla. Loqui’s Handmade Flour Tortilla has a softness to it, but it’s not just a one dimensional thing, there’s some heft, some toasty qualities, yet it’s still easily pliable and imparts a pleasing mouthfeel with each bite. :heart:

The Mushroom filling is delicious! Flavorful, more balanced, less punchy than Tacos 1986, and certainly better than the current brick-and-mortar disappointment, the nicely textured Frijoles (Beans), melty Cheese, beautiful umami flavored Mushrooms along with the incredible Flour Tortillas really make this the standout Taco to get at Loqui. :heart:

Perhaps the biggest tragedy to befall Loqui (and a big reason we stopped going), was their abandonment of their original Carne Asada (Steak) Tacos. They were replaced by:

Beef Tacos:

Which is a stewed, Shredded Beef concoction, not grilled, and the result is… underwhelming. :frowning: It’s a bit stringy, underseasoned, and the beautiful Flour Tortillas and their great Beans can’t save this Taco from mediocrity.

Loqui at this point is worth a stop to experience great Handmade Flour Tortillas with their one standout: Mushroom Tacos. Maybe they’ll open a new spot that allows them to grill Carne Asada Steak again, and at that point they’d rise back up to be a standout place for both Carne Asada and Mushrooms.

Loqui
8830 Washington Blvd #104
Culver City, CA 90232
Tel: (310) 220-7260

(NOTE: Sorry, I hit the Max Character Count. To be continued in next post…)

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(Note: Continuation of Post Above - Sorry I hit the Max Character Count.)

Chichen Itza Restaurant


One of the early standouts for Yucatecan cuisine in L.A., Chichen Itza has been around for over 18 years, even expanding to a wonderful standalone restaurant with expanded menu, which sadly closed down. But their OG location in Mercado La Paloma is still open, helmed by Chef-Owner Gilberto Cetina and his son Gilberto, Jr.

Agua de Chaya:

This was a more uncommon Agua Fresca, made of Chaya (or Tree Spinach) leaves mixed with some Tamarindo. It’s lightly grassy, vegetal, but with enough sweetness to balance it out. It was refreshing and perfect on this hot Summer day! :slight_smile:

Tacos de Pescado (Breaded and Fried Fish, Tartar Sauce, Cabbage & Pico de Gallo):

We were thinking with their new endeavor, the Seafood-centric Holbox (right across from them), that their Seafood selections at Chichen Itza might be elevated. It turns out Chichen Itza uses Basa Fish for their Fish Tacos. :frowning: There’s a crunchy batter, but a touch too salty. The Fish Tacos at their sister restaurant Holbox are much better.

Tacos de Cochinita Pibil (Achiote-Marinated Pork Shredded and Topped with Red Pickled Onions Served on Tortilla):

One of the most famous Yucatecan dishes at Chichen Itza (you can order it by the full plate), the Cochinita Pibil is a traditional dish that Chef Gilberto marinates with Achiote, Orange Juice and Spices and slowly cooks it in Banana Leaf. The Pork is shredded, tender, but surprisingly it’s not as bold as the last time we had it (in full plate form). It was still tasty, and thankfully not overly salty like too many Tacos we’ve had so far.

Chichen Itza Restaurant
(inside Mercado La Paloma)
3655 S. Grand Ave., #C6
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Tel: (213) 741-1075

https://chichenitzarestaurant.com/

Tacos Los Poblanos


tacos7_168

The Tijuana-style Carne Asada Taco Specialist, Tacos Los Poblanos has been one of the standouts for Carne Asada for a while now. As we arrived there were about 20 people in line, mainly families, and locals, all happily waiting in line for some of their Mesquite Grilled Carne Asada Tacos.

The Handmade Tortillas toasting up, and Carne Asada Steaks grilling in full view next to the line just increases your appetite. :wink:

Carne Asada Tacos:

The first bite: Intense smokiness, some charred bits with tender, meaty Carne Asada (Steak) on a thin-medium thick Handmade Corn Tortilla. Delicious! :blush:

This is so far superior to Sonoratown (yes, they serve it on Flour Tortillas… that are dryish and not that good), so much more flavor, there’s no comparison.

Complimentary Frijoles (Beans) (and Roasted Chilies):

Next to the cash register be sure to partake of the Free Stewed Pinto Beans (delicious!) and Roasted Chili Peppers, along with additional condiments & Salsa if you want. :slight_smile:

Tacos Los Poblanos Estilo Tijuana is one of the OG spots for grabbing a delicious, smoky, Carne Asada Taco. At $2 per Taco (including tax already), and open until Midnight, Wednesday through Sunday, it’s one of the legit spots for trying Carne Asada Tacos if you’re in the area.

(Cash Only)

Tacos Los Poblanos Estilo Tijuana
5821 S. Avalon Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90011

Tire Shop Taqueria


And just a few minutes away, is the OG Tire Shop Taqueria. As we arrive, there are 3 large families with children playing around already in line, maybe about 25 people or so, but thankfully the line moved fairly quickly.

@JeetKuneBao @Ns1 @PorkyBelly @J_L and others, you’ll be happy to note Tire Shop Taqueria lowered their price for Tacos from $2.25 back down to $2, which is the same as Tacos Los Poblanos now. :slight_smile:

Love their Handmade Corn Tortillas:

Their Taquero is a sight to behold, slinging Tacos at lightning speed, chopping up fresh-grilled Carne Asada Steaks, quickly throwing in a dash of Guacamole, Salsa, Onions & Cilantro in what seems like a split second and off to another Taco.

As we were waiting in line, we overheard some people ahead of us: “Oh did you hear? Netflix said that some place called Sonoratown makes the best Carne Asada Tacos around!” :expressionless:

It certainly shows the power of Netflix, when they’re infiltrating the minds of people all around L.A., and somehow “Netflix” has become the arbiter of what makes a “great Carne Asada Taco”. :roll_eyes:

It’s just so ironic that those people had no idea that the line they were standing in - Tire Shop Taqueria - makes a Carne Asada Taco that is so far superior to Sonoratown that it is laughable, and instead they are pining away to go to Sonoratown.

Carne Asada Tacos:

Taking a bite…

There’s a good smokiness, nice char from the grilling, tender, but perfectly meaty chunks of Carne Asada Steak that hits your palate. The Guacamole, Onions & Cilantro just complements the Carne Asada perfectly, and their Handmade Corn Tortillas are nice and toasty. :heart:

So Good! :blush: :heart:

And surprise: It’s not a Salt Bomb and still has great flavor! :slight_smile: (@TheCookie @attran99)

Chorizo Taco:

The sleeper hit at Tire Shop Taqueria is probably their Chorizo (Pork Sausage) Tacos, as their Chorizo blend is lightly spicy, not salty, and has a nice porcine flavor coming through. :slight_smile:

Tire Shop Taqueria continues to be the standard bearer for legit, humble, simple Tijuana-style Carne Asada Street Tacos. We enjoy Tacos Los Poblanos as well, but in trying them back-to-back (yet again), all of our friends and us felt that Tire Shop Taqueria’s smokiness was present, but not as potent as Tacos Los Poblanos, the Steak was just a touch more flavorful, and Tire Shop’s Chorizo Tacos were definitely better than Los Poblanos, giving it 2 types of Tacos to enjoy, and now back to the same price ($2 per Taco (including Tax already)). Still, you can’t go wrong going to either one, and they are both easily superior to the hype machine that is Sonoratown.

(Cash Only)

Tire Shop Taqueria
4077 S. Avalon Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90011

The Chori-Man


Opened by a 4th generation Artisan Chorizo Maker, Humberto Raygoza, The Chori-Man was originally at various farmers markets before finally opening up a permanent brick-and-mortar shop. We couldn’t wait.

Zacatecano Red Chorizo (Chicken) (Traditional Style Sausage with Guajillo Chile and Paprika Blend from the Raygoza Family Recipe in Zacatecas, Mexico):

Taking a bite… Forget what you know about “Chorizo Tacos,” as Humberto Raygoza’s Zacatecano Red Chicken Chorizo is a paradigm shift:

It’s not a Salt bomb like way too many Chorizo Sausages are, there’s a gorgeous aromatic flavor from the Guajillo Chilies, a gentle heat from the Paprika and additional enticing backnotes that bathe your palate as you bite into this Taco. The best Chorizo Taco I’ve ever had! :heart: :heart: :heart:

The only weak link is their Tortillas (not Handmade), and they fall apart really easily.

Tolucan Green Chorizo (Pork) (Southern Mexican Style Green Chorizo with Poblano Chile and a Proprietary Blend of Herbs and Spices):

This is the most visually arresting Taco we’ve had on this journey: A shocking green(!), but there’s a beautiful porky funk, a mouth-watering savoriiness, it’s lightly herbal even, but not very spicy at all (in a good way), more delicate than the Red. This was delicious! :heart:

Argentinian Chorizo (Pork) (A White Chorizo with Garlic, Fennel and a Hint of Wine):

This was really interesting, much lighter and more delicate than the previous Chorizo, also not a Salt bomb, with notes of Fennel and a kiss of Garlic in each bite. Also quite tasty! :blush:

The Chori-Man is an eye-opener to what great Chorizo Tacos could taste like! You can taste the care and devotion that Owner Humberto Raygoza has been putting in to further his family’s recipes. For those that care, Chori-Man Chorizo uses No Sodium Nitrate, No Filler. I can’t wait to return to try their Zacatecano Red Chorizo (also available in a Vegan variety), Tolucan Green Chorizo and Argentinian White Chorizo again. I just wish it were a bit closer.

The Chori-Man
2309 S. Alma St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
Tel: (424) 287-2414

https://www.thechoriman.com/

Carnitas El Momo


Like Sonoratown, another place that we haven’t returned to in a while was Carnitas El Momo. After our initial 3 visits, none of our friends wanted to return (nor did we). But we wanted to see if things improved or not.

Unlike most of the top Carnitas specialists, El Momo only offers a limited 3 types of Carnitas (Maciza, Buche, Cuero (or a mix)).

Buche + Cuerito (Slow Cooked Pork Stomach & Pork Skin) Carnitas Taco:

The Buche is chewy, and the Cuerito (Skin) is also a bit firmer and chewier than we’d like (like eating hard-firm chunks of Pork Fat). :frowning: Flavor-wise, it’s predominantly just salty, a bit too one note for our tastes.

(Note they have extremely limited hours and limited quantity. Check their IG for updates.)

(Cash Only)

Carnitas El Momo
2411 Fairmount St.
Los Angeles, CA 90033

Zamora Brothers (Pico)


There were some strong recommendations for Zamora Brothers for a crispy-style of Carnitas, so we were excited and hopeful to find another great Carnitas specialist. :slight_smile: Walking in, Zamora Brothers is a Market with a quick order counter for food as well.

You could see multiple cuts of Carnitas ready for order by the pound, or you could choose pieces to make into a Taco.

Agua Fresca - Chia Seeds, Limon, Pina:

Their Agua Fresca on this visit was a Lime, Pineapple with Chia Seeds concoction. Not too sweet, cool and refreshing. :slight_smile:

Maciza Carnitas (Stewed Lean Pork) Taco:

Their Maciza Carnitas wasn’t “crispy” first of all, and tasted really dried out. :cry:

Oreja Carnitas (Stewed Pork Ear) Taco:

Their Oreja Carnitas Taco was much better. Naturally fattier, with Pork Cartilage as well, it was thankfully moist, lightly crunchy from the Cartilage and tasty. :slight_smile:

Grasita Chicharron (Fried Pork Belly / Skin) Taco:

I’ll defer to our Spanish experts here, but our server mentioned that the Fried section of the cooked meat cases had a specialty of theirs known as “Grasita Chicharron”, which she said was the top of the Pork Belly fried up. She said that was the only Carnitas that they served “crispy” here (@A5KOBE).

Unfortunately, it tasted like old, old Oil! :sob: There was a good crispiness but the really old, bad Oil aftertaste ruined it. :frowning: If they used fresh Oil for frying I’d imagine this would taste pretty amazing.

Costilla Carnitas (Stewed Pork Rib) Taco:

I was most excited for Costilla (Pork Rib) Tacos, since it’s my favorite cut for Carnitas. They served it on the bone, which was interesting, so you get 1 full Pork Rib in that Taco w/ the Bone. Taking a bite: Dried out, slightly chewy, terrible!

How in the world do you screw up Costilla?! :sob: (Which normally has nice fatty bits and also Pork Cartilage for some nice crunchiness with moistness.) Somehow they did.

We were so stunned by how bad Zamora Brothers was, we were thinking it must’ve been an off day (of note, we arrived at 1:00 p.m. or so, so it was right around Lunch Hour, not like it was late afternoon (with potential for the Carnitas to be sitting around for hours)). We wanted to give them another chance…

2nd Visit:

Agua Fresca - Melon:

Their Melon Agua Fresca was also not overly sweet (joy), and refreshing.

Buche Carnitas (Stewed Pork Stomach) Taco:

Fresh-tasting, meaty with a light chew, these tasted like they were made fresh that day, as opposed to what we had on the first visit. It was also better than the Buche we had at Carnitas El Momo.

Grasitas Chicharron (Fried Pork Belly / Skin) Taco:

The same as before: Old tasting Oil ruined the dish. :cry: We’ve had freshly fried Chicharron (in fresh Oil) off of a few street stands around L.A. and they were so far ahead of what Zamora Bros. was delivering with this mess. :frowning: I realize it adds to the cost of the business and food, but if they replaced their frying oil more often this would be much better. Avoid.

Maciza Carnitas (Stewed Lean Pork) Taco:

Fresh-tasting, more moist than the desiccant from our 1st visit, tender, this was what we were expecting from Zamora Brothers. The flavors were also savory without being just a one note offering like some other Carnitas places around town. Tasty! :slight_smile:

Trompa Y Oreja Carnitas (Stewed Pork Snout & Stewed Pork Ear) Taco:

Fatty, lightly crunchy from the Cartiliage, lush, delicious! :blush:

This was a big turnaround from the disastrous 1st visit, so we had to stop by again to see if their consistency was better…

3rd Visit:

Agua Fresca - Sandia (Watermelon):

Their Aguas Frescas are definitely consistently refreshing, not overly sweet.

Trompa Y Maciza (Stewed Pork Snout & Lean Pork) Taco:

Zamora Brothers allows mixing of 2 types of Carnitas for an additional $0.50 so we wanted to try some combinations: The fattiness from the Trompa (Snout) and lean, tender meatiness from the Maciza made this an enjoyable combination. And it wasn’t dried out like the 1st visit either. :slight_smile:

Tripas Y Oreja Carnitas (Stewed Pork Intestines & Ears) Taco:

The Tripas Carnitas had some chew, a little funk, but also matched well with the crunchiness from the Oreja (Pork Ears).

Costilla Carnitas (Stewed Pork Rib) Taco:

Unfortunately their Costilla (Pork Rib) Carnitas were still dryish, but not as dried out as before. :frowning: It tasted fresh, but somehow all of the moisture was sucked out of the Ribs.

Grasitas Chicharron (Fried Pork Belly / Skin) Taco:

The 3rd time trying this same Taco, same result: Ruined by old, dirty-tasting Oil. :sob: @A5KOBE avoid at all costs.

Moyejas (Stewed Pork Sweetbread) Taco:

A real rarity, Zamora Brothers are one of the few places we’ve run into that sells Moyejas Carnitas (Stewed Pork Sweetbread) Tacos! :open_mouth: This was impressive: A bit crisped up on the outside, but yielding to this fatty, creamy center. A little bit gamy but also savory. Delicious! :blush:

Zamora Brothers is a Carniceria and Market, that also happens to be specializing in Carnitas sold via a quick-order counter within. The fact that they offer many types of Carnitas is encouraging, but a question remains about their consistency. Our 1st visit (during prime lunch hour, but on a weekday) resulted in some of the worst Carnitas we’ve had in years. The 2nd and 3rd visits were like a totally different kitchen was making them (both of these visits were on the weekend during prime lunch hour).

If Zamora Brothers (Pico) is more like our 2nd and 3rd visits, then we’ll be glad to return and get some combinations of their Maciza Y Oreja Carnitas (Stewed Lean Pork with Pork Ears) Tacos, and their Moyejas Carnitas (Stewed Pork Sweetbread) Tacos are another rare standout. Avoid their Fried / “Crispy” Pork section (Chicharron / Grasitas, etc.), unless you like old oil.

Zamora Brothers (Pico)
1559 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tel: (213) 385-5553

Villa Moreliana (Revisit)


And we had to go back to our current favorite Carnitas specialist to compare and see how it stacked up: Villa Moreliana is located inside Grand Central Market in Downtown L.A. As they proudly state on their sign, “Carnitas Estilo Michoacan”, they prepare their Carnitas in a Michoacan style.

Villa Moreliana specializes in 12 types of Carnitas(!) (two of them off-menu), and as we were waiting in line, we noticed a couple ahead of us asking the Taquero for a few different cuts in Spanish, and then we noticed he grabbed the various cuts and then a piece of Chicharron (Fried Pork Skin), and proceeded to cleaver chop the whole combination together and put it into a Taco(!). :open_mouth:

So we asked him if we could also have the same preparation. :wink:

Chicharron Y Maciza Carnitas (Fried Pork Belly & Stewed Pork Shoulder) Taco:

Adding some Onions, Cilantro and a dash of their Housemade Green Chile Salsa…

Game changer! Villa Moreliana’s Maciza Carnitas is already tender, beautifully seasoned, savory, and then you get little crunchy bits from their Chicharron (Fried Pork Belly) - that tastes fresh, not old - and you have this incredible textural contrast that is magic! :heart:

Chamorro Y Orejas Carnitas (Stewed Pork Picnic & Pork Ears) Taco:

With the ability to choose 2 different types of Carnitas per Taco (and you definitely should mix and match), the leanest type of Carnitas at Moreliana, Chamorro, when mixed with Orejas (Stewed Pork Ears) transforms this into this fantastic blend of lean and just enough fattiness, and some textural contrast with the Cartilage to make this a standout as well. Outstanding! :heart:

Another (12th+?) Visit:

Chicharron, Buche Y Tripas Carnitas (Fried Pork Belly, Stewed Pork Stomach & Pork Intestines) Taco:

Just as with all of their cuts, Villa Moreliana’s Buche and Tripas Carnitas are slowly cooked in Lard in giant cooking vessels at the center of the open kitchen. It is fascinating to see them slowly stir and cook the different cuts of Pork and then gently ladle them out when ready. :slight_smile:

The slowly stewed Pork Stomach has a gentle, slight tug when you bite into them, and the Pork Intestines are moist and tender, with a some elasticity in the bite. Flavor-wise, they are savory and nuanced, and the addition of the Chicharron for crunchy texture makes this great combination Taco! :blush:

Trompa Y Pierna Carnitas (Stewed Pork Snout & Pork Leg) Taco:

Another winner: Nice, lean and tender meatiness from the Pork Leg Carnitas is embraced in luscious chunks of Stewed Pork Snout, with bits of ultra soft Pork Fat, tender Pork Skin. SO GOOD! :heart:

Maciza Y Oreja Carnitas (Stewed Pork Shoulder & Pork Ears) Taco:

They were sold out of my favorite cut - Costilla Carnitas - so we opted for the next best thing, a combination of their savory, moist, mainly lean Stewed Pork Shoulder mixed with their Stewed Pork Ears. As consistently awesome as before! :heart:

Another Visit:

We made sure to show up early to secure a taste of 2 of the fastest selling Carnitas cuts.

(Off-Menu) Costillas Carnitas (Stewed Pork Ribs) Tacos:

The Costilla Carnitas (Stewed Pork Ribs) are so popular and sell out the fastest that Villa Moreliana doesn’t even list it on the menu any more (because those in the know will order it early and it’ll be gone before most of the day has even started).

Perfectly cooked, truly moist, flavorful, with awesome bits of Pork Cartilage with a crunch that will make all you Nankotsu (Chicken Cartilage) Yakitori fans stand up and applaud. :smile:

Outstanding and easily our favorite Carnitas in the city! :heart: :heart: :heart:

We were greedy and ordered it as pure Costilla (which was amazing), but after having tried so many combinations of mix & match Carnitas these days, we’ll have to defer to @Porthos @A5KOBE’s pro move of having Cueritos Carnitas (Stewed Pork Skin) with the Costilla! :blush:

Patitas Carnitas (Stewed Pork Foot) Taco:

The other cut of Carnitas that sells out quickly (because there are only 4 per whole pig) are the Patitas (Stewed Pork Foot). Villa Moreliana sells you one whole Patita per Taco order! :open_mouth: There’s certainly a lot of bones, but those that love Phoenix Claws (Stewed Chicken Feet) at Dim Sum restaurants are used to this, eating away at the Stewed Pork Skin and gelatinous bits and Cartilage, Tendon, etc. Delicious! :blush:

Villa Moreliana remains our favorite Carnitas Specialist in L.A., serving up 12 different types of Carnitas, an offering of moist, flavorful, delicious slowly-cooked Pork that isn’t overly salty, nor just one note. While their Taco price ($3.50) seems pricey, it is easily about 400% - 500% the size of a Leo’s Al Pastor Taco. Be sure to mix-and-match and choose 2 different types of Carnitas in each Taco for best enjoyment. :wink:

This latest Taco Journey has been a lot of fun and interesting. From rediscovering how great the Handmade Flour Tortillas are at Loqui (especially in their Mushroom Tacos), to enjoying more of the great Tijuana-style Carne Asada Tacos at Tire Shop Taqueria and Tacos Los Poblanos, to finding a new Carnitas Specialist (if they can remain consistent) in Zamora Bros., and a fantastic Artisan Chorizo Taco Specialist in The Chori-Man, to finishing up with the outstanding Carnitas at Villa Moreliana, OK, now it’s time for Salad through the rest of the year! :wink:

Villa Moreliana
(inside Grand Central Market)
317 S. Broadway St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tel: (213) 725-0848

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Dios mio

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Eh. I’m still gonna spend my money at Angels and Ricky’s. Certainly better than anything else in the local area.

I also believe I mentioned light pico/light cabbage last time too :wink:

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Hi @Ns1,

For sure. If Angel’s is the closest option for you, it’s definitely fine for the area. I’d say their Cabeza Tacos are amazing! (Loved those.) :slight_smile: And if there were no other Al Pastor options, it’d do fine given the affordable price as well.

Funny I actually really disliked their al pastor and enjoyed the asada. That might be saying more about the quality of Angel’s local competitors vs the quality of Angel’s though.

Will give the cabeza a shot time.

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Next time at Tire Shop ask if you can do a “mixto” of asada and chorizo. Or “carne asada con chorizo por favor, gracias hermano/primo”.

Los Poblanos and Tire Shop still the best damn tacos in LA!!! I stand by that statement and your revisits reconfirm it.

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Hi @Ns1,

Oh for sure Leo’s and a couple other Al Pastor stands in L.A. proper are vastly superior to Angel’s. It was just on our visit the Carne Asada had a lot of gristle, so between the two, we’d rather have the Al Pastor. :frowning: It might’ve just been unlucky / bad luck on our part. If we’re in the area again, I’ll try their Asada again (and sorry, we normally go to a new place at least 2 - 3 times, but we were so Taco’d out and none of friends felt like going with us by the end of this journey). :sweat_smile:

yeah but Leo’s has those shitty ass tortillas, and for .75 more Angels gives you 2-3x more meat and a handmade tortilla. damn tradeoffs!

I wish Leo’s had a $2 taco option.

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Taco alert. There’s a new taco stand that sets up shop on the corner of Hyperion and Rowena in Silver Lake. It’s a husband and wife operation with the husband doing all the cooking. The al pastor is now my favorite in the city with very generous portions of protein. The Carne asada is cooked in broth so no smoke flavor and is just passable, but the al pastor is really the standout.

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Looks like this one:

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Hi @JeetKuneBao,

Yes! Definitely agree. :slight_smile:

Thanks for the tip on the Mixto of Asada and Chorizo. That sounds wonderful! I’ll have to try that next time. :smile:

That’s the one!

Good lord @Chowseeker1999! What you go thru. I was so glad to read that your bumpy taco journey had a happy taco ending. You definitely deserve good tacos! But I forbid you to ever go to Ricky’s Fish Tacos & Tacos 1986 again!

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Last time I was in town, I remember hitting up Loqui and had at least two mushroom tacos (glad to hear they still rock despite the hipster pricing), Leo’s, Guerilla’s outside Dinosaur coffee, a buche taco from Grand Central Market (to wash down eggslut) and almost made it to Ricky’s (missed out then but I guess no need to in the future).

So many great options to explore next time! Thanks for this update!

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Thanks @tailbacku! I’ll have to check it out next time we’re in the area. Looks promising. :slight_smile: Is there usually a long line? Or how’s the wait been like?