There’s a new Tijuana-style taco stand called Tacos 1986 on Highland/Lexington, in the parking lot of the bakery Confectionary Co-op, kitty-corner to Salt’s Cure. Looked super promising, so I decided to try them - a trompo with a great mound of adobada, asada on the smokey grill, and tortillas freshly made.
They have a pretty big team (I counted 8?), all super friendly, and their menu is streamlined, so they pump out orders quickly. Options - tacos $3, quesadillas (w/ corn tortillas) $4, mulitas $4.75, and vampiros $5. Meats - carne asada, adobada, chicken, and mushrooms.
The adobada was my favorite thing there, and they throw in crispy, charred pieces in every taco to balance the texture with the mostly tender, juicy meat. The carne asada was really good too, juicy, smokey, and beefy, but it was a bit salty. (I’m sensitive to salt, so that may not be an issue for some folks.) The chicken was not as flavorful as the asada or adobada, but it was juicy and had some smokiness, so at least it’s not the dry afterthought that it is at a lot of trucks/stands. Didn’t try the mushroom.
Adobada quesadilla:
Adobada taco:
Asada tacos:
I also love that they grill green onions that you can grab on the side! So sweet and tender. Their salsas are nice although none of them is that hot. Most interesting to me was their take on salsa de aceite - I haven’t tried a lot of versions of it, but it seemed quite thick. It was tasty, a strong oomph of soy flavor. Sorry I didn’t get a picture!
It’s such a surprise to have a stand like this in Hollywood, and I’d say it’s on par w/ Tire Shop and the adobada is even on par with the pastor at Tacos Los Poblanos. The asada doesn’t quite hit the heights of Los Poblanos, though - Los Poblanos’ was a little juicier and had more crispy edges to provide that great textural contrast.
1200 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
- open Tues-Sun, closed Monday
Just saw that Bill Esparza covered this place on Eater, too. Better pics there.
