Avenue 26 Taco Stand Returns to Life Just Days After Giant Raid

Eager diners didn’t have to wait long to witness the return of the Avenue 26 taco stand. Just days after a late Thursday raid the stand was up and running once again in the area between Cypress Park and Lincoln Heights, though with an admittedly smaller footprint.

Eater stopped by the stand on Saturday night and confirmed that it was in fact running smoothly, though with far fewer customers than usual for a weekend. That’s because of the giant amount of media attention surrounding the stand’s removal from the street just days before, meaning most folks either assumed Avenue 26 was still off the streets, or figured they’d give a day or two before venturing back.

Workers at Avenue 26 confirmed that the Thursday night city raid did indeed end with the full confiscation of their equipment — no small feat given how big the stand had become. Not to be deterred, ownership pooled its money to purchase new salsa stations, spinning trompo for the al pastor, and flat-top griddle overnight in order to return to the neighborhood and continue slinging tacos. They plan to stick around despite the threat of a return from the health department, too. Thankfully, in Los Angeles, it’s near impossible to keep a good taco stand down.

• Massively Popular Avenue 26 Taco Stand Raided Overnight [ELA]