This little Downtown taco shop is the restaurant that could, chugging along serving up some of the city’s finest carne asada and true handmade flour tortillas. Don’t forget about the awesome chivichanga either.

One of L.A.'s most heralded new taquerias, and for good reason. Chef Ray Garcia is doing something special here, playing with long-held beliefs about tradition and technique in his modern local take on tacos.

Still one of LA’s hottest restaurants, period, is Salazar. The Sonoran-style meat and tortilla spot in Frogtown has hours-long waits on weekends, and not only boasts made-to-order meats and tortillas, but also has some of the sweetest outdoor seating anywhere in the city.

This Compton stand is garnering tons of praise for its carne asada, served up in tacos, vampiros, and more. Just beware that hours are limited to weekends from late afternoon to evenings. Check their Instagram for the latest updates on service times.

This tiny Downtown taco stop boasts a menu created by chef Eddie Ruiz, and is as inventive as it is delicious. You’ll find everything from straightforward pork tacos to the fried fish option topped with a caesar salad, and all using organic and non-GMO ingredients.

El Monte legend and Tacolandia winner Burritos La Palma now keeps a permanent pop-up residence at Smorgasburg, and for good reason. Their burritos (yes, burritos are tacos) come filled with birria and tucked inside pliant handmade tortillas. It’s the perfect walking around snack for an afternoon spent Downtown.

The new ‘it’ stand for folks in the know is Tacos El Karnal, working the East LA/Boyle Heights area off Olympic and Calada Street. Expect handmade tacos and a variety of meats, from asada to suadero to big, sturdy ropes of chorizo.

With a new even more Westside location of his burgeoning standalone Kogi enterprise, Roy Choi continues to show that he’s got the chops to make big moves into areas clamoring for his stuff. The latest location continues his partnership with Whole Foods, while letting beachy locals get access to those genre-defining Korean short rib tacos.