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Birria de res tacos from La Unica
Birria de res tacos from La Unica
Matthew Kang

The 10 Hottest Tacos in Los Angeles Right Now

Where to find the best, most interesting tacos in LA

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Birria de res tacos from La Unica
| Matthew Kang

It would be wrong to say that Los Angeles is having a taco moment right now. The truth is, this city has always had fantastic tacos, either served on the street, from trucks, or in full-fledged restaurants. This current hot crop represents the best of the new bunch, the most talked-about spots from Venice to the Valley to East LA, and across styles from birria to Tijuana’s carne asada and guacamole specialities. These are LA’s hottest tacos right now, ordered from north to south.

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Tacos El Venado

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The Valley is filled with quality taco options, though these days El Venado is dominating the conversation with its carne asada and thick smear of guacamole. And with multiple locations across the greater SFV, it’s easy to find a taco in any neighborhood.

A tray filled with Tacos El Venado tacos and salsas.
Tacos El Venado
Tacos El Venado

Burritos La Palma

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Award-winning El Monte legend Burritos La Palma is everywhere these days. Their burritos (yes, burritos are tacos) come filled with birria and tucked inside pliant handmade tortillas. The ideal snack for anyone out in SGV or traveling even farther east toward Palm Springs.

Burrito Los Angeles
Burritos La Palma
Joshua Lurie

Sonoratown

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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.

Tacos from Sonoratown.
Sonoratown
Matthew Kang

Guerrilla Tacos

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Former fine dining chef Wes Avila is living large in the Arts District with Guerrilla Tacos, his truck turned restaurant turned LA sensation. Expect lots of taco innovation from the open kitchen in the back.

A white paper plate holds two tacos, with beans.
Guerilla Tacos
Matthew Kang

Tacos Y Birria La Unica

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One of the busiest new-ish purveyors of birria around town is La Unica, which operates just a block away from the famed Mariscos Jalisco in Boyle Heights. The big differentiator here is the use of handmade tortillas, which add more heft to the whole plate of tacos.

A white plate three radishes, a lime, and two birria-soaked quesabirria tacos topped with onions and cilantro.
Tacos y Birria La Unica
Farley Elliott

Los Originales Tacos Arabes De Puebla

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After a brief few weeks away the Tacos Arabes team is back, sporting a whole new truck and the same unique Pueblan tacos as ever before. The regionally-specific creations follow a different, larger format to most street tacos, focusing on shawarma-style pork similar to al pastor, and those thick and delicious pan arabe takes on a tortilla. 

Tacos Arabes truck in Boyle Heights with new livery
Tacos Arabes
Bill Esparza

Birrieria Gonzalez

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East LA’s Birrieria Gonzalez is serving it’s neighborhood exactly where it’s at, pulling up on the block to dish out La’s of-the-moment taco style: birria. The rich, hearty tacos here along Whittier Boulevard are enough to satisfy any community.

Birria tacos from Birrieria Gonzalez
Birria tacos from Birrieria Gonzalez
Matthew Kang

Chef Gilberto Cetina found fame thanks to his market stall Chichen Itza, but has more recently hit his new stride with Holbox. The seafood-focused casual stop still plays with Yucatanean flavors, but provides a ton of fresh fish from up and down the coastal Mexican water. It all makes for some pretty fantastic tacos, tostadas, and ceviches.

Tacos 1986

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Is there a hotter stand in LA than Tacos 1986 right now? That hardly seems possible, given the group’s speedy expansion and long weekend lines at Smorgasburg in Downtown. Their new Venice nighttime parking lot spot is bringing smoky Tijuana-style tacos to the conversation out west, and there could be more locations in the future soon too.

Perron taco at Tacos 1986
Tacos 1986
Matthew Kang

Teddy’s Red Tacos Venice

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How big does a taco truck have to get before it earns a Super Bowl commercial? Ask Teddy’s Red Tacos, the Slauson operator that has grown into multiple new locations across town, including a beach-adjacent outlet right on Windward in Venice. The speciality here is birria, served with bright red consommé and lots of cheese, as requested.

teddys red tacos
Teddy’s Red Tacos
Teddy’s Red Tacos [official]

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Tacos El Venado

The Valley is filled with quality taco options, though these days El Venado is dominating the conversation with its carne asada and thick smear of guacamole. And with multiple locations across the greater SFV, it’s easy to find a taco in any neighborhood.

A tray filled with Tacos El Venado tacos and salsas.
Tacos El Venado
Tacos El Venado

Burritos La Palma

Award-winning El Monte legend Burritos La Palma is everywhere these days. Their burritos (yes, burritos are tacos) come filled with birria and tucked inside pliant handmade tortillas. The ideal snack for anyone out in SGV or traveling even farther east toward Palm Springs.

Burrito Los Angeles
Burritos La Palma
Joshua Lurie

Sonoratown

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.

Tacos from Sonoratown.
Sonoratown
Matthew Kang

Guerrilla Tacos

Former fine dining chef Wes Avila is living large in the Arts District with Guerrilla Tacos, his truck turned restaurant turned LA sensation. Expect lots of taco innovation from the open kitchen in the back.

A white paper plate holds two tacos, with beans.
Guerilla Tacos
Matthew Kang

Tacos Y Birria La Unica

One of the busiest new-ish purveyors of birria around town is La Unica, which operates just a block away from the famed Mariscos Jalisco in Boyle Heights. The big differentiator here is the use of handmade tortillas, which add more heft to the whole plate of tacos.

A white plate three radishes, a lime, and two birria-soaked quesabirria tacos topped with onions and cilantro.
Tacos y Birria La Unica
Farley Elliott

Los Originales Tacos Arabes De Puebla

After a brief few weeks away the Tacos Arabes team is back, sporting a whole new truck and the same unique Pueblan tacos as ever before. The regionally-specific creations follow a different, larger format to most street tacos, focusing on shawarma-style pork similar to al pastor, and those thick and delicious pan arabe takes on a tortilla. 

Tacos Arabes truck in Boyle Heights with new livery
Tacos Arabes
Bill Esparza

Birrieria Gonzalez

East LA’s Birrieria Gonzalez is serving it’s neighborhood exactly where it’s at, pulling up on the block to dish out La’s of-the-moment taco style: birria. The rich, hearty tacos here along Whittier Boulevard are enough to satisfy any community.

Birria tacos from Birrieria Gonzalez
Birria tacos from Birrieria Gonzalez
Matthew Kang

Holbox

Chef Gilberto Cetina found fame thanks to his market stall Chichen Itza, but has more recently hit his new stride with Holbox. The seafood-focused casual stop still plays with Yucatanean flavors, but provides a ton of fresh fish from up and down the coastal Mexican water. It all makes for some pretty fantastic tacos, tostadas, and ceviches.

Tacos 1986

Is there a hotter stand in LA than Tacos 1986 right now? That hardly seems possible, given the group’s speedy expansion and long weekend lines at Smorgasburg in Downtown. Their new Venice nighttime parking lot spot is bringing smoky Tijuana-style tacos to the conversation out west, and there could be more locations in the future soon too.

Perron taco at Tacos 1986
Tacos 1986
Matthew Kang

Teddy’s Red Tacos Venice

How big does a taco truck have to get before it earns a Super Bowl commercial? Ask Teddy’s Red Tacos, the Slauson operator that has grown into multiple new locations across town, including a beach-adjacent outlet right on Windward in Venice. The speciality here is birria, served with bright red consommé and lots of cheese, as requested.

teddys red tacos
Teddy’s Red Tacos
Teddy’s Red Tacos [official]

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