The pinnacle of the most popular styles from Al Pastor and Birria to Fish and Shrimp and we help you navigate the menu to find the best things to order.
The Best Al Pastor Taco in Los Angeles
Angel’s Tijuana Tacos
Almost every street taco stand or truck in Los Angeles serves Al Pastor. Most of these are perfectly good and many are even great, but none of them quite touch the brilliance of Angel's Tijuana Tacos. The pastor is flavorful and tender, the handmade corn tortillas are the perfect consistency and thickness, the salsas are stellar and it is all topped off with a ripe, juicy slice of pineapple.
What to Order: Al Pastor Tacos
Multiple Locations; 4211 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
The Best Barbacoa Tacos in Los Angeles
Los Dorados LA
Los Dorados LA are the best in town at one thing: Flautas (similar to taquitos for those who are not familiar). For fillings, the options are Chicken Tinga, Barbacoa (Lamb), Chorizo with Potato, or Potato, and they are all topped with Crema, Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja and Cotija Cheese. All of these are absolutely phenomenal but the star is the Barbacoa, which is steamed and roasted to perfection Mexico City style until it is fall-off-the-bone tender.
What to Order: Barbacoa (Lamb) Flautas
5373 Alhambra Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90032
The Best Birria de Chivo Tacos in Los Angeles
Birrieria Barajas
To many people this might be a controversial take but this is the greatest Birria in Los Angeles hands down. Their Birria de Chivo, Birria de Res, and their Quesabirria tacos are absolutely phenomenal. However, we recommend taking a slightly different approach and ordering the Birria de Chivo Platter (colloquially known as the Mexi Papa Meal after the SoCal taco food vlogger). Goat ribs and shoulder steeped in consume, crunchy bean tacos, tortillas, and the usual fixings. You can make your own tacos, eat the goat on its own or both! There is enough food on this platter to easily feed 4 people.
What to order: Birria de Chivo Platter (Mexi Papa Meal)
4214 E Compton Blvd, Compton, CA 90221
The Best Birria de Res Tacos in Los Angeles
Tacos y Birria La Unica
This was what I would consider the first true Birria I ever had and it blew my mind. All of the meat in their tacos is cooked to perfection, but their Birria de Res tacos are amazingly juicy and rich. The Tacos Dorados or the Quesatacos are the go to order here, and we gravitate towards the latter to make them even more decadent. Also, you MUST order a side of Consome to dip the tacos in before each bite, which brings these already fantastic tacos up a notch.
What to order: Birria de Res QuesaTacos with a side of Consome.
2840 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
The Best Shrimp Tacos in Los Angeles
Mariscos Jalisco
Mariscos Jalisco is bound to come up on many lists of the best tacos in Los Angeles. Located on the same block as other incredible spots like Burritos La Palma and Tacos y Birria La Unica, Mariscos Jalisco dominates where many other taco spots lack: fresh, quality seafood. Most of their menu consists of ceviche and tostadas like their gargantuan Poseidon Tostada, but the highlight of their menu is the Shrimp Taco. They are wonderfully crunchy, filled with with fresh shrimp and topped with a healthy portion of salsa. You won't find a taco quite like this anywhere else in L.A.
What to Order: Shrimp Tacos
3040 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
The Best Carne Asada Tacos in Los Angeles
El Ruso
By now, Walter Soto and Julia Silva of El Ruso have become L.A. taco legends. Soto cooks up the most tender and flavorful Asada, and Silva creates the most interesting, nearly translucent flour tortillas in the city. Then they top it all off with healthy dollups of beans, guac, salsa, cilantro and onions. These are the tacos that got me into tacos and are still nearly unparalleled in a city filled with so many astounding options.
What to Order: Carne Asada or Chile Colorado tacos
1647 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The Best Carnitas Tacos in Los Angeles
Los Cinco Puntos
When you walk into Los Cinco Puntos, you are greeted with a view of the enormous kitchen with at least 10 people cooking, chopping or serving mounds of carnitas and chicharrones. Their carnitas are so incredibly juicy and the chicharrones are the perfect mix of crunch and rich flavor. Make sure you load up on guacamole and salsas (habanero if you like it VERY spicy) for your toppings to really round out these incredible tacos.
What to order: Carnitas or chicharrones de carnitas tacos
3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90063
The Best Fish Tacos in Los Angeles
Tamales Elena & Antojitos
At one of the only Afro-Mexican taco spots in Los Angeles, Elena and her five daughters sling an incredible array of Guerrero style tamales and tacos. Their tamales are top notch but their fish tacos, or Pescadillas, are next level. Thin, crispy tacos with the perfect amount of stewed fish, fresh white onion and cilantro, and topped with pickled onions. If you are feeling more adventurous, we also highly recommend their lengua tacos - thick slices of tongue topped with fried plantain. Delicious!
What to order: Pescadillas (Fish Tacos)
Wilmington Ave &, E 110th St, Los Angeles, CA 90059
The Best Vegetarian Tacos in Los Angeles
Guerrilla Tacos
When people think of tacos they usually think of meats like Al Pastor and Asada, but Guerrilla tacos goes against the grain with their vegetarian tacos. They do offer meat tacos but the stand out on their menu is the Sweet Potato Taco. The perfectly cooked sweet potatoes rest on a blue corn tortilla and are topped with almond & Cashew Chile, Feta Cheese, Fried Corn and Onion. This taco will cost more than most street tacos out there but it is both filling and incredibly flavorful. If you are still hungry for dessert, definitely try their indulgent Tres Leches Cake or Horchata Panna Cotta.
What to order: Sweet Potato Taco
2000 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
The Best "L.A. Style" Tacos in Los Angeles
Villa’s Tacos
What started as a small street stand by Dodger's stadium has become a phenomenon and now no list of the best tacos in Los Angeles can be complete without at least mentioning Villa's Tacos. They changed the game in the taco scene both with their uniquely L.A. style tacos, and by using social media to increase their profile to otherworldly levels. There are so many incredible items at Villa's but the spotlight is always on their famous 7 layer Queso Taco: blue corn tortillas topped with mesquite grilled meats, diced onions, cilantro, crema, cotija, and guacamole. These tacos are a mouthful but will blow your mind. The line will set you back at least 45 minutes but we assure you it is worth the wait.
What to get: Chorizo Queso Taco, or Villa's Trio
5455 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
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