real deal tacos!

[dandan76]

can some one please help me find real deal authentic carne asada tacos. i now, there have been threats previously on this topic, but im still waiting for the real deal. i am talking about the sublime, heavenly, tacos that u get from stands on side street in the middle of Tijuana.single, warm hand made corn tortilla. perfectly seasoned, juicy, charred, diced carne asada. ripe avocado, not guacamole. chopped white onions, & cilantro. a squeeze of a lime , and that incredible red hot salsa... wow i think im gona dive down to t.j. just to have some!
please, i am sure, that a fellow chow knows about a place here in the greater los angeles area, that serves authentic tacos. dont make me drive down to t.j.. please!

[Das Ubergeek]

Carniceria Don Juan on Vanowen and Coldwater Canyon (SW corner, next to Taco Bell), or Carnitas Michoacan on Victory and Coldwater Canyon (NW corner, behind Conroy's). You will have to ask for and pay for "aguacate" -- it doesn't normally come on tacos.

[dandan76]

thank you. what city?

[Das Ubergeek]

North Hollywood.

[JeetJet]

In SGV I like two places that are the real deal authentic carne asada tacos

El Jacal (ripe avocado)
13414 Ramona Blvd
Baldwin Park, CA 91706-3902
[phone]
Open 7 days, 8am to 9pm.
Several blocks East of the 605

Boca Del Rio ( guacamole but this taco is a must try with everything plus guacamole)
1163 N Hacienda Blvd
La Puente, CA 91744

[katkoupai]

Anything close to Pasadena or in Pasadena like this? I trust your opinion. :)

[thebat]

I can't vouch for El Jacal, but will try it soon.

As for Boca Del Rio, I wouldn't call their tacos the real deal tacos found in Mexico. Boca's tacos de carne asada aren't quite marinated as it should be. Their tacos are known for the heavy amount of shredded Monterey jack cheese they put on them with a slab of liquid green or red salsa and liquid guacamole. You can have cilantro and onion if you want too. That's it. It's good, but not the real deal.
There's also another Boca behind the West Covina mall, on the corner of California and West Covina Pkwy.

[redglowh]

I always like the ones from the taco stands inside the grand central market in downtown LA... i think the stand name is "Tacos Tumbras A Tomas" - there are actually a couple inside grand central but Tomas is the best one - i dont know about the red hot salsa because I always ask for mild =) but they have both spicy and mild sauces..

[katkoupai]

Where is the Grand Central Market (on Grand, I imagine?) Sounds good...

[redglowh]

Grand Central Market
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013

http://www.grandcentralsquare.com/

[katkoupai]

Thanks. I should've searched it. Thanks, also, for the link. :)

This looks like a great place to visit.

[Burger Boy]

Maria's Roast to go in the Grand Central Market is also very good. Check out Bandinis web site, great in, I am surprised no one mentioned it as of yet, or did I miss it.
http://www.tacohunt.blogspot.com/

[sel]

It is a GREAT place to visit and more importantly to eat some yummy chow! Zillions of posts on what is good at the different food stalls.

When you are done be sure to check out the Bradbury Bldg. across the street. Walk in and check out the lobby, a true L.A. gem that has beeen featured in many movies!

[katkoupai]

I might go to Grand Central Market this week. From the pictures, it reminds me of the Fairfax Farmer's Market, only closer to home for me. :-)

[Das Ubergeek]

Mmmmmm... is this the one that's against the wall next to (or next one but one to) the tortilleria? They have FANTASTIC tacos but they're so full of meat that 1 taco with 2 tortillas has to be divided into 2 tacos, which can get messy.

[Ollie]

I second that suggestion!

[katkoupai]

I bet you could find some good tacos on Cesar Chavez Blvd. I don't have any specific recs, but whenever I drive through that area of LA, I am in awe of all the food places.

[thebat]

Your best bet is to find a good taco truck. I don't know what area you're looking to go to, but if you see a taco truck, stop and try them out. Don't give up until you find one that's comparable.

For instance, I finally tried both taco trucks on Fair Oaks in Pasadena that are there at night. They were good, but I much preferred the one that is south on Fair Oaks parked inside an auto place. It was quite good, that a group of women were so excited to have their tacos. I also saw Kevin Sorbo, from the Hercules TV show, stop by for some tacos. At first he was hesitant as it was late at night, but he couldn't resist a good taco.

Good luck on your taco quest.

[dandan76]

thanks for the rec. but i have a couple problems with the taco trucks. 1st. they dont use a grill to cook the meat. so u dont get that charred flavor that im talking about. 2nd the tortilla that ive had from the trucks, are generally rubbery. i am honestly thinking of driving down to t.j.

[Jwsel]

Tacos La Fonda, a truck that parks at Vanowen and Vineland at nights, has handmade tortillas. They are definitely not rubbery, and the asada is excellent. They don't add the avocado. Frankly, I've never seen a taco truck or stand in LA that adds avocado.

Without handmade tortillas, I would put the asada from El Taco Llama (the Magnolia or Sherman Way branches in North Hollywood) pretty high on the list. The meat is great and the rich salsa is very close to King Taco's.

For great meat flavor, the asada tacos at La Talpa in West LA are excellent. But I find the tortilla lacking.

[tony michaels]

I have frequently had avocado in my taco truck tacos around the West LA / Venice area. Maybe it's a Valley vs. Westside thing?

[Das Ubergeek]

Agree on El Taco Llama -- but be aware that those are really the only two branches worth eating at. I don't know why the big swing in quality between branches, but it's there -- so, for example, if you go to the one on Vanowen and Haskell near the entrance to the 405, You Will Be Sad.

[sel]

Have you, or anyone else, tried the El Taco Llama in Newhall? I was wondering how it compares to the others in the SFV.

[Das Ubergeek]

Believe it or not, other than driving through it on freeways, I have never set foot in Newhall.

[katkoupai]

There's an El Taco Llama in Northridge that's pretty good. I wouldn't drive across town for it, but when in the area, you can get decent Mexican food there. Socorro's by CSU Northridge is also good.

[Jwsel]

The ETL at Vanowen and Haskell is horrible. I thought Bandini was off his rocker when he touted ETL on his blog, but then I went to the one on Magnolia.

The one on Reseda, which may be the Northridge branch previously mentioned, is decent. So is the one on Van Nuys. But it's still worth the drive to North Hollywood for me.

[katkoupai]

The El Taco Llama I mentioned is this one:

8709 Corbin Ave
Northridge, CA
91324
Phone: [phone]

As I said, I would not drive far for it. It's just a basic hole-in-the-wall, with decent Mexican food, for under $10.

[dandan76]

honestly., i dont think many people realize how important the tortilla is to the taco. there is nothing like a warm tasty corn tortilla to have with your meat.

[velozo155]

dandan76, you're absolutely right about the taste of the tortilla in Tijuana or Mexicali, for that matter. I would be willing to bet money there is no place here in SoCal that can match the flavor of a taco from Tijuas or Mexicali. That's not to say there ain't good stuff here in SoCal, but nothing similar tortilla-wise. As a matter of fact, I was contemplating a run down to Mexicali this past weekend to bare the heat, kick back, relax, eat some Mexican-inspired Chinese food and get some real deal tacos!

[Burger Boy]

I am surprised no one has mentioned Bandini's site, a great wealth of info.

http://www.tacohunt.blogspot.com/

[katkoupai]

Yes, Bandini's site is a good resource.

Here's another link to a conversation about tacos on the LA Board that is going on right now.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/388069

[Norm Man]

For the best Carne Asada Tacos, check out El Parian at

1528 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles
[phone]

El Parian is the only place to receive a rating of "5 Tacos " on Bandini's Taco Hunt Blog.

[Jwsel]

El Parian tacos, while good (though not as good, imo, as Bandini thinks they are), are nothing like the taco the original poster described. The tortillas are thin (probably not handmade), the salsa rojo is not particularly great, the tacos are covered with pico de gallo (i.e., with tomatoes), and they do not come with avocado. The only criterion that El Parian satisfies is that the meat is very flavorful.

Personally, I think the tortillas from El Parian are really weak and it takes away a lot from the quality of the tacos. Now if we could get a taco with Tacos La Fonda's tortillas, El Parian's asada, and King Taco's or El Taco Llama's salsa rojo, it would be the ultimate taco.

Oh, FYI, Bandini also gave 5 starts to the outlaw taco truck in East LA..

[dandan76]

so, out of bandinis picks, which of the place that he has reviewed, would u say is the best one??????????

[Jwsel]

Qualified response here. I live in the SFV, so my choices will favor the valley. I also have not tried many of his top recs in East LA, as I am rarely in the area and ever more rarely in the area at night when many of the taco trucks and tables are set out. With that caveat, my favorites are Tacos La Fonda, El Taco Llama (Magnolia or Sherman Way in North Hollywood branches only), and King Taco. I am a sucker for tacos with a smoky salsa rojo. Tacos La Fonda is my personal favorite because they couple good salsa and good meat with fresh tortillas.

[JeetJet]

I agree with you that "For the best Carne Asada Tacos, check out El Parian." The corn tortillas are made fresh all day right in front of you. The asada always has that fresh char and crunch because it is grilled all day. You can hear the cleaver all day. I would only add that you must walk up to the door and open it because they may appear to be closed from the street. Oh, BIG tacos also.

[RawTunaFan]

I love the tacos at La Talpa. The meat is very tasty, great flavor.

[Jwsel]

I agree. The flavor and style of La Talpa's asada tacos reminds me a bit of El Parian. I just hate the tortillas on La Talpa's tacos.