Tacos Juárez Estilo Tijuana

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(BAJA)

COVID-19 UPDATE: The outdoor stand is mostly takeaway and operating as normal. All staff are wearing masks. There are three tables for eating tacos immediately.

Unfortunately the good folks at this evening taco stand gave themselves a name when opening, not allowing "Car Wash Taquería" to ever come to be. When that small business at the corner of 54th and Main Street in South Park closes up in late afternoons, the taqueros of Tacos Juárez Estilo Tijuana set up, get their charcoal grill fired up, and start sending smoke and the wonderful aromas of Tijuana-style carne asada and chorizo into the Los Angeles evenings.

About two years old now, the stand has really started hitting its stride. Compared to visits in 2020, the meats are cooked just about perfectly now and the salsas are on par with the best. Their handmade tortillas are also wonderful; thick, pillowy beds for all the components of a delicious taco to rest on. They make a tremendous difference when ordering a plate of tacos, but also mulitas and big, folded quesadillas.

Some customers seem to find their way here after not having patience for the queue at Tacos Los Poblanos, but this stand also seems to be gathering a following organically via word of mouth and good care. They also offer a meat or two more for the off chance you are not in the mood for the chorizo and asada on any given night.

But do start with the meats you see on the grill of course. Get a couple tacos ($2 each, below) of both charcoal-grilled meats and make sure to get them loaded with everything when asked. Tijuana-style vendors like to load all the toppings and salsas for you, and you should never stop them.

The chorizo here has been on point since the beginning but the asada is now following suit as well, full of smoky char from the grill and bursting with flavor. The red salsa they throw on underneath the salsa de aguacate is ready to heat up each bite, just squeeze on a little lime to finish each taco off.

In between meats being grilled, you might also see big green chiles being kissed by the flames. These are gifts from the taqueros on plates ordered with multiple tacos, not too hot, and can be eaten along with the radishes in between bites. A couple pots are also around with grilled onions and cabeza (below, center). Besides this, the stand also does al pastor tacos (no trompo) and pollo.

If you would like to mix your meats (TJ-style asada and chorizo almost begs for it!), you can do it with tacos for an extra quarter, but the best way might be with the burrito. The big flour tortillas are not made at the stand, but they select a good one and toast it up nicely on the grill, frying in a layer of cheese if you want.

A burrito con queso ($7.50, below) has just the right amount of rice and beans, letting the meats play the starring role. A hefty portion of both chorizo and asada are inside the tight wrap, which you can also have salsas put in by the taqueros if you plan to eat immediately.

Try it with their delicious salsa de molcajete, a roasted tomato and pepper salsa that adds even more smoky, earthy flavors to your bites. A future visit will have to try one of those good looking quesadillas seen ordered by other customers and another good way to get that salsa over everything.

Any updates will of course be posted here.

📍 110 W. 54th Street, South Park, South Los Angeles

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Eat the World Los Angeles is and always has been free. It is a hobby born of passion and never solicits money or free food from restaurants. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better please tell your friends about us and if you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World Los Angeles is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

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Tacos Naomi

🇲🇽 MÉXICO

📍 4040 W. Washington Blvd., Arlington Heights, Central Los Angeles

 (Stand sets up along 10th Avenue, east side of The Market by Superior parking lot)

🅿️ Ample parking in plaza

💲 Cash Only

🥤 No Alcohol

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this article (06 September 2024) is available as part of the Historical section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/tacos-naomi-al-pastor-los-angeles

Tacos Naomi has five locations around the city, including three in the Valley and another at Obama and La Brea. That last one and the one featured in this article are in front of Superior grocery stores, but it is only this location in Mid City that makes handmade tortillas and warranted a visit to start exploring the franchise. And then quite a few more visits after having some really delicious tacos al pastor.

On the occasion of a slower night, marinated pork from the trompo and other meats cooked on their charcoal grill spend a bit too much time in steam table compartments, so do your best to pick a time that should be busy. During higher turnover times the smoke from that grill will be sending the wonderful scents of chorizo, carne asada, and chicken all around the parking lot, and better yet your tacos are going to wow.

Tacos al pastor.

The taquero who minds the trompo is very good at what he does, keeping the spinning meat perfectly seared and ready to slice into their freshly made tortillas. Tacos (above) are all $2 each and made with a single tortilla, which holds up well even with their generous portions of meat and salsas. He is also in charge of making other tacos and burritos, but remains friendly and is also a showman when the mood is right.

The salsas they make are plentiful, they usually have two of both red and green salsas, a hot and mild version of each that are all tasty, as well as freshly made guacamole to throw on since this is TJ-style. Each customer will be asked individually, so step up and let him know exactly how you like your toppings and your dreams will come true.

Burritos ($8 with cheese griddled into the tortilla, above, $7 without) are made with packaged flour tortillas, but the quality of the wrapper is still very good. Ask for a campechano to get a lovely combination of two of the meats you will see on the grill: carne asada and chorizo. Both are full of smoke and flavor and cooked perfectly by the crew who will also add up your bill at the end.

You can get these made to your liking as well, with or without rice and beans, and packed securely in that tortilla with all the salsa and guacamole you may or may not desire. If other antojitos strike your fancy on a particular evening, they also do cheesy items like mulitas and gringas.

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I COULD USE YOUR HELP

Eat the World Los Angeles is and always has been free. It is a hobby born of passion and never solicits money or free food from restaurants. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better and you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World Los Angeles is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

You can Venmo me @JAREDCOHEE or click here to send PayPal donation, no account is necessary. Thank you!

Mariscos El Puerto

🇲🇽 MÉXICO (Baja California)

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this article (31 March 2024) is available as part of the Historical section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/mariscos-el-puerto

Back in the carefree days before 2020, when you could get in your car and drive a half day down the coast of Baja to Ensenada, the seaside taquerías that so many Los Angeles restaurants fashion themselves after were also available firsthand. While responsible global citizens are staying put these days, the seafood and vibes they seek are still around, even when inland.

Many mariscos spots are fine and do the trick, but have sort of a dime-a-dozen feel. When you come across places like Mariscos El Puerto in Chino, they are worth appreciating. "Estilo Ensenada" is advertised right under the name, promising to transport residents of this Inland Empire town far away.

Posted in the window for all to see is their definition of the "perfect combination," some seafood tostadas and a michelada ($6.49, above), making it hard not to include at least one of those in your order. The mix here trends toward the sour side and is not spicy at all, but has enough richness to satisfy and accompany your mariscos "perfectly."

Before COVID hit, the restaurant was offering their already inexpensive Ensenada-style tacos de pescado especial ($1.98, below) for just a dollar on Tuesdays, but even without the discount these beauties are a steal.

 

 

These of course are the favorites of Baja that most Southern Californians have gotten to know one way or another, whether from famous trucks or mariscos joints. The fried filet here is on the thin side but soft and tender. On top is a fistful of chopped up crispy cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and a river of crema. Their nice smoky salsa is placed on top and gets into every nook of your bites.

 

If you start with these you will soon learn that you can do a lot of eating here for not much money. Supplement your order with the relatively "expensive" but very large taco Sonora ($3.49, below), the restaurant's ode to their eastern neighbor. The same ingredients of the fish taco are joined by battered shrimp and all placed on a thin flour tortilla.

Often times inexpensive tacos come on cheap tortillas, but both corn and flour versions here hold up nicely to their contents and neither holds their flavors back. If you are more in the mood for crispy vehicles for your seafood, any of the restaurant's tostada options are also worth exploring.

Possibly best is the tostada de aguachile ($3.99, below), in these times served in a cup and ready to apply when you get home (or in the parking lot if you brought chairs). For the sub-four dollar price tag, it was actually quite amazing how much fresh shrimp is included in one order, easily enough to cover both tostadas they put in your bag or pile it high as seen here.

The aguachile is of the green variety, thick with tomatillo and spicy with many serrano peppers. Even those tostadas are seemingly premium, tasty and strong to hold up the weight of these perfectly "cooked" shrimp.

The tostada de ceviche de pescado ($3.49, below) might have been missing a pinch of salt or spice, but still had good bones. If you do eat this with the aguachile, devour it first since the aguachile's fire will overwhelm the mild ceviche. Again as expected, the fish and vegetables are all quite fresh, with the greenest supple avocado on top.

 

If anything in the order was a throwaway, it was only the massive ill-advised order of a bean and cheese burrito ($3.99, below) that was wrapped in a thin flour tortilla. The beans unfortunately had very little taste and required all of the Tapatío salsa packets they provided. Sometimes bean burrito cravings can get you in trouble, but if you know you know. No regrets!

 

Next time orders here will be 100% mariscos and 100% successful. Also, big shoutout to the staff which is all very friendly and patient despite the times. It will be a pleasure to visit again when you can hang out and enjoy it for a full meal.

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CHINO San Bernardino County

5599 Riverside Drive

Tire Shop Taqueria/Taqueria San Miguel

🇲🇽 MÉXICO (Baja California)

EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this article (26 January 2024) is available as part of the Historical section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/tire-shop-taqueriataqueria-san-miguel

 

Even if you are not following the latest and greatest trends on Instagram and reading food media constantly, the plumes of smoke that emanate from this South Los Angeles taco stand during the evening will eventually come into your life. They are the first sign of something special. The second is the fantastic smell that comes inside your car windows on a nice night as you cruise on Avalon.

The third sign, and what seals the deal, is the perpetual line of hungry souls always here waiting for their turn to order. Finding a place to park nearby is not usually all that hard, as most of the businesses in the area are closed for the night and besides tacos and laundry, not much is happening once the sun goes down.

For years, this stand had no formal name and English speakers would refer to it "Tire Shop Taqueria," a name that even shows up still on Google Maps. The stand always set up in the parking lot of the tire shop called El Jarocho, so the name was fitting and fun. References to the stand by Spanish speakers often called it "El Jarocho Tacos," for the same reason.

While the tire shop has apparently moved on recently, and the stand has switched parking lots to the other side of the building, the name remains. Feeling the need to give themselves a brand, signs for "Taqueria San Miguel" have been up for a couple years now, but if you told someone that was your destination, absolutely no one would know what you were talking about.

One thing remains constant, this operation is truly professional and that line which seems daunting always moves very quickly. By the time you get your bearings and start to think about your order, the first lady will approach you asking how many quesadillas and mulitas you want. She will press large tortillas for those and get them started before you reach the first station. There you will find the constant pressing of more masa for all of the tacos.

When you reach the taquero, your order for tacos is taken and the real show begins. He grabs the proper amount of tortillas, cuts all the meat, and starts flipping salsa and everything else into the air and down into your taco. Each one is made in under ten seconds even if you did order con todo.

When answering affirmative for that at a Baja-style stand, it lands you avocado salsa in addition to their delicious red salsa, chopped onions, and cilantro. On the grill to the taquero's left you will notice long, thin cuts of carne asada and bright red chorizo sausages charring, together the reason for that smoke noticeable from nearby blocks.

Those should be your hint on what to order here, both are what this stand does best. The cabeza is pretty good, the al pastor is fine, but these can be found better elsewhere in the city so resist the urge to diversify and concentrate.

Each taco is large, and made with just one of their handmade tortillas, a bit thicker than standard. These hold up very well and don't leave half the meat in your lap while also providing a corn flavor boost to your bites, something most tortillas these days cannot claim.

There are a few tables, but seating is limited. Come with someone that needs a chair and undoubtedly one will be freed by another patron for them. Just hang out for a bit and your group will be able to sit, as turnover is high. Everyone is in a good mood from eating such good tacos, and they know the drill.

Taking a bite of that first carne asada taco here is an experience you will always remember. The slices of skirt steak seem to be vacuum-sealed with smokiness, the cuts of meat juicy and tender. It is a wonder that the price is not double for such high quality.

With such a bright color, the taste of the chorizo has a lot to live up to. Somehow, it not only does that, but surpasses the expectations by miles, the spices in each bite are quite extraordinary. The balance of every ingredient, including their spicy red salsa makes you wonder about all the times you put a mediocre taco in your body.

An order of the mulita (below) can be a good way to combine the two meats, but otherwise is an absolute gut bomb. Since their tortillas are thick, it becomes a bit heavy with masa, without enough cheese to balance. It is quite full of meat though, and again very high value. If this is to your taste, you will not be disappointed.

After sitting down and getting your hands free, don't forget to grab some of the complimentary beans and grilled onions to round our your meal, and order one of their homemade aguas frescas to wash it all down.

Is there room for another taco or two? Probably.

The lavanderia does not like taco customers.

SOUTH PARK South Los Angeles
4069 S. Avalon Blvd.

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Tacos El Gordo

Even the fucking CBP likes Tacos El Gordo.

🇲🇽 MÉXICO (Baja California)
📍 689 H Street, Chula Vista, California

(This location closed/moved around the corner, one of a few branches)
🅿️ Busy parking lot
🥤 No Alcohol

EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this article (20 December 2023) is available as part of the Historical section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/tacos-el-gordo

 

Do you ever hear about something so good and for so long, that eventually it just gets filed away in the brain and never tried? This was the case until a recent brief trip to San Diego finally remedied the situation. With one new location downtown and two in Chula Vista, the chain is so easy to enjoy, depending on the length of the lines for adobada and carne asada.

In its 21 years of life in San Diego (and almost 50 in Tijuana), Tacos El Gordo has reached essential status. You would think the heart and soul of Tijuana-style tacos would be easy to replicate so close to the border and in Southern California in general, but as with everything the scene takes on a life of its own and goes elsewhere.

If you happen to come to Tacos El Gordo on H Street during a rare off hour, you might be bewildered by the amount of open space in the entry, seemingly unused. Normally this is crammed with humanity and multiple lines, some longer and more crooked than others. To be sure, the lines near the trompo and for carne asada are always hefty, and this should guide a meal for any beginner.

It should be stated that despite its casual feeling, Tacos El Gordo is not messing around. They recently had to close a location because they lacked the necessary amount of skilled taqueros to cook their meats. It is not a job that just anyone can handle. If you get the chance, watch the carne asada over the flame or the trompo fire being constantly adjusted as needed. There is a reason that each and every location has the same high level of quality.

If a meal can ever live up and surpass such lofty expectations, Tacos El Gordo is that meal. The system of lining up at each taquero is best navigated after the experience of a few visits, but ultimately is just fine. Bring a few friends, pool your resources, scout a line each, and dreams are within reach.

Shove some money down each station's brightly colored tip jar and prepare for some royal treatment.

When eating tacos here there are many things that set them apart, starting with the fresh little tortillas that are still warm from the station creating them. Tacos de adobada ($2.60 c/u, above) are a natural place to start, what the place is known for above all else, and just such a pleasure. They slather each with that legendary creamy runny avocado salsa that could never be replicated in a hundred attempts in your own kitchen.

The basic red and green salsas are also delicious in their own right, making sure every last bit of taste that reaches your tongue is of the highest quality. These can be applied to other selections like the taco de tripa ($2.60, below), an ultra-crispy and clean rendition of intestines piled high on two tortillas.

Tacos El Gordo also knows local history, and prepares what could be considered the National Dish of San Diego. You saw that steak being grilled while you ordered those tacos, so it was only natural to throw in an order of carne asada fries ($3.75 for a small portion, below) to round off the night.

The two differences between here and other places is the quality of the meat and another slather of that beautiful avocado cream sauce. A few scraggly afterthoughts of cheddar find their way on top, but these do not mean anything in the end. The salsa roja combines very well with the everything else on this if you don't mind some dirty fingers and probably a few stains in your lap.

Someone who decided to go to university in Cincinnati, Ohio really starts to regret their life decisions when these dishes are almost devoured. It is no wonder that San Diego has a good reputation as a town to get a good education. Nourishment is key.

Tacos El Gordo. After a bite or two you start looking around at your dining companions with distressed looks because the food is so good. Come alone and you'll strike up conversations with the neighboring booth. It is just too fucking delicious to be quiet.

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I COULD USE YOUR HELP

Eat the World Los Angeles is and always has been free. It is a hobby born of passion and never solicits money or free food from restaurants. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better please tell your friends about us and if you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World Los Angeles is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

Thank you!

VENMO: @JAREDCOHEE

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Tacos La Central

🇲🇽 MÉXICO (Baja California)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This visit was made by our friends at Pel and Word Charmers, all photos belong to them. An updated version of this article (13 December 2023) is available as part of the Historical section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/tacos-la-central

 

In the dying days of 2015, Colton lost one of its beloved institutions, 58 year old Original El Burrito #1 closed for the last and final time. Originally a burger, hot dog, and milkshake stand, the owner switched to a Mexican menu in 1957 after 8 years in business and never looked back. Since then loyal customers kept coming back, bringing their children and their children's children until the final days in business.

It was these very large shoes that Tacos La Central set out to fill at the end of June 2016 just over half a year after the closing. As 2019 is already halfway finished the Tijuana-style taco is taken for granted in Los Angeles and surrounding regions, but back in 2016 La Central was blazing a path for themselves. As trucks and late night stands in Los Angeles continue making names for themselves, some even starring in Super Bowl commercials, Tacos La Central has been showing Colton, San Bernardino, and the Inland Empire what this was all about for over three years now.

One of the new co-owners has roots in Tijuana, where his family-owned restaurant has been supplying him with recipes. A little bit of inspection makes you trust when a taquero claims "verdadero estilo Tijuana" for their place, translated something like "the true style of Tijuana."

[From Pel: "The greater Los Angeles area is clearly experiencing a Tijuana-style taco moment. Everywhere you look, it seems there’s a new joint serving freshly grilled meats (and sometimes veggies, it's California after all) over tortillas hechas a mano with a bright green slather of requisite guacamole (hopefully the legit variety).

Even though the menu printed on the wall still announces “Opening Special” pricing, Tacos La Central has been in the game for at least three years now which qualifies them as established players in a field of relative newcomers.

Tacos estilo Tijuana.

The menu could not be more simple: tacos de adobada, asada, pollo and chorizo, all priced at $2. For a couple bucks more, you can upgrade to a mulita (below, which adds cheese and sandwiches the fillings between two slightly grilled tortillas) and wash it all down with a proper sized half-liter Mexican coke for another $2.

Grab a seat in the outdoor picnic area amongst gleaming strip malls, old school auto shops and (probably) still snow-capped mountains, while the scratchy speaker blasts something barely distinguishable. True SoCal.

And afterwards? Keep driving to little-known Diamond Valley Lake, walk amongst the wildflowers, rent a boat and make a day of it.]

Mulita.

🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
COLTON Inland Empire

920 N. Mt. Vernon Avenue

Angel's Tijuana Tacos

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(BAJA CALIFORNIA)

On a slow night.

When the fat starts dripping off the strips of carne asada, down into the flames and charcoal under the grill, a thick smoke rises into the air over Vineland Avenue and acts as this popular taco stand's bat signal. Cars pull over two and three deep on busy nights and folks from North Hollywood and well beyond line up for some of the nicest Tijuana-style tacos in the Valley.

When they first started building a following, it was hard to look away from their strong Instagram game and personalized hashtags dictating the importance of not charging extra for guacamole, a standard component of a Tijuana-style taco. Videos were put out nightly at opening times to whet people's appetites and later when the stand was beyond capacity to show off their reign on Vineland.

El trompero. Photo credit: Pel.

Like most taqueros slinging TJ-style tacos, the proprietors are skilled from elsewhere but filling a need and a hunger. The swiftness of a cleaver-wielding taquero cutting up freshly grilled carne asada is even more impressive in person than it was on the Instagram story that convinced you to drive here in the first place.

And it would be a shame not to start there with this excellently grilled beef (below), which should be the base of all the toppings they have. In addition to the thick guacamole, onions, and cilantro, say yes to both their red and green salsas like the majority of other customers. Squeeze some limes on, and the flavor accumulations are far more than should be allowed for less than $2.

Con todo.

A good bit of the fun here is watching the progression of your tortillas being prepared, from a big bowl of masa to the singed discs that the taquero will grab straight from the grill to add your meats. Each is like a snowflake here, unique in its own way. Larger ones are laid out for quesadillas, an order you always promise yourself for next time.

But when that next time arrives, another order of carne asada usually happens, maybe in the form of a mulita this time, a cheesy creation with tortillas on both sides. They also have a trompo for adobada, which make for excellent meals as well, but I always find the guacamole pairs a bit nicer with the beef and it would be a shame not to eat as much as possible on every visit.

Photo credit: Pel.

A second location has opened up at 13870 Foothill Blvd in Sylmar, and judging by the thoughts online it looks to be up to the same standards. Have any of you tried it yet? Let us know what we're missing.

Photo credit: Pel.

A slightly busier night. Photo credit: Pel.

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NORTH HOLLYWOOD San Fernando Valley

6138 Vineland Avenue