Tacos Tumbras A Tomas

Grand central market in downtown Los Angeles is a city landmark. Opened in 1917 the stalls at this market serve everything from mexican food to chinese to ice cream cones.There's also a large produce area as well as butchers, bakers..maybe even candlestick makers.

I came for the tacos however so I didn't muck about too much. I made a b-line for tacos tumbras A Tomas, a stall that serves tacos, tortas, and burritos.



Their tacos are famous for their size and the amount of food you get for your bucks. The tacos are so large you literally need a fork to eat them. You also get two corn tortillas on the side for every two tacos you order so you can make your own tacos on the side of you want to.

I ordered a carnitas taco and an asada taco. Word to the wise,don't order more than two tacos for yourself. There's so much meat on each taco that it's like ordering a carnitas plate and a carne asada plate and getting 4 tortillas on the side. And for only $4!

After you order the guys behind the counter quickly spring into action and with lightning quick reflexes spoon mounds of meat on top of fresh corn tortillas. If you get your tacos con todo they toss some onions, cilantro and red sauce on the meat and plant a fork in the middle of the plate.



I made an attempt to eat the first taco like I would any normal taco but I ended up making quite a bit of use out of the fork. The salsa roja spread over the fried pork was delicious. The pork was soft and tender with plenty of juice which is always a good sign for carnitas. The asada was equal to the task. The beef was tender and slow cooked with a roast-like quality.



With my extra tortillas I made a hybrid taco of carnitas and carne asada and boy was I dancing. The meats and the luscious salsa roja combined together to make quite a taste explosion.

As far as the salsa roja it had some spice to it but I didn't have to reach for a cold beverage. It takes a really kicked up salsa roja to make me reach for a cold one these days. Before this taco hunt I put myself through an extensive training program of chugging down bottles of tapatio and tequila as well as mind over body exercises to prepare myself for the harshest of chiles and salsas. The closest I've come so far was at Don Felix. The habanero salsa at Don Felix made me curl up into a ball but in the end made me stronger and prepared me for my ultimate conquest: to try every taco in Los Angeles, to not back down from any salsa roja and to ultimately become taco laureate of this fine city.

Every Angeleno should make a visit to Grand Central Market. I can't believe it's taken me this long to do so.



317 S Broadway LA 90013, 7 days a week 9-6. Tacos are $2 each

El Pique

When I was younger I loved the rainy weather but now I yearn for the sun to come out and shine across my face and plate of tacos and glisten off the bottle of my lime jarritos.

El Pique cheered me up though. Parked at a car wash less than 100 feet from La Estrella this taco truck doesn't hide the love for mexican futbol. The imagery is on the truck,the menu and probably on the mind of the taco chef.



I knew I was in for some great tacos when I saw that they printed up their own menus. This is a bold move. Not as bold as putting a bulls head or a portrait of Pancho Villa on the wall of a taqueria but it's a statement to the taco patron that they know what time it is(time to eat great tacos).



And I agree with them,these were great tacos. The asada was finely cut on top of soft well oiled tortillas and covered with a delicious salsa roja and the pastor was spiced and sweet and melted in my mouth. I can kick myself for not trying the chorizo after being recommended to do so but there will be a next time. The flavors really stand out here..the toasted corn from the tortillas and the cuts of meat and salsa...I could go on and on about how good these were but I think I'm gonna need another go to really understand what I felt when I ate these tacos.


me to taco al pastor "why can't I quit you?"

I've noticed that the eastside taco trucks tend to have a more rustic spicy salsa roja compared to the westside and valley which are more tomatillo and chile arbol based. It might have something to do with King Taco having an influence over the territory. The King pulls alot of weight on the eastside.

A steady stream of taco patrons came and went as I sat on the bench next to the truck enjoying my tacos. The sun never came out but the wonderful tacos at El Pique brightened my day.

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El Pique is at York and Ave 53. tacos $1.10 each

La Estrella

Out of all the taco trucks in Highland Park the one that is recomended to me most often would have to be La Estrella. The al pastor is talked about in glowing terms and La Estrella's legend reaches farther than the boundaries of this east side community.



There are three La Estrella locations in highland park. I went to the taco hut at Figueroa and ave 61 first. This location is open 24 hours and besides your standard mexican fare also serves ceviche and seafood cocktails. Having been to this hut once before and enjoyed the carne asada I was curious to try the al pastor after so many recomendations.




The al pastor was shredded with soft carmalized onions. The texture of the pork reminded me more of carnitas than al pastor but it tasted great so I wasn't too bothered.The sauteed pork was soft and tender with a rustic salsa roja with some spice.The roja had a little kick to it but i'm so used to the hot stuff that I don't even reach for my lime jarritos anymore unless it's some homer simpson hot pepper shit.

After finishing my tacos I drove to the La Estrella taco truck at York and Ave 54 to compare the two. I found a blue truck parked on a lot with a big sign and tables and chairs.



I ordered the al pastor again and was pleased to find out the quality measured up with the tacos at the Figueroa location. It was hard to tell the difference but the pork had a stronger flavor. The shredded texture of the pork and salsa roja were the same but there were more charred bits of pork at the truck which made the taco better.



So the verdict is that La Estrella makes a great pork taco. I'll be back to try the asada and to also try some of the other trucks I saw in the area.

Highland Park is the taco capitol of Los Angeles and this taco reporter is just getting started. Only after I sample every taco truck in this eastside city will I be able to call myself a taco conquistador.



La Estrella is at 6310 N Figueroa. La Estrella taco truck is at York and Ave 54. tacos $1 each

Rate La Estrella Taco Truck- Highland Park

Taqueria Sanchez

Taqueria Sanchez is a popular taco destination for westsiders. Two locations less than a mile apart from each other serve up cheap tasty mexican food for the people. The Centinela location has an indoor seating area and a salsa bar while the Inglewood blvd location has a taco window to compliment the carniceria and mercado.

I was at the Inglewood location buying some carne asada and decided to have a few tacos. I've heard Taqueria Sanchez described as the best taqueria on the westside but they'd have to go a long way to replace tacos por favor and Don Felix as my local taqueria of choice.

I ordered asada, al pastor and shrimp tacos and by the time I was done paying for the carne asada and a lime jarritos inside the market my tacos were ready.

The first thing you need to know is that the salsa roja may look harmless but it has some kick to it. So if you are one that likes a mild salsa I suggest asking for a verde. I like my salsa to make me sweat a little and reach for my lime jarritos so I poured the salsa liberally over my tacos.



I tackled the shrimp first. The shrimp was sauteed with a subtle garlic flavor. It didn't overwhelm me and there was no taste explosion but I'm partial to crispy shrimp tacos anyway. No complaints here though, at $1.50 each the shrimp tacos are a deal.

The asada is unique at Taqueria Sanchez in that it is baked not grilled or braised. The end result is toasty charred bits of beef with an extra beefy aftertaste. The first time I had the their asada I was put off by the method but it's grown on me and I quite enjoy it now.



The al pastor is also prepared differently. There is a heavy dry rub of seasoning on the chunks of pork. This is not your standard al pastor and I'm not even sure it should be called al pastor but I liked it. It was different and the heavy chunks of pork packed alot of flavor.


Overall a good taco experience and the market at Taqueria Sanchez is a must for all westsiders. Fresh salsas and carnes that locals line up for make this taqueria a local institution.



Taqueria Sanchez is at 4502 Inglewood Blvd . Tacos $1 each. Shrimp tacos $1.50

El Sembrador

I'd like to thank Simon at Low End Theory for his blog .I've referenced his blog for westside taco trucks and it has been an invaluable resource. It's how I found the taco truck at Palms market on motor ave as well as several other taco destinations.



Palms market is a great neighborhood market with a fresh produce section and a carniceria. They also have a taco truck they pull out on the weekday afternoons and weekends called El Sembrador.

Living on the westside I'm always looking for a local carniceria and produce market I can buy my tomatillos, chiles and carnes. You can go to your local Vons to pick up these items but chances are you'll pay twice as much. Not only will you pay twice as much but if you pay with your vons card your purchases are being tracked by big brother. Unless you have your own Vons card (I use my bro's)



So after buying some carnes,chiles and tomatillos I walked out to the parking lot where the taco truck is parked and handed the lady my ticket. Ticket you say? Yeah I'm pretty cool...I asked the cashier about the taco truck when I was paying for my items and she said that I could pay her for the tacos. I didn't really know what I wanted so I thought to myself for a moment then said I'd like two al pastor and one asada. She looked me over for a few seconds then wrote the number three on a piece of paper "give this to the truck mijo" I felt like a dork for breaking it down to what I wanted instead of just saying how many I wanted.

So I walked up to the truck and handed the lady my ticket with the #3 on it but instead of saying two al pastor and one asada I flipped it around to two asada and one al pastor. She paused for a moment and for a second I thought she might pick up a walkie talkie and say "this gringo is playing games" but she smiled and started to prepare my tacos.

When my tacos came the first thing I noticed was the lettuce. I'm not a fan of lettuce on soft tacos because it gives the impression that there is something to hide. I usually stand pretty firm to the idea that soft tacos should have onions, cillantro, salsa to compliment the meat and tortillas. If a guacamole salsa makes an appearance for it to make the taco better it can't overwhelm the meat. But lettuce? Lettuce is a hard sell..I dont see any beneficial reason to add it to a soft taco.



The asada was charred with some crunchy bits and combined with the subtle salsa roja it was enjoyable. The al pastor on the other hand wasn't passable. Too many gummy bits of pork and an overall lack of al pastor flavor left me wanting to just toss this taco in the bin.



Overall I'm glad to have another mercado to shop for my tomatillos and chiles on the weekend. There are a couple other markets to shop at but the taco truck in the parking lot is the tie-breaker.




El Sembrador/Palms Market 3568 Motor Ave. tacos $1 each

Tacos Don Beto

I love tacos but I am no more a taco expert than the next guy. I just like what I like. I like soft well oiled corn tortillas, charred juicy cuts of carne asada, savory bits of al pastor and a salsa roja that makes me reach for that cold beverage.

I may be different in that when I see a taco truck on the side of the road I have the impulse to pull over and do a taco dance but aside from that I am just like you.

So I pulled up to Tacos Don Beto, a taco trailer at pico and cochran ave (4 blocks west of La Brea) and took in the scene. There were chairs set against the storefront of a meat market and a table adjacent to the trailer with tubs of salsas, onions and jalapenos.

I was really hungry for some tacos and the man inside the truck knew that I was ready cuz ye yelled "amigo!...que quires?" I think he could tell that I was one of those spanish speaking gringos. I didn't let my new friend down and ordered dos tacos de asada y un de pastor.

After I ordered I noticed they also had buche and barbacoa but I didn't want to upset my new friend by changing the order. For some reason it always lifts my spirits when someone is nice to me especially when asking what kind of tacos I want. The man in the truck was so excited to see me and he didn't even know that I am Bandini, the taco correspondent for the great taco hunt. Some days I dont even know I am Bandini either. I will wake up and get hungry for tacos and it will occur to me that "oh yeah I am that guy" and then I will go eat tacos.

So my tacos came pretty quickly and I poured some salsa on them from one of the containers on a table next to the truck. They had a dark salsa roja, a guacamole salsa and a salsa verde. I always go with roja because the chances of a guacamole salsa or a verde being spicy enough to make me reach for my cold beverage aren't very high.



The al pastor surprised me because at first glance it looked rather boring and without much seasoning but as I bit into it the soft and tender pork really excited me and combined with the soft well oiled tortillas and dark salsa roja made for a great taco.



The asada at first look didn't impress me either but after dressing it with onions, cilantro and some salsa roja and biting into it I was again surprised by how soft and tender the meat was. This is by far the most tender meat I've had on this taco journey so far. I like a charred asada as much as the next guy but sometimes you like something that tastes like it's been carefully prepared.

No wonder the man inside the truck was so happy, he makes great tacos.

3.5/5

Don Betos is on Pico Blvd and Cochran ave(4 blocks west of La Brea) Tacos are $1 each

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