El Chato Taco Truck — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This truck is rather easy to spot from the street, given the perpetual mob of people waiting around for their food. You'll think it's the line when you see it, but they manage to take orders so quick the elation engendered from the short wait in line is steadily eroded by the loooong wait for your number to be called.

I'm always apprehensive about Mexican taco trucks that don't let you put the salsa on the tacos yourself. How do they know what I like? How do they know how much onion I want? Cilantro? I often throw down two kinds of salsas on a single taco, kinda like a little kid who experiments with mixing sodas together thinking they've hit on something incredibly innovative (I can speak from experience and its not that great truth be told, kinda like mixing all the watercolors together and getting brown instead of the magical rainbow you were imagining). So I didn't get to dress my tacos. It turned out ok because not only are they generous and balanced with the toppings, but you are able to request extra sides of salsa.

Which brings me to the subject of asking for more stuff. This truck hooks. it. up. if you know what to ask for. There's some kind of bizarre secret menu of extra sides that they'll just hand you upon request. I only found out because I was lurking by the pickup window impatiently and saw just about every regular take advantage of free stuff. You can get a small bowl of hot grilled onions, sides of their red and green salsa, and a whole grilled jalapeño if you simply ask. It seems like an awful lot of free food, but ya know, ¯(ツ)/¯.

I tried tacos with their carne asada, al pastor, and chorizo. Of the 3 the al pastor was clearly the best, there was a lot of rich flavor. The side of grilled onions and jalapeño were very welcome, especially the jalapeño. Their roasted tomato red salsa is fantastic as well, I wish I had gotten 2 sides of that rather than waste time with their so-so green salsa. But, everything did cost a total of $7. Pretty damn good value.

If you're bumming around mid-city, El Chato is worth checking out, but I wouldn't put it on my short list of the best in LA. Just make sure you get the free stuff...

My personal favorite, if not the best taco truck in Los Angeles. On the corner of Olympic and La Brea, you'll find this taco truck in a small corner parking lot and a crowd of cars and people around it. The El Chato corner is never empty, because its authentic, delicious, dangerously cheap Mexican food. You can get a street tacos ($1), huge burritos ($4), or quesadillas ($4) with a variety of meats. My favorites include al pastor (seasoned marinated pork) and cabeza (super soft and indulgent). Can't go wrong with any of the meats, and you can buy 4-5 tacos to try out each meat. Also some drinks: horchata, coke, water for your spicy needs. Protip: you can ask for grilled onions/jalapenos on the side (or even in your burrito or quesadilla) for free!

It's a late night taco truck, opens at 9pm and closes around 2-3am. Never worry about parking because cars just come and go...

This might just be the best taco spot I’ve found in all of Los Angeles! When I showed up, there were about twenty people in line, and it was clear this place is the real deal—authentic, beloved, and worth the wait.

I ordered a few different things, but the steak mulita? Absolute favorite. Perfectly seasoned meat, warm melty cheese, and that grilled tortilla… it hit every note. Just bold, comforting flavors with no fuss—exactly what you want in street food.

There’s something kind of magical about standing in the parking lot, plate in hand, surrounded by the sounds and smells of fresh tacos being made. It wasn’t fancy. But it was real—and honestly.

If you want to eat like a local and taste tacos that actually live up to the hype, this is the place. I’ll be thinking about that mulita for...