La Estrella Tacos

For starters… I found a hair in my burrito and they have a debit/​credit card fee. Did you know it’s illegal to charge a credit card processing fee for a debit card?
«No retailer… may impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check or similar means…» Statute: Cal. Civ. Code § 1748.1(a) (West)
Who cares though, places like this are above the law.
But the food oddly is good still lol… has a good balance of tart and salt. Some fat chunks, but they need to make money somehow. Yup, buying low quality cuts of meat is a good method to make them money. As of January 30^th they raised the prices, and it hasn’t been the first time they did this either. For what? The quality didn’t increase. They’re lucky I gave them a two star to be honest. Whoever runs this business needs to take a closer look at how the operation is run and find ways to streamline costs/​quality.

My late-​night taco rendezvous.

My husband and i come here for late night eats! (That’s a star for being open late and nearby) Their carne asada nachos are bomb! (deserves a 3 stars) That’s all i can tell you cuz that’s all we ever order every time! But the place could use more updated tables to sit and eat on for people that want to stay and eat. (Minus a star) even though it’s No prob. for us since we order to go!

OK this place is pretty good, tacos are good and the red sauce is great so is the green. this place was a nice surprise, be prepared to wait a little for your food though it always seems to take a long time.

One word: BOMB. The carne asada tacos are a must have. The burritos are really good too. If you don’t eat too much spicy I would recommend putting the hot sauce on the side, but the red sauce is the best!

Reviewed tacos–
Al pastor
Asada
Carnitas
All 3 were dry and flavorless
We ordered burritos of all 3 meats as well and they all sucked too. Each time I bit into my Asada burrito I got a mouth full of that disgusting hard muscle, so gross! Half of my burrito ended up spat into a napkin. It took my daughter 4 salsa cups to be able to finish her burrito cause it was so dry.
La Estrella taco truck on York is great, so I’m unsure why this place is so awful. We ate here twice before I reviewed, the first time I thought they just had an off day, but nope it just plain sucks. We will never eat here again.

This place will not disappoint you! My boyfriend is so picky about how flavorful and cooked the food is, and this place has his approval. I love that the Carnesada doesn’t have chunks of fat attached to every piece! The meat is well seasoned and the portions are good. One thing that bothers me is CASH ONLY. There’s an atm by the register, but it’s all dingy. Bring your cash! Great food I swear by this place. It’s mine and my boyfriends go to place. Just as good as king taco

I give it a one for tonight.
Horrible service. The front man, for tonight, was very rude, loud and disrespectful. I love this place but with this bad service I won’t come back.

A co-​worker, who grew-​up in Highland Park, recommended this place to me. Very busy with locals, this shabby «hole in the wall» delivers some of the best Mexican street food I’ve ever eaten! The El Pastor is my favorite. Also make sure to request the «red» sauce on the side. It is so good and to die for!

Lengua was tender, carnitas was fine the al pastor was not as good as tacos Leo on Glendale by the car wash. But this was the only place open nearby.

I came to Estrella on a Friday and got the al pastor burrito. The pork was insanely flavorful and cooked perfectly. The rice and beans in the burrito were just okay, however, and didn’t add much to the flavor.
I came back the day after and got the pescado burrito, which was outstanding. The fish was deep fried and not necessarily the highlight, but the combination of the cabbage and salsa, combined with the crispy texture of the fish, made the burrito a winner.

Bare bones restaurant, no parking lot nor dining room. Just a couple of outdoor tables.
No place to go out of your way for, but convenient for pedestrians in the area, if you’re shopping along Figueroa, or attending some event at the park next door.
Nice pictures of the menu items to choose from.
Quick, cheap, basic.

Ok, so we had read the raving reviews from different local news outlets and my honest summary of the place was: Unimpressed!
The guy at the counter was so very rude to a lady who only wanted to purchase salsa and the lady repeated herself so many times I could not help but think the guy was purposely embarrassing and humiliating her. That was not an appropriate way to treat anyone. It made me feel very uncomfortable and annoyed at the guy who then tried to charge the woman $ 8 for King Taco tasting salsa which was very good.
The asada tacos were bland and dry. The carnitas tacos were slightly better. My husband ordered a burrito which he said was «ok».
Overall this place a mediocre, in a shady and dangerous corner and for better tacos I say spend your money at King Taco! You can’t go wrong there.

Great tacos and good prices. I was sent here by a chic at Mount Analog record store when I requested directions to a good taco spot close by.
I got 1 chicken in a hard shell, 1 carnita in a hard shell, 1 fish in a soft shell & 1 shrimp in a soft shell. All 4 were really good. The stand out was the chicken. The shrimp & fish were both more than double the price of the carnita & chicken. I would probably stick to the chicken next time. Although I saw someone else eating a rice dish that looked pretty good too. So maybe I’d try that… Limited seating out doors with a pretty mural painted on the side of building. Pleasant service at the order window. And they except American Express. Would certainly go back when in the Highland Park area.

The real deal, great northern Mexican food, well prepared and constructed.
This site used to be a hangout back in the 60’s, and as I drove by I had to stop.
These are the best tacos, ever… and they’re right here, not someplace miles away, not when your tummy is rumbling and your thoughts are tumbling and all you want is some mouth happiness… come here!
Great menu, ask questions if needed, as they’re helpful folks, as are some of the locals.
And the prices are very good, as well.
Enjoy!

If I had to choose between this place and a few of its neighbors, I’d only come to Estrella if everything else was closed.
I think Walter said exactly what I was thinking — the food is kind of bland.
I am from San Diego, and I LOVE food stands and smaller places that give KILLER flavor and large portions on the cheap.
I really wish this place was that.
I hope it is next time!

My BF if from South Pasadena so whenever we come to visit his parents this place is a MUST stop for us.
These tacos are the real deal… Traditional street tacos with incredible flavor and out of this world salsas. We always get the al pastor tacos and the carne asada tacos. Don’t even get me started on the carne asada burrito because it is literally the best burrito I have ever had.
Last things last… Don’t listen to the Unilocal hours on here… It’s open ²⁴⁄₇ so late night drunk dining is not only welcome but highly recommended. I love this place!

My friends go here, but I think they are much safer because they eat meat. I ordered a burrito and felt sick later that night. I’m a vegetarian and ordered my staple, a bean & cheese burrito. Harmless right? Well, that night my tummy had a really bad ache in it. Think they cook it in too much lard is my guess?
Overall, it’s a great joint if you’re a meat eater. This is a walk up joint, no restaurant dinner. Park on the street.

Just your typical Mexican joint. Nothing fabulous about it. It fills you with average food when you are in a crunch (time or cash). I had a carne asada burrito. It was ok.
I’ve had way better, but this would serve as a quick pit stop if you are taking the Gold Line somewhere.

Unilocaler Alixandrea M said that this is her favorite taco stand in LA. I don’t have one favorite — because I like so many — so I took her good advice and bookmarked La Estrella Tacos.
After two visits of fish tacos and horchatas, I’m adding this to my list of favorites. The tacos were so good because the chopped vegetables and incredible salsa added so much flavor. I was happy.
Visually, there’s a lot going on here. This taco stand is covered in murals and the business across the street has a gigantic mural, too. With a Metro train running behind this stand every few minutes and cars whizzing by, there’s always something to watch. La Estrella gets bonus points for being open 24-​hours-​a-​day.
The only odd aspect of the bustling scene is the Taco Bell across the street. Why would anyone go there when La Estrella is right here just a few steps away? As I eagerly stuff fish tacos into my mouth on future visits, I will scowl at that Taco Bell as I’m reminded that there are things in life I will never understand.