Los California Tacos

Just get the carne asada tacos and ask for hot sauce. Trust me, guys. Oh, and by the way, all the other meat options are great too, however, asada is my favorite.

BEST TACO TRUCK I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.
The line is long but it goes by pretty fast if you have company. Expect to wait 15−20ish minutes & be surrounded by drunks on weekend nights. You order up at the front & get your tacos right away. I had the asada & al pastor. OOOOOHHHHHHH that asada!!! The tastiest & flavorful asada I have had in a very long time. I usually prefer the al pastor over asada but nope, the asada definitely won this time. Al pastor was a bit salty for me but don’t get me wrong, it was great. I’m not sure how much the tacos were but it was definitely less than $ 1.50 each.
Staff is friendly & fast. Parking is on the street of course & it’s not that bad at night.

It’s just tacos and the line moves at a good pace. The food is consistent and glad that they stay open late. They bag up order if it’s togo, but there’s a counter against the wall if you’re going to eat there. Love that they offer lemon wedges too.

Pues Los tacos estan bien solo que son UNOs mentirosos no respetas el hirario sierran media hora antes. 18 – 1 my ass

We always stop here after Kings & Dodger games. Tacos are absolutely delicious! Yes, we usually have a few cocktails in our system when we go here but there’s no denying these are some tasty tacos! Green sauce is a fiesta in my mouth

oh my tacos galore here and good ones too!!!
tucked on fair oaks in front of a mechanic shop lies this here bomb taco truck! It opens til 3 am for all you late owls! The menu is simple and I got myself Asada and al pastor con todo y salsa ROJA!
It is prettttty spicy so i recommend getting it on the side! The tacos are packed with meat and loaded with onions and cilantro. The asada is a little on the dry side but the salsa totally makes it fine. Cool yourself down with a Pina Agua de Fresca and you are solid my friends! Im already putting this as my go to taco place the next time I have a craving… which is like all the time: P

Three and a half star really, but I quite enjoyed it for it being one of the few good trucks in the area.
Taco is thin and not two separate sheets, I liked that.
I wasn’t feeling the carne asada, but the Lengua was pretty good. The green sauce is pretty mild to for all you spice adverse.
Tacos only, so don’t be asking for other stuff.
They speak both English and Spanish
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There is street parking spaces. Google NISHIKAWA Auto service!

We got pollo, asada and al pastor .all of them good but for me al pastor was amazing, the lane wasnt too bad on a sunday evening and it was fast
I will be back for sure !!!

On countless weekend evenings, I have driven by this taco truck and although tempted, have never stopped, despite the lines of people.
BUT, having watched City of Gold documentary, I was feeling inspired and decided it was time to try two of the taco trucks, within a couple of blocks of one another on Fair Oaks in Pasadena.
El Taquito was the 2^nd truck stop. This truck has been parked here since the late ’70’s and there’s a good reason why. There’s free street parking along Fair Oaks.
Although it was raining, there was a line of 3 people. We opted for the Carne Asada & Chicharron tacos. Result? DELICIOUS. The meat was marinated perfectly, tortillas were fresh & hot and fresh toppings of thinly sliced radishes, onions & cilantro. The Chicharron was a bit too hot for me, but husband said he will dream of those tacos; they were that good. I’m no expert, but I found the Carne Asada tacos the best I’ve tried in LA. (Although this wasn’t in the movie, Jonathan Gold named this truck in his top 13 back in 2013; so take his word for it.)
Was able to grab a Horchata which was not too sweet and a perfect balance to the spicy Chicharron.
Finally, staff was fast & friendly. PERFECT.

This is my absolute favorite place for tacos. It is located in the lot of a auto service shop I think. Their tacos are never dry and the tortillas are super thick. Ever since I came here, it puts other taco places to shame LOL. The cabeza here is my favorite.

Price increase again?! Oh well, don’t care… tacos too good, and still way worth it. It’s currently $ 1.38 per taco. I usually take pictures but the tacos couldn’t wait.
Get the chicharron and the cabeza. The lengua is pretty good too. Wash it down with some pineapple fresca… a large one, obviously.
The truck is located in a parking lot that’s somewhat hidden from plain sight if you’re not careful. But just look for the crowd and you should be good.

Chiccaron and al pastor tacos here are bomb.
This is my first Taco Truck being from Jersey and I’m very satisfied.
Open till 12:30am regular night and past 2am on weekends is just amazing for $ 1.38 per taco.

Great tacos, while it is $ 1.50 each, the amount of meat they give is more than the $ 1 taco places so I would say the price is reasonable. Got 4x Chicharrones and 4x Pastor. Chicharrones were delicious especially with red sauce.
Horchata is huge and decided to try it based on the reviews. Huge cup for $ 1.75. Very strong cinnamon taste, if that’s considered good. Don’t really order beverages too often that’s not tea. Personally I’m not too big on cinnamon but it was tolerable.

Never a fail when I come here. After a dodger game or after a Laker game or just to get tacos. It’s the best taco place. Way better then King… You know the name. Will refer all my friends

We were in the neighborhood and wanted some good tacos, so we decided to give this place a try. The only reason they didn’t get five stars is because they got my husband’s order wrong (he ordered al pastor tacos and what he was given were carne asada tacos). It’s a good thing the asada is delicious as hell! He ate them with nothing but good things to say. I had three carne asada tacos with cilantro and lemon (I wasn’t in the mood for salsa), and the meat was so juicy and well seasoned, plus there were no fatty yucky parts, just yummy, well cooked beef. This is a taco truck, so don’t come here looking for burritos or tortas, because you’ll be disappointed. I will come back soon to try the chicken and al pastor tacos (with chili this time!)

El Taquito continues to be my absolute favorite taco spot. Their tacos are full of flavor, the meat is juicy, and the red sauce is damn spicy. It’s perfect after some drinks (tip: go to 38 Degrees Ale House for excellent craft beer). At $ 1.38 per taco, you can’t go wrong. With their huge customer base, they could certainly be charging more! But thankfully, they don’t.
My two favorite tacos are the chicharron (spicy pork) and cabeza (beef head). They’re just packed with flavor. Lengua is less rich, but it’s a crowd pleaser. They also have asada, al pastor, carnitas, and pollo. A lot to choose from!
I’ve had Tacos El Gordo and El Flamin Taco during late nights, but I think El Taquito transcends both of them.

The Horchata rocks. The prices rock. Always friendly and fast service. I like the pollo taco plain. Meat is tender and flavorful. Lines can be long after 9pm most nights. It’s slightly a phenomena.

This place is the spot to go when it’s 11 pm and later and your mind will explode unless you get street tacos.
All of the tacos are really good, my favorite is the asada. Personally I like the verde sauce (less spicy) over the red. Their cilantro onion mix is really tasty.
Cheap, open late, and delicious.

I live in the area so I’m definitely a regular here. Always a safe bet for some damn good tacos. I usually order the Al Pastor and Asada, never fails me. There’s always a long line during the late night hours. It’s technically a good sign!

If you have never been to El Taquito, you have not had real tacos.
This is the REAL DEAL! Their Salsa Roja (Red Sauce) is the BOMB! I mean, I can’t stand super spicy food but this sauce is worth every last drop!
THINGS I ORDER:
Al Pastor (extra onions) + red sauce
Chicharron (it has like pig skin with adds a nice texture to your bite) + red sauce
I would recommend 4 – 5 tacos so you can really savor the taste.
PRICE PER TACO: $ 1.38 + tax

There are better tacos out there no doubt but this place wins on consistency, proximity to my house and late night hours. I usually get cabeza with extra red sauce on the side.
A lot of sensitive people are complaining about the service but what I see are some hermanos on the grind. They’re out in these streets chopping onions and cilantro. Frying meats and what not. They don’t have time for small talk to comfort you on a cold winter night.

Chicharron baby, Chicharron is what’s all about. If you don’t get Chicharron then you haven’t eaten the best tacos this trick has to offer.

Delicious, delicious, delicious! Love the tacos here, they are cheap and fresh, made to order. I loved the chicharron and al pastor tacos the most. The chicharron had a nice spicy kick, so if you like spicy these are the way to go. Very happy to have this truck in the neighborhood!

3.5 Stars
One of the few places that offers tacos de chicharron, the meats are delicious. The red sauce is spicy and flavorful, the green sauce needs some work. The green sauce isn’t spicy at all, I wouldn’t even consider it medium hot more like mild, it also lacks tomatillo flavor.
Their horchata is a must, it’s delicious. The truck itself is very clean and located in a well lit and clean parking lot.
On to the next truck in search of the best tacos.

I told a coworker about this truck, so she went on her lunch break, but I forgot to mention that it’s cash only! I went for her on my lunch break and asked the owner if I could get as many tacos as I could for $ 9. He said that five tacos with tax is about $ 8.50, but he’ll throw in a sixth taco for $ 9! As he was making the order, I told him how I felt bad for having my coworker come to the truck without mentioning that it’s cash only and since she didn’t have time to go to an ATM, she had to come back to work without food. The owner said he hates hearing about people going hungry and threw in an extra two tacos! In all, we received eight tacos for $ 9!
Aside from the awesome service, the food was made quickly and the tacos were great. Soft tortillas, full of flavorful carne asada, with crispy onions and cilantro. I’ll make sure to spread the word about this place. Incredible food and excellent service!

Awesome late night taco truck!
They are located in a auto shop parking lot. Follow google maps.
Lines all night so be ready to wait. Cash only.
They make the tacos right when you order.
All tacos are $ 1.38.
Lengua — My favorite. So much beef flavor in the meat.
Asada — Nice seasoning, a more over and dry then I prefer.
Pollo — Cooked well, one of the better chicken tacos I have had.
Carnitas — Meh. decent seasoning. Could not taste the pork, just had the meat taste.
Great spot for late night munchies after drinking!

Los Mejores Tacos de pasadena california, exelente servicio y deliciosa variedad de tacos :)

My friends and I decided to go for a walk at the rose bowl. After the 3 miles around, we decided to reward ourselves with some tacos. This is the best way to exercise. I’m not sure about the body results but makes us a happy camper for the moment. We walk for tacos. :)
We passed this place a bunch of times and every time there is a long line. Lucky, this time, the wait wasn’t too bad. I ended up ordering one asada and one al pastor. I like mine with everything and with the red spicy sauce. The tacos are $ 1.38 plus tax which comes out to $ 1.50 per taco. I really enjoyed my tacos. I liked the asada over the al pastor. I actually even like the corn tortillas they use. I’m glad they heat up the tortillas. It really yummy and that’s rare coming from a team flour member.
You just stand around and eat. There isn’t much tables and chairs. I really enjoyed the environment. This truck only sells tacos and some drinks. Nothing more. Also, its cash only but there is a Chase bank down the street. For all you chase members.
I would come back again for some more tacos. The people in the truck are super friendly and very quick on their services.

I have only been here once with my co-​workers after work around 11:30PM. This is my first time trying their tacos and my co-​workers said it was really good. Each taco is $ 1.38+ tax which comes out to exactly $ 1.50. They should just list their tacos as $ 1.50.
Anyways… I ordered the carne asada and al pastor. I feel like the meat could have been more flavorful. It tasted a little bland.

Old school taco truck that is basically a beacon in the night for its mish-​mashed followers with only one thing in common: they all asked each other «it’s late, where should we go to get food?»
I suppose some of them also might’ve uttered the phrase, «No, a real food truck.»
Cheap tacos with a variety of chopped up meats. Try cabeza and lengua, get lemon and radishes and eat them standing up at the counter or basically anywhere.

Don’t miss it. It’s tucked in the cut.
To the best taco truck in Pasadena open after 2am. After celebrating birthdays and graduations the homie and I rolled out to a local bar/​club/​restaurant. We got there at 1am and they wanted to tell me they weren’t selling food anymore. So I was starving all night long. Well after the band finished their performance I was on a mission to find food.
I found out this taco truck was the only thing open and I was diggin some tacos at the moment. Pulled up and there was a few people in line and I’m not sure if I was ready for what was in store. I went up and grabbed two tacos off their simple menu. And played it safe with the chicken tacos. Like you can’t mess up chicken tacos right. They asked me if I want everything on it. The red or green salsa, onions, and all the good stuff. So I picked the green salsa.
They were SOOOO GOOD that I went ahead and ordered 4 more! I swear to you I went back and ordered four more tacos speaking Spanish lol. The second time around I got two chicken and two chicharron. I usually don’t do pork but I couldn’t resist this here.
Btw, cash only.

Los tacos estan bien, eh probado mejores, pero lo que no me gusto es un tipo que hace los tacos de camisa azul que creo es el dueño, disculpen por la vulgaridad pero es un pendejo, lo que paso fue lo siguiente: le pedí 5 tacos y le dije que los quería de una tortilla y el tipo me respondió con un tono chocante que para la próxima que pidiera tacos de una tortilla lo tenia que hacer antes de que comenzara a preparar los tacos, heloooo!!! pedazo de animal, se los pedí al mismo tiempo que ordene mis tacos, despues le dije que queríà la salsa a un lado y el tipo me dio los tacos sin la salsa a un lado asi que le volví a repetir que queríà la salsa a un lado y de nuevo con un tono mamón me dijo: el te va a dar la salsa,(refiriéndose al que cobra) COMO ya te había dicho; cuando nunca me dijo nada. Yo no se si este tipo le había bajado la regla ese día o que onda que andaba de malas, pero a mi eso no me interesa su servicio esta de la mierda. Y como cliente merezco un buen trato y respeto pues no me esta dando nada regalado. Cabe aclarar que en ningún momento yo fui grosero con, el solo en este comentario estoy usando palabras fuertes para demostrar que tan mala fue la atención al cliente de este tipo y lo molesto que estoy.

This is my favorite spot for street tacos in Pasadena… been coming here for years. They only sell tacos here and it’s now $ 1.40 each. My go-to’s are lengua, cabeza, and asada with green salsa. If you want radish, you have to ask for them. You order tacos at the window on the right and pay and order drinks on the left.
Taco Options:
Carne asada (steak) — if u don’t know what to get. this is always the safe choice!
Al Pastor (BBQ pork)
Carnitas (fried pork)
Chicharron (spicy pork)
Cabeza (beef head)
Lengua (beef tongue)
Pollo (chicken)
The aqua de pina is also verrry good and highly recommended. Horchata is good too but it tastes grainy to me and I don’t like that because I feel like I’m drinking sand.
This truck is parked inside an auto body shop’s parking lot and there are counters against the cement wall if you want to stand and eat. There’s also one bench.
Parking: There are 2 open spots within the auto body shop but it’s not recommended to park there because it’s hard to see when backing out so just park on the street… it’s free.
CA$H ONLY!

Perfect song to listen to while reading this review: Taquito de Ojo (eye candy):
The taquito to most gringo folk may instill images of those rolled up tortillas that are fried and look like cigars or cousins of cannolis. However, the suffix –ito/​-​ita in Spanish means «little» so taquito really means little taco. Similarly, the next time you eat a burrito you might consider that you are eating a little donkey and when you eat a Chiquita banana you are literally eating a little girl’s banana… wait that doesn’t sound right…
So I think I had to be the last person in Unilocaldom to finally try El Taquito Mexicano Truck (ETMT). Sadly, akin to watching a good movie that is sooooooo overhyped that when you finally watch it you are let down (e.g. Slumdog Millionaire, Quantum Solace), for me, ETMT did not live up to its 5-​star rating.
Don’t get me wrong, these little tacos are good, but, I’ve had better… much better. Perhaps if they had not used duct tape to raise their prices to $ 1.40 this review would be more forgiving… or maybe if I was drunk. But being sober made these tacos soberingly boring.
So for $ 1.40 +tax you get a little double layered tortilla taco with an ample amount of meat that is covered with cilantro and onions to create spillover onto the paper plate. The tortillas are standard factory-​made and are simply there to hold everything together. Call me spoiled, but I’ve had tacos from other trucks/​restaurants that made hand-​made tacos and boy do those taste better.
Meat-​wise, the carne asada looked like minced beef, the al pastor was overcooked and burnt, and the carnitas was okay. Of all the meats, chicharron (spicy pork) was definitely the best. However, like their red hot sauce, the spicy pork was not spicy at all.
I mean, when I think hot sauce, there needs to be a kick. So while I appreciate that it was not burning-asshole-sensation-Montezuma’s-revenge-hot, like everything about ETMT, I expected more. Then again, I am Korean so my barometer for hot may be skewed.
An added disappointment was the absence of a Do-​It-​Yourself (DIY) salsa bar that truly makes a taco truck legit… at least in Los Angeles… then again, this overrated truck is in Pasadena.
So at the end of the day, ETMT’s little tacos were not at the level of «Yay, I’m a fan», but more of an «A-​OK» since I have definitely experienced better.
Like most eye candy, these «taquitos de ojo» looked better than they actually were.
Also, they need to use LIMES not LEMONS, then again what does this Coreano know…

¡Dios mío! ETMT necesito un poquito más!

IT’S ALWAYS TACO TUESDAY AT THIS TACO TRUCK!
BACKGROUND:
Pasadena’s famed taco truck El Taquito Mexicano has a brick and mortar restaurant that recently opened on Lake Ave where they moved from their former digs across the street from La Estrella on Fair Oaks. The new location has plenty of parking which is an upgrade from the Fair Oaks location.
STATS:
Hours 6:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Street parking
EXPERIENCE:
This taco truck was where I got my taco truck cherry popped nearly 15 years ago. Over the years I have gone through phases of savoring the flavors of this taco truck. Not until recently, after an impromptu taco crawl, did I realize that this is the best truck in the area.
Offering Tacos, Nachos, Sopes, Burritos, and Quesadilla with beef, pork, or chicken prepared in a variety of ways, this taco truck is a close second to King Taco’s Taco Truck and it’s my go to spot when in Pasadena and when I don’t want to deal with the traffic and challenges of parking in Old Town. Although there’s usually a line the three gents inside the truck keep the line moving quickly.

If I remember correctly, this truck has been around for a while — before all the food truck craze. You can’t beat $ 1.25 per taco. Lots of different meats to choose from: Cabeza, Lengua, Carnitas, Carne Asada, Chicharon. My faves were the Cabeza and Lengua — so soft and flavorful. Great stop for drunken nights or midnight snacks! Line can get long sometimes, especially the closer it gets to midnight.