Echo Park is a tough town.It’s also tough taco territory. Don’t even think about serving up some half assed tacos in Echo Park. Not if you want a regular clientele and some respect in the taco community. It’s not exactly a taco mecca like Highland Park or El Sereno but the folks in Echo Park know a good taco when they taste one.
Which brings us to the Taco Zone at Alvarado and Montana Ave. These ladies know how to prepare a taco. Soft toasted corn tortillas and tender meats with a smile.
It’s a farmiliar scene. A pot boils inside the truck, a cylinder grill smokes with meats, taco patrons hustle up to the counter peppering their tacos with chile salsas and onions and cilantro.
I order asada, al pastor and suadero. The asada and suadero(rib meat)soft and just greasy enough to soften the tortillas. The al pastor tender with a sweet glaze, a little crunch and alot of flavor. All the tacos doused with a red chile salsa that brought the heat.
Homemade horchatas or cans of soda from a iced bucket to wash down your tacos. Take away salsa cups available for those on the go.
Overall excellent tacos at one of Echo Park’s most well known taco wagons.
Rate Taco Zone
Taco Zone Alvarado & Montana Ave (north of sunset blvd next to Vons) Tacos $1
From the looks of it, the cilantro y cebolla are way too big, as if they cut it up in a hurry, how'd it seem to you? I think it's gotta be finely chopped, those kinda details always make the difference.
ReplyDeleteThey make a veggie burrito here that's a bit different, mainly because they grill it after they roll it up, which is interesting. Not bad, but not my favorite.
Thanks for the great taco pics!
el chavo
ReplyDeleteyeah now that you mention it the onion was cut too big. Made the tacos a little too oniony. Finely chopped a la king taco is the way to go.
Every taco truck should have one of those tiny Cuisinart Mini Chop-Chop food processors for cebolla y cilantro duty. They come in electric and manual varieties. Why waste time and risk precious taco-making digits with a knife and cutting board?
ReplyDeleteA genius chef (www.indiajoze.com) once taught me that if you want to make a dish that people will really enjoy, you have to remember that SCALE is everything. Each piece of the dish should have a pleasing scale in relation to the other pieces. For me, it was a spiritual revelation.
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This is the greatest blog ever. Thank you lord.
ReplyDeleteI had three of their carnitas tacos on Friday night...and am still dreaming about 'em.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
glad you tried tacos al domicilio. not the best tacos in LA but at least i can walk to them!
ReplyDeletei tried la taquiza on your (and others) recommendations. and the al pastor was fabulous. my watermelon juice was fantastic as well. thanks and happy eating!
I used to live in Echo Park, and there was stand on the southeast corner of Sunset and Alvarado, with a fast moving line that went down the block, and they had the best, I mean the B-E-S-T soft-shelled tacos I've ever eaten.
ReplyDeleteA steaming hot flour tortilla stuffed with great big tender (falling apart) hunks of flavorful pork, chopped fresh cilantro and a fresh salsa that brings tears to my eyes just remembering it. For some reason, I remember that the meat was slow-pit-roasted. They cost 50 cents each. We'd order them by the dozen, get some Dos Equis, and go eat them by the lake.
Do you know if it's still there?
i think youre talking about the car wash taco stand.. which is gone. (to the sunset and alvarado question..)
ReplyDeleteI actually took home a carnitas taco and had intercourse with it. It was that good.
ReplyDeleteThe suadero tacos here are the best I've ever had in my life. Make sure you get them "dorado."
ReplyDeleteFirst, the two main things about this stand are that the pico de gallo is excellent, and they have chopped cucumbers to put on your taco. I get 5 asada and it can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteAlso the car wash taco truck is back. I'm not sure if it's the same one but there's a cute girl working the window and it's fun to see the dudes flirt with her...not great tacos though...
I am a taco enthusiast. I went to San Diego State U, and tacos were a staple there. Coming to LA was like going to Mecca, or India or something. I have been going to Taco Zone (aka Taquizas de Domicilio) for over three years, and have not once been disappointed. The spicy avocado salsa is the best on the al pastor tacos. Keep it up, and maybe hit up this place again cause I think it deserves a higher rating.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
It should be noted that Echo Park is not a "town", as suggested in the opening of this (very excellent by the way) piece. EP is just a neighborhood, and it's all within L.A.-proper. Just clearing that up.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Having hit Taco Zone many a late night, and even sometimes when I'd planned on cooking dinner but got disgusted by the line at the Vons, I highly recommend the chorizo tacos above all the others. Spicy, meaty, savory, and crispy at the edges, it's truly special. Also, try a chicken/cheese mini-quesadilla.
ReplyDeleteI'm from southbay San Diego originally which has taco shops that destroy these all these places, but of all the spots in LA this is my favorite. 10 carne asada mulitas with the avocado sauce! Life changing. And shut up with your diced onion garbage, you have no idea what your talking about. Solid A.
ReplyDeleteone word .... CABEZA ! delicious, delicious, Cabeza the best around. So tender and tasteful is the cows cheek at Taco Zone. But I dont know about tacos really just pizza, check out my pizza blog for good pizza spots,
ReplyDeletejust click my profile thanks
This rating is way too low!
ReplyDeleteThe suadero at TZ is better than King Taco's and the asada matches up just as well; I'd say it's on par with El Taco Llama's in NoHo.
El Taco Llama got a 4 out of 5 and whie their asada is the best in the valley, their carnitas are bad and the pastor is just good.
Taco Zone deserves a 4.5 at least!
this place is amazing. if you go, you need to try the SUADERO. it's some kind of fried mexican brisket and it's incredible. i actually grabbed their phone number from the side of the truck... (818) 390-4146.
ReplyDeletehey man, you do the toppings yourself at taco zone. it's all about their freaking amazing meat. You could look through the cebolla y cilantro yourself if you wanna find the finest cut pieces too. Also their sauces are the bomb.
ReplyDeletethis place is amazing. if you go, you need to try the SUADERO. it's some kind of fried mexican brisket and it's incredible. i actually grabbed their phone number from the side of the truck... (818) 390-4146.
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