Qué Ricos

If it’s friday night and you find yourself at Qué Ricos on Vermont and Melrose there is a chance you will run into the cholo, the caballero, the punk, the transient, the transvestite, the tweaker, the drunk. It’s a melting pot of debauchery at this 24 hr taqueria. Like syrup on an anthill it thrives, attracting all who want a cheap taco and a brief glimpse into LA’s underbelly.

But it wasn’t friday night. It was thursday afternoon and I had the place all to myself, aside from some crazy mister sitting at a corner table talking to his burrito. Or was the burrito talking to him?

I ordered three tacos -asada, al pastor, and birria but I got cabeza, birria and carnitas.No big deal, I’m a taco hunter. You want me to eat cabeza? You got it taquero. I take this challenge in stride. In fact I wanted cabeza and carnitas anyway! I knew you would change my order so I purposely ordered carne asada and al pastor when I really wanted cabeza and carnitas! hah! taquero you are one step behind the taco hunter.



Oh I wish these tacos would have been grand. Then I could have told my taquero "amigo you surpised me today, how did you know I wanted the cabeza?" Or maybe years later we would reminisce "taquero remember the time I ordered asada and al pastor but you gave me cabeza and carnitas?"

"Oh yes," he would say, "I did not even look at your ticket, I looked into your eyes and I knew what you wanted."


cabeza taco

But taquero in your haste to give me my tacos you left them in a pool of hot oil on the plate. So hot and greasy I had to use a fork to eat the meat off the tacos. Taquero, the carnitas was drenched in oil, the cabeza waxy, and the birria too oily and fatty to enjoy.

I am sad that it came to this really but from now on I must insist that my order be made as requested .No more mind reading taquero.



712 N. Vermont Avenue Open 24/7 Tacos $1 each