Tacos El Gallito vs El Taquito Mexicano - Pasadena

(El Gallito)




There’s a long running feud between taco aficionados over which taco truck in Pasadena is better. There is the venerable El Taquito Mexicano, a truck on Fair Oaks Blvd
that has been slinging some of the tastiest bombs of flavor you'll find north of Huntington Dr. Then there is El Gallito, a taco truck just 100 yards north on Fair Oaks that boasts one of LA’s smokiest salsas to pair with suadero beef rib tacos and tacos al pastor cut from the rotating spit.Each truck has it's fans and although it's not on the scale of Geno's and Pat's great steak debate in Philly there is a certain amount of loyalty taco patrons show to each truck.


(El Gallito- suadero,asada , al pastor)




The carne asada tacos at El Taquito Mexicano are classic LA tacos. These are small two biters with a spicy salsa roja that have both flavor and heat. The taquero, cleaver in hand, asks what kind of tacos you want, whether you want them spicy or mild and how many. Once he hears your order he chops away like a taquero master scooping up the meat with the tortillas all one motion.

El Gallito(pictured above) offers more variety. The tacos are a little heftier and you garnish them yourself. There’s an avocado salsa, a salsa verde, and a smoky dark salsa. Onions, cilantro, radishes, limes and cucumbers round out the plethora of options to garnish your tacos with. Order the Al pastor that is cut from the rotating spit. If you want something more tender than your standard carne asada order the suadero, a taco of tender beef rib. Pair both tacos with the smoky dark salsa and a bottle of jarritos.


(El Taquito Mexicano)

(El Taquito Mexicano- asada , al pastor)

On the weekends you will find lines at both trucks. Sometimes the line to El Taquito goes all the way to the sidewalk. On my last visit to El Taquito Mexicano there were a couple police officers eating tacos while people ran back and forth across Fair Oaks Blvd clearly breaking the jay walking laws. The police may have understood though, tacos this good may be worth the ticket.

Which truck is better? Neither. When they are both on their game they pump out some of the best tacos in the city. If you prefer small tacos with a spicy shot of salsa that makes your forehead sweat head to El Taquito. If you wan't more complexity and a little less heat head to Tacos El Gallito. Or just do what I do every time i'm on Fair Oaks and try both.

El Taquito Mexicano
tacos $1.20
467 N. Fair Oaks,Pasadena
nightly after 7pm
in the Nishizawa Auto parking lot
4/5
Rate El Taquito Mexicano

Tacos El Gallito
tacos $1.25
400 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
4/5

Rate El Gallito