Tacos Y Cemitas El Monchis

When I first started this blog several years ago my goal was to eat off every taco truck in LA. It was a goal more suited for fantasy than reality. Because depending on who you talk to and depending what you classify as a taco truck LA has over 10,000 mobile eateries roaming the streets.

However unattainable that goal may be it is still what inspires me. So I figured from this point forward , or for the foreseeable future this blog will focus solely on the taco truck. There are hundreds of taquerias and restaurants in LA that are taco worthy but If I’m going to get anywhere near my goal it’s time to focus on the lonchera.

Most of the taco trucks I have reviewed come from reader tips. When I reached out that I needed a list of taco trucks that are out during the day the tips rolled in. So keep sending them in, even if you haven’t tried a particular taco truck and have just seen it around let me know.

El Monchis was one of those tips. The tipster hadn’t yet tried the tacos but had seen a line during lunch time for this taco and cemita truck that parks at the corner of Atlantic and Hubbard in East LA. There aren’t that many great day time taco trucks so I was curious.

The menu is quite large with everything from the exotic to the usual. They have quesadillas de huitlachoche(corn smut), enchiladas de mole, cemitas de pierna enchilada (don’t know what this is), cemita de cueritos and tacos de barbacaoa, buche, al pastor, carne asada, chorizo, and carnitas.



There was no al pastor on the menu so I ordered chorizo, asada, and carnitas. The carnitas was the best of the three, the soft pork was moist and tender. This wasn’t great carnitas by any means but it was passable and with a flavorful salsa roja it worked quite well. Neither the chorizo or the asada were very good. The asada and a gummy texture, and was too greasy for not having any flavor. Not even the salsa roja or a bite from the jalapeño helped add anything interesting. The same could be said for the chorizo which was too mild in flavor . Most chorizo I’ve had off of taco trucks is usually overly spiced and mushy in texture. This chorizo was the opposite, finely cut bits of sausage with a subtle flavor.

If I were to eat at this truck again I would be a little more adventurous. I’d maybe try the tacos de cueritos or the quesadilla de huitlachoche. There is something here that’s attracting the locals it’s just not the usual tacos.

2.5/5

El Monchis
700 S Atlantic Blvd,East Los Angeles
90022
Atlantic Blvd and Hubbard St