Tacos Guadalajara in LA - West Adams

(review #18 of the 30 taco trucks in 30 days challenge)



It’s a van converted into a taco truck. Technically it’s a taco van. It’s called Tacos Guadalajara in LA and it parks at the old location of the Tortas Ahogadas truck at Redondo and Adams in front of the R Bodega Ranch market. The vehicle is reminiscent of a lot of the street dog vendors in the fashion district in Dtown LA. I wouldn’t be surprised if this used to be a hot dog vending truck.





This is a great place to get a taco during the day(and night) because everything is cooked to order. The van is equipped with a grill, several refrigerator compartments and a convenient salsa bar.

I ordered asada, al pastor , and buche and watched as one of the women tossed raw meat on the grill. After the meat is cooked it is taken to the cutting board next to the grill, chopped up, then laid to rest on corn tortillas. You're handed your tacos to garnish yourself from an excellent salsa bar equipped with a spicy salsa roja a tangy salsa verde and all the fixins.


buche, al pastor, carne asada $1 each



James Black of Cincuenta Taquerias tells me that at night they roll out a trompo of al pastor and serve sidewalk street tacos. Our cities arcane anti-al pastor laws prevent this delicacy from being carved during the day. But you can bet that I will be trying some tacos from this trompo very soon.

Freshness is the key here. Everything comes hot on the plate and ready to be devoured. The asada is tender and crispy at the edges and pairs well with the salsa roja which is deceptively spicy. The buche is cooked til crispy and the al pastor during the day is grilled on the plancha.

I was enjoying the asada so I got two more. A thin slice of raw beef was tossed on the flat grill, seasoned and cooked then finely chopped and scooped into tortillas. The ritual started again : the adding of the onions and cilantro, a ladle of salsa roja ; then the first bite and the sensation of hot greasy salted steak and salsa roja that hums on the lips. Then a swig of pineapple jarritos with the sun in my face and then another bite, another swig, and then the last bite and then I was done. For today.

3.5/5

Tacos Guadalajara in LA
5212 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
tacos $1

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