L.A. Taco Crawl: Part Uno

Not many things can bring a smile to my face in L.A. traffic. The right song on the radio, maybe, or perhaps a particularly humorous billboard. My favorite rush hour pick-me-up, though, is a taco truck in motion. Something about spotting these epic beasts on the go just makes my day. Daydreaming of all the spicy sauces, chunky guacamoles and greasy meats in tow has brought me pretty close to a fender-bender on more than one occasion.

Lately, though, those dreams have been served with a side of fear when L.A. politicians proposed an ordinance to bring these vehicular vendors to the ground. The ordinance struck terror into the hearts of taco lovers city-wide as websites and Facebook groups sprung up to assert that “Carne Asada is Not a Crime.”

To the relief of thousands of drunken night owls, the ordinance was ruled against, though the appeal process has already begun. So while our collective sigh of relief may be premature, I still thought this seemed like a good time to highlight the cream of the taco crop.

In the first of a series on the best taco trucks in L.A., I decided to start in my hometown. The Eagle Rock/Highland Park region is actually known all over the city as having some of the best taco trucks in L.A., and although most of us easterners have done Leo’s before, there are many other gems nearby. For the sake of precision, I will be sticking to the establishments’ namesake—tacos. Carnitas, al pastor and carne asada tacos, to be exact.

First stop, El Pique. This place had the most decorative and extravagant menu of the five I visited. They also have the most extensive menu, but that’s no indicator of good food—sometimes focusing all your efforts into one dish yields the best results. Maybe this lack of focus was El Pique’s downfall, since these were the worst I came across in our neighborhood. At York and Avenue 53, just 100 feet from the superior La Estrella, El Pique’s al pastor lacked flavor and their asada was dry. Their carnitas were their saving grace, with arguably the most flavor of any I tried, but they were also very oily. But hey, they were only $1.10 each.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from El Pique, the La Estrella truck is a very different experience. With hardly a menu to speak of and certainly no brightly-colored signs, I wasn’t even sure if they had all three types of tacos. Boy, did they ever. Their tacos had more meat and overall bulk to them, at only a 15 cent difference from El Pique. The al pastor was delicious, with a sweet flavor much like American barbecue sauce, and their green sauce packed a little more spice than other area varieties. The carnitas, on the other hand, were a little dry, and the asada, though better than their neighbor’s, was not the best I’ve had.

Next up, Rambo’s. I know this place often gets overlooked by all the Leo-hypes of the world, but hold the phone—it’s delicious. For starters, Rambo gets an A for effort by having a giant mural painted on the side of his truck. He also manages to pull off having a varied menu and staying on top of the basics. Take the green sauce, for example—often times, it doesn’t seem like much thought goes into this concoction. Rambo’s, however, has a darker color and smokier flavor, that I’m willing to bet comes from chipotles. Impressed yet? His carne asada also blew me away—it was extremely juicy, yet had no fatty chunks, the result of a great marinade. The al pastor was perfectly subtle, retaining its Mexican flavor roots without an overpowering sweetness. With the same $1.25 price as Leo’s, Rambo’s only downfall is his dry, tasteless carnitas. I guess you can’t get everything right.

My next visit was to Freddy’s on Colorado and La Roda, also known as White Guy taco truck. Yes, he is white. No, he does not have carnitas or al pastor. Yes, his tacos are the cheapest at one dollar each, and his asada tacos are pretty great. The steak was cubed, yet had a Worcestershire-hamburger taste to it. He really piles the toppings on, with tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole, proving that Leo is not the only guacamole purveyor in this hood. I’ve also heard his all-meat burrito is heaven on earth.

Onward! In the home stretch, I decided to revisit the old standard, Leo’s, with the other options fresh in my mind. He doesn’t do carnitas, but the al pastor was spicier than any of the others I’ve tried and had great flavor. My only qualm with it was that the meat was chunked, not shredded. Al pastor is supposed to be made gyro-style on a spit, but this definitely did not look shaved. The carne asada was also a let down—the taste was enjoyable, but the meat cubes were a light grey color that made me kind of nervous. These tacos were $1.25 each, and definitely not the best in the area.

So if you’re looking to gobble up as many shady roadside tacos as you can before food nazis make that impossible, head to Rambo’s or La Estrella to really get your money’s worth.