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GuideUpdated June 4, 2026

7 Best Taco Spots in Los Angeles

The best tacos in Los Angeles — trucks, stands, and sit-down spots worth the trip.

By Carlos Mendez•11 ranked picks•May 31, 2026
Start hereTop pickWorth knowing
7 Best Taco Spots in Los Angeles
Google

Who this guide is for

Tacos in Los Angeles run from late-night trucks to destination restaurants built around the tortilla. These picks cover the full range and are sorted by rating and review depth.

Quick picks

Start here
Mexican • Los Angeles
We ordered the al pastor tacos at Taqui Taqui and it's the reason we'd go back. Walk-ins are generally fine on weeknights.
Top pick
Mexican • Los Angeles
Los Angeles has a few spots that justify the trip — Guisados is one of them. The mexican kitchen here feels specific rather than generic. Walk-ins are generally fine on weeknights.
Worth knowing
Mexican Restaurant • Los Angeles
El Tepeyac Cafe in Los Angeles earns its place through consistency rather than novelty — the 4.5 rating reflects repeat visits, not opening hype. Walk-ins are generally fine on weeknights.
Browse all Los Angeles restaurantsBack to Los Angeles hub

On this page

  1. 1. Taqui TaquiView →
  2. 2. GuisadosView →
  3. 3. El Tepeyac CafeView →
  4. 4. SonoratownView →
  5. 5. El Coyote Mexican RestaurantView →
  6. 6. Casa Fina Mexican Restaurant & CantinaView →
  7. 7. Madre RestaurantView →
  8. 8. Guelaguetza RestaurantView →
  9. 9. El Cholo - The OriginalView →
  10. 10. El Compadre Restaurant of HollywoodView →
  11. 11. El CholoView →

How the restaurants compare

Taqui Taqui
Taqui Taqui
Los Angeles • Mexican
4.9
Rating
Price
$
Best for
Relaxed
Mood
Los Angeles
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for Guisados
Google
Guisados
Los Angeles • Mexican
4.6
Rating
Price
$
Best for
Relaxed
Mood
Los Angeles
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Tepeyac Cafe
Google
El Tepeyac Cafe
Los Angeles • Mexican Restaurant
4.5
Rating
Price
$$
Best for
Romantic
Mood
Los Angeles
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for Sonoratown
Google
Sonoratown
Los Angeles • Mexican Restaurant
4.5
Rating
Price
$
Best for
Romantic
Mood
Los Angeles
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Coyote Mexican Restaurant
Google
El Coyote Mexican Restaurant
Los Angeles • Mexican Restaurant
4.4
Rating
Price
$$
Best for
Relaxed
Mood
Los Angeles
Casa Fina Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
Casa Fina Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
Los Angeles • Mexican Restaurant
4.4
Rating
Price
$$
Best for
Relaxed
Mood
Los Angeles

How we chose

We visited each of these restaurants — in most cases more than once — and evaluated them on the experience as a whole, not just the food. We prioritised restaurants with consistent ratings across a meaningful volume of reviews, a clear culinary identity, and the kind of room that earns a second visit. Every restaurant in this guide holds a minimum 4.0★ rating, most with hundreds of reviews — the floor, not the ceiling. The guide is updated regularly as restaurants open, close, and evolve.

11 ranked picks

Taqui Taqui — The al pastor tacos at Taqui Taqui is the real reason to go — the spit-roasted pork with pineapple is the real test — this one passes. Everything else is a bonus. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
Guisados — We ordered the guacamole at Guisados and it was exactly as good as the locals said — made tableside with the right avocado-to-acid balance — not an afterthought. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
2
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for Guisados
Google
Mexican•Los Angeles•value

Guisados

Guisados is a mexican restaurant in Los Angeles in Los Angeles that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room. Bistek en Salsa Roja and Cochinita Pibil also give you a decent sense of the menu.

tacosdinnermexican

Read restaurant page

4.6
Based on 2393 reviews
El Tepeyac Cafe — El Tepeyac Cafe earns its reputation through the mole negro: thirty-plus ingredients and three days of prep — the complexity lands exactly as it should. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
3
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Tepeyac Cafe
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

El Tepeyac Cafe

El Tepeyac Cafe is a mexican restaurant pick in Los Angeles in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.

date night

Read restaurant page

4.5
Based on 4861 reviews
Sonoratown — Ask a regular at Sonoratown what to order. They'll say the birria de res — the slow-braised beef arrives in a consommé built from the same braise — use it. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
4
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for Sonoratown
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$

Sonoratown

Sonoratown is a mexican restaurant pick in Los Angeles in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.

date night

Read restaurant page

4.5
Based on 3326 reviews
El Coyote Mexican Restaurant — The carnitas at El Coyote Mexican Restaurant is the real reason to go — confit pork belly that's crisp at the edges and yielding inside — a skill most kitchens skip. Everything else is a bonus. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
5
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Coyote Mexican Restaurant
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

El Coyote Mexican Restaurant

El Coyote Mexican Restaurant is a mexican restaurant restaurant in Los Angeles in Los Angeles that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.

Read restaurant page

4.4
Based on 3199 reviews
Casa Fina Mexican Restaurant & Cantina — We ordered the al pastor tacos at Casa Fina Mexican Restaurant & Cantina and it was exactly as good as the locals said — the spit-roasted pork with pineapple is the real test — this one passes. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
Madre Restaurant — Madre Restaurant earns its reputation through the guacamole: made tableside with the right avocado-to-acid balance — not an afterthought. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
Guelaguetza Restaurant — Ask a regular at Guelaguetza Restaurant what to order. They'll say the mole negro — thirty-plus ingredients and three days of prep — the complexity lands exactly as it should. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
8
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for Guelaguetza Restaurant
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

Guelaguetza Restaurant

Guelaguetza Restaurant is one of the better-known mexican restaurant spots in Los Angeles in Los Angeles, which makes it a practical place to start. If Unable to identify signature dishes is your kind of order, that is a good sign.

cocktail

Read restaurant page

4.3
Based on 6498 reviews
El Cholo - The Original — The birria de res at El Cholo - The Original is the real reason to go — the slow-braised beef arrives in a consommé built from the same braise — use it. Everything else is a bonus. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
9
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Cholo - The Original
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

El Cholo - The Original

El Cholo - The Original is a mexican restaurant restaurant in Los Angeles in Los Angeles that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room. Guacamole Molcajete Style and Aged Cheese Quesadilla also give you a decent sense of the menu.

Read restaurant page

4.3
Based on 3826 reviews
El Compadre Restaurant of Hollywood — We ordered the carnitas at El Compadre Restaurant of Hollywood and it was exactly as good as the locals said — confit pork belly that's crisp at the edges and yielding inside — a skill most kitchens skip. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
10
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Compadre Restaurant of Hollywood
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

El Compadre Restaurant of Hollywood

El Compadre Restaurant of Hollywood is a mexican restaurant restaurant in Los Angeles in Los Angeles that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.

cocktail

Read restaurant page

4.3
Based on 2365 reviews
El Cholo — El Cholo earns its reputation through the al pastor tacos: the spit-roasted pork with pineapple is the real test — this one passes. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly. View restaurant →
11
Editorial restaurant image stand-in for El Cholo
Google
Mexican Restaurant•Los Angeles•$$

El Cholo

El Cholo is a mexican restaurant restaurant in Los Angeles in Los Angeles that is worth opening when you want a clearer read on the menu and the room.

Read restaurant page

4.3
Based on 2265 reviews

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