Tacolandia, curated by Bill Esparza and hosted by LA Weekly, is back for another year, and promises to be the most comprehensive taco event in the United States if not the world. There are vendors upon vendors, and all of them are hand-selected by Bill, meaning you really can't go wrong anywhere you eat all day long.
That said, your belly can only handle so much taco action, and the event has unlimited bites for all attendees, so you at some point you're going to have to make compromises. If you're a regular reader of this site, you have probably already had some of LA's top tacos, so this list is designed for those already in the know. Here are some potentially under-the-radar tacos that may or may not have big lines, but which will be absolutely worth your time. If you already have tickets, read on, if not stop procrastinating, grab some now and then come back and plan your day...
1. Tacos Baja is an LA institution and a place worth driving to if you don't live near one of their locations. However, despite being one of LA's best fish tacos, they don't get a lot of press and quietly go about their business of creating one of the lightest fried fish tacos we've ever had. They are coming to Tacolandia for the first time ever this year. If you love Ricky's Fish Tacos or Tacos Punta Cabra, and have never tried Tacos Baja's classic version, Tacolandia is your chance to give them a try in their native environment. It should be a nice sunny day, and there's very little better than a Baja fish taco and a cold beer...
2. La Guerrerense has consistently been one of our favorite bites at Tacolandia every single year, but they have always done tostadas. The big news this year is that they will be presenting a taco for the firs time, specifically an octopus taco from their new restaurant, Sabina in Ensenada. Curator Bill Esparza promises it will be "epic". This will probably be our first stop, just like it was the last couple of years.
3. Barrio Cafe is a small, charming, and delicious restaurant, and its owner, Chef Silvana, is one of the most important Mexican chefs in the U.S. Unfortunately for us Angeleños, the restaurant is located in Phoenix, Arizona. We've eaten at the restaurant and it's absolutely delicious, with complex and exciting takes on classics, along with unique dishes and combinations. No word on what Chef Silvana is bringing to Tacolandia, but whatever she cooks will be a must-try.
4. One of the perennial crowd favorites at Tacolandia is always San Diego's Puesto, which does stylish and inventive Mexican-American style tacos. They don't have a huge profile yet in L.A. so your friends may not have heard of it, but once the party starts going, their stand fills with people based on word of mouth. They have won the people's choice award at Tacolandia two years in a row, and are gunning hard to win it again, so get there early and start your day off correctly!
5. If you've been to Tortas Ahogadas Ameca in East Los Angeles, most likely you had the namesake dish, but it turns out they can also make an incredible taco. This year they will be serving Beef birria tacos, which is a typical taco found in LA's Jaliscan restaurants but one that is often overlooked. by patrons and the taco media. The richness of the beef will give you a perfect bite full of flavor that you may not expect, with just enough heat to make you crave more.
There you have it, our list of 5 spots you need to try at this year's Tacolandia. There are limited numbers of tickets left, so get yours now before they sell out.
Below we have the full list of every taco available. Which ones are you planning to try? Let us know in the comments.
Amor y Tacos
Aqui es Texcoco
Barrio Cafe
Benaddictz
Birrieria Jalisco
Birrieria Nochistlán
Broken Spanish
Burritos La Palma
Cacao Mexicatessen
Caló Provisions
Carnitas El Momo
Casa de Brisa
Casa Oaxaca
Cascabel
Cassell’s Hamburgers
Cena Vegan
Ceviche Project
Chalio Mexican Restaurant
Chef Priscilla Curiel
Chicas Tacos
Chichen Itza
Cielito Lindo
Cities
Cobblermania
Colonia Tacos Guisados
Coni’Seafood
Coolhaus
Corazon Cocina
Corazón de Tierra
DELALUZ and Bocanegra presentes En Tu Boca
Dia de los Puercos
Don Ramen
East Los Musubi
El Coraloense
El Shuko Guatemalan Cuisine
El Tepeyac Cafe
Ephen Tacos
Erizo* BAJA FISH HOUSE & MARKET
Fat Dragon
Fresh Love Bites
Galaxy Taco
Gracias Señor
Guerrilla Tacos
Helados Pops
La Cahua del Yeyo
La Carmencita
La Fonda De Los Camperos
La Mascota Bakery
La Monarca Bakery
Las 7 Regiones de Oaxaca
Las Molenderas
Little Llama Peruvian Tacos
Los Dogos Sonora Style
Loteria Grill
Macheen
Mariscos El Bigotón
Mariscos El Marinero
Mariscos German
Mariscos Guerrerense
Mariscos Jalisco
Mascarpone Cheesecake by Chef Turok
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
Mexikosher
Mezcalero
Mondo Taco
Naugles Tacos
Petty Cash
Pez Cantina
Pink Taquiza
Puesto
Quality 1 Ice Cream
Ragtop Fern’s BBQ
RBTA x Monkey Bar
Revolutionario LA Food
RJM Mexican Grill
Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen
Romega Taqueria
Romero y Azahar / Alfredo Villanueva
Salazar
Sammy’s Mexican Corn
Shuck Oyster Bar
Slapfish
SOL Cocina
Sonoratown
Ta’ Carbon Mexican Taqueria
Tacolized Taco Bar Service
Taco Mell Catering
Tacos Baja
Tacos Kokopelli
Tacos Way
TacoTeca
Taqueria Vista Hermosa
The Chori-Man
The Taco Man
Tlayuda L.A.
Topanga Tacos
Tortas Ahogadas Ameca
Vchos Pupuseria Moderna
Westside Taco Co.
White Boy Tacos
Zamora Bros
All photos via instagram.
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