Tacos for Crypto: A Taquería in South El Monte Is Now Accepting Bitcoin for Carnitas
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]acos for Bitcoin, what a time to be alive in L.A.’s Taco Life.
Taquería Periban opened its location in 1996. Is family-owned and operated and a bonafide hidden gem located in an industrial section of South El Monte, just east of Rosemead Boulevard. As you pull up to order and check out their whiteboard with the menu, you’ll see it, next to the Plato de Asada and Sope menu items: “Bitcoin Accepted.”
Periban posted they were accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment recently on Instagram. The youngest member of the taquero family, Anthony (preferred to only use his first name), is the one that is pushing for their establishment to start looking into Bitcoin. He tells L.A. TACO that he has been interested in cryptocurrency since 2016. At the time, he was too young to purchase any. "I tried to convince my parents to buy Bitcoin early on but they thought it was a scam," Alex jokingly tells L.A. TACO. In 2016, one Bitcoin hovered around being worth $800. Currently, as of the publishing of this story, one Bitcoin is worth $33,228.30.
L.A.TACO attempted to make a transaction using crypto but going through some of the scenarios with Anthony, we were unable to make the purchase happen. With conflicting information online and it being such a new way to pay or trade for goods, we gave up after about 20 mins of hitting walls of exchange between person to person. We ended up paying in cash.
Besides a happy belly full of Periban’s carnitas, the big takeaway was the sneak peek into the future of L.A.'s Taco Life. Seeing how the transaction was still not as easy as using an app like Venmo or Zelle, it is only a matter of time until an application facilitates the transfer of cryptocurrency for everyday goods—tacos included.
L.A. TACO will continue scouring the streets of Los Angeles for the next taquería offering crypto for tacos.
2129 Chico Ave, South El Monte, CA 91733
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from L.A. TACO
We Tried Five Hand Roll Bars in Los Angeles. This One Was the Best.
The simple hand roll is decidedly egalitarian and its etiquette straightforward. Now that Los Angeles has become an unofficial hand roll capital outside of Japan, we decided to try five popular concepts across the city and rank them accordingly. Here’s what we found.
Which Car Brand Has L.A.’s Worst Drivers? Let Us Know Your Thoughts And Win Our New Bota Mug
Is it that Tesla driver that just cut you off? An Altima with bald tires? That privileged 18-year-old new driver who barely knows how to maneuver his Land Rover Defender? Or that overwhelmed Van Lifer circling the same block 69 times trying to find parking? Comment on our post to win your free bota mug! Note: Comments on social media will not be entered in contest. Only members can comment on our website. Join now!
Straight From Lebanon’s Streets, These Juicy Sandwiches Are Reviving Eagle Rock Plaza’s Lonely Corner Strip Mall
This new family restaurant offers Lebanese-style "rosto" or roast beef, as well as tender beef tongue, rich stewed chicken liver, maanek and sujuk sausages, and infamously pungent basturma. 95% of their spices come from Lebanon.
Annual Cinco de Mayo Lowrider Cruise Shutdown by LAPD Before Sold-Out Dodger Game, Causing Confusion and Frustration
"Was really bummed to see a dead park with cops standing by today,” an Elysian Park resident told L.A. TACO. “Like, what’s the point of the park?? Also, why do the Dodgers call the shots? They made the calls [to] shut it down,” the resident speculated.
‘We Will Win:’ USC Students Won’t Back Down, Committing To Their Fight For Palestine Despite Arrests
One of their main demands is for the school to not only commit to a complete academic boycott of Israel and their killing of Palestinians, but also to be transparent about how much the school is investing.
