L.A. TACO is embarking on its biggest mission yet: to create a taco guide for every single neighborhood in Los Angeles! Along the way, we will also be releasing brief histories of each neighborhood to understand L.A. a little more and why each and every neighborhood that makes our fine city is unique in its own way. Check out our neighborhood page to get to know why Los Angeles is the best damn city in the world.
Koreatown is a neighborhood in the center of Los Angeles County, roughly 2.7 square miles total, and for its small size has had a significant impact on the rich history of L.A. With all of its rich racial history, the neighborhood has also had its history of racial tensions, most notoriously the ‘92 riots and most recently the scandal surrounding a leaked recording of council members making disparaging remarks against black folks and Oaxacans while attempting to redistrict Koretown to weaken the voting power of renters. Oaxacan residents in Koreatown didn’t take the racist remarks lightly, showing up to march in protest at city hall and encouraging everyone to support local Indigenous-owned restaurants.
Koreatown has a bustling nightlife scene jam-packed with karaoke, fancy cocktail bars, dive bars, restaurants, and one of the most historic music venues in the whole city. You can find food from the three largest community groups in Koreatown: Mexico, Central America, and South Korea. However, certain parts of South America and even Greece are also represented.
Since there are so many strip malls and major streets that run through Koreatown, there are many significant areas to set up taco stands. I’m from Koreatown, and I will be the first to admit that the best tacos in L.A. are most likely in Historic South-Central and East L.A. That being said, Koreatown has always been important to the history of tacos in Los Angeles, like when the owners of El Taurino brought the 4-inch tortilla die cut from Mexico City back in the 70s in a suitcase. Without further ado, here’s an honest Koreatowner’s list of the best taco places to eat while you’re in the most excellent neighborhood in Los Angeles County.