[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap] have roots in the South Bay, Harbor Area, and San Pedro. For my high school prom, I drove all the way from Lynwood to Omelette and Waffle in San Pedro. Almost every Angeleno has fond memories of eating seafood at the San Pedro pier. Most of my 20s were spent working in this huge area of Los Angeles. I worked at a now-defunct taxi company that serviced the South Bay when I was in college. After that I worked as a driver delivering packages from the Amazon overlords in Redondo Beach, El Segundo, and Torrance. Then as a medical scribe in the Gundo for a few years. In other words, I have a real fondness for this part of L.A. because I spent most of my adult life here.
But I have a confession, I never got to really explore the taco scene in the area.
So this list was an investigation to find out what tacos the South Bay, Harbor area, San Pedro, and Willmington are eating. From the tacos only found in restaurants at the beach cities like Manhattan and Hermosa, to the many OaxaCalifornia taqueros in Wilmington, and the various loncheras that set up in the evening on Hawthorne or Crenshaw Boulevard. This is one of the most requested lists we get here at L.A. TACO, and I’m here to present the first comprehensive look at tacos in the South Bay. To finally plug that huge hole in our coverage, by someone who really cares about the area.
But most importantly, this is a chronicle of how vast Mexican food is in LA., from L.A.X. down to the coast, it is EVERYWHERE. As Chicano Batman says in Invisible People, “Best believe we’re taking over.”