In what proved to be the biggest Taco Madness of all time, over 40,000 unique votes were cast online by taco lovers all over Los Angeles. The finals pitted two of L.A.&#8217;s favorite tacos (and past winners of the online event) against each other in a friendly but intense competition. 32 Taqueros entered, but in…

Taco Madness 2013 Competition Recap: Mexicali Takes Home the Trophy; Mariscos Jalisco Captures Jury Prize

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<div dir="ltr">Shylah Featherstone is a journalism student at Cerritos College and an intern at L.A. TACO, where she covers food, culture, and community stories across Los Angeles. Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, she hopes to build a career in multimedia journalism that connects people through thoughtful storytelling.</div>
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Shylah Featherstone

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Events

The First Native Powwow Comes to Cal State LA After 79 Years. Here Is What I Learned From Attending

<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.</span></p>


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Lauren Bethke

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An Art Show Honoring Sex Work Is Hidden Inside a Fashion District Gallery

The Country’s Most Famous Strip Club Hosted Its First Trans Night and We Were There

L.A. TACO STAFF

Catch Chicano Arts Innovator Gronk In Conversation at Moveable Feast, August 27 In Pasadena

A Filthy Night of Hard-Rocking Sleaze From Your Favorite Jumbo’s Dancer

<p>One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.</p>


Hadley Tomicki

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World Cup Heartbreak Hurts. This Artist Turned That Pain Into New Paintings

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Cockroach Found in Adelanto ICE Detention Cell

<p>Amy Torres is a student at the University of Southern California pursuing her Bachelor&#8217;s in Journalism and Master&#8217;s in Studies of Law. Most of her journalism work has revolved around immigration, sports, and politics. As a native New Yorker living in Los Angeles, she thrives to elevate the voices and stories that shape L.A.</p>


Amy Torres

Three DIY Zine Makers to Support In a Time When Their Craft Is Criminalized

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Taco Members Only

A Persian-Mexican Jam For Hoja Santa Lamb Shanks and Flash Tattoos

<p class="p1">An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.</p>


Memo Torres

<p>Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.</p>


Izzy Ramirez

<p>Odessa Hairapetian is a community-rooted journalist who tells stories of the underrepresented, underground, and unknown. She is passioned by the draw between art and people and empowered by conversation.</p>


Odessa Hairapetian

Here’s Every Single Death Linked to Immigration Enforcement Since Trump’s Raids Began in 2025

<p><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”</span></p>


Janette Villafana

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Food

South Central Is Going Old School to Revive Its Economy: Coupons

<p>Julianne Le graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Le is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


Julianne Le

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Sports

The Unlikely Sisterhood of Women Skaters in Santa Monica

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<p>A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.</p>
