Bandito Taqueria serves tender, grilled carne asada in Tijuana-style tacos with cilantro, onions, spicy salsa and creamy guacamole.
(Andrea D’Agosto / For The Times)
11 carne asada tacos to try from the 101 Best Tacos guide
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Los Angeles is the land of tacos. We grab them from copper cazos as the sun rises, duck out for lunch breaks to stand in line at taco trucks and end our nights at sidewalk taquerias. It’s why the Food team spent several months rounding up 101 of the best tacos across the region last year.
Everyone has a go-to taco order, whether it’s spit-shaved al pastor, juicy carnitas or fried shrimp tacos. Next time you’re craving tender carne asada, consult this list that ranges from Tijuana-style quesotacos to an off-menu option topped with pinto beans and griddled with cheese.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Asada queso taco at Tacos El Llano
Palmdale Carne Asada Puesto $
Find Tacos El Llano in Palmdale under tents on an unpaved stretch at East Avenue R and 30th Street East. You’ll see the 7-Eleven nearby, and likely rows of parked cars and a swift-moving line of people. The menu centers on classic taco meats: asada, al pastor (graced with a nick of pineapple from atop the trompo), tripa, pollo, buche, lengua, cabeza and chorizo. Each one hits its mark. The asada stood out, perhaps because it was pulled directly from a grill billowing with smoke, chopped and piled on top of a just-cooked tortilla I’d asked to be lined with cheese. I covered my plate with onions, cilantro, lime juice and salsa verde from a stop at the DIY condiment table, stood in the open air under a hot sun, breathed in the wafting scents of sizzling meat and savored this specific moment of taco bliss.
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(Andrea D’Agosto / For The Times)
Carne asada queso taco at Bandito Taqueria
Santa Ana Carne Asada Dine In $
Born and bred in Santa Ana, Jorge Cantoran and Jesus Aceves grew up together and went off to school in the Bay Area before returning to their hometown, where they opened a taco catering business. They were forced to pivot during the pandemic and began dishing up tacos from a stand that popped up around town. About a year ago, the pair opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. The carne asada taco is solid. Where lesser stands serve meat with the texture of shredded tires, Bandito serves its carne asada juicy and tender — a flavorful foundation for the accompanying cilantro, onions, spicy salsa and guacamole slathered atop the Tijuana-style tacos. The tortillas are fresh and actually carry the flavor of corn. Don’t let the pink hue turn you off. Freshly squeezed beet juice is incorporated into the fresh masa “just for fun,” Cantoran said. It’s also an homage to his grandmother, who liked to lace her masa with other ingredients, such as chiles — an old-fashioned Mexican tradition. But as much as I like Bandito’s carne asada taco, I’m partial to the carne asada quesotaco. While you’re there, also try the chicken and the al pastor, adorned with a ripe slab of pineapple.
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(Danielle Dorsey/Los Angeles Times)
Perron taco with carne asada at Tacos 1986
Beverly Grove Carne Asada Dine In $
Jorge ‘Joy’ Humberto Alvarez-Tostado and Victor Delgado both grew up in Tijuana, but their paths didn’t cross until adulthood when they teamed up to open Tacos 1986. The taqueria mimics the style of tacos popularized by the Mexico border city with handmade tortillas, flame-grilled meats, onions, cilantro and a creamy dollop of guacamole. Since launching as a taco cart in Hollywood in 2018, Tacos 1986 has grown to seven brick-and-mortar locations across L.A., drawing in passersby with bright red logos and the wafting scent of smoky meat. The taco to order here is the off-menu perron, which substitutes the usual corn tortilla for flour and adds a scoop of pliant pinto beans, melted Monterey Jack cheese, guacamole, salsa, chopped cilantro and onions and your choice of meat, though carne asada is the standard. Crusted with cheese, the supple tortilla gains a crispiness and the tender grilled meat imparts an earthiness that offsets the richness of the beans and avocado. Load up on your preferred salsas at the bar and toss in a few slices of radishes for additional crunch and freshness. The house-made jamaica is a perfectly sweetened concoction to wash down your tacos, especially if you tend to overestimate your ability to handle the spicy salsa fresca as I do.
See also: The taquero hero’s journey that led Jorge ‘Joy’ Alvarez-Tostado to create Tacos 1986
See also: The taquero hero’s journey that led Jorge ‘Joy’ Alvarez-Tostado to create Tacos 1986
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Carne asada taco at Brothers Cousins Tacos
Sawtelle Carne Asada Puesto $
Brothers Cousins, in the diverse Sawtelle neighborhood, is an institution. At 5:45 p.m. — 15 minutes before the puesto opens — a line is already down the sidewalk, wrapping into the adjacent Rite Aid parking lot. Blue tents with dangling light bulbs are propped up and a hulking trompo spins while festive music blares from a speaker. Seniors, parents pushing kids in strollers and baggy-pantsed teenagers wait patiently as the taqueros prepare for service. The assembly line moves quickly and efficiently once the stand opens, with six or so taqueros who slice strips of al pastor, stir meats in a choricera, dress tortillas, ladle aguas frescas into cups and take cash.
The pastor is the most eye-catching option. It outsizes the taquero who watches over it, shearing thin slices and finishing them on the plancha directly below. But the carne asada, with crispy edges still juicy with fat and flavor, most impressed me. It has a deep earthiness and hints of citrus that are enhanced with creamy avocado, smoky red and medium-spicy green salsas, not to mention pickled, sauteed and fresh veggies (nopales are a nice touch), cilantro and lime.
The pastor is the most eye-catching option. It outsizes the taquero who watches over it, shearing thin slices and finishing them on the plancha directly below. But the carne asada, with crispy edges still juicy with fat and flavor, most impressed me. It has a deep earthiness and hints of citrus that are enhanced with creamy avocado, smoky red and medium-spicy green salsas, not to mention pickled, sauteed and fresh veggies (nopales are a nice touch), cilantro and lime.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Carne al carbon taco at Apache’s Carnes al Carbon
Huntington Park Carne Asada Dine In $
Flecks of char go airborne every time the chef tosses steak on the charcoal grill at Apache’s Carnes al Carbon, a Huntington Park hole-in-the-wall with just a couple of tables and barstool seating. This is the meat that crowns almost every menu item, with sopes ordered in equal measure to tacos. The dense and chewy discs are worth trying, but the simplicity of the taco, on a small corn tortilla and dressed with chopped white onion and cilantro with a mild red salsa on the side, really lets the deep, smoky flavors shine. The tacos are compact, delicious and addictive and you should order more than you think you’ll want. Get the signature Apache’s agua fresca that mixes jamaica, horchata and strawberry to wash them down.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Carne asada taco at Tire Shop Taqueria
Historic South-Central Carne Asada Puesto $
Angelenos can eat tacos in a thousand different settings, but one nightscape conveys a specific romance: the large tent sheltering grills and bodies in constant motion, blue smoke swirling around bare light bulbs, a horde of people who picked up the scents of mesquite and beef even before they turned the corner and joined the jagged, swiftly moving line. That’s the promise of Tire Shop Taqueria, the Historic South-Central taco stand that originally set up across the street next to the now-closed El Jarocho tire shop. The nickname stuck, though the banner that lists the options for tacos, mulitas, vampiros and other variations says, “Taqueria San Miguel.” Stay alert when it’s your time to order. The crew works to maintain its rapid tempo. Tortillas hit the griddle to order, and the taquero flicks on the dressings for the Tijuana-style tacos in nanoseconds, finishing with a generous blotch of guacamole. Chorizo, pollo, cabeza and al pastor all hit their essential marks, but it’s the feathery-crisp carne asada that best embodies the scene’s smoky allure.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Perro taco at Perro Exquisite Taco
Cerritos Carne Asada Dine In $
The namesake taco here is a behemoth: a girth-y flour tortilla filled with mesquite-smoked flap steak, griddled mozzarella cheese, creamy and plump Peruvian beans, purple onion, cilantro, salsa roja, guacamole, lime, radish and a charred jalapeño. Perro’s short for perrón, the taco style made famous in Rosarito Beach by legendary El Yaqui taqueria, which reportedly received its name when a customer asked for “everything” on a taco and deemed it “perrón” (the same taco inspired Taco 1986’s off-menu perrón too). This one doesn’t disappoint, and it’s so big it’s almost shareable — almost — you’re probably going to want your own. Brothers Luis and Pablo Gavan launched the business from a cart near USC and now have multiple locations — in Cudahy, Cerritos and Lawndale — importing their flour tortillas from Tijuana, where their mom makes these hefty versions with a load capacity to bear all the fillings. The menu has expanded too, now with vegetarian, keto and breakfast versions of the Perro.
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(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
El Pariente taco at Tacos Culiacáncito
Bell Carne Asada Dine In $
The sign for Tacos Culiacáncito at Florence Plaza reads, “Tacos 100% estilo Sinaloense,” so you should already be expecting Sinaloan vampiros and chorreadas on crunchy flame-charred tortillas with squiggles of avocado salsa, the latter with a layer of asiento de puerco. The primary meat choice is thinly cut, juicy and crisp-edged carne asada estilo Culiacán. It’s the star of another kind of taco here: El Pariente, which is a thick handmade tortilla filled with asada and melted cheese and the same delicious lard as in the chorreada. But you’ll also want tacos de chilorio, the Sinaloan braised pork that’s cooked with chiles and then fried in lard. The chilorio is served on palm-size tortillas that you can eat in two or three bites. (Also not to be missed are the papas, loaded potatoes topped with crema, scallions, crumbly bacon and more. The papa exclusiva is served without its skin and in large hunks on top of a layer of asada. Ask for extra of the charred tortillas that are used for vampiros and top those with the potato-asada mixture.)
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(Andrea D’Agosto / For The Times)
Carne asada queso taco at Bandito Taqueria
Santa Ana Carne Asada Dine In $
Born and bred in Santa Ana, Jorge Cantoran and Jesus Aceves grew up together and went off to school in the Bay Area before returning to their hometown, where they opened a taco catering business. They were forced to pivot during the pandemic and began dishing up tacos from a stand that popped up around town. About a year ago, the pair opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. The carne asada taco is solid. Where lesser stands serve meat with the texture of shredded tires, Bandito serves its carne asada juicy and tender — a flavorful foundation for the accompanying cilantro, onions, spicy salsa and guacamole slathered atop the Tijuana-style tacos. The tortillas are fresh and actually carry the flavor of corn. Don’t let the pink hue turn you off. Freshly squeezed beet juice is incorporated into the fresh masa “just for fun,” Cantoran said. It’s also an homage to his grandmother, who liked to lace her masa with other ingredients, such as chiles — an old-fashioned Mexican tradition. But as much as I like Bandito’s carne asada taco, I’m partial to the carne asada quesotaco. While you’re there, also try the chicken and the al pastor, adorned with a ripe slab of pineapple.
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(Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times)
Filet mignon tacos at Tacos Los Cholos
Anaheim Carne Asada Dine In $
Before they became taco entrepreneurs, Josue Maldonado and Michael Alvarado were childhood friends who grew up in Anaheim and got into some trouble running with the wrong crowd. As adults, however, they operate a business so successful that a line regularly spills out the door of their original brick-and-mortar restaurant near Katella High School. They also run restaurants in Fullerton and Huntington Park and plan to open two more locations in Huntington Beach and Santa Ana.
The duo first started selling tacos in front of their homes before they opened their first Tacos Los Cholos in 2019, named as a nod to their former cholo life, says Josue’s brother, Alvaro Maldonado, who manages the Anaheim spot. The tortillas are made fresh every morning by a vendor in Santa Ana. The salsas are delicious and abundant — with seven varieties at the salsa bar when I last visited. And there are 13 different taco fillings – from panela cheese to tripa and two “prime” picks, ribeye and USDA filet mignon – so it can be hard to choose. If you press me on it, the filet mignon taco is my favorite. Mesquite and olive wood charcoal is used to smoke the filet, leaving the meat succulent and flavorful. The filet takes well to a little bit of onion, cilantro and a dash of red salsa. I like the roja salsa because of its mild smokiness with a bit of sweetness. But don’t overpower this taco with too many condiments. Just a bit will suffice. Tip: Avoid the long lines and visit when the restaurant is slow, generally between 2 to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
The duo first started selling tacos in front of their homes before they opened their first Tacos Los Cholos in 2019, named as a nod to their former cholo life, says Josue’s brother, Alvaro Maldonado, who manages the Anaheim spot. The tortillas are made fresh every morning by a vendor in Santa Ana. The salsas are delicious and abundant — with seven varieties at the salsa bar when I last visited. And there are 13 different taco fillings – from panela cheese to tripa and two “prime” picks, ribeye and USDA filet mignon – so it can be hard to choose. If you press me on it, the filet mignon taco is my favorite. Mesquite and olive wood charcoal is used to smoke the filet, leaving the meat succulent and flavorful. The filet takes well to a little bit of onion, cilantro and a dash of red salsa. I like the roja salsa because of its mild smokiness with a bit of sweetness. But don’t overpower this taco with too many condiments. Just a bit will suffice. Tip: Avoid the long lines and visit when the restaurant is slow, generally between 2 to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
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(Sarah Mosqueda / Los Angeles Times)
Wood-fired steak taco at Taco Mesita
Tustin Carne Asada Dine In $
White breeze block walls surround the little oasis that is Taco Mesita, a former Alberto’s-turned-gourmet taco spot. The orange neon glow of the restaurant’s bandito logo lights your way along the drive-through to a tight menu of tacos, burritos and snacks available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Taco Mesita opened in 2023, a concept from Taco Mesa and Taco Rosa founder Ivan Calderon, with his son Nico Calderon at the helm. The Calderons have set out to challenge the notion that fast-food tacos can’t be good tacos by offering a chef-driven menu with competitive prices. Partner and designer Max Moriyama is responsible for the retro branding and outdoor seating, while the Calderons handle the kitchen’s wood-fire grill and take-out window. Fresh pressed tortillas made of organic, finely ground masa hold slow-cooked meats like 12-hour pork shoulder and rotisserie chicken, but it’s the wood-fired steak taco that should be part of every order. Webbed slices of mesquite-grilled skirt steak are cradled in a smooth, blue corn tortilla. Rather than the usual intense bite of raw diced white onion and cilantro, onions are cilantro-pickled. A complex and earthy salsa macha seeps orange through the white taco paper. For more heat, add some of Taco Mesita’s whipped jalapeño salsa, an aerated light green condiment that complements anything on the menu from the chile seasoned tortilla chips to the charred elote. The drive-through, open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, is convenient, but if you have time to grab a seat on the patio, you can enjoy a margarita made with fresh-squeezed lime juice or Modelo or Great White on draft.
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