Taco Zone- Echo Park Taco Truck

One of my favorite late night carts in all of Los Angeles- I’ve seldom been led astray by the tacos at Taco Zone.

At any time of night you’ll see a good mix of Echo Parquians standing in line- from blue collar laborers to hipsters and families. That’s when you know a Taco Truck is a neighborhood staple. The owners are quite friendly and don’t mind orders coming in English (which can be kind of a big deal at some smaller joints and temporary stands).
Taco Zone offers the entire gamut of tacos: carnitas, asada, al pastor, pollo, buche, lingua, cabeza, tripas, and even vegetarian (sidenote: another truck offering veg taco options is located near Rambo’s). The carnitas are some of my favorite in the city- as they are flavorful, and slightly crunchy (usually a sign of overcooking-but in this miraculous case it works to an advantage). The asada is always fresh and lean. I’ve yet to try lingua, cabeza and buche here but the tripas was excellent. Like the carnitas, the tripas were cooked deeply and offered a crunchy experience. Coupled with onions, cilantro and some excellent guacamole salsa- you have yourself taco perfection.

The price is right with each taco costing about $1.10 a pop. Soda runs a dollar, but the horchata runs $1.50. That’s a bit expensive for Horchata, especially considering it comes in a medium sized Styrofoam cup. However, it’s certainly not bad- and is worth a sip especially if dousing your tacos in salsa roja. Plus, pico de gallo is available as taco filler- not shabby at all.

Summary

Taco Zone

Rating: A-
Horchata Grade: B
Salsa Roja– Hot.
Positives: Serve full variety of tacos (Carnitas to Buche) and have mulitas, burritos, and quesadillas too. Excellent pastor and carnitas. Solid asada. Vegetarian tacos (beans) for your hippie vegetarian friends. Full salsa control offering red, verde and guacamole flavored salsas.
Negatives: Can be a little slow. Sometimes might not be there.
Price Per Taco: $1.15
Location: Montana and Alvarado in Echo Park (next to Vons).
Hours: 8PM -2 AM Sun-Fri, 8PM-3 AM Sat