REVIEW: Taco Trucks

By DAYNA DRUM | Reporter 

Photos by RICH SCHMITT | Staff Photographer

There’s only one food that has earned its own day of the week—the taco. The tortilla-encased delights have long surpassed cultural boundaries and have taken on an identity of their own. But with the Cinco de Mayo holiday upon us, taco lovers everywhere must give credit where credit is due for these beloved creations.

If you’re on the hunt for an authentic taco in Pacific Palisades, then keep an eye out for these food trucks serving up diverse yet reliable morsels. The best part is each taco is less than $2 each.

Whether you’re a faithful taco connoisseur or a budding enthusiast, the food trucks roaming the Palisades offer a variety of flavors, spices and options that are enough to satisfy anyone engaging in a taco hunt.

GRACIAS SEÑOR

Easy to spot as the green truck, Gracias Señor usually parks on Sunset Blvd. outside of the Ralphs parking lot. There is a variety of meat options hailing from both land and sea.

The Pescado (fish) option is topped with fresh, crunchy vegetables, sour cream and served in a soft corn tortilla and leaves just a hint of a spicy aftertaste. The standouts here are the Carne Asada and the Al Pastor meats.

For the taco novice, “carne asada” is usually a grilled and marinated flank steak, and “al pastor” is marinated pork cooked in a shawarma style spit. Both meats are tender, seasoned perfectly and paired just beautifully with the green or red salsa options. However, while still good the Pollo (chicken) taco is more standard and doesn’t leave much of an impression.

Also, if you check in on Yelp.com you earn a free taco, making it a win-win situation. Just be prepared for a line of fellow taco-lovers.

AA PINTO’S FOOD SERVICE

This truck, which can often be found next to Gracias Señor, has fewer meat options but still delivers on what it offers. These tacos are on the larger side of the normal street taco, and each tortilla is filled with a healthy portion of meat.

The chicken option here stands out as above average. The meat is juicy, tender and tastes freshly made.

The outer edge of the Carne Asada pieces is crunchy, slightly charred and holds a good flavor. The Carnitas (a braised pork) is on the dry side, but also still holds good flavor as well.

The Steak Picado is brimming with thick slices of steak and is by far the largest taco on our taco tour. Steak picado is usually cooked with green peppers and onions, but these additions were absent in this particular taco. Be prepared for a spicy aftertaste, it sneaks up on the last second.

LA CHIQUITACOS

This black and red truck can be found on Temescal Canyon Road alongside a few others, and accompanied by a small crowd of faithfuls.

The name doesn’t exaggerate, these tacos are tiny. That being said, tiny things can hold a lot of flavor. The Carne Asada taco is a reliable option. A word of caution: be careful with the red sauce that comes on the side. This salsa is handmade inside the truck and holds a powerful kick. Too much and you won’t be able to taste anything else.

A unique option on the menu is the Chorizo meat taco, which has a nice crispiness to the ground meat but with an overpowering onion taste. The Chicken option stands out as a complex but subtle version of the street taco staple. The meat is moist with a good texture. It’s tossed with tomatoes and has a strong finish.

GALVAN’S

This is one of the neighboring trucks to La Chiquitacos on Temescal Canyon Rd. Each taco has a generous portion and is served in what is hands down the best tortillas of the trucks we visited. The corn tortillas have the look and taste of being freshly made. However, the meat doesn’t hold up to the same standards. The Al Pastor started the taco lineup strong with good seasoning and topped with fresh tasting green salsa. The Carnitas taco was exceptionally dry, tough to chew and was lacking in flavor. The polarity of the two tacos was shocking to the taste buds.

We finished off with the Carne Asada option and while the meat had the look of a promising experience, it also fell short. The lack of flavor and moisture in the meat made the taco a disappointment.