When it comes to taco recs, here’s what the team had to say.<\/p>\n
Andrea Estrada,<\/strong> advertising manager: Long Beach Taco Co.’s<\/strong> fried avocado taco.<\/strong> It sounds really healthy if you remove the word “fried” and is so delicious with one of their 40 brews. Outdoor seating is lively with good people watching.<\/p>\n Brandon Richardson,<\/strong> reporter: I love a hard-shell taco, and Baja Sonora<\/strong> (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year) does it right. It’s big as far as tacos go, and the freshly deep-fried shell is filled with lettuce, cheese, hot sauce and your choice of shredded or ground beef, chicken, carnitas or potatoes. Since it’s a larger taco, you do pay a bit more at $4.25 each. But on Taco Tuesday, from 3 p.m. to close, they go for $2.05.<\/p>\n Fernando Haro Garcia,<\/strong> breaking news reporter: If you\u2019re looking for rich, authentic Mexican flavors, look no further than La Chancla.<\/strong> They serve tacos with stewed meats such as lengua (beef tongue), birria and chicken tinga on their handmade tortillas. Very popular, right now, according to employees, are their birria tacos, served with their rich consom\u00e9 (well seasoned meat broth). For vegetarian and pescatarians, they also have veggie and seafood options. But why stop at good food, when you can also serve some of the best agua frescas (fresh fruit water) in town? The flavors can change each day from cucumber to mango, but they\u2019re delicious. I highly recommend getting chamoy (chili, lime and fruit sauce) on the rim.<\/p>\n Jackie Rae,<\/strong> multimedia producer and columnist: Savage Tacos<\/strong> food truck\u2014the “wild fish tacos,” and it sounds a little weird, but the “Asian wanton tacos” are bomb. Vegan options are also available.<\/p>\n Jake Gotta,<\/strong> social media manager: El Sauz<\/strong> because they give you the real authentic late-night taco experience.<\/p>\n Jason Ruiz,<\/strong> city hall reporter: Amorcito<\/strong> inside The Hangar at LBX. The traditional street tacos are stuffed with your choice of meats (I like asada, carnitas and their chicken ones), but they also have options for non-meat eaters like charred Brussels sprouts and chipotle garlic mushrooms. These filling tacos are just $3 each.<\/p>\n Josh Reed,<\/strong> lead programmer: I like the “Cali elote” taco from Solita.<\/strong> Good mix of sweet\/savory and the crispy potatoes add some variety to the texture. The only problem is sometimes you have to start by eating it with a fork because of how loaded it is.<\/p>\n Jeremiah Dobruck,<\/strong> managing editor: My favorite taco is a little outside of Long Beach at Balam Mexican Kitchen,<\/strong> but I’m going to make an executive decision and say it counts because the restaurant is on Long Beach Boulevard in Lynwood. Every taco there is amazing. They manage to hit this perfect blend of experimental and traditional with tacos like their Korean asada or their rajas, which has a soupy, gooey blend of roasted poblanos, garlic, onion, lime and cream cheese. But their best is a take on the fish taco: the La Paz, with beer-battered tilapia, slaw, chipotle sauce and cranberries on a thick, fluffy blue corn tortilla.<\/p>\n Kat Schuster,<\/strong> assistant editor: Before committing to a roughly 80% vegetarian, 20% pescatarian diet over the past six months, I likely would have plugged the birria tacos at El Sauz.<\/strong> Just thinking about sipping that rich consom\u00e9 is making me question my recent dietary pivot. These days, I\u2019m going to have to go with Playa Amor\u2019s <\/strong>tacos champinones, which includes a deeply flavorful mushroom medley with charred brussels, grilled onions, chile lime peanuts ahi verde and chipotle salsa. (Pro-tip: Playa Amor\u2019s margaritas are delicious\u2014and they\u2019re $8 on Taco Tuesday).<\/p>\n Kate Karp,<\/strong> columnist: I don\u2019t usually eat tacos, but when I do, it\u2019s the mushroom ones at Panama Joe\u2019s.<\/strong> Tangy and better for the weight. They don\u2019t seem to have them on the new menu, but they do have a vegan “soft tacos picadillo” with salsa, corn, \u201cpicadillo vegano\u201d (picadillo is traditionally made with ground meat), which I\u2019ll try next time we\u2019re in.<\/p>\n Thomas Cordova,<\/strong> visuals editor: “Birria taco” from Long Beach Taco Co.,<\/strong> a cup of consom\u00e9 on the side is a must. And honorable mention to Leo’s Mexican Grill’s<\/strong> potato tacos.<\/p>\n Tim Grobaty,<\/strong> senior columnist: I\u2019d go with Los Compadres<\/strong> for authenticity; Lola\u2019s Mexican Cuisine<\/strong> for the salsa, especially the “green crack salsa.”<\/p>\n Here’s a helpful map of the locations mentioned (note: Savage Tacos is a food truck, follow their social media<\/a> to find out where they’ll be):<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/IMG_6789-scaled-1.jpg\")
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