Unquestionably, the corny title is part of what makes Taco Tuesday awesome. But in honesty, it’s all about the grub and we hope to bring you to a variety of spaces and places throughout Long Beach that will make you do a lil’ happy dance every Tuesday. Taqueria la Mexicana, the Best Authentic Taco in Long Beach chosen by our readers this year, sadly has no Taco Tuesday. Nor does our ultimate Mexican establishment, Los Compadres (but that is forgivable because they have a spectacular happy hour 4PM to 7PM Monday through Friday that will both satisfy your stomach and thirst). However, as Taqueria and Compadres continue to have flocks of Long Beach denizens flow in for their fantastic carne asada tacos, now is the time to shed some love for the other places that serve our folded friend best.
And now in no particular order…
Simmzy’s
Yup, we’re gonna get a bit snooty–but not with your wallet. Back when Simmzy’s first opened in Belmont Shore, Tuesdays were reserved for the meatloaf for two, but Chef Anne Conness didn’t find it to fit well, noting that two people seemed hesitant to jump in on the same plate. Her idea? Taco Tuesday on a different scale. For $10, you get three beautifully fried tortillas filled with juicy, slightly sweet (thanks to an OJ/beer marinade) carnitas and topped with shredded lettuce, cotija cheese, cilantro, and tomato, and a tall boy. Before you think PBR, think again: you get a stone-cold tall can of New Belgium’s Shift Pale Ale whose hoppiness highlights the delicate sweetness that makes these folded gems absurdly addictive. For the perfect amount of extra flavor, you get a warm salsa verde and chile de árbol red sauce to cap it off with. And when you’re done with your tall boy, well, you get one of the best tap lists in town to choose from in order to complete wash down these elegant tacos.
Simmzy’s is located at 5271 E 2nd St.; Taco Tuesday runs from 4PM-11PM
Tacos Chapala
This tiny spot that is often overshadowed in popularity by the gigantic (and awesome) Los Compadres one building east. And parking is admittedly a pain. And it is oftentimes absurdly hot inside. However, there is no way that anything can throw shade on this joint’s impeccable Taco Tuesday. For the gringo-leaning palates, they offer the typicalities of chicken, carnitas, and one of the best al pastor tacos in the city for $1. For the far more sophisticated–and a quarter more–they offer good ol’ carne asada, lengua and tripas (small intestines that are smokey goodness), the latter two of which are the most delectable in the city. Get two tacos and throw in a Mexican Coke and in return you throw down four bucks. Sold and sold.
Tacos Chapala is located at 3205 E Anaheim St.; Taco Tuesday is all day.
El Torazo
The building of this Eastside joint has had endless monikers front its facade, most of them serving up Mexican (Brenda’s Mexican, La Briza, Mi Tierra) and then a one-time jab at Italian thrown in for the sake of variety (De la Torre’s). But since it’s inception as El Torazo in 2010, luck has seemed to be more on its side, particularly on Taco Tuesday. They have one of the best varieties of good ol’ $1 carne tacos: pollo, carne asada, al pastor, chorizo, lengua, carnitas, and–thank the Mexican-food Gods–tripas. Throw in $2 for fish tacos and sincerely dirt cheap $1.25 canned beer that truly highlights ‘Merica’s obsession with Taco Tuesday (Bud, Bud Light or Coors Light, baby!) and well… This is what T-squared is all about.
El Torazo has two locations: 2801 E 10th St. and 603 Atlantic Ave.; Taco Tuesday is all day.
Holé Molé
“A franchise!” the pundits scream. Yes, we said it. Slightly overrated? For sure. A tad bit greasy? That too (c’mon, there are CHILE RELLENO FINGERS you can have with your tacos). An unbelievable amount of Long Beach-area locations? Yes, convenience can sometimes outweigh uniqueness. But despite the supposed cons, we have two words, geared towards the veggie-inclined and otherwise: potato tacos. Like Rihanna, you know you should stop but don’t. You sadly churn out excessive amounts of money for crispy lil’ 50-cent shells filled with what has to be hashbrowns or some concoction thereof. To add to the inappropriateness, our particularly favorite location at 4th & Tile Ave is not only stumbling distance from all the good 4th St. bars, but it’s also open til midnight (and 2:30AM on weekends, where they offer Taco Tuesday-like prices in the wee hours of the morning).
Holé Molé is located at 1327 E 4th St., 5109 E Pacific Coast Hwy, 421 Obispo Ave., 2125 N Bellflower Blvd. and 1200 E Wardlow Rd.; Taco Tuesday is all day.
El Sauz
This Central Long Beach joint rocks our world on two magnificent levels. For one, their Taco Tuesday is strictly traditional: one buck authentic tacos. That is, unless you wanna take our suggestion and throw down 50 more cents for their shrimp taco, which comes with broccoli and carrots as a garnish (don’t judge, just eat). And if you’re feeling a bit more American and spendy, go for the Super Taco, a fully-loaded flour tortilla that comes decked out with a ton of guacamole (sorry, this isn’t El Torazo so there is no cheese or sour cream). But almost more importantly, they have the a taco window in their parking lot. That’s right: walk up and hang out outside while mowing down on taco deliciousness.
El Sauz is located at 1616 E Anaheim St.; Taco Tuesday runs from 3PM-7PM.