Taco Town

Mexicali Taco & Co. Recaptures ‘L.A.’s Favorite Taco’ Title; Mariscos Jalisco Wins ‘Best of Show’ at Taco Madness

The calm among the
The calm among the “Taco Madness” at Grand Park L.A. Photo: Colin Browne

Following a month of public voting, Mexicali Taco & Co. was again crowned “L.A.’s Favorite Taco” in L.A. Taco’s “Taco Madness” competition, recapturing the title it was awarded back in 2011 after a hard-fought mano a mano battle with Mariscos Jalisco. The award was announced this past Saturday at “Taco Madness” a first year-event organized by L.A. Taco and Grand Park L.A., dramatically set across from City Hall. Over the course of the sunny seven-hour festival, Guerilla Tacos’ Wes Avila prepared tacos using squash blossom and the fattest asparagus we’ve ever glimpsed, alongside such stalwarts of the taco scene as Yuca’s cochinita pibil, pastor from Tacos Leo, Baja-style battered fish tacos from Tacos Punta Cabra, and the beloved shrimp tacos dorados of Mariscos Jalisco, all of who endured steady long lines.

DEFER adds a mural to a truck at Taco Madness

While local graffiti-art legend DEFER (STN) painted the flank of a large truck and a procession of DJs curated by Azul 213 energized and soothed the spring crowd, a panel of judges including Guelaguetza’s Bricia Lopez, L.A. Weekly’s Tien Nguyen, Street Gourmet LA Bill Esparza, The Glutster’s Javier Cabral, Zach Brooks of Midtown Lunch, and Echo Park Records’ Alexis Rivera voted Mariscos Jalisco’s signature taco in as the “Best of the Day.”

Taco Madness

This year’s Taco Madness competition included such new taco phenomenons as Guerrilla and Punta Cabra, both representing an emergence of excellent tacos engineered by chefs with traditional fine-dining backgrounds. While we tamper our excitement as to what the city’s taco playing field will introduce in the next twelve months, Esparza is showcasing over 30 of L.A. and Baja’s best taqueros in June at L.A. Weekly’s upcoming Tacolandia festival at The Palladium. Clearly, the city’s appetite for incredible tacos knows no bounds.

Congratulations to Mexicali and Mariscos Jalisco!

Mexicali Taco & Co. Recaptures ‘L.A.’s Favorite Taco’ Title; Mariscos Jalisco