There’s no shortage of tacos in Los Angeles, except for maybe in Little Armenia, but who am I kidding? There are tacos there too. Tacos are everywhere in Los Angeles. I mean er’rywhere. Yes, tacos and L.A. go together like pizza and New York, chowder and Boston, Outback and Orange County — classic combinations that won’t be going away anytime soon.
The humble taco has seen its stock rise in recent years. Purveyors such as Guisado’s and Kogi and Petty Cash have reminded Angelenos that tacos can be about so much more than ground meat, crappy cheese, and some generic toppings (although, when done right, that can still be so good). Throwing their hat into the elevated taco game is Tacos Tu Madre, a funky little taqueria that serves up flavors both traditional and “fancy.” At a recent media-comped meal, I was able to enjoy some of the concoctions on offer, and I’m happy to report that the taco renaissance continues to blossom. Pics of the fun stuff after the jump…
Located in the LA neighborhood of Westwood, Tacos Tu Madre is basically a colorful, glorified shack. Diners order at a window and then can grab one of the very few seats inside their cozy porch. Don’t come here for a group dinner. As for the name, I was rather intrigued. Nothing a visit to Google Translate couldn’t help me with…
By the way, “Spanish Detected” is going to be the name of my taco shop.
The menu at the aforementioned window.
A neat variety of tacos. I ordered the Korean BBQ option, the mole duck, and the pastor, among others.
For the record, the Korean BBQ taco tasted nothing like Korean BBQ. If anything, it was more of a general pan-Asian flavor with some distinct Thai notes. But who cares? It was super tasty and my favorite taco of the night.
Transitioning from the “Korean” taco to the more traditional offerings was something of a challenge. I’d suggest a palate cleanser of some sort (or just order from one category).
The ahi tuna taco (this may have been a tostada, actually) is bright and fresh. I could eat five of these.
And no one can complain when an order of suggestive red velvet churros arrive at the table.
Tacos Tu Madre
1945 1/2 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 654-0664
Facebook.com/Tacostumadre