Once again, it is Taco Tuesday! It is impossible for me to choose my favorite taco joint. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! However, I can help you narrow down your choices. This week, I wanted to talk about Mexicali Taco & Co. in Los Angeles. What started as a taco cart on 1st and Beaudry, has turned into a small restaurant near Dodgers Stadium. Edras Ochoa and Javier Fregoso have brought flavors from their childhood in Calexico to LA, and in doing so, have landed on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. Impressive? Yes. Well deserved? Hell yes!
Our tacos of choice were the Shrimp Taco, the Chorizo Taco, and the Al Pastor Taco. The Shrimp Taco was served on a cheesy corn tortilla garnished with fresh cilantro. Unfortunately, I am allergic to shrimp, so I have to take my boyfriend’s opinion to be true. He said it was to die for. Obviously, I cried because I can never have it. The Chorizo taco was tender and delicious. Finally, the Al Pastor Taco was my favorite! Due to the multiple signs on the menu and Yelp reviews stating that there are “limited quantities available,” I’m assuming that this is the most popular meat choice. I see why; it was so juicy! You could tell that it was marinated and slowly cooked for a very long time. If you choose one taco, choose this taco.
If you read the title of this post correctly, you were waiting for me to talk about the “more.” The tacos here are amazing, but the fact that they serve several other delicious dishes, is just the icing on the cake. The Vampiro is a crispy quesadilla that we chose to fill with Asada and their special garlic sauce. This was beyond an ordinary quesadilla. It surpassed any quesadilla I have ever had. The Asada paired with the garlic sauce was divine. We also enjoyed the Cachetada. The Cachetada is Mexicali Taco & Co.’s version of a tostada on crack. It is served with meat, melted cheese, and a chipotle aioli sauce and we chose to have it Ranchero style, in other words, topped with a fried egg. Everything is better with an egg on top. This stands right up there with the tacos. Do yourself a favor and drive yourself to Mexicali Taco & Co., order the Shrimp and Al Pastor tacos, and the Cachetada Ranchera style. Go. Now.
For more information, on Mexicali Taco & Co. visit their website at http://mexicalitaco.com/.