El Chato's tacos are tiny but pack in lots of flavor.
Stationed at a mid-city intersection, El Chato serves dishes that are almost elegant, in spite of the streetside location. The tacos ($1) are tiny two-biters topped with sweet onions sautéed with fiery halves of chili peppers, plus limes, lemons and radishes. The sauce that accompanies specialties such as carne asada (marinated grilled beef), al pastor (pork) and cabeza (beef head and cheeks) is smoky and unusual: there might even be some lemongrass in there, though of course the cooks would never spill the secret of their cult success.
Southwest corner of Olympic Blvd. and La Brea Ave., Mid-City West, 8 p.m. to midnight Mon.-Thurs., 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Dishes $1-$4.
Taco Zone may be the most popular food truck in town, judging by the constant line of hungry citizens clamoring at its window nightly. With a wide sidewalk ideal for sprawling with your crew and Echo Park's hippest bars nearby, the location is great for people-watching. Just about everything here deserves its reputation, but since you have to choose, go for a quesadilla: this is one of the few trucks serving the cheesy creation. Try it with suadero (chopped sirloin) and top it with whatever sauces and garnishes are offered along the side of the truck -- spicy avocado sauce, pico de gallo, onions, cilantro and peppery red salsa.
Going a bit overboard with the mouth-burning options is fine here, as they can all be counterbalanced with some heavenly horchata. This soothing drink of rice, almond flour, sugar, vanilla and plenty of cinnamon is made daily by the friendly ladies who make the truck so welcoming. Budget Travel: Check out some of L.A.'s tastiest taco trucks
Corner of N. Alvarado St. and Montana St., Echo Park, 7 p.m. to midnight Sun.-Thurs., 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Dishes $1.50-$5.
Tacos Arabes has the name of its house specialty painted on its window. Tacos arabes were fusion before the term existed: The story is that in the 1930s an Iraqi or Lebanese immigrant in Mexico put his own spin on tacos, using Middle Eastern seasonings such as cumin and turmeric and a wheat tortilla. Another specialty here is the corn tortillas. They're handmade in the tortilleria next to where the truck parks, and their freshness really comes through. Specialists making the tortillas work late into the evening, and diners can spot them in action, forming the cornmeal disks that will soon be topped with beef, pork, chicken and sautéed vegetables.
Northwest corner of Sunset Blvd. and Logan St., Echo Park, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Mon.-Sat. Dishes $2-$4.
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