Cuisine Scene: Tacos
If you’re looking to get yourself into a quick argument, just go ahead and say you know where to find the best tacos in town. See, when it comes to Southern California, there is likely no item more passionately held than one’s favorite taco. The beauty of Long Beach is that you can have lots of favorites, in a seemingly endless amount of styles: Traditional Mexican, Cali-Mex, Asian fusion … Vegan? Sure. Fried chicken? Got that too. Here's a list of some of Long Beach’s best places to find some of the city’s best, most innovative and beloved tacos.
Lola's Mexican Cuisine
If you’re new to the area, you’ll quickly learn that Lola’s (203 E. 4th St./4140 Atlantic Ave.) is not only one of Long Beach’s most beloved Mexican restaurants but simply one of the most beloved restaurants in the city, period. The reasons are simple: quality of the food, the charm of the place and a menu culled from family recipes. Among those recipes are a slew of taco creations ranging from vegan to fish to the usual protein suspects. Eaten at Lola’s, perhaps with a margarita or michelada, the entire experience is heightened and made even more delicious.
Amorcito
Thomas Ortega, the innovative chef behind one of Long Beach’s best and most progressive Mexican restaurants, Playa Amor, created this “Urban Taqueria,” to focus almost exclusively on the folded perfection that is the taco. Located in The Hangar food court at Long Beach Exchange, Amorcito (4150 McGowen St.) not only does essential tacos like carne asada and fish exceedingly well, but offers such popular choices as short rib tacos as well as charred brussel sprout tacos. Heck, if you ever get tired of tacos – is that possible? – you might think about trying the New Mexico Hatch Chile Cheeseburger.
Baja Sonora
A local institution, Baja Sonora (2940 Clark Ave.) is famous for its tacos dorados, i.e. “golden tacos.” These fried, hard-shelled concoctions, stuffed with meat, iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes and grated cheese, serve as the entry point to Mexican cuisine for many Americans. Like a lot of successful businesses – Baja Sonora has been around more than 20 years – this place knows what it’s about and does it very well.
La Chancla Mexican Grill
If you’re looking for the taco-equivalent of comfort food, you just may find it at La Chancla, where they serve tacos de guisado, that is, tacos loaded with meat and veggies that have been stewed for extended periods of time. That stewing period creates a mélange of flavors that makes other added ingredients less important – though folks do like adding a bit of onion, cilantro, salsa. The taste is layered and explosive at times, which is why this style of taco is so common in Mexico, though far less so in Southern California, which is why La Chancla serves as a destination for so many taco aficionados.
Solita Tacos & Margaritas
As one of the closest restaurants to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, Solita Tacos & Margaritas (1 Pine Ave.) is perfect for a pre-show meal. Enjoy some of their Vampiro tacos or Cali Elote tacos and a margarita before getting the night started, or grab a bite after the show! Solita also offers countless styles of street tacos on their Taco Tuesday menu, including crispy fish, oak-roasted chicken, wood-grilled chicken, chorizo with sweet potato & bacon, carnitas, and Chile tofu.
Padre
This hip spot comes complete with a lovely rooftop patio for outdoor dining. Padre (525 E. Broadway) has rock solid taco essentials, i.e. pork, beef, etc., while also serving such unique creations like their Fried Chicken Tacos, not to mention a couple of popular vegan offerings: a beer-battered avocado creation and a really exciting “gyro” taco consisting of cashew tzatziki sauce, fresh dill, and heirloom tomatoes.