Eating Tacos In Inglewood

It's understandable that someone would be hesitant to give away their favorite taco place. In L.A., that's kind of like giving a complete stranger your credit card number. But this place is just too good not to share. This prized little hideout for taco aficionados is located on a nondescript corner of Culver and Inglewood — both the thoroughfares and the communities of the same name. Pull up to its tiny parking lot, though, where it is sandwiched between a shady-looking produce shop and what looks an awful like a New York City-style bodega, and you'll probably conclude that it feels more Inglewood than Culver City.

And for tacos, that's a very, very good thing. Because the gentrified taco is no taco — if all you've ever had is Chipotle, that is a very, very sad day. This is the real deal — handmade tortillas made from corn, heated to order; meats from the neighborhood carniceria (don't miss the carne asada, carnitas, and adobada); and a free-for-all salsa bar loaded with four different kinds of salsa. For the more adventurous, there are the usual interesting bits of the bovine variety — namely, cabeza (head) and lengua (tongue).

The taco doesn't come dressed, but this is actually the fun part. You get to do it yourself. Mosey on up to the salsa bar with your meat and tortillas and garnish to your heart's desire. There's a smoky arbol chile salsa, green tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, and one that's just mind-numbingly hot. Chopped onions, cilantro, and radishes round out the bar, and the last and final touch — dried oregano. There's something about dried oregano that pairs so well with meat in a taco.

That's pretty much it. There are a few tables and you clean up after yourself. In L.A., anything over $2 per taco is a little steep, but then again, these are a little bigger than what you get from the average street taco truck. And the best part? This place opens at 9:30 a.m. every day. Tacos for breakfast, baby — the breakfast of champions.