Great Hole-In-The-Wall Tacos

Holé Molé is just a few doors down from all of the classic bars in Long Beach, Calif., making it a well-known staple and meeting ground for every ne'er-do-well in the city in the wee hours of the morning.

             The draw, beyond the fact that nearly all of the patrons are drunk and they have tacos, comes from the fact that these tacos are actually good. Indeed, this magnificent hole-in-the-wall, with locations up and down Long Beach, serves tacos that even the soberest of souls will enjoy, piled high with toppings and smothered in their secret sauce. Now, the choice of what to get here should be fairly obvious, as the chain is known for its vaguely-ghetto underwater theme, hence the fish painted all over the windows. They pride themselves on their San Diego fish tacos, and they damn well should, given that these tacos are a culinary find that not many expect to encounter in Long Beach.

            The line inside Holé Molé isn't just people on the verge of being too drunk to stand, however; there are also throngs of college students from the nearby campuses, flocking partly because of the moist carnitas and crispy, hefty, tortas, and also because it is rare for anything to exceed the price of five dollars on the menu. The 50-cent potato taco, with all the salsa you can apply, seems perfectly engineered for the broke college student in the middle of an all-night cram session. The low prices, combined with the humble, but very high-quality, menu at Holé Molé makes this a place where everyone wants to eat, and everyone can afford to.