These are the best taco trucks to track down in L.A.

Come on, did you really think these guys wouldn’t top the list? Long heralded as some of the best tacos in L.A.—whether truck, stand or brick-and-mortar restaurant—Mariscos Jalisco is indisputably one of the top purveyors of fresh, fried and seafood-centric Mexican food anywhere in town. Slung from a long white truck, the tacos dorado de camaron ($2.25) have reached local-icon status, but they live up to the hype with meaty, fresh shrimp folded into a corn tortilla that takes a dunk in the fryer before meeting avocado and a ladle of salsa roja. While the tacos are the stars, don’t skip the piled-high tostadas—especially the Poseidon ($8.75), topped with shrimp ceviche, octopus and a fiery aguachile of shrimp.

Find it: in Boyle Heights at 3040 E Olympic Blvd daily

Teddy Vasquez’s red-hot birria tacos ($1.99) are taking over. The taquero’s rapid rise is remarkable, both on the streets and online, and while it might have something to do with how photogenic those bright red, dripping-with-sauce Tijuana-style tacos are, it’s really due to the flavor. The long-simmered beef is tender enough, but before it gets served, each taco, quesadilla ($3.50), vampiro ($2.75) or mulita ($2.99) gets a scoop of the spicy broth, and it’s all fried on the plancha. Crispy, searingly hot and full of flavor, these are the birria tacos to beat.

Find it: in South L.A. at 731 E Slauson Ave, Tuesday to Sunday

While some trucks stock a rainbow of salsas on the table out front, this truck is very clearly all about the meat. The operation looks no-frills, but the flash all takes place behind the scenes: Hours-long simmering makes these carnitas tacos possible, overstuffed and boasting tender, juicy braised pork with all the texture, grease and flavor you can only get with one of Mexican food’s most precious resources—time. You can order beef cheeks, oxtails, straightforward carnitas and more, but our favorite is the popular “aporkalypse” surtido taco with a mix of shoulder, belly and skin ($2.50). Bite off the tip of the accompanying jalapeños and drizzle the spicy juice atop your carnitas, for best results.

Find it: in Boyle Heights at 2411 Fairmount St, daily

Stopping at one of Roy Choi’s Kogi trucks is like getting schooled with the most delicious history lesson imaginable. You can trace L.A.’s food-truck movement back to the now-celebrity-chef and the 2008 launch of his very first rolling restaurant slinging Korean BBQ folded into soft corn tortillas. Now, Choi runs a full-on fleet of four color-named trucks that roam L.A. and OC, though you’re most likely to catch Roja (the originator) and Naranja around town. The short rib tacos are the way to go, with meaty, caramelized depth brightened by salsa, though even the non-meat options such as tofu or the kimchi quesadilla are perfection. History never tasted so good.

Find it: all over the damn place. Check Twitter for daily schedules and updates.

The top pastor purveyors of L.A., Leo’s hands out palm-size tacos from the window of a bright yellow truck. At $2.50 apiece, they’re still one of the best inexpensive bites in the city, especially when you stop by after sundown—that’s when your price includes dinner and a show. Your meat is either pulled from the plancha or sliced theatrically from the tower of marinated pork flame-roasting on the large trompo. Taqueros slice and toss fresh pineapple shavings high into the air, catching them in your taco, for showmanship that can’t be beat.

Find it: Leo’s now has seven locations, but it’s the gas-station parking lot at the corner of La Brea and Venice Blvd that offers the reliable outdoor trompo and talented taqueros on weekends and after 5pm on weeknights.

A crunchy-yet-pillowy exterior, tender fish interior, bright slaw, tangy crema, chilled pico and a warm corn tortilla? If you’ve tracked down the Ricky’s Fish Tacos truck, you’ve found the platonic ideal of a fish taco. Ricky Piña fries whitefish to order, giving you the freshest Ensenada-style tacos around—and at $3.50 a pop and bursting with filling and flavor, they’re a great deal. Fish is the icon here, but the Ricky Special—half shrimp, half fish—is the move.

Find it: in Los Feliz at 3061 Riverside Dr. Check Twitter to confirm the truck’s hours each day.

Look for a bright yellow-and-red truck—and probably a line—to find Tacos Tamix, one of L.A.’s premier al pastor slingers. You’ve got four spots to choose from, all worth heading to for some of the best tacos in town: The must-order is the vibrant red pork sliced from the trompo and folded into a tiny corn tortilla, with a little wedge of pineapple atop it all. But Tamix widens its focus, specializing in what it calls the “T bites”: tacos, tortas and tlayudas (though the burritos aren’t bad either).

Find it: in Mid-City (4817 Pico Blvd), Culver City (3801 S Sepulveda Blvd), Pico Union (1940 Hoover St) and the Arts District (1510 S Santa Fe Ave). Hours vary by location and can be found here.

A little unconventional and a little irreverent, Tacos Cuernavaca offers the usual tacos in chorizo, al pastor, asada, tripas, birria, carnitas and pollo forms, but you’re not here for those. This truck—easy to spot, considering all the graffiti and that cartoon taco sporting a sombrero—is known for its massive, meaty, cheesy creations. The gooey bacon-wrapped shrimp tacos are the signature item, but if you’re looking for something simpler, we love the cecina, in which tender, marinated beef gets topped with onions and a bright chile de arbol salsa. Still hungry? Tacos Cuernavaca takes its gooey creations up a notch with the ultimate Alambre Ilegal (around $30): meats, cheese, peppers and onions arrive covered in lobster tails and corn tortillas.

Find it: in East L.A. at 5511 E Whittier Blvd, Thursday to Sunday

One of the city’s more humble taco operations, La Carreta serves perfect Sinaloa-style adasa—somehow with far fewer lines than the rest of the trucks on this list. The vampiros here are our go-to, with crispy corn tortilla serving as the base for the plancha meats and stringy melted cheese; just don’t forget to load up on the grilled onions. For those who prefer seafood, La Carreta’s still your destination: Their callo de hacha fresco, a plate of full of plump scallops and shrimp, is spicy, bright and a total crowd-pleaser. 

Find it: in Compton at 413 N Wilmington Ave. Follow along on Instagram for schedule updates.

Leo’s and Tamix steal the spotlight when it comes to al pastor, but Chiquis is the unsung hero of Mid-City. At $1.50 apiece, their tacos are a solid deal—especially considering the hefty portions of meat cut from the trompo. Also home to burritos, quesadillas, excellent birria, and an entire table crammed with plastic jugs of condiments, this electric-green truck’s got a little something for everyone.

Find it: in Arlington Heights at 1921 Arlington Ave, from 5:50pm-2am Monday to Saturday, and until midnight on Sunday