Ah, the mighty grasp of Mexican restaurants and food. Not just in Long Beach. Or SoCal. Or California. But the entirety of the country and world. And rightfully so: The rich array of cuisines spread amongst the great states of Mexico has trickled into Southern Californian culture in a way no other cuisine has.
When it comes to Long Beach, what used to once be a monolithic approach to Mexican cuisine—everything was a rice’n’beans combo, let’s just be honest—we have now seen everywhere from Jalisco and Sonora to Oaxaca and CDMX represented in all their Mexican glory. Whether it is the staple of Mexican food—the Herculean taco—or mariscos or mole or carne en su jugo or pambazos or…
Sonoratown
5272 E. 2nd St.
In the era of Social Media Food, there’s what many call “hype food.” And it makes it hard to distinguish what is hype-worthy or what is just fun for your Instagram wall or hot-take TikTok account. Sonoratown, with its consistent waft of mesquite-grilled meats and lard tortillas, has long lived up to the hype. Properly. And this is outside of trends, screens, or anything besides true word-of-mouth.
And that is because of the crazy dedication of its owners. There’s the always charming Jennifer Faltham and then there’s the equally amicable Teo Díaz-Rodríguez Jr. Always present, always community-centric—whether it was hosting Long Beach denizens for a free tasting when they opened, to making their very first (and wildly popular) torta for Long Beach Food Scene Week—they have engrained themselves into Long Beach in the way that those who actually
nd the importance of Sonoratown in the larger discussion of SoCal’s taco game is paramount: They helped usher in regional Mexican tacos in a way that emphasized specificity. Their menu? Minimal, tight, focused. In fact, it had had only one significant addition—cabeza—which they added when it opened its Mid-City location. Their quality? Unparalleled.
It is, through and through, an Angeleno legend arriving in Long Beach. So when you see the line, be sure to check those rolled eyes before tasting.
For Brian Addison’s lastest on Sonoratown, click here.
Tacos la Carreta
3401 E. 69th St.
Tacos La Carreta might have opened a brick-and-mortar in Whittier but they’re still pure Long Beach.
When I first wrote about taquero José Manuel Morales Bernal Jr. back in 2020 when they first moved to Long Beach—and discovered that much of what José learned he knows from his father, who was born in Mazatlán, the Sinaloa city whose love for carne asada is so pervasive that every single urban sector has the sweet smoke and savor of carne asada on the grill.
As a way to kill time over the weekend, their popular, Compton-based popup was an instant hit—but the pandemic eventually altered that, leading to a food truck outing at 69th Street in North Long Beach. This is where the name Tacos La Carreta became something. Offering classic chorreadas—something largely unseen on the taco scene—and the truck’s rightfully lauded “Torito” taco, it quickly blew up. And yes, it dealt quite the SoCal taco blow when it won Best in Show at LA TACO’s TACO MADNESS in 2023 and has since opened a brick-and-mortar in Whittier.
“My first goal was to make the list—and we did that last year,” Jose said. “My second goal? To serve my tacos at the event—and we did that this year. Thank you and a la orden.”
Ruta 15
1436 E. 7th St.
Co-owner Richard Mosqueda and Executive Chef César Sánchez envisioned more than a seafood spot when they opened Ruta 15. They wanted a restaurant that embodied the cultural heartbeat of Mexico’s coastal states along the famed Carretera Federal 15.
The result is a vibrant celebration of mariscos as both food and tradition. Whole fish grilled red and green in homage to Gabriela Cámara’s pescado a la talla, pulpo zarandeado flamed in Nayarit style. A fish-gone-chicharrón taco that is one of the most delectable savory bombs of a taco in the city. A stuffed coconut overflowing with aguachile, mango, and cubes of fresh coconut flesh. Even the sides shine. Like esquites laced with soy and ginger to house salsas—like a smoky salsa macha with Yahualica chiles—that anchor the experience in both tradition and innovation.
What makes Ruta 15 remarkable is its duality: deeply rooted in Mexican mariscos culture while unafraid to bend boundaries. Sánchez’s vegan ceviche of portabella mushrooms, tossed with peanuts and avocado sauce, captures the spirit of ceviche without seafood; tostadas made from cactus flour or charred corn tortillas evoke backyard asadas; and enchiladas suizas or Sonoran-style ribeye tacos round out the menu for non-seafood lovers.
More than just Long Beach’s newest restaurant, Ruta 15 feels like a bridge—between states like Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Nayarit, and a city hungry for bold, soulful seafood. It is, without question, one of Long Beach’s most exciting new tables.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Ruta 15, click here.
El Barrio Cantina
1731 E. 4th St.
One of the clearest truths about El Barrio Cantina is that its menus never need to shout. Chef Ulises Pineda-Alfaro’s cooking spirit is a triptych of sorts. One part is rooted in the traditions of his Mexican heritage. Another? Shaped by his American upbringing. And the final part? Deeply influenced by his mother’s cooking.
His dishes manage to feel both personal and universally satisfying, like his hearty carne en su jugo. Eschewing iterations that lean toward the soupy side, Chef Uli goes full Guadalajara. His bowl harkens to spots like Karne Garibaldi and Kamilos 333, which have been churning out the stew-like offering for decades. Or his happy hour pescado tostada, an oregano-tinged ceviche that mimics an after-school snack his mom would create.
Like the Los Angeles he was born into, his food doesn’t shy away from playfulness. Chef Uli comes from that all-too-old-school camp that his food should speak for itself. In other words: Fuck your boundaries. And it makes sense that, after visiting Japan for R&D with Tokyo Noir, he created a Mexican sushi roll menu.
You’ll find crunch rolls stuffed with (actual) snow crab. Blue fin tuna doused in salsa macha with serrano and avocado. There’s even one named after L.A. taco journalist Memo Torres. Appropriately dubbed the “El Tragon Memo” roll, it is a play on a classic dragon roll. And beyond the sushi, there’s other nods to the Land of the Rising Sun. Like a house-made rice cracker with black sesame for ceviche plates. Sweet’n’spicy calamari. House-made chili crunch. And, of course, an aguachile gone sushi roll.
For the latest feature on El Barrio from Brian Addison, click here.
Los Reyes del Taco Sabroso
2345 E. Anaheim St.
I’ve talked about this little hole-in-the-wall joint for almost a decade now. From lauding its Mexico City-centric menu with large, corn tortilla quesadillas stuffed with huitlacoche and lettuce and crema… It’s offering of tacos de canasta… Their participation in events ranging from local taco competitions to Long Beach Food Scene Week…
Hidden on the northwest corner of Junipero and Anaheim, Los Reyes offers a ton of awesomeness. Sure, the menu covers the expected hits. Carne asada. California burritos. Quesabirria. And some of the best chilaquiles in town. But it’s in their deep dive into the food of CDMX where the Montesinos family really finds its rhythm.
Their incredible pambazo. And their equally stellar corn tortilla quesadillas. Their gorditas with chicharrón prensado. Carnitas that are wondrous. Their annual Lent menu… It’s a gem if there ever was one.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Los Reyes, click here.
Rivera’s
2901 E. 7th St.
Rivera’s Mexican Restaurant, located on the 7th Street corridor in Long Beach, traces its roots back more than a quarter century. Founded by Chef Virgilio Rivera Castillo, alongside his wife and sons, Rivera’s has grown from a family-run neighborhood eatery into a local staple.
From its early days, Rivera’s has emphasized warmth, authenticity, and community. The interior maintains a retro charm: Wood paneling. String lights. A homey feel where walls display tributes to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.
Over time, its menu has become known for generous, comforting Mexican fare. Think fajitas. Massive wet burritos. Menudo. And some of the best pozole and albondingas in the city. This all alongside daily special touches, and catering and private banquet space for local events.
Today, Rivera’s remains a beloved family-owned institution, with rightful praise for its consistency, service, and food that, for many locals, feels like home. Its longevity is a testament to staying true to its roots while evolving to meet the tastes and needs of generations of diners.
Joliza’s
2233 Pacific Ave.
It made sense when Yelp!—the ever-nauseating, when-will-it-die rating site that often brings out the worst in online reviewers in terms of shitting on small businesses—named Joliza’s burrito the best in California. This Long Beach Mexican restaurant has faced its roller coaster of popularity but had never dipped in consistency.
While it spurred a brief, impossible-to-get-into frenzy with lines stretching down Pacific Avenue for blocks, there is no doubt that the burrito lives up to the hype: Savory as hell, filled to the brim with protein, rice, beans, onion, and cilantro, these hefty sacks of comfort define everything one wants from the almighty burrito. But since then, the love for Joliza’s—despite remaining wildly consistent and even more wildly affordable—has dropped on the hype meter to a mere murmur, even amid the constant conversations in my food group.
My personal fave? Cabeza, a rare offering that I feel should be more accepted as Americans still tend to steer clear from offal of any sort (which leads to a waste that I find unforgivable but alas, I shall steer clear of the pulpit). Creamy, slightly greasy, and flavorful, this burrito is easily one of the best in the city.
La Condesa de Oaxaca
146 W. 10th St.
Not since Oaxaca Mio closed over 15 years ago when they were happily planted at the northwest corner of 10th Street and Orange Avenue has a Long Beach Mexican restaurant been formally dedicated to Oaxacan food. Until La Condesa de Oaxaca opened at the southeast corner of 10th Street and Pacific arrived. The newly minted space offers up some massive tlyudas, along with multiple moles, including negro, amarillo, and verde.
Matriarch Sara named the place “condesa” because she believes—and rightfully so, I might add—that Oaxacan food should be treated like royalty. Given the woman gets up early every day to prepare the food by hand at the space, it seems she likes to treat her business as royalty as well. Family-owned, with deeply complex flavors in an uncomplicated environment, La Condesa de Oaxaca brings some much needed regional Mexican cuisine to the Long Beach food scene.
Tacos Lionydas
1772 Clark Ave.
Tacos Lionydas began as a small taco stand in Long Beach, founded by Lionel “Lionydas” Pérez in mid-2022. Pérez, originally from Tamazulapam del Espíritu Santo in Oaxaca’s Sierra Mixe region, had already spent years honing his craft, often working at taco stands in Los Angeles and Anaheim before striking out on his own.
He chose Long Beach in part because he saw an underserved market for Mixe-style al pastor tacos in the city proper, and quickly began building a following with his stand near Clark Avenue and Atherton Street. From the start, Tacos Lionydas has been defined by its al pastor: pork slow-cooked on a trompo (vertical spit), carved thin, and balanced with pineapple and Oaxaca-style seasonings.
Pérez uses a Mixe-inspired adobo that leans into vinegar and dried chiles, aiming for a flavor that stands apart from the more common Mexico City–style pastor. Over time, he expanded the menu modestly—offering chorizo, carne asada, cabeza, suadero, and other classic meats—but al pastor remains the star.
Tacos Lionydas hasn’t had a smooth ride. Early on, Pérez faced harassment and threats from passersby, and authorities even impounded his equipment for permit issues. But community support kept him going, and his persistence paid off: the stand earned recognition in 2024 when the Los Angeles Times named Tacos Lionydas to its list of the region’s 101 best tacos, one of only two Long Beach spots to make that cut. What began as a humble al pastor pop-up is now one of Long Beach’s most talked-about taco spots, built on flavor, grit, and roots in Mixe tradition.
La Chancla
990 Cherry Ave. #102
They go by many names: tacos de guisado, tacos de cazuela, tacos mañaneros… But the one thing that unites them is the fact that the meats or veggies stuffed in the tacos are all stewed in singular cazuelas, pots that are traditionally earthenware but have shifted to metal tins as the growth of food trucks and fast-casual restaurants spread. We’re talking birria, chile verde, tinga de pollo…
They harken to the stewy fillings created at large family gatherings, where soupy dollops of meats that have been simmering for hours in clay cazuelas are stacked onto a fresh corn tortilla with minimal toppings. Maybe some onion and cilantro, maybe some salsa, maybe just meat. Eating six is common, eating more is practically unavoidable.
They are rather ubiquitous throughout Mexico—places like Taco Gus in Mexico City and Taco Guadalajara in Guadalajara have made them outright common—and they have spurred food tours in states ranging from Guanajuato to Quintana Roo. Stateside, Los Angeles’ Guisado’s has turned them into a beyond-popular small chain that spans Boyle Heights to West Hollywood.
In Long Beach, at the time it opened and long before Guisados, there weren’t any taquerias dedicated to the almighty tacos de guisado—but this hole-in-the-wall space, tucked into a tiny strip mall at the southeast corner of Cherry Avenue and Tenth Street, has offered not only a solid introduction to these tacos locally but a wonderfully unpretentious, warm, vibrant atmosphere to enjoy them in.
For Brian Addison’s original piece on La Chancla, click here.
La Taqueria Brand
1430 E. 7th St. | 3768 Long Beach Blvd. | 4150 McGowen St. #13
From the owners of the (also-mentioned-on-this-list) Ruta 15, La Taqueria Brand opened its flagship location on 7th Street in early 2020, aiming to bring neighborhood-style, authentic street tacos to the local community. Built on family recipes and simple, high-quality ingredients, the taqueria quickly became a local favorite for its menu of tacos, burritos, quesadillas… And a specific love for its birria.
As the brand’s popularity grew, La Taqueria Brand expanded into new locations. One came in 2024 when it joined SteelCraft Long Beach, bringing its signature flavors into a vibrant outdoor food-hall setting. And another came when it took over Chef Thomas Ortega’s missed Amorcito space inside The Hangar at Long Beach Exchange.
Today, La Taqueria Brand continues positioning itself as a “neighborhood taqueria committed to the people and the local community,” combining timeless street-taco heritage, a definitive dose of California, with aspirations for growth and creative expansion.
Mariscos el Garage
4540 Atlantic Ave.
Mariscos El Garage began humbly in 1996, when Don Diego Barragán—also known locally as Don Diego—set up shop in his one-car garage tucked between a house and a corner liquor store in Long Beach. He sold a single dish: cóctel de camarón. And he made with a secret recipe so closely guarded that only Don Diego and his wife could handle the shrimp preparation. The open garage door served as his “welcome” signal to customers, a makeshift
Over time, the garage operation built a devoted following. Don Diego’s daughter, Elsa Barragán, grew up in that space, learning by watching as a teenager—even though he rarely let others touch his cherished shrimp process. After Don Diego passed in 2016, that legacy rested on Elsa’s shoulders.
In 2021, she relaunched Mariscos El Garage as a food truck, bringing the flavors and atmosphere of the original garage to a mobile format in Long Beach. Today, Mariscos El Garage continues to honor its roots while serving up a broader menu of Sinaloa- and Michoacán-inspired seafood: ceviches, tacos gobernador, and yes, the signature shrimp cocktail. The truck’s name and branding still invoke that original garage, a tribute to Don Diego and the place where his culinary journey began.
Cañada’s Grill
3721 E. Anaheim St.
Cañada’s Grill offers up the best version of the famed Jalisciense dish in Long Beach: Carne en su jugo. Like many of Mexico’s grand states, Jalisco is one that is filled with culinary glory. From being the birthplace of torta ahogadas and birria to being home to brilliant interpretations of classics, like the Jalisciense version of flan known as jericalla, it is no shocker that the owners of Cañadas Grill in Long Beach’s Zaferia hail from this area, given their menu.
And one particular stand-out is their utterly delectable caldo known as carne en su jugo, roughly translated as “meat in its juice”—and one of the most satisfying, hearty representations of Jalisciense cuisine. This chunky soup, where minced and roasted bits of beef marinate and stew in their own juices with tomatillos for hours on end, combines that beefiness with chunks of bacon and whole white beans. Cañadas gives you a healthy side of lime slices, raw onion, cilantro, cabbage, roasted jalapeño, and pickled onion to add to your liking.
Grab a cerveza and I promise that you’ll be in autumn heaven. Also, don’t skip out on their torta ahogada.
Tacos Uziel
7th Street & Termino Ave.
Mangiafoglie, the first brick-and-mortar from chef and vegan pizza pop-up veteran Paul Reese, has brought fresh life to 4th Street in the former Scholb space—and with it, the most innovative vegan food in the region.
Years in the making, the restaurant reflects Reese’s philosophy: bridging the gap between vegan and non-vegan dining by creating Italian food that stands on its own. With a team of passionate cooks and collaborators, Mangiafoglie leans into craft and creativity, turning plant-based cooking into something both comforting and inventive. The space itself mirrors that ethos—warm, textured, and community-driven—serving as a new anchor for a neighborhood still mourning the loss of past staples like Portfolio.
The menu highlights that balance of innovation and tradition. Eggless pastas pair with purple potato gnocchi in truffle cream, pizzas topped with house-made sausage and pepperoni nod to Reese’s pop-up roots, and dishes like pizza montanara—fried dough topped simply with tomato, salt, and oregano—let quality ingredients shine. His inventive touches, like lemon “bottarga” crafted from preserved citrus and nori or house-made parmesan built from potato starch and fermented tofu, underscore the team’s commitment to reimagining Italian classics without compromise. More than a vegan restaurant, Mangiafoglie is a celebration of good food, community, and resilience—a space as much about the people it feeds as the plates it serves.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Mangiafoglie, click here.
Tacomasa
4740 E. 7th St. #130
Tacomasa might be a small chain, but it’s a vastly underrated one. Founded in 2021 by restaurateur Ivan Flores, who sought to introduce the bold, street-level flavors of Tijuana-San Diego’s border taco culture to the region’s fast-casual scene. From the beginning, Flores leaned into the traditional: handmade corn tortillas, meats grilled over mesquite, and house-made salsas.
What makes Tacomasa stand out is not just the flavor, but the philosophy behind its growth. Flores insists on a debt-free expansion model, using the success of existing locations to fund the next, so the brand grows steadily without overleveraging itself. Under his leadership, Tacomasa has grown into four corporate-owned locations, the latest being in Brea.
Beyond its food, Tacomasa reflects Flores’s personal narrative and values: a faith-driven approach, emphasis on community, and dedication to doing business with integrity.
Tepechi Birriería
1440 Santa Fe Ave.
Tepechi Birriería, commonly known simply as Tepechi, is a Westside staple that sticks to the heartiest of meats—we’re talkin’ lamb and goat—that eschews the hefty trend of birria de res.
The name “Tepechi” is a shorthand for Tepechitlán, a town in Zacatecas, Mexico—a nod to the roots of its cuisine and many of its patrons.
From its early days after relocating from Wilmington (where the owners had served for decades), it has become a neighborhood favorite on the west side, drawing locals who seek authentic birria and Mexican fare. What sets Tepechi apart is its dedication to birria in multiple styles—like birria slathered in a thick, deeply maroon adobo sauce—served in or alongside its deeply flavored consommé.
Diners frequently fill its L-shaped dining room and outdoor patio, especially on weekends and after Sunday Mass, refueling with birria tacos, burritos, and ladles of broth complemented by homemade salsas. Over the years, Tepechi has carved its reputation by staying true to its recipes and its community ethos. What might look unassuming from the street—save for a towering sign visible from afar—belies a place where longtime customers, families, and birria aficionados gather for the kind of Mexican comfort food that feels both humble and deeply rooted.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine
2130 E. 4th St. | 4140 Atlantic Ave.
Maria Delores Navarro—known simply as “Lola”—arrived in Long Beach from Guadalajara in 1972 with fifty dollars, her recipes, and a dream. That dream took shape in 2008 when she opened Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, a restaurant that not only honored her Jalisciense roots but also introduced Long Beach to the deep tradition of birria. What began as a single location grew into two, with evolving menus, redesigned spaces, and specials that carried Lola’s legacy forward.
That legacy is embodied in what might be called the Three Kings of Carne. Two belong to Lola herself: her celebrated carnitas, bright with citrus and finished with Mexican Coca-Cola, and her beloved birria. Though birria traditionally leans on goat, Lola embraced birria de res—specifically veal—marinated in an ancho-guajillo paste that set her version apart. Unlike the braised, barbacoa-like takes common in Los Angeles, her method relied on its own juices and spice paste, a technique her son Luis still faithfully follows.
The third king, cochinita pibil, came later through the travels of Luis and his wife, Brenda, weaving Yucatán flavors into the restaurant’s story. Together, these dishes tell the tale of Lola’s: a restaurant built on one woman’s determination, expanded by her family’s vision, and sustained by the flavors that continue to define Long Beach’s Mexican food scene.
For Brian Addison’s full feature on Lola’s, click here.
Viaje
5224 E. 2nd St.
Viaje is an elevated Mexican restaurant tucked into Belmont Shore’s dining scene in Long Beach, blending contemporary technique with regional Mexican flavor.Under the direction of chef Julio Gutiérrez (who co-founded Baja Fish Tacos in 1996), Viaje opened with an ambition to be more than just another taco spot—it aims to deliver a refined, destination dining experience.
On the menu, you’ll find ambitious plates that go beyond basics: flautas of barbacoa with consommé and avocado emulsion, chile relleno stuffed with seafood, salmon al pastor, and lamb shank barbacoa. The cocktail program is similarly bold, tapping into Mexico’s spirit traditions while invoking creativity—mezcal, cítricos, and house infusions pair with the plates to complete the journey.
Since its opening, Viaje has quietly earned a reputation among locals and food-lovers alike as one of Long Beach’s more ambitious modern Mexican concepts. Its balance of elevated flavors, warmed ambiance, and strong drinks makes it a favorite for special dinners in the Shore.
El Patio
3317 E. 7th St.
Consistent. Expansive. Underrated. El Patio is a gem—and a much more traditional replacement to the vastly overhyped, kinda-felt-colonized space that was Little Vice before it. While Little Vice had drawn attention for its self-described “Cabo-inspired” vibe—unsure where Californian natural wines and vegan-forward food comes in with that description but I’m sure the folks of Baja Sur are perfectly fine without it—El Patio leaned into that classic, this-side-of-the-border Mexican joint that basically tackles everything.
Solid breakfast. Great tacos. Good michaladas.
Leo’s Mexican Grill
225 E. Broadway | 755 Magnolia Ave.
Ah, Leo’s. Uncomplicated. Wonderfully straightforward. A tad bit pocho by the annoying critics, but nothing genuinely egregious. Cheap breakfast burritos in the morning—including a chicken “machaca” version that is surprisingly well done. Beers in the morning as well, as witnessed by the construction crews who had started likely around 3AM and are having their lunch at 9AM. With said beers.
Leo’s is simply great—and a place that Downtown needs. After taking over another taqueria on Magnolia’s west side—formerly Las Delicias de Michoacán, once known many years ago as having some of the city’s finest carne asada—it became clear that Leo’s was quietly building a small taco empire. As with its OG spot, it happily blended American and Mexican food cultures that defined, at the time, much of Long Beach’s Mexican dining scene.
One thing I still cross my fingers for well over half a decade later is the return of their lengua—it appeared briefly on the menu, just long enough for me to fall in love with it before it disappeared. But even without it, I remain a loyal fan thanks to their tacos dorados, those perfectly crisp hard-shell tacos that go for just a buck-something on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Guisados
3270 E. 4th St. | 1490 Santa Fe Ave. | 125 E. Anaheim St. #B | 1901 Carson St.
Surely, Long Beach already has its much-loved guisados space at La Chancla near 10th Street and Cherry Avenue—but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more: The Boyle Heights-birthed institution Guisados finally moved beyond the confines of L.A. proper and into Long Beach, where it took over the former Long Beach Fish Grill on Redondo Avenue.
Guisados’s dip into Long Beach came rather quick: Long Beach Fish Grill closed in March of 2024 and Guisados was already up with signage on the building within a month and opened just a few more later—but their history is nearing a 15-year stretch that was birthed in the Latino-rich community of Boyle Heights.
Father-and-son team Armando De La Torre Sr. & Armando De La Torre Jr.—much like Ismael Miramontes over at La Chancla—had a straightforward dream: To bring the memories of their households and masterfully crafted braised meats in simmering broths to the hands of Angelenos. Even more, Guisados was born out of trials and tribulations when it opened in 2010, but grew to legendary status.
Making tortillas from the freshly nixtamalized masa next door at Carnitas Uruapan, they opened their first shop in their heart of Boyle Heights along Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Come the following year, the great, late, influential food writer Jonathan Gold published an LA Weekly review that had turned them into an official taco phenomenon—and since then, they’ve opened locations in everywhere from Burbank to Beverly Hills.
Taqueria La Mexicana
3270 E. 4th St. | 1490 Santa Fe Ave. | 125 E. Anaheim St. #B | 1901 Carson St.
And here is where we get into what many would call the OG section of the list. I’ve openly had arguments online about Taqueria La Mexicana (including with Long Beach-now-Chicago musician Rudy De Anda, whom I still love). It’s a space that feeds college students and penny pinchers alike—and, I will say, its nostalgia has somehow regrown on me across the years.
Sure, you need to drench their relatively bland chicken and somewhat decent carne in salsa but the feeling is distinctly Long Beach for those that were raised at any particular point of their life near one. For me, it was the 4th Street location, where the excited of opening those sometimes hot foil wraps were truly moments of sated bliss.
El Sauz
1616 E. Anaheim St. | 2741 E. 4th St.
It is, unquestionably, a Long Beach rite of passage to have a taco while standing outside their taco window in the parking lot of their OG location. What used to be known as Brite Spot—which had many that eventually all shut down, including one in the space that now has the (much better) Cañada’s Grill, featured on this very list—El Sauz has become a legend in its own right because of this very taco window.
In all frankness, the space (including its new one) feels minimal in comparison to other offerings. But its cultural influence outweighs anyone complaining that they use Guerrero tortillas.
Los Compadres
3229 E. Anaheim St. | 1144 Pine Ave.
Again, we have a Long Beach staple that is hard to erase from the mind of natives. Solid bowls of pozole (only at the Pine Avenue location). Single-handedly introduced the city to proper chilaquiles. A one-time happy hour that was actually valuable. Of course, times have changed and places evolve—Compadres being no exception.
Their current expansion at their Anaheim location is proof that the space is still popular, though older folks will likely have bulging eyes with burritos running you nearly $20 and fajitas never hitting under $30. Still, there is something deeply, deeply nostalgic about Los Compadres—especially if you are able to score a seat at the dark bar with a friend, pounding through margaritas and their happy hour food menu.
El Taco Loco #3
1465 Magnolia Ave.
And I end on a note of hope. Because, let’s just have a frank admission, El Taco Loco #3 is a mere fragment of what it once was. A place that was once a 24/7 location. A tortilla lady constantly on hand, pushing out handmade tortillas. Offerings like buche and tripas. The latter, mind you, once the best in the city and now deeply overshadowed by Sonoratown and, well, a much cleaner past than its present. Refried beans once silkily rendered with fat are now met dry or outright crusted.
“Why the hell are you including it on a list like this then, Addison?”
Because spaces like this were, at one point, showcasing a side of Mexican food that no one else did. Handmade tortillas twenty years ago with unapologetic dedication to the classics, which was a firm middle finger to spaces that solely offered Americanized taco and burrito fillings. It was the place that, as a white boy, I felt uncomfortable in the best way possible before learning it was a gem. That luster has certainly been lost—but I know it can be found again. And Long Beach would be the better for it.
