When in southern California, Rich and I always have to gorge ourselves on good, authentic Mexican food. Usually, our favorites are little hole-in-the-wall taco joints, but a few are actual sit-down Mexican restaurants that we love. Rich was only here for a week, so we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked to, but we did alright in the time allotted.

I think before I begin this discussion, I should explain some terms to those not initiated into the world of REAL tacos. The tacos we get are 1) Carne Asada (marinated beef cooked on the grill), 2) Carnitas (pork that’s sort of crispy), 3) Al Pastor (beef in a sauce that is like a light, tangy BBQ sauce), and sometimes 4) Birria (which can be either beef or goat meat…I am the one that eats the Birria tacos). We didn’t actually get any Birria tacos this time. Other important things pertaining to REAL tacos: 1) They don’t have cheese on them!! 2) They MUST have onions and cilantro. 3) They MUST have super-spicy sauce on them. If these three criteria are not met, it’s NOT the right taco (at least for us).

We kicked off our 2008 taco tour on Dec. 22 (which is strange, as we arrived here in the southland on Dec. 20, and two days is a LONG wait!) at La Barca restaurant, in Ontario, CA. It’s not too far from Rich’s brother’s house (where we are staying), and the tacos were good – not great, but definitely good. Rich & Patrick (Rich’s younger brother) had carne asada burritos, and they were not as good as the tacos.

La Barca tacos de carne asada, a view of the inside of the restaurant, and their business card:

Dec. 23, we went to Ruben’s Tacos, which is even closer to Rich’s brother’s house. We have been to Ruben’s before, and we have had varied luck with it. This time, we got carne asada tacos, carnitas tacos, and carne asada burritos. Patrick ate with us again, and he and Rich both judged the burritos not good. I had tacos, and they were okay, but not even as good as the ones from La Barca.

Ruben’s Tacos – outside the place, the menu, and the tacos:

Incidentally, in looking at the Ruben’s menu, this is usually what you are looking for for authentic GOOD Mexican tacos. The photo is bad, but the burrito/taco menu choices are: Grilled Beef Skirts, Head, Guts, Barbecue Pork, Tongue, Fish, Fried Pork, Buche (which is pig esophagus or stomach), Chicken. Tacos from places like this are usually GREAT. Ruben’s failed to shine, though.

December 24 (Christmas Eve), Rich and I went to Fredy’s Tacos. The tacos were GREAT. While we were there, Rich had 2 carnitas tacos, and 2 tacos de carne asada. I went out on a limb, and had 1 cabeza (beef head meat) taco, 1 fish taco, 1 adobada (sort of like al pastor) taco, and 1 carne asada taco. All 4 of mine were good, and Rich liked his. Here are some pictures from Fredy’s: 2 pictures of the menu, Rich’s plate, and my plate.

Rich ordered 2 carne asada burritos to go from Fredy’s while we were there, and we took them home. He ate one later, and said that the burritos were excellent. Fredy’s was definitely the best we found near where we were staying.

December 27, we went to our favorite taco place. We had a really busy day that day, and we squeezed in a quick trip from Pasadena all the way down to Montebello to go to Sergio’s Tacos, which is at the corner of Vail & Olympic. The tacos here are food-gasmic, and so are the burritos. Rich had a carne asada burrito, and I had 4 carne asada tacos. The food is SOOO good, you can’t stop eating it. Those tacos are one of the best things I have ever eaten. I would go there 3 times a week if we lived closer – and consequently weigh 300 lbs, I’m sure. Rich ordered 7 (yes, that’s right, 7) carne asada burritos to go, to take home to Moab with him. We brought an ice chest with us for just this purpose. While we waited for the 7 burritos, we ordered another 2 tacos to eat there. WOW. Here are some photos from Sergios, including my 4 tacos, the logo sign on the inside above the door, the taco menu, and the receipt for Rich’s 7 take-out burritos. I wish I had taken a picture of the bag with the burritos. It must have weighed 12 pounds!

Thanks for reading about our adventures in overindulgence!