"This list could be the 25 best tacos in Van Nuys, but you have to draw the line somewhere," says journalist Memo Torres, who shares a dozen of his favorite spots.
Torres, who writes for L.A. Taco, sends seafood fans to Mariscos Corona, where Joel Gonzalez began experimenting in the kitchen with his father, drawing influences from all over Mexico. "You have to try his tacos de gobernador," says Torres. "Think of it as a quesadilla with shrimp or marlin."
"Think of it as a quesadilla with shrimp or marlin," says Memo Torres of the taco gobernador at Mariscos Corona. Photo by Memo Torres for L.A. Taco.
Half of Torres' picks involve birria. "[Birriería San Marcos] are one of the OGs. They got into the birria scene before it became popular on Instagram," he says. Owner Nick Flores took over his father's retired taco truck and added his mother's birrias recipe to the menu.
Guanajuato-style birria is served at Birriería Lupita, with two locations in Van Nuys. "For us birria lovers, most of us who truly grew up with it will tell you, 'If it's not goat, it's not birria,'" says Torres.
To witness the five varieties of birria, head to Birriería Mexico. Here, Torres forgoes goat in favor of a unique taco dubbed "Asado Durganguese." Made of sweet and spicy pork and served on handmade tortillas, these are special occasion tacos served primarily in Durango, so Torres was shocked to find a version in Los Angeles.
Multimedia journalist Memo Torres had a difficult time whittling down his list of best tacos in Van Nuys to a mere dozen. Photo courtesy of L.A. Taco.