Barbacoa Ramirez

I've been looking for an excuse to stop here since the LA Times reviewed it extremely highly. (They almost never review this kind of eatery, which made it extra notable.) The barbacoa is delicious. It's soft and melts in your mouth, with amazing flavor. The freshly hand made tortillas are some of the best I've had and would stand by themselves if they had to. They appear to have (temporarily?) relocated a block away from their normal location, likely due to some construction. Just look for the giant "Barbacoa" sign.

LA Times 101 best in CA. June 15 2025 14263 Hoyt Street Arleta Lamb Barbados slow cooked in a pit overnight.

*** Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants (2024): #8 *** Located across the street from the Arleta DMV, under power lines, in front of what looks like an empty, abandoned nursery on an otherwise residential street, you'll find Barbacoa Ramirez. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays, they are known to sell out by ~1pm. With one long outdoor table accommodating roughly ~15-20 people at most, this place definitely has a local, neighborhood vibe with a sense of community. I don't think they really have a menu, but the workers were very helpful at explaining our options. For those that don't know, barbacoa is a method of cooking meat. At Barbacoa Ramirez, you'll specifically find lamb barbacoa, cooked in a pit the traditional way. Paired with fresh, made-to-order tortillas, I was impressed by the taste and quality. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of lamb, but I found these tacos really enjoyable. The tortillas were perhaps the best I've had. We also ordered a couple small soups, which I'd highly recommend. When it comes to street food, it doesn't get much better than this!

I love this place so much!!!!! I have dreams about their food all the time and crave it 24/7.....

This place is only open Saturdays and Sundays. Its in Arleta near the DMV in the residential area with some tents and a stand. The lamb barbacoa is fantastic(if its your first time they will give a taco "sample") and you can ask for specific "cuts" if available. I generally ask for it the way it is. You can also order this by the pound. I have done this and it lasted me a few meals. Tastes really good when it settles and reheated. The tortillas are homemade(or at least using fresh masa dough) . You can also get the entrail meat, which is fantastic and has a stronger flavor. That is mixed with more spices on the grill. This place is usually done by 12-1 so get here early. It can get some lines. They have a decent table with salsas, and will give you free coffee too. Once you have lamb barbarcoa, its hard to go back to beef, and I also prefer it to Birria. These guys also sell the consume on the side as well. Well worth it to come here for some really authentic stuff.

Tried this place after reading about them in EaterLA and I'm so happy I did. Came by on a Sunday at about 2pm and they were sold out, so I tried again at 10am on another Sunday a few weeks later and they were packed. The operation sits under a couple of pop up tents with cooks preparing tacos and guests sitting at tables enjoying barbacoa. As I was standing in line a worker was handing out a free taco to each person in the queue. Paid in cash for some tacos and a bowl of consome. The tacos come with the standard offerings of cilantro/onion and salsas. The meat here is extraordinary! As tender and flavorful as one could possibly hope for. Its one of the best stands in L.A. and I'll be going back.

The place to be on a weekend cause where else are you going to find this delicious awesomeness served by the nicest people whose idea of a sample is a full on fully loaded taco? I'd never had lamb barbacoa before so they made sure I tried both kinds and gave friendly advice on which toppings to apply. Epic taco. Just awesome.

I cannot recommend this place enough. Very well worth the drive no matter where you're coming from in LA. Tortillas are made to order and they're light fluffy, warm and delicious. Consomme is perfect and the lamb is fatty, meaty, richly flavored and just awesome. I can sit there and eat five of them and I have. The two sauces are perfect. One of them's really spicy which you got to love. Everybody that works there has been super friendly. When you show up they hand you a sample Taco. As if I needed any convincing to order. If you saw the Eater video or read articles on this place, you know just how much work goes into these tacos and it really shows so show up and support people that are doing things the right way here in LA.

Bill Esparza brought me here. Seriously, I probably wouldn't have found this place if I didn't see it on one of his lists. Now that that's out of the way, this place has really freaking delicious tacos. The only other thing they have is the soup or consome. Everything is made from lamb. I've only been here once, but the young gentleman and the two ladies were super friendly. In terms of ambiance, I'm going to venture to say that this is probably the most authentic taco experience I've had in LA. More on that later. This being my first time, I didn't really know what to do. I came up to the area where they were cooking and that's where I ordered. They were super patient and friendly with me. One of the ladies actually let me try, as a sample, some of the barbacoa on a fresh tortilla. Delicious. I ended up ordering a medium soup/consome and one each of their barbacoa and pansita tacos. I then sat down at a communal table that they had set up right by the ordering area. The food came quickly and omigosh, everything was so good! Once I got the food, I dressed it up with the supplied onions and cilantro and lemons they had at the table. They also have two types of salsa. The meat and the soup had a great smoky flavor. The salsa had a nice cake, but it wasn't too spicy. And the tortillas were, as you would expect (because they're made right there), soft and fluffy. This is seriously probably the most authentic experience, or rather, one of the greatest taco experiences I've had in LA. I sat down with some fellow patrons as I was dining by myself, and I seriously felt at home. Just a great feeling. The parking is pretty plentiful as it is in a neighborhood. It is right across the street from a DMV so be careful because there are areas where the sign says parking is only for driving tests. According to Bill Esparza, Gonzalo Ramirez raised his own lambs. He roasts them in a pit with the drippings used to make the consome which you get the flavor from the put in this. The hours are a little tricky, because they are only open in the morning/early afternoon on the weekends. But honestly, it's a place I want to be during those times.

Amazing !!!!!! I have to travel an hour to get but it's well worth it !! The main lady is very nice and cheerful makes the whole experience pleasant

Delicious barbacoa, pancita, blood sausage. Given a sample while waiting. Add this spot to your taco stand crawl. The lady said they sell out by 10 am or 11 am.

It's been months that I have wanted to visit this spot and today was the day. I was greeted with a sample taco of the barbacoa masisa. If you are a fan of lamb this is where it's at. I ordered 3 tacos and a cup of consume. Everything was authentic and tasted absolutely wonderful. They have a great set up with tables and the food area is covered. The tables have all the fixings you'll need. This place is a gem in San Fernando Valley. They sell by the pound or individual tacos.