El Chato Taco Truck

Overall good tacos. This truck has been a staple for over a decade. They're most well known for their Al pastor which is very good and very seasoned. I had 4 tacos. Al pastor, asada, buche & tripas. The al pastor was the best, the asada was good and seasoned well but it didn't have a nice char or grill flavor to it. The tripas was cool well with some crunchiness and flavor. The buche was also decent. The Al paator burrito my friend got was good but burrito was not well put together and the integrity of the burrito fell apart quickly. The parking is very hard to find if you can't find it at the lot they're posted up in. The staff is nice and the line can be long depending on the busy times.

Possibly the best tacos in LA ! Twenty customers were in line and only two were non-Latinos(I was one). The steak mulita was my favorite. Nothing better than standing in their parking lot, eating tacos. A true iconic Hispanic moment in my visit to Los Angeles.

I recently visited El Chato food truck in Los Angeles, and it exceeded my expectations. The tacos were incredibly flavorful, with fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned meats. The al pastor was a standout, bursting with tangy sweetness and a hint of spice. The staff was friendly and efficient, making the experience even more enjoyable. Prices were reasonable, and the portions were generous. If you're in LA and craving authentic, delicious tacos, El Chato food truck is a must-visit.

Been coming here since 2019. Al pastor is the best here, but everything else is also great

The best Mexican food I’ve had in LA! I was never a fan of pork or al pastor, but El Chato completely changed my view. The al pastor burrito is probably in the top 10 best things I’ve ever eaten. I will be back again and again.

Wow. Tacos are amazing. Well filled (almost to much) and the hot sauce is amazing! The tacos comes with cucumber, radish and lime. Service is great and really fast. So good so I'm going back to try out every single thing on the menuz

I traveled to Cali from NYC to help a friend move back during the pandemic and took the chance to try the best places for tacos in LA. It took 3 tries to catch these guys at there designated area but was well worth all the money spent on cabs. First off New York needs some major help, because the food scene in LA blows my mind. Its amazingly diverse. El Chatos tacos were exceptional... truly. Served as an amazing bonding experience for me and my buddy prior to our cross country road trip. Mind you hes not a foodie and not the most adventurist eater, but found himself loving the head meat taco. Check them out because they are serving up special eats.

Famous and popular for a reason. Amazingly flavored meats and overall great tacos. The carne asada was the best followed by al pastor. Beef tongue wasn't tender in the sense of medium rare but braised for a long time. The meat burrito may be too much for one person ;)

Overall good tacos. This truck has been a staple for over a decade. They're most well known for their Al pastor which is very good and very seasoned. I had 4 tacos. Al pastor, asada, buche & tripas. The al pastor was the best, the asada was good and seasoned well but it didn't have a nice char or grill flavor to it. The tripas was cool well with some crunchiness and flavor. The buche was also decent. The Al paator burrito my friend got was good but burrito was not well put together and the integrity of the burrito fell apart quickly. The parking is very hard to find if you can't find it at the lot they're posted up in. The staff is nice and the line can be long depending on the busy times.

Best tacos EVER! The perfect size stuffed with so much meat and well balanced tacos. The tortillas top the best I've ever had. And if you are looking for spice you will get it here! The staff is beyond friendly and helpful. There is no seating but people of all ages come in groups, pull up there trunks and eat the food standing or have it on top of there cars. Such a fun environment with everyone enjoying tacos with great company. Doesn't matter how far you need to drive to get here, I highly recommended trying these at least once. You won't regret it

I've been wanting to check this spot out for a long time. There is a lot of debate over the best Al pastor tacos in LA and this place always comes out on top on many lists. I guess if I didn't try the others, El Chato would rank higher. This truck is always busy. In fact, I showed up right as they opened at 8 pm on a Wednesday and there was already a very long line. Service is good and they get the food out quickly and hot. I ordered 2 Al pastor tacos and 1 carne asada with all the toppings. They sometimes have Topo Chico sparkling water (not on the menu) but they were all out the night I went. The ambiance is a parking lot, which is typical of most great taco spots in LA. But you'll find no tables or seating. If they ask if you want tacos "for here," you'll get a paper plate with tacos to eat on your car trunk. The food is what I was most sad about though and knocked off a few stars. Was it bad? No, but the tacos weren't to my tastes. First, I could barely tell any difference between any of the tacos (Al pastor or carne asada). The only difference was that one was spicer than the other. The sides are a nice touch though and you can ask for grilled onions since those don't always come with the tacos. After I had these, I drove 5 minutes down the road to the classic Leo's taco truck and ordered the Al pastor. Don't judge!

El Chato's authentic tacos go crazy at nighttime! I came here for the first time with my buddy after a concert, and we loved it. I only go to food trucks sometimes, but I would return to this one if I were in LA. The parking lot was small but not full at night; I assume it can get crowded at rush hour! Their menu was straightforward, and we both got four tacos each. I got two al pastor and two carne asada. The price was $2.25 per taco! Overall, they tasted great; I just wish they labeled which was which because my friend got a different flavor per taco, and we couldn't differentiate them, haha. We were in the car for 30 minutes trying to figure out who had what.

I stopped by recently to try some of their tacos. They were parked across a gas station. There was limited parking available. There's no seating area. You either stand or eat in your car. I ordered a few tacos. One asada, one pollo, and one pastor with piña. The tacos were ready in ten minutes. The tacos were $2.50 each with some aguacate. They came with limon, rabano, pepino, and a small papa. The tacos were a bit small but had good flavor. This is a good place to satisfy a late night taco craving.

Came here after a night out in Hollywood. The hubs and I arrived around midnight on a Saturday night and found easy parking on location and one person in line ahead of us. I ordered my go-to burrito: al pastor with pineapple (no rice). Unfortunately, I drank a tad too much this night and didn't get to enjoy my burrito right away as I started to get the spins right before arriving the taco truck. I was super hungover the next morning but was super excited I had my favorite burrito waiting for me in the fridge. I popped that burrito in the air fryer and it was magical lol. El Chato did not disappoint!

Been coming here for many years. It's always on point. Clean, authentic TJ style tacos. Their cabeza tacos are the best. So flavorful and tender. The tacos are small, so you may want to order more than you normally would.

As I drove by La Brea a bunch of times I saw a taco truck in front of a mechanic's shop that almost always had a small line any time it was open. I don't know what kept me from stopping in myself but I saw a relatively slow night where there was a group waiting for food but not for ordering. Their menu is fairly simply but I wanted to try a couple of different proteins so I went with the tacos. I got the asada as a baseline but went with the cabeza and lengua tacos with avocado on top. The radishes and cucumbers were a nice touch and they also had a pineapple agua fresca. What I got were three great tacos. I figured if the asada was good the other two cuts wouldn't be as good. Cabeza and lengua though were both tender and tasty. I can see why they're so busy.

This place was pretty delicious. I came here with a friend at midnight after a concert and this place was popular! Nice staff! No place to sit, so we just stood in front of our car and ate our tacos standing up. It was great!

they changed .... $6 for a small bowl of only beans , no cheese and avocado. will not be returning any longer, tortillas were hard (reheated) ..sorry

so I was introduced to this truck by a douche these are by far the best tacos in the city, worth every douche of a man that lives in the city. these tacos transcend time and space and I will fight anyone saying otherwise. get them with everything on them and thank me later

IMO this is the best Leo's in LA. A great late night food option that always hits the spot. True street style tacos and I love that they have toppings out so you can customize your tacos yourself.

Always come down here for a good tacos whenever we just finish bar hopping / clubbing. I think their tripas tacos are to die for. They have Mexican coke which is one of my fave too! They have lots of protein choices, but I always get their tripas. They don't have seating place, but hey, you can always eat at the parking lot!

CASH ONLY Late night taco truck! They were very fast and food was nice and hot. Lengua: 3.5/5 Carne Asada (4/5): soft steak El Pastor (4/5): flavorful! comes with lots of sauces Definitely worth a visit

Amazing food, great mom and pop business. Love this place! Their cabeza, buche and pastor are absolutely delicious!!

Didn't get to try this place cause it's cash only. Offered to Venmo or Zelle and the guy said cash only.

CASH ONLY. So I have this co-worker who claims this is the best place to get tacos in the city. Since she is full-blown Mexican, I cannot ignore this, so I knew I had to make my way over eventually. That came on a recent Friday the 13th. I knew they opened up at 9p, which is a little late for me nowadays, but I was already in the area for something else, so it made sense I would make this a stop before heading back to the westside. First thing I encountered was this huge-ass line already lining up down the sidewalk. If you've been, I was lucky to still be within their limited parking lot, but jeez this took a long time. However, the upside to me was that this was worthy if there were so many people already, and I got there around 9:20p. Since I had plenty of time to consider what I wanted, I checked out the menu on the front of the truck and was a little let down that the tacos were no longer $1.25 as I was informed, but now they are $2.05. This is not a bad thing, but I didn't prepare so I only had a $5 on me. I knew I had to choose wisely, so I went with 2 chicken tacos; one with the added avocado (+.40). He asked if I wanted everything (onions/cilantro/salsa) on it and me not knowing any better said yes. The guy that was in front of me ordered nearly $40 worth of food, so I had a good feeling about this. His order was probably going to take a while, so I settled on the side and surveyed the scene. There are no tables but there were large roadblocks on the corner and a large amount of people made good use of them as a makeshift table which was a cool idea. Idiot drivers on Olympic honked and sped through the stoplight there, so there was some sort of entertainment. Heck, watching people trying to get out of that parking lot was an ordeal in itself. The cool thing is most people were trying to help direct those so they didn't hit anything. I was handed over my food in a plastic bag, and I walked a block or so back to my car. Man, these were really good. Considering there was no rice or chips as a side which is usually standard for me, these small tacos had quite the kick. There was a small bag of a side of cucumbers and something else that I didn't eat, but the cucumbers were a nice cool side to counteract the hot (for me) salsa. I have to say I enjoyed this. Next time, I may ask for little to no onions (if that is even an option) and I think I will have the ideal El Chato taco (for me). I'm even willing to try their carne asada version as well. Most importantly, I will probably be upping the rating, in addition to bringing more cash!

Cash only. Hours as of 7/29/22 Tues-Thurs 8p-1a Fri-Sat 8p-2:30a The meat's tender and flavorful, although the tacos are smaller than I expected for the price ($2.10 each). The tortillas are about the size of the palm of my hand. I got one each of the carne asada (my favorite), cabeza, and al pastor (on the slightly sweeter side). If I had been truly hungry, I could've demolished at least double that.

Oh boy! This place does not look like anything as you drive past but the food is absolutely amazing. Best Mexican food in LA. A must try

Small lot with 8 spaces. Cash only $2.10 tacos Lenuga + $1.15, Tripa +0.65 add avocado and cheese +0.40 Meats- al pastor, carne asada, chicken, cabeza, lenuga, tripa, buche, chorizo. They don't have a sauce station to add more green or red sauce. The tacos are super small. For the amount you pay for, you'd hope the tacos would be larger. It's presented very well. Comes with slices of cucumber and radish. Tortilla itself is extremely small. It taste like it's home made because it's soft and not rubbery The buche tacos- extremely soft, but under seasoned. Lengua tacos- some of the best I've had because it's soft, and seasoned and grill. Other places don't season the lengua. But its very expensive. Al pastor- good flavor, there's a nice char flavor. They add their own red sauce to the taco. The meat is like minced up, so it tastes like mush and doesn't have much texture. I wish each taco had more meat for the price we pay for.

Came here at 1 am. Ordered the pastor burrito ($11) with everything and WOW, I was blown away by the quality. Completely surpassed my expectations. The flour tortilla was fresh and chewy, yet thin and translucent so it doesn't get in the way of the filling. Got a little greasy at the end, BUT hey its pastor, and the tortilla still held up beautifully. The pastor was juicy and spicy. The rice itself tastes like it was made with love from my abuela. And the burrito was huge! I came on an empty stomach and still didn't finish it. That thing was loaded! It was not overloaded with rice or beans either. Everything was balanced. It's all the little things that really sets this place apart. And that baked potato they give you is just the cherry on top. Fast service as well. This place really lives up to its reputation. First time here and will definitely be back for more. Highly recommend 9.8/ 10.

Ohhh baby this place is straight delicioso!! My date and I stopped by after a late night at the club cuz she wanted tacos and a bean burrito. We were absolutely blown away. The cheese, beans, and tortillas were so good that it got her in that kind of mood if you know what I mean ;) Pro tip, ask for extra sauteed onions on the side. Service is fast and friendly, but parking is a little tricky.

THEE best tack I have ever had. Unfortunately we were on vacation so I will need to hop on a plane to eat here again (I would happily do this btw). I have been on the immortal hunt for good tacos ever since and I'm convinced that no one on the east coast can even compare. Unassuming, heavenly flavored simple street taco. Can't wait to go back!

EL CHATO - LOS ANGELES 9.52/10 -- Review: Hallelujah. Hip Hip Hurray! This taco truck another goated spot in LA. thank you Aris for taking us here. the tacos r very juicy, moist, tender, and just goes down ur throat nicely. the meat is tender, flavorful, and immaculate. the onions here are fire. its like just onions and grilled but like grilled onions. W. U can only pay with cash here btw. parking is small but its worth! Cabeza (aka beef cheek) is very very good here. yes. also they give cucumbers! Dab. Celebration. Party.

Been a customer of this truck for about 10 years now, loved them then still love them now. The carne asada tacos are my favorite & everything my friends & family have tried, they've loved! We will continue to be customers for as long as they're around

This review is coming from someone whose home cooked food is way better than outdoor food. So to get five stars from me is rare. Torta (chicken with no salsa) with 1 green salsa, 1 lime on side - best torta ever the food is amazing I never get chicken from any taco truck because it is boring and bland and dry but this one is beyond amazing. Try the chicken - burrito quesadilla and torta. I've been here multiple times. All the food and the customer service is excellent. Make sure you go to Instagram or Facebook to check their hours before you go.The only bad thing with this truck is there hours. Cash only

We had to try a taco truck before leaving California. We were in the area and it was about 11 pm. I was really glad that they close pretty late. There was a line of people ordering and we were surprised that it was still busy at this time. After 5 minutes we were able to order. We decided to get 8 tacos ($1.90 each). 4 steak and 4 pork belly. I also wanted to try their combination burrito ($8.25) and chose steak as my meat. Lastly, we got jarritos ($2.50 each) for our drinks. The food came out pretty quick. No more than 5 minutes. The tacos were SO GOOD. We were debating if we should order more. My favorite was the steak tacos. The pork belly was pretty good too. The burrito was bigger than what I expected. The sauce they provided had a little spice to it but it'll keep you coming for more! Overall the food was pretty good. Felt very authentic. Staff work fast to get the food coming out in a timely manner. Definitely would recommend!

Came on a late Saturday night and ordered two cabeza tacos with cheese and avocado to go ($1.90 each plus 35 cents each for the toppings). Small. Bland. Salsas weren't that great. Tortillas were cold. Never again.

El Chato, what happened to you? Stopped by earlier for some late night eats and was shocked by how much it's changed. They now charge $2.25 for the smallest taco I've ever seen at ANY taco truck ever in LA. I'm talking about one-third the size of a normal sized street taco. Quality was good, but not as memorable as it was before. It's no wonder the line was considerably smaller than when I was last here. Sad to say, there are now much better taco trucks, even on the westside.

the best tacos ever! omgggg we always stop by when we are in town! there's nothing like them!! so happy they include potatoes now and more onions, plus the cucumbers are a nice refreshing touch :3 love you so much

This was on my list as one of my essential tacos places in LA to try and cane here with some friends on a Friday night. Was shocked to see it was dead and not many people there with how highly it's reviewed. It did just open shortly before so whatever. Got 2 carne asada, al pastor, and a lengua taco. I was shocked when we got the tacos because they were SO SMALL. I could finish each one with one bite and they were $2.50 each. They were bland and the meat was mediocre all around. Was not satisfied and especially coming from Leo's down the street right before. Lots of people are saying it's gone downhill since Covid. It was my first time, so I can't say that. But after our initial impression I wouldn't come back. There are plenty of better taco places around that you can get bigger and better tacos around

This is the authentic taco truck experience! The place only exists at night and when we came back during the day a month later, it vanished. This night time mystery truck serves delicious taco truck food and is definitely a must try!

As a taco fan, I was eager to try El Chato Taco Truck in Los Angeles, and I was not disappointed! The tacos were absolutely delicious and satisfied my craving completely. I tried several of the tacos on the menu, and they were all delicious. The carne asada and chicken were juicy and flavorful, the al pastor taco had just the right amount of spice and sweetness, and the vegetarian option with grilled veggies and beans was also delicious. The attention to detail in every aspect of the experience impressed me. The staff was friendly and helpful, the truck was clean and well-kept, and the tacos were nicely presented. El Chato Taco Truck provided an excellent experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for delicious tacos in Los Angeles. El Chato has something for everyone, whether you're a taco connoisseur or just looking for a quick and tasty Mexican meal.

How come nobody's told me how AMAZING El Chato is?! I was on a taco tour date and we first went to Leo's and through yelp we decided to try El Chato as it was literally around the corner and open super late. Compared to the other taco trucks the wait was minimal and lots of space to park next to the truck. We ordered the carne asada and the al pastor and a large cup of horchata. The horchata tasted amazing and was not watered down as I sometimes experience. The tacos were PACKED and looked super juicy. I was salivating as we brought the tacos back to our trunk to eat. and OOOOF the tacos are amazing! Super juicy and had meat falling out of the tortilla. My date swore that this was the best tacos he's had and immediately bookmarked this place to visit again. It was funny because we were talking about what the best al pastor tacos were on our drive to LA and you know what, this knocked our top al pastor taco vendor. I think the size of the tacos were great as well. I'm not sure if I'm just not a LA local or LA Taco Local but I have not heard as much hype and I'm here to hype this place up. I am coming back for tacos here!!

It was time for some midnight munchies as some places were closed you can always count on a taco truck for fast food at the right price. We ordered two different burritos, mine was al pastor with everything plus I requested the hottest chili. It was love at first bite tasting that fresh soft flour tortilla then the spicy well flavored meat and ingredients. Their hottest red salsa is hot but not hell raiser death sauce hot so any chili fan will manage.

Yummy and quick service for a late night snack! One of our favorite taco trucks around

Having just moved here from Hawaii I was ready for some TACO TRUCK ACTION so El Chato made it on the list for this weeks TACO TUESDAY party. Prices are great, portion sizes are decent, fast & friendly customer service. I ordered 4 asada tacos and the flavor was great but the texture of the meat threw me for a loop and was the only thing I wasn't a fan of.

The best taco truck for me , I have tried different places for burritos but this one stands out the most that's why I keep on coming back The meat taste fresh and not dry and the tortillas that they use is always good chewy not dry ! Thank you for good food !

It's lit! Late night tacos in LA are a must!!! This spot literally opens at 9pm on a weeknight and had a pretty deep line! Lucky to have found it through Yelp! Ordered the combination burrito with steak and some tacos! The Al Pastor was yum yum yummy!!! Also grabbed their large pineapple drink and it was also deelish!! I guess bay Area does trucks different too, they didn't have "super burrito" or "guac" or "crema" --- so this threw me off some. However, if this is how the LA culture throws down with tacos and burritos I'm down! We lightweight debating coming back while still on this short trip down in socal! Yeah! That's how good it is!

Always went here late night while living in Koreatown. Service was fast and good. Ambiance is always busy and lines. Food is pretty good! We ordered the La street tacos usually. Something fast and easy late night after an event.

Pretty thick burrito, but overall solid grill quality of the meat, wrapped really well & nicely steamed tortilla. The tacos were fire, and wish i could have had more. The burrito was super filling with the rice & I couldn't even finish one.

The best tacos I ever had in my life. They have such tasty tacos with quick service. I arrived at midnight and got my tacos within 5-10 mins. Seriously, they are such flavorful tacos. Ambiance is light and welcoming. Definitely coming here 1000%!

Holy man was this place greatness. My kids said we need to go here every time we come to LA. The tacos where phenomenal and my son had the quesadilla. Everything was great. The salsas and extra stuff we got was so much. They are not stingy. We got a side of avocado and very well worth it. Please try them when u can it's worth it. Cash only.

Best Mexican food in LA. Service is amazing and quick. We always take our friends here whenever we get a chance! I get the all meat burrito with everything and my wife grabs the quesadilla. 10/10. Don't skip out on the pickled onions! Would def recommend following them on IG cause sometimes we drive all the way there and they end up being closed. They always post on IG story if they'll be closed that day!

THIS HIT SO DIFFERENT TONIGHT-- my friends and I decided to come check this truck out after climbing and damnnn was it good. We each got some tacos and came back to enjoy in the comfort of the car... and then went back for a second round! Cash only, so come prepared! It's well worth your visit-- the tacos are extremely flavorful + topped with onions, salsa and cilantro. A flavor bombbb Make sure to get yourself one of the Lengua (the beef tongue-- it's the best one in my opinion, worth the extra cost for that option. My friends liked the pollo the most-- honestly though, they're all pretty great, just get whatever you're feeling

Okay. If you want to get a sick taco from an LA taco truck, this is the place. I live in the neighborhood and love to walk over there to get my chicken tacos! They are bangin! It's a big intersection La Brea/Olympic and you have to check their times but it's usually after 830 and not every day. Great prices, delicious tacos, fantastic family owned business. They are fast, friendly and efficient. There's a huge line for a reason but it moves fast and they do have a big parking lot. Be careful because it's a huge LA crossroads but you can't be in LA and not try El Chato!! It's just iconic Angelino street food at its finest.

Fantastic truck and what makes it more amazing is the family that runs this truck. They don't hire other people to make their food, they make it all. Everything at this truck is great. Come with an appetite- you'll leave full. The tacos are a little small so pay attention to your order!!

Friendly fast service; absolutely delicious street tacos with juicy meat and warm tortillas. Good energy good people. Recommending the pastor and cabeza. Horchata hits the right spot if you are up for it

I have been to few food trucks around here but El Chato was different. Their meat was an explosion of flavor and was way better than many other taco places. We got chicken tacos, Mulitas and a quesadilla. Absolutely amazing taste and would highly recommend trying them. Note: It's a cash only place.