El Matador Taco Truck

Very over priced, and their burritos have this odd flavor reminiscent to taco bell. I wish it tasted better since I live so close to this spot, but unfortunately it wasn’t. You’re honestly better off going to the other truck right next to it.

My buddy pass by on Saturday October 18, 2025. He said El Matador truck is back… The original one after a few years of disappearing. I will be going today and tomorrow to confirm. I hope this truck is back because it was the best thing from Hollywood.. Being born, and raised here, and not having his truck felt wrong!

If you love Tortas this place makes them to perfection . I live on the other side of town but I still drive here to pick up a Tortas and tacos because no one makes tortes like they make it here .

This place was so cool. Real deal night street food vibes... Provides yummy night munchies when you are hungry in the area. Great food!

Have been going to this food truck with my buddies since high school. Everytime we would go see a show in Hollywood. Im talking about the early 90's. It is still at the same spot and it is still awesome midnight taco grub. The memories that last a lifetime.

Get the al pastor tacos!! Life changingly good—strikes the perfect balance of flavors and unbelievable juiciness...all for $2!! Highly recommend

Tacos were eh not good and drinks not even cold, to expensive as well

Authentic taco in Hollywood. I reccomend. The tostada is the best. I hope back to this place one day.

THEYRE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't had them in 5 years since they last left. Tacos and salsas are on point. The salsa tastes a bit watered down. But I know it will take them some time to be fully running again. I know they always fix everything. They have new agua frescas. Pocho the original owner was there and greeted me with a huge hug. I forgot to get my cebollitas.. but overall 10 out of 10... it was pretty cool seeing them very busy like before. Spread the word people, they're back!!! EL MATADOR TACO TRUCK On Western and Lexington New phone number is attached on the photo

2/9/22 Came back a second time so it was definitely worth it! When the mood strikes snd it's 11 pm, you can count on LA for street tacos. If you see a corner that has these people standing around either eating or waiting for their orders, check it out! Hubby & I are always on the hunt & lookout for the best al pastor tacos & this one is pretty darn good. It could just be a corner with a little set up like a cart or a mini kitchen, maybe even a taco truck--which we fondly call "roach-coach" from our old haunts in East Hollywood & East LA or Boyle Heights. Don't knock it til you try it! These small but mighty tacos al pastor ste packed with flavor. it's all about the seasoning & it's definitely on point. Meat is tender & juicy & accompanied with cilantro & onions, lime slices & rabanos (radish slices), AND as requested, grilled onions. Perfect little snack, hubby can put away 6 tacos easily. Next time I'll try the carne asada :D Think about it, I gave a food truck 4 stars!! That's totally awesome. When it's so unassuming & simple but so delicious, it's gotta be good. Btw, service was friendly & attentive but hubby says he can stand to pick up the pace a bit. Hubby gives it a double thumbs up, the best so far he says, coming from a guy who's been eating tacos all his life. We'll be back when the mood strikes again!

Simply the best in the west coast best red salsa the food in never greasy like other joints My wife and I drive from encino all the type to get our fix Been coming to this truck for about 14 yrs now

Experience: Based on the reviews people gave this truck, they weren't lying, these tacos taste awesome as phuck! Location: The truck is in a parking lot of an auto repair car shop, but very easy to get your food and wait in line without worrying about moving cars. Food: Their bbq beef taco is pretty good for $1.50, and burritos are even better. The cook was even nice to give me some extra limes and fried onions for free. Customer service: Very good communication

El Matador is my go to b4 jumping on the 101...long line, but worth the wait! Parking is tricky, but their quesadillas and barbacoa hit the spot every time.

I've passed this truck a million times getting off the 101 to go home. I was coming home around 2am and craving a burrito, so I decided it was time to try it. Parking was a mess, I pretty much just left my car at a weird angle on a one way street but everyone else was all over the place too. It was in the same lot as another truck, this one had a longer line so I went for it. I got a super burrito, or whatever burrito had avocado, sour cream, and cheese in addition to the standard rice, beans and meat. It cost $8 and was pretty good. It specifically had avocado slices instead of guac, which I guess I'm okay with. I do think there was a healthy amount of ingredients, the avo, sour cream, and cheese really elevated it. My biggest complaint would be the tortilla, it was very dry and flour-y? I really think it would have been better with a better tortilla. The pastor taco was okay, not the best I had, but pretty good. I also like their red sauce.

Drunken night after La Descarga? Check. Eat here. On the flipside, a sober night where you're hungry and near the truck? Check. Eat here. Some of the best tacos in East Hollywood.l, whether your visiting LA, or you're a native. But if you're a native, then you already know the deal. Asada tacos and pastores are divine. Don't sleep on the cabeza though *kisses fingers*

My favorite place to grab some late night street tacos. Not only is the location convenient as it's on the corner of a dead end street in a parking lot but everyone just parks anywhere and it's just great. I usually get an al pastor, carne asada and lengua taco. Their lengua taco is by far one of my favorites, and that's hard to come across. I also love their carne Assad quesadillas! I get it with everything on it and always ask for extra green sauce. But beware, it already comes with some and it's spicy as hellllll! But it's worth it and you'll love every burning moment. If you don't like spicy, just tell them to go easy and don't ask for extras. Simple. They have a bunch of options for iced drinks in cans and bottles but they also have coffee and horchatas!

Taste better than it looks. I got carne asada, lengua and al pastor (my favorite). The red hot sauce is spicy! Cash only. I got 5 tacos for $8. Cheap. Open late.

A great local food truck with good flavor and value. The quesadilla is amazing, I go carne asada. The tacos are typical size but the ingredients are fresh and delicious. A great late night fix when you don't want some chain restaurant food. Typically we go carne tacos but the pastor are more juicy so I suggest getting a mix. The burritos are good, they are straight meat beans and rice, which is fine by me. I would add cheese and avocado to bring it up though. The Tortas are delicious as well great ingredients and super fresh! The parking is a pain and typically there are some fellow drunks hanging around. The homeless situation isn't as bad as it used to be but it's there.

Open late till 4am! He speaks good English so that's not a problem! I got a vegetarian burrito and for a no meat burrito, it was a good meal! Tastes very homemade.

If you're looking for tacos late at night this is the Togo spot Very convenient and opened very late You can't go wrong with any choice I usually get tacos de pastor or asada I once walked all Western from Hollywood all the way to Melrose Trying all the tacos I was in search for the best pastor lol Got two tacos of each truck and a stand

I can agree that most beer drinkers can pretty much eat anything and it will be amazing after a night at the bar or club. I only drink water so my taste buds are free from artificial contamination lol. My wife has been telling me about this taco truck for a minute. So after after the Dodger game we decided to head over and try this spot! I had their carne asada burrito. I'm a big fan of the type of tortilla they use! Just like King Taco flour tortilla. The meat was flavorful but not over seasoned, dry or chewy. The rice, beans, and salsa just blended together good. I always refrain from onions at first to get the real taste experience. Take cash! You may want to order two of them!

When I review a restaurant that work from the truck, I do not judge it as I would do for a real restaurant with a storefront. And for that they get 4 stars and not just 2. The food was unequal in a way that one sandwich had so much meat in it, while the other one had more red Salsa than it had meat in it. It was cool, it was OK, I would use more caution when using the words amazing and the best to describe the experience. If you are nearby, you can stop here for a quick bite.

does anyone know where they went??? they've been MIA for at least a month they are amazing and delicious but we go and they aren't at their usual spot in hollywood

Came here after leaving La Descarga. Best tacos ever!!!! Great flavor! I'll definitely be back.

We drive out here to eat the delectable meats of this truck at least every few weeks. If we're not going to be in Hollywood for an event, then we seriously get in the car and fare the traffic from the south bay all the way out there. Al pastor torta. Done. That's where it's at. Best meat there, perfectly toasted bread, creamy avocado, the hot sauce that just burns my mouth up but I can't do without... heaven.

I've lost count of the number of times I've been to El Matador Taco Truck. What began as a coincidence has become a ritual. The first time I went to El Matador was simply a convergence of need and convenience. My need for a burrito struck at the moment I happened to be driving by this muffler shop on Western Ave. Now, I'm completely hooked. Unfortunately, the discovery of this truck also coincided with the beginning of an effort to lose weight. Fortunately, we found a solution. We walk 2.5 miles each way, to make this a guilt-free indulgence, and believe me, I'm not walking 5 miles for just any burrito. I would walk more for El Matador. I'm hooked on the tacos, the burritos, and the tortas. Oh, god, the tortas. The same delicious meats as the tacos and burritos, on perfectly toasted bread. I usually get the Al Pastor. My girlfriend swears by the carnitas. My son raves about the carne asada. Whatever the format, El Matador always leaves me with a warmth in my stomach, and fullness in my heart.

Hello! Hubby and I were tourist from Hawaii trying to get to our hotel in the Studio City area. I was super starving so we got off the freeway to find food. Ok, so I was pretty wasted and I demanded my husband to drive and let fate find us a place to eat. Low and behold we found this food truck in a tiny parking lot. Serendipity at its finest! This place was great! Got a bunch of tacos for $1.25 a piece and a quesadilla. The tacos were perfect. We got the carne asada, al pastor, and pollo. I loooved them! with some beets and lime. Winner!! The quesadilla was ok but my meat-lovin' hubby liked it a lot. Its very heavy and cheesy so if you are into that order this! Most affordable meal I had on my vacation!

Great little taco truck. We dropped by around 3 AM and I really appreciated such a delicious and fresh late night option. I ordered 3 tacos, priced at $1.50 each. Totally reasonable! I tried carnitas, chicken, and al pastor. All three were amazing, with tender meat, delicious salsas, and a side of radishes, which I always appreciate. The salsa verde is incredibly fresh and has an appropriate amount of heat. The salsa roja is fire. It will burn your lips briefly, but as others have mentioned, it is well worth it. I went back and ordered an additional chicken taco, it was just that good.

I have an affinity for Mexican food trucks, but sadly I can't recommend El Matador as there are many better options around LA. The lone positive thing I can say is that their al pastor was pretty good. Juicy and flavorful. I'm not positive but I don't think it's the type that slowly cooks on a spit with the fresh pineapple. It definitely tasted more moist than flame grilled, but it's hard to tell as they operate out of an older food truck with small windows and no flashy neon lights. Their menu is very limited, serving only the basics: tacos, burritos, quesadillas and tortas. No freshly fried empanadas, gorditas, flautas or any of that fancy stuff. No nachos or fries. Tortillas are store bought, nothing special. They lack a salsa bar. They also don't have sour cream and guacamole. Or at least I wasn't given any with my quesadilla. The asada was super dry and flavorless. Stick with the al pastor. Cash only. Better food trucks options around Ktown include El Tauro on Wilshire/Vermont and El Flamin' Taco on 5th/Vermont.

I love late night taco runs. This taco truck is parked at the parking lot of a car shop, corner of Western and Lexington. A regular roach coach, nothing glitzy about it. My El Matador meal: I ordered the Carne Asada Taco and the Cabeza Taco (I felt adventurous). Verdict: First lets talk about the grilled pearl onion as part of the plate garnish. Simply brilliant. The Carne Asada was awesome, flavorful. The red sauce, yummy and spicy. The Cabeza - I wish I could give this meat high marks, but it was simply too fatty for my taste. My stomach could not and would not handle that much fattiness. I did try my friend's carne asada burrito and really wished that I ordered that as well. His burrito wasn't too big and the rice and beans were something else. Unfortunately, there weren't any salsa bar. But overall I will definitely come back for the tacos and next time a burrito. And oh yes, a bigger appetite.

Get the pastor tacos, but skip the weak Tortas. -2 stars for getting caught inflating my total because is was 2am and we look tipsy

This are the worse tacos I've tasted it seems the only people eating here are the drunks after they come out of the club or used to but the reason for me to say that is because I had their food and the tortillas to my tacos tasted like the had been cook before I know tortillas rewarmed and let's not talk about their meats the are tasteless nothing like before and I know I used to go to them when they would be In front of Jons who ever knows they know

Taco truck - ridiculous line - twitter + fast service + great tacos = happy stomach back before gourmet food trucks exploded there were taco trucks like El Matador. I like how these guys are always in the same shady auto repair garage, serving up cheap and delicious street style tacos. I would kill any day for their al pastor, and lengua tacos! Both meats are juicy and flavor packed, topped off with potent salsa verde or salsa roja that burns a little going in, doesn't burn so much going out (which is a good thing) I can eat at least 6 of these, wash it all down with a mexican coca-cola, and have still spent less for a meal than a fair number of more popular food trucks

I would love to leave a review about their food except I never even got to try it because come six o'clock they weren't there. I waited for ten minutes. Still nothing. We decide to park and wait a little more it is now 6:30 and still NO TACO TRUCK!!!! not to mention there is no phone to call nobody picked up AND their truck was very hard to find and western is already very very crowded which makes it not so easy to slowly drive and look around or even flip a u turn. So overall I'm very displeased with thier customer service. If you said you'd open at six I can understand opening at 6:10 but 6:30 and their still not even there??? That's what I just can't make sense of. Will never try to go here again there is a WAY Better taco truck down western on sunset in a nice big parking lot so you can park and eat and it was actually open. It's called Leo's Taco Truck. GO THERE INSTEAD!!!

This is the ultimate late night taco truck. TRUST ME! I have sometimes been skeptical about food truck especially those that appear after 8 pm n front of a garage, but have no fear. Everything is amazing here! The carne asada tacos are incredible. The meat is fresh and salsa on it is great. The tacos are a bit small but if you order 3-4 it should fill up a regular sized human. The tongue tacos is probably THE BEST. I know, tongue tacos from a sketchy food truck? But you wont regret it. It can cure anything. The quesadillas are great. you can make it with any meat you like and its always so tasty. The tortas are good too. Just know that youre going to get very messy but its all worth it. BEWARE of the spicy sauce. Its deadly. You cant feel your mouth or teeth or gums or anything but its bomb! Go on a weeknight, park you car in front of the truck and enjoy the messiness that is to come. You wont regret it! PS they have Colas in glasses!

Might have good reviews but there is no flavor. I love salsa and there is not a spicy salsa I can handle. I was simple. I ordered a carni asada burrito. Should be an easy one. They served it with in 1 min. But not much meet at all. More rice than beans and honestly lacking any flavor other than the hot sauce they put on the burrito. Again I will say I LOVE HOT SAUCE. But this is not even good salsa. Bummer late night snack. Just had ordered it 5 min ago. Good luck. Hope it was just due to being late night.

A friend named Matthew recommended a few of us to go out to this spot one night when we were stoned (I have since quit) and I got a vegetarian burrito for about $5.50. It was HUGE... I have since eaten here a couple more times and the vegetarian burrito is now $6 (maybe it's good that I'm sober now). Worse yet, when I went in to take a bite, the burrito discentigrated before my eyes. The tortilla they use is a little too puffed up with flour as well. The food truck that posts up on Melrose and Vermont by the Mobil Gasoline station is better.

By far the best tacos and burritos in all of LA. The Asada and Pastor are Probably the best I have ever had. I have been coming to this place for 13 years. The food has always been great. You have a customer in me for life. Folks

Do you want to get FUCKED? DO YOU WANT TO GET FUCKED BY SALSA El Matador. What can I say. You know how sometimes you hit every green light on the way to someplace, like the world opened up a secret tunnel for your personal journey? In L.A., that's how public transit works, and once in a golden while, you somehow get around with no specific plan, only cash for a few trains and a few buses, and you end up with a badass awesome day. Edison Lounge (I'll get to that review sometime) gave me the 35-cent Monkey Gland cocktail excuse to get a little more loosely awesome than my otherwise composed amazing personage, so a blur of LA subway, a missed stop and a convenient bus trip later, we leap out into the night air and stomp over to EL MATADOR. Burrito. Chicken. Spicy. That's all you need to know. Drink? Jarritos, of course, adoring fans. Delicious. Delicioso, as they say in the southern lands. Now, remember that old Tootsie-Roll pop commercial with Mr. Owl and Mr. Turtle? How many licks, etcetera, etcetera. Imagine the kid approaching either of his animal friends and handing them a burrito. "Mister (Owl/Turtle)," the boy asks. "How many bites does it take to realize your mouth is being destroyed by an EL MATADOR burrito?" A-one! A-two! A-Three! A-three. Christ. The salsa. She is delicious. She is sweet. She will fuck you. If she were a beautiful woman, you and I, dear friends, would have no chance at all. But she is a salsa. You ravage her. She ravages you. You are, together, ravaged. And I, for one, could do for a second round.

It's not bad if you are hungry middle of the night and standing outside in the parking lot with a taco in your hand reminds me of my teenage years. Don't expect anything wow and it's the best taco you ever had.. However it's little better then average tacos. Beef tacos are ok but the pastor is my favorite here. On the sides you can ask for grilled onions jalapeño is a must and radish. It's fast and clean enough even tho I don't trust any lunch trucks. I know because i drove one myself when I was 18 for a couple of months. And it don't seem anything is changed as much accept what they call gourmet lunch trucks. And those I don't trust also as far as sanitation goes or how clean the workers are. You can't really see them, the truck is high and ur below ordering. Unless you know it's family operation then maybe ur lucky. But sometimes i also say WTH let's eat lol..it does hit the spot tho I got to admit it. This truck been here for ages and somewhat I trust it.

What the hell happened to this place? I've been going here at least once a week for the past two years, but clearly things have changed: 1) The cashier is not the same person. 2) Their hot sauce is off. It used to taste like King Taco's hot sauce, but now it tastes smokey/peppery aka not good. 3) Burritos used to cost $4, now they cost $6.25 4) My friend bought 2 burritos for $2.75. How is that mathematically even possible? 5) The last three times I went to this "El Matador" truck (never going back btw), they always screwed up my order. Example) I ordered a vegetarian burrito and got a carne asada burrito instead. How do you even screw that up? I think I'm officially done with this truck. I miss the old truck. The old cashier who never got my order wrong. The old hot sauce.

My first Taco truck experience, and now I'm scared to try another. El matador delivers hot, spicy, fresh, yummy food and glass bottled sodas cheaply and conveniently. The first time I went, my companion did the ordering and things worked out well. The second time, I did it, and, having learned from the first visit, I asked for spicy. My Taco artist merely nodded. Mission accomplished, I thought. Tacos came, and by the third bite I had lost all feeling in my mouth. That doesn't mean i didn't thoroughly enjoy that first flavor-filled bite. I still ate all my tacos, but I learned my lesson. It took 30 minutes to get to a point where I could see clearly again. Well worth it though.

i know everywhere is the best taco spot in LA (bless all the trucks and street vendors who make it that way), but seriously this is THE BEST tacos in LA- get the pastor and ask for grilled onions which make life worth living.

I moved to LA a month ago but have already been to this truck 8 times sooo...IT'S AMAZING. I get the carnitas and pollo tacos with that incredible red hot sauce. My lips are on fire just thinking about it. Will continue to go a thousand times a week.

Considering I've come here at least once a week since my first visit 3 months ago, I figured I'd update since it's well past worthiness of 5-stars. 75% of my visits are sober and I can confidently say these are the best tacos I've had in LA. Only once were they less than superior quality. The pastor is still the best, but the pollo, asada, and longaniza are all super delicious as well. Casadias and tortas are also really good and cheap ($4.75). As for the other 25%, this place especially hits the spot around 2am on your way to blacking out. Just the other night everyone in our group had 5 tacos each and as we were about to leave one of us ordered 12 more for the group... which were gone in 2 minutes.

ZOMG the most delicious carnitas torta in the universe of mankind. nom nom nom. savory marinated carnitas, onions, cool sour cream, creamy avocados, bean spread, and hot hot sauce.

Just the best mmmmmmm the service is always good you get your food fast and you will enjoy it I always say its a must try

By far the best tacos I've had in L.A. Their alpastor, wow just so good cant describe it in words. Their burritos and quesadillas of alpastor are awsome as well. I frequent this truck because the food is just amazing good and they know my order every time i go. And the service is way better then some restaurants, always attentive and fast. Parking sometimes is a nightmare, but its all worth it. After eating and been satisfied its just worth every moment of it. If your in the area, i highly suggest you try their tacos, you wont be disappointed, just make sure you get there with a few minutes to spare on parking.

Having lived in Mexico for a year I can honestly say that I have a decent sense of what a taco should be. Having said such, El Matador's tacos are fantastic, the taste and cost are comparable to ones I tried down South. After a rocking out in Hollywood a pit stop at the Matador really hits the spot, "10 tacos please." Also the spice sobers you up a bit. When I compare it to El Taurino, EM's tacos are tastier, but ET's sauce is far superior.

Heard great things about this little truck and decided to give it a try. It is in the parking lot of an auto repair shop. The same parking lot has two taco trucks, so make sure you are at the right one. El Matador should be the one closest to the freeway. It is there after 7pm and I believe stays well into the late night hour. Parking in the lot tends to be full so you might have to park down the street or past the freeway and walk a minute to get to it. Of the two trucks in the same parking lot, this is the one with the long lines. Most customers appear to be local Hispanics with some white hipsters peppered in occasionally. I tried the al pastor and carne asada tacos ($1 each). Both were delicious. They also top their tacos with a really good salsa rojo that is a bit on the spicy side. It was a bit too much for a friend of mine, but she's kind of a wuss. It was definately spicier than your typical salsa rojo but it was super tasty in my opinion.

So legit. Viva los tacos al pastor. The carne asada is good too, but the Al Pastor is what's really good. Salsa is legitly HOT, be careful. Horchata is pretty money too. Can't go wrong.

So one night, me and my two friends were really hungry and one of them dragged us to this taco place. I was expecting just the everyday taco from any taco truck. BUT OH MY GOSH. I've never had tacos that tasted this good. I ate their tacos two days ago and I'm still sitting here thinking about it. They make their tortillas perfectly. It has a little crunch to it, which I LOVE. The tacos I liked the best were the tripas and carne asada. The tripas taco I got extra crunchy and WOW!!!!!!! Just AMAZING!!! BEST TACO PLACE EVER!!

This place is truly what tacos should taste like. Its hard to come across some really really good tacos with spice. my mouth waters as I'm writing this lol I've been coming here since high school and I will never stop comin back!I usually get 6 tacos carne asada, Make sure you get the red sauce whether its on or on the side. And Don't forget your grilled onions on the side there free You won't regret it!

Yeah!!! Damn good tacos!! Great for late night munchies after a bar crawl or dancing. Cheap good eats! El Matador is definitely one of the best LA Taco Trucks. Do yourself a favor and try some! Thanks for the good food El Matador!!

this ain't f^n chipotle The best taco in the universe doesn't exist. argue as much as you want, everyone is still biased to their own palate and opinion; hence, this review. my outlook is that there are heroic taco joints that do sh^t proper day after day. their pretty damn good al pastor is a testament of them just doing it right. mexicans eat here for a reason. on a Chingón not Chingón basis definitely Chingón guey. faves: al pastor and the longaniza

I take my 5 stars seriously. Maybe I've just been deprived of good authentic, Mexican food since leaving San Diego. No, no...I don't think that's justification for this...not at all. It was just that damn good. Quesadillas are another one of my weaknesses, and after reading the reviews, I went ahead and got the Al Pastor quesadilla. What resulted was 5 minutes straight of going to town. Most places skimp on either the cheese or the meat. El Matador created the perfect balance of the two on their quesadilla, and their mild salsa paired perfectly with it. Must-try if you're ever in LA. I know I'll be back. (no Hasta La Vista for me)

I went there tonight and the tacos are great. I got asada, al pastor and lengua. All were great.