Los California Tacos

This was the whittest taco place i ever been in, but it didnt dissapoint. This was my first time coming to this spot after dancing. I got some cabeza tacos, and even though the tacos look pale, the flavor was elite. Not a lot of taco trucks know how to cook the cabeza well. But this spot is definitely a favorite. Theres no seats, and tables, that was one only complaint, but I highly recommend them.

Delicious tacos and nachos, friendly service, excellent value. The pina drink is also very refreshing!

Hands down, the best taco truck in Pasadena! Established in 1979, Los California Tacos has perfected the art of tacos with their flavorful, fresh, and non-greasy offerings. The service is friendly and fast, making it a go-to spot for taco enthusiasts. Their al pastor and chicken tacos are particularly popular among regulars. Don't miss out on this local favorite!

Late night tacos just really hit the spot. One of the best taco trucks in the area, cash only but it is super value. The two bite tacos nourish the soul. 6 types of meat and only $2.75 a taco. Service is super quick and they taste amazing. Always a line up because people know that this is the place for taco truck tacos.

Good flavor. Fast service. Very small street tacos..two bites and it's gone. I am not exaggerating about that two bites thing. So if you are down for a $1.25 a bite then this $2.50 a taco is for you. I left hungry and went to Tops for a burger and the best fries around.

Two of us stopped by for dinner on a Saturday evening and got 5 tacos each. Next time we'll get 6 each - one of each! They were delicious, the sauce was properly hot, and we enjoyed them very much.

My first visit here two weeks ago was good. Ordered a sampling of five different tacos for the family served on plates. The staff was really attentive with two windows open and each pair serving food ans handling transactions. The tacos were good although the sauce had begun to soak through the tacos by the time I was working through them making it into a delightful mess. My second visit here unfortunately wasn't that great. One window was opened serving food while the second window handled the payment in cash. The tacos were wrapped in foil and by the time I got home, the corn tortillas had started to break apart making it very difficult to enjoy. With a large orders of 21 tacos, I was expecting a better meal with the family. I found the meats to be much drier on this visit and the quality of the meats not so good. So maybe I'll have to give this some more thought on my next street tacos cravings.

This is probably one of the best 🌮 taco I have had in this neighborhood. The price, the food, the staff. All ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deliiiiish tacos! I tried the asada, al pastor, carnitas and cabeza and all were equally impressive in flavor and texture. The "seating" area where it's really just a table for standing was pretty crowded when I went so I ordered to-go. The tacos were wrapped in aluminum foil which I'm not a fan of because the tortillas can get soggy from being squished, but this was luckily not the case! Really happy I found this place. Tastes amazing and such great value. Will be back!

4++ Classic taco truck located in Pasadena. From the looks and sounds of it, this truck (or at least these folks have been making tacos) have been around for a very long time. This place is CASH ONLY and they have a lot of the standard/ classic offerings in terms of meats and menu items. Along with some aguas frescas and sodas to order if you need something to wash your meal down. If ordering the tacos, these are the type that are on the smaller side (with reasonable prices), so you order a bunch. I personally ordered four and that was a good amount of food. I came here after finding this spot when I was hungry and leaving an event at the Rose Bowl. I haven't eaten lunch, so this place popped up on my feed and it looked perfect! When I got there, the line was pretty long and the vibe was lively (on a Saturday night). Some of the folks in line looked like they were coming from the same event I was getting out of, but not sure if they line was so long or if this place is just that popular. Also, just know that the truck is situated in a small retail lot so mostly it's just standing room with a counter along a fence if you want to eat there. I ended up ordering 2 asada tacos, an al pastor taco, and a chicharron taco. I got some pina agua fresca to go with it. The tacos are already dressed up when you get them based on your order - onions/cilantro, hot or mild salsa, etc. The tacos definitely hit the spot and were tasty. Plenty of street parking, especially on the later side at night.

Love coming here when I'm craving tacos! Very straight forward and what you would expect, but in the best way. The service is always super quick and all the workers here are always so nice. I usually get the Carne Asada and Pollo tacos - never disappoints. I also really enjoy both their green and red salsa, but if you don't like heat be weary about the red one! Their horchata is good as well! They're always parked in a certain spot and I usually just park the closest I can find on the street and walk over. Definitely recommend!

Best taco truck in town hands down!! The tacos are flavorful, fresh and not greasy. Service is friendly and fast. Our favorites are the chicken and al pastor, but they have a variety of meats to satisfy everyone's tastebuds. Their agua fresca drinks are delicious too. The line can be long (evidence of how good they are!) but it moves swiftly. Another plus is they are open late and Pasadena doesn't have many spots open late!! Give them a try, you won't be disappointed!!

First, you have to find street parking which can be a pain. It's also cash only so he prepared. This location is a food truck so you'll likely take the food to-go. But you can dine there since they have a dinning shelf as a table. I really appreciate it since you don't have to awkwardly hold your plate while eating. The service was good and quick. I got the pastor, asada, and carnitas tacos. They are small and delicious tacos. I definitely could've eaten four when normally three is my limit. The corn tortillas weren't too dry. These tacos are double wrapped with tortillas and I normally remove the outer layer. But I was fine with the two tortillas. The tacos were well balanced. The meat were juicy and flavorful. I used some lime and the mild sauce on the side as well. The mild sauce has a nice small kick, definitely safe for those not super into spice. I'd definitely would return here again!

The tacos are moist and flavorful! Because this is a taco truck, you're going to end up street parking and standing to eat your food. As of 4/20/25, the tacos are $2.50 each. This seems to be the standard in this area! They gave us lots of options of toppings and sauces, you can even get radishes.

Was in the area fairly late and needed something to eat that wasn't super expensive. Since all the fast food restaurants were closed, this was the best option available. Probably ended up being better than my original plan in the end! Ordered four tacos, one each of asada, al pastor, cabeza, and pollo. They were all solid and hit the spot. Definitely nowhere near the best compared to some of the other tacos I have had in L.A. And at $2.50 a taco and cash only, not the best value either considering some of the other taco options in L.A. I guess for Pasadena, this is the city can do. Staff here was very friendly. Be prepared to look for street parking here.

Been coming here since tacos were 1.09... (yes 1.09)... So its been a long time, and so far my favorite tacos in the pasadena area... These tacos have never disappointed my taste buds... No burritos, no sopes only tacos and Nachos... Won't recommend the nachos, stick to the tacos and IMPORTANT... Cash ONLY... Pretty old school huh?! ... so bring plenty of money, trust me you will have at least 6 per person... and currently 2.50 a taco... Taco isnt big, your traditional small tortilla taco, good amount of meat, and worth your hard earned money. 6 meats to choose from and I must say all meats have that good sason (flavor) Now, what makes a great taco??... when the carne asada is soft and juicy!! ... I've had asada tacos that the meat is dry... or chewy and belive me haven't been to those spots again!!... Staff are all friendly, never had an issue, but again no big interaction just order, pay and eat!!... Taco truck located inside an auto service lot, street parking available and there always parking available... No real ambience, you can eat in the lot, or what most people do, in the car.... Open at 5:30... depending on the day and time, you can expect a line, but no matter the size of the line, it goes by fast... plus its worth the wait!!... Been coming here for a while, and will keep going again... When you go... remember Enjoy!!...

The Hype is Real. These are probably the best tacos in Pasadena. (I've done extensive research). The tacos are on the smaller side, but very delicious! Make sure you get green salsa, it complements the flavors of the meat. The nachos were also delicious.

Some of the best tacos around! Eat at the standing counter on the side. I had carnitas, Al pastor, cabeza, and chicharron. All good! It's only 2.50 per taco, well worth it! Street parking only. Staff taking order are cool and friendly

I tried their tacos and lemme tell you... GET THE CABEZA TACOS CAUSE DAMNNN THAT MEAT WAS SOOOO GOOD. It for real melted in my mouth oh my godddd. And ofc their other tacos are bomb af too but the cabeza really got me fr.

I hear this place has been around for decades? Service was fast friendly and efficient. I can tell they put a lot of love into what they make. Simple home cooking food made with love. Sometimes though I do want a crunch taco. But the flavors are so well developed. As for ambiance it is outdoors but there is music playing. Great for a quick meal (Cash ONLY) by the way

Hands down the best tacos in Pasadena by a long shot. Ive eaten everywhere in this town. Yes, there are comfort food spots. But, if you just ask me, "What's the best tacos in town?" There's no other pick but this spot. Beautifully designed, quick efficient service, and the best flavors around for the low prices. Easily the best. And I mean EASILY!! Just the flavors, the consistency, the vibe. Get it and enjoy your food and get the hell out! Like a true street taco scene brings.

Tacos here are decent but expensive. Honestly nothing crazy to report. Average taco truck taco and honestly given the number of reviews, I'm a big let down. I got the Al pastor and carnitas. Both weren't the best I've had. They're also very small.

Cash only $2.50/taco It lives up to the hype. I wish tacos were larger Tortillas are soft but very small. Cabeza- solid, very juicy. Flavorful, seasoned well. Carnitas- excellent, super super good. Probably one of the few places that does Carnitas well. It's soft moist, flavorful, seasoned well. Al pastor - good not great. Moist, flavorful. I wish it had texture, a crunch, and piece of pineapple Asada- also seasoned well. Soft and moist, not overcooked like commonly other places. Chicharron - it's soft, gelatin like. Good flavor. If you're a fan of chicharron, it's worth getting it.

aww sheeeit... y'all play too much. I've been eating here since i was hardly a thought. Keep killin! this place is stupid good.

One of the best taco trucks I've ever been to. Though I don't have much experience in Mexican food, ever since moving to this region I've had many chances at some fresh tacos. This place for some reason blew me away with their chicken tacos. I can't say the same for the other meats probably because it didn't bring out their flavor as much as the chicken did. Due to this place being famous, they do charge a bit more for a smaller sized taco. You could literally finish it in 1-2 bites. Had bigger tacos with more meats and half the price. Oh well, if you want "fancy tacos" this is definitely the place to try.

The best. Been coming here since 1999 (when tacos were $1 each) and it's better than the best. Love that it's cash only to stay true to the old school and quality seems to be improving every time I come back - how do they do it?!?

This is my all-time favorite taco truck. I used to get it every weekend, but I sadly moved to the OC and don't get back home often. Luckily, I was able to drive into town for my brother's birthday and we decided on birthday tacos from our favorite truck. We both had chicharrón tacos, which have always been our go-to order. It did not disappoint, it was as tasty as I remember. The line gets long but the employees are super efficient and it never takes long to get through the crowd. I recommend this to anyone who wants flavorful and generously proportioned tacos. And they serve nachos now too! I couldn't get enough! Worth the 45 minute drive!!!

Los Cali Tacos has been on my bookmarks for years! We wanted a quick dinner and this truck fit the bill SUPER nice workers, easy parking on the street. $2.50 per taco, or you can get nachos ---cabeza taco: flavorful and moist and tender so good (they place salsa on for you and ask if you want mild or spicy) ---chicharrone taco: not deep fried skins like you'd think, but still this was so good too, meat was rich ---carnitas taco: not as good as the other 2 NOTE: make sure you go to the right truck. There's another truck 2 blocks north that's not the same!

Back when I was on the dating apps, I'd come across sooooo many profiles of individuals who claimed to "know the best taco spot in LA," and I'd wonder.. firstly, "Is this person really from LA?" and, secondly, "Does this person even know about Los California Tacos?" The tacos at this truck are truly a contender for best tacos. I come here strictly to get my pork fix. Give me all the al pastor, chicharron, and carnitas tacos! Load them up with onions, cilantro and salsa. And hook me up with an agua de pina to go so I can sit in my car and get my grub on. Don't pull a rookie move and show up with just plastic, though. This is a cash only spot.

Los California Tacos, you've been my ride or die for as long as I can remember. You're not just a taco truck, you're a generational legend. My dad heard about you from his colleagues at the lab, and the torch was passed down to me. High school, college, late-night Old Town shenanigans, post-date dinners, single life snacks, and now family taco runs, you've been there through it all. Honestly, if tacos could talk, we'd probably be best friends. Your food? Phenomenal. Your Peña? Incredible. Your horchata? Liquid gold. The asada, chicken, al pastor? Perfect. And while I've never been bold enough to try the cabeza, word on the street says it's legendary too. The fresh onion, cilantro, and those tortillas okay, the tortillas could use a little upgrade, but I get it, nobody's perfect. Still, you've got my LA homies questioning their taco loyalty, which is no small feat. But now, my beloved LCT, we need to talk. Not about the tacos, but about the salsa situation. As a self-proclaimed sauce guy, your salsa stinginess hurts my soul. Imagine ordering nine tacos and getting... two ramekins of salsa. NINE TACOS. TWO SALSAs. That's wild. That's diabolical. That's like giving someone a Ferrari with half a tank of gas. It's almost enough to ruin the experience. And I'm no freeloading salsaless wonder I tip! Generously! 25-30%, even! So why do I feel like asking for an extra mini cup of salsa is treated like I'm asking for your firstborn child? Do I not know the secret handshake? Is your salsa secretly liquid bitcoin? What's the profit margin on this stuff? I mean, come on, why make it so difficult to pass out an extra salsa or two, right? Or am I wrong? Is this some salsa economy I don't understand? Here's the deal: if I start paying for extra salsa, fine, I'll do it. But those extra charges are coming out of your tip. Because if I'm getting nickel-and-dimed for salsa, then fair is fair. But seriously, let's get real here, nine tacos, 12 tacos, two nachos, and you give me two to 4 salsas? STOP in the name of love! Don't get me wrong, LCT, you're still one of the greatest taco spots out there. But this salsa drama? It's gotta change. Otherwise, I'll just budget for salsa instead of tipping like a generous salsa-loving fool. I do love you, I love you , I love you. but doooooooo... better.

We were hungry late at night, and this is a famous taco truck opens until late in the area. We ordered carne asada and Al pastor tacos. Meat was juice and tendered. It was very flavorful. They are also very generous with the meat. I felt stuffed after my late night snack. Street parking is available. There will be a line if you come during prime time. Will stopped by again.

I do not know what the hype is about. I've tried every taco. Every single taco is mid. To add to that, the workers don't use gloves I watched a guy touch all kinds of things and then touch my toppings as he put them on with his bare hands......if the food was good I'd probably just not leave a review but it's mediocre.

I've been coming to this taco spot for over 20 years and the tacos along with the service have stayed the same. I have known the owner for that long as well and I guess his son is now taking care of the business. Everyone is super friendly and they remember your order. The addition of the nachos has been amazing-The best Machos in town with the old school cheese loaded with meat, cilantro, onions and jalapenos. Keep up the good work guys. I actually have a good friend who is going to celebrate his birthday there when they open. Thank you for serving the community.

100/10. Been coming to this place for years now. They're open pretty late, latest I've gone has been 2am but they're definitely one of the best tacos spots in Pasadena. All the people are mad cool!! They've got a solid list of meat choices for tacos like asada, pollo and carnitas. I usually go for the nachos when I go cause you definitely get what you paid for. They also have horchata and pineapple juice fresh so it's always worth paying a little more

Just a very solid taco truck. Quick service and all the tacos we had were juicy and flavorful. It's $2.5 for each taco.

Still a solid 10 on these tacos. This is a lunch truck, so you will eat standing it in your car. My usual order consist of 3-4 tacos. They can be Asada, Carnitas, or Pastor. My husband swears by the chicharrón, but I still haven't had the pleasure. The meat here is always clean, not fatty or greasy. Service is fast and to the point here. You order, you get your food and pay. I wish I could give you a tip on when is the best time to come, but it can be a hit or miss. I found the busiest evenings are those after there was an even at the Rose Bowl. Expect to wait a little extra on those days. I love that you find all kinds all people waiting to enjoy a simple, but amazing taco.

They have amazing workers with great ambiance. The tacos were amazing and they had really fast service. The horchata was also amazing would definitely recommend this place

Two words - chicharron tacos. Living in Los Angeles, you will run into plenty of amazing taco places (whether it be a stand, truck, or brick-and-mortar) and if you made it to this Yelp page/review, please know that Los California Tacos is on that list. I was STARVING after a workout and drove out this way to kick it with some friends to catch up. I opted to get two al pastor tacos, two asada tacos, and decided to try one chicharron taco for some razzle dazzle... Little did I know THAT was going to be the star of the show!!! So much so, that I got TWO MORE tacos of the chicharron after that. In total of seven tacos that I consumed and I don't regret a single thing. Full disclosure - if you're a texture person and certain things don't vibe with you, then please take caution because it is a bit gelatinous. The pork rind is stewed, so it's a bit stretchy and full of flavor. Lucky for me, I could care less lol. It was BOMB - I am still thinking about this taco days later... I also enjoyed the hot salsa, which was more of a hot sauce. And if you're like me, make sure to ask for extra :) I can't wait until we meet again xo

The service is amazing. Tried the Agua. De Pina and it was delicious the tacos also did not disappoint

The best tacos I have ever tried. The tacos weren't greasy and they gave enough meat. The order came to us very quickly and they included enough sauce to make the taste even better. I and everyone should come here maybe the best tacos in all of Pasadena.

Tacos where excellent the salsa where delicious service was great the tacos have plenty of meat and are worth the price we will be back

The service is incredibly fast. I saw previous reviews saying as your ordering your food is basically already on the plate ready for you. My husband and I got carnitas and asada. The meat quality is very good there was no fat at all in the tacos we had which is very rare and we loved that. I also saw people saying to get their salsa and I went with the green salsa which was fantastic. It was a pretty quiet night not too many people there but if there was again the food comes out so fast so you wouldn't wait too long. Will be coming back here for my late night taco cravings!

Tacos are $1.95 each. Cash only. Street parking only. Go early and avoid the long lines. My faves are al pastor and asada. Knocking off a star because there's less meat per taco.

Great late night spot to fullfill your hunger!!! Very friendly staff, open late till 2:30am on weekends! Can't just have 1 taco! Cash only Good menu

First time here. We are in Pasadena while working in the burn areas. We had asada, carnitas, pastor tacos and asada nachos. It was all delicious. I also tried the horchata, that was amazing too and had a little different flavor than most others, but in a good way. Thank you Los California Tacos, I will definitely be back.

The tacos were bland with no onions and cilantro just meat and shells. Don't waste your money. Nothing like the photos so check your food before leaving. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Buyer beware. Had to give a star so the review can post.

Long time fan, first time reviewer. These Tacos Rule. Great quality stuff. Will keep coming back

Only had their tacos. However, over time they seemed to have slipped. The tacos were medium in terms of taste. Not the best ever and not bad. I only order hard shell since I grew up on them. I'm old, old school. Most places only carry soft tacos. If I'm hungry I will return again.

Food was delicious! I got 2 carne asada tacos & 2 el pastor with cilantro & onion. Both bomb. I ate them all! Red & green sauce. I think I liked red more. Customer service was on point! No wonder the line was so long 10/10

Great taco truck in Pasadena. Tacos are small but very good. The best most authentic tacos I've had in Pasadena. Much better than King Taco. Cash only and parking can be a little tricky.

Tacos are good, got the al pastor, asada, and cabeza. Decent option if you're around Pasadena late. Caught the cashier on a bad day though since the guy looked annoyed taking an order (got 20 tacos for my family) and was rushed, and it's on the pricier side at ~$2.50

Yummy and cheap. Very fast. Asked for 2 asada and 2 al pastor but they gave us 4 asada lol. Still yum

Went at 5:35 PM on Saturday and there was a line out to the street. Servers were impressively efficient and I received my order by 6 PM. Tried the Pastor, Carnitas, Chicharron and Pollo, all tasty but I liked the Chicharron best. The salsa was a good medium level of spice. My family ate 4-8 tacos each, everyone was full and satisfied.

The tacos were delicious and the service was quick and very friendly. I'll suggest bringing enough casah as they do not take any other way of payment. I'll definetely will recommend them and come back to try other meats as this time ai just got a dozen of Carne Asada tacos and Carne Asada Nachos

I LOVE this place and crave it so much. Every bite is mouth watering delicious. It's pretty incredible that in these times of inflation they still care so incredibly cheap. True definition of cheap eats but smashingly so tasty. I always order the Al pastor and the beef cheeks. They also have pollo, asada, carnitas and Chicharron. My go to must have every time is Al pastor. I always want to get only 3 but every time I'm there I can't resist and eat 4-5!!! It's in the Nishikawa parking lot. And there's standing room only counter space in the parking lot. Really great value. I take every out of towner and non-local 626 to eat here!

Amazing service, most delicious tacos I've had. Food is top tier! Also had the best nachos!

If Los California didn't only take cash, I'd have wiped out my wallet coming here everyday by this point. This truck is my go-to taco spot - friendly and quick service, delicious meats, and refreshing drinks. All of the meats are so tender and flavorful - but my favorites are Al pastor and cabeza. The tacos come with onion, cilantro, and your choice of mild or hot salsa (which I ask for both, on the side.) The taco truck is hidden in a paved nook off of Fair Oaks, but it shouldn't be difficult to find with Google Maps and there's typically plenty of street parking. Order your food to go or enjoy eating on the bar-style table tops to the side of the truck.