Tacos El Venado

Definitely one of the better Al pastors in LA. Check this place out if you are in the valley not that many seats available tho

Take your time gathering any of the many sauces and things. It went take long for your order to be ready, just pause and collect then return to grab all the sauces but yet bagged. Limes, cilantro&onions, salsa fresco, salsa Verde, salsa roja x2, radishes, grilled pepper and onions, crema, and more. All the things to make the meal your own. A note about the carne asada fries (or any meat fry), is the use of a cheese sauce instead of fresh shredded cheese which some may like but not I. I'm guessing you can substitute the cheese for the desired experience. This taco truck is worth a retry. The crowd certainly approves and has the right frame if reference to judge a taco truck. Rarely have I seen a throng of people eating at tables beside such food trucks let alone the steady stream of customers. Festive and lively, those customers add to the positive vibes of this sidewalk eatery. Just be sure you're at the right taco truck!

Always a good experience here. Service is friendly and fast. The food is always fresh and tasty. The tacos are all great. I recommend getting a few different meats to try, but my favorite is the al pastor.

Ordered Al pastor tacos and they were packed to the brim. The Guac was vibrant but not spicy. Also got horchata, which i don’t recommend. It was all brown and super cinnamon-y. Other than I would come back. They take zelle and cash. Each taco is $2 bucks now

Pastor. There is bad pastor (think Joel Osteen) and good pastor (think perfectly marinated pork with ripe pineapple). This place is good pastor. God anointed and god appointed. They’re not stingy. They fill up whatever bread you ordered with it. You dress it yourself and return it back to them for the wrap. I love you

Hands down my favorite taco stand in all of LA. I have been coming here for years ever since they were a small little stand just a block down the street and now they have multiple locations with giant setups. I knew they were going to be big. Their al pastor is undefeated. I’ve tried all the so-called best taco stands in LA and I promise you nothing compares to Tacos El Venado. The meat they cook is so tender and flavorful, the prices are cheap, and the portions are gigantic. You honestly cannot go wrong at this place. I’ve ordered burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and even tortas when they have it. They all exceed my expectations every time. I will forever support Tacos El Venado. 10/10

Tacos El Venado never disappoints. Though everything is truly delicious, their Al Pastor is unmatched. Their salsas can be a little bit on the spicier side for those who are sensitive to it, but if you are, I recommend the guacamole salsa as it is mild and creamy. Seeing as how they are open till 1:00 am most nights, it's an absolute great go-to for the neighborhood. They're usually quite busy, so be prepared to wait a little bit, which is a sign of it's success!

Staff and service: fast service and friendly. It gets really crowded make sure you hear your number. The taco Al Pastor is beyond bomb! Taco de lengua is good but the meat could be a bit more crispier Mulita de asada is good but a bit salty Red salsa is the best! Try the Auga de Fresca you won’t regret it! It’s pretty damn good

Still going strong as my go to street taco vendor. Love this spot for late night munchies. Their tacos/burritos al pastor is legendary and they do loaded fries which are just a work of art when paired with their spicy pico de gallo and cucumbers and radishes. The food is wayyyy too heavy without the pico providing a kick of spicy and fresh palate cleanser. But together it is chefs kiss . Their agua frescas are my favorite in the city with the pineapple fresca being arguably the best in my world haha Would recommend and I always take my out of town friends

3.5. a pretty decent taco spot for $2 tacos, $10 burritos. they also have a variety of other items on the menu that we didn't try. the meats could have been a little more flavorful. i would recommend getting a burrito. you can load it up with toppings and then they fold it for you. we got an al pastor burrito and a variety of tacos. the green and red salsa were lackluster, but they also had a habanero salsa and avocado one that were pretty good. i could see myself coming back to try some of the other items if in the area, but there are also other good options in the area. i guess the nice thing is they're open til late

Always good, nice attention from their staff Nice variety of salsas and condiments. Definitely recommended.

Tacos were not good. The asada was tasteless and the tortillas were hard. I also had a scary run in with a homeless man right in front of the workers and when I went to stand by them cause I got scared they just laughed at me and one guy told the other guy in Spanish "she's scared" as he laughed. Mind you I'm an Asian woman but can understand Spanish. Terrible. The guy continued to curse at me aggressively and they looked the other way to ignore it. Bad tacos and bad service.

I've got to share this Mexican street taco joint! This street corner place is my absolute must-visit right after a NoHo show! Located at a bustling intersection, this shop flips out tacos quickly, and any wait is worth the delicious minute. There's something about those post-midnight cravings, and this place hits the spot every time. My favorite here is the cabeza and buche taco - chewy and juicy enough to always pull me back here. A decent variety of salsa and toppings here gets me way too full with generous spoons of onions and cilantro. There are many taco trucks around here, but the mini-shop setup here with the generator makes this spot stand out. Apart from the fresh tacos, it brings a much-needed no-frills street food experience here in NoHo. It can get crowded, but the simple and affordable bite here is worth a short drive for late-night taco cravings!

Been slowly making my way around all the different taco spots in L.A. Tacos El Venado was up next on my list! Had a few al pastor tacos, an asada taco, a pollo taco, a carnitas taco, and a cabeza taco. Don't think any of the meats were the best I've ever had, but I enjoyed all of them. Only one that I would probably not get again is carnitas because it was a bit dry for me, but then again I've never really been the biggest carnitas fan. Price is more than fair for $2 a taco and they don't skimp on meat at all. Service is fine here. They don't really speak the best English, but they obviously serve a bunch of English speakers so they know what they're doing. Very friendly in general! Although I wouldn't rank it above some of other taco spots I have been to, I can't go wrong coming here. Definitely worth the trip.

tacos El Venado It is a simple place, but it shows the authenticity of Mexican food; I ate a mulita; It was a delicacy in my mouth. The service of the workers is pleasant and jovial. The city and street atmosphere is the Latin and Mexican flavor in Los Angeles

Alright so everyone has those friends that come into town and want "authentic street tacos," right? Look no further! Tacos El Venado is it! Fresh and delicious tacos, burritos, tortas, and more. The friendly staff will take your order and prep your food quickly and even wrap your burritos after you load it up with all the extras. There is plenty of covered seating and 9 times out of 10 you'll witness LAPD in a pursuit down Victory Blvd while you're eating... the true LA TACO TRUCK EXPERIENCE!

I've seen this spot all over IG so it was on my bucket list to check out. Theyre open hella late too so great spot if you're leaving the club or something haha Service is quick. The men there are definitely your hustle and bustle type which shows great work ethic if you ask me. Generator went out for a minute and even then, that didn't slow down their production. Ánimo! I got a mulita de pastor and a taco de suadero. My bf got the torta de asada and a taco de buche. All really good food. They also have many variety of salsas and toppings (pickled onions, cilantro). I got an agua fresca de fresa, and I liked it. The only thing that sucked is that my mulita had a lot of oil due to the pastor but it didn't make me sick, so that's a good thing. They accept cash and Venmo or Zelle :)

Am I in the Truman Show? Are these guys trying to get shut down? They give you this look like "what are you doing here?" "Um...I'm here to get tacos?" Lol. Please read all the one star reviews before you go here. I am flabbergasted.

This is the 6th /Vermont stand. Not sure they had carnitas in the past, but their carnitas are super flavorful. Salsas, all varieties are excellent, prices are legit. Better than most restaurants, a great on the go meal.

Bomb a$$ tacos!! And burritos. And asada fries. And... It's been a while since I've returned to El Venado. Ever since moving out of the valley, I've been hard pressed to find a taco truck that serves up the quality and flavor that El Venado does. Had to make my order count so I ordered an asada burrito, asada fries, and an all-meat Al pastor burrito. Everything was excellent and even more delicious than I remembered. They take Venmo now too!

One of my husband's favorite places. For me it's not one of my top choices. With all the germs going around it would be nice to have hand sanitizer after everyone is sharing the same serving utensils. The horchata is yummy so that is a yay for me.

Like I've said in my review for Angel's Tijuana Tacos, I've tried about 80% of all the taco trucks and taco tents that were on almost every few blocks in Mid-City/Koreatown. Most of them were one/two tent setups with at least half of them looking as if it was a local family business. 9/10 of my experiences in LA were good, back from when tacos were $1.00 til now. The basic asasa and pastor weren't gritty and even the more "exotic" cuts like lengua, cabeza, tripa didn't ever make me feel like I was risking food poisoning. The Valley is a different story.. I've tried my fair share but something was always off. It's basically the same ingredients so how is it so different?.. Which is why I stopped even trying Valley spots until recently (first being Angel's Tijuana Tacos then Tacos El Venado. In my opinion, handmade tortillas automatically makes a taco spot elevate into a higher tier - Venados is good, it is as close to LA tacos you will find in the Valley, no complaints. Angel's is in a different tier due to handmade tortillas, sauces, size of tacos - you won't find these type of tacos in LA but both spots are great if you are craving real deal LA street tacos.. even feels like you're in the 213/310 area. NOT these spots in the 818 charging $2 for a 2 bite taco with super diced up meat, hoping you don't notice the quality of the meat and watery generic sauces from a can. Venados has the full set up on the beer pong table with onions, radishes, cilantro, limes, and grilled onions/peppers. Their sauces are not generic water and actually have some kick. They also have Aguas frescas (which I personally haven't tried). Prices are fair and haven't gone up especially since every damn thing has gone up in price.

Welll what can I say here that hasn't been said already or maybe not enough, this place is BOMB. Prices and super affordable and they do not skimp out on the meat portions. They will load up the meat on whatever you order. For only $2.50 each, we ordered the queso tacos and ordered asada and Al pastor. The asada was juicy and the Al pastor sliced thinly tasted great. You could just eat a plate of Al pastor, it's that good. You can then add all the toppings you want- onions, cilantro, pickled onions, radishes, cucumbers, 3 different types of salsas, guac, limes, and sour cream. HEAVEN. The lemonade was also really refreshing made with lemons, strawberries, cucumber, and chia seeds. They take venmo and cash, they have some tables with seating, and play music to set the atmosphere. Mannnnn I'm coming here once a week! Btw- closed mondays, open' Tues-Sunday, weekdays 5pm- 12:30am and weekends 5pm- 1:30am

Great spot , plenty of off street parking if you come in by the driveway in between the old theatre and Wells Fargo bank and drive around rear of the theatre to the stand Food moves quick so it's fresh and hot off the grill , and it's classic street taco flavours and sides Plenty of guac , salsa and sour cream plus chopped and sliced radish,onions & cilantro, red onions and fresh limes Drinks on offer today were horchata and lemonade which was full of fruit and maybe a little sweet In the pic of tacos are the tripas, Al pastor, asada and chorizo topped with onions guac salsa and a little sour cream Couple of tables set up to sit and eat or take it away Good option if your in the area and have a hankering for some good old school Mexican

I've been searching for good tacos and burritos. I'm so glad I finally found my go-to spot. I highly recommend Tacos El Venado. They are so generous with their servings. I had the al pastor, chicken, and carne asada tacos; as well as some of the carne asada burrito. I also got an horchata. Everything is fresh. There are jugs of all kinds of delicious salsas along with ramekins to transport them in and fresh, crisp vegetables to compliment everything. For 4 tacos, an horchata, and burrito, it came to a total of $21. Perfect quick dinner meal. The pricing is more than reasonable for the quality and amount of food you get. The staff are nice and very hardworking. We received our food very quickly. Thank you to the wonderful hardworking people at Tacos El Venado. I will definitely be coming back.

This place lost its touch. I will never go back. I sent my son today to pick up a Mulita and tacos. They charged him $6 for the Mulita. Not only did they higher their prices again, they are using smaller tortillas and less meat.

Came here for a late night, located in a very dark parking lot that opens up to this stall. Everyone was so kind and basically unlimited condiments!! My favorite meat was pastor.

So check it..... I gave them five stars for a few reasons. First their price point. This place has burritos for $8 bucks!!! Quality is good. Service is up to par. Friendly and wide selection. Aguas frescas and soda selection. Tacos price is great also. It's located on Lankershim and victory. On the corner of a Davita dialysis clinic. Try them out. I'm sure you'll find something that you will like there. Cash and card accepted. Also when purchasing a burrito they allow you to place whatever toppings they have to offer on their side table in your burrito. Then you hand it back to them so they can roll It up and package it for you. Radishes, onions and cilantro, lemons. You get the picture. Hope you give them a chance.

THEY DONT MISS!! THE BEST TACOS IN MY LIFE!! Service is always excellent, very straight forward. Their locations can be a little tricky, wish they would update that and their hours. Came a few times when their website says open till 3 am but when I came it was dark as day. I recommend their al pastor tacos. Put a lil cebolla in, and voila! the best taco to exist. Love this place to pieces. maybe more than din tai fung idk you gon have to ask me in a week or 2.

Fantastic food! This place is a pop-up gem on the street corner, serving THE BEST Mexican street fare at wonderfully affordable rates.

BEST. PASTOR. IN. THE. VALLEY. This is one of the places I normally wouldn't share. Friendly staff. Their set up always looks safe and clean enough and they clean their tables and chairs frequently aside from when they leave its like they were never there. Its a generally a busy popular spot. They may sell out for the night and close early so be prepared when you get a craving. Their other location back up Victory some blocks away close to the freeway charges a little more but same food.

Tacos El Venado is a true gem when it comes to authentic Mexican street food. Their tacos are simply amazing, with perfectly seasoned and cooked meat that's packed with flavor. Whether you're a fan of classic carne asada or more adventurous flavors like lengua and cabeza, their tacos won't disappoint. The atmosphere at Tacos El Venado is casual and laid-back, adding to the charm of the place. The staff are friendly and welcoming, making you feel right at home as you enjoy your delicious tacos. Overall, if you're a fan of Mexican food and are looking for a place that serves up authentic and delicious tacos, Tacos El Venado is a must-visit spot. You won't regret it!

It's so good,they have an amazing flavor and they're cheap I they start opening at 4 and close at 12 or 1am depending how slow the day is or the weather

Perfecto! Just flew into LAX, & so ready to have some soul-filling, fresh-from-the-kitchen, loaded-with-love Mexican food. Family had recommended,& we were early by an hour so passed the time catching up with family while our stomachs rumbled from the smell of the meat cooking. We went all in- quesadilla, beef tacos, Carne asada, Cali burrito & of course the strawberry, cuke lemonade. HUGE portions, amazing fresh toppings, a dizzy array of homemade sauce, & fast service. If you've ever popped a balloon with confetti in it- that's what the carne asada is like. Bursting with flavor, tender & tasty. The chicken quesadilla was very large fill of cheesy, chicken goodness. Definitely skip if you are lactose intolerant. If you love cheese- this is your go-to. The burrito was moist & tasty. They serve open to allow for you to top off before wrapping yourself. If you have had a long, hot hike to an ice cold waterfall you can stand under at the end, that's the description of the strawberry cuke lemonade. Savory & sweet & ultimately refreshing- a great counter point to some of the spicier toppings. A local favorite & we WILL return- even if it is over 4,000 miles away. Worth it.

You can't go wrong with this place. The carne asada has lost a bit of its quality from previous years but still good. Prices are good. Venmo and credit cards are welcomed. Hate the parking situation but no biggie. People are friendly.

This place is good, but rapidly declining. They used to be super fast, and the food always tasted fresh. The meat tastes more greasy, and not as fresh as before. The staff is always angry, and not friendly anymore. There are no more huge lines, so it's easy to go here and get a quick taco fix, but idk how much longer I'll choose convenience over customer service/quality.

BEST TACO STAND IN LA!! Just the absolute best deal and best food. It's not even close. The avocado salsa and Al Pastor absolutely steal the show!

Umm... this taco spot is probably my new favorite. Saw their add on IG and followed them for a few weeks before actually getting to visit. Their tacos... BOMB! That al pastor, mmm... I want some now just writing about it lol. It's delicious. I can't really say anything more but just go and visit this place, order 1 of everything and try it cos I assure you, you'll want to go back for second round. Carne asada was good too not too salty like other places. Oh, try their burrito too, you won't regret it.

"Moist. Intensely flavorful. Tender. Just so good." EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT IN STREET TACOS AND MORE! Word on the street is that you cannot go wrong with the al pastor tacos and that was the general take away from the night! I got there around 11pm and was pleasantly surprised that this place was busy and bustling! It's located along a random street intersection and might be hard to find at first, but once you circle around, you cannot miss it since it's the only place on Victory Blvd with a small crowd! There is street parking around the shop and lots more on neighboring streets. I loved the lively atmosphere and hope to come back! The food is very fresh and made right in front of you. The staff are friendly and put on a great show as they make your order! Come here with friends for great fellowship and even greater fries!!

Spot was recommended by a coworker and i enjoy the food! Its delicious and the workers there are very friendly.

HANDS DOWN THE BEST STREET TACOS!!! We loved the el pastor tacos and the hot sauce was a BIG hit for my husband.

2020.12-11/2000: It's not often that we eat dinner after 5 p.m. and today we ate lunch super early so we weren't hungry until after 8 p.m. Every time we have passed by, there's always a huge line. Since the Santa Anna winds and the cold weather is here, it used it to our advantage. No wait! Their tacos were delicious! We had carne asada and al pastor tacos, a queso taco and a couple of mulitas. Holy moly! The meat was juicy, moist and flavorful in whatever we chose. The flavor was definitely there. I don't know what cheese they use in their mulitas but it's INCREDIBLE. For not having handmade tortillas, you would never know the difference! We'll definitely be back!

Good menu; they only accept cash and Zelle. Good torta, just had a bit of cartilage/bone in it

Honestly no, don't do it Unless you don't mind people breathing on or touching the same utensils to grab condiments. Twice we've made the attempt to eat here while Covid came around and maybe we've all just have become more conscious of how dirty some things can be and judge if it's sanitary or not & this place just isn't. We used to eat here before Covid, yeah but things have changed for us and it just a no. Have someone serve condiments and not be paraded out for everyone to touch, maybe, but we'll be skipping this place.

This was my go to spot for carne asada fries since its conveniently close to my house. Even though it's sometimes too salty and the asada seasoning isn't quite right. Then last night somebody had dropped their sauce container in the guacamole which needed to be fished out...yuck! Didn't really mind before because that's the chance you take with street tacos BUT they have these uncovered buckets of sauce that could easily be contaminated from people standing too close (hair, mouth particles, and mocos lol) and it finally happened in real time. Now I can't unsee what I seen! Then unfortunately, they also messed up my order last night (the carne asada fries were soggy when I asked for dorado) and were unwilling to make it right when I came back to complain the next day. Not good for business. Wouldn't work with me and completely unwilling to resolve the issue. This makes me feel like they're just after the money with no regard or concern for their customers. And I was a regular. Makes me wonder what else they would be willingly disregard for profit? Time to move on. Next!!!

Second time I've gotten hairs in my food at this place. Usually wouldn't complain but really?On Pastor fries.

I mean come on this place is the bomb!! Cheap and amazing pastor tacos and hands down my favorite horchata of all time!! I'm not kidding my dream meal is their al pastor tacos with a horchata! Everyone is super friendly and the service is quick. 10/10!

The alpastor is bomb the burritos fuckn big Everything is good It's a bit far from me but I still go

This place is fire! With so many options of street taco in this area, we love this one. Not only is their food delicious, the customer service is great. I love how they give you an open burrito, allow you go add all the fixings, then you give it back to them to wrap it up for you. Al pastor is great, even my picky eater 11yr old daughter likes them. The great Mexican music playing on the amp goes great with the street eatery vibe.

Solid tacos! Quick, cheap, inexpensive. Great place to go with friends. I wish they came with cheese and cheese wasn't extra.

Anything you get with be delicious. Long lines, but worth the wait. A large variety of food and aguas frescas. They take Venmo and Zelle so it's easy to pay if don't have cash. Known for stuffed potatoes, but their el pastor meat is super on point on tacos and burritos and mulitas and everything. Super recommend for late night or dinner!

Best street tacos period. Both chicken and steak tacos are great! While waiting I kept seeing asada fries and I'm sad I didn't get any but next time. The only thing is I wish that it felt more covid safe. I don't want to touch all the condiment handles that everyone else is touching. I think if they did it or had it premade in ramekins it would be more sanitary. I mean I know I'm going home and washing my hands and disinfecting my phone but is everyone else?

This place was featured on one of Buzzfeed's food adventures and I just had to have it on my LA itinerary. The minute we landed in LAX, we headed there. It was a Thursday night and the queue was wrapped around the block. Here's the deal; parking is street only, and some of the side streets are permit only, so be very careful. I suggest parking on the main street, it's free and you won't get towed. Second note; this place is cash only, so make sure you bring those dollar bills. The menu is very basic. You have tacos, burritos and a twist here and there. It's placed on a sign right by the register, so before you get into the queue, make sure you take a quick glance so you don't piss people off when you get to the register. Once you place your order, you are given a number and once your number gets called, you can grab your taco, burrito etc.. and head to the other side of the register to add your toppings. You can then hand your food back to the guy behind the counter and he'll wrap it up for you if you want to take it to go. Now that we have that out of the way, let me begin to explain how good these damn burritos and tacos were. We ended up getting the California burrito with carne asada (comes with fries inside the burrito) and a chicken taco. The carne asada was melt in your mouth delicious and the fries were crispy. I highly recommend this burrito. The chicken taco on the other hand was just okay. We also ended up ordering a horchata and that was also really really good. Definitely recommend this place! By far one of the best Mexican street foods I've had.

Best tacos ever really reminds me of my moms hometown, CDMX loaded potatoes are to die for. So far their Al pastor tacos are my favorite but their carne asada and carnitas are also quite delicious. Can't wait to try their alambre, chorizo, and suadero (brisket) - their staff is so genuinely kind these guys and ladies work hard! oh yeah S/O to their delicious aguas frescas

The tacos were good. But the customer service was horrible. Don't even get a Hii what can i get for you nothing. All the guys are just standing there with blank faces like damn at least smile or something. I politely asked one of the guys if they had grilled onions and he didn't even respond or nothing he just gave me the foil and made a face. All of them looked like they were not happy working there. Was really looking forward to trying this place for the first time but based on the customer service i won't be coming back.

I have visited 2 Venado locations now. The Highland Park location has not been consistently open, so I did not review it. The second time we went to the valley location which was an actual truck, not just a stand. Both visits I ordered tacos al pastor and they were very good. Love all the hot salsas and garnishes also.

Excellent tacos. Their el pastor is a million times better than Leo's (an LA favorite). I waited probably 45 min on a friday night in the heat but it was worth it. My only complaint is their set up is inefficient. They have the toppings first in the line so people get their food and then have to force their way to the front of the line to get toppings. Every other place has the toppings at the end because that is just more efficient. On to the food: the el pastor is so good. It has great seasoning/flavor. Their al pastor trompo is the largest I have ever seen. Their horchata is good as well.

Bomb af and way better than angels. I hate when meat has gross cartilage parts and the chorizo + carne asada is AMAZING! Also, they always have their toppings in stock and their system isn't chaotic like angels lol. Plus salsas are great if you don't like a lot of spice or if if you want your booty hole to be on fire the next day (love having the option). Also very affordable!!! Must try!!!