Marinated pork shaved off a vertical trompo onto a small corn tortilla, topped with grilled pineapple, white onion and cilantro. LA's east-side staple.
Al pastor, marinated pork on a vertical trompo spit, came to Mexico from Lebanese shawarma immigrants in 1920s Puebla, then crossed the border into Boyle Heights and East LA in the 1970s and 80s with Mexican migrant cooks. The LA trompo holds 30 to 50 pounds of pork shoulder marinated in achiote, dried chiles, vinegar, garlic and pineapple, slow-cooked vertically for hours, then shaved to order onto a doubled corn tortilla. A whole pineapple sits at the top of the spit, smoking and dropping juice down through the meat. Leo's Tacos, with three truck locations, popularised the late-night trompo on La Brea after 2012; Tacos Tamix has worked the Pico Union and Pico Boulevard corners since 2006.
4 editor picks for Al pastor taco in Los Angeles, ranked by editorial score. All Los Angeles signature dishes · Al pastor taco across every city.
Leo's Tacos Truck ★ 4.7
1515 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Leo's Tacos Truck on La Brea, Los Angeles has carved al pastor off a trompo since 2010, with three permanent truck locations and a 02:00 closing time.
Tire Shop Taqueria ★ 4.7
4077 S Avalon Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90011
Tire Shop Taqueria in South LA, Los Angeles operates from the lot of an actual tire shop on Avalon. Suadero and al pastor tacos until 01:30, cash only.
El Chato Taco Truck ★ 4.6
5300 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
El Chato Taco Truck on Olympic and La Brea, Los Angeles has been parked at the same corner since 1972, slow-cooking cabeza and lengua tacos to order.
Tacos Tamix ★ 4.5
1940 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Tacos Tamix runs five LA trucks shaving al pastor off a wood-fire trompo since 2006, the Pico Union truck the most consistent for the late-night order.