One of the biggest names to ride the crashing food truck wave onto the shores of a Pico-Robertson storefront is Komodo. Their hook: Asian fusion with a Mexican bent. It isn't much of a pull in LA these days. Around here, the word "kalbi" gets tossed on menus next to all manner of tacos, burgers, pizzas and lord knows what else. So, with multiple trucks and a brick and mortar now in its second year, what makes Komodo so special? In short: simplicity. More

In Los Angeles, there is no sanctity in food. This town invented the Korean BBQ taco, the sushi burger, and all sorts of wacky pizza concoctions along the way. So it should come as no surprise that Sky's Gourmet Tacos, a Mid-City sit down spot with a soul food bent and one hell of a great lemonade, serves up some of the tastiest and most inauthentic tacos in this part of town. More

Los Cinco Puntos is an absolute Los Angeles treasure. As a gateway into East LA (both figuratively and literally, with their location along Cesar Chavez Blvd.), there is no better messenger to herald the call of the authentic taco. Inside, they'll point you in the right meat direction, take care of your homemade tortilla needs, and deliver you a finished taco that is among the best you'll find not just in Los Angeles, but anywhere. More

There's a whole menu at Antojito's Carmen full of taco alternatives. Like the huaraches and perhaps the best single item on the menu, the gorditas. Forget what The Bell has taught you about gorditas; they're the real deal at Antojitos Carmen. Thin round disks of masa are gently fried instead of griddled, pulling off the rare "crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside" feat that so many places miss. More

If you never left downtown Los Angeles, you'd be convinced that the whole wide world is awash in Mexicali Taco & Co. love. The former late night taco table long sat in a parking lot north of Staples Center, often siphoning off in-the-know event goers willing to trade in a yard of beer for some of LA's best street eats. After piling up enough gold stars from locals and food-blogging bigwigs alike, they managed to win the vaunted 2011 Taco Madness bracket-style tournament. They quickly earned a whole new wave of hungry customers. Then they earned themselves an eviction notice. More

At Tacos Los Guichos, carnitas is a weekend tradition. Well south of USC and just east of the 110 freeway, this long-standing trailer offers late-night eats to a hardworking mix of folks, all milling around in the gated parking lot of a car repair shop. The long-simmering carnitas make this one of the best tacos in Los Angeles. Just make sure to show up on a day that begins with the letter S. More

The taco tables are a ubiquitous late-night sight along the avenues and corners of much of Los Angeles. Heading east from Western along Pico Blvd. towards downtown, the weekend streets are awash in tacos (and taco tables). More

If nothing else, the Beto's Tacos truck on Washington Boulevard is a model of consistency. On those cold nights in the doldrums of the work week, when your other Mid-City taco alternatives have turned their backs on you, Beto's is there under the golden glow of Redondo Liquor, parked along the back wall and probably siphoning off some electricity from inside. Nothing fancy, but always reliable; their tacos taste the exact same way. More

If you're trying to make a name for yourself somewhere along the expansive taco crawl that makes up the eastern half of Pico Boulevard, it helps to stay visible. Sure, Tacos El Compita has the brick-and-mortar restaurant, serving up tortas, burritos and a selection of hearty soups and stews, but once the sun goes down they start to turn heads by pulling all their kitchen equipment outside and cooking up tacos right there on the patio. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the tacos are pretty damn tasty, too. More

It's a tough spot for any casual restaurant, tucked between the trendy Melrose fashion houses to the west and one of the city's most beloved restaurants, Osteria Mozza, to the east. To exist, you need a dash of the flair and style from down the street and a whole heap of culinary acumen. Frida Tacos on Melrose has all of the first, but not much of the second. More