El Chato Taco Truck

Soon good these tacos!!!
My goodness, the avocado sauce looks gross but it is actually really good!

El Chato! We are having a birthday party for one of your regulars at 1117 Rimpau Blvd. South of Olympic. We have 30 people that would order tacos if you stop by at the end of your shift.

My favorite taco spot in la besides ave 26 one dollar tacos.
Al pastor and if you’re into it the tripas is solid.

Burrito game on point! Came here after a show, late night. Twas mighty tasty! I wish I had one of those burritos in my hand at all times, that would be v tiiiiiiiiiight. Recommend the pastor with avocado! Cha’-mon! Oh and my lady friend Kate wants me to tell y’all that the veggie burrito was v good, too. She didn’t care for the super hot jalapeños…but it’s ok, I saved the day and ate them for her. BEST NIGHT EVERRRRR

If I had to choose El Chato in LA or Tacos El Gordos in SD… it would be el Chato. The flavor was ridiculously juicy and the pineapple added to the el pastor is GENIUS. I love it here. So much. :)

I liked the variety of proteins offered at this taco truck.
I tried: lengua, tripa, cabeza, carnitas, and asada tacos. Also got the horchata.
I would actually give this place a 3.5 star because I loved the red salsa that they had (if you can’t eat spicy, then maybe skip this, but it’s great!) and you get your food super quickly.
Could not give the place a 4 star because all the meats tasted the same… besides the obvious carne asada and carnitas, I couldn’t tell what was what for the other tacos.
The horchata was a tad too sweet, but perfect if you just let some of the ice melt first.
Wouldn’t mind coming back here, especially since it’s open late at night.

Yum! Came here on a Friday night around 10pm and there were soooooo many people. The line moved fast but the actual wait for the food took awhile. We ordered 3 pastor, 2 lengua, and 1 carne asada. Should’ve gotten more since they were only $ 1! My favorite was the lengua. Super juicy and tender and lots of great flavor. Would definitely return :)

This was the lucky taco truck I had gone to to experience my first LA street tacos with. And let me tell you they do not disappoint.
I think we both can agree that Street Tacos taste better at night. Very late at night. And a lot of others can agree. If you go late at night just be ready for the parking situation. The available lot is very cramped so you might need to drive around but there’s ample parking around the block. But parking is the hardest part of the night by far.
The line was long but the employees worked very fast to get through the line; both of taking orders and taking care of orders received. I got one of each taco and grilled onions in the side with a large Horchata. Bay far the most delicious and the cheap meal in LA yet.
A real food hunter knows food doesn’t need to be expensive to be amazing, and this place is proof.
IGN 12/​10, would drive to at 2 am again.

My favorite taco truck so far! I tried Leo’s truck from across and it was good, but not el chato good. Lovelovelove their pastor tacos, quesadilla, and burrito!

I loveeeeeeee this truck! So I googled taco truck! We was hungry wanted something fresh and quick after being out in the hot la sun! So I Unilocaled !! And found this gem! The was already long at 8:20, people was lined up already! So I knew it must be good! And certainly worth the wait! We got in line because the longer we set in the car it got longer, at 9:00 it was open for busness! Everything is made to order so no much of wait maybe 10 min to get your food! I had the cow Tougue and chicken tacos with everything, my husband who is not adventurous with food had the chicken quesadilla and a chicken taco, you must get the spicy onions and radish just add the freshest bite you will love with your tacos ! So yummy and fresh!

I am not from the area but every time I come to LA I have to come to El Chato to enjoy a carne asada burrito with green salsa. Their food is the most authentic I’ve had from a food truck in LA; I can only compare it to my moms and grandmas cooking. It is PHENOMENAL.
They only take cash so make sure you accommodate for that. Also, the wait can be fairly long on weekends and late nights so make sure you arrive with enough time to wait in line and your order.

Wait this place is so hype. It’s cheap and it’s $ 1 per taco, but the meat in general is pretty dry. I don’t think this place is very good. I’d say Rambos is better, but even then, Rambos isn’t even that good.
I’ve tried…
1. Carne asada: meat was super dry. The taste wasn’t… alive. It wasn’t very satisfying at all and I did not like it at all!!!
2. Al pastor: meat was sooooooo dry. I can’t help, but to compare it with Leo’s. Leo’s pastor is so delicious! I really didn’t like chato’s pastor. It had like weird tendony chewy things.
I don’t think I’d ever come back because it’s not very appetizing or satisfying. It’s cheap, but I’d rather pay $ 1.25 or even $ 2 and go somewhere else!

Wait this place is so hype. It’s cheap and it’s $ 1 per taco, but the meat in general is pretty dry. I don’t think this place is very good. I’d say Rambos is better, but even then, Rambos isn’t even that good.
I’ve tried…
1. Carne asada: meat was super dry. The taste wasn’t… alive. It wasn’t very satisfying at all and I did not like it at all!!!
2. El pastor: meat was sooooooo dry. I can’t help, but to compare it with Leo’s. Leo’s pastor is so delicious! I really didn’t like chato’s pastor. It had like weird tendony chewy things.
I don’t think I’d ever come back because it’s not very appetizing or satisfying. It’s cheap, but I’d rather pay $ 1.25 or even $ 2 and go somewhere else!

つº oº つ RAISE YOUR CUTLERY つº oº つ
This truck is rather easy to spot from the street, given the perpetual mob of people waiting around for their food. You’ll think it’s the line when you see it, but they manage to take orders so quick the elation engendered from the short wait in line is steadily eroded by the loooong wait for your number to be called.
I’m always apprehensive about Mexican taco trucks that don’t let you put the salsa on the tacos yourself. How do they know what I like? How do they know how much onion I want? Cilantro? I often throw down two kinds of salsas on a single taco, kinda like a little kid who experiments with mixing sodas together thinking they’ve hit on something incredibly innovative (I can speak from experience and its not that great truth be told, kinda like mixing all the watercolors together and getting brown instead of the magical rainbow you were imagining). So I didn’t get to dress my tacos. It turned out ok because not only are they generous and balanced with the toppings, but you are able to request extra sides of salsa.
Which brings me to the subject of asking for more stuff. This truck hooks. it. up. if you know what to ask for. There’s some kind of bizarre secret menu of extra sides that they’ll just hand you upon request. I only found out because I was lurking by the pickup window impatiently and saw just about every regular take advantage of free stuff. You can get a small bowl of hot grilled onions, sides of their red and green salsa, and a whole grilled jalapeño if you simply ask. It seems like an awful lot of free food, but ya know, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I tried tacos with their carne asada, al pastor, and chorizo. Of the 3 the al pastor was clearly the best, there was a lot of rich flavor. The side of grilled onions and jalapeño were very welcome, especially the jalapeño. Their roasted tomato red salsa is fantastic as well, I wish I had gotten 2 sides of that rather than waste time with their so-​so green salsa. But, everything did cost a total of $ 7. Pretty damn good value.
If you’re bumming around mid-​city, El Chato is worth checking out, but I wouldn’t put it on my short list of the best in LA. Just make sure you get the free stuff when you do.
— The Gourmand League

It’s fine. Perfectly fine. If you happen to drive by and decide to pull over, it’ll do the trick. If you’re in the area late on a weekend night and are too incapacitated to drive, walk here and it’ll satisfy a late night craving. But otherwise, seek out one of the many other nearby trucks that cook up much higher quality al pastor.

Tried El Chato again, this time getting the quesadilla. Now that’s worth your money! It was $ 5 of ooey, gooey goodness and it’s huge! Both chicken and al pastor quesadillas were tasty, so I highly recommend both of them.
Tip: you can add pineapple to your quesadilla.
I still wouldn’t recommend the tacos. It’s only a dollar but it’s ridiculously small.

With the stellar ratings, I’d imagine the food here to be phenomenal. Eh, I was wrong! We’ve ordered the 2 Carne Asada burritos, Horchata, and 7 Carne Asada/​Al Pastor Tacos. All for $ 19 total. These are street tacos so expect them to be small. The carne asada is a little dry. The burritos have rice and refried beans which makes it more soggy and not tasty. Horchata, not good! It was just very sweet and heavy with cinnamon. It was about a 40 minute wait to get our food on a Saturday night at around 10:30pm.
I can see that it may be good if you’re drunk, nearby, and there’s no wait. Everyone who was with me would not come here again.

Went here on a Saturday around midnight and got 9 tacos and a horchata for $ 10?!
There was a line, but it moved quickly. Waiting for the food took a while. We got carne asada, chicken, tongue, pork, and veggie. Once we got our order, we went back to the car and ate on the back of the trunk.
Not a lot of parking, so be warned! I thought all the meats were flavorful and tender. The veggie taco was basically rice… So sad. My bf thought the pieces of tongue were too big. The line got much longer as the night went on. Perfect place to get a bite after a night out or if you’ve got some munchies!

This was the last taco truck of the night after blitzing 2 others in the city. It was touted as one of the best like many others so I didn’t really know what to expect coming in. Price wise, it was your typical $ 1 tacos like any other truck. It was about a quarter to 1am and there is a bit of a line. Again, like many others you do have to wait a bit for your order as it’s made a-​la-​minute — that’s what I love about tacos.
These tacos are a bit more loaded than most as the shell really struggled to hold up. They certainly are heavy handed with their sauces, herbs and vegetables as well but I don’t mind a messy bite.
All in all, excellent tacos that taste great! Definitely a worthy visit.

If I ever get on Jonathan Gold’s level please remind me to curate a list of cheap eats in LA alongside a traditional LA’s 101 best places to eat at. I mean, hey El Chato — just giving you a heads up that you’re definitely going to take the #1 spot on my list. $ 1/​taco? $ 1 per abso-​effing-​lutely delicious al pastor taco? Ah, lemme have 10 of that. (To share, ok? Unless I’m starving… Don’t judge me.)
Seriously. I’m not a pork person nor am I a taco person but I would be lying if I kept my cool and said that El Chato’s aight. El Chato’s not JUST alright, they’re friggin’ amazing. Their tripa’s crispy in all the right spots, lengua’s soft, pollo’s seasoned well, carne asada’s well. carne asada, lol! You just can’t go wrong here — it’s cheap, they have great food and parking space (unless all the drunkies/​after party people are out).
Try your Al Pastor with everything on it plus pineapple and… you’re welcome.

I know so many people are all about the Leo’s Tacos just down the street from this place, but for me, it depends what I want more at the time! My favorite taco meats to get are the Al Pastor and the Cabeza. I like the al pastor better at Leo’s, but cabeza is here at El Chato, definitely! It’s so much more tender and tasty.
I think I’ve usually ended up coming here after a night of clubbing with friends. And by then there’s a long line of people. It’s not that long of a wait, but if you already know you’ll be hitting up this place for their delicious tacos, plan to dip out of the bar early and beat the line!

Greasy, seasoned, yummy goodness.
Honestly, if you are looking for some late night Mexican food, you cannot go wrong with El Chato. The tacos here are divine, and the burritos even better. Beware though, eating here is messier than finishing a Chiptole burrito, which is saying a lot. They have a topping and salsa bar that has a variety of different options to customize your own food. The tacos are crazy cheap too. Who would have thought that there would be something cheaper than Taco Bell tacos… AND THEY’RE DELICIOUS. Service is fast so you’ll be in and out in 10 minutes or less, unless there’s a crazy long line ahead of you.
Highly recommend this place!
tl;dr — If you’re drunk and hungry, this is your stop.

Late night tacos are always a good idea, especially after a show at 2 am. I’ve already tried Leo’s close by, so I was excited to see if this one would measure up to my great experience there. The parking situation wasn’t horrible– I found street parking after searching around the block once.
There was a sizable line, but the orders were taken quickly. I got Asada, Pastor, Chorizo, and Lengua along with horchata. Five bucks for all that? I couldn’t be happier. My order was ready in minutes, and when I asked for the grilled onions on the side they happily obliged. We managed to snag a standing spot to eat our food, but it’s quite crowded. There are no tables out, which I think is a bit of a downfall. It’s hard to eat messy tacos without a place to put them!
The tacos themselves are delicious. The meat is piled on, and there are juices running everywhere, but the double tortilla manages to keep the tacos from going soggy. I cannot pinpoint a favorite because I scarfed them all down so quickly, but they were all good. Leo’s has the better al pastor though. I really like how they included the cucumber and radish on the side as a palate cleanser. Gotta balance all that meat out with veggies, right? The dollar horchata was very refreshing and washed it all down nicely.
Good late night eats will be had at this taco truck if you happen to be in the area.
Food: 5, Service: 4, Environment: 3, Price: 5

El chato — The taco truck parked on the corner of Labrea and Olympic is an embodiment of deliciously good street food, I almost drool when I think about their chicken tacos or anything that I had on their menu.
My friend and I happened to find this place late night recently after having a couple of drinks at a local bar and when almost all the eateries around were closed. There’s always a minimum of 20 minute wait during any of the week days or it can be more depending on the number of people lined up. The aroma that surrounds the truck makes one fall in love with the food.
After eating here for the first time, now I make sure to eat at this place atleast once every week.
If you are looking for a quick bite or craving some delicious Mexican food, this place wouldn’t disappoint you.

This is literally my go-​to late night munchie stop, lmao. You just can’t go wrong with these asada tacos! I mean, they are a little small… But who says you can’t order like 10 of them? I sure don’t regret it.
Super cheap! Taste bomb! The only down side is the freakin line. But then, that’s when you know the place is POPPIN! Hope that helps (;

¡Una auténtica experiencia angelina! Si quieres sentirte como un local, nada mejor que pasarte a degustar la comida mexicana de El Chato. Una vez en el puesto, aparcas tu coche y te integras con los parroquianos, una auténtica representación de la población de la ciudad. Además, barato y realmente delicioso. ¡Disfrútalo!

H

No me gusta Kogi truck. Me encanta El Chato Truck. Viva El Chato!

loved it! super cheap and super good! i ordered the cabeza, lengua, and el pastor. the el pastor didn’t do it for me. not enough flavor. BUT the lengua was hella good. the cabeza was pretty good but i’d go back just to get lengua tacos. they really pack it on so you get a lot per taco.
you know a place is hella good when the crowd that gathers is super diverse and they’re all willing to wait 15 – 30 mins for their food… and it’s not even a sit down restaurant (this is not to say that they work slow, they just get THAT busy).