Los Güichos

To find truly outstanding al pastor, it must come from a trompo, a hypnotic vertical rotisserie where marinated pork is shaved off in thin slices like shawarma. If you head to Tacos Los Güichos, a truck in South LA that parks at a tire shop right off the 110, you’ll know immediately you’re in the presence of al pastor royalty. Most nights you’ll see two, perhaps even three, big reddish-orange trompos with taqueros carving the pork using long knives and handing out tacos that are scarfed down in seconds. Charred on the edges, embarrassingly juicy, and a touch sweet, the Mexico City-style al pastor here is unmatched. But three caveats: the truck doesn’t roll out the trompos until 5pm, so don’t come before that. Bring cash. And don’t expect a slice of pineapple on top or a side of avocado salsa (though their earthy salsa roja is A-plus). Los Güichos’ owner considers them distractions and is happy to tell you so.

photo credit: Matt Gendal