If you’re charging $5 for a taco in Los Angeles and want to stay in business, you either need to be serving very good tacos, or you need to be situated on the Santa Monica pier. Tacoteca is far enough away from the Worst Tourist Trap in LA to be comfortably in the first category. While expensive, the Mexican food here is flavorful and interesting, served in a trendy but casual space that sometimes has live music. Be warned, though: when this place gets crowded, service is painfully slow. And if you’re looking to spend less money, come here on Taco Tuesday when they do a solid discount.