Commuting in Los Angeles is an art.  The fine art of traffic jam avoidance.  Even with in-vehicle navigation and the Internet, one still finds the best advice comes from word-of-mouth from those you know and, in this case, from people you work with every day. One evening I followed a co-worker who wanted to show […]

Last Thanksgiving weekend we decided to take a family trip to Northern California.  As we drove, I started to notice a trend I wasn’t expecting: gas station tacos. From Bakersfield through Fresno, there were at least five gas stations serving street tacos either in the station or with a taco truck parked in the lot. […]

When I lived in Dallas, I avoided the former gas stations or auto repair places converted into taco stands.  With so many working gas stations housing taquerias it wasn’t necessary to review former gas stations.  Here in Los Angeles it is a different story. There are few places with gas pumps where one can order […]

Finding a gas station taqueria is not an easy challenge in Los Angeles. When I was in Texas it seemed I’d find a gas station selling tacos about 1 out of every 15 stations, but here in my new (or is it old since I was born and raised here) city I’m finding the ratio […]

There are some reviews you can’t wait to write.  Then there are reviews where you wish you had skipped the place returning to wondering every time you pass by if it is any good. Potential is far better than disappointment. Sadly my first gas station taco in Los Angeles was a disappointment causing me to […]

Not every gas station taqueria is inside the mini mart. Sometimes the taqueria sits next to the gas station and in this case they do not share buildings, they share cement steps.  If I can get some gas and order some tacos while the tank is refueling, then it’s a gas station taco stand to […]

There it was on the menu tempting me to order it: 25 tacos de trompo por $19.99. I could eat for a week for $20 bucks and eat very, very well. Leo & Churro Taqueria has ousted my favorite al pastor gas station taco from Abierto.  The roasted pork spit behind the cash register deserves respect […]

I keep missing Jose Ralat-Maldonado’s famous Taco Tours. Fortunately, I had some time this month to join the group for a couple stops on Northwest Highway. It was an opportunity for me to hit some great authentic tacos that are NOT located a few feet from a fuel pump. Perhaps one day I’ll work out a […]

The bright yellow awning and bold orange all-caps lettering on a Phillips gas station along Northwest Highway had caught my attention a couple times, but each visit led to an out-of-business taqueria with the station attendent saying it will reopen soon. Finally a new banner appeared draped under the windows and awning.  Tacos Caseros “La […]

There are a lot of choices around downtown Dallas when it comes to gas station tacos. Drive 20 minutes north and you’ll have a difficult time finding anything other than a McDonald’s, Whataburger or Subway serving food at the pump. Fortunately coming back from a Saturday morning drive to Keller, Texas I waited at a traffic […]