Kike’s Tacos – 4.0/5 Jarritos

It’s official: Kike’s Tacos is the first taco stand to reach the coveted T&R four-Jarritos rating!

[To clear any confusion, and to alleviate the concerns of one of my coworkers, Kike's Tacos is pronounced "Kee-kay's" and not something else. ]

I previously wrote about Kike’s Tacos back in April as the mysterious place that was never there when I drove by 2nd and Beaudry. Upon finding it, I felt as if I was Lawrence reaching that oasis after crossing the Nefud Desert [don’t worry, I had to look that up]. Or, if 1990’s film is more your specialty, I felt as if I was Pauly Shore in "In the Army Now" when he accidentally discovered water after traversing the desert. Pick your poison. (Did you know that “In the Army Now” starred both Andy Dick and Lori Petty? How did this movie not automatically win an Oscar?!)

There’s nothing fancy about Kike’s Tacos – it’s simply two portable cookers and a table filled with condiments. And a van. And some lights. And lots of people. And delicious tacos.



I’m not really sure what time he sets up shop. It doesn’t really matter considering how he’s usually there when I get off work, so that’s convenient enough for me. Although I was originally told the shop is not open on Sundays and Thursdays, my coworker told me that Kike’s is available on Thursday nights as well. Actually, when I say that Kike’s is “not open,” I guess I should really say “if you drive by 2nd and Beaudry, you’ll see an empty parking lot.” Kike’s reminds me of those “Pikeys” from the movie “Snatch” – when they want to leave, they just pack up camp and you’ll never know they were there in the first place.


["Ah fuckin' heyt Pikeys!"]

I know some of my faithful readers would have problems eating meat that is grilled on a portable cooking contraption in the middle of a parking lot. Rest assured – of the countless times I’ve visited Kike’s over the past two months, I have only had one occasion where my stomach wanted to have a Kuato burst out of me. [Warning! Video link may not be suitable to sensitive eyes!]

Using my stellar medical background, I calmly deduced that it was because I used way too much salsa roja on my tacos and consequently paid the price. For those of you who don’t know me very well, my stomach simply cannot tolerate spicy foods – once again, drawing the inevitable comparison to Ben Stiller’s character in “Along Came Polly.”


I keep telling taco shop owners in Los Angeles: the quickest way up the Jarritos rating system is to have a self-service salsa bar. As for Kike’s Tacos? You guessed it – they’ve got a self-serving salsa bar, complete with roja, verde, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, napkins, silverware, something that resembles a fish tackle box, a thermostat full of mystery stuff that I’ve never bothered to check, and so forth.


And the tacos? Absolutely heaven-tastic. Actually, let me qualify that. The carne asada is pretty good. I’ve had better (See El Parian post). But for a buck a piece, you can’t go wrong with Kike’s. And the al pastor? I’ve also had better (See upcoming La Taquiza post). But, again, for a buck a piece, you can’t go wrong. Me, I prefer Kike’s al pastor tacos. They are heavily seasoned and dripping with flavor. For those of you who like your al pastor dry (SAVAGES!), this isn’t the place for you.



After you get your tacos, dress them up with onions, cilantro, and salsa, you’re immediately presented with four options: (1) take a seat on a metal folding chair before a folding table; (2) take a seat on a tailgating-appropriate folding chair; (3) stand and eat your tacos; or (4) go back to your car and eat your tacos.

Personally, there’s nothing better than taking a seat on those cloth folding chairs and soaking in the nighttime breeze of downtown L.A. Added bonus – the view of the downtown skyscrapers in all their glory at nights.

To summarize:
Kike’s is fantastically delicious. There’s always a small crowd of people coming from all walks of life. When I first came here, there was some dude who looked like he just crawled out of a coal mine in West Virginia. Last time I was there, two guards driving an armored truck stopped and got tacos. There’s always the requisite family standing in line at Kike’s, as well as the downtown professional stopping by before heading home.

You won’t be disappointed with Kike’s Tacos – as long as you can get over its almost certain failure to meet stringent L.A. health code requirements.

Kike’s Tacos
Address: 2nd and Beaudry, Downtown Los Angeles
Google Maps: Link
Tacos: $1.00 each

Much love till my next post.