Fresh, Bright Farmers Market-Driven Street Food - Guerrilla Tacos (the Brick & Mortar) - Grand Opening! [Thoughts + Pics]

I just saw this posted by @Ns1. So much for one of us ordering ALC and the other Omakase. I guess I’ll have to suffer thru a whole Omakase on my own. Life is tough. :sweat_smile:

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well it was good while it lasted

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I’m waiting for the huitlacoche supplement

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:raising_hand_man:

Sad to hear that it’s gone up in price and down in quality.

News Update reported on Eater. Guerrilla Tacos Emergency Taco Kit:

http://www.guerrillatacos.com/etk

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TBH if the TP portion of that is legit I’m in

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Seriously, that’s totally how I felt, too.

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Guerrilla Tacos just announced that they went from 58 employees down to 5 employees. Sad. :cry:

Besides the Emergency Taco Kit, they will now feature a Daily Rotating To-Go Menu:

ROTATING DAILY To-go Menu

Sweet Potato $5
Butternut Squash $5
Shrimp $6
Baja Fish $6
Pork Belly $6

Eggplant veggie burrito $10
Bacon & Avo Burrito $10
Tres Leches $9

Orders can be placed over the phone by calling 213-375-3300 or online

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I just was staring at this post . And got more and more pissed . Check out Ming Sai and what he had to say. FUCK THIS FUCKING VIRUS . Just had to vent.

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Update (To-Go):

Catching up on a couple visits Pre-Pandemic, and then recent To-Go orders during the Pandemic.

Chef Wes Avila’s Brunch dishes have always been tasty when he was personally cooking dishes out of his food truck years ago. We were curious how the brick & mortar Sunday Brunch was, so we stopped by one sunny day (before the pandemic).

Walking in, we noticed Chef Avila was nowhere to be seen. We asked the server who confirmed that Chef Avila did not work Sunday Brunches. :frowning: We were worried.

Breakfast Tacos (3 x Chorizo Con Papa Tacos, Avocado Salsa, Pickled Onion, Panela, Chives):

A touch salty, the Chorizo was well-seasoned otherwise, but not as interesting nor sublime as Chori-Man’s various Housemade Chorizo. The Tortillas were slightly soggy.

Moms Sunday Breakfast (Huevos Batido, Home Fried Potatoes, Refried Beans, Ruevelto de Carne, Kurobuta Sausage, Bacon, Spam, Avocado, Salsa Verde, Flour Tortillas):

This sounded like a glorious plate of food. Sadly, without Chef Wes in the kitchen, it turned out to be a disaster. :frowning: The Scrambled Eggs were completely overcooked and dried out.

The Bacon wasn’t crisp, mainly chewy fat. :cry: The Spam, Sausage were all too salty. The Potatoes were terrible. This was nothing like the Brunch dishes that Chef Wes himself would cook on his food truck back in the day. Avoid.

Another visit:

Steak Quesadilla (Jack Cheese, USDA Prime Steak, Avocado Salsa, Molcajete, Fried Egg, Charred Chile & Flour Tortilla):

Delicious! :slight_smile: The USDA Prime Steak used for this Steak Quesadilla had enough flavorful fat and lean meat to really stand out. Their Avocado Salsa with Charred Chile was really accentuated each bite, and the Fried Egg on top? Sure, why not. :blush:

Swordfish Taco (Grilled Swordfish, Uni Butter, Grilled Corn, Chives Serrano Chile):

Beautifully grilled Swordfish, lightly smoky, meaty but moist, the Uni Butter was a nice touch, but it should’ve been melted more (it was in a block on top, right out of the refrigerator). The Grilled Corn and Serrano Chilies were good complements.

Saag Curry Eggplant Taco (Fried Eggplant, Marcona Almonds, Raisin & Cilantro Mint Chutney):

Yes, this might sound very fusion, but Chef Avila shows off his prowess and understanding of different cuisines: This was absolutely delicious! :heart: The Saag Curry Eggplant was stunning with its spicing and depth of flavor! Add in a little nuttiness from the Marcona Almonds, a bit of sweetness from the Raisins and a Cilantro Mint Chutney to cool things down, and you have one of most interesting Tacos we’ve had around town in recent memory. :blush: (@PorkyBelly @J_L @hanhgry @TheCookie and others.)

Pork and Tendon Taco (Fried Pork, Chicken Liver Mousse, Fresno Chile, Curtido, Mint, Cilatnro & Serrano Chile):

This was disappointing: Mainly because the dish’s name was misleading - “Pork and Tendon” - when it turned out that the “Tendon” was mixed in with the Ground Pork, so you ended up a Pork Patty that tasted strangely like a Vietnamese Xiu Mai (Meatball) flavoring(!) mixed with some Chicken Liver Mousse, the Cilantro, Mint and Pickled Veggies… the more we thought about it, it was like a subtle interpretation of Chef Wes for a Banh Mi Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Meatball Baguette Sandwich) but in Taco form. :open_mouth:

It wasn’t “bad”, but the menu name really threw things off for us.

Spicy Crab & Tuna Tostada (Spicy Crab, Tuna, Avocado, Nori, Sesame, Marcona Almonds, Chili Oil & Spicy Black Bean):

This was was just OK. The Spicy Crab and slices of Tuna Sashimi and Nori (Seaweed) were a good base, but then with a Chili Oil (that resembled Chinese Chili Oil condiment) and Spicy Black Bean Sauce made this into a different Japanese-Chinese-Mexican fusion dish. The ingredients were fresh, but the flavoring was somewhat familiar and blended of 3 different cuisines in 1 bite.

Butternut Squash Taco (Roasted Squash, Hallumi Cheese, Salsa Molcajete, Habanero, Chives, Candied Pecans, Figs & Pine Nuts):

Another delicious, elevated Taco! :slight_smile: It’s clear that Chef Wes and his team have a unique mastery over Vegetables, able to draw out flavors so that his Vegetarian options are oftentimes just as good, if not better than his Meat options.

The Roasted Squash, tasty Hallumi Cheese, Housemade Salsa Molcajete, with a serious punch to the mouth with the Habanero Chilies is tempered by the sweetness from the Figs and Candied Pecans. It works, and works well. :blush:

Baja Shrimp Taco (Beer Battered Shrimp, Cabbage with Crema Mix, Cucumber Pico & Lime Wedge):

But the star of his seasonal menu right before the shutdown was the Baja Shrimp Taco. Huge, plump Shrimp (tasting bright and fresh) in a Beer Batter crunchy exterior, perfectly fried. Cabbage & Crema mix, the Cucumber Pico de Gallo and a squeeze of Lime?

We were stunned. This was far better than Ricky’s Shrimp Tacos. :heart: (@Ns1 @PorkyBelly and others.)

Empanadas (2) (Wild Boar, Tomato Sofrito, Raisins, Cheddar Cheese, Aji Salsa):

These Empanadas were flaky and toasty hot on the outside, lightly crisped, and the Wild Boar was meaty, but not overly gamey. Loved the flavors combined with the Tomato Sofrito and Aji Salsa. :blush:

Another visit:

Al Pastor Chicken Taco (Salsa Macha, Za’atar, Red Onion, Avocado, Chives, Cancha Maiz):

Unlike the utter disaster of Chef Jessica Koslow’s Turkey Al Pastor at Onda, Chef Wes Avila shows off a fundamental understanding of drawing out the familiarity of Al Pastor, but elevating it and applying it to Chicken. This was really tasty!

It evoked a slight familiarity with traditional Al Pastor, but with Chicken, Chef Wes takes it in a new direction, the Salsa Macha and Za’atar pairing was brilliant and really made this standout. Some freshness from the Chives, Red Onions, creamy Avocado and a bit of crunch from the Cancha Maiz and you have another smart, tasty, elevated Taco that’s emblematic of what “Guerrilla Tacos” was always about. :heart:

Sweet Potato Taco (Roasted Sweet Potato, Almond Chile, Feta Cheese, Fried Corn & Scallions):

The classic. This is the one Taco Chef Wes has never removed from his menu. Even though it’s Vegetarian, there is so much flavor and in good balance. Inherent sweetness, earthiness from the Sweet Potato, a nice bit of heat, some light funk and crunch. It is still a standout to this day. :slight_smile:

Dry Aged Kanpachi Tostada (Dry Aged Kanpachi, Chile del Valle, Nori, Fresh Lime Juice, Pickled Anaheim Chile, Celery Escabeche) + Uni:

This sounded really interesting, but unfortunately it failed with the star ingredient: I’ve never had Dry Aged Kanpachi before. I was curious if this would be a like a “Dry Aged Steak”? Would it be more funky? More tender?

It turned out dry aging (at least for Kanpachi) made it chewier and meatier(!). :frowning: Tough and slightly chewy Kanpachi is not what I had in mind. The actual flavor didn’t really seem to change much even though it was dry aged for 7 days. The Uni and all the other ingredients were very good, and if this was something more tender and bright it would be incredible.

Shrimp Taco (Butter Poached Shrimp, Cabbage, Crema, Cucumber Pico & Lime Wedge):

It was dark, and we thought the “Shrimp Taco” on this visit was the same one as before: It turned out the kitchen decided to try the same Baja Shrimp Taco, but instead of Beer Batter frying it, they sauteed it with Butter. Which sounds great, except it just wasn’t as tasty as before.

Note to FTC’ers: Make sure it says “Beer Battered Shrimp” in the fine print (not the “Butter Poached Shrimp”) when you see it on the menu next time for the ultimate Shrimp Taco. :slight_smile:

Rajas Con Crema Pan (Corn Bread, Charred Poblanos, Crema, Caramelized Onions & Savory Corn Bread):

Ridiculous.

The Rajas Con Crema arrives piping hot in an iron skillet. It’s like a sweet-savory “Dessert” (or it could be a wonderful Appetizer), the Corn Bread is bursting with sweetness from the Corn, but Caramelized Onions (also adding sweetness, but also some umami depth of flavor), Charred Poblanos and a bit of Crema all work to create this crazy good sweet, lightly savory, spicy, piping hot, molten fragrant Corn Bread Dessert?

Whatever it is, it is worth ordering! :heart: :blush: :heart: (@PorkyBelly @J_L @JeetKuneBao @hanhgry @TheCookie @attran99 and others!)

To-Go Visit:

Guerrilla Tacos was able to pivot to a safe, contactless To-Go operation during COVID-19. On this visit, we ordered ahead of time, and choose our arrival time. They texted our order confirmation and you can text them back, or call, and let them know you’re here and they will drop off the order to a distant outside table. They leave and you can pick it up and go.

Pocho Taco (Hard Shell Taco, Ground Beef Pocho Mix, Chipotle Crema, Aged Cheddar, Pico De Gallo, Avocado Salsa):

Chef Wes Avila is clearly having some fun at his own early upbringing here in So Cal. According to Wikipedia, “Pocho is a term used by Mexicans (frequently pejoratively) to describe Chicanos and those who have left Mexico. Stereotypically, pochos speak English and lack fluency in Spanish.” :sweat_smile:

While this Taco might not be photogenic, taking a bite:

Wow. FTC Confession, this reminded me of a super high quality Del Taco Hard Shell Taco, but massively elevated! :blush: (Note: I haven’t had Del Taco in years, but this had a similar taste, but so much better.)

The crunch from the Hard Shell Taco (using the local Organic Tortilla maker that Guerrilla has switched over to a few years ago) gives way to a lovely beefy, hearty Ground Beef Pocho Mix within, then you get a bit of Aged Cheddar (that Chef Wes shreds to make it look like Fast Food (cheap) Shredded Cheese, :smile: delicious Pico de Gallo, and a Chipotle Crema.

This was utterly delicious! :heart:

Chicken Anjojoli Taco (Shredded Chicken, Sesame Seed Mole, Pine Nuts, Guajillo Chile, Sesame Seeds):

The Chicken Anjojoli was merely OK. The Shredded Chicken was a touch dry, and it just lacked the interesting depth of flavors that many of Guerrilla Tacos’ creations normally have.

Pork Chile Verde Taco (Braised Pork Shoulder, St. Louis Pork Ribs, Chicharron, Seared Tomatillos, Poblano, Serrano, Pickled Red Onion, Cilantro):

I love a great Chile Verde, but in this case, perhaps bad luck(?), the Chile Verde Taco was mainly fat & skin. :frowning: The menu description does say there’s Chicharron (Pork Skin), but it was like 75% Pork Fat & Skin. If there was more of the St. Louis Pork Rib meat or Pork Shoulder as described, the flavors would’ve been a great match and this Taco would’ve been outstanding.

Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito:

First, yes, it sounds incredibly boring. But don’t let the dish name dissuade you from trying this:

If you want an example of how Chef Wes Avila can draw out flavors, look no further than this seemingly “simple” Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito on his To-Go Menu.

Taking a bite:

The soft, pliant Flour Tortilla (that’s been toasted on the flattop) gives way to an incredible Pinto Beans Stew of sorts! It’s like Refried Beans, with some creaminess, but also whole Pinto Beans in there as well, and the you get some of his Flavored Rice and some creamy, delicate Cheese melding it all together.

It is SO GOOD! :heart:

And it is 100% Vegetarian. I don’t know how Chef Wes does it, but this is a great To-Go item that’s filling and really tasty. :blush: (@hanhgry @TheCookie and others.)

Another To-Go Visit:

Octopus Taco (Jack Cheese, Red Wine Braised Octopus, Fennel Sofrito Capers, Guajillo Salsa, Cilantro, Chile Japones):

This was super saucy (wet) for an Octopus Taco. The Red Wine Braised Octopus was quite tender, lightly chewy (in a good way), but mostly just soft and pliant with a good marinade saturating every bite. The Jack Cheese felt unnecessary, but the Taco overall worked well.

Sweet Potato Taco (Roasted Sweet Potato, Almond Chile, Feta Cheese, Fried Corn & Scallions):

In To-Go format, the Sweet Potato Taco was still quite flavorful, but it was just a touch muted (perhaps because we waited last to eat it)?

Baja Fish Taco (Tempura Battered Vermilion, Cherry Tomato, Pico De Gallo, Salsa Macha, Chipotle Crema, Cilantro, Lime Wedge, Chile Japones):

Outstanding! :heart:

Crispy, crunchy, perfectly fried (we ate this almost immediately after picking it up To-Go), the Tempura-battered Vermilion Fish was similar to Cod, flaky, a touch meatier than Cod perhaps, but bright and fresh and tender within. The Salsa Macha and Chile Japones with the Lime gave this a nice twist on the usual Baja Fish Taco that Chef Avila and crew normally do. :blush:

Duck Confit Taco (Mary’s Organic Duck Leg Confit, Serrano Sofrito Habanero Salsa, Raw Onions):

When I read the words “Duck Confit”, I had visions of crispy Duck Skin with succulent, tender Duck Confit meat within. Unfortunately, this was merely OK. There was no crisped Duck Skin, the Duck meat itself was flavorful, but just not as mouth-wateringly tender and luscious as a great Duck Confit can be.

Cauliflower Taco (Dates, Pinenuts, Olives, Parsley, Burnt Tomato Salsa, Chives, Olive Oil):

Very good. Chef Avila’s Cauliflower Taco appears every once in awhile, and has been consistently tasty. There’s some nice seared flavor from the Cauliflower, the salinity from the Olives, a depth of flavor from the Burnt Tomato Salsa, citrusy Italian Parsley, and a bit of sweetness from the Dates.

Pocho Taco (Hard Shell Taco, Ground Beef Pocho Mix, Chipotle Crema, Aged Cheddar, Pico De Gallo, Avocado Salsa):

Wanting to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, we ordered the Pocho Taco again. Taking a bite:

Crunch. Deeply satisfying, comfort food “Ground Beef Pocho Mix”, melted Aged Cheddar, Pico de Gallo.

It is like the best elevated fast food Hard Shell Taco you’ve ever had in your life! :heart:

We’re glad to see Guerrilla Tacos able to switch to a To-Go / Delivery format these past few months. Their offerings have been more limited, but there are still some incredible standouts. Although with California’s lifting of Stay At Home, Guerrilla Tacos is planning to re-open Dine-In Service starting this Wednesday (7/1) with a whole new menu.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get to a point soon where we can all be safe enough to dine-in and enjoy Chef Wes’ seasonal, creative cooking in his casual, relaxed restaurant.

Guerrilla Tacos
2000 E. 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Tel: (213) 375-3300

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Damn give me 4 pocho tacos and 2 bean and cheese burritos!!!

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Chef-Owner Wes Avila and Guerrilla Tacos have figured out a way for outdoor dining (socially distanced). Their opening menu of their “Block Party”:

SNACKS

Guacamole and Chips $12

Raw Oyster | Salsa de Arbol | Lemon - $4/pc

Grilled Oyster | Guajillo Butter | Pecorino | Lemon - $5/pc

Heirloom Tomato | Grilled Squash | Oaxacan Cheese | pine nuts | Chile de Valle - $14

Elote | Sea Urchin | Chipotle | Kewpie | Cotija - $12

Hamachi Crudo | White Peach | Thai Basil | Salsa Macha - $21

TACOS

2 for $12

Sweet Potato | Tare | Shiso | Romesco | Toasted Crushed Almonds

2 for $12

Tempura Squash Blossoms | Ricotta | Pine Nuts | Salsa Cruda

2 for $14

Flat Iron Adobo | Black Pepper Bearnaise | Rajas con Crema | Crispy Potato

2 for $14

Pork Belly | Charred Hoja Santa | Heirloom Tomatoes | Cilantro

2 for $16

Octopus a la Plancha | Fennel Sofrito | Guajillo Salsa | Oaxaca Cheese

FAMILA

Served with Rice, Beans and Tortillas

Whole Baja Striped Bass | Salsa de Aguacate | Cherry Tomato Pico $55

Mole Amarillo al Carbon |Indian Spices | Yuzu Kosho Onions
½ Chicken
$21

DESSERT

Flan $8

Reservations Required:

http://www.guerrillatacos.com/blockparty

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Posting the news here as well, as the Founder / Executive Chef (and heart and soul) of Guerrilla Tacos leaving is a significant event. FYI (thanks @PorkyBelly):

In August 2012, I started Guerrilla Tacos out of necessity. I only had $167 and rent to pay. Now, 8 years later it has taken on a life of its own. Guerrilla Tacos started as a cart, with just me and my Wife Tanya. Over the years, growing Guerrilla Tacos has been a labor of love. Now, I have decided to pass the reigns and step down as Executive Chef.
I am looking forward to the ability to spend more time with my family. Growing a small business takes hard work, I have been the Captain of a large ship and I am ready to move on to the next adventure.
Chef Jason Beberman takes over as Executive Chef and my longtime right hand man, Chef Steven Londono will continue to fulfill my vision as Chef de Cuisine.
It has been a pleasure cooking for you all. I look forward to the next chapter. Much love and respect.
Wes~
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDbv9UyAECi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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I should have tried in the past few weeks with Sergio at the helm.

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From what I"ve heard he hasn’t really been at the helm much in recent months.

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I feel less bad now. Thanks!

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There is s professional crew running around doing these for a few years. Really sucks, I remember Anaya got hit a while back

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This kind of sounds like an inside job. They knew where to go and that there was more cash than usual in the safe.