Taco Zone - Street Cart Chic

While most mobile food trucks have dealt with the animosity of less than enthusiastic local eateries, few are subjected to veritable street-meat turf wars. Yet the revered Los Angeles street vendor, Taco Zone, was set fire to one Friday night this past June, reported the Los Angeles Times. The subject of much debate, the fire's origin was never ascertained -- but motives are surmised to include hate crime, envious competitors, vandals or gang activity.

Regardless, in a city brimming with taco trucks on nearly every corner, Taco Zone reigns supreme in Los Angeles. The no-frills Echo Park truck -- outfitted in a plain metal exterior and typically parked just outside a Von's parking lot -- may be as visually unremarkable as the rest of the fleet of local food trucks, but has garnered a cult following for its zesty authentic Mexican tacos.

More on Taco Zone -- and a photo of their fare -- after the jump.

Zesty Taco Zone fare -- one quesadilla, three salsas, four tacos. Photo: Alexa Weibel.

Affordably priced, the tacos, burritos and quesadillas are served with a variety of 10 stuffings (from the usual chicken, beef, "pastor," "carnitas" and "chorizo" pork, to the more adventurous tripe, tongue and "buche" -- fried pig stomach), which are noted simply in Spanish and English plastered on the truck in hand-taped letters. Absent are the Americanized sour cream and cheddar that top many tacos in these parts, but instead barrels of fresh seasonings lie in wait for personal modifications.

A trio of condiments are available -- guests may add pinches of diced onion and cilantro, chopped cabbage or the juice of sliced limes, and top with any of four salsas: a traditional pico de gallo, a fiery hot red sauce, one mild and one spicy green tomatillo sauce. And while the meats are tender and flavorful -- and would, if pressed, stand well on their own -- it's the freshly made salsas that differentiate this stand from the crowds of others.

Though fake-cheese acolytes have no business at the truck, they may well be lured by its reputation or by pure sight, witnessing the lines that branch off the truck from sundown late into the night.

And local eaters flock to the cart, from the Hispanic population and the Silverlake hip, to foodies across the county. Noted one bystander and Taco Zone regular, "It's the most American crowd for authentic Mexican tacos!" In fact the operators of the family-run truck conduct much of their business in Spanish and know just enough English to complete the transactions.

Check out further taco street-meat love and information at saveourtacotrucks.org, and recommend other notable food trucks for future coverage in the commentary.