The popular conception of L.A.-style tacos is that they're fairly pared down: You're served meat in a tortilla, and you add your own accoutrements, usually simple toppings such as salsas and onions and cilantro. The tacos at Los Cinco Puntos, though, are different creatures. These start with thick tortillas, handmade on-site. Los Cinco Puntos has a huge staff of workers, most running around slicing meat and making sandwiches, but the people working the giant griddle, slapping on the masa scooped from waist-tall buckets and creating these most perfect tortillas, may be the soul of the operation. And the work pays off: The thick disks often are bought to go in enormous stacks. But it's worth sticking around to eat tacos at one of the outdoor tables. First, the meat of your choosing. Then pico de gallo. Then salsa. Then — and this is where things get interesting — guacamole is added. And then! Sliced nopales. There's a reason people eat these tacos with forks. It's not the typical L.A. taco, but it embodies our city's anything-goes spirit.

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