There is a sea of mariscos trucks in East L.A., but the one that will remain wedged in your memory for years to come is Raul Ortega's Mariscos Jalisco taco truck. What you come here for — along with folks from as far away as San Diego — is the taco dorado de camarones, a hefty taco stuffed with shrimp, then deep-fried and topped with fresh salsa and a generous slice or two of avocado. That salsa will skirt dangerously around the paper plate as you settle down along the nearby brick ledge that serves as customer seating. But any splatter is worth that spectacular first bite, when the crispy, clean crunch of the tortilla meets the meatiness of the shrimp. Ortega has been frying up these gems for more than a decade now, starting out back when half the kids tweeting in line were barely in high school. Don't judge: You'll likely find yourself tweeting something, too. Something like “best taco in L.A.” 3040 E. Olympic Blvd., Boyle Heights; (323) 528-6701, twitter.com/mariscosjalisco. Daily, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $1.75-$5. Cash only. No alcohol.

 

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

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