Tacos Por Vida

We’ve never met a taco worth waiting three hours to eat. And, even after waiting three hours to try Tacos Por Vida in West LA, we still haven’t. The new taco operation from the Kogi team is currently in its soft opening phase and popping up on weekends, attracting crowds like we’ve never seen before. The line is a full-on spectacle, complete with people drinking out of brown bags to pass the time and Roy Choi-fueled nostalgia for 2008 when short rib burritos were peak LA food culture. The wait ultimately ends with good, not groundbreaking tacos.

Tacos Por Vida's menu is short and simple: charcoal-grilled asada, al pastor, chicken, and mushrooms on handmade corn tortillas or in a burrito made with disappointing, pasty flour tortillas. Salsas pack a nice punch, freshly made corn tortillas are soft and slightly thick, and the adobo for the al pastor has pleasant heat with a pineapple tang. But none of the proteins sit on the hot grill long enough to get properly crispy and smoky. It feels like the roadside spot is cranking out tacos as quickly as possible to feed the masses, and the quality suffers because of it. Maybe the lines will die down or maybe they won't. Either way, we’ll be back to check in on Tacos Por Vida soon to see if the details get ironed out.