April 26, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Food Review: Westwood’s Insanely Delicious Tijuana Tacos

Tacos 1986 in Westwood Village stands out amid a crowded taco scene

By Kerry Slater

In a city filled with world-class Mexican food, it is difficult for a taco spot to stand out. A Tijuana taqueria in Westwood, however, rises above the fray by offering no-frill, insanely delicious tacos alongside some of the best salsa in town.

Tacos 1986, with locations in Westwood Village, Pasadena, Beverly Grove, Burbank and DTLA, keeps both the menu and food simple. Available are tacos, quesadillas, mulitas and crunchy vampiros filled with either Asada, Adobada, chicken or mushrooms. For lunch, I ordered three tacos: Asada, Adobada and chicken, each $3.25. The food was ready within 10 minutes and I took the feast to the hood of my car to eat.

All the tacos came topped with guacamole, onions and cilantro. I also asked for all three salsas on the side: Verde, hot and mild.

I decided to try the chicken first since it was likely the most subtle. Despite a nice char, the meat is still juicy, a rarity in grilled chicken tacos. The flavor is nothing special but when topped with the top-notch salsas (more on this below), it becomes a very solid taco. Still, the chicken was by far the weakest of the three tacos.

Next up was the Asada taco which stood out by keeping it simple. The meat has that classic Asada flavor with an amazing texture: tender yet slightly crunchy. Without just the guac, onions and cilantro, this is a fabulous taco. With the addition of the salsas (particularly the Verde), the taco becomes special and my favorite of the three tacos.

The Adobada (pork marinated in a “red” chile sauce) is very solid as well. Not quite as good as the Asada, but still a damn good taco. The flavor is subtle in a good way. Oftentimes a really good, saucy taco has the tendency of overpowering your taste buds and when biting into another type of taco the taste is still there. This is not the case with the Adobada at Tacos 1986. It has a good bite alongside some savory-sweetness and just enough taste to not require any salsas.

Left to right: hot, Verde and mild salsa from Tacos 1986.

In addition to the stellar tacos, three additional factors take Tacos 1986 to the next level, the most important being the salsa. The Verde is a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and bitter. The hot has a unique almost hummus-like consistency and goes very well with the chicken. The mild (usually the weakest salsa in my opinion) at Tacos 1986 is extremely flavorful. With hints of garlic, this mild salsa is in many ways similar to a marinara sauce and pairs well with all the tacos.

The next factor is freshly-made tortillas. Slightly larger than an average, the tortillas at Tacos 1986 manage to be sturdy without being thick or chewy. These tortillas allow the restaurant to add a healthy portion of meat to the tacos. This leads to the third factor that takes Tacos 1986 to the next level: portion size. As a hungry man, three tacos often is not enough for me while four tacos seem a bit extravagant. Three tacos at Tacos 1986, however, was the perfect amount of food. If I wanted a light lunch, two would have satisfied me.

Overall, this was one of the better lunches I’ve had in a while. When gauging a restaurant, I like to ask myself “would I take a friend from out of town here?” At Tacos 1986, the answer is a resounding “yes”.

Value: 7/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Quality: 8.5/10

Overall: 8/10

in Dining, News
Related Posts

(Video) The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

ASTEME Camps Explore Science, Technology, Math and Engineering

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Many teachers and parents hear this question daily when it comes to schooling: “When am I ever going to use...

Skirball Center’s Puppet Festival Promises an Afternoon of Imagination and Play

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

SoCal’s Top Puppeteers Will Perform Alongside Live Music, DIY Puppet-Making The Skirball Cultural Center is set to transform into a...

Q&A: No Age Limit on Home Care Management & Home Safety, Tips from a Care Manager

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

In-home safety issues that go unnoticed — cracked sidewalks, broken railings or uneven flooring for example — are often the root...

West Hollywood Braces for Controversial Rally, Reaffirms Commitment to Equality

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

City of West Hollywood Condemns Harmful Rhetoric Ahead of Planned Assembly City officials and public safety leaders in West Hollywood...

Culver City Police Hosts DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 26

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Dispose of Expired Prescriptions Safely and Anonymously The Culver City Police Department will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back...

Former Cedars-Sinai OB-GYN Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients for Four Decades

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Ten Women Say Their Reports Were Ignored as Brock Continued to Practice for Decades. A group of 10 women has...

LAX/Metro Station is One Step Closer to Transforming the Airport Commute

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

New Multi-Modal Metro Station Connects Angelenos to the Airport Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced...

FBI Unravels Alleged Plot to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Print in Beverly Hills

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Mid-City Pawn Shop Owner Charged in High-Stakes Art Scheme The owner of a pawn shop in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Drops New Double A-Side Ahead of U.S. Tour

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Legendary Psych-Rockers Set April 25 Release and Fall North American Tour The Brian Jonestown Massacre is set to release a...

(Video) Matú Kai Brentwood: The full experience

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills, located at 11777 San Vicente Blvd. Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills,...

Uncle Stevey’s Bagels Wins Westside Hearts with Next-Level Bagels, Premium Sandwiches, and Local Coffee

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Family-Run Shop Serves Delicious and Thoughtfully Curated Bagels With Love By Dolores Quintana A little more than a year since...

Santa Monica’s Socalo Toasts Pali Wine Co. with a Five-Course Culinary Celebration

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Enjoy Celebrated Central Coast Wines, Including a 100-Point Red Blend Socalo, the acclaimed Mexican restaurant from celebrity chefs Mary Sue...

Go Go Bird Teams Up with Chef Chris Oh for Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken Sandwich

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Crispy, Saucy, Spicy: Chris Oh’s Fried Chicken Sandwich Lands in Culver City Go Go Bird, located in Culver City’s Citizen...

Fogo de Chão Hosts Wine Lover’s Dream Night with Chilean Winery VIK

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Diners Will Enjoy a Chef-Curated South American Menu, Highly Rated Wines Wine lovers and culinary connoisseurs are invited to gather...