The first round is officially over, and it was a battle down to the final minutes.
There were plenty of upsets, such as Olivia Restaurant edging out their Bay Area veggie OGs Gracias Madre by a mere five votes! First seed NELA upstarts Cena Vegan also got destroyed by the power of cauliflower via Barrio Neighborhood Tacos. Women-owned GoGo’s Tacos kicked Sugar Taco out of the competition. Tacos 1986 and their locations and star power were no match for the power of Dear Mamma. In the battle for the eastside vegan tacos, El Sereno’s Evil Cooks annihilated their El Monte opponent, Ixtaco Taquería. The Los Feliz Mexican restaurant, fueled by a Baja fine-dining punk chef, overpowered De Buena Planta. Lastly, Chulita beat out Hollywood strip mall legends Doomie’s NextMex and is advancing to fight more one more week.
The next round of Vegan Taco Madness is now open! Vote below and may the best vegan taquería win.
After a four-year hiatus, we’re back with L.A. TACO’s Vegan Taco Madness.
Aside from being the undisputed best city for regional tacos in the country, Los Angeles is also home to the most cutting-edge and delicious plant-based tacos. This tournament celebrates the best vegan tacos in the city. The contenders are carefully chosen and deliberated by our taco-fueled staff, who are out in the streets scouting the best tacos every week. These tacos represent old-school and new-school approaches to building flavors from fruits, vegetables, and seeds, from innovative vegetables to handmade soyrizo to meaty mushrooms, in all corners of Los Angeles.
Real talk: Don’t knock them until you try them because you might be surprised that some of these plant-based tacos taste better than mediocre versions of their meat-filled counterparts. What makes a taco memorable is the combined effect of its elements like salsa, protein, toppings, and of course, tortilla.
Each round will end at 11:59 PST each Tuesday.
The finalists will be invited to vend for the day at Smorgasburg, L.A., on Super Bowl Sunday (Sunday, February 12), compliments of L.A. TACO. We will announce more details as the date gets closer. The winner will join the elite TACO MADNESS CHAMPION club and fellow high-level taco legends like Villa’s Tacos, Sonoratown, and much more. All are renowned for consistently representing L.A.’s Taco Life with the best flavors, textures, and smells on top of a tortilla.
Our list of spots is below, seeded, along with which taco we’re singling out for glory.
Go out and taste and make sure to get your vote in before next week. Each person can only vote once.
Voting is now open!
1. Cena Vegan (Al pastor)
2. Sugar Taco (Asada)
3. Gracias Madre (Taco Ahogado)
4. Tacos 1986 (Mushroom Taco)
5. Evil Cooks (Vegan Chorizo)
6. El Cocinero Restaurant (Quesabirria)
7. De Buena Planta (Tacos Dorados)
8. DoomiesNextMex (Carnitas)
9. Chulita (Mushroom Carnitas)
10. Miraté (Mushroom Taco Árabe)
11. Bee Taquería (Beet Taco)
12. Ixtaco Taquería (Al Pastor)
13. Dear Mama (Birria)
14. Olivia Restaurant (Burnt Eggplant and Plantain “Doblada”)
15. Gogo’s Tacos (Mushroom)
16. El Barrio Neighborhood Tacos (Cauliflower Taco)