Our fave food trucks

I’ve always believed there’s something about the food truck that screams Los Angeles. Serving food from a vehicle feels pretty on-brand for a city that spends most of its time in its cars. Not to mention the sheer variety of food on offer, repping the city’s diversity.

They’re now firmly established in the city’s social fabric, there when you need them most. Despite various legislative efforts to clamp down on them, most Angelenos enjoy the sense of community they bring — and are very happy to get good food at a good price.

Here are a few of our favorite food trucks, which capture the dynamism of the city’s cuisines.

Simón

These days, the Simón cobalt-blue truck can be found in the driveway of event space York Manor in Highland Park. Its logo reads, “Mariscos Chingones, Seafood Bomb AF.” While such boastful declarations might be a turn-off to some, Simón delivers.

Chef Francisco Aguilar came to L.A. after stints in Oaxaca and Chiapas, where he developed his culinary language. His fish al pastor is a favorite, rubbed with spices, then grilled and garnished with a sizable slice of lightly caramelized pineapple, a helping of guacamole and crispy onions. Or check out the soft shell crab, which comes whole, topped with chipotle mayo, along with pico piña, his version of pico de gallo with pineapple and pickled onion.

Don Pollón

What goes great with a plate of tacos? Answer: a side of ribs. In addition to specializing in Tijuana-style tacos, Don Pollón gets down with some serious grilled meats. Located in East Los Angeles on Atlantic Boulevard, diners can feast on grilled meats, ribs, pollo asado or even bone marrow, making for the best taco side you’ve never thought of.

Try any of their signature sauces, like barbecue habanero or an exquisite peanut salsa reminiscent of the flavor of Filipino peanut stew known as kare-kare.

Upping the ante is their fiery red salsa, which brings a rush of heat and will have you devouring your taco in just a few bites before returning for more. The tacos fit perfectly into your hand and are filled with your choice of chorizo or al pastor. And yes, they contain the proper amount of bark from time spent on the open mesquite grill.

Era Grill

From our colleague Yusra Farzan:

Era Grill serves foods from Central Asia, mostly Uzbekistan.

I always joke with friends that I can roast an elaborate duck, but give me something as simple as rice and I will botch it. But rice is not simple. I believe it is an art form to get each grain perfectly cooked and fluffy. And Era Grill’s “plow,” a Central Asian version of pilaf, manages to do that beautifully.

The sweetness of the carrots and plump raisins with the richness of the tender lamb pairs so well with a fresh tomato, cucumber and dill salad. We also tried the shurpa, a meat and vegetable soup. The broth was light yet had depth with cumin and pepper notes. To my delight, the soup had soft chunks of carrot and potato and cooked-down sweet peppers.

There’s also the Libananyan shawarma, which was much larger than a typical shawarma — and could easily feed two people. Seasoned chicken, cooked on the vertical rotating spit, is packed into a large tortilla topped with fresh-tasting tomato and onion seasoned with sumac.

El Fogon

I first became aware of El Fogon a few years back when writing about the different types of tamales found around Los Angeles. A friend told me about a truck that parks at Alondra Park near Lawndale and serves up a variety of Guatemalan tamales during the holidays.

Its regular menu, however, with its deeply comforting dishes, never ceases to disappoint. I’d urge you to try the garnaches, fried tortillas a bit larger than a silver dollar topped with seasoned ground beef and refried beans, freshly crumbled queso fresco and the pickled cabbage slaw known as curtido.

El Fogon also has a rotating list of specials. When I visited, they made rellenitos with sweet plantains stuffed with either a mixture of black beans or a smooth velvet rice custard. It provided a bit of sweetness to round out the rest of the meal.

Bun & Blanket

During last year’s Tournament of Cheeseburgers, I became aware of Bun & Blanket, a food truck that regularly parks outside Paperback Brewing Company in Glendale.

I felt an immediate connection to the name. My daughter Luisa, who is 6, has her favorite stuffed bunny, Bun, which usually comes with a collection of blankets she carries around the house. Here, however, the name refers to the melted cheese and other condiments that come blanketed over the bun.

These aren’t run-of-the-mill smashburgers outside a brewery that we all know and love. (There will be no besmirching of burgers of that variety — as I’ve always said, there’s a time and place for everything.)

The thick patty with a supple brioche bun is loaded with fresh ingredients that feel more on par with a quality pub-style burger. The “stuffed burgers” feature hits like the Gogi-Gooey, packed with bulgogi beef, cheese, kimchi slaw, and house gochujang aioli. Or you can do what I did and order the quesabirria burger, made with braised beef marinated with guajillo and ancho chilis, blanketed with pepper jack cheese and served with a side of consomme for dipping. The burger conjures a quality quesabirria experience that avoids being kitschy, while still being fun and incredibly delicious.