Marc’s Foodie Angle – Best of Vegan Awards

By Marc Ang

Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 12/6/21 – It doesn’t get any more authentic or “Downtown LA” than Tacos AF. There’s limited seating out front but right on 7th St, you have a little section where across the street, there’s a sidewalk cafe. Let’s consider this a gritty Champs Elysees.

Texture 4.1

Flavor 4.3

Aesthetics 4.2

Service 4.8

Portion size 4

Ambiance 3.8

As part of the Best of Vegan, their sole entry would be their mushroom taco (or burrito, whatever your preference may be). The bottom line is the mushroom flavoring was delicious. Flavorful and certainly we can see why people would drive all the way from Orange County or the Valley to get it.  Mushroom 4.5/5

However, another standout dish was the chicken. The pollo taco was juicy, marinated, spiced and every bite was delicious.

Chicken 4.5

Unfortunately, the steak and pastor with pineapple were not particularly flavorful. Especially with the carne asada, it felt too salty. I liked the al pastor with pineapple a little better than the steak but I would go with the chicken and the mushroom any day over the pork and beef.

Steak 3.4

Pastor with Pineapple 3.5

Joy and I came to a consensus about the best dish. The elote bowl is not a vegan dish but the corn was absolutely delicious. It also came in a nice-sized container and could be a meal in itself. The crema was mouthwatering and the texture was perfect. Cotija was perfect too, adding to the texture.

Elote Bowl 4.7

A special shout-out to the sauces they provide. Usually, I wouldn’t cover the sauces but their homemade sauce was absolutely phenomenal.  “Cilantro green” their mild sauce was unique and so flavorful I drank it all. The guacamole sauce also deserves a big shoutout.

Mild “cilantro green” sauce 4.7

Guac 4.5

Definitely worth a stop in Downtown LA for the sauces, elote bowl, and delicious mushroom and chicken tacos. Their Agua frescas machine is down but they got Jarritos. Joy and I had delicious Mandarin Orange and Pina flavors. Refreshing!

What I loved most about Tacos AF is how simple the menu is! Perfect and focused. No frills. The price is right too!

You can find Tacos AF at https://www.tacos.af/ and on Instagram @tacosaf