When in town make sure to stop by tacolandia with your Familia and give em a try. Plenty of options to choose from, won't disappoint from my experience read more

This is my second year attending Tacolandia and I had a good time as usual. For those who have never attended the event, Tacolandia is a food festival that is held yearly. As you can guess by the name, it's taco galore!! There are bunch of taco vendors serving up delicious samples of tacos. There are also a few non-taco vendor, like ice cream. The event itself is relatively well organized. There are tickets for general admission and VIP. I would suggest the VIP tickets as it gives you access to a separate entrance and there is a bathroom that you can use. (The only restrooms in the general area are Porta Potties). I also suggest you get to the festival earlier, as there will be a HUGE line to get into the festival. There are lots around the festival, but I normally park in Union Station and walk over. Once you are in, it is TACO TIME. There are tons of vendors, it is almost impossible to try to eat all of them. A tip is to share one taco with other, so you can taste as many. The only one minor complaint that I had is that this year there were way too many carnitas. I guess it is because it is easier to make in mass quantities, but I wanted some differnet types of meat. Also, this year, there was no taco that really stood out for me. But, aside from that, I was stuffed and happy. The other thing I want to mention is that although they have vendors who provide drinks (Zico, etc). There is no place that just provides water, which was a shame as this year, it was SOO hot. So, I had to buy my own water for $2. I did stay for pretty much the entire festival this year. A tip for anyone who wants to stay the entire time, there are some vendors who will just start giving things out so they can close shop. This year, the Kettle chip vendor towards the end of the events just gave us a BAG full of chips. I am pretty sure that I have enough chips to last me months. I will definitely be back next year! read more

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We arrived 40 minutes early, and the line was 15 people deep. Highly recommend getting dropped off (Uber, Lyft, ask a friend) or taking public transportation to Union Station as the area is congested and parking is difficult. Be prepared to eat while standing all day. Wear comfortable shoes, ladies! When entering the space, I recommend eating from the back to the front. There were some vendors I regret not tasting because I started eating my way inside. Some people brought their own trays to hold multiple plates of tacos. My fiance and our close friend ended up sharing a taco to maximize the number we could taste. Each taco was about 3 small bites. We also split up and stood in line for different vendors to save time. This is a pretty good system if you don't mind cooties. This way if the taco is good you can stand in line for a full taco, although that never happened. There were a lot of hits and only one miss. After maybe about 20 tacos, they started tasting the same, and I was jonesing for a soda or a different flavor profile to cut through the monotony. Luckily there were free beverage vendors throughout the space. The longest lines were for vendors serving tacos with fancy ingredients (i.e. filet mignon, scallop) but my buddy system kept us from being idle for too long. One notable non-taco vendor was Flan King. After sampling a spoonful, we had to order 2 full size flans in the original and banana flavor! My favorite taco vendors were Puesto, Barrio Cafe, Petty Cash, Guerrilla Tacos, and Corazon y Miel's Tacos de Mi Abuela. Still barely got to sample maybe just one third of all of the vendors there. Will have to make up for that next year! read more

LA Weekly's Tacolandia - Festivals Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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If your in the mood for some Mexican. Tacolandia is a good place to stop by and give a try. Pick a nice weekend and go enjoy with family.

I really like this event but this year, it felt like it was way oversold (and possibly fewer booths) with lines burgeoning to 30-40 deep within a few minutes of opening. In contrast, we had it good last year where the crowds didn't show up until well into the event. This year, we got in 10 minutes after opening and within another 10 minutes, the lines became crazy everywhere. I love taking pics of my food as much as the next person but BE CONSIDERATE - move aside when you get your food and don't ask 20 questions when there's 40 people behind you. And personally, I don't approve of line cutting even when I have a friend in line. This is especially infuriating when you're ALMOST there and someone has five friends join them. At least keep it to a 1:1 ratio - 1 friend in line, 1 friend can cut. In one instance, I was almost up...two girls in front of me. One left to go to another line. A guy joined the one remaining girl, then SHE left. And he asked for extra tacos. Geez. I think you end up enjoying the event more if you gave up whatever control you assumed you had over what tacos you can get your hands on. Just go to the shortest line and you may be surprised by what you are able to get. Some of the booths from Mexico aren't well known but turn out some gems. Looking forward to next year! read more

My second year attending Tacolandia. I thought this year was much improved from last year. They still need to work on the beer selection (montejo & bud light) and many of the taquerias ran out of food half way through the event which is unacceptable. Otherwise, it was very easy to find a bathroom and get a beer. The array and quality of tacos, will not be found anywhere else but at Tacolandia, so if you you are a fan of the taco, this event will not disappoint. Some of my favorites included, the La Guerrense Seafood tostadas (not tacos BTW), were amazing and you did not have to make the trek to Ensenada. The pork puffy taco from bar Ama was fantastic. Crunchy chicharon with great carnitas, tasty creamy salsa roja and salsa verde, all rolled up in their signature puffy tortilla. Those two dishes alone made it worth coming. read more

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The quality of vendors, and the sheer quantity were both on fill display. This event had such an array of amazing taco purveyors. There were no two that were alike. Some big names were here bringing what they are known for, but there were also a lot of hidden gems and surprises. The sponsors also brought some fun booths and there were a lot of great giveaways. This was the perfect event for a fan of tacos, but also just great food. Once you were inside the event, you didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes in a line, except for a handful of popular ones. Get there early, and take Metro or Uber, because parking is terrible around there. read more

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THIRD ANNUAL TACO THROWDOWN!!! BACKGROUND: Los Angeles is undoubtedly the taco capital of the United States, a magical city where mounds of marinated meat cradled in warm tortillas are available around the clock in every imaginable style. If you wish you could dive mouth-first into a sea of taco-ready pastor (or grilled vegetables, whatevs), then L.A. Weekly's Tacolandia festival on June 6 will make your taco dreams come true. [LA WEEKLY] STATS: Single Day Only: 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm 21+ event GA $35.00 VIP $55.00-limited number of tickets Minimal street parking Lot parking Shuttles available from select locations EXPERIENCE; This event had been on the discussion table between a fellow Yelper and me for months. Good thing, this event sells out rapidly. And for good reason. For the entrance fee, attendees got five full hours of taco pleasure from over 80 of the world's best taquerias, including sneak peaks of soon to open establishments. The tummy stuffin' doesn't start and end with just tacos, this event offers up tasty beverages, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, ice cream, arts and craft vendors, and many many more. This was my first time attending the Tacolandia Festival and I found it to be fairly well planned out. Sure, there's room for improvement, just as there's next year. This is what I learned on this go around: -AVOID TRAFFREAK. Made the right choice to use public transportation. Tacolandia takes place directly across the street from Union Station, the dumping and picking up ground for all metro lines. -CASUALLY LATE IS TOO LATE. "Gates" open at 3 p.m. Line starts much earlier. I arrived about 2:30ish and the line was already about a block long. -SHARING IS CARING. Best to attend with a small group and share. By doing so, each person can stand in a different line, get taco sample, and share with the rest of the group. As Yelpers, we are professional eaters, all that is really needed to sample these tacos is one bite. -WHERE'S THE BEEF?! Keep in mind, most vendors offer beef tacos. There were very few that offered veggie, chicken, or the other white meat. -THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER. The event goes until 3, however, many taco vendors ran out of supplies well before, so pace yourself and try to save the non-taco vendors for the afta party. By the end of the event, we were over stuffed tacos waddling through the streets of LA, seeking a nice quiet place to allow food coma to set in. Review 98 Yelp 100+ Challenge 2015 #tacolandia #laweekly read more

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Tacolandia is one of the biggest tasting event in L.A. They seem to grow bigger every year. This is the their fourth and has 123 vendors and over 100 of them are tacos. I don't think anyway anyone can get to try to all this in 4 fours as general admission. It was super crowded from getting in the entrance to line of most food booth. The line can be as long as 50 peoples in some case, despite having so many vendor but the problem is so overcrowded. There's no seating area at all ! There's lack of beverage booth, the alcohol booth you has to paid extra and is only basic beer option. Food selection is exceptional large and has a lot variety. All kind of tacos vendor are here, from as high up as Taco Maria which is Jonathan Gold #2 in his 99 list of 2015. Parking is pretty much on you own, I settle with street parking which is a mistake because I can't re-entry which is bumper. I think the popularity of the event can be extend to 2 or even 3 days to control the crowd. More isn't always better. read more

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(Attended 06/11/16 SA @ 3:00pm): This annual event was certainly something to "taco 'bout"! I've attended past LA Weekly's Tacolandia events (the first a mish-mash small affair at the famous Hollywood Palladium) and proud that it expanded to an annual food fest at the historic El Pueblo de Los Angeles which was a more appropriate location https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=aeBca6UAbJwbbncOBmILIA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Across the entire state of California were thousands of taquerias, and this simple meal had become a staple of and synonymous with specifically the Southern California culture. This year, I received a complimentary pass for work previously done at LA Weekly events. Would I hot-foot it or salsa over to next year's event!? The Event: Ticket prices ranged from $40 (General Admission Presale) to $70 (VIP included separate entrance, access to exclusive bar, lounge, and samplings, and a gift bag). With over 100 taco and nearly 200 total vendors, the four-hour window for this event wasn't enough to complete on your own! Therefore, the best-laid game plan (as noted by others) was to attend with a large group, divided-and-conquered the myriad of vendors, than shared amongst yourselves. Nice in theory, but this left you with a teasing nibble and hardly a good representation of each taco. The thought of "bite-and-dump" was blasphemy for my Pacific Islander sensibility since no food ever got wasted around me. I loved tacos, so here was a quick snapshot of my culinary experience as I gorged my face!: ~Del Real Foods - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rFteMVevm-c8JJWfEJSfmQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Tamales Elena - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=1ZZdHCy1Z0Wug7Fyc-9shA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Burritos La Palma - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=3ZSkaQ7otCr9eHZO079nug&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Estrella Jalisco Cerveza - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=2Kt-vdy10RwzJUex18b7rg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Monkey Bar - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=HpHoBgb7t-VVLlAB44WbFw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~La Tostaderia Seafood - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=keCzBTIfjM56mhzF_yzb3w&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Coni'Seafood - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mt09z9pH15Yu26OhyPr_xA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Rocio's Mexican Kitchen - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=JWeqZYQfm3_sQW1fB0pxhQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Barrio Café - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=VnQ0Dk5a29Q3oYf7XJ_AmA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Zamora Bros. - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=qZxLZfJadjB-hc10Rux2bQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Las 7 Regiones De Oaxaca - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=TXTLfhrZBNjABx2WF2ssYQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~White Boy Tacos - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=QV96Z0NLUKVkdCEfIFGBnQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Dos Chinos - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rqgGn1LNre21LJXdM_fS3w&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ~Tacos Punta Cabras - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PuK31yWrJMRbbfRa2wscHA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Service - You stood in the organized snaking wait line, made your way through the "turnstiles", and then left to hit each stand - and bar - which were run by excited and helpful staff ready to serve things up! The lines grew long throughout the day. However, all was good! Parking (Varies; $8.00 CASH ONLY in my case) - Parking in this area was usually costly and troublesome. I found a pay lot walking distance from the event. There were other such lots in the surrounding area as well as metered street parking. Best bet was if you went Metro and saved yourself the hassle. Atmosphere, décor, ambience - A spacious outdoor area that covered intersecting streets, sidewalks, and walkways. Each vendor had their own tent set-up with distinct wait lines https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Q4zXdDqVQSiNplDKdjjiIA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Seating was extremely limited except for the curbs and low brink walls. Natural lighting reigned supreme. There were no TVs, but live music played in the background as you walked around. Attire - Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. Overall, LA Weekly's Tacolandia came a long way fast and no longer a dog-and-pony show with merely a handful of vendors! The enormous crowd was proof positive this event struck a nerve and found its niche; and to no surprise, the ticket prices steadily increased over the years. One suggestion would be a two-day event (higher prices, of course) to have a chance to try all vendors. I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was $8.00 (parking only; no tip required). And, my credit card of choice was accepted for online tickets and at the bars (onsite ATMs were available)...AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more

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Amazing event as always! The best taqueros don't have lines every year. You just had to do the research and you will have your fill. I have been attending since the event launched three years ago. I've seen it get bigger and bigger every year. The first year was best because it was still "undiscovered." Hardly any lines. No complaints because I got there at 2:30 pm and stuffed myself silly of gourmet tacos. No wait if you get there early. There are more taqueros now, so I had a plan of attack or my own taco eating strategy. I go straight to the back because it is less crowded and eat tacos from those from Mexico and work my way up to LA. I avoid all local places from the start and save those for last. I am not sure why people fall in line for Kogi when you can get that any time. Perfect example of the lack of thought people put into this experience. Why not hit up the the taqueros from Mexico without any lines? By the time the they ran out of tacos, I was so full. I can't wait for next year!!! TIP: Read Bill Esparza's blog , StreetGourmetLA, and his articles in LA Magazine for some insight for next year or some taco exploring on your own. He curates Tacolandia and I find it helpful in discovering the best tacos all over town and Mexico. Also, I highly recommend taking a Club Tengo Hambre tour. Bill was my tour guide when I did their "craft beer and taco" tour in Tijuana. read more

What a fantastic LA event! Kudos to LA Weekly for hosting such a well organized and delicioso gathering of taco lovers everywhere, this being their first time and all. A few dozen restaurants, individual chefs and food trucks came out to present their prize offerings and wow, they did not disappoint. This was one of the absolute best food comas I've had and I'm getting strategic next year in regards to how many tacos I can pack into my unrelenting gut. It was that good. Notable establishments worth mentioning over and over again? Leo's Taco Truck for their amazing pastor, now that's how you make it! Mariscos Jalisco for their incredibly pretty and savory shrimp tacos, you won't taste anything like it. I like that they were hanging outside their truck chatting it up with everyone in line (and it was a long line at that). The meat on the Arabian tacos were something else, spicy and sweet all at once, very good stuff. Mo-Chica's chicharron tacos were out of this world - buttery, crunchy and packed full of flavor, it was magical. Of course, I can't forget the lifesaver that was the Jarritos truck, handing out all of their overly sugary libations. Mexican Cola is some serious sh*t, my friends. There has got to be something more potent in that 12-ounce glass bottle. The mariachi band came on at about 3 PM and Dita Von Teese worked her way to the front of the crowd and danced with a couple of ass kissers. She was, of course, ever the goddess. And oh, there was a Tequila garden where you could get your more choice libations so that was nice. LA Weekly made these cool, compact pocket guides too, so you had all of the information at your fingertips. Again, such a well planned event. You know I'm coming back for more and I'm spreading the word far and wide. 2014 is on! read more

LA Weekly's Tacolandia - Taco lovers everywhere. - Festivals Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My first year attending Tacolandia, and it did not disappoint. Tacos were some of the best I've ever had. I struck a lot of conversations with the vendors and made plans to visit them in the near future; as a result, they promised me special treats and discounts when I do visit (more of an incentive for me to go). The vendors were all attentive and welcoming. I understand that people had a hard time getting around, and I think that the problem could've have been easily prevented had the event organizers not oversold the tickets. I remember at one point, some time around 5:30 pm, I stood in the middle of a crowd for over five minutes without being able to move. I had enough time to digest my first round of tacos and contemplate my whole existence. For that reason, I'm taking away one star. Looking forward to next year's tacos! read more

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Let me start by saying that my friends and I have attended Tacolandia all three years (2014, 2015 and this year's 2016). They've increasingly gotten better and better with planning and vendors. This year we opted for General Admission tickets instead of VIPs and when we got there on time, both entrance lines were wrapping around the entire block. We were so scared that it was going to be a disaster overbooked event, but we needn't have worried because their planning was excellent this year. It took us about 15 minutes from the very end of the line to get in and we were SO impressed by the number of vendors they had this year. Even the longer lines were taking about 15 minutes to go through and we managed to fit 15 to 18 tacos in our bodies! Our system we've perfected over the years of this event is to use the buddy system in multiple lines. Split up, stand in line and grab 2 plates of whatever they're serving to share with your buddy while you go stand in another line. I only met one vendor who was picky about 1 plate per person, but we shared bites from each other's plates to taste. It's alright since that let us save room for more plates. We took the metro line since the event is right across the street from Union Station. I highly recommend using public transportation or Uber if you can so you won't have to deal with the intense traffic caused by the event. They fit 100 vendors in the streets of LA this year, you can imagine the traffic! So impressed and so happy that the event organizers have really nailed it in planning. Expect us to continue to return every year!! read more

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This was my third year attending this event and while it is an awesome place for all taco lovers, this year was rather lackluster. The issues were not with the food, but rather with the organizers. Last year was already pretty crowded, but this year Tacolandia was oversold. The lines were super long from the get-go (I was there when it opened and it was still horrible). LA weekly should just charge a little more and keep the crowds a little smaller. It would make for a more pleasant experience. When there are 120 taco vendors, I don't want to spend 10-15 minutes minimum in each line, under the super hot sun, no less. Also, the VIP experience is anything but. The organizers let the VIP line in 20 minutes after the stated start time which would be okay if GA attendees hadn't been let in before us. The lounge had no seating so what's the point if you can't "lounge" there. The VIP entrance and lounge is as also in a crappy spot that is completely out of the way. It's definitely the 1st and probably last year I spend extra cash for VIP tickets unless LA Weekly gets it together and restores the perks that made VIP cool (early entry, drink tickets). read more

This seems to be well-organized event, because I got to eat almost 16 tacos from 15 different stands. Initially, my friend informed me that last year the wait was horrible and many stands ran out of food quickly. Not so this year, the best tacos that I think was out of this world was "La Guerrense" from Ensenada Mexico, it was refreshing with crab and scallop on top of the crispy taco shell, topped with Avocado with your selection of how spicy you could handle. We would love a second round but they ran out, oh well.... Time to go to Ensenada for me!!! read more

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First Time attendee and was so excited to attend and was a little disappointed. The event was oversold, a good number of vendors folded early, long long long lines, the bar set up was not thought through....more on that later. The Tequila garden was weak and gimmicky, Mangrita, really? something you would not expect in LA and from LA Weekly....kind of a sell out. The greatness of the event boiled down to a handful of vendors - two of the best Jalisco Mariscos and Guerrilla Tacos! the later just to watch an extremely arrogant chef shave truffles on tacos and prepare food at a post office pace.....he is the real deal and was worth the wait and I think one of the first to fold. Allot of our crew were also raving about the smelt tacos..... Bull Penis tacos and the Spearmint Rhino booths were two low points unless you are into that kind of thing....no judging. The booths should have been contiguous. The bars were really really slow with long lines albeit good (short) drinks. A few suggestions, how about a beer only bar! How about a VIP bar! The bartenders were great but the offering should be limited to one choice of margarita, beer or wine, appreciate their skill but not the right venue for mixology. That could help expedite the long lines. I get you do not want to slaughter the crowd with alcohol but come on now. Not allot of places to sit in the shade, a few easy ups with seating? Allot of folks hanging on the pavement grasping at shade. Did I say long lines? I do not think I will attend next year, my recommendation is to pack a cooler of refreshments, hire a driver or get a DD and do a legitimate taco tour of LA. read more

Awesome concept that, in my opinion, has gotten too big. After waiting in a huge line to get in, I found lines too long to sample tacos. Also, about 1/3 of the stands ran out of food after 2 hours. It's a 5 hour event. Also, I've been to all three tacolandia events and personally I think the first one went best because of the low amount of people they let in. But I'm sure selling out three years it's a rousing success. Just sell less tickets, cut the restaurants in half and the ones that do show up should be prepared to serve for the whole event. Otherwise a well run event that has gotten too big for it own good. I believe my affair with tacolandia is over. read more

First time attending Tacolandria. I only got the general admission ticket. What's the point in purchasing the VIP ticket if you don't get early access to the event. I really enjoyed the vendors from Mexico and their tacos were great. On the negative side, the event is too big and the lines are massive to sample one taco. Someone told me 4,000 tickets were sold, this is ridiculous. I don't know if I will attend next year. read more

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Well worth the money. So many tacos, lines were moving at a good pace, live music and good vibes. I will definitely be back read more

LA Weekly's Tacolandia - Festivals Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I am surprised to see a lot of 4 stars ...I hope no one rated this event a 5 star. Lol. This is my first year attending and maybe my last - why? It was way too crowded! I honestly think they oversold this event - you couldn't even walk anywhere without bumping into people. I want to say this event is worse than spending a day @ Disney - @ least @ Disney you can push a stroller around without a problem It took like an hour just to get into the event. Once you are inside, you have to make more lines just 2 grab a taste If you go, be prepare 2 wait and wait ... Oh and did I mention you have to wait...lol. Besides the lines and the overwhelming number of people - the TACOS were pretty tasty, @ least the ones I tried. Definitely worth a visit ...make sure you go on an empty stomach. read more

Truly the land of tacos I ate taco after taco each one completely different than the last. tacos of beef ,chicken, pork, shrimp, lobster, veggies and more and all a different style - fried, grilled, braised well you get the picture. So would I come back? Heck yeah! with a taco shaped smile on my face. read more

unlimited tacos, Jarritos and giveaways for $20?! ANNNND Mariachis!??? WHAT!? HOW!? who cares, sign me up! Tacolandia was my ultimate foodie fantasy brought to life. I was drooling like a baby as i walked in and preggers with a food baby walking out. Tacos tacos everywhere! The vendors were so friendly and offered generous portions of fantastic tacos & treats. The Jarritos truck was a hit! fully stocked with ice cold Jarritos for all! Leo's taco truck & the Turbo taco truck had the best tacos in my opinion. I met so many great people here and we even had a few celebs in our midsts! I cant wait to come back next year, the only downside was that this event had to come to an end. Sad face. read more

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2nd annual LA Weekly Tacolandia festival was a big success in my book. The only downside were the super long and slow lines at the cocktail bars throughout the festival. And the fact that they stopped serving alcohol at 6:30p while the festival ended at 7p and it was not disclosed ahead of time. The quality and variety of the offerings were worthwhile with La Guerrerense from Ensenada featuring her tasty salsas and making seafood tostadas that were delicious. Javier Plascencia's group made some delicious birria tacos and so many more worth mentioning as well. Here's a tip: purchase the VIP/Preferred tix - it came with 5 drink vouchers (cocktails were $8 each) and the line to get in was much shorter than the GA tickets. Well worth the extra cost. That is probably another bone of contention, is the long lines to get into the festival, especially for GA attendees. Overall, the vendors brought it, the organizers need to bring it and I'm looking forward to next year. read more

Well organized and there's so many vendors to check out and tacos to try. Definitely worth the money to go every year. Hopefully next year again! read more

TACOLANDIA was absolutely amazing. If anyone has ever pondered of what taco heaven would feel like...everyone at this taco festival definitely experienced it. Tacos are small and bite-sized and are absolutely delicious. If the world were to end tomorrow, tacos would definitely be on my list of items to eat before the end of the world. Soo, let me begin my pitch and highlight recalls: -VIP is a must! The line is shorter and the lines entry is much smoother. In addition, you get a handful of drink tickets (for beer), a cool gift bag that includes OC FAIR tickets, and a variety of alcoholic free samples! Its only about $30 -$40 extra?? -getting to this event early is almost a must! Parking can be tough around this area -there was over 80 different taquerias?? -the event is AYCE! -I love tacos! -So many different tacos to choose from! street tacos, gourmet tacos, chorizo, chicharron, carne asada, al pastor, seafood, lengua, a variety of tasty salsas, scorpion pepper salsa, ghost pepper salsa, beers, cocktails, quesadillas, etc... Yah you get my point -the lines at most of the stands were average -you will definitely food coma, I had trouble driving home because I was so full and I definitely got my moneys worth The event was a total success! What makes this food festival so great is the fact that tacos are very easy to assemble and prep. Like other food festivals, some dishes require a lot of effort and time to prep, which eventually leads to a long line of hungry and anxious customers. NOT HERE! The setup is simple, tortilla (some were handmade), protein, and garnishes. EZ! Of course the longest lines were for the best vendors, but that was expected anyways. If you are a taco fan or lover...this is a MUST GO TO! Thank you LA WEEKLY and thank you TACOLANDIA! I cant wait for next year! UNTIL THEN!! ^-^ read more

It made such a good impression on us last year, that we decided to take another shot. Took the VIP route this time around, just to avoid the million man march. If you want a smoother experience, I highly suggest this option. You get two beverage tickets with admission (Great). The party just started and your already neck-deep in "Taco-ville". I figured out a formula on how to set the pace without overwhelming yourself. Instead of eating a whole taco, you only take 1 bite then pass (depending on the size of-course). After a few disciplined attempts, rules fly out the door real fast. I had my mind set on at least 20 restaurants that day. My eyes were BIG until you hit that proverbial-wall. The top 5 list starts with Kokopelli's (octopus), Guerrilla Taco's (scallop), Loteria Grill's (squash blossom), Nomada's (gizzard) and Zamora Brother's (carnitas + chicharon). And in no way shape or form did I not appreciate the final 15 strong. Just in my humble opinion, this group really stood out from the rest. After two hours of walking, eating and drinking margaritas, weaving in and out of friendly traffic, bumping into zombie pedestrians all I'm thinking about is home. Lets take this Uber while I stumble into my doorstep, goodnight. read more

LA Weekly's Tacolandia - Festivals Near Me - Los Angeles, California

traffic coordination gets a very low rating ... we arrived at about 3:30pm, and found a line from the entrance (near Olvera St across from Union Station, down Alameda and around the corner on Ceasar Chavez. There was another entrance on Main on the back side where the line snaked from there, across Main, down Ceasar Chavez; and around the corner on Alameda. Surely they could figure out a way to process folks faster than they did. Suggest they punch hole in the program, and tie some sort of wrist tie so you can have it hanging off your wrist. With a drink and plate in either hand, the program was quickly misplaced. Once you get in; the lines are horrendous ... at least 10 minutes in each line; and you get 1 taco. The taco's were all great, but 4 tacos was about my limit; and so they made out like a bandit on me. Drinks were beer, mixed drinks and margaritas - which were actually pretty damn good. About 5:30pm they ran out and was waiting for a refill. I echo another reviewer who complained about lack of seating or just to hang for a bit. Needed lots more. And tables right in front of the stage, with the SPEAKERS blasting out. If you don't have a hearing problem before you sat down, you would after. Speakers or seating should have been arranged differently ... you need loud music to carry; but tables RIGHT IN FRONT of them, is just wrong. Not nearly enough NON-alcoholic beverages available and bathrooms were quickly out of toilet paper. For $45/person, couldn't they spring for a bit higher end bathrooms for all; and staff dedicated to keeping them filled and clean? Beautiful night; but without seating no place to really enjoy the night. And walking from line to line for a taco of 4 hours isn't my idea of a fun time. No matter how many $8 margaritas I could buy. Definitely great location right across from Union Station, took the train, so super convenient. Been there, done that.... won't do again. read more

so amazing. i was in taco heaven. Got in line with friends that were already there ~2:30. By 3pm they were quickly getting us in. I think i had about 15 to 20 tacos and i was so full. Octopus, fish, beef, pork, lengua, veggie, huitlacoche, coconut shrimp just to name a few read more

As someone who was shut out last year due to the event selling out, I understand why they went to a bigger venue, but it was too big! Since it has become an institution, I would like to see this spun off from LA Weekly and get better planning and logistics. I would say take the gate count and cut it by 20%, and have it become invite only based on reputable reviews from experts and Yelp (100+ reviews to prevent scammers) so that there are less wannabe taquerias. As for 2016 Tacolandia, I had to hop on a line, then bust out my smart phone to see if I wanted to stay on line. Was bummed that so many reputable places (like Home State in Los Feliz) decided to skip this one. This could be one of the best events and competitions in FoodieVille:-) read more

Very enjoyable event! Lines moved, people were chill, food was excellent! Should be bottled water readily available and included with ticket price. But a really great event! read more