Pepe's Tacos Estilo León Gto

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(GUANAJUATO)

COVID-19 UPDATE: Things are back to normal at this truck and location, the tented area is free for seating. Masks are required while ordering and picking up.

While the word Guanajuato certainly shows up in the name of a few establishments around town, the food of this central Mexican state is more uncommon. Of course residents of the neighborhoods south of downtown and just east of the 110 know the spot to find the cooking of Guanajuato's largest city León, prepared in a permanently parked truck behind Angelica's Market.

Entering from San Pedro Street and not quite out of earshot from the Sunday songs being belted out by live bands and audiences inside the church across 53rd, a tented area is next to the truck and makes for a nice spot to cure a hangover or explore the chef's excellent guisados.

The guisados can be put in and on multiple antojitos (quesadillas seem popular), but may be brightest when alone on tacos ($2 each, above). These are put on thin and tasty tortillas that are made to order and dusted with onions and cilantro if desired. They have salsas here, of which the red is excellent, but their guisados are perfectly seasoned already and may not even require additional help.

Wait too long to devour your tacos, and more juicy guisados like the troncitos de puerco (above, middle) might burst right through the thin tortilla, but that delicious chile verde will have you licking the plate to make sure you get every drop.

No matter what day you show up, you will find guisados available, as they are made fresh daily, but there are more ready on weekends if you want to sample the entire menu. In a discussion with the owner a while back, it was stated that these are the true taste of Guanajuato. Either way, just make sure to ask first what is made when you arrive before setting your heart on one.

If available, the chicharrón (above) is top notch and possibly their best. Bathed in a salsa roja and cooked to perfection, it is the quintessential guisado if there ever was one. Do not come near it with any other salsas and enjoy the natural flavors. This is a no-brainer.

Picadillo (above) might be the driest of all the guisados, but this does not mean that this mix of ground beef and potatoes is any less full of flavor. Slip some of the red salsa on here, but not too much. This picadillo is also a good option for quesadillas or mulitas, combining very nicely with the cheese.

If you sit down with your tacos on the first visit to this truck on a weekend, you will probably notice the folks at other tables enjoying big bowls of menudo ($8 small, below). Pepe's Tacos is very proud of their version made Saturdays and Sundays only, and the neighborhood customers seem to feel the same way about it.

If you do not seem like a menudo connoisseur, they might ask you if all the various parts are desired, but since you are say yes and get ready to be wow'd. The bowl comes with a nice stack of freshly made tortillas, oregano and dried red chili, a fiery red chili oil to spike it, and onions, cilantro and lime to top it off.

Pair this with one of the big aguas frescas ($4, seen in top photo) and you are living large. The soup is deep and rich, and has been stewing for what tastes like all night. Whether to relieve the massive headache you gave yourself or for a new day's energy, the menudo works like a dream.

📍 243 E. 53rd Street, South Park, South Los Angeles

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