THE scent of frying beef wafts down the sidewalk. Knots of people stand around socializing in the mild summer dusk, waiting for \o7carne asada \f7tacos.
They're not waiting for their orders at L.A.'s familiar taco trucks, although some of those do stay open at night. These people are patronizing outlaw taco carts -- unlicensed, fry-by-night street cook stations.
Most such carts fry \o7carne asada \f7on a gas-fired griddle, and some also have the proper vertical spit for roasting marinated pork \o7al pastor\f7. The better-equipped ones have steam table compartments filled with precooked taco fillings such as \o7barbacoa\f7. A few make their own fresh tortillas or \o7pupusas\f7.
Why do they operate in the evening? Because people like snacking on the street when the weather's nice -- and because the county's health inspectors mostly work during daytime.
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Up to code
THERE is such a thing as a legal taco cart. Markets and restaurants can be licensed to operate them.
"We had an operation out there [in the parking lot] for several months," says Gary Kinman, manager of the Liborio Market on 3rd Street in Los Angeles. "\o7Carne asada\f7, yes, and the Central American people love their \o7pupusas\f7, so we had that. At first it was for weekends, and eventually it was practically every night."
In this case, Kinman ended up reluctantly closing the operation. "People loved it," Kinman says, "and it was a success from that standpoint, but there were logistical problems."
One restaurant that has put in a cart is at a jinxed east San Fernando Valley address, just a few steps too far north of the street corner to attract much walk-in business. A dozen restaurants have failed there over the years.
"I thought if people could see my food, they'd buy it," says the proprietor. "So I thought of a cart, because that's how I got started -- with a cart. But with a cart, you know, you always have to run from the inspectors, so I became a restaurant owner."
And then back to a cart operator -- to draw attention to his restaurant. His new cart is not quite up to code, so he declined to be identified. The food comes from an inspected kitchen and the taco cook wears the now-familiar disposable plastic gloves, but the cart lacks a few bells and whistles such as a sink, so the owner is resigned to getting a citation sooner or later. "Then I'll have to figure what to do. Most of my business is outside here," he says, waving his hand toward the sidewalk.
