Calle's Tacos keeps on truckin'
Hollywood taco joint pulls in tourists and locals for real good real Mexican food
The LA food truck phenom created a new genre of fast casual dining, and Calle Tacos on Hollywood Blvd has done the category one better. This permanently parked food truck serves up authentic tacos and other Mexican fare, and it features indoor-outdoor sit-down dining, fast service from a full kitchen, music, street-style ambiance, and all the conveniences of a fixed-address restaurant, but with all the trendiness of a meal on wheels.
Situated on a lively and transitioning part of the Hollywood strip, neighboring a smattering of adult novelty stores, hookah lounges, perfumeries, and souvenir shops, Calles caters to both locals and tourists who want fast but good quality Mexican food and a fun setting in which to enjoy it.
Some of the most popular menu items include the Elote corn on the cob, smothered with a thick, creamy mix of mayo, butter, chili powder and other seasonings; Cerviche Tostada, an antojito of fish and shrimp marinated in lime juice; and giant burritos filled with Mexican rice, carne asada, shrimp, fish, and veggies; and a “skinny” menu of trimmer burritos, Tex-Mex salad, and other lighter fare for the calorie-conscious. Other offerings include a Torta Mexican Sandwich on Bolillo bread, taquitos, nachos and asada fries. Also offered are an assortment of Mexican drinks, such as Jarritos, a carbonated soda of in flavors including fresa, mandarin, tamarindo, and pina. For dessert, there’s one option, a sugarcoated churro.
Inside the open-air portion of the café it’s premium people watching on the Boulevard, from the vantage of 10 high round tables surrounded by bar stools. The place reverberates with loud modern Latino music that can be hard a few store-fronts away. If you weren’t drawn in by the music, you might be directed to stop in by the full-size traffic lights blinking at the entrance. If not for the food, it’s worth a looksee to check out the interior of murals of old Hollywood, with images of Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Bruce Lee, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, and Michael Jackson.
The artwork harkens back to bygone Hollywood – a nod to those who come to reminisce and tread the Walk of Fame. Here, the likes of Calles is a fitting expression of LA life, where star-struck tourists can mingle with locals, get a taste of LA’s Latino culture and cuisine, dine on authentic Mexican food in a movie-set-like backdrop, and gain a bit of street cred.
