What began in the house of the parents of José Manuel Morales Bernal, the owner of Tacos La Carretamore than 10 years ago, became one of the most sought-after tacos by celebrities and throughout Los Angeles.
“I was about 12 or 13 years old when I started helping my dad at events,” said Bernal, who now operates the business. “We sold at various places in Compton, Paramount and then in 2020, I took the plunge and bought the lunch box to make us more official.”
Bernal says he wanted to open his first mobile taqueria in his hometown, Paramount, where he was born and raised, but at the time the restrictions for a mobile taqueria did not allow it. That’s why the first location was in north Long Beach.
His taqueria is well known for Sinaloa-style tacos, a seasoning that comes specifically from El Verde, Concordia, a town half an hour from Mazatlán, where his parents are from. Their specialty is roast beef tacos, cooked over fire over mesquite.
They are so popular that, although they now have other meats on the menu such as marinated and tripe, there was a time when the only meat sold was roast meat.
“I feel like the cue stuck because not many were selling this style,” Bernal said. “In Los Angeles, the taco that raffles has always been the Tijuana style; the poblano was the most common, but there was no one established like us who sold a Sinaloan taco.”
Long before their tacos reached the hands of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Peso Pluma, they had already become a favorite of many Angelenos.
What makes these tacos special is the quality of the meat they use: instead of the typical decimillo, they use sirloin fillet and the meat does not contain complicated ingredients. Instead of cilantro and onion, you’ll find finely chopped cabbage and red onion, which add a fresh texture. Then, a homemade sauce with a spicy touch and a little avocado.
Another of the most popular dishes is their Chorreadas, two toasted corn tortillas with a seat, grilled meat and cheese. Or the Torito, a flour quesadilla with cheese, an Anaheim chili and roast. To accompany it, they always offer grilled onion, additional sauces and bullfighting chiles.
And as in Mexico, the atmosphere is familiar. Each lunch box has chairs and tables where people can sit under the lights.
Their tacos have gone on to win the biggest taco competition called Taco Madness, in which they competed against other taquerias in the city. Additionally, they have been recognized by The LA Times as some of the best tacos in Los Angeles on their list of 101 Best Restaurants.
Despite their success, they also went through difficult times, so they had to change the way they promoted the taqueria. He emphasizes that there was a time when they were not growing, so the objective was to attract new customers.
“It’s no use selling a good taco and no one knows about it,” Bernal said. “So we needed new customers to grow and take another step forward.”
It was when he started using social networks, recording videos and uploading photos of his food that, when you see them, anyone’s mouth waters. Currently he already has more than 100 thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok.
“Now many people from all over and from different cultures visit us,” Bernal emphasizes.
fame comes
The flavor and aroma of their tacos has spread so much in the city that various artists have sought out their locations. Figures such as Banda MS, El Fantasma, Gerardo Ortiz and Peso Pluma have passed through there, who has visited them on several occasions along with his girlfriend, Kenia Os. On one of those visits, the couple ordered a vamp and some squirts.
“You have a hard time getting to these moments,” says Bernal. “They don’t usually happen from one day to the next.”
He adds that with fame or not, he feels good when someone tries his food and tells him that it is very good. “That emotion never goes away, even more so when they return.”
They currently have three mobile taquerias in Long Beach, Riverside and Santa Ana; plus a restaurant in Whittier.
Bernal says that they have been affected by the raids, but they do not plan to give up, since for their parents and many other people, their taqueria is an example of the great “American dream”, which many try to build in this country.
“As long as customers continue to support us, we will be here,” he says. “I always thought it could be done, we struggled, but by working hard, we know it can be done.”
Tacos La Carreta
Whittier: 11402 Washington Blvd. Whittier, CA 90606
Long Beach: 3480 E 69th St. Long Beach, CA 90805
Santa Ana: 120 E Central Avenue. Santa Ana, CA 92707