Craving a taco today? You’re in luck as October 7 is National Taco Day.
Taco Tuesday began in the early 1960s in San Antonio, Texas. According to the National Day Calendar, San Antonio City Councilor Roberto L. Gomez set out to promote a local Taco Day on May 3 around other Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
But, in 2024, the date was moved to the first Tuesday in October to align with celebrating Taco Tuesday.
According to Fox 11 News, Los Angeles is home to the most Mexican restaurants in the entire U.S., with over 5,000 restaurants throughout Los Angeles County.
For many in Los Angeles, it can be easy to find Mexican food.
“Here in LA, we’re definitely blessed to have so many different cultures and a diverse variety of food,” Jimmy Phan, a senior studying computer science and business, said. “Having street tacos out there on the street is so easily accessible, … [it] opens everyone’s minds and palates up to different flavors and cultures."
For Ankur Mukhopadhyay, a piano performance master’s student, Tire Street Tacos provides an authentic and affordable option while staying open late.
“What draws me back is the price,” he said. “It’s pretty cheap, and the food is really good, everything’s fresh.”
Another hot spot for some students is the street vendors that are set up around campus. Students mentioned local vendors that pop up around the USC Village, University Gateway and the Hub apartments.
“It’s really pocket-friendly,” said Riya Dahir, a senior in Business Administration, speaking about a taco near the USC Village.
She typically gets her carne asada tacos at 1 a.m., after a fraternity party, when it “always hits the spot.”
She goes back because of the sweet owners and their generosity in giving her extra cilantro and lime.
Some students have more of a sentimental connection to their tacos.
“I definitely like the food there. But, there’s a social aspect to it,” Meredith Amick, a fifth-year architecture student said. “After you’ve gone out with your friends, you’re like, ‘Let’s go run by the taco stand.’ You see people you know, and all that.”
Aidan Wilson, a senior double majoring in economics and cinema and media studies, said the taco stands are located at “this perfect little intersection between all the housing.”
While he finds buying tacos convenient when the dining hall is closed and he doesn’t want to order on DoorDash, he agrees that taco runs are about more than just the food.
“Tacos are not a singular activity. That’s not something you do alone, that’s something you share with community,” Wilson said.
He said it makes his heart warm seeing everyone talking while waiting for their tacos.
Business of cinematic arts student Thomas Endashaw believes that tacos aren’t something you only eat, but something you experience.
“Food is the gateway of other people’s culture. And I think living in LA, you really get to experience that,” Endashaw said. “[When] you go to a taco stand, you get to experience someone else’s culture, [and] get to talk to somebody usually [in] Spanish.”
He said it “takes us out of this bubble that we live in,” and represents a bigger culture in LA, heavily influenced by Latinos in the area.
“I’m a fiend for Tacos Tamix,” Endashaw said. The taco truck isn’t as close to the stands around campus but it is in the free Lyft zone for students. “I’m willing to make that adventure because I love it so much.”
He goes for their al pastor tacos.
“The prices are good, the portions are great, and then their salsa, it’s on point,” Endashaw said.
For many, the love of tacos exceeds National Taco Day.
“Keep eating tacos,” Dahir said. “We shouldn’t just have Taco Tuesdays. We should have taco weeks.”