If you see a line forming from the block for a loud, bright red trombone and the band that’s lined up in the booths at the end, chances are it looks more like a well-oiled assembly line than a random pop-up. I found one of more than a dozen locations for my favorite pastor. As the name suggests, Angel’s Tijuana Tacos specializes in grilled, shaved meats topped with a TJ-style avocado, cilantro and onion salsa. While there’s cabeza, asada, chorizo and pollo, the pastor al pastor — thinly sliced and topped with a pineapple garnish and garnish atop trompo — is the signature dish.
Angel manages to cook the marinated pork just perfect enough that you can lick the flame off the eye-catching obelisk as you eat it. The resulting layers of spice-rubbed pork range from fatty to lean, and when paired with cheese, this gooey addition pushes the pastor toward decadent. Hand-made corn tortillas are sliced almost paper-thin on a wooden press, then tossed until bubbly. Don’t let this thinness fool you; somehow, these fresh tortillas can always stand up to the onslaught of meat, salsa, and grilled onions that you can top with a crown. Look for Angel throughout Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, including Tujunga, Long Beach, Echo Park, Van Nuys, Eagle Rock, Chino, and Woodland Hills.
