Leo's Tacos Truck

Leo's Tacos Truck operates a fleet of taco trucks across Los Angeles, California, and has become synonymous with the city's al pastor tradition — a preparation with roots in Lebanese shawarma brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the early twentieth century, in which pork marinated in dried chiles and spices is stacked on a vertical spit called a trompo and slow-roasted until the outer layer is caramelized and crisp. Each order is carved directly from the spinning trompo, with a wedge of fresh pineapple sliced from the pineapple impaled at the top of the spit, providing a sweet, acidic counterpoint to the fatty, chile-rich pork. The resulting taco — doubled corn tortilla, a generous mound of carved pork, a slice of pineapple, and the customer's choice of cilantro, onion, and salsa — represents one of the most compelling two-dollar bites in American street food. Leo's trucks operate at various locations across the Los Angeles metro area, with several permanent spots in East Los Angeles, Hollywood, and the San Fernando Valley. Most are open from evening through the early morning hours, making them a fixture of LA's late-night dining culture. Prices are among the lowest for quality food in the city; a full, satisfying meal of four to six tacos costs under fifteen dollars. The combination of theatrical preparation — watching the trompo spin, the rhythmic knife work of the taquero — and the quality of the result has made Leo's a recurring presence on food media shortlists of the best Mexican food in Los Angeles.