The Taco Maven: A Guide to Eating and Cooking Tacos: Frida Tacos, Los Angeles & Pasadena

11.28.2011

Frida Tacos, Los Angeles & Pasadena

7217 Melrose Ave.

I remember eating at the Frida Restaurant in Beverly Hills about 8? years ago. It was actually a fine experience, but the formality of the place and the price kept me from returning.

CUT TO: 6 Years Later - and I notice the Glendale Americana has a Frida. Could it be the same? I look on Yelp and the reviews all express some degree of disappointment.

CUT TO: Yesterday - When I was driving down Melrose to take a visiting friend to the crazy Jet Rag sidewalk $1 sale - which happens every Sunday and involves hoards of people grabbing at piles of antique (and sometimes smelly and stained) used clothing. I heard one girl say "I got an amazing Chanel suit here last week in perfect condition... for ONE DOLLAR."

Well, the smells and the crowd were getting to me and I didn't want to be accidentally pepper sprayed fighting over Chanel, so I wandered down Melrose. I came upon Frida Tacos and thought.... 'COULD this be the same as the other two?' I decided NO, due to the hipness, inexpensiveness and ultimately the PERFECTION of the taco fillings. But guess what? They are one and the same.

I ordered double beans and no rice with my combo

Forget about the fancy restaurants, and hop on down to Melrose for one of the juiciest, thickest, most steak-like asada tacos I have ever had. I also tried the veggie taco and was delighted to find it full of chopped zucchini, asparagus and other grilled delights. Their salsa bar was clean, fresh and iced down and I fell in love with their sliced red onion/sliced habanero 'salsa'. It was hot, but totally edible and FANTASTIC on the steak.

Grilled veggie taco

I didn't eat the tortillas (post Thanksgiving diet and all) but I liked that they only gave you one. They were a bit dry and I would like to see them use a little oil on the grill to warm them up, but the flavor was good. People next to me were eating the Pastor and the Carnitas and they looked delicious as well.

They have a Taco Happy Hour where the price drops by about 25 cents. They have breakfast items, salads, burritos. The servers were very friendly and overall I would def. say I'd have to stop by anytime I'm nearby.