The Unvegan

Out in Hollywood, there is a little taco stand on a corner called Cactus Taqueria. Having heard a lot about this place, I felt that I needed to stop there to have a Mexican dinner before the Belle and Sebastian concert. I showed up and found the little stand in the corner of a parking lot on Vine. There were a few people waiting for their orders and another few groups eating out in the outdoor, yet covered seating area. It looked like a great place to find a good taco.

I walked up to the window and took a look at the choices. I was surprised to find that they offered cheese on their tacos, because “authentic” Mexican tacos don’t have cheese. But we all know cheese makes everything better, so this made me happy. They also offered avocado on their tacos, and I felt like this was also something I wanted to get into. So for 2 bucks each, I decided to order a carne asada and a chicken taco with cheese and avocado. But I knew this wouldn’t fill me up, so I also wanted a carne asada burrito for another $4.50. It took a solid five minutes for me to get the attention of the order-taker, but finally she took my order. All of my food came with onions, so I ordered without and looked forward to the calling of my number.

Finally, my number was called and I was excited. I took a look at my tacos and they were beautiful. No veggies and loaded with meat, cheese and avocado. I dug in and my mouth was filled with bliss. These were some of the best tacos I had ever had. Sorry, I don’t care if cheese isn’t authentic, it is awesome and makes everything taste better. Kudos to Cactus Taqueria for realizing that. After sloppily downing my tacos, I moved onto the burrito. The burrito was a tasty blend of beans, rice, cheese and meat. And although it was good, the tacos were definitely the real winners here. They were just so loaded, with such perfectly seasoned meat.

So although it took a bit too long to order my food, the wait paid off. Cactus made me a delicious dinner and it was the perfect way to jump start an evening of beautiful music.