South Gate

Your Mexican Food Destination

It’s a tricky thing, Mexican food. Take for example, the cochinita pibil tacos served at Yucatan on Tweedy and Virginia. No one does them better. No one. Cochinita is a slow roasted baby pig that is marinated in citrus acids for hours (maybe months, who knows?) Yucatan’s is so good they just slap it on the tortilla and sprinkle some red onions on the top and hand it to you. This taco needs nothing added, no radish, no carrots, not even salsa. You just leave it alone. If you eat it and you tell me that (_______) does it better, I might laugh at you. Really? Better than this? But ahem, about their chicharones… awful. I couldn’t believe the two tacos come from the same restaurant. But that is how it is sometimes, with Mexican food. A place might be wonderful in one dish but a flaming mess in another. The carne asada burrito at Los Lobos on Firestone is just that: a mess. I vowed to never return to this little dive by the South Gate post office until my friend Tanya (who stood me up for Thai, but that is another story) suggested I try their chicharones. Wow. Brilliant, the best I have ever had. This taco combines texture and taste as good as any Iron Chef might resulting in one of the most satisfying taco you could eat. You could drop some of their salsa verde on that bad boy, too, because it is good and you like chile, right?Los Lobos chile relleno burritos are also excellent. This brings us to another joint specializing in tacos, Gumacus on State Avenue. They offer Mexican food from the state of Sinaloa, which specializes in marlin. Ah, marlin tacos. They have this savory, sweet thing going on with a hint of the sea. I could tell you this meat looks a lot like spam but it might not impress you. (Although I myself love spam). You could do worse than two marlin tacos, a salad, some chips and salsa and a cold Corona to nurse your bruised feelings over that insufferable boy/girlfriend/spouse. If you want to eat something to while away the hours, try Kosmos on Atlantic and Tweedy. Now Kosmos is not exactly a Mexican joint, but more of a Greek diner specializing in burgers. Their mojarra is awesome, absorbing the right amount of salt and lemon, and full of that fish meat you want to clear out the house; however, avoid Kosmo’s burritos. If you want the best carne asada burritos this side of King Taco, go to Los Barrigones on Tweedy. Carne asada has become so ubiquitous that you could hardly distinguish one from another these days. Los Barrigones (which translated means “the fat guys”) brings a different, satisfying, and delicious twist on their asada. This place is wonderful, their menu is small but they do the following dishes with perfection: asada burritos, asada mulitas, quesadillas, and salsa verde. And they serve every dish with sweet, grilled onions. But avoid their chorizo! For that, go to Guelaguetza on Long Beach Boulevard. And all these places brought to you by the city of South Gate.