From its desert edges and mountain peaks to the beautiful landscapes within, the Inland Empire is a thriving destination adjacent to, but nestled away from, Los Angeles's insanity. It's also an impressive place to head for tacos.
The region is home to an estimated 4 million residents, and long before it was known as the orange empire for its once-thriving orange groves, it was home to the Tongva, Serrano, Kumeyaay, Luiseño, and Cahuilla tribes, their history stretching back thousands of years.
When asked to describe their pedacito of the Inland Empire, residents often describe it as a place that feels like home, especially for anyone who migrated from dense L.A. neighborhoods to its wide open expanses.
The area is diverse in its hard-working communities and its cuisine alike. At-home restaurants like Cali Tardka in Riverside bring the flavors of northwest India's Punjab region to the I.E., while food from a variety of different regions of Mexico is abundant. With Latinos comprising 51% of the 909's population, it is the perfect place to find great-tasting tacos.
From tacos de canasta in Fontana to brain tacos in San Bernardino and puffy tacos filled with chile verde in Alta Loma, these tacos fuel the Inland Empire's working class.
Each one of them is 100% worth the drive.
Tacos La Central ~ Colton
Tijuana-style Tacos
While great T.J.-style tacos boom across L.A., the Inland Empire isn't far behind. It has notable contenders in the race for smokey, mesquite-grilled meats and thick, guacamole-topped T.J.-Style tacos.
Tacos La Central, in San Bernardino County's city of Colton, flies low on social media, despite being one of the community's favorites. Opened in 2016 by two friends, Gustavo Buenrostro, a Chicano studies professor at the time, and his compadre, Victor Paniagua, a marketing pro. Before, this corner housed the original El Burrito, which was owned and operated by four generations of the Meister family.
After closing, the two friends saw an opportunity and revived the local gem at a corner of Mt. Vernon Avenue, sporting the classic colors that almost all T.J.-style restaurants have: red, black, and white. Keep your eyes peeled in case someone pulls up to the taquería’s drive-through on a horse, an incredible and unsurprising sight in this thriving equestrian community.
The food here is cooked over mesquite, adding perfect char to the high-quality meats. The simple menu offers asada, chicken, chorizo, and adobada, slices of pork marinated in an adobo, layered high on a spinning trompo, and more commonly known as al pastor in the U.S. We especially recommend the asada and al pastor tacos.
Each comes cradled in handmade yellow corn tortillas and topped with cilantro, onion, homemade salsa, and a spoonful of guacamole to tame the salsa's spice. After one bite, we can acknowledge that this is an excellent place for a classic, quick, and delicious T.J.-style taco.
After all, they don't display a giant banner that reads “Verdadero Estilo Tijuana,” “Real T.J.-Style,” or anything similar for no reason.
920 N. Mount Vernon Ave. Colton, CA, 92324, open daily 11 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Taculichi ~ San Bernandino & Colton
Tacos de Sesos (Brain Taco)
Not every restaurant requires you to overthink its menu, weighed down by fancy pictures, flashy gimmicks, or complicated ingredients. Some only need good customer service and great food.
That's what you’ll find at Taculichi, a cozy taquería in San Bernardino specializing in one dish: cabeza de res—beef head—in the style of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Eduardo Negrete Lopez, the owner, is relatively new to the role of taquero. But you wouldn’t know that based on how he carries himself. The 32-year-old is slowly gaining a rep as the pioneer of cabeza de res in San Bernardino.
“No customer of mine leaves hungry,” says the taquero behind the very popular shop specializing in beef head tacos. “All my employees have the authority and approval to gift a free taco to new customers, even if they don’t buy anything. We want you to try it before you say no.”
At Taculichi, no part of the beef head is wasted; the eyes, tongue, and, yes, the brain are stewed for hours, allowing each piece of meat to tenderize. The lengua is chopped into cubes and melts in the mouth, while the meat from the head shreds with ease, both still soaked in the broth it bathed in.
The consomé allows the meat to stay juicy, while the salsa adds a perfect finishing touch for a great bite. His orders always come with complimentary tortillas and a tortilla topped with cheese and asiento. The entire menu is delicious, but we would recommend trying the star of the show: the brain (sesos), which can be intimidating at first, but is viewed as a delicacy, considering not many taquerías offer it these days. The brain is perfectly tender and silky. Top it with some limón, red or green salsa, or some chile piquín, and you are set.
123 W. Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA, 92405; 1497 N Mt. Vernon Ave. Colton, CA, 92324. Open daily from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Tacollynn ~ Fontana
Tacos de Canasta
This next family-owned taco spot began with $90 and a dream, and can be found on Sierra Avenue, next to a Shell gas station and a Del Taco.
There you’ll usually find co-owner Lucy Samperio and her family serving tacos de canasta, feeding the Inland Empire's working class, like truckers exiting the highway for a refuel and the closest thing to a home-cooked meal, with this taco style originated in Tlaxcala, Mexico. It’s said that the first recorded image of the famed taco was in 1920, when a photo of paperboys is seen buying from a lady selling tacos out of a basket.
These tacos are some of the best taquitos I’ve had. They are simple, flavorful, and clearly made with mucho amor and the intention of serving a filling meal on the go. There are four flavors, including a classic papa con queso (potato with cheese), a popular chicharrón prensado, carnitas with frijoles (refried beans), and their newer item, soyrizo. All come topped with crunchy shredded cabbage, lettuce, thinly sliced purple onions, carrots, and a couple of drizzles of their green and red salsa.
Erika, Samperio’s sister, initially opened the taco cart and eventually brought the family on board to start selling tacos. It’s now run by both sisters, their parents, and their cousins. At first, they sold out of a table, and in just a few short months, they grew a strong following of new and returning customers.
However, strict enforcement of Fontana’s food vendors and the need to grow their business pushed them to save their earnings to design their tacos de canasta cart, which they now have multiple versions of serving Fontana, Bloomington, Phelan, and other nearby cities.
Samperio told L.A. TACO that they prepare everything fresh the morning of, having all the guisos ready by 5 a.m., when they start filling and layering the tacos on top of each other before pouring the bright red chili oil that will steam the stacked tacos.
"We never let anything stop us. We figured it out, and now we’re here working with peace of mind that we have everything we need to be successful,” Samperio told L.A. TACO as she prepared an order for a customer. “We continue to keep going because we also wanted to show people what it looks like to try regardless of what people say.”
3864 Sierra Ave. Fontana, CA 92336; 18434 Valley Blvd. Bloomington, CA 92316; 3260 Wagon Train Rd. Phelan, CA 92371, open Thursday through Sunday from 8:30 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Baja King Fish Tacos ~ Rialto & San Bernardino
With a scorching summer fast=approaching, you'll need a spot for tacos de pescado (fish tacos) con una chela bien fría (with a cold beer).
Baja King Fish Tacos specializes in beer-battered tacos estilo Baja California in the Rialto and San Bernardino area. Located only 3 minutes away from the San Bernardino International Airport, it also has a food truck located in Rialto known for its Ensenada-style fish tacos.
The service here is quick and the fish is fried beautifully, leaving the inside intact and flaky at the bite. The layer of batter that covers the fish is crispy and airy. Unlike in other places, where the batter is thicker, often overpowering the white-fleshed meat of the fish, here it’s lightly battered, allowing for the seasoning of the batter and the fresh fish to shine. It’s placed on a yellow-corn tortilla, which adds a distinct taste to your bite.
The tacos are topped with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, crema, and salsa roja and often served with a seasoned grilled Anaheim chile. Other items on the menu include battered shrimp tacos and a variety of cocteles containing shrimp, octopus, and abalone swimming in a classic, tangy tomato-based sauce and topped with cilantro, onion, and fresh slices of avocado. And for those who enjoy tacos dorados like those at Mariscos Jalisco, they have their version of the famed shrimp taco.
The owner is so dedicated to the taco lifestyle that he not only has a wall in the restaurant that displays the phrase by which he lives, but it’s tattooed across his knuckles: "TACO LIFE."
157 S. Del Rosa Dr. San Bernardino, CA 92408; open Monday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 6:30 P.M.
Food Truck Location: 550 S. Riverside Ave. Rialto, CA, 92376
Open: Monday through Friday from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Ricos Burritos Estilo Sonora ~ Jurupa Valley
Burritos Sudados
Ricos Burritos Estilo Sonora in Jurupa Valley is a gem, providing its regulars with the energy to get through their workday on the side of the road, a few steps away from the Arcos gas station, but not to be confused with the lady who sells tamales nearby.
Karen Torres is the chingona behind the stand that serves Sinaloa-style burritos paseados, also known as burritos sudados (sweaty burritos). She has been open for about a year and nine months, and like many street vendors who work throughout the Inland Empire, has already won the stomachs and hearts of many truckers, construction workers, and laborers who drive down Mission Boulevard.
Her burritos have 10 different filling options, including chorizo con papa, chicharron stewed in her deadly salsa roja, pollo con crema chipotle, and more.
Her most popular items include a great deshebrada con papas giso, cooked in a stew that contains chiles de arbol and refried beans. Her most popular burrito is the bistec ranchero, which includes tomato, onion, potato, and Anaheim chiles. Also popular is the machaca burrito, which also comes with refried beans and machaca straight from Mexico. You get the silky texture of the beans, a savory bite from the stewed meats, and the flour tortilla with a slight light chew caused by the steam emanating off hot fillings.
These are hefty in size and don’t need much. They are excellent as they come, but for an added kick, we highly recommend her creamy green salsa. Everyone who stops by loves it, so much so that she’s considering bottling it for sale.
Torres, who has a bubbly personality and knows almost every customer by name, starts her day around 1 A.M. to chop up all the vegetables, make the fresh flour tortillas, and prepare all the guisados and fillings. By 5 A.M., she is ready, standing proudly next to her sea-foam green coolers, which are stacked high with warm burritos that are ready to be devoured.
10064 Mission Blvd. Riverside, CA 92509; Open Monday through Saturday from 5 A.M. to 11 A.M. or until sold out.
Tacos Puro Jalisco ~ Corona
You need to go to Tacos Puro Jalisco in Corona for meat that falls off the bone and a menudo that will raise someone from the dead. Though there's no going wrong with any item off the menu.
With more than one location in and outside the Inland Empire, this taquería specializes in a few things, with its main dish being a succulent birria de chivo, estilo Jaslico. The birria, which is slow-cooked and doesn’t come shredded, is served bone-in, with a large goat leg plated in its broth with a side of handmade corn tortillas.
The owner, Abel Borrayo, is from Yahualica, a town in the northeastern part of Jalisco, Mexico. His food reflects the long-standing flavors of his hometown.
If it’s not the birria de chivo that you are going for, they also offer tacos with fillings like asada, al pastor, cabeza, buche (pork stomach), and lengua (tongue), among other choices. All are topped with classics like cilantro, onion, and your choice of their in-house salsas. They are far from stingy with their servings; most plates are flavorful and hearty. The tacos come with double tortillas, so you can scoop up all your droppings with the second one.
161 N. McKinley S. # 101, Corona, CA 92879; Open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. and Friday and Saturday from 7 A.M. to 11 P.M.
Tacos El Mochomo ~ Perris
Sonora-style Tacos
Head to Perris for what could be the best Sonoran-style tacos that the Inland Empire has to offer. Tacos El Mochomo, a food truck, is a total vibe; the owners have high energy, wear tejanas while dancing to banda or tamborazo, and are always busting out the pasos prohibidos, all while cooking and chopping their high-quality meats that come fresh off the grill. The customer service here is top-tier. The owner, who goes by Mochomo Zepeda, is always seen greeting customers with a big smile and charismatic attitude.
The food truck is perfect for a late evening or late-night taco. On special occasions, they have live bandas while the taqueros serve eager and hungry customers who line up as soon as they open.
The meats, which include chicken and tripas, are fired over mesquite charcoal and cooked to an ideal tenderness. A giant trompo spins inside the food truck, and they also offer the classics, including probably one of their best meats, the ribeye taco, as well as asada.
Like a true Sonrosense, Mochomo uses tortillas de harina (flour tortillas), topping tacos with shredded cabbage, thinly sliced pickled red onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa roja, and and habanero for a kick. It is a taco that has many flavors layered in each bite, is filling, and pushing you to ask for seconds after eating one.
707-A E Fourth St. Perris, California 92570; Open Thursday through Sunday from 4 P.M. to 12 A.M.
Fat Burrito ~ Alta Loma
Puffy tacos
Whether you saw these puffy tacos on social media or are a frequent customer, the tacos at Alta Loma's Fat Burrito are among the best and most unique; simple bites you have to order when visiting the area.
While the Mexican gem is known for its burritos and street tacos, its fried puffy tacos are what people should order. By the dozens, ideally. The taco tastes like a mix of a Native frybread taco with one of Mexico’s classic tacos dorados.
San Antonio transplants were the ones who first introduced the puffy taco form to Southern California. One of L.A.’s most popular are the puffy tacos served in Whittier at Arturo's.
The business presses fresh masa de maiz into thin circles that expand like life-jackets when fried, creating air pockets between each side of the tortilla. The fillings include asada, al pastor, carnitas, and pollo asado.
We recommend the slow-cooked pork in their chile verde and the machaca puffy taco. The machaca is not chewy when rehydrated and turned into a guiso, with onion, tomato, and spices.
This is not your typical taco dorado. It’s freaking light yet still strong enough to hold the fillings, with an airy crunch. They are all topped with cilantro, onion, sour cream, and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
9608 Base Line Rd. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730; open Monday through Saturday from 11 A.M. to 8 P.M.
La Seńora de las Cazuelas ~ Muscoy
Guisados
For anyone seeking the nostalgia of family trip to Hometown Buffet on a Sunday, only with the the flavors of Mexican food, head to this not-so-little stand in Muscoy in San Bernardino County.
La Señora de las Cazuelas sets up shop on the side of the road on North State Street, lining her cazuelas (Mexican pots) every morning to serve customers with comida chiapaneca (food from Chiapas, a southern Mexican state bordering Guatemala).
You'll get a full Mexican buffet here, each cazuela packed. There's simmering menudo, birria de chivo, barbacoa, mole, and other guisos and stews. The tortillas are made from scratch and prepared in front of you.
While you really can’t go wrong with any of their caldos, we recommend getting their tacos, which are filling and flavorful, with any of their options such as chile relleno.
2760 N. State. San Bernardino, CA 92407; Open Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M., and Sunday (for a larger buffet) from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M.
