Beloved LA Restaurant King Taco Might Be Designated A Historic-Cultural Monument for the City
King Taco is a Los Angeles staple. The local chain has been serving fresh tacos to patrons for decades. The original location in Crenshaw and Roseview avenues has been feeding the community since 1974 as the first physical location. More than 50 years later, it might finally be designated a historic-cultural monument for the city. An honor that is both well-deserved and long overdue for the beloved restaurant.
King Taco might become a historical and cultural monument
King Taco is a beloved taco restaurant in Los Angeles. For more than 50 years, the restaurant has been serving up fresh tacos to hungry patrons. It is not just because of the restaurant’s longevity. King Taco is credited with changing how Angelenos thought about tacos. King Taco introduced people in Los Angeles to traditional soft tacos instead of the fried, hard-shell tacos Americanized Mexican restaurants served.
The honor would be a rare nod to the impressive Latino culinary impact on the city. The Cultural Heritage Commission will review the nomination and make a determination on whether or not King Taco’s original location in Cypress Park is worthy of the designation.
Latino culture shaped Los Angeles, even when Latinos were relegated to being second-class citizens. Despite the negative treatment at times, Los Angeles was home to thriving Latino communities who made the city the gem that it is.
To be designated as a historic-cultural monument, there are specific criteria that the establishment has to meet. According to LAist, in order for King Taco to get the designation, it has to show that it “retains sufficient historic integrity and continues to convey its cultural significance.”
This is a time when Latino culinary staples are getting recognized
The political climate right now is forcing more people to think about the Latino and immigrant contributions to their neighborhoods. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime show included a shoutout for Villa’s Taco, an iconic Los Angeles eatery. King Taco has been around for so long that it has become part of the DNA makeup of the city it calls home.
There are currently nine restaurants on the list. The restaurants currently included on the list are Musso & Frank’s, The Original Pantry Cafe, Otomisan Restaurant, Tom O’Shanters, The Formosa, Cole’s French Dip, Johnie’s, La Fonda Restaurant Building, and The Black Cat. The restaurants currently on the list are important historical monuments.
King Taco joining this list is an easy argument to make. The restaurant’s approach to the humble taco changed the perception of one of the most popular foods in Los Angeles. The story of the restaurant’s founding is steeped in the determination of immigrants and the entrepreneurial spirit.
Raul Martinez started Taco King out of a converted ice cream truck in 1974 and slowly grew the business to have a brick-and-mortar in Cypress Park. Since then, the city has made King Taco part of the growing and vibrant fabric of Los Angeles.
