Los Angeles King Taco #1 becomes Historic-Cultural Monument after unanimous city council vote

An iconic fixture of Los Angeles' legendary taco scene is now an official Historic-Cultural Monument.

King Taco #1, located at 1118 Cypress Avenue in Cypress Park, earned the status after a unanimous 10-0 vote by the city council on Tuesday.

Starting as a taco truck in 1974, King Taco helped familiarize Americans with the traditional soft tortilla tacos rather than the hard-shell fried tacos many were accustomed to, according to the LA Conservancy. The next year, owners Raul and Maria Martinez opened up the Cypress Park location, its first brick-and-mortar store.

"When my grandparents just started, they didn't imagine it to be what it is now," granddaughter Raquel Martinez said. "They were just trying to feed communities, feed their families and make the American dream come true."   

50 years and more than 20 locations later, King Taco remains a staple in the LA food scene. By approving its status as a Historic-Cultural Monument, the city council established the initial location as a place that "exemplifies significant contributions to the broad cultural, economic or social history of the nation, state, city, or community … an important business reflecting Latino commercial identity," according to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning report.

Other historic landmark restaurants in Los Angeles include:

• Norms La Cienega
• Johnie's Coffee Shop
• Musso & Frank Grill
• Tam O'Shanter
• Philippe The Original
• Clifton's Brookdale
• The Smoke House Restaurant
• El Cholo