North Hollywood's Birrieria Familia Castro claims top spot on Yelp's list ranking nation's best taco spots
A beloved North Hollywood taco shop took home top honors on Yelp's annual list ranking the nation's best taco spots, which was released on this week.
Birrieria Familia Castro, which can be found at 6102 Vineland Avenue, earned the No.1 spot on this year's list. Known for their generous portions and delicious birria recipe,
"Our birria is a family tradition passed down from my grandmother, who learned it from her mother," said Anthony Castro, who owns the restaurant with his parents Gema and José, while speaking with Yelp.
He says that their birria cooking process typically takes between three and four hours daily, but makes sure that the meat is extremely tender with little to no fat.
"We make everything fresh on-site, from our tortillas to our drinks and salsas," Castro said.
According to Yelp's list, customers typically enjoy the taqueria's "quesatacos," crunchy tacos lined with a layer of cheese, and the "vampiros," which are deep fried tacos served open-face with a griddled cheese topping.
Southern California was well-represented on the list, with 34 spots earning a ranking. Overall, 45 different Golden State taco spots made the list.
"California is taco country. Home to a whopping 45 top spots this year, California is setting trends for all kinds of tacos — including street-food styles that are popular in Mexico," Yelp said.
Two other Los Angeles-area taco shops made the top 10 — the Michelin star-rated and James Beard Award semifinalist Holbox in South Los Angeles at No. 5 and Mariscos El Chito near El Sereno at No. 10.
The list was released one week ahead of National Taco Day, which is Oct. 7, and just so happens to be a Taco Tuesday, as many around the nation know it.
