These days, you can find a food truck serving just about anything in Los Angeles, from poutine to burgers, smoothies, ramen and all manner of culinary mashups. And, of course, there are taco trucks aplenty — but some may not know that the modern taco truck that has become so ubiquitous across California is a relatively new invention. 

And it all started with King Taco.

In 1969, Mexico City-born husband-and-wife team Raúl and Lupe Martinez arrived in Los Angeles by way of Tijuana. After a few years, the couple grew a fledgling street taco operation that centered around MacArthur Park into a true business,  converting an ice cream truck into a fully operational kitchen in 1974. The pair promptly launched the rebuilt rig on the streets of greater LA, setting up curbside to quickly serve smaller, more compact tacos to people at bars or events. While tacos themselves were already a familiar product for many Americans, the common version often differed significantly from the fast, flavorful style that King Taco was able to pump out from its truck. Here, carne asada, cabeza and al pastor ruled, served with simple additions and salsas for a more discerning Mexican customer base around LA.

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A historical photo of King Taco’s original Cypress Park location in Los Angeles. 

The truck’s unique setup, with an ordering window, flattop grill inside and tremendous mobility, was more than a novelty of the age — it is today widely regarded as the first taco truck in the county, including by Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano in his book “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.”

For decades before King Taco, Los Angeles had pushcarts and tamale vendors and small, mobile chuck wagon-style catering setups. But King Taco gave California — and by extension, America — the taco truck as we know and love it today.

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