El Chato a.k.a. "The Son of El Pecas"

El Chato: Located @ Olympic & La Brea

Pictures: Courtesy of "Tha Deejay"

Now, it seems that there are a few aliases floating around the cyber world for this particular truck. One of which is "The Son of El Pecas." While some may refer to it as so, others refer to it as an off-shoot of the El Pecas #2 taco truck. Whether the association with El Pecas #2 served as a testiment to the rave reviews and accolades received by El Chato; as far as my friend and I were concerned, the "jury was still out." After all, taste is subjective. What one blogger finds to be good may not be for the next/other.

Anyway... With that in mind, we took a ride down to Olympic and La Brea. As we cruised the "streetz" of Los Angeles and came in close approxiamation to our destination, there in the not-so-far distance was the "EL CHATO" truck. Like a beacon, there it was, parked at the corner of the intersection. Adorned by God knows how many flood lights atop its truck, EL CHATO'S radiance beckoned us to approach. Well, maybe not to that extent, but you get the idea. LOL! If not so much for ourselves, the assembling crowd certainly gave that illusion.

As always, Al Pastor was our litmus test. If EL CHATO failed to pass our test, it would fail in general. Luckily, EL CHATO passed. It would be a damn shame if the self-proclaimed "son of El Pecas" failed to live up to its hype or family lineage in some way or another. Then again, legacies can be detrimental. After all, not everyone can follow in the footsteps of greatness - which leads me to the review.

Although delectable in their flavor complexities and components, something about EL CHATO was missing or off. If not for that matter, it was the simple fact that one couldn't help but to compare this off-shoot with its predecessor. It was quite apparent. There was just no comparison. The two trucks may as well have been conceived by two unrelated proprietors. Whereas El Pecas julienned their Al Pastor and accoutrements, EL CHATO served their tacos in the typical convention - diced and dashed. As I've said before, the subtle nuances of a taco make all the difference. Now, don't get me wrong, the tacos were good, real good, BUT they just weren't representative of the El Pecas' legacy. Something must have gone wrong generationally. LOL!

On a more serious note, El Chato is a truck worth checking out. Just make sure you try El Pecas after you have tried El Chato. The power dynamic between father and son is unquestionable. With that said, EL CHATO, the son of El Pecas, gets a nice pat on the back with a promising 4 stars. (****)

For those curious about the EL CHATO'S preparation: As I've stated earlier, the tacos are served as such: diced Al Pastor cut from a spit (charred and caramelized), a stack of two fluffy corn tortillas (soft & warm), diced onions (raw), dash of cilantro, ringlettes of sweet caramelized onions, and of course, a crowned of hot sauce. Limon, as always, is an option.