CaCao Mexicatessen

"Cacao Mexicatessen doesn’t just have one of the most phonetically satisfying words in the English language in its name (Mexicatessen is our personal "cellar door"), it’s also a Northeast LA staple that has been serving delicious and inventive tacos for over a decade. The famed duck carnitas here are a must-order, with its sweet, fatty meat soaking perfectly into a warm blue corn tortilla. We also love the Ensenada fish tacos, which come with a giant piece of golden fried fish topped with cabbage, crema, and pickled onions (add sea urchin if you want to go big), as well as the sesame-topped Korean short rib and the guisado de pato, duck cracklings and nopales stewed in a savory chile de arbol salsa. Order at the counter and then sit in the large adjacent dining room with TVs and a cocktail menu if you want to hang out. " - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, brant cox, nikko duren

"Cacao Mexicatessen in Eagle Rock is known for going a little wild with its tacos, like their signature duck carnitas or the minced Oaxacan chorizo taco topped with a bird’s nest of crispy potato strings. Their Ensenada fish taco, while it may read pretty standard, is a must-order because it’s just as impressive on all fronts. It comes with a tennis ball-sized hunk of fried fish that you’ll initially struggle to get your mouth around until the filet collapses after the first chomp. You get big mouthfuls of flaky meat in each bite, and the crema and pickled red onions on top keep things sharp and moist. " - sylvio martins, arden shore, garrett snyder

"Great Mexican food. It’s easily one of California’s top five attributes; prized is an understatement. So when family-owned restaurant CaCao Mexicatessan started serving up Baja California inspired Mexican dishes with attention to quality ingredients and a more foodie approach, we were ready. Carnitas de Pato: duck confit tacos with handmade tortilla, avocado, vinegar onions and radishes - yes. Mission Fig Mole Poblano: free range chicken with mole and Marcona almonds - also yes. Other favorites include Korean style BBQ short rib tacos and mole fries. Open for breakfast on the weekend. Lunch specials as well as happy hour Tuesday through Friday." - Hype Type Studio & Steph Ashmore

"If you're going to Angel's to eat excellent tacos in a Target parking lot, then Cacao is where you go when you want tacos with some drinks. The duck carnitas are a signature here, which has a lot to do with how their sweet fattiness soaks into the warm blue corn tortilla. We also love the baja fish, which comes with a giant piece of golden fried fish topped with cabbage and crema, as well as the crispy guisado de pato, a mixture of duck crackling and nopal that’s been stewed in a savory chile arbol salsa. The place is technically order-at-the-counter, but there’s a large adjacent dining room with TVs and a full bar if you want to hang out." - brant cox, nikko duren

"This Eagle Rock restaurant scores highly in our books for a handful of reasons–like their 10/10 name, excellent duck carnitas, and fig mole sauce that is decadent enough to make a piece of cardboard look oddly appetizing. We suggest balancing this smoky and sweet bite with something on the tangier side, like their pozole verde. You’ll immediately notice how cloudy the soup is from the rich pork fat that floats to the top. In fact, this pozole is pretty pork-heavy with generous amounts of meat in each bowl, but we like how balanced this soup is, with tart tomatillos, onions, and fresh cilantro cutting down the richness. This pozole also doesn’t hold back on the chiles either, so expect some open sinuses and minor mouth-breathing between spoonfuls." - sylvio martins