King Taco’s original Los Angeles location could soon be designated a historic monument after receiving unanimous support from the Cultural Heritage Commission.
The original King Taco, which went on to become an iconic restaurant chain in Southern California with locations throughout the region, including Long Beach, Pasadena, and San Bernardino, got its initial start in 1974. Raúl and Maria Martinez bought a classic ice cream truck and converted it into a mobile taqueria. The Martinezes opened their first brick-and-mortar shop, with a walk-up counter, at 1118 N. Cypress Avenue in 1975 and have since expanded to 22 restaurants.
The LA Conservancy credits its soft corn-tortilla tacos, topped with grilled meats, cilantro, onions, and fresh salsas, as the first to familiarize Americans with an alternative to the hard-shell fried tacos that had long been the standard. Raúl Maritnez, a Mexico City-born taquero, is also credited for being the first to bring the al pastor taco to Los Angeles and installing one of the city’s first trompos (vertical spits) at the original Eastside location.
That original storefront is currently under consideration for designation as a historic-cultural monument for its creation of the “first taco truck in the United States,” and its “significant contributions to the broad cultural, economic or social history of the nation, state, city, or community,” according to the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission.
Earlier this month, the commission unanimously approved the designation. Now it’s up to the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee to weigh in on the original King Taco, followed by the City Council, which will have 90 days to act on the recommendation.
If granted historic-cultural monument status, the city can delay issuance of a demolition permit for the original King Taco location for up to 360 days. City staff will also look to preserve the building before any permits to alter the location are granted.