A couple of years after the pandemic, the Castro family decided to take a leap of faith and open a small Mexican restaurant in an unassuming corner on Vineland Avenue near a smoke shop and a used car dealership in North Hollywood.
Gema and José Castro decided to focus on birria and used a recipe passed down from Jose’s mother for their tacos. Gema left her job at Trader Joe’s while their adult son Anthony Castro quit his job at a biotech company to join his parents and help run the tiny five-table spot they named Birrieria Familia Castro.
Today that leap of faith has paid off because Yelp has just named their family restaurant as the number one of the Top 100 Taco Spots in the United States for 2025.
“This is such an incredible honor. I think people like our food because it’s authentic, people feel they’re eating in their own homes because everything is made here fresh by our own hands,” said Gema, who was busy at the colorful restaurant preparing to-go orders for customers.
Jose, Gema and Anthony Castro’s family restaurant Birrieria Family Castro was just named as the Top Taco Spot in the country by Yelp.(Photo by Richard Guzman)“For us this is just such a big accomplishment,” added Anthony, just a few days before the list was released on Thursday, Oct. 2.
Yelp’s list includes a total of 45 restaurants in California, including more than two dozen spots in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
Yelp compiled its list of the best taco spots in the United States by identifying businesses in the restaurants and food categories with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “tacos.” Yelp then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning “tacos.”
And according to the list the Southland is a hot-spot for tacos since about two dozen other local spots in places like Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire also made the list with two others, Holbox and Mariscos El Chito in Los Angeles, cracking the top ten.
Jose, Gema and Anthony Castro’s family restaurant Birrieria Family Castro was just named as the Top Taco Spot in the country by Yelp.(Photo courtesy Anthony Castro)But the top spot belongs to the Castro family, who opened their place three years ago, since it had always been Jose’s dream to open up a restaurant. Their menu is simple, with tacos, tortas, mulitas and vampiros offered. Meat options include carne asada, carnitas, chicken, chorizo and the star of the place, the birria.
“We pride ourselves when it comes to our birria, from the time it’s being made to after all is done. We remove all the extra fat from it so you just get the clear tenderness from the meat,” Anthony said.
The best selling dish is the Quesatacos, which is a crispy corn tortilla with birria and mozzarella cheese. It’s served with the birria consomme on the side so customers can dip their tacos before every bite. The tortilla has the right amount of crunch in it so it won’t crumble as you bite into it while the meat in the taco is tender and juicy and the spices pop-out without being overwhelming. Gema recommends that once people are done with the tacos they grab a spoon and finish the consomme like a soup.
To make the top spot on the list the family bested some of the area’s most respected restaurants like Holbox, which is a Michelin-starred James Beard Award semifinalist that was ranked in fifth place. Holbox focuses on food from the Yucatán Peninsula with dishes that include their popular Taco de Pulpo (octopus) and the Smoked Kanpachi, which is a type of yellowtail.
Coming in 10 on the list is Mariscos El Chito, a hidden gem in Los Angeles where fish tacos have been sold out of a private front yard since 2018.
And for the Castro family being at the top of the list could mark a major milestone.
“We just want to thank all of the customers who voted for us, hopefully more people will want to come by,” Gema said.
Birrieria Familia Castro is at 6102 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood. On Instagram at birrieria_fam_castro.
Holbox is at 3655 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles. holboxla.com/#/
Mariscos El Chito is at 4970 Axtell St Los Angeles. On Instagram at mariscoselchito.
Here are the rest of the local taco spots that made the list and the number they were ranked. For the full list go here.
14. Conchita’s Tacos, Los Angeles, 17. Tacos Guelaguetza, Los Angeles 19. Borreguitas Bar Express, Pomona 23. Chicana Vegana, Fullerton 27. Mariscos Jalisco, Los Angeles 29. Tacos La China, Los Angeles 31. El Cocinero, Van Nuys 32. Taqui Taqui, Los Angeles 33. Birrieria Little Tijuana, Riverside 39. Ranchos Onsite Tacos 40. Tacos El Vampiro, Sylmar 43. Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, Culver City 49. Birrieria Esquivel, South Gate 50. Tacos Y Que, Whittier 51. Compas Tacos, Lake Elsinore 54. Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara, Laguna Hills 56. Crudo, Palm Springs 58. Mariscos Jalisco, Los Angeles 61. Str8 Up Tacos, Lakewood 69. Taco Nazo, Bellflower 75. PlanTita’s Kitchen, Long Beach 77. Tigres Fuego, Redondo Beach 86. Blady’s Tacos, Huntington Beach 98. Martiniz Fresko Kitchen, NorcoRelated Articles
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