On a summer night in 1974, Don Raúl and Doña María decided to station their taco truck next to an East LA bar. Despite doubts from others, they decided to take the concept of the ice cream truck and converted it into the first mobile taco-making station. Today King Taco continues to serve those classic favorites, along with a variety of authentic Mexico City-style food. Did you know that King Taco is credited with being the first taco truck in the U.S? (Instagram-King Taco)
King Taco Historic-Cultural Monument designation recognizes the restaurant’s role in shaping Latino identity, street food culture, and small business success in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to designate the original King Taco restaurant in Cypress Park as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
The proposal advanced to the full council after receiving unanimous approval last week from the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, following a recommendation from the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission on Feb. 5.
The restaurant at 1118 Cypress Ave. is widely recognized as a cornerstone of Los Angeles’ taco truck culture and Latino culinary identity.
According to the commission, King Taco’s founders helped transform the city’s food landscape.
“With the establishment of King Taco, Raul O. and Maria G. Martinez not only created the first taco truck in the United States but also introduced the Mexican-style soft shell taco to the wider public and revolutionized the Latino culinary scene in Los Angeles,” according to the commission.
The couple began by retrofitting an old ice cream truck with cooking equipment in 1974, serving freshly made tacos directly from the vehicle before establishing a permanent site at the corner of Cypress and Roseview avenues.
City officials said the property met the criteria for historic designation because it “exemplifies significant contributions to the broad cultural, economic or social history of the nation, state, city, or community.”
For more than 50 years, King Taco has grown from a single location into a widely recognized brand, now operating 22 restaurants across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
The designation allows the city to temporarily halt demolition of the site for up to a year while preservation options are reviewed.
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