The walls are painted black and decorated with Slayer posters and live concert photos, while a set of faux human skulls hangs over the grill and a five-seat counter. The trompo-cooked meats are rich with black marinades, the fountain on the patio cries “blood” and the “goth” taco comes served in an inky tortilla, tinged by ash. Evil Cooks — the L.
A. pop-up lauded for its genre-bending tacos and omakase — opened a new restaurant in El Sereno befitting its chef-founders’ black-metal inspiration. Husband-and-wife team Alex “Pobre Diablo” Garcia and Elvia “La Bruja” Huerta, both of whom used to play in bands, make some of the best and most creative tacos in L.
A. They’re now serving their famous Poseidon octopus al pastor, flan tacos and more just blocks from their home, where they’ve hosted pop-ups and their celebrated Kamikaze, a taco-leaning omakase event. They’ve garnered widespread acclaim, including a spot on the L.
A. Times 101 List and, earlier this year, a James Beard Award semifinalist nod . After years of squeezing the pop-up’s customers into the front yard of their home and of shuttling stacked-high black trompos to a weekly appearance at Smorgasburg in the Arts District, they’ve found a permanent space that they hope will prove valuable to not only fans but the whole neighborhood.
“I’ve always said that I wanted to bring something nice to the community, to El Sereno,” said Huerta, who was born and raised there. “Everyone has to g.