Top tacos from Los Angeles to the Mexican border

The Orange County Register (MCT) - There's dozens of great taco stands between Los Angeles and the Mexican border. Here are my personal favorites:

Long Beach: Pancho's. Old-school crispy, hard-shell tacos with shredded beef or seasoned chicken. I've been coming here since I was 12, and it's still one of the best beef tacos around. Start your feast with the great cheese chips. 4925 E. Pacific Coast Highway. 562-597-7891

Orange: Carnitas Los Reyes. Hole-in-the-strip-mall spot does pork to perfection _ wonderful deep brown outside and tender inside. The chorizo is good too. 273 S. Tustin St, Orange, 714-744-9337.

Santa Ana: El Gallo Giro. There's a taqueria every few feet in this town. Of the many choices, I opt for this bustling takeout operation with a few stand-up spots near the counter. The carne asada is well cooked and hand-chopped on the spot, unlike so many other stands. 1442 S. Bristol St. 714-549-2011.

San Juan Capistrano: El Campeon. I go for the deep red marinated carnitas (shredded pork) which has a great crusty top. A huge horchata and a bag of their homemade chips seal the deal. Then I find a place on the long tables out front and enjoy the stunning view of, well, a parking lot. This is Orange County, after all. 31921 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, 949-240-3141

San Diego: Las Cuatro Milpas. Back when I was covering the military for the Register, I would stop in this legendary Barrio Logan stand anytime I was near the Navy bases on Coronado. Famous for its tamales, the tacos were also first rate. 1857 Logan Ave., San Diego

San Diego: El Indio. Another old-timer, with roots going back to 1940. My favorite here are the beef taquitos, once called "rolled tacos." My colleagues at work are never happier than when I walk in the door with bags of El Indio's thick, crispy tortilla chips. 3695 India St. 619-299-0333.

San Diego: Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill. No, I'm not kidding. Even The New York Times suggests a visit to the original stand in the mega-chain that popularized the fish taco craze. 4504 E. Mission Bay Drive, 858-272-2801.

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Gary A. Warner: gettingaway@ocregister.com

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© 2009, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).