PROJECT TACO
SOUTH BAY TACO FAVE OPENS IN MIRACLE MILE

A place to satisfy your taco fix or get a late night bite in Hermosa Beach, Project Taco has now set up shop along Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile (between LACMA and Beverly Hills to be exact).

Project Taco’s first location opened in 2013 at the Hermosa Pier, offering a quick grab- and-go ordering style, while its latest location on Mid-Wilshire offers local neighboring offices and residents refreshing menu options and encourages customers to play board games and watch sports on their big screens. It’s also a great place to find carefully selected local craft beers and organic wine. Tasty taco options include: Wilshire Pot Roast, Miracle Meatless, Thai Peanut Chicken, Blueberry BBQ, Chicken and avocado, South Bay Breakfast Taco, sides of home-made guacamole, and a selection of salsas.

During our recent visit to the "fast casual" taco shop, we started with an order of guac with chips and salsas. While the chips were OK, I was impressed with the assortment of salsas, including green tomatillo, cilantro lime crema, hummus, chilli garlic aioli, and habañero pineapple. While it’s no secret that I’m not a beer fan, I have to give these guys credit for coming up with a pretty impressive beer list. Also worth noting is the fine wine list that entertainment entrepreneur and Project Taco partner Andrew Listermann has put together. Who knew you can score great beers and wine with tacos along Wilshire Boulevard?

Taco-wise, we decided to work our way down the menu. We loved the Wilshire Pot Roast made with shredded beef pot roast, cabbage, cherry peppers, onions, cilantro, cheese, and garlic aioli. For non-meat eaters, there’s the Miracle Meatless prepared with Beyond Meat ground beef, hummus, green cabbage, onion, tomato, and cilantro lime crema. While I would probably prefer Soyrizo if you’re going meatless, this is still a good option.

If you like your tacos with some zing, the Chicken & Avocado with chicken, onion, cilantro, homemade guacamole, and pineapple habanero salsa has a nice sweet, tangy taste, as does the Thai Peanut Chicken taco with chicken, spicy Thai peanut sauce, topped with carrot, cabbage, cucumber, honey, cilantro and chili garlic hot sauce.

Favorites of mine included the Blueberry BBQ, which is prepared with pork, blueberry Sriracha BBQ sauce, and apple and kale coleslaw, and the Green Chili Pork with pork, cabbage, homemade tomatillo salsa, onion and cilantro.

Project Taco offers weekly specials including “Taco Tuesday” (three tacos for only $9), breakfast taco’s every Saturday and Sunday—it is the most important meal of the day—and “Happy Hour” from 4pm-7pm Monday-Friday.

Project Taco Miracle Mile is located at 6325 Wilshire Blvd. Open M-F 9am-10pm and Sat and Sun 9am-12am.

Story by Jose Martinez

Photography courtesy of: Project Taco