Visitor
May 27, 2026
Ventura Blvd stretches across the San Fernando Valley like a buffet line of dining options. From Encino to Toluca Lake, you can find sushi, steak, Thai, Italian, and every fast-casual chain imaginable. But if you live in Studio City and you're craving Mexican food — real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex, not fast-food tacos, not a burrito assembled from a steam table — the options thin out faster than you'd expect.
That's what makes Roadside Taco at 10628 Ventura Blvd a neighborhood anchor. It fills a specific gap in Studio City's dining scene: authentic street tacos made from scratch in a real restaurant setting.
What "Authentic" Actually Means Here
The word "authentic" gets thrown around a lot in restaurant marketing, so let's be specific about what it means at Roadside Taco.
It means every corn tortilla is handmade in-house from fresh masa — not ordered from a distributor and warmed up on a flat top. It means the al pastor pork is marinated and grilled with real pineapple and onions. It means the salsas are made fresh. It means the bar program uses fresh-pressed juices and homemade syrups rather than artificial mixes. And it means fresh avocado on every taco, included in the price.
These aren't gimmicks or marketing points — they're the baseline standard for how Mexican street food should be made. The problem is that most restaurants in the Valley don't meet that baseline. Roadside Taco does.
The Team Behind the Food
Authenticity starts with the people. Founder Vincent Laresca built Roadside Taco through Blue Collar Hospitality with a specific vision: bring the quality of Mexico's best street taco stands to Ventura Blvd, but add a craft bar and a space worth spending time in. Learn more on the our story page.
Executive Chef Lanny Marquez executes that vision daily in the kitchen. Bar Director Ben Goglia does the same behind the bar. Together, they've built a menu that's simple by design — tacos, burritos, bowls, and craft cocktails — but executed at a level that's genuinely hard to find in this zip code. Explore Ben's cocktail approach on the bar program page.
The Menu
The menu is focused and intentional. Six proteins across tacos, burritos, and bowls: chicken, al pastor, carne asada, baja fried fish, cauliflower, and potato. Three margarita styles. Beer, tequila shots, and soft drinks. Sides of rice and beans, and ice cream for dessert.
There's no 40-item menu of enchiladas, chimichangas, and combo platters designed to cover every possible craving. Instead, there's a tight selection of items that are all done exceptionally well. It's the Mexican restaurant equivalent of a focused playlist versus a shuffle — every track is a hit.
The Neighborhood Factor
What makes Roadside Taco special as a Ventura Blvd restaurant — beyond the food and drinks — is that it feels like a neighborhood spot. The patio fills up with regulars on Tuesday nights for $2 Taco Tuesday. The happy hour (Buy One Margarita, Get One for $5, daily until 6PM) draws the after-work crowd from nearby studios and offices. Weekend lunches bring families. It's a place where people come back because they feel at home.
A Local's Recommendation
If a friend asked me where to get the best Mexican food on Ventura Blvd in Studio City, I wouldn't hesitate: Roadside Taco. Start with the al pastor tacos and a Regular Margarita. Come back for Taco Tuesday. Bring a friend for happy hour on the patio. Once you've had street tacos made this way, the alternatives on the boulevard just don't compare.
10628 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604. 818-452-9007.