Tacos Tumbras a Tomas

This is where bad vegetarians go when they die ...I'm giving it 5 stars, because I know of no other place in LA that can boast anything comparable for the price. There are taco stands with better tasting food. There are no taco stands that offer what this place offers for $3.00** That having been said, your experience here can vary widely depending on what you order. The menu includes tacos, burritos (with or without rice and beans), tortas, quesadillas, and combination plates. There are vegetarian options, but this restaurant's focus is clearly on their meats. The portions are huge, especially the tacos. There is a spicy red salsa that is not very interesting, and a mild and sour green salsa that I generally prefer with most of the meat options.**EDIT: I wrote this review in 2016 or earlier when I worked at the Citibank building and was coming here all the time. I'm bad at finishing things. Pysch said I probably have ADHD... Tacos are $5 now, and the portions are smaller (believe it or not), but otherwise, my opinions haven't changed much. Take that for what you will!I'm going by tacos. YMMV with the other meat delivery systems.The Meats - Ranked by my personal preference(1) The A TeamCabesa (beef cheek/"head")Trompita (pig snout)These two are my favorites, without a doubt. Neither is a polite choice. The cabesa has the flavor and texture of potroast. It is extremely tender, often dripping with grease, and if you're "lucky," you'll get some tender pieces of brain in there, too (i think?). If you only have one taco here, try the cabesa.The trompita is similar to the carnitas in "porkiness," but it is sliced in grisly chunks instead of shredded. The snout has a fantastic pork flavor, and it is chunks of meat with cartilege/gelatin. It is also pretty greasy, but the flavor and texture of the meat and grisle is fantastic. As long as it's not cold ...Eating either of these with regularity will shave years off your life.(2) "Red" MeatsPastor (marinated pork)Birria (stewed goat)Both of these are dripping in red braising juices. They are solid choices, if you don't mind your tortilla swimming a pool of red grease. I don't. The pastor is improved with salt and lime. The goat is similar to at other Mexican restaurants I've had in flavor/texture. Goat can be gamey, but they do a good job braising it long enough so that it isn't.These are the only two options I'd suggest having with the red (spicy) salsa, instead of the green (medium).(3) Solid and average choicesCarnitas (shredded pork)Lengua (beef tongue)This place does a good job with both Carnitas and Lengua, but neither is particularly remarkable. They are both juicy without swimming in grease like many of the other choices on the menu, so if you're not into fat soup, I'd recommend trying these.The carnitas are tender and juicy. They are flavorful, but not nearly as good as Los Morelanis, which is about 20 feet away. I go there instead if I just want carnitas/pulled pork.The lengua is a popular choice here. It usually runs out before noon, so treat it like a "breakfast" item on the menu. The tongue meat is sliced thick when you order. It is juicy, tender, and not at all gamey. It's also not all that flavorful. It usually cost an extra $.50.(4) Chew and YawnPollo (chicken)Carne Asada (beef steak)In a word, the Chicken and Asada are bland. The deboned chicken thighs are fried in lard and then sliced to order. If they are seasoned, it is only minimally, so I find myself reaching for the salt and lime the whole time. When fresh, the meat is juicy, but it can also get very dry, hard, and chewy if it's been sitting under the heat lamp too long. I don't recommend the chicken, and I Love Chixken.The asada is served diced, as in most restaurants, but the quality of meat is low and it is not seasoned well to compensate for that. You will find better tasting asada at most other taco stands.(5) Don't say I didn't warn youBuche (hog maw)Chicharron (pork skin)I'm adventurous, but I have never enjoyed eating either of these. The Buche has an off putting texture and gamey flavor. It's not the worst thing in the world, but why get it when almost everything else on the menu is better? The Chicharron actually is the worst thing in the world. Large, floppy pieces of skin floating around in a pool of pork fat that is still somehow bland. It's the only taco I've tried here that I couldn't finish. I like animal skins when they're crispy or even like a rotiserrie situation. This is pork skin slime. Not my cup of tea.

4++ Located inside the Grand Central Market, this stand or space feels like it's been here for quite some time. It's one of the handful of taco spots located in the market. The folks here are friendly and the prices are very reasonable, especially considering the amount of food you get!I came in on the way home from work one night and wanted to get a chicken or pollo taco. The prices seem slightly high on the menu, but once you get it, you see why. This 'one' taco is basically the equivalent of like 4 tacos. The meat and toppings were piled high and you are given extra tortillas to mop up an straggling toppings that fall off your original taco. Best to be eaten with a fork (virtually impossible to pick up and eat with your hand). Another great piece in the Grand Central Market tapestry of yummy (and affordable) eats.

Tacos Tumbras a Tomas is a staple of the Grand Central Market. They have been in business for 50 years. Many restaurants have come and gone out of the Grand Central Market, but Tomas has been a steady spot for many years now. I usually can house 3 or 4 tacos, depending on the size of the tacos. These tacos are hefty, and 2 tacos are like the size of 4 or 5 tacos in my opinion. I got the Carne Asada and the Carnitas tacos. They give you several extra tortillas to make more tacos from all the meat they give you. I don't like wasting food, but I didn't need so many extra tortillas. They asked me what spice-level hot sauce I wanted on the tacos, but I would have liked more sauce on the side as there wasn't enough hot sauce for me, as there was so much meat. I would have liked to add the sauce myself. I'm looking forward to coming back here in the future to try other tacos.

Food was good for what you get. One taco is big as your hand and come with two extra tortillas just because of how much meat you receive. The service was simple and easy. The line situation is a bit confusing but the line STARTS across form the register. You'll see the sign attached to the corner where the line starts. The whole atmosphere reminds me a street market with many other places all around and seating all spread throughout. Overall a good spot

You know a place is good when it has the longest line, luckily the line moved quickly. We ordered a carne asada burrito from Tacos Tumbras and it was so good and flavorful. A lot of places go heavy on the beans and rice and skimp on the protein, but not here. The burrito was large enough to share but you're going to want to eat it all.

Awesome spot. Decent selection, great quality, and great value for the amount you get. And the guy giving our food had a nice 'stache!

Been going here for over 20 years when I first started working in the area. These guys have been here even longer in certain because some of the guys here are now a little older like me and the food is no frills awesome. No hiding behind all sorts of sauces and cheeses. This is straight street cred tacos that are the most juiciest in a food hawker stall you'll ever find.... This is a must eat once a week place for me.... Dead serious. The guys are quick, friendly and they do recognize you if you're a regular.

This place had a line but the line moved quickly. We tried it for the first time. Everything you order is overflowing of everything. I ordered and burrito and it was massive. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The market is loud and can get crowded at times.

Stopped by grand central market for some bites and drinks. Stopped by this place for some tacos but unfortunately wasn't very impressed. The tacos were good, nothing great. The rice was very hard and seemed like it had been sitting out for a while. The refried beans were also ok. I could have just gotten a bad plate as a fluke as I see this place has numerous great reviews.

I've been meaning to try the famous goat tacos at Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, and I finally got to give them a go! I wasn't super hungry when I went, so I only ordered one goat for $5. However, the portions are HUGE: the goat meat is really loaded on there, and you get extra tortillas on the side. The quantity for "one" taco is actually enough for 3-4 tacos...an absolute STEAL.I admit, the goat meat had some inconsistent dry parts, but it had tender, gamey parts that I enjoyed. The workers were nice and efficient, despite the long lines. Overall, it's an incredible at $5 for one taco (technically, 3-4 tacos); you'll definitely be full in the end!