I’ve passed Mondo Taco while driving along La Brea Avenue near San Vicente Boulevard, and when a colleague told me that it’s a hidden gem where some of the best tacos in town are made, I decided to stop and taste for myself.

Many international flavors are available at Mondo Taco. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

The affable owner, Sam Spector, happily shared that he just celebrated Mondo Taco’s first anniversary on July 23 with $1 taco specials, $1 chips and salsa and $1 housemade fruit frescas.

The menu is on a chalkboard above the kitchen. The various taco selections are arranged in columns: “Crawl” for meaty tacos; “Grow” for a variety of vegetarian options; and “Swim” for items from the sea. What makes Sam’s tacos so delicious are his housemade corn tortillas made with a pinch or two of flour. Instead of serving his tacos in two thin corn tortillas, like many street taco establishments, Sam serves them on tortillas that are thicker, so only one tortilla is needed.

Don’t expect a traditional carne asada or grilled chicken taco. Instead, be wowed by various international ingredients inside the warm tortillas. Some of the most popular tacos include braised short rib with a horseradish slaw, Moroccan lamb with a chimichurri sauce, grilled shrimp with chili sesame oil, soyrizo with peppers and mushrooms, and shredded pork topped with Dijon mushroom cream.

My daughter and I started with two housemade frescas. I ordered the thirst-quenching fresh watermelon fresca, and my daughter selected the refreshing blueberry/ginger beverage.

Next, we ordered a taco from the “Grow” column. The garlic bomb taco tasted delectable, with grilled mushrooms, crispy onions, dollops of goat cheese and a delightful garlic aioli pressed into the tortilla. One bite and I was hooked.

The Angry Chicken is the most popular taco ordered at Mondo Taco. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Sam goes outside the box with his tacos. Knowing everyone in Los Angeles loves tacos, he wanted to create a fast/casual tapas-style dining environment. He built an open kitchen in the space.

“I want customers to see the magic behind the curtain,” he said. “We work hard and keep our kitchen spotless. I want guests to see their tacos being made from the beginning to the end.”

When Sam first opened in 2012, he started with 20 tacos on the menu. Now he has more than 30 international flavors. When Sam creates a new taco, he uses his staff as a tasting focus group. If everyone agrees it’s good, Sam goes back into the kitchen to make it better. If a taco is great, then it is featured as a special of the day. If customers start ordering it often and say, “you should add this to the menu,” he will.

Sam recommended we try his number one selling taco — the Angry Chicken taco — made with boneless buffalo chicken wings, hot sauce and blue cheese. It was filled with robust flavors and wasn’t too spicy.

I finished with a Yo Adrian, which is similar to a Philly cheese steak. Instead of a tortilla, I asked to have this as a wrap. Grilled rib-eye steak was mixed with peppers, onions, mushrooms and melted provolone cheese, stuffed into a wheat tortilla.

My daughter finished with a Taj Mahal bowl filled with rice and crispy cabbage and topped with crunchy coconut shrimp, diced red bell peppers, and dressed with a mild curry sauce. She loved it.

With Sam’s variety of tasty tacos, everyone can find something they like. Best of all, no taco is over $5. You can order and take your tacos home or sit in the 20-seat restaurant. Customers are happy at Mondo Taco, because Sam creates such a friendly environment for his staff and customers with an eclectic array of rock music and art on the walls.

Mondo Taco offers delivery within a two-mile radius. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; noon to 8 p.m., Saturday; closed on Sunday. Mondo Taco is located at 1292 S. La Brea Ave. For information, call (323)939-0161, www.mondotaco.com.