The actor and born-and-bred Chicano loves hole-in-the wall Mexican food. Here are his top eats in LA from birria tacos at Birrieria Gonzalez to cócteles de camarón at Mariscos el Bigoton.

Two-time Emmy winner Mario Lopez is the host of NBC's Access Hollywood, Access Daily and the national iHeart radio programmes "On with Mario Lopez" and "iHeartRadio Countdown with Mario Lopez." Lopez produced and stars in the holiday movie, Once Upon a Christmas Wish alongside his wife Courtney and son Dominic; which premieres December 2024 on The Great American Family channel.

"I'm really a fat kid at heart, and I love food," jokes the famously dimpled and fit Lopez, who identifies as a "first-generation, Mexican kid" with a foot in both worlds. "I grew up on Mexican food. I'm fortunate that in Southern California it's the best. It's authentic, it's delicious. Outside of LA, Mexican food is a step down. I'm sorry," he shrugs. "But it is."

"[Mexican culture is] everywhere you go," says Lopez. "Mexicans are all around us, really. That's what's beautiful. You don't have to look far…. Even if you're not Mexican you're a little bit Mexican because the culture is so strong, and it permeates with food and the music and just the people. It's the fabric of the society here."

Birria, a type of marinated beef barbacoa served au jus, native to western Mexico, is a highly popular filling for tacos; served on griddled corn tortillas and dunked in consommé before each crispy, juicy bite. Never tried one? "You're missing out," says Lopez. "You got to try it. It's amazing. You can't beat it. You can have it with cheese. You can have it without cheese. You can have it dorado (golden-fried). You can have it soft. I like it soft, but you got to dip it in the consommé. That's good stuff, and it makes it very, very flavourful."

The Vallarta Supermarket chain began as a family-run carnicería (butcher shop) in Van Nuys in 1985, later expanding to full-blown supermarkets and becoming a South California institution. Browse Mexican butchery, dry ingredients, snacks and produce as well as the prepared foods in the market's La Cocina section. The Tortilleria produces handmade tortillas, hot from the grill, as well as sweet and savoury tamales.

Mariscos el Bigoton .

Mariscos el Bigoton has trucks on Whittier Boulevard and Nadeau Street, as well as outposts in Pacoima and Riverside. Diehard mariscos lovers can feast on classic fish tacos, shrimp empanadas, towering seafood tostadas and epic "miche cups"; a Michelada (tomato and beer cocktail) served in a glass rimmed with zingy chipotle sauce, fiery spices, cucumber slices and fat cocktail shrimp.

Sinaloa region-style ceviche (fish crudo) made with fat slabs of fresh raw fish and shrimp and chiltepin pepper-laced red aguachile (spicy ceviche) are among the truck's most popular items, along with crunchy fish-topped tostadas and the campechana seafood cocktail, served in a hollowed-out coconut. "They do little modern takes, but it's still a truck. It's still down home," says Lopez.