Tacos Lionydas Review: A Popular Taco Tuesday Stop

Al pastor tacos being made fresh to order. Taken on November 12, 2024 by Megan Chen.

On the corner of Clark Avenue and East Atherton Street, two red picnic canopies stand with a string of white lights to catch your attention as you drive by. The smell of grilled onions, carne asada and al pastor fills the air as a line of people forms, stretching around the corner. People from all areas of Long Beach are customers of Tacos Lionydas.

Lionel Perez opened his taco stand, Tacos Lionydas, in June 2022, and within the past two years it has become a very popular takeout establishment in Long Beach. Perez offers a variety of items, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, mulitas and carne asada French fries. With each item you order, you are able to choose the type of meat you would like, which include steak, chicken, marinated pork, tripe, beef tongue, cow head and pork sausage.

Tacos Lionydas has been especially popular among students at California State University, Long Beach State due to its location and affordability. It is located about one mile from the Parkside dorms on campus and is roughly a block away from the Beverly Plaza Apartments, where many students live off campus. The price of the tacos are only $2.50 per taco, and only $1.50 on Taco Tuesdays. Taco Tuesday pricing draws even more attention from many people in the surrounding area and at times results in a 30 to 40 minute wait just to order.

At the self-service station, there are three different salsas to choose from and three different homemade drinks you can choose to add to your order. Many customers enjoy the fact that they can choose the quantity of diced raw onion, cilantro, pickled vegetables, limes, radishes and cucumbers they can take home with them to add on top of the tacos. One thing to note is that Tacos Lionydas does not make their own tortillas like some other stands in the area, but that is up to personal preference.

One of my favorite things to order at taco stands are tacos al pastor. The thin pieces of al pastor are cooked on a spit and rotated, creating an even charring and tons of flavor within the meat. The meat is grilled perfectly, still moist from the marinade and savory, while the slice of pineapple they added on top of each pastor taco added such a nice sweetness. The flavor combination of sweet and salty is delicious and something I have not seen at many other taco stands nearby. The carne asada is tender and flavorful and accompanies the avocado salsa they had really well.

Being a moderately busy area during the day, the line tends to accumulate to about a 20 minute wait in the early evening. Even though the area is a little busy, there are two different parking lots you are able to park your car in and a bus stop on the corner.

Tacos Lionydas is open seven days a week. Their hours are 5 p.m to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m on Friday and Saturday, making them a perfect late-night snack. They are located at 1780 Clark Ave. in Long Beach.