Camacho’s Place, El Centro. A restaurant my family has been attending since before I was born.
I’ve been going to Camacho’s literally all my life. My parents’ favorite Mexican restaurant, and my grandparents’, and my great-grandparents’. Camacho’s started out in 1949 as a bar for farmhands and migrant workers, with a pool table; at some point they started serving tacos. Hasn’t changed much in the forty-plus years I’ve been going.
If you’re from the valley you’ll almost always run into someone you know. It’s even inexpensive.
I prefer the machaca — shredded beef without eggs, unless you ask for them. Just meat, that’s all you need. The salsa is terrific, the side of guacamole is a must, as is cleaning the empty bowl with your finger. The special quesadillas are deep fried with great Mexican cheese. Tostadas de chorizo, carne asada, plain ol’ tacos, all strongly recommended. I guess they have chicken too — but skip it and have the beef.
If you get here the wrong time of year you’ll get to smell and try to ignore the source of those yummy tacos and burritos. And I believe they close in August when it’s way too hot to be out there anyway. Cash only.