Iconic Hollywood taco spot beloved by Brad Pitt to close after 34 years

After more than three decades of serving Hollywood’s biggest stars, a legendary taco spot that counted Brad Pitt and Johnny Knoxville among its fans is closing up shop for good.Cactus Taqueria announced this week that it will shut its doors on July 12, ending a 34-year run that made it a neighborhood institution.The beloved eatery was founded in 1992 by Mario Tornel, an immigrant from Tijuana, Mexico, who arrived in the US with a dream and generations of family recipes that would go on to win over locals and A-list celebrities alike.Since that time, the family has been dishing out burritos, tacos, tortas, nachos, and other fast food Mexican favorites to those in Hollywood and the community. Tornel opened the original shop just up the street from the current spot on Vine and Barton in Hollywood, working day and night to make it a success. However, the first shop was destroyed in the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, but Tornel didn’t let that stop him and he just rebuilt, eventually spanning more locations.Still run by the family, Mario’s son Marlo, talked about the early days and said his dad missed big events like soccer games and graduations just so the business would be a success.“When my dad opened this location, he told me, lightning doesn’t strike twice.But lightning struck here,” Marlo told LA Taco.com.The flagship shop became not only popular among those who would stop in for a taco in the late evening hours, but stars like Pitt, Jimmy Kimmel, and Quentin Tarantino who have called on them to cater events, because they loved what they ate there in their earlier days.“We’ve had Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom when they were still together, Paul Rodriguez, Eric Tillman, Hilary Duff, Olivia Rodrigo, [Metallica’s] Robert Trujillo, 2 Chainz,” Marlo said.Late world-renowned chef Anthony Bourdain was also no stranger to the tasty menu they served up and was a frequent guest to the shop on Beverly Blvd for their popular lengua tacos, Marlo explai...