It’s always wise to be a little...

It’s always wise to be a little leery of Mexican restaurants that proclaim their cuisine to be authentic. But Taco Sinaloa, a small, fast-food type operation in Wilmington, is the real deal. It is so popular that from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week, there are almost always customers.

You enter the restaurant and face a small counter where your order is taken. Then you are asked, “For here or to go?”--practically the only English spoken. You can eat in the 30-seat dining room, which is clean and plainly decorated.

The most popular items are the tacos (90 cents), available in eight varieties. Of these, the carnitas taco is the biggest seller. Two warm tortillas are filled with tender chunks of fried pork, some lettuce and green chile salsa. Another good pork taco is the al pastor , which is made with marinated pork roast that has been cooked on a rotisserie.

Besides offering burritos ($2.15) with the same fillings, there is also the less familiar gordita ($2.40), two corn cakes sandwiching meat, beans, lettuce and salsa. For something different, try the gorditas de lengua , consisting of tasty strips of beef tongue.

The carne asada quesadilla ($2.15), melted cheese and chunks of grilled steak inside a flour tortilla, is also good.

For the non-meat eater, there is a refreshing ceviche tostada ($1.50), cubes of raw fish that have been marinated in citrus juice, then set atop a fried tortilla along with tomato.

A large breakfast is served throughout the day. Huevos con jamon ($2.50) is a large portion of eggs with ham and beans on the side. The eggs can also be ordered with chorizo or steak.

For those more daring, there is the taco de seso s, made with calf brains. The brain meat is almost white, quite tender and has a mild taste.

Taco Sinaloa, 738 W. Anaheim St. in Wilmington. (310) 518-7955. Open seven days, 7 a.m. to midnight.