Fat Burrito

Fat Burrito
9608 Baseline Rd
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-527-3588

Just when I thought the only places in the Los Angeles area for a puffy taco was at Arturo's Puffy Tacos and BAR Ama- which is a terrible, overpriced version of a puffy taco, David Allen wrote about Fat Burrito in Rancho Cucamonga.

So, I head out to Fat Burrito for lunch.  It's a small restaurant, on the corner of a strip mall.  You walk right into the counter where you order.  There are tables to the right of the counter.  It's a nice cozy atmosphere.

$3.55- Vegetarian puffy taco- Beans, rice, guacamole, lettuce, onions, cilantro, cotija cheese and sour cream.  The puffy tacos are fried to order.  My tortilla came out hot and flavorful.  The beans and rice were cooked well and seasoned perfectly.  All the other toppings were fresh!  A great example of a puffy taco.

Service was good.

If I had to choice between Arturo's and Fat Burrito, I think Arturo's is slightly better, but both are great choices for a puffy taco!

Taco Adobe-Closed

Taco Adobe
121 N Lemon St
Orange, CA 92866
714-628-0633

Located just west of the Orange Circle is Taco Adobe.  It's a small space with table spread all over inside and tables outside.  I've review a few restaurants in/near the Orange Circle- Burger Parlor, Byblos Cafe, Watson Drug and Soda Fountain- which was renovated and has new owners since I reviewed it, Felix Cafe, and the now closed Beach Pit BBQ.

Blacken calamari taco- $3.75 and blacken shrimp taco- $4.50.  All tacos come with chipotle, blend of cheese, citrus cabbage, fresh cotija cheese, and special sauce.

I have never seen calamari in a taco, and I was excited to try it. The calamari was chewy and tough.  The toppings really do overwhelm the calamari.

The blacken shrimp was better, but again the toppings overwhelmed the shrimp.

Service is OK.

I won't go back to Taco Adobe.

BAR Ama

BAR Ama
118 W 4th St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-687-8002

Bar Ama came onto my radar after reading LA Eater's 38 Essential Tacos in Los Angeles! I had puffy tacos at Arturo's Puffy Tacos, and when I heard that Bar Ama serves them, I made a trip to downtown LA.  I'm glad I did, because right behind Bar Ama, is a location of Vito's Pizza- a damn good pizza place!

Located just down around the corner from Orleans & York,  Bar Ama is one of the many bars that have opened up in downtown LA. As you walk into you're basically in the bar area.  To the left is their fairly big dining area.

The puffy tacos are on their secret menu.  You have to ask about them.  The puffy tacos are $7.  But, $4 at the bar on Sunday nights.  There are six different fillings the day I went; ground beef, pulled pork, shrimp, potato, and two others I forget.  I got the shrimp and potato.

Shrimp puffy taco-  The puffy taco was so oily.  The shrimp, cabbage, and crema were fine, but it was too heavy because of the oil.  The tacos were warm, so I'm guessing they were fried before and all the oil just soaked in. 

Potato- same oily puffy taco.  A very small amount of potato, no real flavor.

Service was good.

The lists LA Eater comes up with do contain some good restaurants.  But, they also contain some bad restaurants.  Bar Ama, at least for the puffy tacos, falls into the second category!  Not going back.
If you want puffy tacos, just go to Arturo's Puffy Tacos.

Tacos Cancun

Tacos Cancun
459 W Broadway
Glendale, CA 91204
818-396-5584

Tacos Cancun is a small tacos restaurant on the western part of Glendale.  There are about ten tables in the dining area.  You order at the counter and pick up your food at the window.

 Grilled shrimp taco-$2.50.  A bit dry, they need to add more crema, though they did give you a mild green salsa.  There were about 4-5 small sized shrimp.  Your choice of flour or corn tortilla.

 Grilled fish taco- $2.50- They use pollock, and it's grilled.  As with the shrimp tacos, it was a bit dry. 

Service is friendly and good.

I won't go back to Tacos Cancun for the fish or shrimp tacos.  Nothing special about them.

Tacos 1986-Moved

Tacos 1986
611 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005

Tacos 1986 is a very popular taco stand in Koreatown.  They became more popular after the LA Times recently wrote a story about them.  Located about a block north from Wilshire and Western, parking around here is terrible.  Take the Purple Line or a ride share.  Another block or two north is Monty's Good Burger, a vegan burger place.

About 8pm on a Saturday night, the line had maybe 10 people, but grew steadily, as we waited for the tacos.

Mushroom taco, $3 and mushroom vampiros, $5, grilled crispy tortilla with cheese, salsa and guacamole.  The only items a vegetarian or vegan person can eat is the mushroom tacos, assuming they do not use lard making the tortillas.  The tacos were outstanding.  The mushrooms are sauteed to perfection.  Lots of good flavor, but a bit rubbery.  Not sure if they used canned mushrooms or fresh.  If they are fresh, they had been in the warmer for too long.  The guacamole was outstanding.  Very good flavor, with a hint of heat.

The mushroom vampiros was ok.  The grilled crispy tortilla was too hard.  It didn't work well.  I didn't taste much cheese.  I should have tried the quesadilla instead.

Service is good.  The line moves quickly.

Tacos 1986 was pretty good.  Though I won't rush back, and I wouldn't wait more than 10-15 minutes in line.

El Chato

El Chato
Corner of Olympic Blvd and La Brea Ave.

A friend invited me for a late night, 9pm, taco truck run.  El Chato is a taco that comes to the corner of Olympic Blvd. and La Brea Ave., and they have a good following.  The Great Taco Hunt blogger, gave raving reviews of them back in 2010.  Yes, it took me this long to finally give his blogger some props!  Sadly he stopped posting, a few years back.

I got there about 8:45 and there were already two people in line.  Within 5-10 minutes, there were 20 people in line.  The line moves fairly fast.

They have tacos, the carne asada seems to be the most popular meat.  But, I got a veggie burrito.

Veggie burrito-$6, grilled onions, jalapenos, rice, beans, onions with cilantro and salsa.  This was a decent sized burrito, with lots of beans and rice.  Not that many veggies.  Overall pretty good, nothing great or outstanding.  I think I would get the bean and cheese burrito next time.

Service was good.

I can't say anything about the meat at El Chato, but the veggie burrito was pretty good.

Taco Gourmet Simply Fresh

Taco Gourmet Simply Fresh
3530 W Temple Ave
Pomona, CA 91768
909-468-0147

Next to Koji Ramen is Taco Gourmet Simply Fresh, which replaced Cantina Express- though I'm sure there were a couple restaurants in between.  Taco Gourmet is a good sized restaurant where you order at the counter.  There are tables spread throughout the L-shaped restaurant. 

Fish taco=$1.99. Talapia with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and sour cream. You choose the toppings, but I didn't see cabbage, just lettuce.  The tortillas are freshly made, which is a good touch.  But, the talapia is grilled and bland and flavorless.  The tomatoes, onions, cilantro and sour cream are fresh, but the talapia being dry and bland makes this a waste of calories.

Service is good.  There was a long line for Taco Tuesday, but the line moved quickly. 

I don't know about the other tacos, but I wasn't impressed with the fish tacos here.  I won't return.

Taco King-Closed

Taco King
1317 E Foothill Blvd
Upland, CA 91786
909-982-0014

David Allen wrote about Upland institution Taco King being put up for sale.  So, since I did a review about another restaurant that maybe closing soon, Teddy's Tacos, I decided to give Taco King a try.

King Taco is a few blocks west of the now closed-Buckboard BBQ & Grill and Red Hill BBQ,  I'm sure I've pasted by Taco King and their distinctive sign many times, but never stopped in!

There are about 10 tables as you walk inside.  You order at the counter.  There are pictures of how Taco King looked in the early 1970's! 

Bean special- bean and cheese burrito, chips and a drink-$4.85.  The bean and cheese burrito is $2.75 by itself.  I liked this bean and cheese burrito.  It was better and more flavorful than the bean and cheese burrito from the more well known, Al & Bea's Mexican Food in LA.  While this is smaller, I much preferred the bean and cheese burrito from Taco King!

Hard Shell taco- $1.90- with beans instead of ground beef.  This was a good taco, their beans are great!  Fresh lettuce and cheese.  The portion is a bit small, but the quality of the food is very good.

Service is good.

I'm glad I got a chance to go to Taco King before it closed.  Hopefully, the new owners will keep the recipes and Taco King will continue to be an Upland institution!

Lily’s Tacos

Lily’s Tacos
901 N Garey Ave
Pomona, CA 91767
909-593-5674

Lily's Tacos has been a Pomona staple since 1992.  David Allen gives a great history about the original Lily's Tacos, which was demolished to make room for another restaurant.  David also reviewed the new Lily's Tacos, which opened about two years ago.  It's a good sized place, where you order at the table.  I'm guessing there are about 10 tables in the restaurant.  Nothing fancy, but you get a good view of busy Garey Ave.

Fish taco-$1.75 with talapia fish used.  On the left side of the picture.  The batter was very salty!  The fish was fresh, as was the veggies, but I just couldn't get over the saltiness.

Shrimp taco $1.75.  The same as the fish taco, the batter is just way too salty.

While both are good sized pieces of seafood, this could be good, if the batter wasn't so salty.

Service is pretty good.  The guy was nice and pretty helpful. But, when I asked do they have another location, he just said yes.  But, he wasn't a jerk about it.  I figured most people will say where the other location is. 

I wouldn't go back to Lily's Tacos.  Maybe their other items are better, but their fish and shrimp tacos are not good.

Teddy’s Tacos-Moved

Teddy’s Tacos
15485 E Valley Blvd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
626-392-3988


I read this story about Teddy's Tacos being saved from demolition for a stupid chain Mexican fast casual restaurant.  So I decided to go to Teddy's and support the mom and pop business!  The story says Teddy's is in City of Industry, but their Facebook page says they are in La Puente. Kim Tar, which is a restaurant I reviewed back in 2009, is about 50 yards west, and they are in La Puente.

Teddy's is a small restaurant.  The building is basically 90% kitchen and 10% counter.  There are some tables in the front.

Shrimp Taco, $3.25.  Grilled shrimp, lettuce, and crema.  This was a great shrimp taco.  One of the best I've ever had!!  Corn tortilla, filled with well cooked and seasoned grilled shrimp. The creama was the highlight.  Light, creamy, refreshing adding a touch of coolness to the taco.  I wanted to order their fish taco, but they use marlin and I've never had marlin.

Service is good.  The young lady helping me, was very nice and friendly.

I would go back to Teddy's Tacos any time.  I hope they find a new location!  It was be a shame to lose such a great place for a shrimp taco!!

Mariscos Jalisco

Mariscos Jalisco
753 E Holt Ave
Pomona, CA 91767
909-634-6808

I'm not a food truck chaser!  I have only reviewed four food trucks while maintaining this blog.  If there are food trucks without a long line, I will order something, but I won't follow them on social media to chase them around town.  Mariscos Jalisco, recently went from food truck to brick and mortar store in Pomona!!  And of course, David Allen wrote a story about the Mexican seafood items sold here, and how they landed in Pomona.

Shrimp taco, $2.25.  This is a fried taco with tons of shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, inside with salsa, avocado outside.  This was outstanding! I liked the coolness of the avocado with the crispy fried shell!  A steal at $2.25.  Full disclosure-while I was waiting for my order, the woman, who I believe is the manager and owner's daughter, gave me a free shrimp taco.  But, I did pay for the two shrimp tacos I ordered!  I would have given the same review if I didn't get a free taco.

Service was good.  She was very nice and helpful.  She talked up David's story and how the night before they sold out of everything before their regular closing time; 6pm.  They are closed on Wednesday.  But, this will quickly become a Pomona favorite! 

Baja California Fish Tacos-Fullerton- Closed

Baja California Fish Tacos
2931 Nutwood Ave
Fullerton, CA 92831
714-983-7785

When I went to the Baja California Fish Tacos location in Lawndale, I noticed they had a location in Fullerton!  So, I went to the Fullerton location to try their grill shrimp taco. 

Baja California Fish Tacos is located in what used to be a Maru Sushi.  They opened in late 2016.  The building seems to be shaped like the original Pizza Hut restaurants.  The walls are painted in bright colors, blues, orange, and green.  There is a counter and tables on your left.  It's a big airy place, much bigger than their Lawndale location.

Grilled Shrimp Taco-$2.99

I really liked the grilled shrimp tacos!  Plump, well cooked and seasoned shrimp with cabbage, red onions, and tomatoes.  The tortilla is the same as Lawndale.  I love the freshness of this taco.  Well worth the price.

Service was good.  The young lady who helped me was nice and friendly.  As with Lawndale, you're greeted as you walk up.

I would go back to Baja California Fish Tacos! 

L Fish-Closed

L Fish
3205 1⁄2 4th St.
Los Angeles, CA. 90063
323-412-6586

I found out about L Fish from this LA Eater story.  As the story mention L Fish bought the recipe from the iconic El Fenix Puesto in Ensenada.

L Fish is really a stand in front of somebody's house.  The main set up with the fryer and flattop is where you order.  The tacos come just the fish or shrimp and corn tortilla.  On the table along the house is your condiments for the fish or shrimp tacos.  They have cabbage, pico degallo, salsa, and all kinds of sauces like crema and chipolte sauce.

Fish tacos-$2 The fish is angelito (angel shark), which is pretty damn good.  I've never had it before.  The batter is yellowish in color, tumeric or mustard power must be used.  It's kind of a thick batter and wasn't that crunchy, but I did like the flavor and texture of the fish.  Since you add your own toppings, I added just the basics, cabbage, pico de gallo.  I added some chipotle sauce and it did add some heat.

Shrimp tacos-$2.50- the shrimp, about three in each taco, was plumb, tender and very good. Same batter as with the shrimp tacos.  I prefer the shrimp taco to the fish taco here.

Service is good.  The owner is nice and helpful.  Eventually the plan is to make this location their actual restaurant.

I would go back to L Fish for their shrimp tacos.

Pacific Fish Grill-Closed

Pacific Fish Grill
13865 City Center Dr
Chino Hills
909-902-0099

Next door to Bruxie, is Pacific Fish Grill.  So, after being underwhelmed by the waffle sandwich at Bruxie, we went to Pacific Fish Grill for their shrimp tacos.

Pacific Fish Grill is a lot like another casual seafood restaurant in Chino; Papachino's.  It's is a small chain with other locations in Downey and West Covina. The Chino Hills location is a fairly big restaurant where you order at the counter.

Crispy shrimp taco, $3.79, cabbage, tangy sauce, and tomatoes on a corn tortilla.  The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the corn tortilla.  I liked it because some tortillas just fall apart after the first bite.  The shrimp was fried perfectly and was fresh tasting.  It may have been frozen shrimp, but at least it wasn't sitting in a freezer forever.  The cabbage and pico de galo were fresh and there was the right amount of crema, which they call a zesty sauce.  I think they add chili powder and cumin to the crema.  I liked this shrimp taco and I think it is worth the price.  On Tuesdays, the fish tacos are 99 cents and the shrimp tacos are $2, which would be a steal!

Service was pretty good.  The lady taking our order was nice, even going to the back room to get more take out menus, after I asked if they had any take out menus.  But, we waited a little too long for the tacos to come out.  There was a group of eight and a couple to go orders but otherwise it wasn't that crowded; not sure why we waited so long for our food.

I would go back to Pacific Fish Grill and will be going back on a Tuesday very soon, to try their fish tacos.

Update Nov. 12, 2013

Well, I went back for Taco Tuesdays.  The specials on Tuesday include; crispy fish tacos are 99 cents, and $2 for crispy shrimp, grilled fish, salmon, and grilled chicken tacos.

Grill fish taco, with white roughy fish, chili verde, grilled onions, and cabbage.  White roughy is a name for basa fish.  There is a lot of controversy over the name, because consumers often confuse or assume white roughy is like orange roughy.  White roughy isn't in the same family as the more expensive orange roughy.

Anyways, this white roughy lacked seasoning, was very bland and flavorless.  There was a good amount of fish in the taco, the only saving thing.  I didn't like the grilled onions and the chili verde was very good.  But, the fact that the white roughy was so bland, made this taco unappealing. 

 Crispy fish taco-fried pollock, cabbage, tomatoes, and crema.  From the flavorless grill fish taco, to the full of flavor crisphy fish taco.  The fish used is pollock and was perfectly fried, with a crispy outside that stood up to all the toppings, and a nice inside.

Service was good.  I went there just as the lunch rush started, but I know I got my order much faster than the first time I went.

I like Pacific Fish Grill and will be back soon.  The Taco Tuesdays deals are a steal, but prepare to wait in line to order and for a table.  But, the crispy fish and shrimp tacos are well worth it!

Via-Mar Seafood Restaurant

Via-Mar Seafood Restaurant
5111 N Figueroa St
Los Angeles
323-255-4929

So, Valentina Silva's blog, Eastside Food Bites, is a new found resource for restaurants I want to try, especially in areas like Highland Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Echo Park!  She reviewed three fish tacos restaurants; two of which I have already tried; Tacos Baja Ensenada and Ricky's Fish Taco, which is a stand, not a restaurant, but Via-Mar Seafood I haven't tried, yet. Valentina actually did another review of Via-Mar Seafood, for their other seafood items.

Via-Mar Seafood Restaurant is a small restaurant, with only outdoor seating.  It's on the very busy Figueroa St., and you maybe asked to buy candy or give spare change by some of the people walking along the street.

Every Monday is 2 for 1 shrimp tacos in a fried shell.  Tuesday, it's 2 for 1 shrimp tacos, regular price is $3.38.  Every Wednesday is 2 for 1 fried fish tacos, $2.25.  They have grilled taco, but I'm not interested in ordering that.

Shrimp taco, $3.38, deep fried shrimp with cabbage, tomatoes, crema and sauce.  Since I went on Tues., I got the 2 for 1 deal.  These shrimp tacos were huge!!  The batter is very light and crispy.  But, the shrimp was tough and chewy.  Leads me to believe the shrimp was either frozen or it wasn't very fresh.  There is too much cabbage for my tastes, but the tomatoes were fresh.  The sauce was kinda of just there, didn't add much flavor.

Fish taco, $2.47.  Deep fried basa fish with cabbage, tomatoes, crema and sauce.  The batter for the fish was the same as the shrimp.  But, the fish was much fresher and tastier.  This is a big portion of fish.  Again too much cabbage and the same bland sauce.   There is the perfect amount of crema.

The first time I went was for the Tuesday special, then went back on Thursday.  Both times the service was friendly and quick.

I liked the fish taco better than the shrimp tacos here.  But,  I wouldn't rush back here.

Gus's Lunch Box Truck

Gus's Lunch Box
Glendale Blvd. and Silver Lake Blvd.

One of my favorite food blogs is The Great Taco Hunt.  I was disappointed to learn that The Great Taco Hunt has thrown in the tortilla.  While not exactly the taco truck I wanted to review, Gus's Lunch Box was in front of Silver Lake Wine, where I was meeting a friend to share a bottle of wine.  I believe Gus's is always in front of Silver Lake Wine, but you'll have to google to make sure.

Chicken taco and carnitas taco, $1.50 each, onions cilantro, and chile verde.

The child verde was great!!  Very fresh, full of flavor and balanced-not one overpowering flavor.  But, the chicken was bland and lacked flavor.

The carnitas were much better.  A good, not great example of carnitas-tender, could have used a little more seasoning but good flavor.

Service was good.  The tacos came out quickly and the guy taking my order was nice.

I'm not really a food truck person, I've only reviewed four other trucks.  But, I really wanted to review a taco truck because I'm sadden to hear that The Great Taco Hunt blog will no longer be reviewing taco trucks!

Guisados

Guisados
2100 E Cesar Chavez Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 264-7201

Guisados is owned by the same people who own Cooks Torta. They also opened a ceviche restaurant not far from Cooks called Dorados Ceviche Bar, which I will be going there soon.

Guisados is located in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, and in the 18 months it's been open, Guisados has been a hit for the foodie crowd. That becomes clear when you walk into Guisados and the douchebags with Ed Hardy jeans are mingling with the Latinos who live down the street.

Interesting trivia; East Cesar Chavez Ave. used to be Brooklyn Ave.  




All tacos are $2.50. They also have a taco sampler, $6.50, that includes 6 mini tacos.
I got the fish-grilled tilapa, shrimp and the tinga de pollo-chicken. The tacos come on a pizza pan and are hot!! The flour tortillas are freshly made and grilled. They are much thicker than any tortilla I've had. They really need to be, to hold up the toppings they offer.

The fish taco was grilled tilapia with a very spicy hot sauce that just overpowered the flavor of the taco. The tilapia was grilled perfectly. The cabbage was cut in bigger portions than the shredded cabbage of other fish tacos, but was fresh and had a nice flavor. The creme was nice attempt of adding a coolness to the taco. But, the hot sauce just overpowered this taco. I will order this again without the hot sauce.

The shrimp taco was great!! There were about five small sized shrimp in the taco. There were a ton of grilled red and green bell peppers which added a ton of flavor.

But, my favorite taco was the tinga de pollo-chicken!! This was awesome, a well balanced, nothing overpowering, taco. That was filled with shredded chicken that is cooked in a stew with tons of flavor!! The avocado added a nice coolness, but the taco wasn't spicy at all.

Service was very good. Nice friendly staff who know their menu inside and out. Ask them what comes on a taco and they know.

I would go back to Guisados anytime and try their other tacos. They are well worth the $2.50 price, good portions and good quality meats and fillings. A true gem in Boyle Heights.

Los Amigos Restaurant

Los Amigos Restaurant
20835 Valley Blvd
Walnut
909-595-1346

I love fish tacos and I'm always on the lookout for fish tacos. So, when I saw Los Amigos Restaurant I knew I had to stop in. Located in a small strip mall, Los Amigos used to be Taco Express, but the cook's son bought out Taco Express and renamed it Los Amigos. Of course, he kept his dad on as cook.

Fish taco, $1.39 and shrimp taco, $1.99.

The fish taco is made with talipia, a mild flavored fish. I didn't care for the soggy batter. I want a crispy fish taco. It wasn't the creme or the toppings that made this fish taco soggy, it was the way they fried the fish. They need to make sure the oil is hot!! The portion is a bit small and more soggy batter than fish. The toppings were fresh and fine, but if the fish taco is soggy, it just ruins the fish taco.

The shrimp taco was more of the same soggy batter and fresh toppings, but good sized shrimp.

Service is good. The owner is nice and helpful.

I had read the meat tortas are great at Los Amigos and my friend loved her carnitas torta. So maybe I should have stuck to the regular meat tacos instead of the fish and shrimp tacos. I would go back to try a torta but I wouldn't get another fish or shrimp taco.

Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie

Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie
7716 Eastern Ave
Bell Gardens
562-927-1670

I thought about stopping in at Pioneer Chicken, but I missed the turn to Florence and drove past Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie and decided to stop in.

What an interesting concept tacos and hot dogs in one place. The building looks old and I'm guessing this has been a neighborhood staple.

I got a kraut dog, $1.65. After I placed my order, the girl placed a hot dog on the grill and I figured I was going to get a hot dog that was hot. Well, after she made my taco, which took about 30 seconds, she took the hot dog off the grill and added kraut and mustard. So, I got a cold hot dog. Terrible!!! The hot dog itself was actually pretty good, good snap and quality meat. The kraut was cold and had a slight tang, but nowhere near what is should be. This hot dog could be good but they missed the mark with how it's prepared. Leave that hot dog on the grill for five minutes, not less than a minute.



At least the taco-$1.09, was better. The taco is a ginkgo taco, like the tacos served at Taco Lita and Taco Treat. The ground beef was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The cheese and lettuce were fresh. The taco shell was light and crispy. I liked how all the flavors blended together. The taco is cheaper than the Taco Lita and Taco Treat and is better than both in my opinion. It would have been better with some hot sauce, which the girl never bothered giving me.

Service was ok. The girl was nice and pleasant enough but just a bit off. If it's SOP at Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie to quickly grill their hot dogs, then that needs to be changed. But, if she was lazy and not following SOP and leaving the hot dog on the grill for longer, then she needs to get more training or fired.

I wouldn't go back to Quickie Dog & Taco Quickie again. While the taco is good, it's not really worth the long drive.