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Arturo's Puffy Taco
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We have continuously served authentic, high quality Mexican food, keeping their secret recipes inside the family. This has made Pepe's the well-known… read more »
211 reviews for Arturo's Puffy Taco
Review Highlights
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"I absolutely love the carne asada here." In 77 reviews -
"The ground beef and guisado were amazing." In 35 reviews -
"btw, they're cash only and not open on sundays." In 25 reviews
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210 reviews in English
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Review from Frank S.
12/17/2011 2 photos
Damn I love puffy tacos! Too bad I don't live nearby. But if I'm ever in the area, I make sure to grab some original puffy tacos with salsa on the side. There's no point in ordering the other meats. The cheaper original ground beef trumps them all.
Be careful though; don't leave em out too long because the puffy shell will fall apart making it very difficult to eat later. It's probably best to eat it all as soon as you get home or even just eat it there.
Just stick to the specialty and get their original puffy tacos. I won't be getting anything else since I'm here mainly for the puffy goodness! -
Review from Carol C.
4/16/2012
First time here. Maybe I got a bad batch? Both my puffy taco shells weren't very puffy - in fact, they were just soggy. Carne Asada has a slight crunch to it, which I liked, but am sure others would hate.
Nothing special to me... but the cashier was so nice i'm thinking about giving it another try. -
Review from Patrick K.
Buena Park, CA
4/14/2012
Puffy tacos make me wanna puff, puff my stress away...
Ambience: 2
Taste: 3
Bang for Buck: 2
Service: 2
Wow Factor: 3
Fatty Meter: 3
The place looks like an ordinary run of the mill jank spot. Nothing special about the way this place looks.
The taste of the tacos that I received was a little bit on the dry and stale side. I'm not sure if I ate some tacos that were sitting there for a bit, but the taste absolutely didn't correspond to what you guys are saying. The meat was tasty, but dry. The taco shell was stale. Everything else tasted okay... The tacos were a bit on the "American" side and was reminiscent of taco bell. I like my tacos Mexican.
It's a bit pricey to say the least.
Service? What service. The guy up front was rude.
Probably won't come back here. -
Review from Clinton B.
Whittier, CA
5/10/2012
Great food, okay prices. For a massive eater like me, I fill up at any other fast food joint for about $10-$12. It costs me about $20 here, but for normal ppl, that'd feed 2-3 of you.
Anyways, their food is great, puff fried taco shells like we used to make at home. Meat is seasoned well and sauces are tasty. Only drawbacks are that they don't take cards, cash only and their dining area kinda stinks. Tables and chairs are FUBAR and there's not a lot of them.
Still a must visit! -
Review from Rosalie L.
Bell, CA
2/18/2012
Hands down best puffy tacos ever... I love their picadillo tacos! They are ssooooo good :D
The food is great, the only downfall is that is cash only. So bring cash unless you want to pay to use the ATM machine inside and pay 3 bucks to get money. -
Review from Michelle H.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2012
Definitely one of the best places in Whittier. I've been going here for years! I would definitely recommend two chicken puffy's w/ the rice & beans. Very unique taco shells, unlike any other place I've ever seen before.
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Review from Tina N.
Arcadia, CA
4/20/2012
First off to the guy who was disappointed because these tacos were "Americanized" tacos and not authentically Mexican...umm yeah, that's what a puffy taco is, it's Tex-Mex not Mexican. That's just common knowledge, so you shouldn't have been that surprised! These tacos are great for what they are, so enjoy them!
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Review from Veronica H.
Whittier, CA
4/20/2012
Its da bomb!!!! Have to have my puff mix once a week or im not a happy camper
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Review from Vito C.
Anaheim, CA
4/1/2012
I used to go to the one in La Habra as a kid at least 2 times a week. When they shut that one down i wasnt even aware it moved till recently. I def made my way there and got the puffy taco asada for the win. The guy who was cashier was real pleasant and great customer service. Def will make it back
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Review from Khalid N.
Fullerton, CA
4/14/2012
Asada was a bit chewy. Interesting twist with the puffies.
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Review from Emanuel S.
Beverly Hills, CA
4/18/2012
I came here once on holloween and EVERYONE was dressed in costumes. Even the cook was wearing one of those scream masks. The tacos were good (puffy) and the soda was nice and cold. I'll come back here again if I'm in the area.
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Review from Jackie W.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
PUFFY tacos! I love puffy tacos because the shell is in between a soft shell and a hard shell taco. Picture a soft shell that's fried, so there's that crispness but also the nice flexibility so your taco shell isn't cracking everywhere and falling apart. Tacos were also decent in size; 2 tacos really filled me up! Would love to come back if in the area!
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Review from R L.
Whittier, CA
4/1/2012
The puffy tacos where gross! Extremely oily and to top it off expensive! I really don't see what the hype (on yelp) is all about. I had two of the "puffy tacos" which have something that reminded me of canned purina food with pieces of potato....which they make pass as ground beef. I had a bite of the carne asada puffy taco hoping that I had ordered the wrong item....yeah, NO. The carne asasa was a bit better than the ground beef taco.
They only take cash.
The wall is decorated with posters and pictures of old actors...and by that I don't mean Hollywood legends.
I will NOT be returning to this place. YUCK! -
Review from Dan K.
La Habra, CA
11/7/2011
Puffy Asada.
That's it. Been eating those darn things for 25+ years. Guys I work with will drive 20 miles to eat those darn things! Do youself a favor, STAY AWAY. They are like crack. -
Review from Chel R.
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Carne Asada Puffy Tacos & Carnitas Puffy Tacos...
It was one of those nights when most of the nurses
I was working with were craving tacos.
I guess this is their most favored spot near work for tacos.
This was obviously my first time trying them and wow...
definitely puffy...definitely crunchy, light, and flaky.
Very yum!
I like the carne asada better. I did find the carnitas to
be a bit dry. Nonetheless, I can inhale two without
difficulty. Three if I'm really a pig. Which for the most
part, Im always a pig at work :X
(My trainer would kill me). Eh.. I can take him. Besides,
Im the one working a 12 hr shift. Up yours Rico! hahaha -
Review from Lyna V.
2/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was my first time and the man standing behind me and my boyfriend was nice enough to fill us in on what to order. We took his advice and Mexican plate it was. Came with a puffy taco, rice, beans, and I believe it was carne guisado? Soo bombskies..we also got 4 more tacos after that...Definitely had a food coma afterwards but it was so worth it! Only downside is it's cash only, which lucky for me I read the yelp reviews before going!
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Review from Travis O.
Whittier, CA
11/3/2011
Maybe I just got the wrong things but I wasn't even slightly impressed, which sucked because I heard amazing things about this place.
I got a Puffy, and enchilada, and I tried a bit of a friends burrito.
The puffy was ok, but to me it was just a taco in a big greasy shell. And the sauce on the enchilada was almost like red salt water.
No bueno para Travis =( -
Review from Eric R.
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Damn I fell in love with some puffy tacos!
This place has great friendly service and awesome food. Rice was delicious, beef puffy tacos were delicious.
All in all whenever I'm in the area I'm stopping in. -
Review from Jerome V.
7/29/2011
What can I write that everyone else already hasn't? A haiku!
"Puffy" is unique
In the good sense, not like how
My mom describes me. -
Review from Art L.
Bellflower, CA
8/27/2011
If you want to ignore every canon of healthy diet and proper nutrition, then by all means, come on down and gorge on Puffy Tacos! This is not health food, this is pure decadent deliciousness in a poofed-up fried shell.
Original ground beef ones are consistently good. Carnitas sometimes tender, sometimes way too hard and stringy.
They are on the once-in-a-while gastronomic extravagence list for the pure great taste. Too often, and I see a cardiologist in my future.
-1 for dining area. The tables and chairs have seen better days, but they seem to get a lot of abuse from some of the patrons. What really got me was the cleanliness, or lack thereof, in the dining room. For ME to even notice this, it has to be pretty bad; hopefully it was just a phase. 5 stars for takeout. -
Review from Chad A.
I was going to give this place four stars, but after careful consideration I will let them sit comfortably at 3. I think I was more jazzed at the whole puffy shell concept than anything. I like when things are different. I'm not really a man of tradition, so it was kind of cool to have a taco presented in a different fashion (I know Taco Bell's been doing it for years, but I don't like Taco Bell.) To say I'm a fan though well... that's kind of a strong statement. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back out to Whittier for one and I don't necessarily see myself craving them either, but if I'm in the area and craving Mexican food (and actually have cash on me) then I will dip in.
I ordered the Two Taco Plate with one Carne Asada and one Carne Guisada: http://www.yelp.com/bi... and they were pretty good. The carne asada was cut into pretty good size pieces, nicely seasoned and marinated, free of gristle, and tender. It comes loaded with lettuce, cheese, and a mild red salsa. My favorite of those two was the Carne Guisada which is chunks of lean beef that are simmered with fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and Mexican seasonings to make a rich spicy gravy (guisada). It's kind of like a Mexican pot roast. The meat was real tender, juicy, and flavorful and could still be enjoyed through the lettuce, cheese, and mild salsa.
The beans and rice were decent. They also were smothered with cheese and salsa, so I can imagine these side items are popular. The house is very liberal with the cheese and salsa!
I also had a Puffy Chicken Taco: http://www.yelp.com/bi... and it was ok. Same set up: lettuce, cheese, and mild salsa. The chicken was tender and well marinated, but lacked seasoning. Since this taco was sitting for a bit the juices soaked and destroyed the shell so I had to end up eating it with a fork.
Service was warm and inviting and the food came out quick. This place does not offer refills, only takes cash, has limited seating, and serves decent food at best so I feel justified placing them at 3 stars.Listed in: Arriba
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Review from Christina N.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
After watching Bobby Flay on the food network do a throw down in Texas for puffy tacos, I made it a mission that I would one day find a place offering it here in California, fortunately for myself I did and I made my bf & brother come along for the loooooong drive from where we live. I'm sure glad we did, the food was delicious !
Whole in the wall so don't expect anything fancy schmancy, expect to get down and dirty. We pretty much tried majority of the selection offered for the puffy tacos. The Picadillo which is a seasoned ground beef placed with lettuce cheese, and salsa in there freshly fried crispy puffy taco, absolutely delicious ! There carne asada was good, just a bit tough for my personal taste, but the pastor was very flavorful. Chicken was wasn't as flavorful but still tender. Overall this place offers great food for a very affordable price. Note ! Order as you go still the tacos are freshly fried, they also will go soggy quick, my fatty bf decided to order like 5/6 and couldn't eat them in time, they're quickly made so don't worry. A MUST TRY ! -
Review from Allison S.
Dana Point, CA
1/26/2012 4 photos
My friend had been raving about this place since I met her so I finally went with my husband on Saturday. I was delicious and the owner was really nice. I will definitely go back. We each at 2 puffy tacos and they were the perfect amount of crispy and puffy.
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Review from Peter H.
La Mirada, CA
7/30/2011
A very unique twist for tacos, it's got all of your favorite ingredients in a taco with a puffy shell. Not only is the unique shell good, the meat is also good. Got to say, definitely worth a stop by to get some of these tacos.
The pricing is good, about $2-$3 per taco. 3 of them gets me full but i get 4 cause they taste so good =) The lady at the cashier is super freindly and generous. -
Review from Danny C.
San Diego, CA
7/28/2011
Instead of the redundant corn or flour tortilla, the tortilla is fried and has a 'puffy' texture. When you bite into the taco it's a bit oily, but you get to sink your teeth into a crispy outside tortilla shell and into a soft savory bite of the choice of meat.
The hot sauce here is good too :) -
Review from Jessica S.
Anaheim, CA
12/13/2011
Their Puffy Tacos are the bomb!! If you are a salad eating girl..do not enter! This is real eating for pleasure only! ;p Unique taco shell that's made from cornmeal and then deep fried...OMG flavor! I don't eat beef, but they offer chicken. I hear from all my guy friends that the Carne Asada is delicious! I don't think they take card so bring your cash! And Enjoy!
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Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
1/22/2011 4 photos
Its like a dream come true.
Sometime ago I was told about this place and thought when the hell would I ever be out there???
Today I was.
The puffy taco is a interesting experience.
Cheese, meat, tomato and puffiness.
Rice eh.
It was all about the tacos.
Crispy chewy..... its a experience.
Would I eat them all the time? Were they authentic?
Nope.
But it was a culinary journey worth taking.Listed in: Taco Craving, AS seen on TV!
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Review from Michelle T.
Torrance, CA
I really wanted to fall in love with the beloved Puffy Taco...
It has been on my mind for awhile now and i finally got to cross it off my list. I shared with my bestie a Mexican Plate ($7) which included two puffy tacos, rice and beans, chips and salsa. My friend also got a side of taquitos and a LARGE ASS horchata- both which were a-ok.
I loved the famous puffy taco shell- all crispy and fried and sh*t. The carnitas meat was tender and yummy. Cheese, salsa and lettuce was plentiful. But being a spice wuss, i think i missed out on the glory of adding the spicy green sauce which Ciara G wrote of. I had ordered the two puffy tacos- one with carnitas and one ground beef, but they made a mistake and gave me two carnitas. The woman there said that it is to my advantage to keep my mistake, so i did... so no verdict on the ground beef.
It was yum, but my tummy was not saying "UH--- MAAAAZING!" as i had hoped... What i really wanted was some chunky guac and creamy sauce with the fried goodness! The guacamole that came with the taquitos was that oldschool, pale green watery avocado flavored sauce u get in school. I like my guac chunky and fresh. What really would have got my mouth watering was if they had a tangy mayo sauce and chunky guac in the taco. But that's just me being a non authentic mexicano knowing japonita and craving that damn bombero from Cooks.
A for friendly service. A must try for those working on taco lists!Listed in: Whittier Ain't Shittier, how i met THE taco
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Review from Stephanie J.
Whittier, CA
12/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can't go wrong with carne asada puffy tacos!
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Review from Maddie L.
Orange, CA
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is an absolute stop whenever I come into Whittier....
It brings back memories, its been here since I was a litle girl, its a family owned and operated 1 location place.
Everyone is super nice, and no matter what time of day there is a line.
The Original Puffy Taco is awesome, its a definite must~do...
I've tried a couple other things on the menu but why monkey around with perfection.
This place is Great. You'll find someone from every walk of life from the skater kids, blue collar guys, moms in the their suburbans to suit & tie folks. No discrimination when good food is at hand, so if you ever find yourself in Whittier make an effort to stop in.... -
Review from Ciara G.
Finally finally finally!
This might be my greatest SYOY find EVER!
I LOVE crunchy tacos. Always have and always will. I can not cook, AT ALL, but I can make a mean crunchy taco (I think). I dream of opening a small joint one day and jokingly naming it The Crunchy Taco and only having one crunchy taco on the menu.
I found about Arturo's Puffy Tacos from fellow Yelper Alex S. who yelped it some months back. I was the happiest frijoles in the bag when my girl Isabel F. said "I'm down" when I mentioned puffy tacos for our lunch date.
We arrived to a CASH ONLY (ATM inside) order-at-the-outside-window-counter area-then take your food Togo-or eat it there place.
I was surprised to see burgers, fries and orings on the menu but we were there for the puffies so I was able to stay focused.
Keep your eye on the prize. The puffy taco prize.
We each got the Puffy Plate $6.50 which came with 2 Tacos (choice of meat: asada, beef, carnitas, chicken), Rice, Beans and Chips.
Since we were mucho mucho hungry we ordered the Supreme Strips $5.50 which were basically "nachos" topped with beans, cheese, avocado sauce (not to be confused with chunky guacamole), sour cream, salsa and choice of meat (we left off the meat).
Strips were good but I would rather chow down on 2 more puffies.
Speaking of puffies.....WOW! These are so much better than my great crunchy tacos! Crunchy, puffy shell filled with tender steak and topped with lettuce, cheese and salsa. There is a condiment station on the counter where you pick up your food with peppers and more salsa. I snagged a cup of their green salsa and I was pleasantly surprised with its spiciness.
Again, cash only, ATM inside, one single stall M/W restroom (for customers only), small inside dining area, two tables outside for dining, plenty of parking, green salsa is SPICY yummyness, soda refills are not free (so get the Large) and get the puffies!!!!
I'm totally in trouble as Arturo's Puffy Tacos will be on my craving list from this day forward.Listed in: Impressed on the spot!, The Shell is the new Bun: The…
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Review from Niki P.
Placentia, CA
3/4/2011 1 photo
Giggity, giggity!!!! Been coming here since 1989. Love me some Puffy Taco!!! Family owned, CASH ONLY taco stand with limited seating - To go orders are fine, too. Call ahead if your order is over $25 (they do have an atm machine)
Crispy Dogs - Two Weenies lightly slit open with a strip of cheese and wrapped in corn tortillas and fried like a taquito smothered in avocado sauce - OMG!!! Yes please!!!!
Carne Asada Burrito with only meat, tomatoes and salsa - Soooooooo good!!! Mmmmm meat and salsa juices dripping down your hand and quickly down your arm! Love it!!!
Rice, beans, french fries - All good!!! But I'm a creature of habit here. To fix my craving I get a carne asada burrito, an order of crispy dogs and a half order of rice/beans.Listed in: I'll take you there!, Oh, It's YOU sweet baby!!
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Review from Shea H.
La Habra, CA
3/15/2011
What sucks is that I have been really wanting to try this place for a long time. I have read great reviews about it. I see it a lot when I drive to my friends house.
So I finally got to try it.
The place-
very unclean. All the tables have shit all over it. Flakes and crumbs all over the table like someone spilled cereal corn flakes. You order outside, then go inside. They have dead bugs smashed against their windows. Not fake bugs, real bugs. They just dont bother to clean it all out. Even a dead masqito above the window where you order. Do you really want to order a mushy taco after seeing a masqito smashed against the window in front of you ?
The service-
They got our order wrong. Not only that, but they gave us way more food than we ordered. Which to some people is cool that you get free extra food. But the point is, someone else ordered the food we got, and now that person is fucked over too. Then the cooks are fucked cause now they need to make extra food, which fucks over the business cause now they are wasting food.
The food-
I got a puffy taco, and a cheese enchilada (wanted steak though)
The enchilada, was in a pool of that gooy stuff you see in ghostbusters 2. It was just cheese and sauce. It tasted like a normal enchilada from everywhere else. I just hate it when they put it in a pool. How the hell am I supposed to know where to start, when my fork has to dive in the deep end of a Styrofoam container to poke a soft cheesy 5 second made enchilada?
The taco, this is the only thing they have going on for them. I thought the puffy taco was OK. to me, it was just regular beef that anyone could make, then deep fry the tortilla.
But in a way, its some what good. Just, nothing that special. I wouldnt travel over to here, just to get a beef taco with a deep fried tortilla. There are better tacos out there for me.
What is saving there asses here...
is that 1. They have a taco that is a bit different than most places. Doesn't mean it tastes better though. 2. The guy who was taking my order was nice. 3. My mom and girl friend liked it a lot. They got chicken puffy tacos.
So, be careful what you order. Some people like it, some people don't I guess. This place has high expectations now due to everyone's reviews. I am just saying, go in, expecting the un expected. -
Review from Joey P.
Whittier, CA
7/29/2011 1 photo
Dear Arturo, you make some fine tasting tacos! Love always Joey P.
All you fellow yelpers will be writing love letters to Arturo too after you taste the magic that is Arturo's Puffy Taco. Taco shells are fried airy corn puffy goodness. You have a variety of meats to choose from and tacos come with all the fixings, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and red salsa. Be sure to eat your quick since these little lovely tacos do get soggy and go from super yum to wet falling apart mess in minutes. Definately eat there if you get the tacos to avoid a soggy mishap. -
Review from Dennis I.
Monterey Park, CA
Still had tacos on my mind after having cupcakes for breakfast . My next stop was to drop off flowers at Rose Hills in Whittier. Hmmm....a perfect opportunity to try the famous Arturo's Puffy Tacos!
Arturo's is my kind of place. It's like me - it's old, it's unique, it's not healthy, it's not pretty food, and it's not a cupcakery! I have always been intrigued by this puffy mystery and I couldn't clearly tell from the pictures what the taco shell would be like.
I ordered a carne asada and Puffy taco. Both are topped with lettuce, chopped tomato salsa, and cheese. The carne asada was grilled with a char, chopped up, moist, and tender. There was no distraction of the steak flavor as you'll find in many of the ELA taco stands that use a hefty amount of garlic, onion, and citrus marinades.
The Puffy taco was made of ground seasoned beef. It was surprisingly very tender and cooked in a mild tomato based sauce. Don't think Taco Bell, these would be like if your grandmother, aunt, or mom made these from scratch.
I like the puffy shell as it must be made from a slightly thicker masa and literally puffs up in the deep frying process. It has a slight crunch, but you also get a chew texture. I like it. Take a look at my pic and you'll see what I'm talking about. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Anyways, it's a great place. Good solid healthy man food. After today I would describe the puffy taco as what a red velvet would have been - if a man had invented cupcakes.Listed in: Tacos and Mexican Food
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Review from Heather T.
Whittier, CA
3/6/2012
This place is the boss! A total whole-in-the-wall, with fantastic food! Will recommend anyone in the area to at least try it once!
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Review from Andy F.
Pico Rivera, CA
6/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Puffy Tacos, WHAT? The first time I heard about this place, I was like "what in the world?" I couldn't even imagine it. But for one that doesn't like King Taco all that much, I think these tacos are fantastic. A must try if you are in the area. I'm sure if they had more shops around they would make it huge. The best tasting taco is the Picadillo (Ground Beef and potato). I have also enjoyed their asada and chicken tacos.
Stop on in and enjoy. It's cash only, but they do have a ATM dispenser, which usually charges a fee. -
Review from Andy N.
11/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
A type of chalupa NOT from taco bell. This is something out of the ordinary. This is the puffy taco that comes out freshly deep fried. The wonderful first bites will have you leaving happy. I really enjoyed the ground beef puffy taco. That one went well with the crispy shell. This place may be out of the way for most but it's worth trying. Great service and tacos taken to another level.
Recommendation: Picadillo (ground beef) puffy taco. -
Review from Roman B.
Loma Linda, CA
Decided it was time to take my family up to Whittier for this place.
So, when knew that were getting closer to our destination. Our family was ready to chow down on some puffy tacos. Boy, we couldn't wait. Mouth was full of water, taste buds ready to be put to the test, and now it was time to grub.
The guy with the deep raspy voice (radio type) was funny as hell. We should have more people like him working, but it wasn't all about him. It was about the food. My wife and I ordered 4 puffy tacos, son just ordered regular taco (all tacos we got were asada). Line wasn't that long at all, business had few people eating outside (probably more inside). We decided to eat outside near our car.
The food was ready, YES!! WOW!! I just took an look at them and was ready to eat them while walking to the bench (haha). We sunk our teeth into this hot piece of goodness and in an instant, we fell in love. Meat had some good flavor like one of the Yelpers said. Everything out this "Puffy Taco" was good. The funny thing was right after we finished our set of tacos, my wife and I looked at eachother "You wanna get another one"
I, of course couldn't turn down that offer. So, we picked up another set of tacos. AHHHHHH!!! BURP!! Very tastee and so happy to finally try this place. French Fries were good and so was the service. It took us about 1hr drive, but was worth every mile.
Check out the Puffy Tacos and you'll thank us later.
Enjoy!! -
Review from Jason P.
La Habra, CA
10/24/2011
You can always tell if a place is going to be awesome when there is a steady flow of customers despite the location and decor being some of the worst you have ever seen. Puffy Taco is located in Whittier in the parking lot of a UHaul, another great telling factor. Anytime you can eat and rent a large vehicle, count me in. You begin your experience with ordering your food at an outside window. If you're lucky enough to find a table, you can eat in a small dinning room inside with random photo's and pictures. Remember a good place will always pay little attention to aesthetics and put more care to the food.
Although there may be many options on the menu, your focus should stay on the prize, a puffy taco. These amazing little treats are a homemade cornmeal, made fresh and then fried to perfection (remember my motto). It's hard to describe the flavor and texture other than perfect. They aren't heavy buy flaky and light, like a fine french pastry but in a taco shell form. They offer these with your choice of carne asada, chicken, or carnitas; however, I say why spend more on those bourgeois selections? Instead, just stick with the ground beef; it costs less, but all the flavor is still there. They top this with some lettuce, sauce, and thick grated cheddar cheese. Most places nowadays use the more feminine, dainty, finely grated cheese. Arturo's keeps it the way I grew up when grated cheese only came in one size and it's girth was respectable.
Now the Puffy Taco is not the only thing worth talking about. I have fond memories of little league as a child, not because I enjoyed playing baseball but because of the snack shack. After every game I would receive a ticket that would entitle me to a snow cone. Many of the lesser boys would fill up on grape or cherry. I preferred to upgrade to taquitos deep fried in the same oil as the fries and the corn dogs. What made these taquitos a relished delicacy was the strange green sauce you could dip them in. They claimed it was guacamole, but I'm not a fool; that sauce is definitely not guacamole. Guacamole is not the same constancy as ketchup. Arturo's sauce is just like the local moms sold at the snack shack. Do I love these things because of the memories they conjure up? I don't know and I don't care. I just feed my soul with every last dip of those beef and tortilla cigars.
Another honorable mention, and again only serves to validate Arturo's Puffy Taco's place in what is one of my favorite lunch and dinner spots: Strips, otherwise know as nachos.
A crock pot full of canned cheese sauce has it's place, like in a stadium or at taco bell but not at a fine eating establishment. Arturo's uses the same girthy cheese that it uses on it's tacos. Most places may take the extra effort to melt the cheese in either a microwave or other heating device, but not this place. They just throw a handful of cheese on top and hand it off. You also get the option to have them topped with the same "avocado" sauce that comes with the taquitos. Now some of you may think that everything in this description of the food warns you to stay away, but you don't get it and you probably never will. If you're curious, or you found yourself with the wonderful desire to call your friends and hop in the car, then go with speed, but bring cash because that's all they will accept.
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