Why I believe LA's best tacos can be found in Whittier (yes, Whittier)

I am not someone who cowers in the face of public opinion. And while I know what I’m about to say won’t make me any friends, I feel duty-bound — and honored to say it.

The best tacos in L.A. can be found in Whittier.

Of course, I am biased, since it's where I grew up, and my parents and plenty of friends still live there.

But that doesn’t make my statement any less accurate.

Let me explain why.

If you look at the map, it makes perfect sense: Whittier is east of East L.A. and the last stop before getting to Orange County. For that reason, it’s got many cultural influences flowing through it.

When I was growing up, that didn't seem so enticing. I couldn’t wait to get out and find my way to the central parts of Los Angeles, where I moved in my 20s.

But these days, because of the cheaper rents and more space, Whittier has become a new hot spot for aspiring restaurateurs from immigrant backgrounds, many from Mexico, who have developed a strong customer base willing to follow them anywhere they go.

Given Whittier already had some OG taco greats, it means that in a few short miles, you can find everything from old-school establishments that have been there for as long as I can remember to “puestos” that have taken the city by storm.

Need more convincing of my noncomformist opinion? Step right up and let me take you on a whistle-stop Whittier taco tour.

(One thing to note: this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of what's on offer. Instead, it's a snapshot of my current favorites — and some old standbys that I can’t seem to quit.)

La Carreta

One of the more recent additions to the Whittier taco scene is La Carreta. Owner José Morales took over his father’s taco truck in 2020 (which can still be found in an industrial section of the North West Long Beach neighborhood) and expanded it into a new brick-and-mortar restaurant. It’s quickly gained popularity for its Sinaloa-style tacos, known for grilled meats such as sirloin carne asada, that you can order with flour or corn tortillas.

I always go with the flour because there’s something about the higher-fat content of a flour tortilla, which, combined with the charred meats, creates pops of juice that blanket the palette, smothered with salsa, finely diced raw green cabbage, red onion, and topped with fresh guacamole.

One of the best things about La Carreta is they don’t simply specialize in tacos. There's a variety of other items, including their chorreadas. Think of a loaded tostada with grilled meats and a layer of cheese underneath. While a mouthful, it’s an excellent example of how much flavor you can pile into one dish. The answer is a lot.

Mochomitos

Another new spot making waves is Mochomitos. This Sonora-style taco truck parks along a quiet section of Whittier Boulevard in the evenings near the Five Points intersection. This intersection has become a late-night taco destination, with various trucks and pop-ups gathering nearby. It's located next to a park with a 125-year-old walnut tree, which used to host the annual sidewalk chalk festival, and across the street is the former site of a Skateland roller rink, where I used to do the hokey pokey and steal glances of my middle school crushes.

But that was then, and this is now, and the tacos at Mochomitos are fabulous and worth the trip alone. Their costilla (beef rib taco) is served on a handmade tortilla made fresh, soft, and light as comforting as summer bedsheets. It comes with a side of beef rib, from which the meat for your taco is cut. A door prize for you to gnaw on before, after, or during your taco — I felt like Fred Flintstone chowing down on a Brontosaurus rib as I bit into the perfectly charred, almost ashy consistency. I'm already thinking about my next visit.

When I was there, the owner spoke with a group of friends who were hanging out at an outdoor table. At the end of the conversation, she gifted the woman she was talking to a couple of lumps of her masa harina, which she uses to make her stellar flour tortillas. The women squealed with equal amounts of disbelief and delight. Although I don’t live here anymore, I was touched by how the community remains as strong as ever.

Chema’s Tacos

Near and dear to my heart is Chema’s Tacos. This is the first place I remember having tacos as a child. At 5 years old, the intense flavors of onion and cilantro felt like a shock to my system.

In its 40-plus years, much has stayed the same (other than the price, which was initially 75 cents, now $2, including tax).

Sky-blue colored tiles adorn the walls, along with ephemera from Mexico and Catholic saints. Saddling up to the salsa bar filled with pickled carrots-escabeche, charred serrano, and fat slices of lemon feels like communion.

Then there’s the tacos. Given the pomp and circumstance of many other tacos today, I understand they might not be for everyone. But for me, Chema’s tacos have a simple beauty. The modest tortillas hug the contents of the meat, giving it an al-vapor or steamed quality that I love, while the meat itself is always well seasoned. The carne asada, tripas, and pollo, to name a few, come drenched in their signature green salsa, topped with cilantro and onions, which feels unique to this holy place.

Earlier this month, it was announced that King Taco, one of Southern California's most prominent local taco chains, would be building a new location in the vacant lot next to Chema's. The announcement of the impending move has caused many residents, including yours honestly, to worry about Chema’s future. But whatever the future might be, it’s a place that always holds a special place in my heart.

Arturo’s Puffy Taco

First, Arturo’s Puffy Taco deserves some respect. Located in the far-off reaches of South East Whittier, the humble restaurant space might look like little from the outside.

However, Puffy Taco is a gem, representing one specific type of taco that goes all the way back to the salute of Mayan cuisine. It is a stalwart of the Southwest's Tex-Mex cooking or Tejano cuisine, a cuisine often overlooked in the pantheon of Mexican food. However, I am here to say that Tex-Mex food is very much Mexican.

Arturo’s brother, Ray, opened Ray’s Drive-Inn in San Antonio in the 1950s. Later, in the mid-70s, Arturo moved to Southern California and opened his restaurant.

Today, ordering from the walk-up window at Arturo’s Puffy Taco is a blast of nostalgia, almost as if you could imagine an alternate version of American Graffiti.

The puffy taco itself, which Arturo and his wife Gloria trademarked, has gained worldwide attention. Arturo’s is supposedly the only place you can get one outside Texas, and they are also sometimes referred to as crispy tacos. (editor note: if you are interested more about its' fascinating history, check out the well-documented piece by Texas Monthly's Taco editor José R. Ralat), The soft and thick tortilla exists in a nebulous space between Native American fry bread and Mexican chapula, stuffed with an ample meat filling and topped with lettuce, tomato, and thick ribbons of grated cheese. There are plenty of fillings, such as carne asada and carnitas. Still, the real winner is carne guizada, stewed pieces of beef containing notes of pepper and tomatillo that perfectly meld into the contents of the taco itself.

Tacos Baja

There are fish tacos, and then there are fish tacos from Tacos Baja. With the original location in East L.A. and another just further down the road in East Whittier in a converted A-Frame, the humble mariscos spot has a modest menu of fish and shrimp tacos, ceviches, and a few other miscellaneous items.

But a couple of crucial factors allow it to stand out — first, the light, tempura-like batter containing notes of sweetness and plenty of savory crunch. Then there’s the topping, a perfect amount of crema and a sprinkling of diced tomato, cabbage, and cilantro, all folded into a quality yellow corn tortilla. The level of detail sets it apart.

I used to come to the restaurant where I worked at the nearby college. During lunchtime, long lines would snake out the door, where I often found myself getting my fish and shrimp taco fix with a side of grilled banana peppers, known as güeritotos. Enjoy them between taco bites for an extra heat spike.