After making my yearly donation to the city of Las Vegas and having not had any tacos in over a week I needed to return to farmiliar territory. Now, I've grown up on the Westside but I've been everywhere man just like Johnny Cash. Everywhere in LA that is. But I've never had a taco with so much to offer to the palate than the chorizo and cheese tacos at Tacos Por Favor. From the al pastor carts in the barrios of east la to the taco trucks of highland park you may think you've tasted it all but unless you've had a chorizo and cheese taco from Tacos Por favor you havn't come close to taco utopia my friends.
sizzled chorizo and gooey cheese
On the outside Tacos Por Favor doesn't look like much but once inside it's quite a laid back taqueria. Two dining areas with wooden tables and chairs as well as a salsa bar with a marinated carrots, a pico de gallo, salsa verde and a salsa roja that rivals King Taco for heat factor.
On the weekdays the lunch crowd can get pretty busy from the local business crowd and college students but on saturdays it's a pretty chilled out atmosphere with patrons in flip flops reading LA weekly mags and waiting for their fresh made to order mexican food. I usually go on a saturday and order 4 chorizo and cheese tacos as well as a pint of their deliciously flaming hot salsa roja. The salsa keeps about a week and I use it to spoon on carne asada I grill at home.
As far as the chorizo and cheese tacos at Tacos Por Favor dont get crazy with the salsa roja. There is so much flavor already in the taco that I've found that only a drizzle of salsa is needed to complete the taco.
Just have a cold beverage handy and sit back and enjoy the taste explosion.
Tacos Por Favor is at 1406 Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica. Tacos are $1.80 each. Mon-Sat 8am to 8pm closed Sundays
glad to see you back and branching out on diff types of tacos. =) thanks for the tip on tpf. wanted to let you know that i did go to la estrella, and my taco partner liked the al pastor a great deal.
ReplyDeleteLove Tacos Por Favor! Have you tried the chile relleno burrito! Perfection!
ReplyDeleteellen,
ReplyDeletehavn't tried the chile relleno burrito.
I've actually only had one chile relleno burrito and it was from Tere's on melrose and it was really good.
i'll have to try TPF's version so I can compare the two
I found Tacos Por Favor on this site and love it. Big meaty tacos, good burritos to go, and an amazingly deep, spicy, luscious salsa roja.
ReplyDeleteNote -- A new menu just kicked in and most item prices are up a whole nickel.
Beware -- The one Sunday I went was way below their standards for flavor, quality and quantity.
Go during the week. I have become a convert and addict.
I've bashed this place in the past, went back about a week ago....and Istill hold my previous opinion. I don't find anything that's good here. I had a variety of the tacos....previously I've tried the fish tacos. I just didn't dig the quality of the ingredients, the prep, the dining environments, and the tortilla...nothing good about this place for me. No Mas!
ReplyDeletebandini, do they prepare their carne asada tacos with gooey cheese too? not really into chorizo but i saw that you gave this place the highest taco ranking in your westside section. where would you suggest for best carne asada tacos? and also who offers the best CA tacos at a late time. thanks, i like tacos and i like this blog.
ReplyDeleteOk, I actually drove over to Tacos Por Favor to try out the Chorizo/Cheese taco and it was really good. The carne asada also had great flavor. I liked the al pastor taco the least. Will definitely go back.
ReplyDeleteeatdrinkbemerry,
ReplyDeleteonly the chorizo come with cheese but i'm sure you could ask them to add cheese to any taco.
Best carne asada tacos are at El Parian 1528 Pico Blvd 90015 . Best carne asada I've ever had.
as far as a late night option can't go wrong with the El Pecas #2 truck at olympic and la brea 7pm to Midnight(later on the weekend)
Bandini, have you tried the Rudy's taco truck on the corner of Venice/Cattaraugus? I heard they've been there for nearly 10 years and have even been featured on the news. $1.15 tacos, best i've ever had - juicy, flavorful. I went there TWO NIGHTS in a row.
ReplyDeleterudy's or rico's?
ReplyDeletethere is a truck called rico's that is near venice and cattaragus
Dear Taco Buddha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog. Thank you for your Taco expertise. Thank you for introducing me to TACOS POR FAVOR!
Coworkers and I have been to Tacos Por Favor for last 2 years hoping it will get better.
ReplyDeleteFood quality and output is marginal, and inconsistent. It's food, but it's not amazing. Very heavy on the raw onions. Not as great as the write up says.
Bandini, Fantastic site! I've been a loyal patron of Tacos Por Favor for quite sometime, but really never tried the chorizo and cheese tacos. I took your advice and ordered two earlier today! Absoultely fantastic! Thanks for the heads up, and keep up the great work
ReplyDeleteok - enjoyed it the first time and recently tried it a second time, making sure to order the chorizo taco based on your advice. i must say the chorizo was unlike any chorizo I've experienced elsewhere. it was incredibly flavorful. but most of all, it was a palpable meat substance vs. a ground, greased blotch (which it is most places, let's face it)...i condone your review wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteI love this place! The chorizo & cheese taco is insanely good. Only complaint is how busy it can be.
ReplyDeleteJust tried it last night. Smells like a real Mexican kitchen and the tacos put my former favorite taco place to shame!
ReplyDeleteok...call me a snob...BUT what does a guy from L.A. (who maybe never left L.A.) know about good tacos???? Have you been south of the border? What are you comparing these tacos to?
ReplyDeletesnob
ReplyDeleteOne can SAY anything about anything but the last word goes to the tacos. They speak for themselves. Taco Por Favor is one of the best. TacoGator
ReplyDeleteBreakfast critique:
ReplyDeleteHuevos A (Huevos con Chorizo A++ sin duda)
Burritos B (Breakfast burrito with your choice of meat or the Sanchez; fits perfectly in your cupholder so you can grub at red lights on the way to work; the morning slowness of Olympic near the 405 never tasted so good)
Omelettes C
9/10 octogenarians eat jalapeños with their breakfast
i just had lunch again at tacos por favor... a carne asada burrito.. it was awesome as usual... i gotta say, if king taco ever closes down, tacos por favor will be my favorite burrito ever!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. BTW: The chile verde plate is excellent.
ReplyDeletei see your finally back on the streets of LA thats cool. im still waiting for you to hit up the barrigones in south gate. im teling you theres not one meat that aint good at that place.most places have one or 2 god one this place has 7 great meats to serve you. some grilled onions. and lemons to compliment the plate. As a matter of fact im heading that way. but im going to tasste these chorizo and cheese tacos. they sound good?
ReplyDeleteTRY THE HARD SHELL CHICKEN TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!! That's all I have to say- I think they taste best without the sour cream...almost as good as Juanita's in the Inland Emprire
ReplyDeleteNot my favorite, but my LA native of many years wife insists they have the best carnitas she has ever had. And we have been to 100's of these Mexican restaurants.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the best hard shredded beef tacos? Where the shell are actually fried with the beef inside?
I went there with my coworker last week and I have to say I'm VERY disappointed. Maybe I ate at the wrong Tacos Por Favor on Olympic and 14th, but this place was three thumbs down. Their tacos my be a little bigger than your average taco, but they are way overpriced. Number one rule of a good taco joint is cheap (around $1...not $2 like most of their tacos). Number two is cheap neon lights advertising Tacos, Tortas, Burritos. Number three is a 1980's Zenith TV playing soccer televised en espanol. TPF broke all three golden rules. I should have bolted as soon as I saw a bunch of yuppies eating here. I ate two asada, one pastor, one chorizo. The asada was OK, but both the chorizo and pastor were dry like grandpa's skin in winter time. No grease was dripping from my tacos, what's up with that?!?!
ReplyDeletewhoever posted above is an imbecile. if you're put off by neon signs and telemundo then go to taco bell and get your crappy $.99 tacos and let the rest of us "yuppies" enjoy the best mexican food on the west side.
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias for such a great blog! We travel to LA quite often so I will check out some of your recommended joints.
ReplyDeleteJust went there for lunch...
ReplyDeleteChorizo and cheese tacos were great for the reasons already mentioned!
Carna asada mediocre bordering on terrible as it was rubbery, and not very flavorful.
Crispy shell Chicken tacos were also very good. Chicken was good - not amazing, but the crispy oily shell and generous helping of sour cream and guac more than made up for this minor shortcoming.
been to tacos please, and i wasnt pleased and its very exspncive, theres many better taco places close buy and half the price.actually me and a buddy of mine who are taco lovers agreed that taco please is in a good location to survive cause there food to be honest sucks..
ReplyDeleteThis place is good for its location. I work at fred segal and frequent it often. never had the chorizo taco's. but i will say one of my favorites is the milanesa torta. ohhh shit so good.
ReplyDeleteps - you've inspired me to do my own taco blog. thx bandini. you are the king
labrowndolphin.blogspot.com
TPF- ask for a Veggie burrito WITH shrimp. Killah
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias for such a great blog! We travel to LA quite often so I will check out some of your recommended joints.
ReplyDeletewhoever posted above is an imbecile. if you're put off by neon signs and telemundo then go to taco bell and get your crappy $.99 tacos and let the rest of us "yuppies" enjoy the best mexican food on the west side.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. BTW: The chile verde plate is excellent.
ReplyDeletei see your finally back on the streets of LA thats cool. im still waiting for you to hit up the barrigones in south gate. im teling you theres not one meat that aint good at that place.most places have one or 2 god one this place has 7 great meats to serve you. some grilled onions. and lemons to compliment the plate. As a matter of fact im heading that way. but im going to tasste these chorizo and cheese tacos. they sound good?
ReplyDeleteJust tried it last night. Smells like a real Mexican kitchen and the tacos put my former favorite taco place to shame!
ReplyDeleteI love this place! The chorizo & cheese taco is insanely good. Only complaint is how busy it can be.
ReplyDeleteellen,
ReplyDeletehavn't tried the chile relleno burrito.
I've actually only had one chile relleno burrito and it was from Tere's on melrose and it was really good.
i'll have to try TPF's version so I can compare the two
This place is good for its location. I work at fred segal and frequent it often. never had the chorizo taco's. but i will say one of my favorites is the milanesa torta. ohhh shit so good.
ReplyDeleteps - you've inspired me to do my own taco blog. thx bandini. you are the king
labrowndolphin.blogspot.com
The hard shell tacos are very good. However they lack grease and 2 asada tacos were 6 bucks!!! I usually go there in the morning for breakfast burritos which are very good (plus i blog about them on my site greaseweek :) TPF is very good but it's also the only game in town. I can't think of another serviceable Mexican eatery in a 2 mile radius??
ReplyDeleteChorizo & Cheese tacos are the business. Breakfast burritos w/sausage are my addiction. I concur that their salsa roja rivals King Taco. I give King Taco the nod for having a little bit better flavor but oh TPF salsa roja spreads soooo smoothly and doesn't run whatsoever. Chicken hard tacos are good as well, but I get chorizo and cheese tacos if I'm going for lunch.
ReplyDeleteOverall a little pricey but this eastsider is still willing to pay for it, so it MUST be good, right?