Arturo's Puffy Taco

California’s only puffy taco spot and a fun piece of Tex-Mex history. The puffy taco is more of a novelty than a standout—it tastes just like the shell of a taco salad, with the same texture and flavor. The taco plate is the real winner here. For $13, you get two puffy tacos, rice, beans, and chips—a hearty meal and a great value compared to ordering tacos individually. Tips: *Cash only!! *Plenty of parking *Indoor counter seating and outdoor tables available *Quick, friendly service makes it an easy stop for lunch Worth visiting once to experience California’s only puffy taco and grab a filling plate without breaking the bank.

During a recent trip to LA, i had the distinct pleasure of meeting the staff and also eating at this landmark restaurant. I can say hands down delicious tacos but for certain the best cheese and bean burrito i have ever eaten. Food- Excellent. Simple Mexican food done with years of mastery and passion. The namesake Puffy taco , comes in a fried crispy tortilla , packed full of carne or pollo. Delicious slow cooked chicken or rich beef. Large portions as well: The stand out to me however was that burrito , and after talking to the staff it made sense. Slow cooked beans , stirred together with the melted fat of all that delicious beef!! Outstanding. Service- Staff were fast and couldn’t have been friendlier. I had a chance to talks with them and learn about this restaurant and its rich heritage in the area. Warm and welcoming. Value- I mean it’s LA but this was by far one of the cheaper eats i had. Well worth the money. Go/No Go—- GOOOOOO!!! Can’t wait to get back there.

Came here on a LA taco tour, I didn't find too many puffy taco places just this one. Thank God I did. These are THE BEST crunchyish "white people" taco out here. The meat is actually seasoned, the produce is fresh, the sauce is bright and flavorful, and the crunch of those shell and even the taquito shell was amazing. I will be returning every time I'm in LA

Not many parking spaces so we had to park around the block on a neighborhood street. Ordered, then saw their sign that said "cash only". Lucky I had enough cash on me. There is some indoor seating but there were at least 1/2 dozen tables outside so people like me can bring our pets:) The food was great, the puffy tacos, beans, rice and salsas, but my tacos had split on the bottom so it was like a messy taco sandwich! I would definitely go back because the staff is friendly and the green salsa was so tasty, reasonable prices, and I search out places where I don't have to leave my dog at home:) Make this place a chain!

It was good but nothing spectacular. Not something I'm going to crave again soon. It was good quality and I'd eat their bean and cheese burrito again but I don't think the puffy taco was my jam. I can see how others might feel it was life changing. I did not but don't let it stop you from giving them a shot. The quality was top tier!

The tacos are delicious. The shell is light and crispy. I like the ground beef the best, but the pork is good too.

Place is off the charts classic ground beef tacos friendly service and to top it off picture of little Joe lol

Happy place . Will be one of my all time favorites from here on out . Shout out to the staff cause happy people make happy food makes happy people !!!!

The ground beef puffy tacos are so good! This is a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant in the Whittier area. Shares their parking lot with U-Haul, with both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Staff were super friendly and we will definitely be back!

My daughter and I gave this spot a go for the first time and we both liked it! Their green salsa is delicious and spicy! Asada is well seasoned and delicious as if it was home cooked; very clean bathroom including the inside dining area and the outside too, friendly workers/service. I strongly recommend you give this restaurant a go. *During my next visit I'll be sure to upload pics of my order.

Wow! Heard of this place from another trade I was working with. It's been six months before I was able to try it and boy was it worth the wait and drive (Santa Ana). When you think crunchy or crispy tacos two things come to mind. Taco shell jabbing your gums or a disintegrated shell. Not here. Crispy outer and softer inner. Taco has a nice crunch and holds together. Choice of protein ( asada, carnitas, chicken, ground beef and a stewed beef) lettuce, tomato, cheese and choice of red or green salsa (spicy). IMO they're all delicious. Just depends on how you feel. I also ordered two all meat burrito, cheese and salsa. 8 for an all meat burrito. That's a bargain and it will fill you up. Well, it filled me up anyways and 2 tacos lol. I will say this. If you can dine in, do it. Tacos are fresh and crispy. I came back and ordered to go. Tacos were still delicious, but lost their crunchiness. Anyways, I highly recommend this place to all that love crispy tacos. You will not be disappointed.

First thing to know, this is a CASH ONLY food stand, but they do have an ATM inside if you need it... If it's your first visit to Puffy Taco you MUST get their famous Puffy Taco! They are sooooo good and unique! They also have the best avocado cream sauce! This place has been here forever and was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It's a small walk up place where you order through a window, and everything they serve is delicious! It's family owned with long time recipes that are really good! We love the Puffy Tacos and the Taquitos Texanos! Then we usually get something else different each time! Definitely worth the trip!

8/1/2025 today I went to Arturo's puffy taco and order the all meat burrito and the giant burrito. My father was eating the giant burrito. Halfway in the burrito my father found this piece of plastic in it. I gathered all the food we bought and drove back to the restaurant. When I showed the food and plastic to manager he was surprised. He did apologize. I asked for full refund and they grant it. Do be cautious when you eat there.

When in the area Arturo's Puffy Taco always hits the spot when you're craving Tex-mex. It's a humble taco stand with limited seating and a walk-up window to order your food. The prices are reasonable and there's always a line of people waiting to satisfy their craving.

I crave this place every day. The asada puffy tacos are the best tacos I ever had. I love how much salsa they give because I drench my tacos in that salsa. Highly recommend!

Amazing fresh Mexican food and service with a smile. The beautiful owner is so kind and takes pride in the food she serves. The tacos are the best! Had a puffy taco w ground beef which was perfection and a hard shell chicken taco. Fantastic!

Best carne guisada or chicken crunchy tacos in the world there so delicious and there salsa is really tasty they put a good amount of meat with all the toppings cheese tomatoes onions salsa omg there so good always our spot for crunchy tacos or taquitos or other foods they serve but I just love the carne guisada tacos

I've been coming here for about 20 years now and they are always amazing. My favorite is the carne guisada Puffy Taco plate and the rolled corn dogs are yummy too. The horchata today was also very yummy!

Cashier was nice and respectful- establishment was clean- service was quick- I ordered the red burrito with rice- the flavor was good but tooooi salty!! It would be delicious if it wasn't so salty! I tried both the red and green salsa on tortilla chips we had at home and both were spicy and delicious. I've tried their tacos in the past and they were pretty good. Would I order the burrito again? Probably not.

I have wanted to eat here for many years but since I don't live nearby it just never worked out. Happened to be in the area so gave the place a try...... that being said WHY THE F**K DID I WAIT SO LONG?!??!? the carne asada tacos were absolutely delicious and the green salsa I would fight someone for the last container. Now I might need to route all my weekend errands near this place so I can get my puffy taco fix! by the way they also sell something called crispy dogs... hotdogs with cheese wrapped in corn tortilla and fried, my husband loved them. They have something for everyone on the menu, don't wait as long as I did to eat here!

3.85768 stars I've been waiting a very long time to go to Arturo's Puffy Taco and here I was in Whittier ready for Arturo's. It's a fast casual situation where you order at the window and seat yourself. Indoor seating is very limited where the tables and seats are interesting, but charming, and a little dilapidated? We ordered two infamous puffy tacos with picadillo or ground beef ($3.70). They come heaped with lettuce, cheese, salsa. They're quite substantial in size. Taste wise - they're a lot like Americanized tacos sans the sour cream, etc. The puffy tacos were giving what they needed to give - crunchy, cheesy, ground beef-ing. They're good and flavorful with a soft crunch from the puffy shell. Arturo's Puffy Taco was everything I thought it'd be and more.

Wasn't happy with the service. Could have been better. Waited a long time for the order. I've been coming here since the early 90s, usually have a good experience but maybe it was just an off day now? Who knows.. The tacos are amazing, the place is ok when you go to sit down. Sometimes its dirty. I'll update on the next experience.

Puffy tacos remind me of Navajo tacos aka Indian tacos but crunchier, we decided to give it a try. We ordered every flavor meat except the carnitas and by far the carne guizada was the best. It's described as stew meat, or in my opinion beef in red chili sauce (not spicy at all). Simple establishment with a small seating area inside and one outside. Glad we finally stopped by.

Since 1978, Arturo's Puffy Taco has been serving up its own version of Tex-Mex, with a unique twist on the tortillas. Quite possibly, the most well-known eatery in Whittier. Their puffy taco is famous. The ground beef puffy taco is the number one bestseller, followed by the carne asada. I ordered both with salsa on the side. i also got the Bean & Cheese Burrito. Everything was good, including the salsa. There is an atm inside, which is convenient because its cash only here. The service is friendly and there's plenty of parking. Arturo's is worth a visit.

The food was pretty good but the place inside and out needs a huge makeover. I grew up in Whittier and never visited Puffy Taco before.

Their signature puffy taco is great! The rest of the menu is good, but not great. Limited seating.

I've been wanting to try this place for years and I was excited to finally try it. The food was just ok... I was honestly and sadly a little underwhelmed. I think it is a little over hyped. I love crispy and hard taco shells so I was excited to try them. They were a little soggy and didn't stay together as best I'd hoped. Carne asada was just ok as well.. Ambiance is extremely fast casual. Either take them to go or eat at the 10 tables they have indoor or out. Everything was just ok.

I love their puffy tacos and the service is always on point! It's been awhile since I have gotten lunch from here, but it's never a disappointment.

While the Tacos are very good and even though I think the Price compared to the size of the Taco is off to me, I would stop by if I was looking for good Tacos. I had the Picadillo Tacos and they were very good. My Son had Tacos as well and said his were excellent but I forget what he had. It was good. 9.0 on the Tacos. 3.0 on the price. YALLHOLLAATCHABOY

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. We happened to be driving through the area and finally stopped. We got a taco plate with a carne asada taco and a chicken taco. It came with beans and a huge portion of rice. The tacos were pretty good, but they were small. In fact, my husband had to order two more tacos because he was still hungry. I'd give this place four stars if the prices were more reasonable. I was expecting them to taste more like Navajo tacos, but they didn't come close.

4+ This place is known for their puffy tacos - a popular Tex-Mex food item invented by the family in San Antonio and the item (and a some of the family) eventually found their way to Southern California. I'm not a historian, so I will get back to the restaurant/ food. The shell of the puffy taco is a fried disc of masa until it puffs up and out so it could hold the fillings and toppings. If you like crispy hard shell tacos, but wish there was a slight chew, this is probably the food item for you! Been on my list of (taco) places to try for awhile. It's a bit far from where I live, but not too far from where I'm working at the moment. Decided to come here for dinner one night. The place itself is kind of a small restaurant/ food stand complete with ordering window. There's some seating on the inside/ outside, but not a lot. Because it is like a fast casual / ordering window spot, the interaction with the folks was limited, but they were friendly and helpful. I ordered: A taco de Picadillo (ground beef) and a taco de carne asada. I figured these were the most popular items. I enjoyed the different texture this taco has and the tacos here had definitely an old school taste /flavor to them. I could see why this place is popular for this unique take on one of my favorite foods. I also got the taquitos w/ avocado sauce. Freshly prepared and crispy. Great flavor and the mild sauce is such a great pairing to this. A little difficult to get out here from where I live but definitely a great spot I would go to if I were in the area.

The food is tasty! I came here as Arturo's was featured in the recent LA Times 100 Best Tacos is LA. The puffy taco was wonderfully crunchy; in a crunchy taco girl. The only thing that was average was the ground beef filling. I know these are fighting words, but I prefer shredded beef in crunchy tacos. However, the enchiladas are AMAZING! The combo plates are filling as you get enchiladas, tacos, beans and rice. This is a no frills place and they only take cash. There's a small parking lot in front so be prepared to wait it the spots are taken. While not my favorite taco place, it's a solid option if I'm craving enchiladas.

First time trying Arturo's Puffy Taco. It wasn't bad but it wasn't what I expected. I'd heard the taco shells are fried in a way that makes them....puffy. Sounded interesting, the two tacos I had didn't have puffy tortilla shells. They were still good. The taquitos were ok, obviously not real guacamole but still good. Glad I tried Arturo's but not sure I'd rush back. The young lady who took my order was very nice and very polite, always a plus. The lady who gave me my order was also very nice. There are a few tables outside and tables in the small dining room which was clean. This place only takes cash but they have an ATM in the dining room if needed. The service fee to use this machine is $3.50. As I said, glad I stopped by Arturo's and would possibly stop in again and try something else.

The food is great! We came years ago and had to go back when we came back in Nov 2024. The service is even better and so friendly! Love this spot!

I've been here a few times because my husband is obsessed with hard-shell tacos, especially puffy tacos, and there aren't many places in LA that serve them. There are days when we'll make the drive just to get Arturo's Puffy Tacos. So, my review isn't really about the food. The food is good, and we've never had an issue--until our last visit about a month ago. We got our food and started eating when I realized we needed some extra utensils and plates. I went up to the counter where an older gentleman was preparing orders, and the younger guy who had taken our order was there as well. I asked the younger guy for a couple of forks and an extra plate, when the older man looked at me and said, "Say PLEASE." It caught me off guard; I thought he was joking, so I asked, "Excuse me?" He repeated it, this time more seriously. I wasn't rude--I thanked him for the extra items--but I was surprised by his comment. I wondered if it was just his personality or a quirk, so I listened to other customer interactions since I was sitting close to the counter. Most customers didn't say please, he didn't comment, and in fact, he was actually friendly to them. So, was he joking just to me? Was there some other reason behind his remark? Whatever it was, it felt demeaning and left a bad taste in my mouth about Arturo's. I'm sure it won't make much difference to your business since you're doing well, but you've lost us as customers.

Small little spot with delicious food especially the puffy tacos and welcoming and friendly staff can't go wrong

Was in town today and I decided to stop by Arturo's Puffy Taco. My very first experience here was was over 30 years ago and it was just as amazing today as it was 30 years ago. The taste of the taco's brought me back to many years ago and I look forward to visiting them again soon.

I have always wanted to try this Whittier landmark: Arturo's Puffy Tacos. I am never in the area enough to stop by until last week. Puffy tacos are good! Do yourself a favor get the salsa "on the side". Less messy and won't get as soggy if you add the salsa yourself. Green salsa is spicy and pretty good. The red salsa taste like a fresh version of Pace Picante jar stuff; not bad, it works for this type of Americanized Tex-Mex tacos. Cash only and there is an ATM inside. Service was polite and food comes out quickly.

This has been on my "wish list" for so long! Finally I decided to stop by and I am so glad I did. To start, the staff is super friendly. The woman who took my order was great and the man who gave me my food was so nice. I ordered the picadillo taco platter that comes with 1 taco, beans, and rice. I also got some horchata and a side of the avocado sauce (it is not guacamole; it's a creamy smooth avocado sauce). They only take cash, so please come prepared. It didn't take too long to receive my order but the food was hot and fresh. The taco was delightfully crispy and reminded me somewhat of the way my parents used to make tacos growing up. I had the red salsa on the side instead of on the taco since I don't like "wet" tacos and wanted to add however much I need. It was perfect, not spicy but flavorful, and the extra salsa was delicious poured over the rice. I really enjoyed my meal and was so happy to finally try this place! Great food, great staff, and fair prices. I will definitely be back!

We have been eating at Puffy Taco since 1979! Can't beat that puffy taco shell! Add the all-beef burrito - both my go-to forever! -Corvette guy

This place felt like some sort of time capsule to me. Everything about this place felt very nostalgic- the interior seating, old pictures on the wall, uncomfortable seating, simplicity of the menu and the puffy taco itself- all of the flavors- chicken, ground beef, carnitas & stewed beef. My favorite was the ground beef. I would recommend getting the sauce on the side because my taco fell apart so I couldn't eat it the way a taco is supposed to be eaten, by hand. I also tried the taquitos that had this green "guacamole" sauce and tasted just like taquitos I used to have in school from the cafeteria- I haven't tasted that for so long and it took me by (pleasant) surprise. The food is fresh and has unique flavors. It's worth trying at least once so go get your puffy taco today. And don't let the area scare you away.

My favorite Mexican restaurant in the world. I will continue to eat here until I die.

It's has plenty of parking, limited indoor seating, great memorialbilia to see and read, the person taking orders was polite and professional. A big plus for me she was happy , seemed to like her position and that is what makes eating here a good experience. I got the asada tacos , good taste, nice fluffy taco. The salsa is not to my standard however I understand it's from Texas. I like the real indigenous salsa that has flavorful taste and kick to it,that makes you come back for more. This is not that salsa. The tables were not clean, had to do it myself. The question is would I come back? Would I bring someone here? Yes! I will come back for the tacos!!!! not the salsa or aguas they are not fresh you can taste the powder. It's right next to the uhaul rental place.

i'm from texas so i was excited to try this place since it has been years since i had a puffy taco. full disclosure, i prefer california mexican food to tex-mex, but i will say there is a time a place for tex-mex, and my usual rules of balance in the acid, fat and fiber content of the food go out the window; you get tex-mex when you're in the mood for a degenerate level of carbs and heinous amounts cheese. saying there was too much cheese on your tex-mex plate is like going to a strip club and saying there are too many fake boobs on the dancers- while that is technically valid complaint, you won't get any sympathy from your friends because that's the whole point of going there. in other words i refuse hold the restaurant accountable because i'm simply not man enough to handle it. i got the enchilada plate, which had 2 enchiladas, 1 puffy taco, chips, salsa and of course, beans and rice. portions were good, flavors were spot on, and for some reason i tend to judge mexican restaurants on their beans and rice. to me, they pass the test. the value for the dollar is decent but not exceptional. they only accept cash, there's limited seating, and parking may be hard to find during peak hours, but if you're in the mood for a good ol' San Antonio puffy, Arturo's will scratch that itch. my only complaint reflects more poorly on me than on the restaurant. i found there was just a little too much cheese..

These puffy tacos remind me of : the Diné people in New Mexico. They ware wonderful, and the location is cozy

YUMMMMM!!! the best taco and the service was good! i have been thinking about this taco since i first saw it on socials. we were coming by to drive to the last remaining sears in socal and oh my god i'm so happy we stopped by. the tacos were sooo fresh and flavorful and delicious... they got me perfectly. these tacos seriously hit the spot. we got a chicken, ground beef, carne asada, and al pastor taco. their ground beef tacos are sooo good, the meat is marinated and it's so delicious. i have stomach acid issues and they happily put the salsa on the side for us. the side of fries we got were so hot and fresh, a great pairing. i understand what some of the other reviewers mean with the cash only policy. there are signs at the ordering window but i didn't notice them until i tried to pay by card. lucky i had two twenties on me! they also have an atm inside which i would've happily ran to. everything was so DELICIOUS!!! i constantly think about these tacos now that ive had them and i'm really obsessed with them. i'm excited to stop back in, but remember, cash only!

I was trying to give this place 6 stars, but I think the Yelp app is broken. Anyway, what's not to love about yummy greasy tacos with cheese lettuce and salsa served in the best crispy puffy shell??? NOTHING!!!! You should be loving everything about this place. Ambiance is totally old school and the workers are all super legit and chill. Go here and you won't be disappointed

In the area for the week (Thanksgiving week) and if you know Whittier then, you know the city offers really great Mexican food. While browsing online, I stumbled upon Arturo's. It immediately brought me back to San Antonio, Texas where puffy tacos originated, OOoooo Tex-Mex! I fell in love with the original Rays Drive Inn and have been wanting to recreate these... meh just the thought of how much oil I would have to waste.. Thankfully Arturos came in clutch! Arrived just before the noon rush, the restaurant offers outdoor and indoor dinning. When you arrive the menu is there clear as day, decide what you want, order from the window (CASH ONLY), wait for your ticket to be called. Got the (All puffy shell) Carne Asada - 4/5 I love carne asada in general but this one lacked flavor and was a bit chewy Guisada - 5/5 pork stew, delicious! Chicken - 5/5 shredded, flavorful, would order again in a heart beat Original - 5/5 picadillo well-seasoned Fries - 5/5 Yes, came out hot and crispy I planned on ordering side of green salsa but changed my mind last min, the taco had everything in it, cheese, lettuce, salsa. Give them a try! Great Service! Outdoor seating! Dog friendly!

They are very responsive, customer-oriented and prompt to serve. They make sure you don't feel ignored while at the same time being patient and not rushing you to order.

This is the only place that I know of in So Cal that sells puffy tacos as I learned about puffy tacos from watching DDD. I love Mexican food and this place did not disappoint! Any of the protein options taste good in a puffy taco so pick what you prefer. But, don't sleep on the carne guisada as this is the only place that I have seen offer carne guisada so I highly recommend trying the it. It's like a beef stew. The puffy taco shell is light and everything just works together when you bite into it. This restaurant is next to a U-Haul business and parking during lunch hours may be harder to find. They are cash only $$$.

Came for the famous puffy tacos. I came, I saw and I conquered 2 puffy ground beef tacos. Definitely satisfies the craving for hard shell tacos. From Beginning to end, the staff are upbeat, welcoming and warm. Smiles across the board. Great positive environment. It's easy to understand why their puffy tacos taste so good, you have individuals that love what they do and it shows in the hospitality and food products. Definitely making my way back soon for another puffy taco.

I think this is much better to eat in person at the restaurant rather than take out. I only live 20 min away but even in those 20 min, the tacos got soggy on my way home. The restaurant is super tiny with only like 3-4 tables inside so only a few parties are able to fit. The bathroom is in the middle of the small dining area so it is a bit awkward to eat right next to the bathroom. The overall ambiance is super casual. The cashiers when I went seemed like a bunch of high school boys, which made me hesitant at first about their service. I had a lot of questions since it was my first time going, but they were really helpful and professional. One cashier had given me all his recommendations and I'm glad I took them! Overall, the food was good, but it wasn't spectacular. It was kinda salty in my opinion, but you could still eat and enjoy. The tacos were better than the tostadas and burritos. Next time, I will plan to eat the taco there instead of take out bc maybe that would make a difference in taste. I would also rate this a 3.5/5, but yelp didn't do half stars!

We were out in the La Habra area and were craving a taco for lunch. I had seen a post about Arturo's Puffy Tacos on Instagram, so since we were close to Whittier, we decided to go check it out. I ordered 2 puffy tacos - one asada and one guisada (which I wasn't sure what guisada was, but it sounded good when the guy described it). Turns out the guisada is kind of a beef stew meat - it's really tasty! I actually wish I would have gotten w of those since I liked it a lot better than the asada. Also, I like my salsa spicy - and their red salsa was pretty mild for my liking, so I asked if they had a spicier salsa, which they did - it was their green salsa. I really liked the puffy tortilla shell - it was light and tasty and a nice compliment to the taco meat! Next time we're in the area, we'll have to go back!!

BEST PLACE EVER 1000/10 would recommend the only tacos I ever want to eat they have nice staff and delicious food YUMMY

Been wanting to try this place out for awhile. After trying it at the OC fair, I knew I had to come here to try it. So glad I did because the OC fair was terrible. The tacos here were really good. The shell was crispy. You order at the window and the person helping me was sweet. There were a few small tables around the building and a few tables inside. The parking lot is shared with a U-Haul business. Will definitely be back to get more puffy tacos.

The all beef burrito is cubed Asada and man it tastes great! It has cheese inside and your choice of sauce but I chose it on the side. I got both the red and green sauce thinking that the green was mild and the red would be hot but I was wrong. The chicken puffy tacos is packed and tasty. This is a cash only place and they have Asada, pollo and carnitas. No Al pastor which was a disappointment but the Asada turned out to be great. I ordered my food to go but glanced inside the building. Their were a couple of four person seats and a couple of two person seatings. It's not fancy at all in the dining area. The service was order outside and go inside to dine or wait for your number to be called and pickup food from the outside. Parking is limited which they share the parking area with uHaul. Come on over and enjoy yourself a burrito and tacos or quesadilla or burger.

First time here and I really didn't like the tacos. They are heavy on the shredded lettuce, heavy on jack cheese and a small amount of asada.