Tacos Por Favor
1406 Olympic Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310) 392-5768
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
120 Reviews for Tacos Por Favor
One of Tacos Por Favor's Favorite Reviews
You can always tell a place is good when you see a line coming out the door. This is my favorite little Mexican joint, and we go at least twice a week for lunch.
I wouldn't say it was super cheap, but it wont break the wallet like some other places for your standard tacos, rice and beans. I always say you can always tell how authentic ethnic food is by how spicy it is, and some dishes will make you sweat all the way home.
Once we saw Luke Wilson eating lunch, and having a couple beers without a care in the world. Is Luke Wilson better than us, no way, so we had to have some beers too. Now when we have a beer at lunch, we call it a luke wilson day.
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If you get the Al Pastor Burrito and message me that it wasn't amazing I will automatically reduce my rating by one star. No reason to get chicken at this place. Stick with the meat and save the chicken for El Pollo Loco. Tacos Por Favor rocks!
This 'restaurant' is not hype, it is the real deal. I use the term restaurant loosely, since its more of a cafeteria. The hours and the parking are terrible (they close at 8 PM), but this is the freshest, best tasting Mexican food I have had in Los Angeles. I've had a bit of everything, but my favorites are the Chorizo and Cheese soft tacos (try these at least once) and the Chicken soft tacos.
There is usually a line out the door at lunch time, but the line moves quickly. The only parking that I'm aware of is metered parking on Olympic -- but I've only had trouble finding a spot once or twice. This is not a place for dates or to bring business contacts, its great for a low key lunch.
The two soft taco combo meal (served with beans and rice) is $5.95. They also serve cerveza.
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Although I much rather eat my tacos from a Taco Truck or King Taco, I give Tacos Por Favor 4 stars because it sits close up there as being one of my guilty pleasures in West LA. I'm a carne asada girl and TPF's steak can definitely hit the spot to satisfy my Mexican craving. It also helps that their red hot sauce is on FIRE and that they give you fresh chips with all the marinated carrots/jalapenos, pico de gallo and lime that you want. A little pricier then some Mexican joints, but you definitely get your moneys worth if you binge on their free condiments just right and do not waste it.
Lines can get really long during lunch, but the trick is to call in advance and place your order to avoid the wait. Just hop in your car, drive in a circle to find metered parking, hike a block to get to the door, go straight to the register to pay for your food (making sure to order a cup of their watermelon juice), stock up on the free condiments and the choice is yours; take to go or dine in!
the parking situation is worth it for good, authentic Mexican food out in Santa Monica. Be careful j-walking, there are cops in the area around the skate park.
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Ok, like TPF needs a 125th review. But if yr still reading, this place is very refreshing in a low-key way. And Tasteee.
Chicken fajitas and the carnitas plus the chips were more than we could handle--but in a good way. Didn't really dig too deep into the chips but we saved them cuz they're very good. Or maybe we're just cheap and hate to waste.
The meat and the veggies were above average, good flavor and not too dry. The guac was creamy and very good. Portions are big, prices are reasonable. And they have Mexican sodas plus other drinks. Would be into trying more next time.
This place is somewhere you might not consider going to until (unless) a friend tells you about it. Listen to your friend and swing by.
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This place is really good. I think it's a 4.5/5 but I'm gonna boost it up to 5 because it deserves it.
As other posters have said, there is usually a line out the door, especially at lunch time. Most people are getting take out so there is always room to eat in. The tacos and burritos are delicious and worth the wait (it's rarely more than 10 minutes i think).
As some may know, I have been looking for the best breakfast burrito (good price, good amount of food, sausage/chorizo, egg, cheese, salsa, little to no hashbrowns). This place makes an excellent breakfast burrito. It's super filling. The salsa is spicy but not overpowering. They make it without hashbrowns or very little. It also comes with chips. The one downside is that it's a little on the expensive side ($5 I think).
I used to work at Universal Studios and there the breakfast burrito is $3 and comparably good, if a little greasier.
I used to work in walking distance of Tacos por Favor and it was always a great excuse to get out of the office for lunch, or grab a great breakfast that was quick but wasn't fast food.
You know how you can leave a Chinese restaurant with your taste buds buzzing probably all hopped up on msg? Tacos Por Favor is like that but, instead of msg, think pepper. I left there just now literally smacking my lips.
From what little I have been there, the chorizo + cheese hard taco is a particular specialty very worth the $2.70 because what you get is so chock full of lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream and other goodness, it pours out onto the plate. Plus, they give you chips. So, what you get, in effect, is a mini meal. Head over to the salsa bar and load up on the standard tapatia, verde, pico de gallo and peppers with carrots. So, for $2.70, you've got yourself chips and salsa, a taco and the collateral damage is really a side salad. Some places won't even give you chips. In comparison, this is generous. Very generous. I love generous.
Next time, I have to try the al pastor soft taco and the Sandia (watermelon) drink.
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My relationship with Taco por Favor started hot and heavy. I have to have it a few times a week. Then circumstances changed (see original post) and all I have left is the memories of the good times.
However I keep coming back to this place even though the passion is gone perhaps to reminisce. But each time the cold dry tortilla, bland chili verde and ungrilled torta left a bad taste in my mouth.
Today like a creature of habit I wonder into my old squeeze and was treated to an explosion of flavor on my chili verde. Deep green sauce, pork cooked sufficiently in the sauce to pick up the coloring and the extra kick from the chilis. This is how it was when I fell for this place.
I am upgrading to 3 for now. In case this is just a one time teaser that hark back to the good old days.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
05/25/2008
Fresh Mexican fare; free salsa made from Roma tomatoes and great guacamole.
This place used to be my… Read more »
The tacos were pretty standard, the salsa was just ok. Tacos por Favor would have lived up to my authentic mexican dream if they served lengua and cabeza, like the best taco trucks do...
Great out of the way and divey place for authentic Mexican. I really wanted this place to live up to all of it's five star ratings but it is not quite that perfect. It is certainly one of the better places for Mexican in the area, especially if you think that a good salsa/condiment bar and real watermelon agua fresca define a great taco joint. However, I can not quite justify a perfect rating for a place that doesn't even have machaca (shredded beef) crispy tacos on the menu (chopped carne asada was the closest alternative). The menudo was also good but not amazing and the same could be said for the breakfast burrito. They do have a large menu so I will have to try more items and update my review later.
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The Good: I've bookmarked this place for awhile and was glad to see a high rated taco place next to me. Well I knew it was too good to be true. This place is what Yelp 2 gold stars stand for Meh. I like the free chips and lots of them, but other than that I'd take a taco from anywhere else before I'd go here again.
The Bad: Below average tacos and they are $2 a pop. I've had better for $1. Parking is horrible, just meter parking and if you miss one you have to drive about 1 mile to get back because of the middle block, not their fault I know. Total hole in the wall, I felt like I was in a TJ restaurant.
The Ben: Pass, just keep going. I would say make your way to Jack in the Box instead...yeah I said it!
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Brave the long lunch lines and enjoy cheap Mexican food at its best. Tacos? Yes, please! Eat in or get it to go either way it's all good, but don't forget to grab a bag of spicy carrots before heading back to work.
Random insider note: If you're looking for an architect to design your next home head to Tacos Por Favor for lunch...there's a ton of architecture offices in the area and you'll probably be in line with the next Frank Gehry.
Why go to La Salsa when you have Tacos Por Favor down the street?
This is by far my favorite mexican restaurant in Santa Monica. The carnitas soft tacos are awesome and I get at least three every time.
Be sure to load up on the self serve salsa and jalapeños.
There is a reason that there is always a line out the door at lunch time - the food is amazing. The service is fast and you won't be disappointed. I have ordered from here several times and have never been disappointed.
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Tacos por favor, por favor! Amazing wrapped in a tortilla. Stopped here with a non-profit group after a day at the beach for a post-event lunch. Totally hit the spot. The place is GINORMOUS...no problems finding seats for our group of 15+. Super fast, super friendly service..even for a group as large as ours. We WILL be back!
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It seems like a good place. I just don't like Mexican food that much. The people that work here seem very proud. They have hit the jackpot. They are going to charge you an extra buck for that Mexican coca cola. I lived in Hermosillo Mexico about ten years ago and went to a place like this and spent like one dollar. I guess I am just jaded but pretty cool place- not pretentious and attracts a lot of blue collar types plus anyone who likes authentic mexican food will not be disappointed.
NOTE: I started going here more and the food is super good (for mexican)....I'm raising my rating by one star.
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Pretty decent Mexican and they have a good sized menu. Tried out the Carne Asada Nachos. You can also get the nachos with chicken or carnitas if the carne asada is not your thing. The nachos were really yummy. Fresh chips...both greasy and salty! Delicious! :) The nachos have beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. Decent portions too...$5.99. Basically everything I saw people eating looked awesome. The food came really fast. There is lots of seating and they do take credit cards. This place is nothing fancy but they have really good food. I would definitely come again
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Legit salsa and the tacos to match.
I have to say that I've actually been inside. We had their food catered and it was so good. The salsas were super tasty and spicy. The vegi and steak tacos/burritos were so good. I was surprised that they could taste so good at a catering event.
I really want to go there and eat inside. I'm really curious to learn if the food will be that much better once inside.
Don't half step. Grab your tacos and walk across the street to the skatepark and watch the kids shred.
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When I worked in the area - i would go there all the time and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Inexpensive but tasty, hearty burritos with minimal wait time. Actually just writing about it makes me want to go there right now.
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Plain and simple - this is just damn good Mexican food. They've been running a Cemitas Poblanas sandwich special for the past 4 weeks that's been bringing me back - choice of meat (I recommend milanesa), fresh avocado, red onion, a hearty slab of cotija cheese, and chipotle peppers. You won't go wrong with their Chile Colorado (yummy stewed red pork) or any of the taco options for that matter. Oh ya, cerveza is available as well. Enjoy your meal... I always do!
Sat. morning and i wanted tacos. Yes, I said morning. They open early. Yippee for me.I read so many great reviews so I decided it was time to check out the scene.
We ordered the sopas, chick n beef tacos, huevos rancheros, quesadilla, gucamole, rice, black beans(did i mention i was hungry!) We were quite happy with our humgous meal. I'm happy to say it was not GREASY. The salsa was fresh. Thumbs up for this taqueria on the westside.
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Finally I was able to try the infamous tacos on the westside, AND, I was not disappointed! The only thing that was westisde about it was prize and endless menu choices, going beyond the typical meat stuff. My personal favorites were potatoes, spinach, mushrooms fillings for tacos and burritos. What a great idea! And it wasn't that greasy at all! Breakfast, lunch, combinations, tostadas, tortas, salads, and desserts, and aguas frescas, plus, freshly made chips and salsa, really tasty and you can fill the difference! Will be back for another lunch shortly!
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FINALLY delicious tacos on the westside! thanks to kat n. for bringing me here after our farmers' market jaunt in the middle of a badass heatwave.
the large horchata (can it BE any bigger?) was the perfect size to share as we dug into our generously-filled tacos.
i tried a potato taco & it was quite good, better than the ones at don antonio's b/c it seems they pan-fry chunks of them to give them a nice, crunchy edge. DA's just scoops mashed potatoes into a crunchy shell. i will never look at them the same way again.
the fish tacos were even better. i loved that they weren't heavily battered, but still fried up nice & crunchy. & there was lots of it.
everything at the salsa bar was freshfreshfresh. & you can take home an 8 oz. tub for $2.75, probably less than it would cost to make yourself with food prices these days.
can't wait to go back & try their burritos.
service was prompt & no-frills, parking was a bit difficult. & the fans spread out around the rooms did an ok job at keeping the place cool, even with the 90-degree heat outside.
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Good lord. I love this place. But I only 3 star love it because they lamely decided to not cook with lard. Every Mexican place that chooses not to cook with lard makes my eyes squint with displeasure. Way to sell out to the health-conscious yuppies. It makes me think of the King of the Hill episode where the hipsters make the food joint serve tacos with salmon. That said, if you ignore the lack of lard, this place is pretty tasty.
They offer the usual fare of tacos and burritos along with enchiladas and rice/bean plates. They offer tacos with many different fillings. They fry Mexican chorizo to make it hard much like chicharrones. Their rice and bean plates are alright, but could be improved with the use of lard.
Tacos Por Favor really shines with their spicy pickled carrots. I've figuratively ordered and eaten a ton of them. I have no qualms about being addicted to them. My name is Eduardo and I am an encurtido addict.
I used Tacos Por Favor to cater a moderate sized house party (~25 people) this weekend and they were fabulous. We ordered 40 taquitos, and about 4 lbs of meat (chicken and carnitas) and the whole party was happy with the quality of the food.
They were both flexible to my schedule as far as timing and very reasonable in price. We fed everyone for about $5 a person which is pretty good considering the quality of the food.
If you want to go for a meal, the atmosphere in the place is very chill too. It isn't too much of a westside LA crowd either, very down to earth.
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Just had some yummmmy breakfast burritos - eggs, rice, beans, potatoes. usually need coffee with breakfast though but I had to get a coke since the coffee looked like it was 5 days old and sitting in a pot that had never been in contact with soap. so get your coffee before you come down for breakfast.
I'm generally not a fan of this type of cuisine, but I genuinely enjoyed my meal here!
I think it was their choice ingredients that made for a great meal. You wouldn't know just by looking at the place, but the food is great. My friend insisted we give it a shot, and I was glad I did. Great burrito, great salsa!
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Solid set up here. Drove by this spot many times and bookmarked it here to remember to hit up when I was in the need of some good Mexican spots to try.
Tacos were very good size, good meat, endless chips & salsa, plenty of spicy carrots and the sopas are amazing. Oh yea, they deliver too!
Don't let the interior of this place fool you. The tacos are hands down delicious! I also tasted the chicken enchiladas and they were a bit dry, lots of sour cream and red sauce to dip it in though. It's pretty inexpensive and I went during lunch time and it wasn't busy. There is also a lot of table space and good horchata!
Arrrrriba! *said rather enthusiastically with the 'r' rolling...*
Okay so who doesn't like a good fiesta... I love everything about them. Except for one element.
I detest pinatas.
Allow me to explain why and I promise you'll understand. I hate how they are made out of ugly shreds of colored tissue. I hate how it promotes beating an object with a golf club to attain a reward. And the number one reason, I hate how I got my eye knocked out by a flying piece of candy when I was 7 years old, leaving me with a black eye. It hurt like hell...
Which is why I dreaded the thought of attending my niece's fiesta themed birthday party, knowing there would be not only one, but two pinatas involved. But I dreaded even more the possibility of hearing annoying chants as "Waaah, I hate you Aunt JT, I hate you" if I elected not to go.
I stopped at Tacos Por Favor, one of EJ's favorite taco joints to pick up some goodies to assist with catering this party. I was completely excited to taste them because I'd heard so many wonderful things on Yelp regarding this place. And who couldn't love a place who names themselves Tacos Por Favor.
I ordered a mixture of both hard and soft tacos to go... assorted fillings: Carne Asada, Chorizo & Cheese, Chicken Breast and Shrimp. If you get the hard shelled tacos, it comes with guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheese. Mmmm! All the above were pretty awesome... very filling, served with generous portions. The Chorizo & Cheese taco everyone raves about IS out of control... and the Chicken Breast is great as well. I didn't care much for the hot sauce they offered at the self-serve salsa bar (the red spicy one), so next time, I will remember to have a bottle of Tapatio sauce in my purse, ready for action.
BTW... I avoided the Sponge Bob pinatas at all costs. Just looking at one still gave me post traumatic stress. So just gimme a Patron margarita on the rocks with salt and we'll call it a day.
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This place is a fun little Mexican dive on the westside. Meet a friend or bring an out-of-town visitor here. Tasty food, decent prices, super laid back. I always enjoy having horchata with my meal, but you can get a beer too. I wouldn't recommend going at peak hours, though, because the line gets a little unwieldy. And the salsa bar is a little uninspired, in my opinion. Otherwise, high marks.
The chorizo and cheese tacos get 5 stars alone. I almost doubted that such a simple taco would have such a perfect blend of flavors, but no longer do I doubt the power of chorizo and cheese!
I also tried the breakfast burrito but it didn't really do it for me. I also tried a fish taco and it was bland. I'd rather have 10 chorizo and cheese tacos. As I was walking out, I was mighty curious about the monster chicken and shrimp burrito. I think I'll go back today for one of those and 10 chorizo and cheese tacos.
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Holy Moly am I in taco heaven!
I was told about this place earlier today, that it was a "best kept secret," so looks like im not the first one to spill the beans....but anyways, living in Westwood I have been seriously deprived of good mexican food lately, so obvi I jumped at the chance for some best kept secret tacos!
So yeah, i get in the car, pick up my friend, head there about within an hour of being told about the place. Luckily I had five minutes to check yelp before I drove there, and thank you Linda N. for recommending the chorizo and cheese tacos, if I knew you, I would hug you.
Pure bliss. Chorizo, cheese, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo, sprinkles of extradeliciousness. These tacos are made with love, because honestly, i dont know how else they could taste so good.....
I also got a carnitas taco, it was pretty good, but did not compare to the chorizo.
Also, what a deal, $6 for 2 tacos, rice, and beans!
Best tacos north of the border. Pretty sure im gonna have my next birthday party here.
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This nondescript Mexican eatery is a treasure for folks living in Santa Monica. I come here for the tacos, a wet green burrito stuffed with the most succulent, juicy pulled pork imaginable. The chips are muy spicy and the service is bastante bien. Ask for an extra serving of sour cream and douse that chile verde with the good stuff.
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Okay... am I missing something?
Amy and I came here on Day 8 of my flu... but I was dying to get outta the apt and after reading the reviews about this place on Yelp, I was craving Mexican food!
We wanted to make sure we sample everything so we got a variety of stuff:
Steak Nachos - Eh... nothing to jump about... it was steak and there were chips and guac and sour cream involved... the normal stuff.
Steak Taquitos (which aren't on the menu, btw, you just have to ask for them - $1.55) - These were small... but good and crispy... but very plain.
Fried Fish Tacos - BLECH! And this was one of the more pricey food items at $3.55 a pop, I was hoping for some good sh*t! Alas... it was not. I was wondering why the batter looked yellow... then I took a very skeptical little bite and it was curry. Yep... curried fried fish. YUCK! I added more sour cream and more guac in hopes to liking it a bit more... and nope... it just wasn't edible.
Cheese Quesadilla - um. yeah... cheese quesadilla.
Rice and beans - normal, I suppose.
The only thing I really did enjoy was my Stash green tea which they served in a 20 oz cup.... oh and staring at the group of hot firemen that came in by the herd.... Lovey likey!
I probably won't be coming back here unless I'm craving something absolutely mediocre.
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I'm sorry, I don't get it. The chorizo and cheese taco? Soooo whatever. Really salty and the chorizo was not even tender. Same for the carne asada taco. Big disappointment. No different than any other mexican joint in my opinion. I'll stick to King Taco or El Taurino for mexican food.
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This place is awesome. I've had the beef enchiladas and the carne asada hard tacos and both are wonderful. So much so that I never bother trying anything else on the menu.
Word to the wise, this place gets VERY crowded at lunch time. I would avoid it during the 12 o'clock hour for sure. I have come around 11:30 and even at 1 or 1:30 and it's still crowded at both those times. I believe (fairly recently) they broke down the wall near the back part of the place so that there's more room for seating, so it's not so bad now if you want to take a seat and relax.
Seriously, I could describe the good ingredients or the fact that it's pretty simple to just order at the counter, grab your food and go sit and eat, but what's more of a tell-tale sign than the fact that this places goes bonkers with people for lunch??? Definitely try Tacos Por Favor, you won't be sorry.
Mole chicken burrito
Horchata
Flan
That is your perfect meal here. Seriously it's great. I can't tell you about anything else there but I assume it's good too. My friend Lee won't stop talking about it and she's been there once. She had the tacos. Some people say they don't like it ,not to sure why except maybe they are crazy.
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Imagine for a moment driving down a dusty road south of the border, thirsty, hungry and just yearning for a place to stop. After 200 miles you pull over at the first dive you see and Tacos Por Favor would look exactly like that place.
There is something charming about the authentic interior of this place. Anywhere you can find Montana Mom's to local handymen sharing the same dining experience says something about the basic appeal of the food.
For me, I found the atmosphere fun and the food satisfying. The salsa bar was fresh, homemade and had free spicy marinated carrots which I really enjoyed. For an added touch, I loved the view into the prep area where one of the guys was preparing goodies for the salsa bar.
We ordered the 2 Carnitas taco combo and the Asada burrito, with a beer and a large watermelon drink. All for under $20 bucks. The Burrito came with crisp fresh chips.
I found the Asada to be slightly overcooked and preferred the Carnitas by a mile. Being able to order a $3.25 Sol beer with my lunch was a big plus and the fresh tasting watermelon drink nearly pushed my review to 4 stars.
I prefer a sit down meal at Gilbert's (but pricier) and for take out I would still stop in at Pancho's, but I enjoyed the roadside appeal of Tacos Por Favor.
I love this place and wish I lived closer to it. Take it from a Mexican that goes to Tijuana several times a year. It's perfect.
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