Sarah A & Andrew K’s Taco Crawl

Using Unilocal has helped me to learn a few acronyms.
ROTD — Review of the Day (YAY!)
SMF — Shaking My Fists (angrily)
SYOY — See You On Unilocal (maybe not)
UYE — Unofficial Unilocal Event (Sarah A. & Andrew K.‘s Taco Crawl)
What the heck is a Taco Crawl? Oh yeah, you pick 5 taco joints, then partake in the menu, and try to bring some Unilocal friends along the way. Interesting concept.
1) Arturo’s Puffy Taco
2) Tacos Baja
3) La Victoria Taqueria
4) Chema’s Tacos
5) Tacos San Pedro
OK Sarah, you got me. That Pastrami Sandwich and Onion Rings that I ate earlier in the day from The Habit Burger Grill surely didn’t help me when it came to the Two Taco Rule. But, if you consider the Puff Puff Give that Qster H. and I executed at Arturo’s Puffy Taco, you’d give me a pat on the back. But folks, I didn’t make it to venues #4 & #5 due to time constraint, so I’ll waive the white flag for that mistake. Jeesh, can a guy get a break here? =)
All jokes aside, this was a good one and you missed it. Good luck next time, I bet you there will be a line for the next taco crawl. As a Foodie that’s always looking for that next great Korean Bar or seemingly in the hunt for the ultimate Burger, I’d be happy to add Tacos to that list. Andrew K. and Sarah H. did a SOLID job and I commend them for making the time to put this together. Both are far better Unilocalers than I. Speaking of Unilocalers, add the following «Gentleman» — PSY, to your buddy list. Talented and funny as they come, they’re great people who I met at Sarah A. & Andrew K.‘s Taco Crawl.
* QSTER H. — «I have a weight problem… I can’t WAIT to EAT!»
* CRAIG F. — «There is no spoon»
* VINCE V. — «I write song parodies for free»
WYSIWYG

Sorry I waited so long to write this review. I was still playing catch up with my San Diego reviews… Anyway, it was such a nice adventure exploring different taco options in Whittier and Hawaiian Gardens.
I fell in love with Uptown Whittier when I first came across it and it was pretty much the only side I knew up until this event. Definitely introduced me to the less glamorous side of Whittier. Dare I say slumming it a little. I mean, one location even had ambulances left and right with another one passing by. Whew.
But enough about that, let’s talk about food. All of Andrew K’s recommendations were right on the money. I got to try five different tacos from the five spots we visited. My favorite in order:
1. Puffy
2. Chicharon
3. Baja
4. Al pastor
5. Chorizo
All were great and had different flavors to offer and were kind of hard to compare to the puffy taco, which set a high bar for the other ones.
Also got to sample agua fresca from Taco San Pedro and all I can say is I want some more of that Melon (Cantaloupe)!
Thank you Sarah A. and Andrew K. Can’t wait for what you’ll come up with next :)

It was history in the making (well about a month and a half) of planning and rewriting somethings here and there!
After Minh and I first met Andrew for dinner at the famous Arturo’s Puffy Taco a couple of months back I knew we just had to get our close friends on board to try this place.
With that bring said we invited old and new friends to come on out on a crisp Saturday night for some fun!
The plan: Hit up five amazing taco places with out everyone getting lost.
The mission: to try and consume at least 2 tacos or more from each place *cough Chris cough*. take photos, share some laughs, and explore the awesome city of Whitter and Hawaiian Gardens!
I’ll have to admit I loved all our stops but the two that stood out the best for me was Auturo’s Puffy Taco and Tacos Baja (holy buttery fried fish batman) these tacos were large and in charge! Highly recommend the surf n turf (fish and shrimp) and the regular fish taco.
The Ending: Everyone was super full but happy! If i can remember your faithful leaders consumed: 7 and 5 tacos that night. Can you guess whos number is whos!
Thank you to everyone who came out, it was great seeing you all! Can not wait till the next get together!
Xo

This was a much needed night of socializing and good company! Five taco locations in a few hours… can it really be done? If Sarah A. and Andrew K. are organizing this, then hell yeah!
I’ve never really explored Whittier but the first four stops helped me get to know this town. One thing that I did not consider was the authenticity of these taco places. Thank goodness for Tacos Baja (taco stop #2) for having lardless beans! You meateaters make fun of me all you want, those beans paired with fresh avocado were damn delicious and quite filling :) Since my experience of this crawl is skewed from the norm, here’s what I remember most about each stop:
#1 — Arturo’s Puffy Taco
The meateater BF’s friends saw his check in online and suspected that he was at a nudie bar.
#2 — Tacos Baja
Tasty free chiles that sneak up on you with its spiciness… YIKES! I had to eat a bunch of free radishes to cool down my burning mouth! Yummy beans :)
#3 — La Victoria Taqueria
Whoa, there’s a lot of ambulances stopping next door! There’s also a funny mural on the wall where a pig is cooking a chef. This is also where I took some very incriminating photos of Vince V. kissing a taco!
#4 — Chema’s Tacos
I love all the optical illusions artwork on the wall including works by Octavio Ocampo. But dammit, this empty toy dispenser took 50 cents from my baller BF! Boo!
Our last stop was a small trek down the 605 toward Hawaiian Gardens…
#5 — Tacos San Pedro
Yummy tamarindo! Free pickled carrots :)
Ok, so maybe I wasn’t as comatose full as the rest of you, but I was full! A vegan knows how to forage :) Besides, like I said before, I was there to socialize and it was nice to make new friends and catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. A lot of great laughs were shared. So much so that I haven’t laughed as hard as I did last night in a long time! You Unilocalers are fun people :)
Thanks Sarah and Andrew for organizing this event and inviting us out for a fun night!

Props to Sarah and Andrew for getting this crawl together, good times.
Glad to meet Andrew K and Sarah A, props on the choices of Mexican food for tonights crawl.
Glad to see Harmonie and Lenny
I was happy to meet Qster H and Chris, Craig F, Sarah A, and several others.
Arturo’s Puffy Tacos in Whittier
Taste was different than in my family but I loved it, the flavor brought from San Antonio Texas.
–Tortillas on the tacos reminded me of Native American fry bread, topped with lettuce, tomato, salsa and cheddar cheese
–Jamaica was much sweeter than what I am used to but I love it. I will have more calories to burn but I enjoyed the super-​sweet flavor.
–the asada and carnitas used in the tacos were very satisfactory
–parking was hard to find, many visitors, service was ok
Tacos Baja in Whittier
–Chicken and Carnitas in the taco were so juicy
–Tortilla was satisfactory
–toppings good too, people loved the grilled chilis
–Beans looked like the type relatives from Nayarit or Guanajuato make, similar to Northgate beans in appearance.
–parking ok if not too busy
La Victoria Taqueria in Whittier
–Buche, I am not a Buche fan like most of my family, still, I ate this one, very recommended
–Carnitas, loved it, with the red sauce including the seeds on top, soft tortillas, a personal favorite
–very limited parking, no bathroom, one table to sit at
Chema’s Tacos in Whittier
–Nice little Chorizo taco with heat and seasoning
–great Jamaica drink
–Parking is not easy to find, plenty of seating, one bathroom ask for key
Tacos San Pedro in Whittier
–Gordita is good, crunch tasty shell but it is not my type of gordita
–Chicaron had a good taste to it, I am not a fan of sauce over the chicarron but if you are, I recommend
–Pina drink was great, when Andrew drank his horchatta with so much delight, I had to try their drinks, will try the Jamaica next time
–Pallets had a smooth flavor, I could taste the milk
–parking is ok when it is not busy
–overall a good experience, but I still have more of the menu to try
The crawl itself was fun with so much good food, laughs, conversation and more.
Song parody of Kid Frost’s 1995 song «East Side Rendezvous»
I just woke up thank Unilocal its crawl day
Organized by Andrew K, Sarah A
Arturo’s Puffy Tacos which I admire
Forget the grill, deep in the grease on the fire
And its gotta have such calories
Lettuce, salsa and cheddar cheese
Jaimaica is much too sweet buts it great
The juicy asada has an old school taste
Back in my ride extra pounds in my tires
Out to Tacos Baja playing Earth, Wind, & Fire
Juicy tacos will make me expand
Pollo and Carnitas coming straight from the meat pan
I could eat ten I still pay under thirty
What time they close, was way past eight thirthy
And you know I that I eat up food
On an east side rendezvous
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal OG’s do
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal Gangsta’s do
Now where is that La Victoria Taqueria
Good luck, to find parking over there
Seating, smallest taco shop I heard of
Buche and Chicacharon, getting much love
To the other side of the city
People at Chemas Tacos, do wa ditty
Plenty of seating but the parkings hard to find though
Chorizo taco with pina or tamarindo
Cause we’re some true check in bandits
Got the flavor from the hot spots cause its demanded
We got the foodie healing on it
Ate 15 or 20 tortillas, and I’m feeling them
Whittier Street
They representing for LA East
But I’m a stay true
Y-​E-​L-​P, L.A. East Side
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal OG’s do
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal Gangsta’s do
Out to the OC right, last taco of the night
Tacos San Pedro, a place with flavor in every bite
In the OC now, but on the side that’s East
From Santa Ana to here is like the SGV
As the tacos dash feel the carb loaded crash
Food coma, feeling smooth like Teddy Pendergrass
Taste of water drinks that are so bold and sweet
With Paletas that even my Dad would eat
It’s the last meal of the crawl, we stay long
Lucky its not summer, cause its crowded at this hot spot
Foo, we thougth a little food coma wont stop us
Andrew K sipping all over his Orchatta
Harmonie, Vegan and Filipino
Sarah and her BF speak Latino
And the rest were too filled through
On this East Side rendezvous
And we out
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal OG’s do
Come to the SGV
For an East Side Rendezvous
Taco crawl eating spree
Like Unilocal Gangsta’s do

A fun event highlighted by visits to five fabulous taco restaurants, including four in the city of Whittier and concluding in Hawaiian Gardens, promised a lot of good eating and a variety of excellent choices for all. The delicious tacos delivered as expected. The turnout of a fun, lively group was certainly a huge plus and made the event even more enjoyable.
We dined at the following taco gems in order:
#1 Arturo’s Puffy Taco — Whittier, CA:
#2 Tacos Baja — Whittier, CA:
#3 La Victoria Taqueria — Whittier, CA:
#4 Chema’s Tacos — Whittier, CA:
#5 Tacos San Pedro — Hawaiian Gardens, CA:
All offered very tasty and a unique variety of choices of tacos. I believe the consensus favorite was the fish tacos from Tacos Baja, followed by the puffy tacos from Arturo’s Puffy Taco and then the chicharron taco at La Victoria Taqueria. The idea to pick locations showcasing some of the most popular taco joints in Whittier, it appears, was a good choice.
We thank Sarah A. for coming up with the idea and initially planning this event. My first one last year was much smaller but just as fun:
. But the combination of our two networks made for a bigger turnout. Friends who could not make it out this evening really missed out. And I encourage others to try out all five taco establishments and come with high expectations. They are some of the very best around. You just might one to try them one at a time.

This was my first «crawl.» And thanks to our pistol proof Captains, Sarah A. and Andrew K., it was a blast!
Arturo’s Puffy Taco **
*
*
* * *
* * *
* * Tacos Baja * *
* * *
** *
*
*
** La Victoria Taqueria *
*
*
* ** * ** *
* * * * *
* ** Chema’s Tacos ** * **
*
**
* ** *
* * *
** * *
* * ** *
*
* Tacos San Pedro
Caravaning alongside a swashbuckling crew of Unilocalers, winding throughout the secret nooks and darkened crannies of Whittier and Long Beach, and discovering (what seemed to me) these cities’ hidden treasures of tortilla-​cradled nirvana was adventurous! What a great event!
If you’ve yet to crawl, it’s time. I encourage you. With the high turnout and the many smiles, I’m sure there will be a follow-​up. There needs to be a follow-​up! Right, Sarah and Andrew? It isn’t over. It’s just begun! Let’s do another!