Puebla Tacos — Restaurant in Pasadena

I'm very sorry to say that Puebla Tacos has changed. I don't know if their chef left or if it's under new management, but they used to have the best carnitas around. Sadly, that is no longer so.

I'm hoping that we came on that one rare bad day... but we'd eaten the carnitas there many, many times and it had always been the same: fantastic.

Last week my wife got the carnitas combo plate and I got the burrito. First of all, the meat was bland, hardly any flavor at all. Usually during the long drive home, the aroma of the carnitas drove us mad and had us salivating in seconds; this time during the drive, we smelled nothing. Secondly, the burrito was slightly more than half the size they used to be. Not only was the meat bland, there was hardly any in the burrito, and no beans even though I asked for the works; it was 75% rice.

And wouldn't you know it: I had just recommended the place to a doctor. We live many miles from Puebla Tacos and haven't been there for quite some time for two reasons: 1. we discovered Las Morelianas and Roast to Go, both in Grand Central Market, Downtown LA, which both serve fantastic carnitas, and 2. I have finally refined my own carnitas recipe and figured out the condiments that make for the perfect burrito at home. But I had a doctor's appointment in Pasadena and figured what the hell. And, of course, before going to Puebla I raved about it to the doc and his entire staff--and the doc said he'd eat there for lunch that day.

Now I have to...

I've been coming to Puebla Tacos for well over 25 years, and I have to say that their quality has not diminished in their time, and their service is as friendly as it was 25 years prior. Please keep up the good work folks, and to everyone else looking for a nice bite to eat for good prices, stop at Puebla Tacos!!! Their hot sauce is legitimately hot, which I absolutely love!!!

Edit 05/29/2023:

I'm not sure what's changed for this location behind the counter, but I have to say I'm disappointed both with the prices and the quality of the food. The salsa seemed watery and runny to me, and the food itself just seemed bland, slightly undercooked, and not well prepared. I ordered a Carne Asada Burrito and Taco, and didn't have much in the way of meat for the burrito, and the quality of the meat has gone south, sadly. I also ordered a large drink for 3.95, and while thats fair I suppose (I'm sure expenses for fountain syrup have risen), I was dismayed they wanted a dollar for a refill. I suppose its the price of business and a crummy economy, but for the first time in nearly 30 years, I have to recommend against Puebla Tacos, which is a true shame. The staff if still as friendly as ever though, and very kind, but I wish they didn't have to cut corners for...

I'll be completely honest, I have not reviewed the many restaurants I've been to in a min just off the fact I frequent different ones all throughout LA and it'd be a hassle to write a review for each one. But I just had to leave my honest thoughts the first time I stopped by here. I ordered Carne Asada Fries, and nothing more. Nothing too crazy so surely, they can't come out bad right? Just meat and fries, some cheese and sour cream. But they were some of the worst fries I have had in a long time. Sure, they were still warm and the cheese had melted over. But The "Carne Asada to Fry" ratio was about 15% while the cheese was just a layer right above the whole dish. I can't even remember what the meat tasted like. And they charged me $13 for this? I've been to taco trucks who chuck in a generous amount of meat and the fries in "Asada Fries" are true to the name, the meat comes first and fries second. I do not recommend this dish but I can't fault the restaurant as a whole so I'll give 3 stars. But still, just based off such a simple dish coming out bad, I can make a guess on what the rest of the menu would...