Teddy's Cocina — Restaurant in Pasadena

This is my third time here and I will keep coming back! I love everything about this place. It is located on Colorado across from Pasadena City College. I am sure once schools re-open for in-school classes, this place will get even MORE popular. Their prices are extremely reasonable. They offer a few outdoor tables with a privacy wooden fence made of white lattice wood so you can still view the sidewalk and street. Great decor inside with big screen TVs as well, I hope to be able to eat indoors there once pandemic restrictions continue to ease. I sat outside and the tables, chairs, and patio area were all VERY CLEAN, spotless actually. Everything inside is very clean too. Staff are properly observing all safety and health protocols. The kitchen is viewable should you ever have a doubt. The food is awesome. Honestly, it tastes as good or better than any full-service sit-down fine dining Mexican food experience. Everything is flavorful and you can taste everything it's made with in every bite. I had a chicken street taco on a corn tortilla. It was packed with chicken, cilantro, and onions and was delicious. I also had the mahi mahi taco on a corn tortilla. I have had this before and I will have it over and over again. It is simply awesome. I don't want to make a mistake by being too specific but the special fresh mango salsa its topped and how it is prepared is delicious. The mahi mahi is grilled perfectly and all of the flavors go so well together. Bite after bite, you don't want it to end. It is packed full and is very reasonably priced. Big thumbs up all the way around. Great homemade tortilla chips (my bulldog loves these too!) Delicious guacamole. Their salsas pack a kick but it's not all heat you taste. They are very flavorful and are great on what you order. Ted is usually there front and center and is extremely friendly and, from the taste of things, really knows his way around the kitchen. The staff are all very friendly too. They have great specials every day. They also serve beer and wine. I will continue to go out of my way to return here for a meal. And supporting a great minority owned independent business such as this is so important during these challenging times. Definitely try Teddy's...

Are these the Most authentic tacos? No, but they're pretty good and one of the few places you can get decent tacos within walking distance of PCC. Teddy's tacos has a large menu and a decent vegan selection as well.

They have deals throughout the week, and PCC students get 10% off. Tuesdays have the best deal in my opinion. They have $1.99 street tacos and $5 margaritas. The margaritas are oookay, but a little on the sweet side. There are two options, a cucumber margarita, and a hibiscus one. The cucumber one is grossly sweet and I would not recommend it. The Hibiscus one is fairly decent, and the less sweet of the two. They generously rim the glass with chamoy and tajin which I loved.

I always get the pastor, which I think is pretty decent though a little sweet (it's okay because pastor is typically cooked with pineapples so it's not unusual or overwhelming, just a little sweeter than other pastor) , but my wife got their asada once and it was honestly pretty dry.

The salsas are a little lacking. The green salsa has almost no flavor, and the mango habanero is more sweet than spicy. The red salsa saved the tacos, but is just okay. Nothing special to write home about.

The ambiance is chill, they have TVS and plenty of seating. It's very spacious. It does however get REALLY hot in there, especially during the summer. I do wish there were outdoor seating, or some sort of AC other than just fans.

The customer service is always nice and quick.

Overall I'd say it's good if it's nearby and convenient, but you can easily find...

SAVORY ⭐️ SWIFT ⭐️ TASTY

After seeing the high rating for this place we were sold, so popped in for a quick bite and man oh man was it worth it! If I could give this place a sixth star I would.

We found street parking right in front of the establishment. As soon as we entered we realized we arrived at an excellent time. Definitely before the dinner rush.

We ordered a Shrimp salad, a carne asada taco, and a tostada. Everything was excellent! Especially thr shrimp which was seaoned very light, which was confident and delightful. The shrimp was also so well cooked! Very tender and scrumptious. The taco bowl to the salad was SO nice! It is more like a filo pastry dough, which was so light and crip. A perfect pair to the salad. I was able to eat the entire thing without feeling overly full.

The carne asada was some of the best I've ever had. The taste was a little brighter and more exciting than other tacos I've tasted. I'm guessing it's a combination of the marinade and the way it's cooked & served hot and fresh! The meat is just savory and addictive.

We also ordered a hibiscus and classic margaritas, served with chamoy on the rim. The margaritas are pre-made but so refreshing. We could have stayed for two, but one each was enough. 😉

10/10 We can't...