Arturo's Puffy Taco — Restaurant in Whittier

Even though the cashier was very polite at the end of our meal, she was not able to hear us asking questions or placing our order being that the music was blasting behind her in the kitchen and instead of asking them to lower the volume, she kept on saying "what? I can't hear you speak up" I said "wow! Maybe try turning down the music a touch so you can hear your customers." The taquitos were made of ground beef. The carne asada was dry and beans were a bit hard. Ordered a carne asada puffy taco and if not for the dry carne asada, I bet it would've been really tasty. Around the asada I could taste the goodness in that taco. Made my way to the taquitos, and once I bit into it, I was so disappointed to taste ground beef in place of shredded beef/flank steak or chicken. Didn't continue to eat them. Made my way to the strips and was really disappointed with the beans and dry carne asada that were on top. I passed them up. Now let me get to why I gave Arturo's, 4 stars instead of 2 or 3, that Texas burger with cheese!!! Holy moly man! It was amazing and so delicious. The bun was nice and soft,the sauteed onions not under cooked or overly done,the gooey cheese on that perfectly seasoned hamburger patty topped with pickles,crunchy shredded lettuce and sliced tomato so amazing! Man I should've made it a double 😂 That Texas Burger is a definite must try when coming here. You'll be...

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!...

This cash-only walk-up restaurant in Whittier is just one of two places I could find in Southern California that serve "Puffy Tacos," a Tex-Mex taco derivative that is popular in San Antonio, TX.

The secret behind the tortilla in the "Puffy Taco" is that a corn tortilla is deep-fried for a very brief time so that it puffs up from air attempting to escape the masa, thus creating large air pockets, making the tortilla "puffy." Once the tortilla is "puffed," it is removed immediately from the fryer, then quickly stuffed like a normal taco and served.

During my visit, I explored two filling options: ground beef with large chunks of potatoes (aka picadillo) and stewed cubes of beef (aka carne guisado). Lettuce and shredded cheese are heaped on top along with a mild-medium "hot sauce" (in Tex-Mex parlance). Both beef-based fillings were heavily spiked with chili powder and are heartier and denser than the Mexican food we are typically served in Southern California. Due to the grease from the meats mixing with the oil from the fryer, I found these tacos to be a bit heavy in runny fat...