Arturo's Puffy Taco, Whittier

The half-life of a puffy taco is short. The flaky, deep-fried masa shell that makes it so delectable to eat also makes it painful to pick up and quick to collapse under its own weight back onto your paper plate once you do so. The puffy taco taunts--how badly do you want me?

You might just want it badly enough to drive to Whittier, home of Arturo’s Puffy Taco. Both of the filling options you expect for this Tex-Mex original, the savory ground beef picadillo, or the shredded, stewed chicken, are listed on the lighted menu board outside this taco stand that shares a parking lot with the neighborhood U-Haul franchise.

Order dos puffies with Arturo’s guacamole sauce at the outside window and then head inside to grab one of the formica-top booths that aren’t already filled with local teens or Mexican families out with their kids on a Saturday night. The cutlery is plastic, the lighting fluorescent, but what do you expect for a meal this good in LA where $10 gets you cheese enchiladas, a puffy taco, pitch-perfect rice and refried beans, fresh lemonade and $1.50 in change?

Arturo’s Puffy Taco
15693 Leffingwell Rd
Whittier, CA
(562) 947-2250