1. The staff are joyful. 2. The music is poppin' 3. The stewed meat - especially the beef - is unique and full of flavor 4. The tortillas are made in house and PHENOMENAL Best i've ever had! 5. The tamale - OMG! The masa - also best I've ever had! 5. Know that the enchilada is unlike any enchilada we've had - I'd say it's just a larger taco. But the cheese enchilada is still delicious as a big taco. Looking for a late Friday night taco spot that was still open near DTLA. Hubby, and I ventured into Boyle Heights and went into one of the few places open. We did not come because of YELP reviews. We did not come because of reputation. We came in completely blind, and it was fantastic. Don't go expecting it to be fancy. It's not. But it's clean even if it's hard to find the wash bowl after using the bathroom. What it is is full of life, flavor, Joy, and just genuinely good feeling food. Like somebody's grandma's food. The 3 staff members working there were all senior citizens. But they had great energy and attitudes. The lady taking orders was extremely helpful explaining the menu, pointing out each item that we ordered on our sampler plate, and checking on us regularly. The other woman who was making the dough for the tortillas was working hard, as was the cook. My favorite memory is seeing the cook start jiggling and bouncing along to the merengue music, as my husband and I had been the entire time we were there. All of us just wiggling our hips fast to merengue, no words, just big smiles, cuz ... how can you not? While there I was able to see all of their accolades, learn that Guisados is a Boyle Heights staple, and that it is named for the term that means "stewed meat and vegetables." They have vegetarian options so if that's your lifestyle, wiggle your way to Guisados! Finally, the Jamaica agua fresca was on point! read more

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Pescado burrito was on point! The fish was tasty - seemed pan fried and lightly breaded? - and they nailed the cabbage/beans/cream/salsa combo. I called in my order and they were super cool about adding calabacitas. And it was ready on time as usual which I appreciate. Guisados is a pretty space for a casual meal and I love their truth in disclosure. How their menu including specials is written on a gigantic chalkboard behind the cooking space, where you can see exactly what goes into your food. Their handmade tortillas from masa are to die for and make me nostalgic for the Bay Area - tortillas hecho a mano are sadly rare on the L.A. taco scene! Also don't miss their agua frescas - I got limon and melon (cantaloupe) and both were seriously delicious. read more

Authentic & Flavorful Tacos! -I absolutely love Guisados! We were in the LA area as we went to Crypto Center for a concert and Guisados is conveniently open late, so we skipped dinner just to eat here after our concert. If you're craving truly authentic tacos packed with rich flavor and quality ingredients, this is the spot. We've visited a few different Guisados locations, but this one is always a 10/10 -- consistently delicious food, great service, and you get the full LA vibe since it's right in Boyle Heights. Such an experience! Parking is easy with a lot right across the street. The only downside is that if you go later at night there aren't any bathrooms -- but other than that, it's perfect. Highly recommend the mole taco and the calabacitas taco -- they're my absolute favorites. And don't forget the horchata... SO good and worth the drive. Definitely a must-try! read more

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It's been years since I have been to Guisado's. But it was my best friend and I's first time checking out this particular location. The service here was lovely. I encountered a man and a women, both of whom were very friendly. My friend tried 2 tacos de Tinga de pollo. She also tried a steak taco. I tried 2 tacos de Tinga de pollo and added one with mole poblano. I even added a tamal de elote (corn tamale). I didn't know they had agues frescas until afterwards my bestie ordered one - she got cantaloupe. We sat down and caught up on life. We had the place to ourselves. It is a smaller location but with lots of seats and it was very clean. The servers Brought us our food. The food was delicious and surprisingly the portions were bigger than what the photos show. I dont know if I mentioned this in a previous review but the meat portions are typically small. So for them to add a lot of meat ( thank you, I really appreciated it :). The taco was delicious, fresh, full of flavor, not dry nor dull. The only thing missing from the tamal de elote was the crema. But, I forgot to ask for one, so that's on me. I really recommend visiting this location and even supporting Latino/a owned businesses in this community. You won't regret it. I want one now. read more

Guisados - Tinga de Pollo x2, Tamal Elote, Mole Poblano - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped by and the food was so excellent! Michelin level food for the price of street food. Ordered their pescado and pork tamale paired with some habanero sauce, it was perfection. Be sure to also get their cafe horchata. Great fast service and very chill spot. read more

Guisados - Pescado taco & pork tamale - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Yummy tacos at a good price. I ordered these tacos for take out, when I arrived there was street parking available. I got the sample platter which was great because I was so indecisive about which to get! I got the 1 Steak Picado, 1 Bistek Roja, 1 Mole, 1 Chorizo, 1 Chuleta, 1 Hongos, Chile on the Side. All tasty. My favorite one was the chorizo taco. I also got the horchata which was great! The inside looked basic & clean. People were nice. My only criticism is that I placed the online order to be ready an 1 hour since I was driving from Orange County & I got a text 5-10 min after placing the order saying that it was ready so by the time I got my food it was cold & the ice in the horchata had melted read more

Guisados - Sampler plate - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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What I Ordered: -OG Sampler $11.75 -Mole Poblano Shredded chicken breast in a nutty Poblano style Mole. Served with sour cream, queso fresco, red onion and dried chile. -Tinga de Pollo Shredded chicken breast braised with tomatoes, cabbage, chorizo and chipotle. Served with chipotle chile and avocado. -Chicharron Pork rinds simmered in chile verde. Served with green serrano chile, atop black beans. -Cochinita Pibil Shredded pork braised in a sweet, red achiote spice atop black beans. Served with Yucatan compliments, Pickled red onions and habanero chile. Taco defaults at a 3 on scale of 1-10. Proceed with caution Bistek en Salsa Roja Flank steak simmered with red bell peppers and tomatoes. Served with chile de arbol and avocado above black beans. Steak Picado Flank steak simmered with green bell peppers and bacon. Served with green serrano chile atop black beans. I've heard many good things about Guisados. According to people online, this is the location to go-to of all their locations. This is also their original Guisado's spot. It opened in 2010. They are known for their homemade corn tortillas that's what I was told when I arrived. I was recommended the sampler as you can try a little bit of everything of what they have to offer. I opted for the OG Sampler where you can try 6 of their most popular tacos in the miniature form. The OG Sampler was an explosion of flavor. It was so good! They were really good tacos! I would definitely come back here and I would take my family and friends here. That's how good this place is! As far as the price goes, I thought it was fair especially when you get to try so many flavors. I don't know anyone else doing anything like this. The sampler is so unique. I've never had a mini taco sampler before. This was really cool! You can tell these tacos are made with love! The tacos were excellent! I'll be back in the future! read more

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The reviews of this place are definitely accurate! It was amazing food. I got the sampler and chorizo quesadilla. Both were amazing! Can't go wrong with anything here. I just picked up the food with DoorDash so I can't speak on the service too much but it was a great experience overall and I'd definitely come back! read more

I ordered a chorizo con huevo breakfast burrito and it was disappointing. Starring off with the size. It measured at 4 inches in length. 2nd the filling was very light. It was perhaps a small teaspoon of beans layed on the tortilla with potatoes smaller than a garlic clove, More eggs, hardly any chorizo. 3rd I could say that the eggs need more seasoning. Lastly to end it on a good note the salsa was spectacular! Right level of spice that keeps you wanting to add more each bite. read more

This Guisados (OG location) is clean inside, has friendly staff, and food you can't miss. FOOD - Their tacos are delicious and everything is reasonably priced. They currently offer a pumpkin spice horchata for fall which is extra creamy and flavored well. We got the sampler plate to try everything, and favorites were mole poblano and chicharron. I'd also suggest trying their pollo and elote tamales. LOCATION - it is located on a corner in Boyle Heights so easy to find, but the parking is mostly street parking with no public restroom inside. There's a few tables inside if you choose to dine in. You bus your tables and can self service for utensils. read more

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Came for lunch few weeks ago on a Sunday. Ordered their OG sampler plate. It was very delicious! What makes this place stand out is that they used braised meats on their tacos, instead of how most places grill their meats. This makes the meats more juicy and have lots of sauce. I also got their cantaloupe drink which tasted very fresh! Overall great affordable place to eat for a quick lunch. Just don't expect a clean bathroom as it's kinda small. read more

Guisados - OG Sampler - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Was in the area visiting a brother and this spot has been on my bookmarks for a long minute so am glad when everyone agreed to eat here I ordered the OG sampler and pork tamale with a large horchata. The chicharron was soft and flavor was good but a bit runny, the Tinga was a bit too salty for me, mole and cochinita were both really tasty and steak picado and bistek roja the meat was hard and disappointing. The pork tamale was a bit too dry for my liking. The large horchata was milky and tasty but I thought the size was much smaller then usual. It was more like a regular size then large. Overall: I felt at the higher price point, this place missed the mark for me. I expected my meat to be melt in your mouth and also food not dry. I thought it was kind of weird to have such a high price point establishment in this neighborhood. It was completely empty lunch time Monday. read more

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Came by for some lunch with some colleagues and we all ordered a variety of tacos. I personally got 2 pescado and the elote tamale. Surprisingly pretty filling. The tacos were fresh made as the fish was still pretty hot. It also comes with a decent amount of toppings that complement the flavors well. The elote tamale was new to me so I wanted to try that out. It was almost like the flavor of corn bread which is what you'd think a tamale already tasted like but the corn flavor was stronger which I liked. It also had bits of corn inside for a good texture. Overall pretty yummy and I hope to try other things on the menu next time. There's a good amount of seating inside for our party of 6. Staff was also friendly. You pretty much order at the counter and they bring it to your table. For this place, it's street parking, so you'll have to find a meter somewhere in the area. read more

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Parking is metered (Thats all I seen, and I am not going hunting more than a block) I parked across from Shakey's. Walked a small block down to get to Guisados, passed some small shops (They have Cowboy boots here BTW). Guisados is right on the corner, as you walk in, there is the ordering line, with the menu up on the wall. Order then sit and wait, only a few tables inside, I didn't see any outside. Restroom is in the back. I ordered the sampler, which comes with Steak Picado, Mole Poblano, Tinga de Pollo, Chicharrón, Cochinita Pibil, and Bistek en Salsa Roja. They are little two bite tacos, filled me up. But of course I also had to try the Chorizo:D!! Very different taco spot, not your usual meat choices. So NO, there is no Al Pastor.... Lol! My favorite from all was the Cochinita Pibil, reminded me of my mother and her style of cooking. Second runner up was the Mole Poblano, I would come back and order 3 regular size of these! Sketchy location? Yes, but come during the day if that makes you feel safer and be alert not on your phone :) Thank you for reading!! ヾ()ﾉ" read more

Guisados - Sampler plate - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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As a girly from Texas I think I'm exposed to the most authentic Mexican food there can be, other than Mexico lol. I was really skeptical about trying Guisados but I'm so happy I I did because they did not disappoint! Everything was so good and the service was fast! The restaurant is also very clean and such a chill environment. I'd visit this place whenever I'm in LA next! read more

Guisados - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Ordered the OG sampler (6) and it was so yummy. Some were spicy and it was unexpectedly heated! We debated on getting more to fill our appetite. The queso tamales were disappointing. The cheese tasted rubbery. Probably could have them steamed longer. Horchata was refreshing to pair with the meal. Service was quick and welcoming - all the staff from the cashier to the cooks would greet and then say thanks when leaving. read more

Guisados - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The tacos here are so flavorful! We enjoyed the braised tacos a lot! So much flavor! The fish taco had a nice balance to it and fresh with the cabbage and pico. Definitely will be back! read more

Guisados - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here after a Lakers game, the tacos were okay, would rather just get regular street tacos and they were kind of pricy overall.

I got the taco sampler, a tamale with an egg and green salsa, and two breakfast tacos. The taco sampler was really good. Everything else I ordered was mid. read more

Good mini tacos.and very kool blue horchata.have been going here for years with family

Super duper fire tacos. Steak was my fav and I can't wait to come in again. Salsa was phenomenal.

DELICIOSO!!! Easily one of the best in the area. Great variety of excellently prepared dishes. Caring staff that makes you feel welcomed and that they want you to enjoy the food. Hardtop street food at it's best. read more

They're delicious, always. They have a lot of choices from the menu and always generous. The prize is not so expensive just right for the portions. Parking is street parking and it can be challenging. Everyone there when I came in to pick up my food were very helpful and friendly. Bathroom is clean the whole place is clean with a lot of chairs and tables to sit on. read more

The pescado tacos were delicious and tasty. The tamale elote was juicy and delicious. The staffs were good and friendly. Place gets crowded during lunch hours when I went. Place looks very well structured and maintained. read more

There is everything to love about Guisados and almost nothing to hate. I've been here upwards of 10 or more times and I will keep coming back. Their tacos are truly unlike normal tacos. Normal tacos rely heavily on a protein, a salsa, and onion/cilantro. But not Guisados. Guisados goes out of their way to make delicious stewed taco fillings. The meats are so soft, juicy, and tender. The hand made tortillas are perfection. I love probably all of their tacos, my favorite being Bistek. They recently have a new one as well, the chile rellanos, which I've never had in taco form before. It was delicious as well, but I think the flavors of the stewed meats just shines a bit more. There is a parking structure around the block, it's like a dollar for an hour. Plenty of seating inside for a dine in experience. 100% recommend. Way better than any other taco spot you THINK is good, I promise. read more

tl;dr the heavy-hitting lineup of braised tacos set a high bar for what great LA tacos should taste like "Guisado" roughly translates to "stew", so it should be no surprise that the namesake fast-casual taco chain serves a commendable selection of braised meats and veggies. The original still cantaloupe-orange corner shop stands in Boyle Heights, while larger, chicer locations have popped up in trendier Los Angeles neighborhoods. I first experienced Guisados at the original. Peer into the small open kitchen and peruse the ceiling-high chalkboard menu before placing your order at the far end of the subway-tiled counter. Firetruck-red woven chairs are pushed up to laminated tables, and the whitewashed walls are decorated with pieces from featured local artists. Nowadays, my go-to shop is in Pasadena. This location is cute, clean, and crowded. Between accent lighting, towering ceilings with tastefully exposed HVAC, and polished concrete floors, the Pasadena outpost is industrial-chic. And, most importantly, the quality of eats is equivalent to the Boyle Heights location. The taco menu at first seems overwhelming, with multiple different proteins braised in a wide variety of ingredient combinations. But I quickly decided on a safe, entry-level order: The OG Sampler, a $10 adventure across 6 of the most popular braised meat tacos. Each variety complemented its unique braised meat with a specialized concoction of sauces, spices, and veggies. The Steak Picado showcased a zesty salsa verde atop a slightly chewy steak, and it was my partner's favorite variety. Meanwhile, I loved the tender, tasty Tinga de Pollo, especially for its roasted veggies. We also raved about the Conchita Pibil, an unexpectedly sweet and spicy habanero-based taco. The Bistek en Salsa Roja (highlighted by tangy tomato and mild spice) and the Mole Poblano (with dynamically complex, slightly sweet, slightly rich mole sauce) were no slouches, either. Of the sampler, the only item I would switch out is the fatty, slimy Chicharron -- but I wouldn't recommend the mostly forgettable Chuleta en Chile Verde or Chorizo options. Beyond the tacos, don't sleep on the specialty agua frescas. The premium Horchata boasted an incredible depth of flavor, while the seasonal Pumpkin Horchata tasted like my childhood memory of decadent pumpkin pie. A sampler platter with a beverage may not leave you full, but the flavors far exceed the $15 price tag. Guisados was a resounding hit with the in-laws; my partner's father even deemed Guisados' tacos the best he'd ever eaten. And, to me, Guisados is LA's benchmark for a "great" taco. Few taquerias can reasonably trade blows with the best of these braises. read more

Guisados - The OG Sampler - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place is a great spot if you want an authentic and unique feels and flavors. I tried two tacos that were pretty decent flavor wise, just not great on the texture side. The chicharron taco tasted almost too soft and I wasn't expecting it to have only one texture. the service and atmosphere is nice for a quick lunch spot and the prices are on the higher side for such a small portion. I would try other choices on the menu if i were to come back. The quesadillas looked better than the tacos. read more

Guisados - Chicharrono and Bistek en Salsa Roja - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I definitely HAD to write a review after having these tacos. My co-workers wanted lunch, so of course they depend on me to pick the best place, and Guisados is like 15 mins from our work place. I found them on Yelp and ordered beef tacos, chicken tacos, and Camarones (shrimp) tacos. They were super nice people, and they placed the tacos on a nice tray with a cover and gave us plates and utensils. We started eating them and even the most picky of picky eaters was super impressed by how good these tacos were!! I'm currently sick with a cold and I even ate like three tacos lol! They are so freakin good! I'll keep it short. If you want some amazing tacos, and your near East LA, you NEED to get some from this spot! read more

Guisados - Lined up and ready to devour - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a great place to get authentic street tacos. They are not a hole in the wall restaurant anymore as they have several branches but their tacos are so good. The servers are also so nice and friendly. Service was very quick. We got our drinks right after we paid and our tacos came out right away especially that it wasn't too busy when we went around 5pm on a Sunday. If you are craving for street tacos and you are in the Los Angeles area, look up a branch of Guisados! Your tummy will be happy and full! read more

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Y'all. The sampler plate at Guisados.. they are not playing any games!! It's a game changer and I will rave about this place until I die. Obviously, these tacos are pricier and smaller than your average street tacos, but if you're coming to Guisados, you've already made the decision that you're having 'gourmet' tacos over street tacos. If you wanted street tacos, you would've went to the tents or trucks. But you came here to see what the hype is all about!! So point is, I can't compare a street taco's price, value, and quantity to Guisado's tacos. Actually I take that back. I can compare them, sure, but it wouldn't make sense to. I say they're not comparable to street tacos because for the $1 tacos, you're getting solely the meat + tortilla, and toppings are self-serve. These tacos are handmade tortillas (There's a HUGE difference in the quality), and the texture is slightly thicker. you can taste the tortilla's flavor, just the tiniest subtleness of the masa harina-- buttery, nutty, sweet. And the meat is on another level. The differences in each taco keeps the flavors fresh and new. That's why I liked the sampler plate. I do want to say this: I eat maybe 3/4s the portion of an average person, so it did fill me up. For its price point, because it filled me up, it was well worth it. However, for the typical individual, it's not filling. So keep that in mind! Street parking is hard to find. I had to park 3-5 minutes away and walk over. We got seats pretty quick, the restaurant wasn't full when we went, so that's a plus! I would come here to treat myself if I were cruising in LA again, but street tacos still definitely wins my heart every time. Still, Guisados now occupies a small part of my heart-- and my holy grail restaurants read more

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Tacos were absolutely amazing. Great service as well. My favorite was the chorizo quesadilla. The tortillas are made fresh and all of the meats with sauces are perfection. I highly recommend! read more

Guisados - Tinga de Pollo Steak Picado Bistek en Salsa Roja Mole Poblano Chicharron Cochinita Pibil - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Armando Palmero... buy 2 because the first will go fast! I'm a vegetarian when I visit Guisados!! The Calabasas are always yummy, the quesadilla and the beans always hit! The service is quick and you can't go wrong with handmade tortillas. Small place, cool people and awesome artists featured on the walls!! read more

The first of? I think this to be the original one, but maybe not. Guisados is a taco joint that dares to do things a bit differently. The circuitous taco soft-shell is palm size, more delicate than the more ubiquitous alternative. The meats are marinated -- presentation in almost like a stew-based display Garnished with like a dab of salsa, or vegetable such as the pickled onion. I ordered the taco sampler display. One thing that immediately grabbed my attention was the temperature of the meats. They were not hot. But perhaps the contrast from the cold dap of salsa maybe confused my taste buds. The tacos I cared not for, were any of the ones with an avacado on top. I submit Avacados belong on either salad or toast, but never a taco -- or burrito for that matter. The grissle, and fatty taco with pork rinds and verde you also want to avoid. In fact, I would order a la carte. The fallowing are the forerunners for the soundtrack to your taste-buds escape: Cochinita Pibil: Shredded pork braised in a sweet, red achiote spice atop black beans. Served with Yucatan compliments, Pickled red onions and habanero chile. Chorizo taco: Mexican sausage en su jugo served with red onion, green serrano chile and chile arbol atop black beans Steak picado: Flank steak simmered with green bell peppers and bacon. Served with green serrano chile atop black beans. Overall, a decent experience. Just not up to par with my initial outing of my first-time -- at its West Hollywood counterpart. read more

Guisados - Best one is the Cochinita Pibil -- pink one in middle. - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Top stop for tacos in LA without a doubt! One of a kind place - family owned and authentic! read more

Fresh handmade tortillas, flavorful stews, and salsas with the perfect kick. The sampler is a must if you want to try a little of everything. Always tasty, fast, and satisfying! read more

I really enjoyed my five star "sampler" taco plate at Guisados. My plate was served with 6 exquisitely tasting mini tacos with handmade tortillas. The tacos are really tasty, flavorful, and the tortillas were perfect; they reminded of my aunt's handmade tortillas made with her magical hands. My friend ordered the Frijoles con Queso and Quesadilla tacos and they looked equally delicious. I plan to try them on my next visit. The inside dining area is neat and clean with some cool displays and artwork on the walls. The customer service was great and attentive. The location brought back childhood memories because I grew up in this neighborhood and lived on the same block at one time. Guisado's surrounding area is a vibrant small business hub with many stores and services available for a unique shopping experience. There is street parking available and it's easy to find a spot. read more

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Guisados is one of my go to taco spots. I have been going to guisados since 2014 and I love it here! My favorite tacos are: bistec de salsa roja, quesadilla, chuleta en chile verde, steak picado. I also love their tostadas and tamales de carne y elote. read more

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Just walking in... service is superb. Great recommendations and sample tasting on their drinks. Family restaurant with great food and wonderful ambiance. Beautiful street art on the walls and delicious tacos! Thank you Guisados! You made us feel welcome and we walked out with a happy full belly. read more

Guisados - Art - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We know the Guisados in Hermosa Beach. Great sauces and on special occasions when they have cheek meat tacos, it's special!

Guisados in Boyle Heights serves up some of the most flavorful, tender tacos I've ever had the pleasure of eating in LA. Everything we tried from their selection of slow-braised meats and vibrant sauces was executed incredibly well, with standouts being the melt-in-your-mouth steak picado, juicy chicken tinga with a hint of spice, and smoky grilled camarones tacos piled high with plump shrimp. Even with a packed house, the efficient service ensured our orders arrived at our table piping hot and fast. For an authentic taqueria dishing out mind-blowingly good tacos in a casual setting, I can't recommend Guisados highly enough - it's become my new go-to local spot! read more

Guisados - Steak Picado, Tinga De Pollo, Camarones, Chuleta en Chile Verde - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California