Best Mexican food in Pedro. Period. Found this place on Yelp and came straight in on a Sunday night. We ordered and food came right out. I got carne asada taco and shrimp taco. My boyfriend got agua chiles and the carne asada plate. We also got chips and salsa. They hand make their tortillas!!!! Find another place that does that! The carne asada and shrimp was SO flavorful. Both were super juicy. My boyfriend LOVEDDDD his agua chiles and carne asada plate. And honestly he is kinda picky. He said we have found our New Mexican place in town. High praise coming from him. The agua chiles were INCREDIBLE! I will be craving this for the next few days. If I could recommend anything from the menu - it's this. I love that all this food is authentic! Please eat here rn. Restaurant is spacious and clean. I can tell this is small and family owned which makes me love it even more. Everything was made to order. I literally heard the blender in the back making the salsa or the agua chile mixture. We will be back soon!!! read more

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Clean place and friendly workers. Handmade tortillas were good. Agua de tamarindo was tangy and fresh. Added some water to it as it was a bit sweet for me. I usually baseline judge a Mexican spot on their salsas and their carne asada. Salsas are not great. I tried all of them and none of them stood out. Their green sauce is over blended and just doesn't taste great. Asada wasn't the best quality and had gristle. Lengua was kind of shredded into pieces and by the end of the taco I didn't really want to keep eating it. Chicken tasted like it was seasoned with a ramen packet or something just odd seasoning. read more

I went here on a recommendation on Reddit's r/SanPedro page, and I'm glad I went. The kind redditor suggested the tacos, so I ordered 3 chicken tacos with a side of beans and rice. There were a few things that really stood out and made me very happy that I gave it a try. First, the red sauce in the salsa bar: very legit! Spicy, but very flavorful! I also tried the green chili/tomatillo sauce, which was also very good and good counter point to the unctuous marinated chicken. And they don't go cheap on the meat. Secondly, the corn tortillas were made in house and were hefty! Very tasty and held together where other tacos need two of the thin store-bought variety to have a hope to stand together. Very good. If I had the tiniest critique, I would say to add a tiny bit more salt to them, but I have a theory why they may go scant on it, and I respect that. Third, the beans and rice: The beans were very simple, but simply good. It takes a lot of guts to make and serve simple pinto beans boiled with salt. I know! What a concept! But simply delicious, and made to complement the rest of the food, and not distract from it. It takes a lot of confidence in my opinion for a restaurant to have such faith in their food to leave some that should be simple, simple. The same was true for the rice: simply well made, not over done with a ton of ingredients. It was well made: the individual grains didn't stick together. And it was unctuous without being overbearing. If I had to guess, I would say that they used broth and chicken fat. Simply good, and a complement to rest of the meal. Now to my theory. It makes sense that the masa would be light on the salt because it is the same masa that they use for pupusas, and the filling for pupusas (I just like that word) is savory and well seasoned. I'll let you now next time I got back and try the PUPUSAS! ;) read more

Jefe's Cocina - Three Chicken Tacos on substantial handmade corn tortillas. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We were going on a cruise with some friends. We always get to the port early to get a good parking spot and then we walk around the town of San Pedro. I've stopped here before, but I only got a flour tortilla last time. I had already eaten breakfast so, this time, I ordered a corn tortilla. It was homemade and absolutely delicious! My friends ordered an Asada/Beef burrito to share. They raved about it. Next time, I will skip breakfast and eat here before boarding the cruise ship. read more

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I ordered a regular passionfruit agua fresca, a chicharron pupusa, one asada taco, and one pastor taco. The agua fresca was refreshing and not overly sweet, a great balance with the food. The chicharron pupusa was thick and filling with a crispy outside and flavorful filling. The asada taco had a good char and solid seasoning, while the pastor taco was juicy with that slightly sweet, spiced flavor that stands out. All the salsas I got were very good too as Everything came out fresh and well prepared. Service was quick and the vibe was casual and relaxed. Highly recommend. read more

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Excellent food and service, My wife like the gallina soup and the lenguas tacos are delicious

This place is the real deal! I love their tacos, their meat is super flavorful, tender, and goes super well with their homemade tortillas. The homemade tortillas are super good and do not go unnoticed! Everyone there is always nice and the inside is always clean. This is a good spot to eat at check it out if you're looking to try a new mexican spot! read more

Awesome Taquitos and Pupusas. Small mom and pop Mexican place in San Pedro. Nice and clean, good service and excellent food at reasonable prices. The taquitos were huge and the chicken had excellent flavor. Pupusa was also big and the pork rind gave it more depth. Will be back to try more things. read more

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Everybody's workin' for the weekend Everybody wants a new romance Everybody's goin' off the deep end Everybody needs a second chance... We ordered pupusas for the kids and the malomas with chicken. The pupusas were really good the kids devoured them. The cortido was okay. The mamalona was nothing memorable the chicken tasted very dry. Agua de Jamaica was good and refreshing the large was big enough for all to enjoy. Street parking is right in front or there is a paid parking lot behind the restaurant. Both were full so we parked on a side street. The place is spacious with a lot of seating. Bathroom is small, no changing table in the men's. The order too a bit longer than expected, even though there wasn't anyome else waiting for an order. If you're in the mood for some pupusas stop by Jeff's. May need to give them a second chance as the song says next time I'm in town. God bless read more

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This hole in the wall spot is easy to miss if you're cruising in San Pedro. That being said, we decided to stop by to try it. I do think it's unique that the complimentary appetizer is the pinwheel chips with tapatio. Also I like the traditional chips and salsa, this was pretty good I had the pupusa and it was one of the best pupusas I've had. Granted I'm not an expert on Pupusas, it was definitely better than others that I've had. The texture perfect in it being soft with just a little crunch to it. The cheese and chicharron flavor was on point! I also had the asada and Cameron taco. The shrimp was okay, but I did enjoy the asada quite a bit. Overall, the tacos were good, not amazing. But the pupusa definitely makes up for it. If you're in the area, definitely come and get some food! read more

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Taco Tuesday 2/$5 tacos - chicken, steak or pork. Homemade tortillas Horchata was yummy Friendly service Much bigger restaurant than I thought it'd be! Ambience - quiet and peaceful (I went 4pm on a Tuesday) read more

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Though there was a bit of a wait (a staff member had an emergency so they were short-handed), it was well worth the time. We had lunch and it was really delicious. All the staff were friendly and caring. Not fancy at all, but a very nice place. read more

I recently attended a group dinner here, and I'm so glad I did! The food was fantastic, and I keep trying to find an excuse to go again. I had a chicken quesadilla and pineapple/cucumber Agua Fresca. The quesadilla was huge, so I ended up bringing half of it home with me. It came out quickly, and was just the right amount of crunchy! The Agua Fresca was fantastic. It was huge, but I finished all of it. I can't wait to return! read more

You know if you walk in and there's three Mexican grandmothers in the kitchen you're in the right place. I've lived in Southern California all my life, and specifically in the area of East LA, and my wife is a Latina-so for this gringo you're not gonna BS me when it comes to Mexican food. This place is the real deal. Fresh. Homemade. Authentic. Not the greatest part of town or the most beautiful place, but delicious and satisfying to find real Mexican food. Go here. This is not fast food but made with care and as-if you are family. read more

Best new restaurant to hit San Pedro. Home made corn tortillas are incredible. Even gluten free quesadillas!! Place is clean and service friendly. read more

My husband and I walked in and were pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness of the restaurant. I stepped to the order window and started "It's our first time here, I hope we're not disappointed!" The waitress just smiled when she took our order. I'm happy to say "We were not disappointed !" The food was fresh and very tasty! We'll definitely be back! read more

I was in town exploring this cute little town (?arts district) in San Pedro and loving all the little new stores and coffee shops. I came across this restaurant for a quick bite. It seems to be fairly new. The tables and layout say so. They use those foldable tables you would find for a picnic. Anyways, I was greeted by a young man who was super friendly and enthusiastic about what I'm craving and what he'd recommend. I ordered the protein papi burrito which has carne asada, eggs, onion and cilantro. It was so darn delicious!! I ordered an horcahta and again, amazing flavor. It tastes home made, which i believe it is. They serve the chips with chile y limon (so if you like the chicharroncitos dry, tell them. I love it with it) The creamy green salsa, Jefe salsa, incredible flavor. Wow. I Hella poured it on my burrito. The only flaw would be how hot it was inside. Musty. Would like it if they turned on the AC. Otherwise, I'd come back and will be bringing more folks. read more

Jefe's Cocina - Protein papi burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Great service. The tortillas were so fresh and tasty , the way they should be. I ordered the taquitos and the order came with two even though one was enough, A large taquito is more like it. The salsa bar has a variety available as well as the pickled vegetables, grilled peppers, lime and avocado salsa that you help yourself to. Service was good and fast and the inside is clean plenty of seating available. Go. Check it out. read more

The young man serving was so kind, knew his menu well, recommended based off my cravings. Horchata was sold out but I will comeback to try it. Came alone on a Saturday evening for the food left with vibes, Culture and a full belly read more

Jefe's Cocina is the BOMB!! Was recommend to come here by a local and I'm so glad I did. Their food is absolutely phenomenal and by far some of the best Mexican food I've had, period. The vibe inside is fun, they play music, and there's a nice aesthetic with the art on the walls. The girls at the front were super helpful and friendly, plus it just so happened to be the first day for one of them and she did great. I ordered two tacos and a set of three taquitos; in hindsight, my eyes were bigger than my stomach because this was a LOT of food. Their salsa bar is one par with some of the best I've seen in terms of quality and variety of options: the salsa options were spicy and tasty, they had free guac, and there was plenty of veggies and peppers to choose from. The tacos came out first and I fell in love at first bite. The tortilla had the perfect crunch while also remaining soft and the meat was cooked perfectly (both al pastor and asada). I dressed them up with onions, cilantro, guac, and salsa and my tastebuds were in heaven! Then, after I crushed the two tacos, they sent out this massive plate of 3 taquitos that were dressed up with sauce and lettuce. Those too, were DELICIOUS! The shredded chicken blend inside was so flavorful and the texture of the taquitos was on point. This place checked every single box for me and more, I was so incredibly impressed with this place that I'm still thinking about it and can't wait to go back. I'd highly recommend you give this place a shot, whether you're a local or you're traveling from Orange County/Los Angeles as it's worth the trip!! read more

Jefe's Cocina - Asada and al pastor tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been wanting to try this place and decided to stop by since I was in the area. While the restaurant has plenty seating, it was sooooo hot in there. They have a wall AC and it was not working. The temp said 88 degrees on the unit. We decided to tough it out. A few flies were going around too which was really unpleasant while trying to eat. Food took a while which I expected for the fried fish since it lists that on the menu, but in that heat it was torture. Cashier asked if we wanted our quicker dish to come out first and we said yes but they seem to have forgotten. Took about 40 minutes to get our food despite only having one person ahead of us. Louisiana fajitas were good but the mojarra mojo de ajo was bland which was upsetting since we waited so long for it. There was no garlic anywhere so not sure why it's called that. I couldn't even finish eating, I boxed it up and left because I was drenched in sweat. Would I come back? Maybe to try something else but if I do it's 1000% to go only. read more

This cute little spot was a great find. The prices reasonable and selection offered was great. The menu in the photos did not include all they have. Wish I would've taken an updated one. The service was quick and on authentic Mexican dishes. Cute touch! The 2 Taquitos Dorado plate with rice and beans was very delicious! My husband enjoyed his carne asada burrito too and ate every last bite. If I had to be picky and critique anything at all I would have to say the Spanish rice was sautéd in too much oil. Next time I'll get the three taquitos and skip the sides. We will be back when we are in the area again before boarding another cruise ship out. read more

Fresh guac, flavorful burritos and great service - Jefe Cocina in San Pedro did not disappoint. We enjoyed the asada burrito and shrimp burrito and can't wait to come back and try other items on the menu. We were hungry and didn't snap a pic of the huge burritos. lol read more

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Food is amazing! Portions are huge. Owner is really nice and very welcoming! This place is a must try! Very spacious for dine in. read more

Jefe's Cocina - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped by just off the reviews and everything was amazing! Easily a 10/10 spot. The food was delicious, the service was amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone coming to San Pedro! read more

Jefe's Cocina - Taquitos dorados - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Excellent! Wonderful pricing!!! GREAT customer service!!! The tacos had homemade corn tortillas! The Lengua was made perfect!

Staff is so awesome here! The food is as good as the staff. :) Clean and simple interior with a salsa bar and a tv for sports lovers. We've tried lots of different things here...and all delicious. Their pupusas are amazing! read more

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This place is great and genuinely should be more busy than it is. The tortillas for the burritos taste super fresh and soft. They also have an amazing passionfruit agua that I dream about. I highly recommend giving this spot a try. You'll be grateful you did. read more

The food was amazing I have no complaints the area was clean the waitress was great and it was a nice place to catch up with my friend I will be going back read more

Stumbled upon this spot on a late Tuesday afternoon and I'm so glad I did! Great flavors and super friendly staff. Not stingy on the meat at all! Inside is very clean, only minuscule critique is to refill the salsa bar. read more

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Bad service, it took 30 min to get our order. We ordered asada and al pastor tacos and they were ok. But the protein Papi burrito was horrible, it was dripping of oil and not enough meat. Will not come again and do not recommend it to anybody especially for the price!!!! read more

Walking by and decided to try this place out. I walked in to some good music playing. Ordered three tacos (pastor, pollo and asada). They were about $3.25 each. While seated, I was given a tray of chips that I was not expecting. It was tasty and a nice touch. The meats were flavorful and did not disappoint. A must try! read more

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Woah. What a wonderful place the food was perfectly well cooked and the staff were more than friendly. If I could I'd give this place ten stars. I loved the fish tacos. They were delicious. The pineapple cucumber agua Fresca was so refreshing and was perfect with the tacos. If you're around, I'd definitely check this place out. read more

Got food out pretty quick especially considering how many of us there were. Great service. Will come again! read more

Absolutely outstanding food! Service is very friendly, and the restaurant was spotlessly clean. I had the steak quesadilla ... out ravenously good! My son had the steak and he made fajitas, charred to perfection but still juicy! My daughter-in-law has the bean & cheese papusa and she said it was stellar! This prices are right in line with what's being asked today and all of we full, with take home boxes in hand! Highly recommended! read more

I really wish I could have given this place a better rating. The lady who took our order was super nice and even gave us some free crisps. But this place is unfortunately overpriced and I can't say that the food is all that good either. I got a shrimp taco and fish taco and both were not that good compared to many other places I've tried. The rest of my family mostly said their food wasn't great either except my daughter liked her chicken quesadilla. On top of that, it took a really long time for them to prepare our food, which we were taking to go, so we were late to an event we were going to. The ambiance is also not my preferred decor, a lot of black and white and darker motifs. But some people might like that. Check the photos and see what you think. read more

If you want fresh delicious food dont hesitate to come here great food and even better customer service

Asada burrito Say no More Good stuff red salsa Is fire good spot to go to order ahead. read more

Service was amazing food was even more amazing! Love the feeling of the family establishment! The portions are huge, we couldn't finish our dishes. The shrimp tacos chefs kiss! Can't wait to come back again! And to top it off complimentary aquas frescas! read more

Jefe's Cocina - Al pastor quesadilla - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Picked up 2 fried Mojarras and although it had a good flavor. 1 of them was not fully cooked. Meat was rubbery. Truly Disappointed. Service was good. However will not recommend the Mojarras unless u like it raw. read more