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    Top Shelf Tacos

    4.3 (1.3k reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order Top Shelf Tacos Takeout or Delivery

    Top Shelf Tacos Photos

    Business Info

    TOP SHELF TACOS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Top Shelf Tacos

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    Spicy fries
    Larry M.

    Top Shelf tacos in Carson is an excellent place to get tacos. The service and cleanliness is excellent. One thing that they did change and it's very unfortunate the jalapeno poppers no longer come with spicy fries.

    Carne asada burrito. Decent size with a good amount of meat. Good flavor especially with the salsa.
    Mike H.

    Have been on a search for the best carne asada burrito in the South Bay. Thought I'd try top shelf tacos and it's not bad. Pretty straightforward. Doesn't drastically stand out from other places but if you're local, it'll get the job done. Service was helpful and place was organized and clean. If anyone has any recommendations for a good carne asada burrito I'd love to hear it.

    Tacos Al Pastor
    Rosalina J.

    If I ended up in a Moomoo dress this year, this is the place that would get me there. Wish I knew about Top Shelf sooner. My wonderful neighbors offered to pick me up tacos tonight and they were absolutely delicious. I devoured four Al Pastor tacos. The meat is well marinated, & the green salsa has the perfect amount of spice. It's tasty but not extremely spicy to the point that you can't enjoy the food. I also heard they have vegetarian jack fruit tacos, I'll be there next Tuesday to try them out.

    Tori H.

    I haven't had good tacos like this IN A MINUTE! Me & my girls went to Top Shelf Tacos for Taco Tuesday AND WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED! The Tacos were $2 (when originally they at $3.75) I got 4 tacos; asada, chicken, al pastor, and shrimp. The Carne Asada was my favorite hands down! Then the chicken came in next! The meat was seasoned so good, and both the green sauces took the drinks up a notch. The condiment bar was nice and clean and all the items looked very fresh! The green mild was very flavorful while the green fire WAS SPICY and packed a mean punch! I also got agua Fresca, I had them mix the Pineapple with the strawberry lemonade, fire! So freaking fire. My friends both got carne asada fries, they complained about the price at first but when they started eating them, they were like yea this is definitely worth it! The restroom was also clean, great service, definitely recommend.

    BURRITO, GUAC AND CHIPS
    Kevin P.

    We ordered from Top Shelf Tacos for a team lunch at work, and overall, I'd call the experience... average. I got the carnitas burrito, which came with rice and avocado inside. While the portion size was decent, the execution was lacking. The carnitas were a bit dry, the rice didn't have much flavor, and the burrito itself was noticeably greasy. The chips on the side were also just okay--nothing that stood out. For the price point, I expected more--better flavor, fresher ingredients, and a cleaner finish. This felt more like a quick grab-and-go than a "top shelf" experience. Not terrible, but not something I'd go out of my way for again.

    Carne quesadilla
    Helene D.

    Late night snack! Ordered the quesadilla and the meat was extremely tender and cheese was delicious but the meat needed some seasoning. It doesn't come with extra sides like guacamole or sour cream--additional cost. My friends ordered the mulita and that was HUGE! It's a double stacked with three pieces of tortilla. Ordering one would be fine lol we also ordered chicken taco and it was super plain and bland. Overall lacked in seasoning but portions were good!

    Carne Asada Protein Bowl!
    Nielson B.

    Top Shelf Tacos lives up to its name--this place is a gem in Carson! I personally go for the Carne Asada Protein Bowl--it's filling, flavorful, and guilt-free. My business partners swear by the Carne Asada Tacos, and even our vegetarian partner is hooked on the Bean and Cheese Burrito. Don't let the simple menu fool you--every item is crafted with care and flavor that hits every time. Be sure to grab a side of tortilla chips and don't skip the salsa bar. The green sauce is offered in both mild and hot, and it's the perfect kick to any meal. Feeling thirsty? I always reach for the Cucumber Lime agua fresca, and the rest of the drink lineup is next on my list. If you're in the South Bay, make the trip. Ask for the manager, Aurea--she makes sure everything is on point, every single time. This spot is consistently top notch.

    Elizabeth B.

    My bf was born & raised in Carson so when we visited recently he was excited to return to his favorite taco spot and was happy it was just as good as he remembered. I was so impressed, we each got 3 tacos - al pastor, carne asada, & carnitas - each one was full of flavor & abundant with meat. I loved being able to use the condiment bar to get the right amount of toppings I wanted - the housemade green sauce is the bomb. Hands down our favorite was the al pastor as its savory rich flavor cannot be beat, followed by the carne asada, then carnitas. The staff were so friendly & kind. We enjoyed the ambiance - clean, spacious, comfortable.

    I want to preface by saying I lived in Mexico for 3 years. This initial vibe is a good mix of modern and traditional. Definitely a cool place to take your friends. Now in terms of quality of meat, a little disappointed by the quality to price. I tried the Al Pastor, Carnitas, and Asada! The Asada was the best of the three and was amazingly seasoned. But for $3.75 per taco, I would say portion is extremely small. I would say $3 per taco would be more appropriate, but overall it's a good bite. Not my first choice, but worth stopping by.

    Randle C.

    Second Time Visitor! Their Service was great! Along with the quality of their Food! Carne Asada was just the right amount of seasoning. And their Carnitas was even better! Located in a strip mall with lots of Parking Spaces.

    Steve O.

    It's rather amusing that I worked about 10 minutes away from Top Shelf for 19 years and it wasn't until I retired a few years back that I finally made it here. I was across the street at Scottsdale quite often to visit the parents of "challenging" students but never realized a gastronomic paradise was waiting across the street. Man oh man, I had been missing out. I ordered the Al Pastor burrito wet and let me tell you, it was delicious. Not a huge burrito but a generous amount of food. The sauce was flavorful and I appreciated the fact it had just the right amount of salt unlike the majority of the other places I've frequented lately. It was the best burrito I've had in ages. My wife's protein bowl with shrimp met with her satisfaction and happily had a decent quantity of shrimp unlike many other Mexican restaurants we've gone to recently. I ordered the strawberries and cream dessert but was too full to eat it so it will have to wait until later. The staff was incredibly kind and helpful. No complaints about service whatsoever. The shopping center has more than enough parking so that isn't an issue. I'm not sure I would visit at night unless you feel safe going into an area with its fair share of troublemakers in the area after dark though. Top Shelf turned out to be just as advertised. I only wish I had tried them much further back in time. I would have made better use of the time I had when I was working in the area.

    South Bay Burrito
    Roy L.

    Top Shelf Tacos is located in a super random plaza in the middle of Carson suburbia, but the food is anything but random. It was delicious. I ordered the South Bay Burrito which is an adaptation of the California burrito with French fries. And it was juicy and super flavorful. I would highly recommend it to others. The staff there is super nice and it was a good experience. They have a salsa bar with onions, cilantro, and radishes. One of the best parts is that it's counter ordering and they don't put you through the awkward tipping process of other counter order restaurants. The lady took my credit card and zero's the tip portion and charged me for the meal. That right there is a winning statement for me, in an age where customers often feel obligated to tip. Big kudos to management here.

    Plain for the kids

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    2 months ago

    Food was so good. Love the bar setup so you can pile your salsas and toppings how you like. Staff was friendly and food was fast.

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    8 months ago

    Great food! Great service! Got our food fast and enjoyed every bite. Definitely coming back for more

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

    The people who work there are chill and the tacos are great. Green fire sauce is the best. Love this place on taco Tuesday.

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    Top Shelf Tacos Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Top Shelf Tacos

    What kind of oil do they use to cook the meat in?

    Are they open on Sundays? Google says no, but yelp says yes. Phone line is busy. 7/17/2022

    They are closed on Sundays.

    What is the creamy green fire sauce made of?

    Avocado, lime/lemon, cilantro, salt,garlic, onion

    Do they still have taco tuesdays?

    Not since the pandemic. 😭

    When are the chicken enchiladas coming back?

    Are there Taco Tuesday deals?

    Yep! $1.25 for carnitas, pollo, pastor, veggies, or jackfruit.

    When are y'all opening back up 😩? I miss loaded french fries

    Their Instagram says they will be re-opening today Monday June 3, 2019. Their ig: @topshelf_tacos

    Do they make the tortillas fresh in from scratch?

    Yes they do! Bomb!

    Do they Serve alcohol?

    No alcohol

    I see this place has vegetarian options, but any vegan options?

    I don't think they have the vegan options in the menu yet, I'm sure you can just order the vegetarian without cheese or anything else that might go against the vegan diet.

    Any discounts for the day?

    No more yelp check-in discount. =/

    Are the agua frescas free refills?

    Too good to be free refills. Not sure though. I only have one drink with my meals... wrong guy to ask. My family and I have never had a bad experience there. None of my friends I recommended there either.

    View All 14 Questions

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    El Baja Chef 2 - supreme nachos served mountain high

    El Baja Chef 2

    (77 reviews)

    $

    I was in search of a sit down Mexican restaurant in the area so I last minute chose this place. I…read morethought it was odd they close at 6pm being a place that serves buckets of beer. The vibe was really off. The place is nice and clean and appealing but there was no music playing. They had on naked and afraid and some news on their TVs. We were the only people there so the place was so quiet and boring. The lady was very polite, but it just wasn't a "fun environment". The food came out at all different times which was weird because we were the only ones there. I'm always trying to find somewhere close to go hang out and invite friends to have drinks and eat but it was just so off I wouldn't want to go back with friends. Food- I had the fish taco which was good, the calamari was very chewy and not that good, and the enchiladas were decent Service - Service was good (flys were coming in tho so I think they should keep the door closed) Ambiance- lacking. They need some fun music and give me a reason to order some beer and hangout more. I don't really see this as anything other than a takeout place unless they extend their hours and improve the vibe.

    I love this cute hidden gem in carson. It's hard to find a good shrimp cocktail these days! Plus…read morethey serve incredible MIcheladas and have big TV's to watch games. The menudo was out of this world! Not to mention the incredible portions. The owner came to our table to talk to us and share about himself and family. We will be coming here weekly for our dose of good Authentic food and good vibes.

    Madre - Pulpo Taco

    Madre

    (1.9k reviews)

    $$

    I was overdue for another visit at Madre. I kept thinking about mole three times during the week…read morethat's when I know. Seating: usually like to decide beforehand if I want to sit on the patio or inside. Most of the time, I prefer the patio, and that's what we ended up with. Service: Staff immediately offered the heater, which I readily agreed to. Two people spoke and helped us out outside of the waitress, meaning they were constantly checking in on us. This checks out similar to the service I received last time I was here. Food: We had nachos. I had mole and the chido way cocktail. My boyfriend had dark Mexican lager and cochinitta pork dish. I was really happy with our The food was excellent, and my cocktail was truly exceptional. It was on par with some of the best fancy cocktail bars I've visited, yet prices were more reasonable, typical of a restaurant. The mezcal was smoky and delicious. I also noticed that most of their cocktails are tequila and mezcal based. You should get a cocktail if it's your first visit. Vibes: It's always loud, especially at its peak on a Saturday evening. I can overhear bits and pieces of conversations from three tables next to me, but somehow it all fits perfectly. Suddenly, a live mariachi band started playing an emotional Ballad. It's always cool when I run into live music when I'm here. I like it here! Wanted to let you know that they seem to have slightly increased the prices vs the menu? It wasn't updated on the menu, but for example my Mole Negro was $1.50 higher at checkout mentioning so others are aware.

    We went to Madre on a Sunday. It wasn't really planned, but we were walking in Old Torrance, saw…read morethe place and decided to go in and try it out. We weren't really starving, just wanted to check the vibes, try the food and see how it was. Unfortunately, things just weren't how we were expecting. We love mexican food and we are used to the food trucks that we can find everywhere in LA. I used to have tacos from the taco truck across the street from me when I lived in San Pedro and they were just perfect, simple and on point. I think I had that idea when I ordered the taco, but it wasn't really what I expected. It was bigger and looked beautiful, but the amount of spice was extremely high, which didn't even let me taste the flavor. And on top of it, the salt felt off too. Too much spice, not enough salt. My fiance ordered tamales, and the mole was more on the chocolate side than anything. The flavors just didn't match. Service wise we have nothing to complain about. They were nice and helpful! It's just the food that wasn't good for us.

    Blue Burro Burritos & Cantina - Surf 'n' turf rolled tacos. With shrimp?!!!!!  Yummmmmyyy

    Blue Burro Burritos & Cantina

    (340 reviews)

    $$

    Harbor Gateway

    Finally made it back!!! And although I got the smaller tamer " original house taquitos"…read moreWith beef...Still so delicious and a great meal. As usual the place is run by a handful of very pretty and super nice latinas who wrangle orders and table delivery like pros... it's such a good place

    I had been passing by this place for a while. The name is catchy. A colleague told me it was…read moretasty. Today, I decided to give it a try. This is an "order at the counter and they bring it out to you" type of place. The name "& cantina" makes me think you be sat down and someone takes your order. A tad confusing. Let me start with the service. The cashier was friendly but didn't give me any time to decide if I wanted a receipt before declining it on her end. It's a pet peeve. The place was empty. The menu is hard to read and the printed/laminated menus are poorly printed making them difficult to read. They seem to be promoting rolled tacos (aka taquitos) but this says "Blue Burro Burritos." I went with a burrito. It just contained carne asada, guac and pico. No rice. No beans. No cheese. All are extra. It's served with chips and a drink if you get the combo. They do give tiny portions of salsa on the side. The burrito itself looked like it had been on Ozempic for a few months. It tasted fine but just didn't seem plump. The chips were crispy, salty (in a good way) and tasted fresh but there wasn't anything to really dip them in. The salsa they served are in tiny cups so you can't get the chip in it. Honestly, they felt more like hot sauces. The habanero was okay, not really that spicy. The green one was too vinegary for my taste. The place was clean and they had loud music playing in the background. It was empty when I got there and considering all the ingredients in my burrito seemed precooked (like Chipotle), it took a while for the food to come. I went to the beverage bar and the different flavors of the non-soda beverage options had unnatural colors. The horchata looked like got into a fight with a Smurf and lost. The strawberry aquafresca was an unnatural milky opaque red. The cucumber seemed just a bit too neon green. The first two were not to my liking. The cucumber was refreshing but tasted like it contained a LOT of sugar. It was also annoying they didn't have any signs what was what. Back to the service. I had some chips left but went to get a refill on my beverage and the worker there took my food away assuming I was done. I caught her just before she left the dining area and asked her to return the food. She apologized. I think they can/should wait until someone leaves the establishment or at least ask. The combo was about $17. Bottom line: will I return? I would not come here on my own. I think the food is pricey for what it is. However, if I was with others who wanted to come here, I wouldn't say no. There are just better Mexican food restaurants in the area.

    Miches de la Baja - Birria tacos plate

    Miches de la Baja

    (433 reviews)

    $$

    A very casual place to enjoy some Baja surf & turf!…read more We came on Wednesday to take advantage of their Fish Tacos Wednesday Special for $1.99. Hard to beat a fresh fish taco for that price! Great deal for a delicious fish taco! We arrived before the dinner rush, but it was already busy here! Hubby ordered at the counter at 4:51PM and our food was ready to be picked up by 4:58PM. Quick service! As we were eating, I noticed all the banner hanging overhead. There are certain specials on Mon, Tue, Wed, & Thurs. Plan your visit depending on what special is happening that day of the week! Beyond the specials, they offer tacos, burritos, Mojarra Frita, Seafood Cocktails, Quesadilla, Fish Chicharrones, Sopes, Nachos, and some seasonal items. You can get seafood (shrimp, fish, and meat (beef, pork, and chicken). The only thing I really didn't like were the seats. They are benchlike with a slight curve. I'm short, so my feet don't reach the ground and the edge of the seat that curves upward was uncomfortable for my legs as they were dangling. Short person problem. I would definitely return again for Fish Tacos Wednesday! We each had 2 tacos and shared the Chips with Guacamole & Salsa. Our total came out to $14.21 ... now that's a real deal!!

    Food is good the service at this location is horrible. It happened the first time I was there and…read morethought maybe they're having a bad day but same thing today. First time going to this place and the girl working there just ignored me trying to place an order at the counter. Second time the another worker ignored me for pickup order. I stood there after she helped another customer with her pickup order and she just walked away. The bleached hair lady kept waving her hand at me to wait while she was boxing up orders coming out of the kitchen. My order was already at the pickup station but she chose to ignore me 10min. All she had to do was give me my order that was already done and go back to boxing up orders coming out. Food is good but don't expect any type of customer service at this location. Worst customer service with two different girls working here. Time to find another place

    Flores Cafe - Fajitas Combination

    Flores Cafe

    (176 reviews)

    $$

    Flores Cafe sits in a nondescript shopping center at the corner of Carson Street (x) S Wilmington…read moreAve. A prominent tenant of "Car-Wil Plaza" is Starbucks. An additional landmark--"Malamalama Ole Lalolagi" Church, is across the street. Mexico is a large country. As such there are many regional cooking styles. Barriers to entry are relatively low; so, if someone feels that they have good recipes, they can open their own business. The plus side is that in Southern California, we have access to a variety of "Mexican" food. I have had many good meals in small family restaurants. But a lot of small restaurateurs don't have a lot of capital; as such, decor is an afterthought. While not polished, the owners of Flores Cafe have put a lot of effort into decoration. The interior walls are covered with portraits of entertainment personalities, with a Día de los Muertos overlay. It's probably worth at least one visit to go and see. Service at some smaller restaurants is sometimes wanting. The waiter and waitress were outfitted professionally in black jeans and black dress shirts. The table service offered was also good. On this occasion, I ordered the carne asada burrito; rice, with no beans ($12.99); covered in the red sauce ($3.99). With a Pepsi ($5.99) and tax ($2.40), my ticket was $25.37 before gratuity. The texture of the food on the plate was a bit rustic; but I think this is attributable to cooking style. Overall, the taste was good; the overall size of the burrito, and its contents, was reasonable in the current environment. I took lunch, mid-day, mid-week; so, I can't comment on their promotional events, like karaoke,

    I work right across the street from this place and had not yet tried it so I decided today's that…read moreday. I went early enough (11:15ish) prior to the lunch crowd and was the 2nd customer in the restaurant. I was immediately greeted by a server whom quickly took my order and brought chips and salsa to my table. I ended up ordering the two hard shell taco combo with rice and beans and a fountain soda. The food was ok (not the worst); however, very pricey: 16.99 for the taco plate and 4.99 for my fountain drink! With tax and before tip it came to 24 bucks! I definitely won't be eating here again. Service was great and the servers were friendly enough and very efficient but overall not worth the price. Side note: this is a great place for large parties. Parking is tight except around the side of the bldg. Decor is dark inside almost like Dia de Los Muertos type!

    Top Shelf Tacos - mexican - Updated May 2026

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