Tacos here are delicious!!! I loooove their al pastor tacos. This place will not disappoint. Make sure to have cash in hand and also, ask for the zanahorias curtidas, so yummy!!! read more

2 Asada + 2 Al Pastor Tacos and an Horchata. Salsa on the side with lemon, pickled carrots/onion. Very clean and fast service, packaged to-go but also perfect to eat in your car. These tacos were super tasty and affordable. Sad I'm not from this neighborhood, I'm always craving Chemas! Cash Only- there's an ATM onsite. read more

This place just hold a special place in my heart (and stomach). Doesn't get much better than Chema's for Taco's in this neck of the woods. One of my favorite Taco joints this side of the Mississippi. The Carne Asada and the Al Pastor are D'Lish. I don't usually eat Al Pastor tacos because not everyone makes it the right way. These guys have it down for sure. I hate onions but you can't even taste the onions in their Al Pastor. The tortillas are cooked and crispy not raw and soggy. The meat is tasty and even the salsa is good. Every time I come here I leave with a smile on my face... Honorable Mention: Cash Only so stop at the ATM before stopping by read more

Chema's Tacos - 3 Asada & 3 Al Pastor (no onions) - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

I have been hearing about Chema's Tacos for years. However, I just never had gotten around to giving them a try, especially after moving out of Whittier. Last week, after hanging out with my niece, I had yet another suggestion from a local business owner about Chema's Tacos being the best. I thought maybe I'd swing by and grab some tacos for the family, but wasn't really that into the idea. That's when I mentioned how I just wished there were still spots that sold tacos de cesos (cow brains) because those were my all time favorites. The gentleman said, "Chema's has cesos!" WHAT? Chema's it is, my friend. We drove up to the tiny little spot, and I knew instinctually that it would be cash only. So I scraped together the extra ones and silver dollars from my car, and walked in, hoping my dreams of brain tacos wouldn't be dashed forever. I ordered about a dozen tacos - asada, al pastor and chorizo for the family and cesos for me. Less than five minutes later, I was handed a bag full of tacos ricos. I raced to my sister's house anxious to taste what had been denied me for almost 20 years - the soft, savory taste of brains. I tried an asada and was impressed with the flavor, I took a bite of my mom's al pastor, very good. Then, I opened up the foil packaging for my own tacos. Over flowing with cesos, I grasped the little tortilla and took a bite. Good lord above!! YES, FINALLY I FOUND A LEGIT CESOS TACO PLACE! I gobbled up the two tacos in record time, glad I only ordered two as I would have ordered more if I could have (and I shouldn't because, well, tacos have a lot of calories, right?) I drove away from Whittier in a taco drunk daze. So happy that I FINALLY listened to my former neighbors and gave Chema's a chance. I'll be back, and not just because they have cesos, but because these tacos have corazon. read more

Not too clean, very little meat for 2$ per, unseasoned, horrible salsa. This place is a used it, won't be back ever again unfortunately

Super cheap and super good! I go for the al pastor, I tried the chorizo and it was good but not great. But the al pastor is great! Good horchata too. I'm only in the neighborhood for a month so I'm gonna miss this place. Parking is a pain but that's whatever. There's a review that says Chema's is closed down but they definitely aren't, I've been there lots of times since that review was posted. read more

Been coming to Chema's since the early, early 90's. My friend lived in the first corner house behind the little service station. Tacos then were dirt cheap--no burritos, no plates, no rice, no beans--just good old Chema's Asada tacos, dirt cheap and flippin good. "Let's but 10 , you got ten bucks?" Shoot that was great then and is still great now. I want to say some of the dudes are the same but if not, they all know each other because everything is the same except the year.... Great memories, good consistent tacos. Thank you Chema's Stay forever or leave a forwarding address... if you do a truck let me know, we will find you and your tacos! Yummy. read more

Driving on Whittier and you see this tiny parking lot. Place is small but mighty. Only accepts cash but there is an ATM on sight. I highly recommend the asada tacos read more

This place has fantastic street tacos! I've had the carne asada which was full of flavor, the al pastor and carnitas which were succulent and juicy, and the buche. The buche was good to me. Since it was my first experience with it I'm not sure if it's supposed to taste any differently but it didn't have any particular wow factor like the rest of their meats that I've tried. I still come here almost every week for their tacos. The salsa is excellent! I drench my tacos in the stuff. And the carne asada never fails to be amazing. I took away one star because there is a lack of consistency in their sides. Some days the roasted jalapeños are perfect and others they weren't roasted enough or seasoned at all. Sometimes they have limes but they seem to run out and substitute with lemons which don't compliment the flavors of the tacos quite as well. I do realize there are seasons to things but I've never run into a Lomé shortage anywhere else. Anyway, I would hands down recommend this place. It's very good and very filling. read more

It was my first time here and I ordered 3 tacos total. 1 asada taco, 1 sesos (brain) taco and 1 tripas taco. The asada taco was a little tough compared to other spots but the flavor was on point. It was my first time trying Sesos and it was amazing. It was tender flavorful and this might just be my new favorite taco meat. I definitely recommend this spot! read more

Chema's Tacos - Tacos de Asada, tripas y sesos. - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

Chemas Tacos has been a family favorite for years now, its my dads all time favorite taco spot. The tacos are the exact same as they were when I was a little girl almost twenty years ago. When you got to Chemas you know you are going to get a solid taco, nothing crazy or over the top. I feel like taco places now are just trying so hard to really do something fancy but sometimes you just need a good taco and that what Chemas is. And you cannot forget about the price, I went to a taco spot in uptown Whittier recently and it was 12 dollars for ONE taco. You really just cant beat Chemas, the tacos are awesome and the horchata is even better. I HIGHLY recommend. read more

Tacos not all that . Tasted plain ! I was expecting more from all the reviews ! I was disappointed I was expecting better !

I arrived first. Sitting semi-comfortably at an outdoor picnic bench and reading a dog-eared paperback of "Motherless Brooklyn," I waited, starving. But soon (about 25 pages in) they arrived, one after another: a motley crew of picante-fueled taco enthusiasts, with Sarah A. and Andrew K. at the helm. Each of us--tried-and-true cilantro gurus, I'm sure--mapped out and prepared for an aggressive descent upon five of the most notorious taco shops in Whittier and Hawaiian Gardens. None of us knew what we were truly up against. But we did know things were about to get very ugly, very quickly. With napkins piled high, Vince V. flanked left while Karina C. went in hot! (I took refuge amidst the safety of others.) And "The Crawl," it commenced. 1. Arturo's Puffy Taco: http://www.yelp.com/biz/arturos-puffy-taco-whittier 2. Tacos Baja: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-baja-whittier 3. La Victoria Taqueria: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-victoria-taqueria-whittier 4. Chema's Tacos: Tripas (small intestines), Cabeza (head), Sesos (brains), Buche (stomach): These are some of the almighty tacos--lit-up upon Chema's menu board--that I didn't try. (I shared, instead, a Carne Asada Taco--amazing still, but familiar.) Looking back now and giving it a second thought, I really should have been more open-minded. Normally, I am. But not having been more adventurous in the face of highly-respectable Yelpers sickens me. I failed. I failed badly. Of course, I could repent. I could return, ask for forgiveness, and serve my penance by ordering whatever I please. Couldn't I? But it wouldn't be the same, I guess. I mean, this was "The Crawl," wasn't it? Ordering something unfamiliar, perhaps something unusual, something exciting: This was the appeal! This was Chema's offering! This was my chance! But, instead, I cowered, played it safe. I knew it. Andrew and Sarah knew it. And Chema's as sure as hell knew it. Next time...there WILL be a next time. Redemption! 5. Tacos San Pedro: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-san-pedro-hawaiian-gardens read more

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I had asked my mom what she wanted to eat and she said Chema's Tacos!!! She grew up in boyle heights, so sometimes she gets cravings for tacos and i guess these are her choice pick. For $1.20 these little suckers were pretty tasty. Got her a couple of carne asada ones. For dude and i, we wanted like 10 carnitas tacos, but WTH! They don't do carnitas here!!! EEEEEPP!!! So we settled for Al Pastor ones and they were actuallly pretty good. Carne Asada ones were filling and good too- however, i was pretty disappointed i couldn't get my carnitas fix... They are pretty quick and while u wait, u can get your salsa and spicy veggies. *parking very limited, next to a cleaners. read more

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Have been going for years and I think I wont be going again. The tacos are OK. Honestly at night across the street the taco trucks both do it better. Just go there. read more

Round peg, square hole. That's me at Chema's, a place I'd have been more suited for had I grown up... well, at the risk of offending. let's just say "not in lily-white, red-county Newport Beach". Why? From the thick metal bullet-proof door to the wide iron bars over the windows, to the freaky-deaky-quasi-disturbing "art" adorning the walls, to the no menu item over $1.25 credo, this 1-room dump seemingly caters to a polar opposite clientele. Still, given it's major popularity amongst yelpers, it rose to the top of my list and I found myself there late on a recent evening scarfing down their cheap-o carne asada tacos, and I got it. Dang good and you can fill your tank for under 5 bucks. There's a funky little self-serve bar with radishes, pickled onions, roast jalapenos, and dried red chile peppers. There's a handful of sodas and some horchata. There's about 5 different taco types (brains anyone?) all written in Spanish. There's a guy hacking meat with a cleaver making the sound track like something from "Saw", and a bunch of patrons who look like they rolled in straight off the set of 1988's "Colors". Come for the food, not the decor. Muy delicioso. read more

Craving tacos for dinner and decided on this location since it is highly rated on Yelp. One star because the tacos were dry AF.

I ordered 4 cabeza tacos. The meat was flavorless and the res salsa they put on them was flavorless as well. The place doesn't seem to be very clean, but I decided to give it a try due to the reviews it has. The cashier was nice, very quick to attend and I believe he was also the one cooking. read more

Yes, im mexican, and yes i like tacos. Would i ever come back to this joint. No. Ive had better tacos at a generic establishment. Sorry Chemas. Things i didnt like. 1. Had a "B" going into the place. 2. Salsa bar, had no salsa. Only pickled carrots and onions, limes, cooked jalapenos, and chile de arbol. 3.meat for the tacos was very finely chopped, which made it very hard to distiinguish what you were eating. Not only that, but they all tasted the same. 4. Meats I had. a. Tripas (intestines): too crispy, and too chopped. Almost tasted burnt. b. Buche: too chopped, and couldnt taste. c al pastor: too chopped, but at least the seasoned porked helped distinguish what i was eating. 5. Only carried one salsa (red). Wasnt hot either. 6. CASH ONLY Things i did like. 1..........well, they only sell tacos, and thats it. So figured they would at least be good. Sorry Chemas, but i know you have potential... read more

Came to this spot because of the 4.5 stars and was looking forward to some bomb tacos. The spot is a little hole in the wall but clean. The cashier was very kind and helpful. The service was super quick and everything was looking good. We ordered pollo, al pastor and asada. When we got home to eat, we were so disappointed with the tacos. I've never had flavorless tacos until today. Not only were they flavorless, they were also dry!! I added salsa to see if that would help, nope.com. The salsa was just as flavorless as the tacos. There are a few dishes that are really hard to mess up, tacos is one of them. They have everything going for them, now they just need a little salt and spices to make it work. Good luck to them. read more

Location : Tiny restaurant . Limited Parking . Food : Tasty Chicken Tacos . Small tacos . Hot Sauce was yummy . Drinks: Horchata was really watered down . I've had better . Cash Only .. Who carries cash ? So inconvenient. But they do have an ATM available .. If you don't like salsa make sure to mention at the time of placing your order . They automatically add salsa to their tacos . My friend learned the hard way lol read more

Chemas has always made good street tacos. Authentic Mexican. Been coming for years. Recently the carne asada and tripa has been dry and hard. Dont know what happened. Other than that it's the best in town. read more

Best street tacos in Whittier! The price is great. The carne asada taco is loaded, juicy, and flavorful! I love the hot red sauce that is poured over the tacos. It is spicy and flavorful as well. read more

Chema's Tacos - Al pastor taco - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

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Best tacos around! Just wish the place would clean up after all these years. Service is on point

Since you already know about the tacos, I'm going to tell you about their dope ass coin toy machines. You know, the kind that shits out a random toy in a plastic, bubble container after you insert a quarter or two. Well, they've got two of those machines, one selling homies (unoriginal) and the other selling little dog figurines (super awesome). For $1.00 I got a chihuahua taking a piss (with an actual penis) and a super gnarly looking black pitbull. See posted photos for a better idea of how cool they are. My friend even got one that looks just like his dog, GG. $1.10 per taco. I got four tacos -- 2 al pastor, 2 pollo. A taco is a taco to me and tacos are good. So I was full and happy with my new toys. The horchata was tasty too. Will be back for more fun with many more quarters. read more

Chema's Tacos - Vending machine toys & non-vending machine tacos - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

We tried three different varieties of taco. At $1.10 a piece, we were definitely already getting our money's worth. CARNE ASADA - a little dry, but tasty. Doesn't taste like it was prepared in typical carne asada fashion. The greens mixed in were not that fresh. Not a bad taco, but not perfection. Good taco for $1.10. AL PASTOR - lighter sauce than usual, but tender. The flavors are still good. The cilantro could still be fresher, but this was definitely the favorite among our selection (we had 8 adults eating!). LENGUA - We chose this one chiefly because we had some Chinese grandparents in our group. For those of us who did taste it, we'd say that it was as smooth as you would expect from the lengua. Not as strong in flavor as the other tacos, but that is to be expected. The salsa was good, and my father-in-law mistook the peppers for pretzels. Hilarity ensued. read more

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1 star for decor (you'll see what I mean) 5 stars for tacos Been coming for years. If you can look past the weird choice of....imagery, you'll get some pretty good street tacos at a reasonable price. This place is the definition of a hole in the wall, so don't bring your S.O. here until AT LEAST the 3rd date. My favorite are the asada and cabeza tacos. Though I must say, the cabeza can be hit or miss depending on how busy they are I guess. read more

We are doing our best to Support our Local business in Whittier but dang.... we are absolutely disappointed today.. never have I had bad tacos from Chemas.. But today was an absolute fail... Maybe it's this pandemic thing but WOW!! we ordered asada... tripas... chorizo... buche.. cabesa.. al pastor... y pollo... lots of tacos... NEVER have we had such flavorless tacos.. nada de sal nada de sabor... like WTF... My kids love Chemas.. till now... sorry but will most definitely NOT order again... we will just stick to the taco trucks from out of town I guess... or Maybe not... Guess we'll see But really was broken hearted to eat such bad tacos.. I know you're better than this read more

Been coming to Chema's for 30 years! Our Friday night fix love the tacos salsa & service..

Chemas Tacos, need I say more. Its exactly what I expect every time I go there. Great tacos full of flavor for a great price. It is a small place but its really as basic and authentic as you can get for tacos and simplicity is the best recipe for this type of food. Don't make the mistake and just drive by, stop and get you some tacos, and the chile they make to put on the tacos is great! Not spicy but packed with flavor that pairs well with the asada, pastor! read more

Chema's Tacos - AL PASTOR 4 LIFE - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

I like hole in the wall restaurants but I cringed when I stepped inside Chema's. Some yelper wrote that the inside was like an enlarged gas station bathroom - they were right, there couldn't be any more accurate description to describe this place. If BF wasn't with me and if I wasn't numb from being so hungry and if I didn't read the yelp reviews, I would definitely have walked away from this place. There are only tacos on the menu. BF got me chicken and carne asada tacos and got himself al pastor tacos. Carne asada was a bit dry and tough to chew but the chicken was very tasty and delicious. BF seemed to enjoy his al pastor tacos and got 2 more. I liked the chicken tacos but not enough to make me want to come back again but BF on the other hand liked this place and wants to come again soon. read more

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If you're in the mood for some messy Mexican tacos with a kick ass flavor, Chema's is the place to be. Although it isn't the most glamorous place, what can you really expect when you're paying a dollar and ten cents per taco? Favorites include the carne asada and the al pastor tacos. While you are there, try the Jalapenos! You may get lucky and find a really spicy one. ;) read more

Chema's Tacos - Tacos de Carne Asada y al Pastor - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

A handful of friends and I went running at a nearby trail and couldn't decide on where to eat after and eventually decided to try this place out. (I'm sure everyone's been in this situation before) I was absolutely blown away by the quality (and the price!) of the tacos! Everything from the carne asada to the buche were amazing. All the tacos were slathered in this wonderful sauce that gave them a bright texture and slightly sweet flavor. The meat was done perfectly! Sadly, the parking situation was a little tricky, and the horchata left a lot to be desired. read more

Chema's Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

Best alpastor tacos around! I came from the OC to try this place out on a buddy's recommendation. I would have give a 5 but lenguna tacos weren't that great and parking is limited. I will come again just for alpastor and cabeza tacos. read more

Great tacos! Love the chicken ones! Parking is a bit trouble but the food and service is great! read more

The beef and chicken are dry and flavorless. The tortillas are dry with no flavor. I'd rather go across the street to the taco stand by Walgreens. read more

These are good tacos and worth a try. The location is super small but super clean. The salsa is great. read more

Chema's Tacos - Options - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

Yummmmmm Chema's has the best tacos!!! I've been coming here for years and it's the best! Definitely recommend this joint. The meat has flavor and the chili is the best. The onions and cilantro tasted fresh. read more

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When I entered High School I started meeting people from other areas, I also learned about different places to eat good food! One of the places I learned about was Chema's in Whittier. A Lot of my comrades in Montebello, Pico Rivera, and Whittier would talk about this place and how good the tacos were. I remember trying out Chema's in the early 90's when I was in High School, and it must not have made an impact on me, because I never went back. Three years ago I moved to Whittier, I was reunited with old good friends and my interest in Chema's was once again ignited! Today was my second visit in 2.5 years, and like the last, today Chema's did not impress me. This is how it went down. 1. 2 Carne Asada Tacos: Average, nothing special, no flavor. 2. 2 Al Pastor Tacos: Below Average, way too much fat involved! 3. Salsa: Nothing special. 4. Service: Homeboy behind the counter, took my order and served my food. Cool with me. 5. Price: $1.25 for an average taco. Cool with me! Chema's possesses all the necessary elements to be successful at what they do. Its located in Whittier on Whittier Blvd, true "hole in the wall" that is easily passed unless you know where you are going, $1.25 tacos, and the #1 most important elament is the locals eat it!! If the residents of the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods like it, then Chema's must be doing something right! Chema's has the type of reputation all Taco establishments strive to have, it is also well established by word of mouth and would be successful without Yelp and other similar sites. I respect Chema's, but there are other tacos in the area I prefer. In the future I may return and give it another shot, but I don't think I will be going back anytime soon. Would I come back? NO. I'm bumping Chema's up one star. Today I ordered three carne asada and two chorizo tacos. I was very happy with my meal! My tacos hit the spot! Thank you Chema's! Would I come back? YES. read more

Chema's Tacos - 2 carne asada, 1 al pastor, 1 chorizo. - Tacos Near Me - Whittier, California

Love Cheka's Tacos! Very authentic and tasty, the meat is perfect as are the tortillas and salsas. My go to for tacos near home.