Best hard shell tacos in the game right now! I get their shredded beef hard shell tacos every time, and the shell is perfectly crisp. The crunch that you hear after every bite always gives me an eargasm. Each taco comes with a whole tomato slice, and it's nicely salted. They could add a little more beef in their tacos though, cuz it is kind of lacking. Too bad they pull a Chick-fil-A on Sundays (for now). At least they're honoring the Lord's day. read more

Excellent chicken tacos! Pretty much the only thing I come for, customer service always good for me. Been coming here on the random since the 80's. read more

The food is very flavorful! I had the famous chicken tacos and every part of the taco had flavor even the shell. I don't know what they fry it in but it's awesome! I've had their burritos, rice , taquitos, and the beans with 3 tortilla chips dipped in them. All great options. My only problem is it seems like the portions got smaller. I understand being covid days but paying more and getting smaller portions doesn't seem right. I'll still order from them bc I love this tiny establishment . I've been a customer for decades!! read more

Josie's Place - Mexican Near Me - Gardena, California

I don't know how we have lived in Gardena for 27 years and never went here. After seeing a good friends post on FB we ventured out here. The Food is really good, I especially loved the Crunchy Beef Taco, and the Soft Carnitas Taco was overflowing with meat, they don't skimp on that one. This may look like a hole in the wall, but, the food stands up really well. We ordered 6 Tacos and a quesadilla and it added up $24 with Tax. Very reasonable. read more

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The BEST Mexican food in town! My family has been coming to Josie's for authentic Mexican food for as long as I can remember. This little hole in the wall consistently delivers quality food and never seems to disappoint (except when they run out of one of those scrumptious tamales!). This Josie's location is TO-GO only, so there are no tables, only a couple of benches to sit on while you wait for your food. Parking lot is quite small, but it's usually not a problem since customers are in and out quickly. Now, on to the FOOOD!! Food: - Chicken Tacos - "The Best Chicken Tacos in Town." Lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Classic and simple. - Chicken Taquitos - Served with salsa, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. Personally, I like these more than the tacos! Lots of chicken and plenty of toppings! - Chicken Tamale Fix - Unwrapped and smothered in red sauce and gooey cheese with chips. The chicken is moist and tender, and the masa is delicious! Order before dinnertime, since sometimes they run out! - Super Nachos - Covered with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, beans, cheese, and chips. Regular has no meat. You can also get it with chicken, ground/shredded beef, asada, or carnitas. Eat as soon as possible, since the chips at the bottom will get pretty soggy, unless you don't mind! These nachos really are SUPER. Super Yummy. read more

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Old School to its very core, don't expect multi-million dollar interior design by Phillipe Stark. I've been going to Josie's Place since the early 1990's when I started teaching at good old Gardena High. (Go Mohicans! Oh, I meant Panthers!) The Tacos Dorados de Pollo (hard shell chicken tacos) is especially toothsome. The corn tortilla is fried to a light golden crispness in oil that has a sweet almost nutty, meaty Umami. The chicken meat seems like breast meat, but instead of being the bland standard breast meat, there is a slight pleasant gaminess as well as the chicken being moist & meaty. I usually don't eat iceberg lettuce, but the iceberg lettuce being slightly warmed up in the the hot taco sends out a warm, green scent that accentuates the nutty, meaty oily Umami. The slice of tomato adds a mild gastrique that melds well with the gaminess. Unfortunately, Josie shows its Mexcian American culinary "chunti" side by using neon orange "cheddar" cheese that looks like something from the Kraft Foods multi-mega-corporation of artificially processed food. I wish Josie's would use a good, crumbly, well aged Cotija cheese instead that would really up the game to this already taco dorado maravilloso. The beef version is almost as good as the chicken. The beef is "deshebrada"/shredded, stringy. Nice rough fried texture that yet retains moist meatiness even after the frying. Some beefiness is evident. Iceberg lettuce, tomato, again the same chunti neon orange artificial cheese. The salsa here is not all fresca/cruda (raw, fresh). The tomato seems like pureed tomato from a can with possibly onions, garlic, chiles added in. The unusual flavour that I detect may be oregano which has a sharp green herbal, oily, smokey, tar-like scent. It's a nice contrast to the meatiness of the chicken as well as the beef. Josie's Place is a Gardena institution since 1952. To stay in business that long, they have to be doing something right in a world where half the new restaurant business goes belly up within 2 years. BTW, like Phillip's BBQ in Leimert Park, it's all take out with no place to sit down & eat. 4- Yelp stars for the tacos dorados even with the chunti neon orange cheese. read more

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BEST CHICKEN TACOS IN THE SOUTH BAY! That's what Josie's place is known for by many people. I however, don't care about the chicken tacos, but rather the shredded beef tacos! My absolute favorite! I always order: Shredded beef tacos Wet burrito (with shredded beef) Gaucamole Salsa Chips I can't even write anymore since it's making me hungry just talking about the beef tacos... Just come here and try it for yourself! read more

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Hard shell chicken tacos are still bomb! The ladies are always nice & generous with the sauce!

Best chicken tacos! I've been going here since high school. Now in my late 40's. Enchiladas are yummy as well.

Josie's is incredible. I could eat more tacos each time I go but I try to show some restraint. I hope they last forever. Try and time it when a train goes by for unforgettable experience. I'm craving Josie's as I write. read more

Put it this way the chicken tacos are so good I didn't even take a pic. Just inhaled them. I have been coming to this place for well over 11 years. Hands down without a doubt the best chicken tacos dorados. And for the price so worth it. This is a must if you are in the area. Girls at the counter are always friendly. read more

I live a few blocks away from here, and for two decades, I've done nothing but drive by this place. In all honesty, I was never really interested in stopping by simply because it didn't seem like a place I wanted to check out. But then I got to thinking - if this place doesn't look like much, yet it remains standing even after two decades since I first noticed it, they must be doing something right. So I made a decision that the next time I crave Mexican food, I'd come by here next. That day finally came. Few parking spaces on the side - all of them open when I got there. I had my heart set on the all meat burrito (went for the asada) and 2 orders of their taquitos (one order beef, one order chicken.) There are no tables here, so as Yelpers have advised, you either take it home or eat it in your car. Since I was the only customer there, it didn't take long for my food to be ready. Less than 10 minutes, for sure. Less than 5 minutes after that, I was home. Took a bite of a beef taquito - it wasn't bad. The meat was a little dry for my taste, but the guac, sour cream and salsa made up for it. (The salsa was GREAT, btw!) Took a bite of a chicken taquito - I have nothing to complain about that. The chicken was moist, seasoned just right. I figured out why there are only 2 pieces of taquitos per order - they're pretty big compared to taquitos I'm used to! They can be meals just by themselves! Finally got to my burrito. I gotta say this thing is deceiving - it's bigger than it really is. There was an abundant amount of meat in there, I gotta tell ya. Although the meat needed a bit of work with seasoning, it wasn't too bad once it was mixed with the guac, sour cream and the salsa. (I'm tellin' ya, that salsa does the trick!) Overall okay experience. I might just come back for them famous fried chicken tacos. read more

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Haven't been here for awhile and to my surprise they are still going strong. The interior has been cleaned up and the food is still awesome. Had some hardshell/fried chicken tacos and a bean/cheese burrito. So good it takes me way back. Parking is still limited, just order ahead and then you can probably head out quick. read more

Have always made it a point to get Josie chicken tacos when I'm back home. Sadly, I haven't had the craving to get that fix the past few trips. Last couple of visit were a little disappointing. Flavor wasn't the same. Thought the first time, it was a one off. But the next time was the same. Hopefully if I make it there again. Their famous chicken tacos will be their famous chicken tacos. read more

Parking is in a small parking lot but i havent had a problem finsing parking. Service all the staff is pretty welcoming amd attentive. I have never had a problem over the phone or in person. Food: i love there chicken tacos and chicken burritos they have yet to diappoint me read more

It was my first time here today ! I got the beef Taquiritos , they were excellent. But the sauce on top definitely has a kick to it . Very good will definitely be back . read more

Always go there for the chicken tacos. I ordered their green chile plate. Wow! Move over chicken tacos, green chile is #1 for me from now on. Try it, you won't be disappointed. read more

My dad lives out in Torrance and i usually have to go out there every other week for my dog's rehab appointment. He mentions this is run down looking order to go taco spot that locals all rave about and i had to try their chicken hard tacos. I told him, okay, next time im down there im down to give it a try. I looked at the yelp pictures and needless to say, i saw bad reviews, it looked run down and dirty. Well, some of the best places look like crap so lets not judge. I went the following week and almost missed the spot coz it was literally right next to a train track with what looked like no parking. I turned around and parked in the lot next to it, although it seemed like thats what everyone else was doing. I walked inside and saw a short line, i waited for my turn and ordered the ground beef hard taco, chicken hard taco, and shredded beef hard taco. The bf ordered a carne asada burrito with it even though i told him not to, its not what they are known for. He didnt listen and ordered it anyway. As we waited to get our food, more people came strolling in outting in their orders or picking up their phone orders. We got our food and walked to our car where we parked. Well, its fresh crunchy hard tacos, we need to eat it asap right? Otherwise, the review wouldnt be legit! Got in our car and opened up the to go box and i see freshly fried oily (in a good way) tacos sitting there. Lets break it down: Chicken hard tacos - my dad was right, it was the best chicken hard tacos ive ever had and its not like thats a popular item for anyone to pick anywhere anyway. Shredded beef hard taco - it was okay...not bad but ive had better Ground beef taco - is it harsh to say taco bell tastes better? Sorry, not sorry. Guess thats why they are known for their chicken hard tacos. Bf's burrito, he took 4 bites and gave up and said it was nasty. This is where i enter my "i told you so" comment. Salsa - meh.....not smoky or flavorful...it will disappointingly do the job but ive had better salsa in multiple places. Final review - will come back for chicken hard tacos only....may bring my own salsa to make the tacos even better. But dont just pass this place up...i do love supporting small family businesses so give it a try and let me know what you think fellow yelpers! read more

I love the chicken taquitos and French fries. All the food here is so delicious and the customer service is amazing, the staff is always friendly with a smile. The prices are great too. This is our Mexican restaurant when we come to Gardena, we drive from Las Vegas and the most important we love the owner she is a blessing read more

This place has the best soft fried chicken tacos ever. It has not changed in twenty years which is very much respected as many restaurants do change a lot in quality & service. read more

They chicken & shredded beef tacos are my favorite. We also had the chili verde pork meat burrito the beans are the best & they add cheese to it soooo good. They also had churro cheesecake and it was delicious. LOVE the salsa they have reminds me of my moms. read more

Best tacos and burritos the chicken so bomb and taquitos amazing green burritos yeah! damned covid messing up the hours and days

best chicken tacos always friendly service. old school vibe. support local businesses

Amazing food. Don't skip on the Carne Asada Fries! Fried taquitos are amazing too. Only wish they were opened a bit later. Currently offering to-go only and yes, you can call ahead to place a phone order. read more

For sure best chicken tacos I've had it will be back for more Mondays their taco Tuesday

Chicken tacos dorados here were out of this world. Whenever I get them at other places, the meat is always dry and bland and everything is flavorless. Chicken was unbelievably moist for chicken breast. The tacos were hot and super juicy, it just dripped onto my hands- a good sign. Wish the tomatoes were diced though. Rice was not that good but edible. Beans were good. Salsa was spicy but not that flavorful, it was still good on the tacos though. Pico de gallo was really good. I'd make the long drive here again for sure. read more

I'm in love with this place. Everything I've tried I've devoured. The tamales are delicious. The beans!!!!!!! OMG the beans sooooo delicious. You can't eat inside its always been take out only but that's ok....... there are parks nearby. I love this place you gotta try. Parking can be a challenge but hey it's worth the effort. read more

Great place... friendly staff... loved the chicken tacos, chicken taquitos, and salsa... taco "Tuesday" is actually on Monday but it's worth it. Did see a new menu online so I posted them. Forgot the last page that has sides but I'm sure I got the most important parts... will definitely be going back... read more

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Just happen to be in that area of town my girlfriend found this spot on yelp we went and gave it a try not a place to each in. Its takeout only but the hard shell tacos are good I would day the chicken and the shredded beef are the best ones. Ground beef was just ok! The salsa is not a thing that I cared for much I think it was the oragano In it that made me not like it and it wasn't spicy as well. I did order a burrito as well but that is the one thing I only got 5 bites in and just didnt like it so I trashed it the meat was very chewy and not got at all. read more

I love Josies Place one of the best tacos in Gardena the sauce is good beans and rice is good and I got a taco Monday for two dollars

My tint guy recommended this spot while I waited for my car. He recommended the hard shell chicken taco. It was pretty good. Salsa made it better. Too bad it was only one little half of a tomato on it. When I bit Into it all the juice ran out the bottom. So ask for extra napkins or a plate. Taste like theysprinkled it was salt which was okay with me. I tried the enchilada sauce. Not my cup of tea. I would be back if I'm in the area. read more

Josie's Place - Chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Gardena, California

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This place is awesome! Craving crunchy chicken tacos and theirs were perfect! Extra crispy, moist and tasty chicken. Their chips and beans are super tasty. Plus, it's very reasonably priced. Great spot!!!! read more

I tried their food (Tacos and Tamales) in December. It's lazy-style Tex-Mex. Their "crispy" beef taco was not crispy, beef was tasteless and tamale was completely insipid. Saved your hard earned cash to eat REAL Mexican somewhere else. I'm sorry to give this such a bad review, but it's probably one of the worst places I've had for Mexican food. :( read more

Best chicken tacos in town as they say. The tacos are nothing fancy but they do taste good. The tamales are very good but they sometimes run out. Been going there for years as I used to live in this hood years ago. read more

Josie's Place - Simple but delish chicken tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Gardena, California

Alright kids, I brought my bro-in-law here. He was craving carne asada tacos. I told him that the last time I visited, the rice was subpar. Even my little beast pup who eats everything threw it back at me. He ordered 3 soft c/a tacos. I ordered the 2 crunchy chicken taco combo. It was all back to deliciousness. No rice for my lil dog. This big dog ate it all. My bro was amazed on how much meat there was in the tacos. I told him that this was not kids play. This place gained a new fan. read more

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Good food. Great service, only take out. I love spicy salsa, need a hotter salsa. Other than that fast service. Very nice people.

We love this place! Carne asada burrito with beans & rice is a go to comfort food. The staff is great, especially Simon at the front counter. Simon is respectful & kind, and knows his stuff. Such a great place. Highly recommend! read more

I'll keep it short and to the point, this is the classic version of tacos with fried crispy shells. They nail the taquitos and tacos perfectly. Not many places like this are still around if you want that nostalgic food craving. read more

Just called 2 ask da price for Taco Tuesday. $2.50 per Taco . Even Chile Verde is $2.50. No mo deals on Taco Tuesday , I guess .

I came in to this place based on a recommendation from a friend. He told me that the chicken tacos were some of the best he had. I saw that it was near my work so decided to try it out. I come in and noticed that it was a small shop with its own parking lot. It is about a block south of PitBurger. I go in and see that they have daily specials. I got the wet burrito with carne asada inside. I also got two chicken tacos to try because that is what they are famous for. The wet burrito is huge and was a decent surprise (size wise). The burrito was good but nothing amazing, I didn't taste the steak as much as I thought I would. I felt like there was a little too much tortilla going on but that's just a personal preference. The chicken taco on the other hand, I felt was amazing. It had a nice crisp hard shell, with more shredded chicken than I thought would be inside. The chicken was nice and moist but the one thing was that the taco in whole felt a little too oily. I am not sure if it's because of the chicken and its juice or a mixture of what it's cooked in plus the shell. But I liked it for my first taco and kind of felt it in my 2nd taco. I would gladly come back and probably just get the chicken taco. I give this place a solid 3.5 and do recommend it if you are in the mood for chicken tacos. read more

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