This review is mostly based on customer service. Service to me is almost always more important than the food itself. Haven't been here in a while. They had a food truck parked out front. We asked if they had any plant-based or vegan options. They only sold burgers however the lady that helped us was very sweet, polite, and kind. She told what they had and what we could order inside instead. We walked in and the gentleman named Oscar G. cashed us out. He was also very friendly! Very professional and knowledgeable about the menu and non-dairy items. Provided us with what we needed right away, the container for the salsa and brought out fresh ones for me. Very nice guy. The food came out right away. The portions were big in my opinion. The prices were decent, the portion was great, and best of all the service was good. Their self-serve condiments was a PLUS! I've been to a lot of taco spots and these were by far the freshest and crispiest cucumbers, fresh cold salsa, onions and cilantro was also fresh. The food was good and filled us up. It was simple but fulfilling. Will definitely be back and highly recommend it. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor seats as well. read more

See all

I stopped by Top Shelf Tacos in Carson on Taco Tuesday, where tacos were only $2 each. At that price, it was easy to try a little bit of everything. I ordered the asada, carnitas, al pastor, tripas, cabeza, and lengua. The asada was tender with a nice grilled flavor, but my favorites were definitely the tripas and cabeza. Both were a little greasy, but in a good way--they had a lot of flavor and were probably the standouts of the meal for me. One thing I liked was the condiment bar. You can load up your tacos with as much onion and cilantro as you want, plus they have radishes and lime wedges available. They also offer two salsas, a red and a green. Both tasted good and had solid flavor, although I was hoping for a little more heat. Overall, it's a solid taco spot, especially on Taco Tuesday. Good variety of meats, reasonable prices, and plenty of toppings to customize your tacos. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area and craving some tacos. read more

See all

Located in a strip mall. Lots of parking. I've walked by and didn't even realize it was here. The only reason I came is because the owner was in a POV husband video. Takes credit card. Sell bottle beer and seltzer They have a condiment bar available. Taco $3.25- feels like a steep price. But the tortilla are hand made and have a nice chew. They are thick, but not too fluffy. Carnitas taco- the meat was really tasty. It was soft but still crispy with texture. A little excess oil. But was really good. Could be seasoned more. Asada- meat was soft. Has a nice grilled taste Al pastor- soft. The flavor is average. Nice texture to the meat grilled. Top shelf fries $16- was super super good. I would get this again. Great to share. Fries has your choice meat, topped with sour cream and guac. The fries are seasoned shoe string fries read more

See all

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Carne asada burrito. Decent size with a good amount of meat. Good flavor especially with the salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

I used to LOVE this place for their carne asada tacos and referred so many people here. Anytime I was in Carson, I had to stop, the taste and quality were always so good. I went back today after about a year and was so disappointed. From the first bite, I could immediately taste the difference in both the quality of the meat and the flavor and not for the better. Sadly, at almost $4 a taco, it's just not worth it anymore. Will not be returning. read more

I am so sad to say that top shelf tacos just isn't what it used to be. I used to frequent the area a few years ago and this place was my go to spot for fresh tacos. I think the biggest difference is that they stopped making the tortillas by hand and the meat doesn't taste as good as it used to. In all honesty, the quality has gone downhill. I know that they started a burger food truck that they have parked outside and maybe they are focusing their efforts on that but the change is definitely noticeable in a negative way. I was so excited to come back, but was pretty disappointed with my meal. I will say that the one good thing that they still have going for them is their amazing staff. All of the workers are extremely kind and helpful and they work very hard to keep a clean and aesthetic area. If you heard the hype of fresh handmade tortillas and wanted to try top shelf tacos, save yourself the trip. They don't do it anymore and It's just like any other taco place. read more

See all

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Spicy fries - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Tacos Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

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. read more

See all

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8f3Jt8K/ This link says it all. Top Shelf Tacos has been on my bucket list for some time. I finally made it, and boy am I glad I did. I was greeted by a friendly staff...ordering was simple...and the condiments bar was clean and user friendly with a delicious choice of salsa . While I waited for my order, I noticed how clean the dining area is. Kudos! Now for my order: The Top Shelf Fries w/ Carne Asada, a Wet Burritos Al Pastor and Horchata read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Wet Burrito Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

This is long overdue. I used to work at a corporate office nearby. Top Shelf Tacos was our go to Mexican Food vendor for department lunch, birthday, late night dinners. I lost count how many Top Shelf bowl, Top shelf Tortas i had. I have them at least once a month. Overall, i enjoyed the food. But i always have the food when i was very stressed. The department and my role was very demanding (hint: I worked EVERY SINGLE federal holiday for almost 3 years for starter) Anyway, thank you for the top level delivery and always being on time for our large lunch order. read more

Great tacos. Still on the pricier side and they're not too centrally-located, but they're good otherwise.

Amazing food love the Taco's and burritos there been going there for a while since it's across from my house it is very convenient to have a great place there to go whenever I need a quick dinner for myself and my family. read more

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - BURRITO, GUAC AND CHIPS - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

First time here super clean restaurant! Purchased the Asada Burrito and shrimp tacos very good and flavorful. Unfortunately the chicken taco is definitely a bust !Super dry but will definitely return for the shrimp taco and burrito . read more

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! read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Carne quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

Very Great Love it here! Fun events to do with family the food has lots of flavor! i totally recommend to come with the kids!

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

Food and services Amazing. From the flavor to the ingredients. Definitely my favorite place to eat for lunch when it comes to Mexican flavors. read more

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

First time here due to great yelp reviews. Ordered the top shelf fries, asada sopes, carne asada tacos, and Al pastor tacos. Asada was soft and tender which was wonderful. It could use a little bit more seasoning since it was a little bland. The top shelf fries were so good! The only thing is, I would probably customize it with less of the seasoning of the fries. It was salty but now I know how to ordered for next time. The sopes were huge and I order two. Overall, I would definitely go back. Only reason why I'm giving this place 4 stars is because it's a bit on the pricey side. read more

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

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. read more

See all

Low key waste of money with their prices you could make this at home tacos were not good the meat and the tortilla was below basic but I guess for convenience Even the agua Fresca tasted weird the guacamole was good It was better back in the day Now that i know I'll go dominoes next door if I'm ever needing something quick to eat read more

Wow I cannot say enough about this place. Today was my first time going, and from the get-go, I was greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. The lady up front helped me decide what to get, offering a LOT of recommendations and even showing me pictures from an iPad. After that, I only waited about 5 minutes for my food to come out, and it was FRESH. When I got home, I thought, "Wow, I REALLY hope this foods good because everything else was good so far!" I got the carne asada burrito and MANNNNN if you're not going here, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? It was so good and it genuinely just had such good flavor. I will be coming back for SURE. read more

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. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

They consistently are penny pinching the customer. The Jalapeño poppers no longer come with fries, they are $14 and to add fries, that would be $5 more. Once I heard this when ordering I cancelled my order. $19 for 5 poppers/fries is crazy. No More for me, it's the principle of the matter read more

Compared to places in Carson, I'll give this place 5 stars. The worker was nice and the burrito was fat compared to other taco restaurants near by and the meat quality was better. Place was clean and this is my new go to spot if I want a quick taco. read more

Look for somewhere to eat tacos found them on Yelp for Taco Tuesday and it was a good find the place was clean and the service was great and nice. I'll come back again. read more

See all

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.

Really solid tacos and burritos here. My go-to order are the carne asada fries. The steak is tender and slightly charred. The best thing is that even under all the fixings (cheese, beans, meat guac), the fries stay crispy! The portion is decent for the price too! I love that you can grab your own salsas and garnish-- since the onset of the pandemic, a lot of places don't offer this anymore. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Carne Asada Top Shelf Fries - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

Walked in on a random day heading home from the beach. Very spacious environment, was not too crowded. Asked for recommendations from the cashier up front and boy was he prepared. Showed us pictures of everything both internally and externally. He recommended the South Bay Burrito and that was what we got(pastor & asada)-- did not disappoint at all. One of the best burritos I've had! Will definitely be back. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

We came here for Taco Tuesday and were not disappointed. The tacos were huge and worth the three bucks each for them. My girlfriend had carne asada and al pastor, then we shared a tray of yellow corn tortilla chips. The green sauce was a little too mild for my taste and the green fire was stellar. I like that its quite close to my house and many thanks go to L.A. Taco for pointing this one out to me. I will definitely be coming back for more because normally I can put away six on a good day. read more

See all

This is based on my last 2 visits, I eat here a minimum of once a week since it's so close to my work. I requested no seasoning on my fries order and twice in a row, I got the seasoning - disappointing. Normally, they are great. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Asked for no seasoning on my fries. They failed 2 visits in a row. - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

Ordered the south Bay burrito. It seems certain areas around the Los Angeles want to stamp their mark on a signature burrito. The South Bay burrito Is similar to its overlord -- the california burrito. The common denominator is the questionable inclusion of french fries in the burrito. This can work, but the better variations have a more crispy taste. The fries in this burrito were browning and completely soft -- kinda similar to how leftover fries taste. It says on their menu, the fries were seasoned, but I couldn't detect it. And why would I? The creme and guac completely override my senses ability to filter it out. So the South Bay Burrito I had for this visit would have been more enjoyable without the inclusion of fries. The salsa station exceeded expectations. A grand display of a variety of salsas (with varying degrees of heat factor), cilantro, onions (and pickled offerings) can offer some form of compensation. read more

Top Shelf Tacos - South Bay Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

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

I instantly bookmarked Top Shelf Tacos after I saw a Youtube video about this place a few months back. I'm always happy to hear about local South Bay spots and good eats and definitely wanted to check this place out. I finally made it recently and tried out their famous tacos as well as there Top Fries. Their tacos currently are priced at $3 each. I spotted a good deal for Taco Tuesdays though where one can get tacos for a $1 (with exception of the carne asada and shrimp tacos). For the tacos; one can choose your protein (carne asada, al pastor, chicken, carnitas, shrimp or veggies. They have a self serve salsa bar that has all their salsas and condiments such as their cilantros and onions. For our tacos we got the carne aside and carnitas. Both came with a very generous of meat. Meaty and full of flavor; these tacos are great in taste. I can definitely see why this place has the rave reviews that they have. Aside from the tacos; we also tried their Top Shelf Fries. The Top Shel Fries are $16 and also come with choice of protein. The Top Shelf fries come with seasoned fries, whole beans, cilantro, tomato, cheese, crema and guac. These fries were also quite delicious though did think it was a bit pricey for $16. It didn't have as a generous serving of meat. Overall though was tasty. I am definitely glad I got to finally try out Top Shelf Tacos. Hoping one of these Tuesdays; I can make it out again to celebrate Taco Tuesdays here with $1 tacos! read more

Top Shelf Tacos - Asada Top Shelf Fries, Carnitas and Al Pastor Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carson, California

See all

Beyond tasty chicken nachos and Al pastor protein bowl. Definitely going to eat these again. This restaurant is very awesome and does not skimp on salsa and garnishes. I love this. They did not disappoint. Thanks for being yummy !!!! Ordered from Uber eats and picked up. The staff was friendly upon pick up. Service was great. The place was nice and clean. A lot of pick up orders were there while I was picking up. read more

Exactly as pictured. Excellent food and service. Line and waiting time can be more than ten minutes. Must be patient when ordering in this taco place. $1.50 Taco Tuesday's compared to regular days for $3.00. Enough parking for everyone. 9-8-2022 read more

See all