La Cueva

Waited about 30 minutes for my food. Our first time there. Just for a burrito and fries. Really not worth it. Plain and tasteless food to me. I was expecting more than that.

They serve the best food here!

I had high hopes for La Cuerva. I was hungry and at that point open to nearly anything. So a rustic taco stand was just what the doctor ordered. Butt they really missed the mark on several levels.
To start with the tortilla was soggy and the beans were over cooked to the point they seemed soupy. The carnitas were good, but they were so overwhelmed by the beans that the burrito fell apart into a big gooey mess.
I can forgive the rustic atmosphere, but La Cuerva needs to to step it up in the kitchen.

As always delicious and great service. Been coming to this place for almost a decade. They are alwasy very personable and reminds me of the classic mexican food down in San Diego. Try out La Cueva if you’re in the area, it will be well worth your time.
Suggestions: Carne Asada Quesadilla and an Extra Largo Horchata!

Unilocal keeps nagging me about Writing a review about ‘La Cuerva” on Artesia because I checked in there once. First let me get it out there that this place has recent;y undergone a name change. It is now called ‘Al Chile Pelon’
Moving to an LA suburb from the East Coast has been great, however there are a few things that I miss about back home. One major aspect of the NJ/​NY area I found myself missing is the 24 hour ness of everything. In Northern NJ we have 24 hour Path marks, 24 hour Walmarts, and 24 hour Diners.
LA to be fair had that kind of stuff but you have to drive closer toward the Santa Monica area. It gets annoying seeing every where you would like to eat close by 10pm, by 9, sometimes by 7.
There are a few places that stay open later. You can go to the places across the street from the bars in Hermosa Beach but its impossible to find parking. You can go to In and Out till 1 am but even In and Out Burger can get old. There is always Taco Sinaloa but that’s quite a hike into a far part of Torrance. Finally, you have L.A.‘s faux Diners, Norms and Dennys. (I’m actually a big Norm’s fan)
Then if you don’t want to drive all that far there’s always these guys. It’s only open till midnight. Its very authentic and the Mexican food is very reasonably priced. We’re talking 1 tacos and $ 4 Burritos. In terms of price and bang for the buck these guys have Sinaloa beat. Hands Down.

This place has pretty good food… I usually go here with my co-​workers … They seem to like the girl at the window… I like the food! LOL… It’s a win win scenario…

I’ve been coming to La Cueva since high school and so much has change over the years. First, the prices were way cheaper back then but I don’t blame the prices now since the economy sucks. They have «specials» now that are displayed on a banner to the left of the order window and are price pretty well. Like other Unilocalers have stated, La Cueva’s tacos are definitely CHEAP in price and quality.
I recently stopped by and grabbed a couple of carne asada tacos to enjoy at home. After devouring my tacos I realized that the favors made me fall in love with La Cueva has changed. The asada used to have such favors to it that I considered it to be one of the best in the South Bay. Now… I really don’t know what to say. I still love the fact that they give the hot carrots when you order and those are still yummy.
Besides that, I would only stop by La Cueva to fulfill my taco fix if I can’t make it out to LA.

A small taco shack on Artesia just off of Hawthorne, across the street from the shopping mall parking.
Ordered the 5 tacos for $ 5 (For some reason, if you don’t tell them the $ 5 for 5 on the specials menu, they charge a different price, weird).
Service was quick, cashier was friendly and welcoming, and I ate in good spirits.
They were out of asada (go figure), so I had a couple Al Pastor, Adobada, and Lengua (would not recommend the Al Pastor here).
The meats are noticeably lower quality than some of the more frequented places in LA, but it was enough to hold over my taco craving in the South Bay.
The place is open late (I think until midnight),
Prices are great ($ 5 for 5 tacos, $ 4 for burritos tortas quesadillas) Woo great for a quick bite!
One thing to note, like the other reviews state, they pull out the taco meats with a ladle instead of grabbing with tongs, so when they drop the meat on the tortilla, it makes for a much soggier taco than necessary.
I was slightly annoyed by this. and hope they would take note to remedy this.
But otherwise, a cool find!

I finally stopped by this spot a week or so ago after driving by and seeing the nice, smiley faces of kids holding «EAT HERE!» signs. Totally adorable :)
I got chicken tacos and my boyfriend got the steak burrito. It was pretty decent. We weren’t completely blown away but the tacos were still good. They were totally filling too — definitely no skimping on the ingredients there.
The guacamole was a little weak but still, they gave us a pretty huge amount with our order and it wasn’t like, an extra $ 3 or anything like it normally is at other places. It’s not like there were peels or brown spots in it either. It was still good!

Working in the South Bay, good Mexican food is hard to find. I find myself driving for miles to get something decent. At the encouragement of co-​workers I decided to check this place out.
Their prices are hit and miss. Some stuff is a great value and other stuff is crazy over priced…$ 3 for a 32 oz drink.
Anyway…Carne Asada had that special tang that only says «it’s a good thing your ordered me today, cuz I was starting to turn»
Al Pastor — uh… I guess the color is kinda right… reddish…no distinct Al Pastor flavor… kinda blah
I decided to try the Tripas too… this was pretty good, but took 10 minutes to «crisp» them
I don’t think I’ll be back

Decent Mexican food, though have to admit I’ve stopped going after being introduced to Mariscos Guillen.
Anyway, my rough ordering guidelines (while I still went):
Meats:
Get the cabeza (head), carnitas, or al pastor. Moist and tasty; goes well on their tacos /​burritos.
Avoid the carne asada. Every time I’ve tried it the meat was too dry and tasteless.
The fish and shrimp is breaded; par for the course, and decent, but not great.
Entrees /​foods:
Tacos: Probably the best part about this place, and cheap too! Just avoid the asada…
Burritos: Large, and packed with rice, beans, cilantro, and not too much meat. Kinda on the dry side too if you order the wrong meat to fill it with. I liked it best with cabeza.
Ceviche: The shrimp ceviche is pretty good; definitely on my short list of recommendations for this place.
Nachos: Good deal if you’re hungry. Loaded with lots of meat, and never quite enough chips to scoop said meat with.

I guess when you go to a restaurant you really should go there to eat and make sure that you are full when you are leaving… I know that’s sort of a weird intro but it is exactly what it is… Scott K. and I went to Best Crab House together, tested out their Cajun style seafood, but definitely was still hungry afterwards…(2 lbs of seafood is no where near enough) so our initial plan was to grab a beer at a friend’s bar, but since my friend wasn’t working that night, we thought that instead of drinking we should simply eat some more!!! LOL! Guys…
So… where do we go from here… sitting in the parking lot contemplating where to eat… then all of the sudden the idea dawned upon me… Asked I did to Scott K. «Have you been to that Mexican restaurant on Artesia? I think there is a taco shop there…» We’ve been to Taco Sinaloa before and had a horrible experience with guys outside saying that for a taco they will watch our cars for us… so never again will I go there and so decided to give this place a try instead…
For years I’ve been passing by this place, seen people standing out in front of hanging out in the hallway but never know what it was… until this fateful day…
CHEAP TACOS!!!
This is literally a taco stand that is build into a tiny hole in the wall space literally crammed between a WeinerSchnitzel and Guitar Center… really small and can easily be passed on if you are not paying attention… The place is called LA Cueva… wow. never realized that they had a sign up there…
Again… CHEAP TACOS!!!
Wow… 5 tacos for $ 4.99? I bet they were tiny street tacos like other places I’ve been to before… So we ordered 5 tacos (2 al pastor, 2 carne asada, and 1 shredded pork) and sure enough they were these cute little street tacos probably about 2 – 3 bites each served with salsa and some radish and carrots (Mexican style kimchee?) Despite it’s size and appearance, the meat that they had on there were definitely generous. Out of all the meats that we had al pastor was definitely our favorite by far. Oh, these little tacos also comes with all the topping such as cilantro, onions, etc. just like what you would expect out of an authentic taco! Scott actually had their fruit drink and said that it was really tasty as well! (But Tacos are definitely the main attractions here!)
There are other menu items such as quesadilla, burritos, etc. (I don’t think there were any enchilada though) but these items are good enough for me! I think I’m gonna give their «Monster Burrito» a try in the near future!
Not sure when this place closes but after reading from other reviews some said that they close at midnight? Maybe later? This would definitely fit into my schedule since I work nights and most of the time will be missing dinner at the regular people hours…
Thanks LA Cueva for a tasty authentic experience! I’m sure this will eventually become one of those places that I frequent when its late at night… hopefully the security and safety of the area will continue to be up to the basic standards unlike Taco Sinaloa… (Dark parking lot, creepy people hanging out) So if you are LA Cueva and reading this, please make sure keep this as a priority and I’m sure the business will sell itself without any worries.
Tacos anyone?

Recently I’ve been frequenting this Mexican food spot near the Redondo Beach, just touching Torrance & Lawndale. When Leonard W. and I drove past it one day, we saw that they have 5 tacos for $ 4.99, our Asian-​ness kicked in and we decided to try it.
Now… La Cueva doesn’t have the best carne asada or al pastor but it’s pretty solid. At $ 4.99 for 5 tacos, it’s about a buck per taco. Where can you get street tacos for $ 1 all day every day except at taco trucks? There’s a small outdoor seating area so there’s a place to sit as well. Plus one for La Cueva.
They also have other deals where you get 3 tacos + chips & guac for $ 5 or 3 tacos + agua fresca for the same. Legit, especially if you’re strapped for cash!
Favorite is the asada and the al pastor. Not overly greasy and it’s got enough flavor so that the salsa doesn’t overpower it. Carintas and pollo is about the same. Chorizo is good if you’re a fan of the sausage but beware, fat WILL drip down, but hey, that’s where the flavors at!
You get to choose between a hot or mild salsa. The hot isn’t really that spicy if you can take heat but it’s good. Mild salsa is a salsa verde and really refreshing.
Guac is delicious here as well. Many times at Mexican taco stands, you get this guac that looks like it has been pureed the hell out of it, turning it into a smooooth liquidy sauce. Sometimes, it may not even be real avocado. However here you actually get the see the chunks and that is a good sign.
For $ 1 a taco, this place is awesome and it’s even better now that the girl is starting to recognize us and gives us free chips. I think that also means we are going too often haha. Sure there’s King’s Taco in LA and their taco is only 25 cents more… but guess what… there’s none around me, soooo La Cueva is a good enough substitute for me :]

I come here maybe twice a week or at least once a week. Me and Duke C. park our cars at the mall and carpool to the 24 at Hermosa. After we are done balling/​lifting its time for dinner, and most of the time its La Cueva or random place nearby, depending on how much money we are looking to spend. Like many have pointed out they have awesome deals.
The usual dinner consists of: 3 tacos +chips w/​guac and a split order of 5 tacos. The tacos are great, they arent the best in the world but for the price you’re getting it for, it blows all those other taco franchises away. I usually love the pastor and pollo, the chorizo is great but you know with the chorizo comes that orange oil lol. The chips are chips but their guac is great and makes it that much better.
You actually cant go wrong with this place. Its cheap, it fills you up, and tastes great. I like the seating area, it somehow blocks the wind from causing me to freeze to death. The girl in the front seems nice, and one time gave us free chips! whoooooo lol
But yea if you’re in the area and looking for a quick mexican food, that is cheap and awesome just stop on by. Plus there are more combos that add up to $ 5, like a burrito + churro, 3 tacos + aqua fresca, and some more but they slip my mind

Overall 3 stars good. I took the half star off due to when they wrap the tacos togo, it made the tortillas S– o– g– –g– y.
The Place has been around for a few years now and I can’t believe the number of times I wanted to stop by and never did. What triggered the sudden stop?.. My buddy Josephine and her husband has been talking about it forever but the final kick was Mr. Alan R.‘s comment to me about how authentic this place is. Must read his review below also.
So on the way home from work, tonight Josephine called and I asked her to meet me at La Cueva. So She dropped her 2 yrs old baby on her husband’s lap and drove out from Hermosa to meet me there! :-)
We ordered the 5 tacos for $ 5 and an order of shrimp ceviche. Brought it togo and head back to her place to eat.
Yes, the tacos were authentic. Better then most. All 3 of us shared 5 Carne Asadas and 5 Tongues (Lengune?)!
Squeezed some lime on there, add a Tabasco sauce and I topped it off with their ceviche and it was sooo GOOD!
The only complaints I have is that when you get it Togo, the moisture made the tortillas soggy. :-(
I wished the meat was a bit more dry and crispy. It was a bit too oily. but that’s Mexican food right? :-P
Third, The tortilla chips for the ceviche had a strong after taste to it and was kind of stale. When putting the ceviche on it, tasted kind of funky so I left it alone and just added to my tacos. :-)
P. S.- Plenty of Parking in the back! Make a turn through the block by Wienerschnitzel and the Car wash.
Open LATE! So for those late nights out, perfect stop to pick up something fresh and authentic. There are tables for you to eat at, but can get kind of chilly if it’s late at night because it’s out in the open area.

When you wife is pregnant and wants Tacos or Nachos, come here.
This place has saved me from long nights of growing pains. The Chicken and Carnitas soft tacos and chicken nachos are very tasty. Churros, meh. so so great, but the fruit water (watermelon) is refreshing.
Parking is relatively easy, except the alley way to get there behind the car wash has like 12″ deep potholes that might damage your car so tread carefully, other than that, the woman working there is very friendly and orders are relatively fast.
Beats Taco Bell anyday of the week!

Five tacos for $ 4.99. This is all you need to know about La Cueva.
The fact that they’re juicy, greasy, spicy, meaty AND tasty … bonus points.
The pickled carrots and lime wedges on the side? Extra credit.

Finally !!!
found a good quality taco near my house for extremely cheap…
i only have tried the chicken taco, fish taco and the churro but all came out very well. The double wrapped tortilla was made perfect. the chicken was mediocre but the taco in whole was what a $ 1.25 taco should be ($ 1 if you order 5). the fish taco was straight to the point. a basic fried fish with cabbage and a tangy mayo. i do not eat churros very often but it was pretty darn good.
hey, parking may not be ample but some just want their cake and eat it too. it’s like basically going to a restaurant in NYC and saying i could only find parking on the street… well, thats the breaks…
if you want a very good quality taco, cheap and straight to the point, this is your place.
after you are done with your shopping at the south bay galleria, skip the food court and head across the street, you’ll be glad you did. and say hello to the crazy guy mumbling to himself at the bus stop next door, for me.

I’m a sucker for tacos. I LOVE TACOS. I’m always on a mission to find a kick ass taco truck or hole in the wall authentic taco joint. So when my coworker insisted I try La Cueva, I gladly accepted the challenge.
I only order tacos, so if you decide to order anything else, don’t come crying to me. I’m totally Americanized too… all I want in my tacos is asada, cheese, and hot sauce. I’m not a big fan of cilantro. Tacos aren’t bad. They aren’t the best, but for $ 1.25… they’re friggin awesome! The hot sauce they provide is pretty darn good making the tacos taste even better with some lime. Fortunately, in my experiences here, the meat was never dry or bland… perhaps Monday to Friday lunch hours are the best times to go?
Had a few bites of my coworkers nachos… not too shabby, but then again you can’t really screw up nachos… or can you?

So we come here late night, not expecting anything but some cheap, good old hole-​in-​the-​wall Mexican food to fulfill our cravings.
We arrive here at 10:30pm and there is a party of two ahead of us. It took about 10 minutes for that person to be served and when we reached the window, the lady working the register took a phone call. Finally, after 15 minutes she took our order.
The kitchen is viewable from the outside so we observed what was going on inside. There were several people standing around inside the kitchen. Looked like they were just friends of the workers there and they seemed to be more of a distraction than anything. The workers were very disorganized. It seemed as if no one had any sense of what was going on. There were about four workers total and each seemed to be doing their own thing. Out of the four workers, there were two different workers taking orders and three different ones handing them out.
I noticed our order was sitting on the counter ready to be bagged, but a total of 3 orders were bagged ahead of ours. It wasn’t until I told one of the workers that my meal was sitting on their counter when they finally realized the food sitting on their counter was actually for someone.
Funny thing is someone asked for a napkin and the lady had no clue what he was talking about. He had to hold the empty dispenser in the air for her to understand.
In the end, the food was cheap, but not so great. I would have probably given this place a 2 if I didn’t have to wait 30 minutes for 2 carne asada tacos and an order of flautas.