Guisados DTLA

Yummy tacos! Lots of variety, lots of fun tacos to try. Prices are pretty fair, considering the number of tacos you get in a sampler platter.
I appreciate the unique take on the tacos using stewed meats, which is not offered at any other taco place.
I am giving this place 3 stars because it is «meh.» Great vibe, fun place, cool concept, but the tacos themselves are «meh.» I have tried 6 tacos, and thought maybe 1 or 2 of them are worth coming back for. The quality of meat, the flavor profiles of each respective taco is lacking or forgettable.
BOTTOM LINE:
I would still recommend this place to taco enthusiasts for the experience, but will probably never come back myself.

I am used to having the authentic greasy tacos which I absolutely love. This was not it.
While I am not disappointed at them modernizing the taco using non gmo hand made tortillas and the way they cook their meet. I was a bit let down on flavor.
I had the mole taco and chorizo. I personally fee that the mole could have been spicier so it lacked flavor. Maybe a bit of cilantro and onions would help give the tacos that extra kick.
Try their sampler Youlll get a taste of everything.

The Sampler is the way to go!
It’s the first 6 items on the menu.
Horchata was cinnamon-​y refreshing.
Jamaica drink was also fruity and refreshing.
I recommend trying the Camarones, Pescado & quesadilla if you have stomach space. Yummm.

Take my review with a grain of salt because this was my first time ever having these kinds of tacos. I’m used to having the King Taco and street taco-​type of tacos, so this was all new for me. I was disappointed because I wasn’t expecting them to taste or look the way they did haha the chicharron was super chewy and gooey and it freaked me out a lil bit when it first went in my mouth. There was just a lot of heavy sauce on the meats as a result of the way it’s marinated I guess? I was just honestly not familiar :(
I really liked the tortilla though. It was 100% GMO free corn tortilla lol, their horchata. the best I’ve ever had though. It was super milky and I honestly could not get enough. I was tempted to buy another cup but I had to resist.

I was about to say how much I love the recommendation the staff gave me as I was took a bite. Forgot what it was called it had a Poblano pepper in it. It was great till I saw that there was a piece of tissue stuck inside the taco. I’m so disappointed. (See image)

Absolutely delicious. If you’re not sure what to get, they have a sampler with 6 mini tacos, 2 chicken, 2 beef, 2 pork that’s well worth the $ 7.25 and filling.
It gets pretty crowded, so be sure to go there on a weekday or in the afternoon.
Recommend the Armando Palmer, which is their hibiscus (¹⁄₃) & limon (²⁄₃) aguas frescas.

Its Five Star Fri again!!! (At least my 5 Star reviews are keeping pace with Mediocre Mondays and One & Two Star Tuesdays this year — LOL)
For my third FSF of 2016, I dropped by here after seeing it when I ate at Bierbeisl Imbiss. I had not been to the original Guisados (Echo Park by Dodger Stadium) in a while, so I said lemme hit this new post! The DTLA location is in the Spring Arcade Bldg on 6^th & Spring. Tacos are $ 2.75, except for shrimp & fish that are $ 3.
I ordered the mini taco sampler ($ 7.25 | six tacos), a chicken tamale ($ 3 | special of the day), and a jamaica ($ 2.75). First of all, the tacos (esp the hand made tortillas), were better compared to high-​end, recently reviewed Broken Spanish. The meat was so savory, and certain ones had a nice kick that made me sweat: 5 Stars. Likewise, the tamale was also better compared to BS and $ 13 less. The only downside was the masa didn’t hold up well: 4 Stars. Lastly, the jamaica was a nice contrast to the savory food: 5 Stars.
If the Echo Park location is full of Dodger blue, the DTLA location is full of AFH (Annoying Fukn Hipsters)! One guy sitting across from me was as big as my thigh, but he was loud as fuk! The chick he was with left her bag in the aisle, when she had room to put it under her table — So inconsiderate!!! Nonetheless, the ambiance & music is cool: 4 Stars. The service was excellent. I had to use the restroom, and they held my food while I walked across the way. Additionally; they bussed my plates. Lastly, one of the girls was really cute!: 5 Stars.
Look no further for the best tacos in DTLA. Guisados has it going on, and its a lot cheaper compared to BS. I can’t wait to return!

Whoa quesadilla
Best tacos ever
Great aguas frescas
I’ve been dreaming about Guisado’s for the last two years, which has been the last time since I have been in LA. Except I don’t believe they had any brick and mortar shops back then, just trucks, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I told former co-​workers I’d meet them for lunch in DTLA and there happens to be a Guisado’s right around where we intended to meet. Let me tell you, Guisado’s doesn’t f**k around.
These tacos are legit, the meats and the sauces are everything you hope for and dream about at night. A friend told me I should try the quesadilla and that was definitely the surprise MVP of the meal. Perfect amount of salty cheese on a teeny tiny tortilla. I got a taco sampler so that was just one of the 6 tacos I tried that day, in addition to a pork tamale and a melon aguas frescas. Oh man, let me tell you about this aguas frescas, it was absolutely incredible, tasted as if someone in the backroom chopped up ripe juicy cantaloupe and put it through a juicer. It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve had this meal and I still think about it from time to time, wishing there was a place that offered tacos or aguas frescas that great in NYC. Don’t take this place for granted Angelenos.

Guisados has become a must-​try taco brand of DTLA. And there’s no reason not to… If you got parking nailed and walking the blocks for multiple agendas.
Healthy, hippy, flavorful, and affordable. That’s what this place is all about. I got here 15 minutes before closing and it was still packed. And I had to try the pescado tacos, which turned out to be very satisfying. Beef tacos are more flavorful if you have demanding taste buds. Chicken is also on the lighter side.
The price range is $ 2.50 to $ 3 for most tacos. You can definitely be happy and full after spending $ 12– $ 15. The corn tortilla here is thick and fresh. Wait staff young and friendly. The place is simplistic and creatively decorated with artsy photographies. It’s one of the many eateries inside of a shopping mall that connects Spring and Broadway with a walking hall. Restroom key is available upon request.
Pleasant experience. Definitely recommended.

Awesome taco spot. Try the sampler, they give you 5 different type of tacos.
*1 chicken Mole
*1 shredded pork
*1 shredded pork with spiced red onion
*1 Chicharron
*1 Asada
The service is fast and friendly. We’ll be back soon.

The sampler was awesome. Haven’t tasted tacos like this ever. (Maybe I’ve been living under a rock). Most taco joints are big on the carne asada, carnitas, and/​or al pastor tacos, but the Guisados sampler showed more variety than the norm. On top of that all, I am not usually a person who likes to eat spicy things, but for Guisados I will make an exception.
The only thing this sampler needs is sampler beer flight to pair with each taco. Ah what an idea…

I can’t believe it took me this long to try Guisados, but yes — I finally did. My sister and I came here on Sunday afternoon just as their brunch was about to end. It was a hard choice to decide between trying their breakfast tacos or doing lunch, but we opted for the latter. They have a pretty large selection of tacos broken down into chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian, and seafood, with at least 3 – 4 options in every category. SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM! I couldn’t decide, but luckily they have a sampler you can choose which allows you to try 6 mini tacos. They are smaller than their a la carte tacos, but 6 is verrry verrry filling. Much more than I needed.
First, they make their own corn tortillas which is very apparent when you take your first bite. The corn tortillas are thick, dense, and yet very chewy and soft. While tasty and delicious, they are heavy and very filling. I typically prefer thinner tortilla, but Guisados make them so bomb. As for the tacos, each one is individually crafted and unique in flavor. Some are milder than others, but they all have a pretty good kick. Each taco is filled with spices and flavor. The meet is also really great quality, and you eat them as is. No need to add additional toppings, hot sauce, or salsa. That’s my favorite party. Of the six I’ve tried, the chicharron, chicken mole, and steak picado.
I also tried the Melon Agua Fresca and the Jaimaca Hibiscus Tea — both were really refreshing and wonderful. They also make a SPICY SANGRIA. If you save room for dessert, head over next door to my friend’s gelateria — ULI’s!

FINALLLLLLLLLLYYYY!!!
I’ve always always alllllllllways wanted to come to Guisados. But the distance and the clusterfuckness has always kept me from coming. Which is funny since this visit was on a Saturday after 1 which usually means a CF!!!
So Mr. Bluecollar and I just checked out of the Omni, we weren’t super hungry since we did room service at 3am LOL. Mr. B wanted latin food so I mentioned Guisados. We went to the location in Echo park first and that shit was packed and no kind of parking UGH. I said the one on Spring wasn’t far, so lets go! We parked in a paid lot next door and looked around like dummies and noticed it was only a few feet away from the lot o_​O. So we walk in and damn I’m thinking, were are we going to sit. Then bam I spot a lone twoseater. There was a damn baby meet with like 5 sets of parents and a shit ton of babies and toddlers. This place is way to small for that. They could have sat in the indoor «outside» eating area. I can’t stand being around one unruly child let alone 10!!! I’m not a kid hater by any means but this isn’t the spot for kid meet! Ugh! Thank god they left while I sat and waited for Bluecollar to place our order. Speaking of this fool didn’t even bring his damn phone for me to text him what I wanted so he couldn’t forget and guess what, he forgot and I made him go back in the line to order more HAHA. What can I say, I love my men submissive in this regard :))
We ordered almost all the tacos they have to offer. My dumbass didn’t think about the sampler plate serves smaller sized tacos. I ASSumed they were all the smaller size. I learned the hard way when he had all these plates of food o_​O. We ordered the steak picado, chicken tinga, bistec, chorizo, chicarron, chuleta, fish tacos and ‘quesadilla LOL for drink, he ordered the Horchata, I hate horchata. Last minute I wanted a fresca but the line was long again and I wasn’t going to torture him. This was a ton of food but that’s ok, I love leftovers and having a toaster oven makes it easy to eat them as if they were fresh off the grill. Now, I don’t like comparing taco spots with other taco spots, as tacos are not created equal LOL.
All the proteins in each taco were nice and moist. I know some people complained about to much sauce, but I’m a saucy girl and I don’t mind stewed meat tacos. It’s different for me and I like it! I will say out of alllllllllllll those tacos, the best were the chorizo and the chicarron. I also like the quesadilla because I can decorate it with different sauces. Makes me wish I did it with the added chorizo. Funny thing is, I use to hate chorizo and that’s because my first experience with chorizo was horrible (Read my Nicks Deli 2 review in Los Alamitos.) Their food to me was so flavorful. Well except the actual fish in the fish taco. The fish was perfectly grilled which I assumed they would be fried as I prefer that instead, the fish itself was a bit bland but the toppers and crema helped it a lot! I used to be scared of stewed chicarron because I’m used to it crunchy and dry not sauced, so the texture used to turn me off. Now I love it!
We had a very satisfying meal and I left fat and happy with a crap ton of leftovers that made bomb ass breakfast tacos for the next few days LOL. I love repurposing food. I will be back but not until I try BierBeisl Imbiss: D ;)

Thank you Guisados for opening up a DTLA location! My friend LG lives in the building above Guisados so it was very convenient for her to meet me here for lunch. Parking in DTLA is always a hassle but there are plenty of paid parking lots nearby. The line was not too long when we went and it moved fairly quickly. They have indoor seating as well as outside «patio» seating in the «hallway» area shared with the other stores. Since my friend had her baby stroller with her we opted to sit in the patio area.
I got the following:
– CAMARONES TACO: Fajita-​style shrimp, onions and bell peppers served with a mild chipotle sour cream.
I love shrimp tacos so I got two of these, but I ordered it without the chipotle sauce because I learned from previous experiences that I am too weaksauce to handle that sauce. It was pretty good even without the sauce!
– PESCADO TACO: Grilled white fish, served atop black beans. Topped with cabbage, avocado/​cilantro cream, chile arbol, and pico de gallo.
It’s a classic. Have to order at least one of these, right?
While DTLA has plenty of restaurants, I like knowing that Guisados is an option for me in this area. It’s clean and airy and the staff are pretty nice. Definitely a solid option, especially if you are craving tacos.

Today’s lunch special on the menu was tamales. I’m hoping this means Guisados expands their menu because they were pretty good. Well, the pork tamale was delicious. Pork tamale was smothered in rojo sauce covered with an fluffy masa exterior. Yup, I said fluffy. Served straight from the steamer minus the corn husk, the masa is like cornbread. I’ve never had tamales like these. I wish I had a stick of butter to eat with the masa.
I also tried the chicken tamale. Same fluffy exterior but inside was dry steamed chicken with little verde sauce. Not that great. I had to use the chorizo from my taco to give this chicken tamale some flavor. Another idea for a tamale!
They also have a sweet corn tamale and a veggie tamale.
Try the tamales if they’re available.
Service here is always good and friendly.

When it comes to spicy tacos, Guisados is the place to be!
Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Guisados offer delicious tacos that are so damn good you want to grab some more. The 6 of us decided to get some tacos for our Saturday lunch and I was glad we ended up here! Despite of the small place, the environment looked pretty chill with hip-​hop music blasting in full speed and memorable quotes hanging on the wall. What is great about Guisados is that you can order a mini taco sampler (6 tacos total) for an affordable price of $ 7 so that you can experience these different flavors in one go. For the regular sized taco, they are $ 2.75 each with the exception of the seafood tacos that are $ 3 each. In addition to these tacos made from thick corn tortillas, Guisados has a great selection of tamales.
I wanted to order the elote tamale, but it was sold out by the time I was waiting for my food to arrive. I got the steak picado taco instead, which was my favorite so far. By the way, the chicharron taco with chile verde was extremely spicy for my taste that I could not finish it. I had to get a couple of water cups and drink the water to get rid of the burning sensation for a couple of minutes.
We had a Lyft ride so we didn’t have to deal with crazy parking this time around.
I shall return!

Why did it take me this long to try to this? Quite frankly, I have no idea why! Perhaps there are just hundreds of restaurants and trucks selling tacos in downtown LA so I must have simply overlooked this place. Well, the saying goes, better late than never? This is now my new FAVORITE taco place!
Forget the typical carne asada or the usual carnitas that you order regularly, instead, you’ll find steak picado, bistek en salsa roja, chuleta con chile verde, etc! Being that it’s my first time here, I couldn’t commit to just a taco or two so I ordered the sampler that came with 6 mini tacos for $ 7.25 and ordered an extra steak picado and bistek en salsa roja at $ 2.75 each. They had me at «handmade» tortillas and the flavor of the meats put these tacos above and beyond everything I know about tacos before. To top that off, the Horchata was creamy and the cinnamon was plentiful which did the trick to satisfying my tummy 100%.
I’ve never had such fluffy amazing tortillas like the ones they make here! I’ll definitely be back again to try their tamales too!

Guisados’ tacos are going to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain
Someone’s gotta say it: there are a lot of bad tacos out there.
When places in LA serve me tacos, they’re not serving their best. They’re serving tacos that have lots of problems. They rape my taste buds and murder my diet.
And some, I assume, are good tacos. But I speak to food critics and other Unilocalers that tell me what we’re really getting. They’re not serving us the right tacos. It’s a disaster.
We really need to send those ones back, deport them to the kitchen.
Hey, I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.
Sorry, not sorry. It’s time for someone to say it like it is.
When it comes to Guisados DTLA though, they’re leading in all the polls. Their ratings are HUUUUUUUGE (#Yuge). They’ve built an amazing brand. The people love them. The crowds are fantastic.
Many say to get the taco sampler. I say not to though. Instead, head straight for the best tacos: camarones and pescado. Believe me, I wrote «The Art of the Taco.» I know what I’m talking about. These seafood ones are terrific, and you can’t get them in the sampler.
CAMARONES: this one is fabulous. It’s Fajita-​style shrimp with onions, bell peppers, and chipotle sour cream. It’s fantastic.
PESCADO: tremendous. The fish is grilled, and quite frankly, is much better than the fried fish tacos that losers make. It’s served over black beans and is topped with cabbage, chile arbor, and avocado-​cilantro cream.
These tacos are gluten free and default to a medium level of spiciness. Whether you find yours spicy or not, you’re going to need something to drink. Luckily, I’m really rich so can get their horchata with my order, which is absolutely terrific.
And if you’re «low energy» like Jeb, you can even add a shot of Stumptown cold brew to it.

**NOT THE SAME AS BOYLE HEIGHTS**
Mind and taste buds blown at their Boyle Heights’ location.
Here, not so much.
IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME, AMIGO.
PARKING
========
Street metered parking.
Be patient and you’ll find something.
Or be impatient and pay $ 8 – 10 in nearby lots.
AMBIANCE
=========
Nice casual eatery in heart of DTLA.
Hipsters, artsy people, loft dwellers, lawyers, etc.
Definitely cozy.
Few outside tables and several indoor tables,
including a cool booth.
FOOD
=====
**FIRST OF ALL, TEXTURE OF THE TORTILLAS WERE NOT THE SAME.
BOYLE HEIGHTS WAS THINNER, FRESHER AND BETTER-​TASTING FOR ME**
CHORIZO — $ 2.75
For whatever reason, a bit dry.
Had to add some lime juice.
RATING: ³⁄₅
CAMARONES — $ 3
In terms of filling, my favorite of the bunch.
But the tortillas, man, weren’t the same.
And the shrimp tasted funny, like, not as fresh.
RATING: ³⁄₅
MOBLE POBLANO — $ 2.75
Not as good as their Boyle Heights location.
Flavor was a bit off.
Is it me or what.
But this was better than their chorizo.
RATING: 3.5÷5
BEVERAGE
=========
HORCHATA
Props to their horchata game.
Nice flavor and that cinnamon was on-​point.
RATING: ⁵⁄₅
SERVICE
=======
Friendly service and people.
Tables were immediately cleaned.
Food came out in 10 minutes.
OVERALL
========
A bit underwhelming and disappointed about this location.
Maybe they cater to hipsters instead of the OG’s.
Who knows, but not a fan of this location.

I’m so not hip on DTLA, luckily I have coworkers who are. We had lunch here today and it was amazing. I tried the beef taco (not steak, shredded), the chicken mole, and the pescado. My favorite was the pescado. It’s a little crispy and the sauce is amazing. The chicken mole was my 2^nd favorite and the shredded beef my third favorite. I think next time I’ll try the shrimp. They hand make all the tortillas here, in front of you. Needless to say they are delicious. The tacos are a good size. With a small appetite you would be happy with two. With a large appetite, four. Come early if you plan to have lunch as there will be a long line at noon.
They also have a nice selection of agua frescas — melon, lemonade, horchata. Also coffee. I had the Armando Palmero which is an arnold palmer made with lemonade and jamaica. Yummy!
Top off your night with ice cream from the sorbet shop next door.
Cute space too, very historic LA, totally going to be a hip spot to go to in DTLA.

Riquísimos tacos con sabor a México. No hay pierde, si buscas unos sabrosos tacos tienes que visitar este lugar. El servicio es muy bueno, pero la comida se lleva los honores. Las tortillas están exquisitas

Had their sampler platter with the following tacos: Tinga De Pollo, Calabacitas, Hongos con Cilantro, Quesadilla, Mole Poblano and Frijoles con Queso. My favorite is definitely the quesadilla and the calabacitas with the hongos con cilantro taking last place. I like their melon aqua fresca because its not sweet. I don’t eat red meat but I hear the Steak Picado is the golden child of Guisados.

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