California Tacos To Go

Was in the mood for Mexican and a beer so was just driving down 4^th street in St Pete and Bam! Cali Tacos To Go! Asked the Amazing girl taking my order what rocked Grouper Tacos and I had a local Brew 3 Daughters IPA! Crushed it damn tasty and both hit the spot will definitely hit this establishment again! Soon! Next time I’ll bring phriends to enjoy!!!

I’ve gone from despair and depression at Tampa’s taco selection to finding the one beacon of hope for my never ending lust for asada, carnitas, and pastor, and for hot sauce that will kick you in the habañeros.
There are definitely things they can do better, but considering the mediocre alternatives this is THE taco establishment of Tampa Bay. Can’t recommend them enough.

Rock solid! You get the California taco-​stand vibe the instant you walk in the front door. I’m esp. partial to the Taco Tuesday promotion and most always get the fish tacos. Warm dual corn tortillas with lightly battered grouper, little salsa, some cheese, a dollop of guac and sour cream.
It’s simple, it’s fresh and it works every single time.

Young friendly staff casual décor and moderately priced fresh tacos.

Delicious, friendly, quick, and spicy. 4 stars — that means I definitely come back for some more!
Food — fresh, clean (not oily), volume-​y large tacos
Décor — funky and cute
Service — friendly, helpful, to-​the-​point, and quick
Menu — offers lots and lots variety… tacos, burritos, homemade beverages, side menus and toppings, cali style upgrade, on and on… it could be confusing a bit but luckily I was able to study all in for solid 5 minutes, looking it up on the big wall.
Bonus, as I’m always to please to find, is the helpful & friendly staff.
I ordered two soft tacos, one pork, one shrimp & chorizo, both with a choice of spicy sauce, and orange jarrita drink. She bundled my order in a meal package so I get chips for free. Not a big deal but hey, I like those small kindness, which adds up, and makes me feel good.
Second bonus, and the one big reason I added forth star to this place, is the spicy sauce! It is seriously spicy and, wooooo-​hooo, what a kick! heat! punch! It knocked my socks off completely! Not that the friendly staff forgot to give me warning — she did in fact, very clearly. «Our spicy sauce is, really, you know, seriously spicy stuff, OK?» I love, love, love spicy food. I experienced so many false spicy alarms in the past, so, I’m glad to find the food spot that walks their talks. Spicy sauce. Approved by me.
Truth be told, I didn’t expect too much first, as only reason I picked this place was a convenience. I had lunch here before my hair appointment (at number 9 salon just right around the corner) and it was little past 11 am, I was the only and lonely customer. But as soon as I got my food, there was a streak of customers — young and old, individual and big group, so, I suppose this place is doing pretty well. I surely hope so because I want to come back again soon.
Another bonus is outdoor seating option, facing the 4^th street. There were four picnic tables, large enough to seat 4 – 6 adults. Two of the tables come with parasol, two without, so you can pick your shade if you want.

Holy yum!!! Might I recommend the shrimp and chorizo and/​or grouper fish taco? I went with medium with was the perfect «kick» for my taste but they go all the way to «spiked» if you like it extra HOT:) They use corn tortillas!!! #winning. I can’t wait to go back and figure out what surfer munchies are/​try a breakfast burrito… also Taco Tuesday’s = 2 tacos + chips + a drink all for $ 7 Wins all around

Mmm mmm good! I ordered the ground beef nachos and my husband had the Guy Fieri Grouper Taco special. He’s a huge fan of anything from Triple D so he had to give it a shot, along with the Horchata. Everything we had was fresh and the combined flavors were fantastic. The staff was super friendly and the weather was great, which made sitting outside a no-​brainer. We will certainly return!

GREAT SERVICE! Ordered To-​Go tacos on my lunch break without sour cream or cheese because I’m lactose intolerant and when I opened it there ended up being both sour cream and cheese all over. Being in the business I completely understood mistakes happened but I called to let them know just in case the bags were switched and someone else didn’t get a wrong order. I told them I’d be fine with the ones I had and picked at what I could and they ended up delivering me new tacos, super sweet! I’d totally give 5 stars for the quality and service if it wasn’t for the tiny mishap but this just gives me reason to go back to give that last star!

This place has some tasty gourmet tacos a little pricy and I think the cilantro is a chef risk, but overall service was excellent, atmosphere was beautiful and eclectic and I would bring a friend and suggest the fish tacos! You should try them, you won’t be disappointed, but get there early they close @ 9 PM sharp

So we decided to try this place out, it’s been open for a few months. They did a cute job decorating the place, really small, not much to work with. We were there for Taco 2sdays, so we were excited about that. We had 4 different types of tacos and neither myself or my husband were impressed and will definitely not be going back! We also ordered chips and queso and the queso had a very odd smoky flavor. We were almost done and the employee that was cleaning the table next to us asked how everything was, so thinking he really wanted to know — I made a face and said its OK. He just looked at me like he’d rather be anywhere else at that moment and walked away. Several other taco places all within just a few minutes of this place & all of them are better than this place.

My wife and I have been into this establishment twice in the past week and we simply found everything to be delicious, the service was also great! We
loved the cali fries with the carne asada so much we got it both times we were in. We haven’t tried the fish taco yet or the burritos but everything else is phenomenal on the taco menu, the carne asada is my personal favorite option but my wife says the shrimp and chorizo is the clear winner for her. We also loved the rolled tacos and chips, but we both agree you have to try the great guacamole. We’ll be back for sure, the service and food were amazing!

THANK. GOD.
finally another joint that sells fish tacos/​burritos. Are they perfect? No. But they get points for trying. The menu is diverse and there’s alcohol available. This place takes after the burrito boarder vibe with surf rock tunes jamming and décor that says beach van food truck. Service is always polite and friendly. Although generally small there’s room for groups and the atmosphere is comfortable and casual and CLEAN.
Definitely give this place a chance before hitting up chipotle for the 20^th time this week.

This was my first time here and I was very satisfied. The grouper taco was so delicious! The tempura they battered the grouper in was light, fresh and has a great crunch to it. The grouper was cooked perfectly and tasted yummy! Had it «Guy Fieri» style loaded with hot sauce! The carne asada was very well seasoned and packed with flavor. The chicken was pretty good but the other tacos definitely had more flavor. Can’t wait to go back to try other items on the menu.

Just had an extremely pleasant experience at California Tacos Togo. Counter service was great! Great knowledge of the menu! Helped me choose the right thing. Had the Chimichanga and it was outstanding! Very filing. Had it filled with Carne Asada, beans, and, cheese topped with sour cream, guacamole, and more cheese!!!

While the South Dale Mabry location is much closer to home, I had bookmarked the address of the new location in St. Petersburg and this was the first time I was in the neighborhood around lunchtime.
Dare I say this place is just too good… because if I came here as much as I wanted, I would have to hit the gym twice as much as I currently do.
While I do not eat seafood and cannot comment on the famous fish tacos, every other type of ingredient I get in my regular order of two tacos here is always fresh and full of flavor.
And as a fan of guacamole, I really like whatever they’re doing here with their version of it.
Oh, and not sure why some of these other Unilocalers are so damn impatient. Is your boss that much of a micro-​manager that you cannot enjoy a lunch without looking at your watch?
Everything here is clearly made to order and I don’t mind waiting a few minutes for high quality as opposed to these places that crank it out as fast as they can and pass you down a messy assembly line from one employee to the next.
I also love the vibe here, because it just doesn’t feel like I’m in a standard restaurant. Sure, it isn’t exactly waterfront property… but the atmosphere fits the menu and is always a breath of fresh air unlike having lunch most other places nearby.

Meh… I remember these tacos being larger and fuller.
Seeing that they recently opened up in St Pete, I thought I would give them a try. It’s been a couple of years since I visited their original Tampa location, but I remember being blown away. Unfortunately that wasn’t my experience this time around.
For almost $ 9 I received 2 tacos and left underwhelmed. Tacos are the latest craze with everyone having something unique to offer. But at almost $ 9, I expected more.
The wait was ridiculous. Almost 20 minutes and they were incredibly slow. I should have called in my order, but I didn’t expect the wait to be that long.
Would I go back? Sure if someone else was paying but I’m not dying to return and spend $ 9 again.

LACKING IN… SOMETHING
I was a huge fan of the original location near USF but this new location hasn’t quite achieved the friendliness and food flavor of the original.
HOW’S THE FOOD?
Their much acclaimed Fish Tacos were boring! (I clearly remember the original location having flavorful Fish Tacos). The Breading of the Fish barely contained any seasoning and the included Hot Sauce only delivered heat – no additional flavor at all. While the other fillers (Al Pastor, Carne Asada, Carnitas, etc) have been better seasoned and moist, the real killer has been in the Lettuce and Tomato topping they add. Iceburg Lettuce (I think that’s what it was) totally overwhelms any flavor of the Taco. They could really benefit from some spicy, chunky, homemade Salsa but the most you’ll see are tiny (tinier than shot glasses) of pureed Hot Sauce.
It’s strange but they also offer a dish of French Fries covering the bottom and topped with Meat and all the Taco fixtures. Although the Fries themselves lacked flavor, this could be the one redeeming factor of the place.
SERVICE VERY LACKING
Especially with the ‘California’ name and beach-​vibe, perhaps that staff here is TOO MUCH laid-​back. Barely anyone has given me any smiles and instead I feel like I’m surrounded by high school employees just trying to get through work without exerting effort.
GLUTEN-​FREE /​ALLERGIC-​ALL PYRA SAYS:
All the Tacos are in Corn Tortillas but the Burritos are in Flour Tortillas. And the Fries in those strange dishes are totally Potatoes – NOT covered in Flour before frying. Still I see some cross-​contamination so I wouldn’t suggest for the very strict Gluten-​Free diners.

So I just want to start by pointing out that I haven’t written a review on a place in at least a year… but was compelled to do so based on my experience at California Tacos To Go this evening…
Like many other reviewers I had high hopes for this place. It looks cool, has a cool name, is on a cool street… but the food left much to be desired. AND we were the only people there ordering at the time and they still messed up my order.
I ordered tacos and a side of rice and beans. The taco innards were pretty good, but the corn tortillas (only option apparently) were soggy and completely falling apart. I couldn’t even hold the taco up to eat it because it just split through the bottom… so I ate it like a weird salad.
The rice was fine, nothing to write home about. The beans though! The poor beans… They were just terrible. I’ve never refused to eat my side of beans at a Mexican restaurant and I shunned these bland beans like a snobby kid in middle school. No salt, no seasoning… just canned bean flavor insulting my mouth.
Worst of all, it cost us about $ 20 for myself and my boyfriend and we didn’t even get drinks.
This place has some big balls to be charging these prices and serving this bland food with both Chipotle and Tijuana Flats staring at them from across the street. Not the mention at least 3 other amazing Mexican/​Taco places within a 3 mile radius.
My suggestions to this place are to step up the seasoning and salt, offer flour or crunchy taco shells instead of just soggy corn, and cook your meat like you’re serving someone’s Mexican Abuela. (Forgot to mention my dining partner said the pork was tough and bland).
Ok, that is all. Good luck California Tacos. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

I was driving down 4^th St. N looking for something else and I saw that California Tacos has expanded! I was excited because it’s always a treat when I have time to stop for a fish taco at the one on Bearss.
My first time giving this one a shot and let me start by saying they are incredibly INCREDIBLY slow. Next time if I want to stop here I’ll be sure to call ahead.
I ordered one grouper fish taco hot with a side of rice and beans. Rice was OK and the beans (pinto beans) were so-​so but they could use some loving in the seasoning department. If you don’t like spicy DO NOT get the hot. My lips are still burning… but in a good way lol.
I would say once they speed up the service and listen to some of the feedback they’ll be ok. We don’t want Guy Fieri coming back and taking all his kudos away from California Tacos. I’ll probably come back because the fish tacos are delish and I only need one to be full.

Very disappointing. I had very high hopes for this new addition to 4^th St. as I live only a couple blocks away. I assumed that they were confident in their product since they opened up almost directly across from Tijuana Flats and Chipotle. Unfortunately, they can’t compete.
The food was bland. I am a big fan of «hot»…but my burrito was hot for hot’s sake. Tacos were bland and chips needed lots of additional salt (they seem to only have one shaker behind the counter) to wake up any flavor.
I really was rooting for this place. I don’t think I’ll be giving it a second chance.