Taco Caterer for Party - Any Recs?

[slowrider]

Need a taco guy for the end of this month. Just the basics......Asada, Pollo and Pastor.
Had a party a couple months ago and had a taco guy that was nice but the meats were just so-so..........hip me to a new one! for 60-75 people in the Northeast L.A. area (El Sereno).
FYI - I need them to provide the meats, tortillas, salsas, rice, beans and chopped onions/cilantro.
Thanks!

[TomSwift]

El Tapatio on the corner of Fallbrook and Victory in Woodland Hills has a cateing operation and, although I've never experienced their catered food, the food at the storefront is very good. Their Pastor is dynamite. Why not give them a call?

[Dommy]

We were thrilled with Taquiza la Fiesta, they had the whole shabang including Nopalitos, cebollas asadas... great prices too... ask for Oscar 310-525-9781

--Dommy!

[ickster]

Huarache Azteca in HP has a sign up in their restaurant that says they do Taquizas, although have only had food from their restaurant.
They are at 323-478-9572.

[Ernie]

Taco Chop is good. Reasonably priced and good meat quality [phone]. They are based in Alhambra so very close to El Sereno. Ask for Ron or Felix

[Neta]

We're having a big party at the end of the month and are using a new team instead of the one we have always used in the past. This new team provides five different choices of meat including, asada, pastor, pollo, cueritas, chorizo, alambres, rice, beans, salsa, guacamole, cebolla, cilantro and of course, tortillas. All this for the same price of our other go to team that supplied only three meats. We sampled on one occasion and everyone was happy with the food. If you're interested call:
Lalo at [phone] (Spanish only)
Javier at [phone] (speaks English)

[gordo26]

We just used these guys and are very pleased with both food and service. We had four meats, pollo, carne, pastor, and carnitas. All were very good, however, I like the pastor and pollo the best. Funny - a few guests thought one of salsas was very spicy - but overall everyone still thought it had excellent flavor. Highly recommend them.

[Neta]

I'm so glad it worked out for you. I bet it was the green salsa. We heard that from a
few of our guests when we had them.

[LATrapp]

Hope this isn't too off topic, but-

I'm curious what the average pricing per person is for one of these? And what kind of minimum guarantee they usually require..

[slowrider]

Thanks for all the recs.! I put in calls to all yesterday- except neta's rec., as I just saw it today.

Ernie's rec. for Taco Chop called back first and they local to me, so I went w/them - plus I have enjoyed Ernie's recs. for Mexican places in the past. They are to provide: asada, al pastor & chicken tacos plus rice, beans, onion, cilantro, limes and two kinds of salsas. He said he will throw in hot dogs as well because it's a kids party.

I told him there would be 50-60 people and quoted me 300.00 for all of the above.

The party is on the 21st. I will report back.

Dommy's rec. also sounded intriguing - nopalitos and cebollas asadas! I will try them next time.

Neta, what price were you quoted? For how many people?

Thanks all!

[Neta]

Hi Slow. We're paying $550 for 150 people and that's with the five meats plus everything else I mentioned. We're having the asada, pollo asada, pastor, cueritos and chorizo.

[Dommy]

For 50 people the one recommended charges 400.00 but he also throws in 5 tables, 30 chairs and a jumper...

--Dommy!

[likeomgimavalleygirl]

Neta - Which taco guy did you go with for that price?

[Neta]

It's 2 men that are starting their business. We happened to be at a location where they were cooking for a get together and they offered us some food. We were planning a b-day party and we hired them on the spot when they gave us the price. They were good. They furnished the paper plates but they were the skimpy kind so I would provide my own if we hire them again. Other than that and that one of the salsas was too hot were the only complaints. Their names and #'s are Lalo [phone] and Javier [phone].

[BunnieBear]

I've contacted Taco Chop and they've been a little inconsistent about returning calls getting quotes etc. Was this your experience? I'm catering for 150+ and to not have food would be REALLY bad, to put it mildly. I'm a bit nervous. If you can let me know what the service was prior to the event, it would be helpful. Thanks!

[LAM7319]

Looks like you've already found someone, but just for future reference, I would recommend:
Sandra and Rosendo - 323-567-7445 or 323-270-5309
www.sandysfoodservice.com
We've used them for two parties already and are really happy with their food and service. They do all types of meats. We especially like their carnitas. They provide the meats, tortillas, salsas, sauteed onions and peppers, rice, beans and chopped onions/cilantros. They will even make quesadillas for the kiddos at the party, if you provide the shredded cheese. They have a 50 person minimum - but that is a LOT of food. It will usually feed more than 50 people.

[BeerLover]

Whatever you choose just be-careful so they have a health permit!

[LATrapp]

Fair enough point to bring up, and leads me to wonder if anyone actually does check.

I have to admit I wouldn't even think of that when hiring a taco truck, or any other type of caterer. Does anyone actually ask?

[slowrider]

The Taco Chop guys were great. The asada and chicken were really good......the al pastor was excellent...very tasty. They were really nice guys. Wore chef whites and aprons. Thanks for the rec. Ernie.

[Ernie]

Glad you enjoyed Taco Chop! They make great tacos, are friendly and professional, and I agree about their excellent al pastor

[Chowpatty]

Thanks for the rec for Taco Chop. Felix and Ronnie are nice guys, very reasonable, as mentioned, the al pastor was the best. They brought plates, napkins, grilled peppers and scallions, chopped onions, radishes, cabbage, salsas, etc. They even had a tent available in case of rain. Again, their number is [phone]. They are very happy to hear that you found them on Chowhound.

[WildSwede]

I know I am coming in a little late, but Exquicitos Tacos is fantastic. They bring the grill and take it from there. Fernando & Isaura [phone] or [phone]. Everyone I know who has used them has raved about them. Good luck!!

[laytonj1]

Just has Ronnie from Taco Chop cater party today and they were awesome!! The meat was so delicious and they were extremely nice and very professional. Can't wait to book to book them for our next party:) They did asada, chicken and al pastor tacos, along with quesadillas, rice, beans, chips and guacamole. YUMMY!!

[BeerLover]

this lady has done great for me! give her a try

[phone] cecilia

[gordo26]

How was it? What did she provide? Homemade tortillas? Health permit as you pointed out in your previous post?

[greenmellyn]

I called Cecilia to get pricing info...she is considerably cheaper than others i've called. Does she have good quality meats?

[ccsmith409]

laytonj1....hi there! i'm thinking about going with Taco Chop...but wanted to know if you used them recently? they want a deposit...which is standard..but there's no contract or anything on paper. should i be concerned? or is this how it goes?

[laytonj1]

Ronnie and his crew have always come through for us. He did ask for a deposit the first couple times (no contract) and it was never a problem. They are always on time and very reliable. Last time we had Taco Chop was at my son's birthday party in August. They did a gourmet burger bar and everyone loved it. Love their tacos too. Hope that helps:)

[ccsmith409]

laytonj1...

thanks for the information! i feel so neurotic...but it was making me a bit nervous since i found taco chop off the internet and not thru personal recommendations. that's great to know that you've used them a few times...and have always been happy with them! THANKS again!

[mbh65]

I have been to several parties with the Taco Man, and it has been great. He is based in Pico Rivera area. I think he charges around $300 to feed 50 people.

[Ducksta]

Any recommendations for taco caterers that provide aguas frescas as well?

[law1115]

We just had a party catered by TACO CHOP and it was fantastic. Can't say enough great things about Ronnie and his food and his service. He was on time and provided all the plates, napkins and utensils. The food was delicious (the al pastor especially). Very reasonably priced. Can't wait to have another party and have them cater. ph [phone]

[mbissa]

We're having a baby shower and would like a taco caterer with a really nice grill - shiny, clean etc and great food. iSuggestions of taco caterers that offer great food and a really nice look would be appreciated!!

[Professor Salt]

Hello, welcome to Chowhound. It would really help to know these things so the people here can give you advice.

1) Where the party is (this L.A. board covers Orange, LA and Ventura counties - a lot of ground)
2) How many people in the party
3) Menu wants and needs
4) Budget per person

[pdumbledore]

i will be hosting a party at the end of this month for about 20-25 ppl. Here are the 3 Taco Catering recommendations I called.
*Lety's - quoted me $365 for 3 meats plus all the condiments for 3 hour service; nice girl on the phone named Cecilia was helpful
*Fernando's - they have a minimum of 50 ppl at $500, also for 3 meats but only 2 hours of service
*Taco Chop (Ronnie) - left him a voice mail and got a response within an hour; he originally told me that there was a minimum of 40 ppl at approx $320 for 2 hour service. That price came with 3 meats, all condiments plus sides (bacon wrapped hotdogs or quesadillas or fresh guac and chips), white linen, stainless steele appliances, and the cook wears a white chef coat (asthetically appealing and very professional presentation). he also provides the plates, napkins and forks. he was willing to negotiate with me for about $300 and do extra hour of service instead of the full amount of food. he also noted all my special requests (not too spicy on the marinade and salsa, extra queso fresco, and combination of hotdogs AND quesadillas as the side). so far, so good. I will be back at the end of the month with the actual food and service review. stay tuned!

[pdumbledore]

TACO CHOP WAS AMAZING! our party was a great success due in part to the excellent food, presentation and Ronnie & Dennis' wonderful service.

They showed up in Marina Del Rey at least an hour before the party to set up. All their equipment were well maintained and clean - from their grill to the stainless steel food warmers. We had a party of about 20 ppl and served tacos (authentic and tasty al pastor, asada and pollo), rice and beans, all the necessary condiments including DELICIOUS fresh salsa that Ronnie made infront of us, quesadillas and what i fondly call "ghetto dogs" (yummy bacon wrapped hotdogs). All of my guests were impressed with the food - the tacos were simply amazing! I was definitely impressed with the presentation and the cleanliness. They both wore chef whites, covered their banquet table with white linen, and served the food in nice silver food warmers. With everything they had to prepare, their area (our balcony) remained clean. For $300, we had more than enough food for 20 people, and the service was for about 4 hours (including an hour of prep time). Left overs were placed in aluminum trays and organized on my kitchen counter for those who still had the after party munchies. The guys were very professional and also very personable - my guests loved interacting with them. All in all, I give them an A+. Delicious authentic food, wonderful service, very clean and professional presentation, and I DID NOT HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER FOR THIS PARTY! Ronnie Chaffino's # is 626-465-6958.

[annapurna7]

Thanks for the review! This is PERFECT for my son's party. I just left a message for them to see if they are available and for how much. I want the same set up with the tacos, quesadillas and hot dogs. :)

[annapurna7]

Has anyone had any trouble with TACO CHOP's response time? I've left a couple of messages for them this week and no one has called me back. There is no indication that they are on vacation or out of town. :(

[laytonj1]

Hey annapurna... I have Taco Chop booked for a party this Saturday and have not been able to reach Ronnie via phone. Did you ever get in touch with them or receive a call back? I'm getting a little concerned since we already gave them $100 deposit and it's three days away:(

[annapurna7]

He did call me back late last week, but I had booked with someone else. It would have been nice if he would have left notification on his voicemail stating that he was unavailable and would start returning phone calls on certain date. I'm not happy that he called me two weeks after my initial phone call. It's too bad, because I really wanted to use him.

[deliece]

annapurna, thanks for your review! I kept your experience in mind when I booked him for a party and had a similar experience except that he never called back at all. He came highly recommended from someone who used him and knows the employees, and the owner and I spoke a couple of times prior to the confirmation so I was initially comfortable that he'd come through. He called about a month before the party to confirm and asked for a deposit, which is standard operating procedure imo especially since he communicated that he had others asking to book that same date. He asked for the deposit and I told him to expect the check by week's end. He made note of it and we hung up. I called back not 5 minutes later after realizing that I didn't know who to make the check out to and there was no answer. I tried 2 other times that week, again no answer. My friend who was the one actually paying for the party also tried twice to call and, again, no response. The party came and went and we never heard from him. I also had a friend who knew him and was going to talk with him and still I never heard back. Fortunately because of your review I was forewarned and was able to make contingency plans which went off beautifully. I can't say I'd recommend this guy just because of his bad business practice. I'm guessing the reason I was left in the dust was because the party that probably won out was more lucrative, but to completely ignore a customer is just poor business.

[laytonj1]

Ronnie at Taco Chop came through an did a fabulous job. He was out of town, hence why I could not reach him at the beginning of the week.

He was professional, showed up on time, made fabulous tacos (carne asada, chicken and al pastor,) and was so hospitable to all our guests. Would recommend him to anyone looking for a great taco caterer. Taco Chop delivers on every level.