Tuesday used to be the forgotten night of the week. Then somebody put tacos and a DJ in the same room, and Whittier decided Tuesday was worth leaving the house for.
Taco Tuesday at California Grill is exactly what it sounds like and better than it needs to be. The kitchen leans into our South of the Border menu, chicken tacos, steak tacos, and the fixings done right, while the DJ keeps the energy somewhere between dinner party and actual party. The bar handles the rest: cold beer on tap, margaritas, and our signature cocktails for anyone celebrating the fact that the week is almost half over.
What makes it work is the mix. You get the after-work crowd unwinding at the bar, families grabbing dinner before the school-night curfew kicks in, and groups of friends who made it their standing reservation. By the second hour, the room feels less like a restaurant and more like the neighborhood threw itself a small weekly festival.
A few tips from the regulars: come hungry, because taco counts tend to escalate. Do not skip the guacamole. And if a song you love comes on, this is a judgment-free zone.
The rest of the menu stays available too, so the one friend who inexplicably wants a burger on Taco Tuesday is still covered. That is the family owned way: everybody eats, everybody is welcome.
Find us at 6751 Painter Ave in Whittier, doors open daily from 8am, with the full menu at californiagrill.com. See you Tuesday. You know which one.