THE CLASSIC SOCAL MEXICAN RESTAURANTS WE LOVE
CAL-MEX IS ITS OWN DISTINCT GENRE. HERE’S WHERE YOU’LL FIND THE AMBIANCE, ETERNAL FAVORITES AND HISTORY
the 1930s and in its current iteration since 1953, has a great patio and a spacious central dining room. Try the shredded beef enchiladas or the surprisingly good sopes, essentially an open-faced sandwich on a thick tortilla, covered with beans, chicken or beef, salsa and salty cotija cheese. — LKP
11 Olvera St., Los Angeles, (213) 626-1361, elpaseoinn.com
Cielito Lindo
The Olvera Street taqueria founded by Aurora Guerrero in 1934, who named her business after an 1880s-era song favored by mariachis, is known for one enduring specialty: beef taquitos, pan-fried in batches until the rolled tortillas seize into crispness. They come doused in mild tomatillo-based avocado sauce; the pleasure is in scarfing down the taquitos while they retain their crunch, even as the salsa begins to seep in and soften them. Guerrero’s
granddaughter Diana Robertson carries on the family legacy with her sisters Mariana Robertson and Susanna MacManus. They operate a second takeout location at 1806 N. Broadway. Especially after the 2020 pandemic-related closures, though, it’s an easy joy to show up at the original location, stand in the fast-moving line and sit in one of two small dining areas that flank the stand’s counter. Taquitos weren’t designed to wilt in to-go containers.
— Bill Addison 23 Olvera St., Los Angeles, cielitolindo.org
Las Anitas
Going into Las Anitas, right at the corner of Olvera Street and East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, feels a little like descending into a secret chamber or someone’s wine cellar — cool, quiet and secluded. The 1947 restaurant is one of the best places to eat on the street, and serves what is possibly the spiciest table salsa I’ve ever eaten. The chile relleno is solid, bathed in a light, tomato-y sauce, and contrasts well with the enchiladas, bathed in a dark, dusty, chile-heavy salsa.
— LKP 26 Olvera St., Los Angeles, (213) 623-1153, las anitas.com
El Compadre
There are a couple of El Compadres on Sunset Boulevard but the one you’re looking for is in Hollywood, despite its location in a little bit of a dead zone — too far east to be in West Hollywood, a little too far west from the action in Hollywood proper. This ends up working in the restaurant’s favor, ultimately, as the dark, cavernous dining room with squeaky red booths and wrought-iron lanterns ends up feeling even more secluded. This is everything you want in a classic Mexican place, and the food’s pretty good too: The El Padrino combo comes with a decently cooked steak and the table salsa is one of the better ones out there. Allow your eyes a full five minutes to adjust to the dim lighting. — LKP 7408 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 874-7924, elcompadrerestaurant .com
El Coyote
As much a marker of the L.A. landscape as it is a restaurant, El Coyote is nine years away from its 100th anniversary. After two decades at its original location on La Brea Avenue and 1st Street, founders Blanche and George Salisbury moved their business to its current address on Beverly Boulevard in 1952. The iconic red and white sign has been mounted on the roof ever since. Its place in cultural lore was forever cemented on a summer night in 1969 when Sharon Tate had her last meal in one of the dining room’s cinnamon-red booths, but the restaurant’s community standing reaches far beyond a macabre tragedy. Beneath strings of Christmas lights, with potent margaritas in hand, this is where natives and transplants alike come to be Angelenos. The food is unexceptional, but that’s beside the point. Most of us determine our go-to enchilada or fajita or combo plate after one visit. What’s more important is how the decades collapse between these colorful walls. Trippy and hokey, and also wonderfully comforting, El Coyote is so tightly woven into the city’s fabric that to rip out its thread would be an unthinkable loss.
—BA 7312 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 939-2255, elcoyotecafe.com
The Mexican Village
What began as a family operation remains so — and that goes for both ownership and the recipes in Koreatown’s hacienda-style Mexican Village, the kind of restaurant where papel picado hangs from the rafters and one can wash down a sizzling fajita platter with more than 50 tequilas and mezcales. Founded by Abel Olivares Sr. in 1965, this margarita-happy spot with weekly live entertainment and a lengthy list of comboplate classics was the culmination of the chef ’s years in and out of various kitchens, including a few of his own: L.A. hot dog stand Abel’s Place and Cantamar Restaurant in Baja, among others. His menu just west of Silver Lake incorporated recipes from his wife, Maria Garcia Olivares, which are still served today by three of the couple’s four children, who now run the Mexican Village together. There’s live entertainment multiple nights of the week, but the draws here are the many food and drink options — including a list of cocktails known as the “avoid gridlock specialty drinks” — in a festive setting. Can’t decide on a flavor or style from the bevy of margaritas? We loved the tangy, tart tamarind.
— Stephanie Breijo 3668 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 385-0479, themexicanvillage.com
EASTSIDE Casita del Campo
Casita del Campo has one of those only-in-L.A. origin stories that seems to suffuse the building, down to its foundation: 60 years ago, journeyman professional dancer Rudy del Campo, who had appeared in movies including “West Side Story” and “A Star Is Born,” decided to make a left turn and open a restaurant with his family. It’s a fun and gorgeous place to enjoy a meal, if nothing else: spacious, vibrantly decorated with movie memorabilia, Art Nouveau-esque pendant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Oh, and the outdoor patio is almost as good as the interior. Do you need much more than that? — LKP
1920 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 6624255, casitadelcampo.net
Al & Bea’s Mexican Food
Pick up a bean and cheese burrito at Al & Bea’s and the whole thing wobbles — sloshes, nearly — from the heft of its molten contents. The mix of orange cheese and refried beans that taste of patience and lard is utter comfort. You have a choice of red or green chile sauce. There is no wrong answer, though generations of Al & Bea’s fans have leaned green for its spicy zing. Albert and Beatrice Carreon opened their Boyle Heights stand on 1st Street in 1966; the business is now in the hands of their grandson, Albert Carreon. For either takeout or a quick meal at a shaded table, it remains a steady lunchtime destination for families and nearby workers. The menu reaches into taco, tostada and taquito territory, as well as burgers and hot dogs, but the compact, precisely engineered burrito is the true L.A. essential. Try variations filled with stewed shredded beef or bulked up with a chile relleno, though only after you’ve experienced the glory of the bean and cheese with green chile.
— BA 2025 1st St., Los Angeles, (323) 267-8810, aland beas.com
Los Cinco Puntos
“Satisfaccion garantizada o devolucion de su dinero” (satisfaction guaranteed or your money back) is quite the bold statement to plaster in all-caps on the side of your restaurant, but Los Cinco Puntos does it. Even more impressively, the deli-style restaurant backs it up. Located where East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and North Lorena Street meet Brooklyn Place (the “cinco puntos,” or five corners, in question), it has been in operation since the 1960s and still serves some of the best tacos in Los Angeles. Try the chicharron, with the perfect balance of crunch and chew, or the tender buche (pork stomach) with some pleasantly slimy nopales and blisteringly hot salsa roja. I can’t say for certain how many customers in Los Cinco Puntos’ history have asked for their money back, but I’d be willing to bet it’s very few. — LKP
3300 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 261-4084, los5puntos.com
El Tepeyac
El Tepeyac, a fixture in Boyle Heights for 67 years, may be known for its novelty-sized — and I mean comically big — burritos, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the quality has gone down. It hasn’t. Try the Okie machaca burrito, with perfectly seasoned shredded beef, covered in cheese and finished with pleasingly bitter, sangriacolored salsa. — LKP
812 N. Evergreen Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 2681960, eltepeyac.cafe
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