Flaming Margarita (photo via El Compadre site)

“Waiter! My margarita is on fire!”

“Not to worry sir, you are just dining at El Compadre…”

El Compadre has every cliche going for it. Dark lighting with adobe decor, a mariachi band playing, located just east of the Sunset Strip, Americanized comfort Mexican food, and yes, FLAMING margaritas.

You would think that these are all reasons to avoid El Compadre, but for some reason, they manage to pull it off.

The decor is comforting and the dim lighting enhancing the fireballs coming from the bar.

The band is talented and it’s not so bad waiting for your table while listening to them.

The location seems to draw more locals than tourists and college students, although on a few occasions I have done from star spotting in the booths.

The food is fairly standard, but the menu is well executed when you want cheesy dishes with rice and beans on the side.

And then there are the drinks.

A flaming drink can often be the sign that the enjoyment ends when the fire dies out and the glass hits your lips. On the contrary, El Compadre’s margaritas are tasty and can pack a punch. It’s not the actual margarita on fire, but a small float of high potency liquor that feeds the flame.

The downsides of El Compadre are long waits and tight parking. We have been able to call ahead a couple times, but it didn’t really seem to help. The place gets packed, especially on weekend nights. It’s tough to seat larger parties, but it is fun to go with a lot of people because of the atmosphere.

El Compadre
7408 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 874-7924