365 Places to Eat

Beside having one of the greatest names for a taco joint, Tacos La Flama also has some hearty, quick mexican food. For me, the “usual” is the wet chicken burrito which has shredded chicken, cheese, rice, beans and is smothered in enchilada sauce and some more cheese. Low calorie, it’s not, but when I get home with the tin take out tray, the steaming burrito is a real treat.

This isn’t the small taco plate kind of place. This is the high, and high flavor kind of place.

There is also a meat counter at the back of the restaurant, but I have never tried it. This is actually the place the tipped me off to Aqui es Oxaca when I went in looking for carne asada. La Flama only had pork and chicken, unmarinated so they sent me down the street.

In addition to the cooked dishes, there is a variety of pan dulce baked treats that seem very popular.

If you’re looking for a filling, tasty and cheap meal, Tacos La Flama is a great place to stop at the corner of Pico and Barrington.

2404 S Barrington Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone (310) 966-9027

It’s impossible not to be charmed by Pili’s Tacos before you even walk in the door.

The purple/pink exterior gives way to a modest interior with a focus on the authentic food and home style Mexican family atmosphere.

As the name implies, Pili’s is about the tacos. There are a number of other authentic dishes pinned to the wall, but the $1.25 tacos are simple and delicious.

From pastor to asada to cabeza to carnitas, your favorites are all available. Top off your tacos with their Mexican beverages like Jarritos and more. They have a bottle of guava juice that tastes like fresh squeezed. If you do want fresh squeezed, there is a wide variety of home made Agua Frescas the Pili’s makes to order.

Pili’s is very much like a taco truck in a storefront. Convenient because you always know where to find them.

Other reviews:

• Great Taco Hunt
• Yum Life
• Yelp

Pili’s Tacos
11924 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

When I’m hosting a BBQ, few things have the bang for the buck that Carne Asada has. It’s easy to cook. It smells good on the grill. It has flavor. It’s beef. It’s cheap.

In all honesty, I don’t think I have ever had bad Carne Asada from my grill. Therefore, I feel pretty confident strolling into any carniceria to pick up some pre-seasoned meat. The risk of getting something foul is low.

At the corner of Venice Blvd and McLaughlin sits Aqui es Oaxaca (Here is Oaxaca). They carry a slew of Oaxacan goods, including a variety of meats — and their own marinated Carne Asada.

I do get small pleasure out of using my limited Spanish when I’m in a carniceria. At Aqui es Oaxaca, not only is my Spanish not needed, I don’t have the chance to use it, as the friendly Senora behind the meat counter greets me in English and we talk about how much carne I want.

She weighs out five pounds of carne ($5/lb) and after she marks down the price, throws in some extra goodies like orange slices, onions and a few small pieces of meat. While she is doing that, I am eying the salsa containers in the refrigerated cabinet. My new friend pulls out a few of the containers and seems to be guiding me towards the salsa roja, which turns out to be an amazingly thick smoky chipotle salsa.

I walk out happy. The service is friendly, the meat counter is clean and I like how the carne asada seasoning is on the dry side. Sometimes when I buy carne asada, it is swimming in half a bag of marinade. I still like that style, but if the meat sits in the marinade too long, it can become a bit chewy.

So how does it cook?

I fire up the grill on fairly high heat and slap the meat down with a sizzle. I’m tempted to munch on some carne tartar, it looks so good. A few minutes on each side and then on to the chopping block to be cut up for tacos. The meat is juicy, charred on the outside and moist on the (thin) inside.

So here I am, staring at my taco. So far my Carne Asada de Aqui es Oaxaca experience is first rate. I get ready for my first bite. Yeah right! I totally ate chunks of carne while I was swinging my cleaver. It is awesome. A taste of Oaxaca right in my backyard. I’m the hero of the grill. The crowd is clamoring for carne. I’m passing out the tender morsels while my guests lick their lips and then close their eyes and sink their teeth into the flavor bursting meat.

Need I say more? Aqui es Oaxaca is a home run in the carne asada department.

Aqui es Oaxaca
11614 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, 90066
(310) 313-4813

For all of the great Mexican food I eat around town, my quest for the perfect breakfast burrito remains unfulfilled. Admittedly, my search has mainly consisted of driving around in the morning, looking first for an open restaurant, and then to see if the menu offers a morning burrito. I have had some good burritos at sit down breakfast places, but I am looking for a great burrito to go, one that I can pick up occasionally on my way to work. My biggest problem is finding somewhere that is open before 8:00 am.

That’s where Cinco De Mayo Tacos comes into play. Located on the corner of Sepulveda and Washington Pl (not Blvd), sandwiched between Johnny’s Pastrami and Tito’s Tacos, Cinco De Mayo is open 24 hours a day. No matter how early I leave for work, I know that I can pick up a burrito. There are three main offerings for the breakfast inclined, a machaca burrito, a breakfast burrito with your choice of meat and the #19, a burrito with eggs and onions. Shame on me, but I always order diez y nueve, their most basic burrito. For $3 you get what you expect, scrambled eggs and soft onions wrapped in a thick flour tortilla. There is a mild salsa inside the wrap and some spicy salsa on the side to apply with each bite.

The tortilla is what makes this burrito for me. It may be because I don’t eat it until I get to work, but it is soft and chewy, like a steamed tortilla and probably made with lard to give the thick consistency that I enjoy. The chips served in the bag are greasy enough to coat the top of your mouth and salty enough to make you salivate.

I haven’t tried anything else at Cinco De Mayo other than the #19, which I have enjoyed maybe a half dozen times. Surely, the Tito’s Taco cabal will poo poo the idea of eating at Cinco De Mayo. It’s obvious that there is a rivalry, with warning signs in the parking lot and entering the restaurant about using Cinco’s property to enjoy Tito’s gut bombs. Tito’s isn’t open at 6:30am though, and eggs aren’t on the menu, so give Cinco De Mayo a chance.

Cinco De Mayo Tacos
11204 Washington Pl
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 391-5354

When you walk into La Cabana in Venice, just west of Lincoln on Rose, you will think that you found an undiscovered gem serving Mexican feasts. You would be half right. La Cabana has some great food, and margaritas, but it is far from undiscovered. It’s not uncommon to have to wait a half hour or more on a crowded night. Fortunately the place is deceptively large and they have a closed of bar in the back where you can snack on chips and salsa and have a drink.

On your way back to the bar, you can’t miss the indoor tortilla grill, or the ladies standing around the grill crafting home made corn tortillas, which you will undoubtedly order once you get your table. I personally prefer flour over corn tortillas, but when they are hot off of the griddle, it’s impossible to resist. When you do sit at the bar, you might decide to order one of their exotic margaritas, beyond just strawberry they also have mango, pineapple and any combination of their flavors. On the other hand, I’m happy with a basic margarita on the rocks with salt. Although the bar can be crowded at times, turn over is constant and people are generally friendly enough to share stools and table real estate.

Once your table indicator lights up and the host seats you, you are faced with making the decision of what to eat. Consider starting with the cevice and a side of guac for your chips. Service tends to be relaxed but accommodating. For first timers, you may as well start with their taco plate, served in the home made tortillas with rice and beans. I also enjoy the Sopes, essentially tostadas served on a hearty base of masa, a dough made of dried corn that has been soaked in limewater then rinsed and ground (pictured). The two sopes should be more than one person can eat, unfortunately the masa does not save well, so find a friend and split this dish with something else and do some sampling.

Parking for La Cabana is a bit scarce, so everyone parks in the shopping center across the street. As far as I know it is common practice, but don’t blame me if you get ticketed or towed.

La Cabana
738 Rose Ave
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 392-6161

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