Long before Mexico was Mexico, there was Aztlán. Stay with us here, we'll get to burritos in a minute. But for now, let's go back to Tenochtitlán, the vibrant megalopolis where the Aztecs built the Western Hemisphere's greatest urban area of the pre-colonial era. Today, their ingenuity lives on as Mexico City. Back in the day, Aztecs traced their origins to an idyllic locale, somewhere on a distant coast, northwest from the floating gardens and pyramids of their own region. They called this heavenly paradise Aztlán. Here in Los Angeles, however, Aztlán was reborn in the 1960s and '70s, when Chicano activists, poets and artists reclaimed the myth, reimagining that perhaps, Los Angeles was this promised land, the Eden on the ocean, where the indigenous Tongva and Chumash peoples could conjure crops from the seemingly magical soil and haul in bountiful catches from the endless sea.
Like the folks of that pioneering Chicano movement — whose re-envisioned Aztec myth recontextualized the city we live in — today a new generation of Angeleno chefs is reshaping the way we think about Mexican cuisine in our town. L.A.'s Mexican food is legendary, but this legion of hometown heroes is creating dishes with a distinctly Angeleno approach. Think locally sourced ingredients and cross-cultural mashups; health-consciousness and flavor-forward experiments. These chefs take traditional recipes and reinvent them according to their own rules, forged by the L.A. experience, where culture collisions are the defining characteristic of what makes this place great.
While this issue is about some mind-shatteringly great Mexican food and new restaurants that are changing the game, we are featuring chefs who are bringing novel ideas and revolutionary philosophies to the edible artistry they create. There's Ted Montoya, whose otherworldly pozole at Caló Provisions showcases his hybridized Chicano cooking. Visionary chef Ray Garcia's haute cuisine at Broken Spanish strives to distinguish Los Angeles as a distinct region in the culinary pantheon of Mexican-American culture. And mole queen Rocio Camacho's ancient recipes with a modern twist fall in line with the rising trend of “decolonizing the diet,” which seeks to bring Latin American food back to its pre-Columbian roots.
We trace the refocusing of Los Angeles' culinary districts, as more unmissable eateries open away from the traditional centers of restaurant hot spots, instead looking to the southeast enclaves of Whittier and Bell. Then there's the recent rise of Sonoran-style spots, featuring food from that Mexican state, which has been often underrepresented on Angelenos' plates.
While there are countless great Mexican restaurants throughout Los Angeles, we've chosen a handful of our favorites who are pushing the limits of how we think of our regional cuisine. Check them out in the Google Map above.
Is Los Angeles really Aztlán? Only the gods know. But for us mortals, we know that Los Angeles is the holy land for a new wave of modern Mexican food.
A Rough Guide To Mexican Restaurants
There are zillions of Mexican restaurants around Los Angeles, from street corner grills to high-end haunts. The options are almost overwhelming, so to help get great Mexican fare into your face, here are a few of notable spots from across the city, most of which are mentioned in our Modern Mexican Summer Dining Guide. It's a nice cross-section, ranging in price-range, geography, and culinary style. Enjoy!
1. Amor Y Tacos
13333 S. St., Cerritos, 90703
(562) 0860-266, amorytacos.com
5850 S. Eastern Ave., Commerce, 90040
(323) 725-1429, aquiestexcoco.com
3. Bar Ama
118 W. Fourth St., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90013
(213) 687-8002, bar-ama.com
12706 Philadelphia St., Whittier, 90601
(562) 945-2426
5. Border Grill
1445 Fourth St. Santa Monica, 90401
(310) 451-1655, bordergrill.com
1050 S. Flower St., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90015
(310) 916-9450, brokenspanish.com
514 W. Seventh St., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90014
(213) 622-3744, bstaqueria.com
5120 Peck Road, El Monte, 91732
(626) 350-8286
1576 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, 90041
(323) 478-279, cacaodeli.com
10. Chicas Tacos
728 S Olive St, Downtown, Los Angeles, 90014
(213) 896-0373, chicastacos.com
11. Cielito Lindo
E-23 Olvera St., Chinatown, Los Angeles, 90012
cielitolindo.org
12. Colonia Publica
6717 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, 90601
(562) 693-2621
13. Coni's Seafood
3544 W. Imperial Hwy, Inglewood, 90303
(424) 261-0896
14. Cook’s Tortas
1994 S. Atlantic Ave. Monterey Park, 91754
15. Don Chente
1248 S. Figueroa St., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90015
(213) 814-4865, donchentedtla.com
16. El 7 Mares
3914 Whittier Blvd, East Los Angeles, 90023
(323) 267-8667; el7mares.com
17. El Condor
3701 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 90026
(323) 660-4500, elcondorla.com
18. El Coraloense
6600 Florence Ave., Bell Gardens, 90201
(562) 776-8800, elcoraloense.com
19. Gish Bac
4163 W. Washington Blvd., Mid City, Los Angeles, 90016
(323) 737-5050, gishbac.com
20. Gracias Madre
8905 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 90069
(323) 978-2170, graciasmadreweho.com
21. Guelaguetza
3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Koreatown, Los Angeles, 90006
(213) 427-0608, ilovemole.com
22. Guerrilla Tacos
826 E. Third St., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90013
(323) 388-5340, guerrillatacos.com
23. Guisados
2100 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave., East Los Angeles, 90033
(323) 264-7201, guisados.co
24. Home State
4624 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz, 90027
(323) 906-1122, myhomestate.com
4030 Gage Ave., Southeastern Cities, Bell, 90201
(323) 773-1898, casitamex.com
26. Loqui
8850 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232
eatloqui.com
27. Malo Restaurant
326 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 90029
(323) 664-1011, malorestaurant.com
28. Mexicali Taco
702 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0416
mexicalitaco.com
29. Mariscos Jalisco
3040 E. Olympic Blvd., Boyle Heights, 90023
(323) 528-6701
30. Ortega 120
1814 Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, 90277
(310) 792-4120, ortega120.com
7360 Beverly Blvd., Hollywood, 90036
(323) 933-5300, pettycashtaqueria.com
32. Playa Amor
6527 Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, 90803
(562) 430-2667, playaamorlb.com
33. Public Beer and Wine Shop
121 W. 4th Street. Long Beach, 90802
34. Puertos del Pacifico
1240 S. Soto St., Boyle Heights;
(323) 262-0203
puertosdelpacifico.net
35. Red O
8155 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, Los Angeles, 90046
(323) 655-5009, redorestaurant.com
7891 Garfield Ave., Bell Gardens, 90201
(562) 659-7800
37. Rosa Mexicano
800 W. Olympic Blvd., Downtown, Los Angeles, 90015
(213) 746-0001, rosamexicano.com
38. Salazar
2490 Fletcher Drive, Frogtown, 90039
salazarla.com
39. Sonoratown
208 E 8th St, Los Angeles, 90014
(213) 290-5184
40. Tire Shop Taqueria
4069 S Avalon Blvd, Los Angeles, 90011
41. The Briks
1111 S. Hope St. Ste 110, Downtown, Los Angeles, 90015
(213) 746-7766, thebriks.com
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