Are they available Saturday too? For some reason I thought Sunday only but I haven’t been so I’m almost surely misinformed
That was my understanding as well, but I haven’t been in nearly a year. So maybe they’ve expanded the offering? Maybe they found a new vat of pork lard for the chorreadas sauce?
I think it’s Sunday only sadly.
I somehow didn’t realize you crowned them #1, my bad.
I really wish they were a 7 day a week operation haha
Hi @ipsedixit and all,
Yah, I just double-checked our photos and sure enough, for 2 of our visits we had the Chorreadas on Saturday.
And to make sure, I called Tacos La Carreta directly just now: They indeed always serve it on Saturday and Sunday. 
More opportunities to eat it. 
FYI: They are closed this weekend for Christmas / New Year’s Break.
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Whoa, sweet!
Went back today NoHo. I miss this place, since my better half moved to SM. Everytime I get back here I have to rethink the other places I go to.
For those who haven’t been here:
Crispy carnitas, so good.
Carne Asada with Shrimp. Their meat is so smokey good.
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Their chile relleno burrito is awesome!!!
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We went to TLA last night for supper. Personally, I found the food pretty average in general. But the mango chicken entree - what I thought would be the most gringo-ized dish - was actually quite flavorful and not a typical dish found on menus elsewhere.
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aside from the chicken what did you get?
Sampler plate, nachos w/ carne asada, burrito w/ carne asada, burrito w/ Adobado, tortilla soup w/ chicken, taco w/ grilled shrimp, taco w/ carnitas, taco w/ Adobado.
The tortilla soup was pretty good - deep red rich soup.
Everything else was OK.
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Where do you typically eat Mexican food? Not to call you out, but I would be interested in eating somewhere better than Anaya. Admittedly, I go mainly for the huevos rancheros, though. Their lengua burritos are also nice in my experience, though. But really it’s the fresh tortillas, beans, and rice that all seem particularly good to me, and I wouldn’t mind trying even better versions somehow else 
Chipotle, Taco Be- I kid. Places that make similar dishes, similar level: Tacomiendo, Taqueria Sanchez, Guillen’s La Playita truck on Glencoe, Casa Linda, Tocaya Organica, Mariscos Guillen’s La Playita, Gloria’s.
I thought the food at TLA was fine. But of the typical taqueria-type dishes, I felt those offered at TLA were similar to places that I mention above. That is why I felt the food was average.
One person in our group has pretty discerning tastes when it comes to Mexican food, whose tastes I trust. She felt the same. Everything was fine but the antojitos were generally on par with other good places around LA. Her parents both are cooking savants of sorts - they are pretty adept at many Mexican regional dishes (they’re from central Mexico through DF). So her taste buds are well calibrated IMHO.
Again - the stand out dish was the mango chicken. The sauce was vibrant, complex and unique. I was expecting flat iron-grilled chicken topped with a mango salsa. The chicken breast was fine but that sauce was tasty.
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So I’ve always found the carnitas are a bit lacking at TLA. I still always get them in my chilaquiles when I go to TLA but that’s because I’m a sucker for meat. I’m not sure they use the traditional braise then fry in a copper method. It seems that they just get the carnitas tender and cook it on the flat top (probably sitting in a steam tray in between). Definitely not up to Carnitas El Momo standards. Also I’ve never had the shrimp dishes there but I would say that is probably akin to getting a seafood sandwich at Plan Check instead of their burger. I’ve gotten their fish tacos before and it definitely doesnt compare to Tacos baja ensenada or Rickys.
The chefs used to cook at Cha cha cha and that’s where they got their mango chicken recipe and it is def tasty.Glad you enjoyed the tortilla soup, that is definitely one of my favorites. I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy the carne asada as they use sirloin or flank steak (it’s supposed to be angus but that may be dubious) but it does come in actual chunks as opposed to most taco places that just cook up thinly pounded and diced flank or skirt.
Agree with @Aesthete the beans, rice, and lengua are must get and also their simple breakfast burrito and I love their chilaquiles but they may be a little less saucy than most. Their tortas are also quite good. Maybe try those next time!
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I would have mentioned that this was my first visit. So all of my comments ts should be taken I to that context.
The carne asada, while good, kinda threw me. I’m so used to some sort of flap meat. So the “cut” and flavor as well as the texture just struck me as very different. Agree on the carnitas. I think most generalists (those that don’t specialize in carnitas) are probably similar in prep method and quality. There’s obviously a reason why there’s carnitas specialists. It’s not like it’s mad science, but it does take extra effort and time to do it right.
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I think for Las Anayas… it’s not the tacos and burritos that shine. It’s anything requiring a higher degree than taco truck prep… so…
EXACTLY! They have an amazing sweet corn soup. For antojitos, I like their Taquitos and their Sopes. Some of the best sopes ever. For the meats, their Adobada or house made Chorizo. Again, things they spice themselves. Finally, Los Anayas is spectacular in Breakfast. Breakfast is a meal most Mexicans eat out. So finding as good Chilaquiles (especially with their housemade chorizo) is a tough task than those from Las Anayas. Also, they have a unique take on Huevos Rancheros, they are more like Egg Tacos (Delish!). Oh. And their Horchata is like Liquid Flan. On La Horchateria has better.
Sounds like my Mom. Nevermind that my mother grows her own ingredients. 
But we never take her to any Mexican restaurants. She will always come out unimpressed. Mexican home cooking can not replicated in a commercial kitchen (it’s a scale issue). From the spicing to the prep. It’s SO different when you meet a REAL Mexican home cook, although most Mexican home cooks cook to feed at least 15… LOL!!!
Las Anayas is not as sparkling or unique in flavor as a place like EK Valley (We always had a hard time passing it up when we lived in Culver City) but it’s a place you can always just walk in and get a REALLY well prepared Mexican meal for a great price.
–Dommy!
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Appreciate your detailed response. I forgot to mention their horchata (and other agua frescas) - tasty.
When @Aesthete asked what places I go to, I almost mentioned EK Valley, but it struck me as not only different, but different t in a good - and can I say better - way. So I didn’t mention them among the others. The food closer replicates something made in the kitchen of an adept home cook to me, especially the Clayudas. Have you tried their barbacoa?
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Excited to hear that about EK Valley! I have a standing Saturday morning engagement in Culver City and I’m always looking for places out that way or on my way back to NELA to try.
I’ve come close to checking out EK a bunch of times but hadn’t heard anything about it beyond Yelp reviews. What do you (and you also @bulavinaka!) recommend at EK? Clayudas, barbacoa, mole?
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So you find them to have excellent chilaquiles? I have steered clear in part because of my love for their huevos rancheros, and in part because I think they use tortilla chips and make what seems like a more “American” version of chilaquiles.
Is there some kind of official differentiation in Mexican cuisine between more dry versions of chilaquiles that use tortilla chips versus the soft, lightly crispy versions that focus on sauce that you find all over DF?
Like these $2.5 beauties from Chilaquiles del Coyoacan:
Or looking at how the sauce coats the tortillas at Las Tlayudas (a bit more Oaxacan of a take):
In photos of Los Anaya’s chilaquiles on the internet they look like great examples of the dry tortilla chip version you find all over LA:
The chips are mostly coated in egg, minimal saucing; it is almost more like Tex-Mex migas.
But is this just a regional difference?
The only time I have had great chilaquiles in the DF style has been at Cala in SF:
Even though Cala’s look less sauced in this photo you can see the sauce coating the tortillas, and, indeed, they had the perfect texture.
Cala’s chilaquiles followed more in the upscale style I had recently at Fonda Fina, although they didn’t have the incredible cecina of Fonda Fina, witness and not the similar saucing and also the wondrous cecina:
If there is anything I could wish for, it would be this type of chilaquiles in LA, sigh.
But I am just really curious if the difference is actually regional within Mexico, or what. Thanks!
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I haven’t been to EK Valley, why ya’ll holdin’ out on this place??
They actually make tlayudas with pork lard, which is a good sign!
I’ll have to go check it out haha Although that seems like a cross-category comparison with Anaya, which doesn’t seem to be Oaxacan at all.
In general, I think good home cooking is the gem to find, though.