We also enjoyed our visit tonight, although we pretty much stuck to the stuff you were able to get at the old place. I’ll post pics later.
I’m too lazy too re-read the EaterLA article, so if the following is a repeat, I apologize. The restaurant is split into 3 sections: taqueria (order at the counter at the far left when entering), the bar, and the restaurant. The tacqueria has the same menu as the original, the restaurant has the fancy new menu, and the bar is the only place where you can order from both menus. Beer and wine selections are focused (or maybe exclusively?) on stuff drawn from Mexico, and a stout beer will be arriving next wk? (what they’ve got on tap is the pale stuff)
No, the guac isn’t worth $10, but it’s tasty enough. I’m sort of wondering if it’s the exact same thing listed for $6 on the taqueria menu (and it’d be fine at the lower price). I’d personally skip either one to go to Bristol Farms in SaMo to get the delicious $11 guac (made in-store, not from the central distributor) and get about 30% more volume.
Hard to say that my mixto tostada (I had ordered the cocteles, but they gave the wrong thing…) wasn’t worth the $8.50 (or whatever the price was), though. My gosh, that seafood was pristine. I didn’t need whatever small smear of guac and aioli (?) they had put on it, though, b/c it ended up being a bit too much of the same texture. I also could’ve used a bit more acidity in the mixto. Salsas at the taqueria are all unlabeled, but I liked the red one (chipotle?). Salsas are decently subdued but still had some depth of flavor and partner well w/ the tacos (rather than overwhelming the flavor of the protein).
@SpockSpork loved his albacore taco (from the restaurant menu); I personally liked the (cheaper) original stuff just as much.
They gave us a thimble-ful of “sangrita” as a palate cleanser. It seemed to be diluted chile water! Potent stuff; I have no idea how the random couple next to us drank it all at once.
If you insist on eating in a hole-in-the-wall (or maybe even one or two steps down from that), then you’ll miss the old place. I personally think the new space is a VAST improvement, and parking is not too bad, either. Food is still good. I’m pretty happy.
