After seeing this place on the food channel, I was so excited to try it out. Well, today was the day. Nothing amazing or memorable about the food. One order of panucho to share - chicken was tasty but it looked old and was at room temperature. Never had it before so not sure if it is meant to be that way. I had the bistec a la yucateca - meat was tender and cooked to my likings. Plain white rice and purée black beans. Nothing special. I love fried plantains and that was my favorite part of the meal; however, there were only three small slices. I ordered agua de chaya and they served me jamaica, which was watery. Didn't even bother to ask for the right drink. My friend had the pollo pibil and thought it was ok. We were starving and eat a lot when we go out. So I am positive she did not like it. Total was $39. Average price not sure why people think it's dirt cheap. At least I got it out of my system and I know I will not return. read more

Had the pork pibil, and the panucho and salbutes ( they resemble soft tacos). The pibil came with black beans and rice. The pibil is basically a braised pork roast in mild tomato base The flavors were very mild, nondescript. Maybe that's why they gave us a whole habanero on the plate with more habanero hot sauce on the side. .The beans had the most flavor and I would have enjoyed it more if it was warmer. All three dishes we ordered were like warm at best. Considering they would only have to walk less than 15 ft. to get to us, it wouldn't be an impossible task to bring the food while it's still hot. read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Pibil - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Doesn't look like much when you pass by, located inside a food court near south Los Angels. This restaurant serves amazing dishes worthy of a top notch sit down experience. Their menu is full of an array of Yucatán style Mexican deliciousness. I had the fish ceviche served on a homemade tostada with fresh fish is the day, chopped onions, tomato and avocado. The battered fish tacos with homemade tortillas are super fire! I just took a trip last year to the Yucatán peninsula and the food here is authentic as it gets I. Comparison. I'm definitely coming back for more! read more

I had the cochinita pibil - amazing - tender, marinaded, amazing Our table must of ordered 5 plates to try everything It was 5 star restaurant quality plate - at an amazing price. I am definitely going back. read more

I ordered the chicken tacos and jicama salad last night and the tacos were really good. The corn tortillas were amazing.....the best I've had so far (and I've even sought some out from a tortilleria). Sooooo glad I have this place nearby on my way to and from downtown. read more

Updating my review to five stars from three stars. My previous review was due to an isolated incident of slow service. The manager explained it to me and gave me a gift certificate to come back. The service and food were excellent the second time around, so now I have no complaints. As I mentioned, the food is fantastic. I pretty much got the same spread of food as my first visit. I will definitely be returning often! I'm a huge fan of managers or owners being pro-active about their business to ensure customer satisfaction. read more

The BEST mexican food in town. For a while, I went once a week to for "Pollo Asada" chicken plate, their most popular dish. The dish comes with the most tender chicken, plantain, rice, beens, and salad for only $7! A hidden gem around USC. A MUST GO. read more

The pollo pibil featured a couple of nice pieces of thigh and wing. The rice and beans had a nice lime blend to it. The torta poc chuc has good inside but the bread was not spectacular and a Lil on the small side compared to other restaurants that serve tortas. The small potatoes salad provided is descent tasting. Its more potato based then maynoise. read more

There are few places that make cochinita pibil and even few that make it right. I've had some pretty bad versions and, we lost a place that made the best I've ever tasted, so it was great to find Chichen Itza. I can get my fix whenever I am on that side of town. read more

We stopped by here for a late lunch after spending the earlier part of the day at the California Science Center (it's within walking distance). Sounds like we came at a good time (3:30) between the lunch & dinner rush. We ordered the following: Sikil Pak (pumpkin seed dip) for an appetizer, came with flatbread for dipping Tortas/Sandwiches - Comes with a spicy potato salad & chips Torta De Poc Chuk - Grilled Pork, black beans, tomato, avocado & grilled onions. Torta De Cochinita Pibil - Roast Pork with pickled onions Torta De Pollo Asado - Grilled Chicken, black beans, lettuce, tomato & grilled onions Drinks Horchata (spiced nut/seed milk) Jamaica (cold lightly sweetened hibiscus flower tea) Everything was wonderful! read more

I had taco pescado, they were good ,they didn't have pinto beans, so I had black beans, they were okay. No Spanish rice, just white.the sauce was very good read more

So I went to Chichen itza around 8:30 I ordered some ranchero eggs and it was very disappointing... First of all I ask the lady and the owner (because he happened to be in the front) that I wanted my eggs simply with the yolk runny and the egg white done ( overeasy) I said it in english and spanish. They bring the plate... and it has white rice... ?? seriously white rice in a mexican breakfast.. You dont put rice on breakfast, and if you do.. at least try some tomato or saffron rice.. Beans.. the most flavorless beans I had in a while... and theeeen my eggs with the yolks completely cooked..????!!!! Anyway they have good cochinita tacos and tamales but Im never coming back for breakfast.. I could have done a way bettter job myself at home not worth it. read more

Real home made food. Great fish dish with citrus salad. The best falafel in CA VERY SPECIAL FRIED BANANA WITH GREAT MILK SAUCE. Smiling and efficient service. Best Yukatan bargain food ever had. read more

This place is a steal! The food is super tasty, fairly healthy, and reasonably priced. I got the torta de poc chuc, which is a sandwich with roasted pork shoulder, lettuce, tomato, and onions that comes with a side of potato salad and beans. I found all the flavors very satisfying and savory. Everything was done very well. It's a little bit hard to find, though -- it's in an indoor food court rather than a standalone place. read more

I wanted to try everything here, and I think my boyfriend and I ordered a good sampling of their menu. The ceviche almost ruined it for me, though. It was so delicious that I almost filled myself up on it to the point that I couldn't eat my entree. It was made with a lightly chunked basa in a lime juice - tasted very fresh. We also tried the brazo de reina which are tamales stuffed with pumpkin seeds and hard boiled eggs, which were pretty good. I ordered for my entree the tikin-xic, which was grilled basa served with a red sauce and rice. Oh my GOD was it good. I really, really recommend it. My boyfriend got the cochinita pibil (because after the reviews on here, how could he not?). It was a little greasy, but had an amazing, flavor. It tasted familiar, and I just now realized it tasted like kalua pork, which is a good thing. The citrus-jicama salad side was okay, but it had pepper flakes on top which threw the flavor off for me. All that, with a side of horchata, made for a delicious meal. read more

Yum! Mexican food with a twist. Or maybe not a twist...but flavors not typical of greasy americanized mexican food...oh wait, is that what traditional mexican food tastes like? Okay, not let's not generalize the taste of Mexico...food here is authentic Yucatan cuisine. The boyfriend and I were in South LA and we're usually never in the area so we wanted to try something that was on that list of 99 things to eat in LA before you die...well Chichen Itza definitely deserves to be on that list! Came in knowing the place would be good but not having the Yelp knowledge to know what to order...thanks to the helpful staff, ordered the Cochinita Pibil. Shredded pork that came on a banana leaf with pickled onions on top and a side of beans rice, and hot tamales. The pork was very juicy and the onions added the crunch the dish needed. The hot sauce was also a nice blend of heat and acidy (from vinegar) and was really the perfect kick. Ahhh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Also ordered the tamal colado. To me, the corn masa was a little strange...not as dense as I am used to...taking on a lighter more gelatinous feel? Definitely feels lighter/better for you but not really my tastes...the boyfriend liked it though. Overall, quite delicious. Good pricing and helpful staff. The only thing...I wish they had given more carbs for the pork dish. Proportionally there was much more pork than rice/beans/tamales...oh well, can't really complain that they're forcing me to eat more protein than carbs! :) Oh, and Mo-chica is in the same complex!!! So shocked when I walked in and saw that but...had to follow my course! We wanted to try the lomo saltado there after but the appetizer and main dish left the two of us SO full..and that's a good sign! Will be back soon! read more

Decided to try this place when we stopped at El Mercado de la Paloma near USC. I was pleasantly surprised by the awesome food! I ordered the Cochinita Pibil which is tender shredded pork over a banana leaf served with beans, rice, plantain and tortillas. The pork was awesome! It was even better with the spicy salsa they give you in a little container on the side. I really liked the rice and the plantains were nice and sweet so they were a great side dish. I did NOT like the beans though... they were pretty flavorless and just didn't do it for me. My boyfriend got the Pollo Asado which was some grilled chicken that was super tender and juicy! I really liked the red onions they put on top. Service was good and the people were really nice. I look forward to trying out some more items in the future since this has been a solid place! =) read more

Cerviche - Awesome Guanabana juice - Amazing Cochinita Pibil - Even Better This place has amazing food at super cheap prices. The Cochinita Pibil is one of my all time favorite under $10 meals. The habanero salsa is super tasty, but pretty darn hot. Worth it though. Be prepared to wait a bit as this is definitely not fast food. read more

4.5 stars The food here is just so amazing. I always order 30 mins advance due to busy work lunch schedule. Staff is friendly. For big orders, you can only split up to 3 cards. Horchata is always good. Mostly have gotten the fish tacos which I love. I've had other pollo items and they were also good. Planning to come here more often. Parking can get crowded at times. Only complaint is the venue. Not their fault but wish it was cleaner. read more

Magic happens in unexpected places. The staff surprised us with birthday flan. They must have overheard me mention my boyfriend's birthday. It was completely unexpected and so thoughtful. Oh, the food was amazing too. The chicken I had was very tender. The panuchos were amaaahhhhhzing. Thank you for making a good night great! read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I am obsessed with Yucatean food, which is generally hard to find in California. I was just so thrilled to be someplace that had papdzules on the menu that it didn't have to be fantastic to make me happy. That said, Chichen Itza was fantastic. The food was ridiculously cheap, the service very fast, and everything tasted fantastic. We were just here for lunch, but I wanted to sample as many things as possible. We got the papdzules - a must try. They resemble uncooked enchiladas - chopped hard boiled eggs wrapped in corn tortillas, covered in an amazingly creamy and nutty pumpkin seed sauce. A dish unique to the Yucatan, their version was actually better than what we had at the Hotel Meson De Marques in Valldolid. We also had sabultes and panuchos (taco-like creations where the tortillas are fried to cripsy, puffy perfection) and a poc-chuc taco, which was my boyfriend's favorite of the bunch. Everything was covered in the typical quick pickled onions which added the right note of punch. A totally filling meal for the two of us was $16. You just can't beat this. And a validated parking lot? Totally heaven. read more

Came here on 1/22/12 to use the groupon deal. This deal was incredible for the amount of food received. The food was good overall. Appetizers: Order of Panuchos. I really enjoyed these. Entrees: Pollo Asado and Bistec a la Yucateca. Both dishes were tasty. One negative is that the plantains, black beans, rice and chicken were cold. Overall it was rather tasty. Drinks: 2 Horchatas. The horchatas were really sweet. I enjoyed the atmosphere provided at el mercado paloma. I hope to make it out and try the other restaurants. read more

I just went here tonight with roommate and I must say ... it's alright. The prices may seem a little steep for the pictures they post of their food, but trust, this place is one of the rare eating places whose pictures are smaller than what you get. I got the cochinita pibil (pulled pork) and GOD DANNNNNNNNNNNNNNG. This thing rips into tiny shreds at the touch of your breathe. It was so tender and fatty. Quite good. It sits on a bed of banana leaves, and topped with red onions and the deadly habanero pepper (eat with caution!). Comes with a side of black beans and rice. Not special there. Except for that PORK. Nommmm. The tamale horneado (the crispy chicken tamale) was ok. I felt the crispiness of the tamale was too hard and made the dish very dry overall. The chicken inside was well done, but I felt that the hard-boiled egg and the hard shell made this dish a little dry for me. Luckily, I had the guanana drink ... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm that is all. read more

This place is very good and very close to USC. A couple blocks from the business school so it's some of the best food around the rather good food deprived area. Furthermore, it's relatively inexpensive and the place isn't too packed so it's fast. It's also in a pretty cool food court of sorts so you get the feeling you're helping out a worthy business. The ceviche de pescado is as good as everybody says and you'll wish you had more. I think I got the tacos de pollo asado and I approve! read more

I've been going here since my sophomore year at USC.... and boy, this place is amazing! Located in a small food court on the outskirts of USC, Chichen Itza is definitely a hidden gem!!! Their food is amazing, very flavorful and served in large portions. My favorite dish of all time is their tikin xic, which is a fish dish prepared over a bed of rice, and drenched in this amazing unknown red sauce. Mmm. the fish is always perfectly cooked, nice and flaky, succulent and delicious!!! The sauce is not overpowering, almost having a roasted scent to it. in addition, they give you a really nice citrus salad before hand, to open your appetite for this amazing main dish!!! I've also tried the cochinata pibil and the bistek dishes before too and they, too, did not disappoint! Also, if you are into spicaaaaaaaaaay food, try out their habenero sauce... holy moly that sauce is CRAZY strong. If you find yourself in the area, are a student at USC, or just like really solid Yucatan food, come check this place out and give this local business the recognition that it deserves! read more

Food is great. I just had panuchos and the tamal horneado. I cared little for the tamal but the panuchos were so good. I requested cochinita pibil which is a braised pork. It was exactly like I had in Merida, Mexico. BOMB! The tortilla was a bit too toasty, and larger than what I'm used to but definitely had the taste of beans that I like. Prices are exactly where they need to be. I didn't feel like I paid to much, rather I felt I got good value for what I paid for. The service was average. I mean it's a walk up counter service restaurant with a shared dining space... I saw other food places delivering to the same seats. Either way this place was great. I'm coming back read more

Amazing food great service, would definitely come here again! The food is like the bomb!! Do yourselves a favor and stop by when you are in the neighborhood. You won't be disappointed!! read more

I've been eating here for years and years and love all their dishes! My favorite is the Relleno Negro.. delish delish delish!! Good people, good food and great location, it doesn't get better than that. read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Relleno Negro, Kibis, Salbutes, and Panuchos!! Delish delish - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If you been to an EAT ALLY in NY or Chicago, its located inside the Market, kind like that spot, but focus on Mexican food. Food is from Yucatan/Maya food. Cochinita pibil, papadzules, panuchos, sopa de lima... bananas with cream, bkack beans with rice... all is excellent. My only concern was the salsa its not the best... its from a bottle and makes things less interesting. Great place. read more

I've had the cochinita pibil tacos and sandwhiches here. they are both really good. their habanero salsa is super hot... it burns so goood. looking forward to coming here again and trying the other cochinita pibil dish. fyi this place is in a food court. read more

Across by the Department of Motor Vehicle and the parking structures lies the famous Mercado La Paloma. The Chichen Itza, derived from the last pre-Columbian Mayan city, embraces its Yucatan heritage through the restaurant's décor and food choices. As a student who has had little contact with Latin American language, culture or cuisine, outside of the American derivatives and offerings commercially available. In the spirit of adventure, I tried the Cochinita Pibil and the Ceviche de Pescado with a serving of horchada. The appetizer, Ceviche de Pescado is a dish served with tortilla crisps and a white fish dipping mix, loaded with onions, cilantro and peppers. On the other hand, the Cochinita Pibil is a dish that consists of warm tortilla, white rice with softened black beans, and the key ingredient: a generous serving of the succulent, slow-roasted pork wrapped in banana leaf. Together, it was a dining experience was inspiring. The Cochinita Pibil was well cooked; the meat was juicy and pulled apart easily. Moreover, biting into the pork wrapped in the warm tortilla, simplicity and plainness of the tortilla mixed with the overwhelming zest of the pork, was a remarkable contrast. So for the adventurous, I definitely recommend trying out this place. It may seem a little out of the way, but it's worth it! You will not be disappointed -- when I asked the man behind the counter what exactly Cochinita Pibil was, he replied with "it's sort of like carne asada." read more

I come for the appetizers. Jonathan Gold wrote about the panuchos as must try on his LA list. It's two tortillas with black beans in the middle, topped with shredded turkey, onion salsa and avocado. You get two, and it's pretty good. But my favorite is the samosa-like Kibi. It's stuffed with ground beef, then deep fried. It's awesome. And the seafood cecivhe, the most expensive appetizer at around ~$7, is yummy too. I handle spicy well. But that habanero sauce came with a warning from all the waiters that served us. And it was hella Hot! In the Scoville scale, I believe habanero is on the 300K SHU scale, that's about.. ehh.. 3/5. But I dunno, it's California, we ask Baja Fresh which of their salsas are hot (the answer when compared to Chichen Itza is none.) My go to entree is the cochinita pibil. It's wet shredded pork, generously portioned, served with three flour tortillas, rice and black beans on the side. It's good. The poc chuc tastes better, but not as a good value as the cochinita pibil. It's seasoned the same, but I think the fact that it's not shredded and it's sliced instead holds the flavor better. The flavor is more intense, and it's served with chorizo, black beans and corn tortillas. Had the bistec and one of the chicken dishes one time, both boring. The drinks are watered down. Agua de chaya vs jamaica. Get the jamaica, it's cheaper and the agua de chaya is nothing special (unless you equate green drinks with being healthy.. well, this one ain't. Just get the corn drink, either way you're drinking your calories but saving yourself $3). Only had one dessert: the bread pudding. It's drowned in a light syrup, sprinkled with moderate amounts of raisin and pine nuts. Pretty darn good. But this place is consistently good everytime I go. I like the space too, with cute chairs, flexible for big parties. The service is good, no fuss and prompt. read more

I bought a Groupon for this place upon recommendation from my brother and his wife. At first I thought I was looking for a sit down restaurant but then realized when I arrived that its actual a small spot in a market place. Still, a cool atmosphere and adventure. I tried calling ahead to reserve a table they took my name down, but when I arrived the place was packed and the cashier just shifted her shoulders up in a "Sorry!" way. Still, I drove out there for the sake of trying their Cochinita Pibil and I was told that it would be about a 45 min wait. So I order the Panuchos and some Horchata. I was dreading the wait but again, remarkably my appetizer and drink were brought in just a few minutes; by the time I finished savoring my "antojo", my main coarse arrived. It was MOUTH WATERING! The sauce on the dish combined with the tenderness of the pork was exquisite! I still have one more Groupon for this little place so I'm totally going back! If you get a chance, check it out! read more

The (only) advantage of Mo-chica closing down was it allowed us to AT LAST go to Chichen Itza! It's so far ranks as my best meal ever of 2013!!Had the following (in house and to go!):- 1. Panuchos-the grilled masa tortilla was delicious by itself and the turkey, black bean puree+avocado toppings was the bomb!! 2. Relleno Negro - this must be the BEST NEW DISH i've EVER had in the last few yrs ( apart from the myriad of new eggplant dishes I had in Turkey last month!). I can't even begin to describe what it is except that there's egg yolk, ground turkey amongst other things and it's ONLY available at weekends - a MUST HAVE!!! 3. Conchinita Pibil-pork marinated w achiote+spices and cooked in banana leaves w black beans, rice+plantains -amazing!! 4. Tixin Xic- had this at home the next day and it was still amazing! Fish marinated in lime juice and achiote and served w rice+ delicious citrus jicama salad. 5. Bisteak - strip steak w onions, rice, black bean puree, plantains. For drinks, had the hot coconut drink and this green spinach like drink - both delicious esp. the coconut drink!! A MUST VISIT!! read more

I saw high reviews, and we were starving coming from the airport to our hotel, and decided to stop by. First off, I want to say that the food is amazing. However, we were taken aback when we walked into what looked like a mini food court. Don't let that discourage you though. Definitely give this place a shot, you won't be disappointed. read more

Holy shit I love this place. Ambience in the building is nothing to call home about, since it's a large food court. The food comes out fairly quick and always tastes super fresh. I usually order the Poc Chuc plate as it comes with a little bit of everything, including a whole habanero pepper. I am a bit of a spice fiend and this place more than satisfies my fiery cravings. They even sell their own hot sauce. There is nothing like a bit of marinated charbroiled porkchop with fresh sliced avocado, pickled red onions, and habanero sauce. If this were my last meal I would not be upset read more

Used to come to this mall when Mo-Chica was here, but hadn't never eaten at this joint. Recently, someone recommended it and I'm glad I went. Pretty non-descript indoor food court with random tiendas. I ordered the cochinita-pibil per the various recommendations on yelp and really enjoyed it. Very flavorful sauce and the meat was super tender. Nice standard white rice and beans that came with it as well as some pretty good toritllas. The horchata was a little sweet for my taste but overall highly recommended. read more

Wow, why had I never heard of this before! Only when my parents told me Diners Drive Ins and Dives had been here that I needed to visit. This place is nestled within a larger sort of complex that has many other good places to eat. But this stands alone, as you'll see the hordes of people heading here. Service: 5/5. Not much to complain about here. The food took longer than I expected to come out, but this is no regular fast food place. And the food, as you'll read, well justified any wait. Price: 5/5. For the quality of food you receive, the prices are reasonable indeed. Food 5/5. Absolutely delicious in every way. This is a modern take on classic Mexican dishes and my goodness was it not what I expected in such a great way. I ordered the Tamal Horneado and Queso Relleno. Oh my goodness. First of all, the tamale was baked goodness and filled with delicious fillings like egg and meat. It was really carefully put together and you can taste the delicious details. The Queso Relleno was an appetizer, but maybe my favorite, as it is delicious aged cheese stuffed olives, pork, and other things. The one thing this food had was just flavor. Everything was cooked to perfection and the meal was just delicious. As a whole, all the sauces and spices and everything just comes together for a great experience. Overall: MUST try when in the area. It is Mexican food like you have never experienced before. read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Tamal Horneado! - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Came to eat with a friend here and it was really really good! It's a Mexican place, but most if not all the dishes are traditional meals from the southern most region of Mexico (hence the name which is the famous pyramid's name in Yucatan). Food was really good and service was great too. You order first and take a seat and they bring you your food. I wasn't a huge fan of the horchata there, but they later came by to give us a free churro and it was delicious read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Panuchos! Bomb - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Such a great place to try something new and support the locals. The food is great and the parking is validated! My only complaint is that seating is tough BUT the janitor/busboy does the best he can to accommodate to you. Love the decor and the little "gift shop" that's inside. Give this place a shot! You won't regret it. read more

Chichen Itza Restaurant - Full table of delicious food - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California