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    El Calamar

    4.8 (24 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Asada
    Nic N.

    I had a chance to work on my rusty Spanish here. It was a good sign that the girl at the counter didn't speak English. I highly recommend this joint. We were shopping in the area and needed to eat. This spot came up and despite uninviting exterior it is quite the opposite on the inside! The ceviche is fresh and the tacos were down right tasty.

    Birria de Rez - meat was so tender and the broth was very tasty . Food was NOT salty at all . Perfect !

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    11 months ago

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    Photo of Nat R.
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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Delicioso Comida. Los recomiendo, buen servicio y los empleados. Muy amable. El lugar está limpio. Tienes mesas sillas para dónde comer.

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    really good traditional Mexican and authentic food I enjoy the food small place but the food is worth going for

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    The food is delicious!! And the staff is friendly!! And they deliver!!! What else can we ask for!!! And that's why they deserve 5 stars

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Love this place I feel like people get the wrong thing .. Get nachos you'll love it :) oh and easy on your pocket too !

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Close to work, I mean walking distance. Close small quick and good. Tried the Carne asada burrito and tortta. Next time trying alpsstor

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    Ka'teen

    Ka'teen

    4.1(1.1k reviews)
    13.3 miHollywood
    Outdoor seating
    Private events

    came back to Ka'teen to finally try the Dine LA menu, and I'm so glad we did. This easily made my…read moretop 3 Dine LA experiences. The service was impeccable--everyone was attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience feel special. We had to get the Michelada Oysters again because I had been craving them since our last visit. They were just as amazing as I remembered--fresh, perfectly seasoned, and seriously addicting. For Dine LA, I started with the Tostada Campechana, which was like an elevated ceviche with scallops, tuna, yellowtail, avocado, and a citrus sesame sauce. Everything tasted super fresh and the citrus gave it the perfect balance. The Bone Marrow Mole was rich, flavorful, and came with a generous portion and toast. For my main course, I had the skirt steak, which was cooked perfectly--tender, well-seasoned, and delicious with the green sauce. The homemade tortillas were amazing too. We ended with the Dulce de Leche Panna Cotta, and it was the perfect finish--creamy, smooth, not overly sweet, and so good we practically cleaned the plate. Amazing food, great portions, beautiful atmosphere, and excellent service. Ka'teen definitely delivered. I would absolutely come back again.

    What a fun place! Came on a Saturday night and they had a live DJ. We had reservations thankfully…read morebecause this place gets packed. The service was pretty solid but did fall off towards the end. The oxtail was fall off the bone and cooked to perfection. We left no crumbs (with the exception of tres leches - wasn't a fan). Drinks were delicious and strong.

    Photos
    Ka'teen
    Ka'teen
    Ka'teen

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    DAMA - Seafood Tostada

    DAMA

    4.4(1.5k reviews)
    19.3 miDowntown
    $$$

    What a surprise! My friend and I visited for restaurant week…read moreand I'd give it a 9/10! The drive there was a bit iffy due to location but surprisingly the street that the restaurant is on was clean and felt pretty safe! I chose to park on the street but I'd advise to valet ($15) for safety purposes. We walked into a concrete built up newish area that had a brewery and another Michelin rated restaurant across the courtyard. The entire area was inviting! The restaurant felt like we took a dinner vacation to Cabo which was recipe for a relaxing evening! We ordered from the restaurant week menu which for us consisted of Ceviche, Guac w/delicious fresh tortilla fresh chips, whipped beans, snapper, bbq chicken, empanadas and basque cheesecake. All were great!.. we just wanted a larger portion of everything! I'd recommend and will definitely go again! I love restaurant week!

    Went back to Dama for their Dine LA menu so I thought I'd post so you don't miss out. For starters…read moreyou get GUACAMOLE, WHIPPED BEANS AND A CEVICHE TOSTADA. Yes, you get all three so no hard choices have to be made. My first impression of the beans was that they were no biggie but last night they were fire! I almost ordered a plate to take home. You have been warned the ceviche tostada has a kick but squirt some lime on it if you need to and you will survive. As for the guacamole, it's guacamole - need I say more? For my entree I went with the snapper, which came with escabeche, lime, pineapple, cilantro, green onion, and chili rub. In the past, I've strictly stuck to their small plates and I feel that's still the way to go. Nothing wrong with my snapper, I just love all the other little plates more. I went with one other person and only one piece of cheesecake came out. Supposedly it was a bigger slice but looked like an average size to me. This cheesecake is made with manchego cheese so don't expect an overly sweet treat. I did enjoy it. But, I also ordered their flan that is only available in August and I found that to be better than the cheesecake. Get both as one is limited edition. We also got the fried chicken tacos. We were told they were pretty spicy but I felt the ceviche was spicier. They were tasty but did not live up to their oxtail tacos they used to have. Also, squirt some lime on these tacos - you're welcome. This is one of my fave places to dine during peak weather season. Go check them out. Tip: street parking is available if you get there at 5 otherwise valet is $15. Trust, you do not want to park your car anywhere other than that one block where the restaurant is located.

    Photos
    DAMA - Lovely interior and decor -- summer getaway

    Lovely interior and decor -- summer getaway

    DAMA - Whole Organic Rotisserie Chicken Dinner (serves 3-4)

    Whole Organic Rotisserie Chicken Dinner (serves 3-4)

    DAMA - Calamari

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    Calamari

    Guelaguetza Restaurante - Complimentary Chips and Mole.

    Guelaguetza Restaurante

    3.9(3.2k reviews)
    17.0 miHarvard Heights
    $$
    Family-owned & operated

    Amazing food and drinks and there is live music but it is way too loud in there. The place is huge…read moreand gets packed but I think the speakers need to be turned down. Good for big groups but I don't really recommend if you actually want to have conversation. Got the enchiladas campesinas and mango slushy both of my visits there, it's a huge serving so had leftovers for another meal each time.

    My family was in town for a Dodger game and to enjoy the evening I brought 10 people with me. We…read morewere given tortilla chips with 3 different moles as soon as we sat down. There were many families eating dinner and many larger parties that looked like they were celebrating something special. We were all famished after fighting through LA traffic on a weeknight. I'm pretty sure we ordered at least half the items on the menu. Every dish ordered was fine, edible, not burnt but just ok. While I am by no means a connoisseur of Oaxacan food, I am perplexed at the number of reviews raving about this restaurant. It's fine, there nothing wrong with the food, but I, personally, don't think it's rave worthy. I've been here 2x now. I'll come back to a place especially when it's on a "best of" list and I wasn't impressed. I always think it may have just been a bad day or perhaps I didn't order well. Next time I see this spot on a "best of" list I'm going to find out WHAT dishes I should've ordered.

    Photos
    Guelaguetza Restaurante - Beautifully painted mural outside of Guelaguetza Restaurante

    Beautifully painted mural outside of Guelaguetza Restaurante

    Guelaguetza Restaurante - Delicious chocolate cake.

    Delicious chocolate cake.

    Guelaguetza Restaurante - Chapulines

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    Chapulines

    Holbox - Smoked kanpachi tostada

    Holbox

    4.7(2.7k reviews)
    19.8 miHistoric South Central
    $$

    I stayed at USC hotel so I decided to give this place a try since I heard about it from YouTube…read more The place is inside a food hall and shares tables with the other restaurants. The line went outside the building, but it moved decently fast. After ordering you get a number and they will deliver the food to your table. I got a variety of their tacos. Each taco had a unique twist to it, and tasted really good. They also had a cool black tortilla which had a nice texture. I especially like the fried fish one as it had a mellow yet delicious flavor. I also got their cheap chips, and that as well worth the price. Definitely give this place a shot. It does match up to the hype.

    Food - All the raw seafood was excellent. Really fresh and the fish pairings complemented each…read moreother well with their flavors. The tuna ceviche stood out to me the most and worth trying. The kanpachi tostada was also great, and the uni with scallop was a nice pairing. Fish tacos were good but not as memorable as the raw dishes. Also tried the smoked kanpachi taco but again not outstanding compared to the raw seafood. Their sauces were also good but spicy! The light brown one had a unique flavor to it and was my favorite but also the spiciest so be aware. Price - On the higher end as expected from a Michelin 1 star, but the quality on the raw dishes justifies it. Wouldn't say every dish is worth the price, but most of them were good. Ambience - This is a food hall setup, you order at the counter, get a number, and they'll bring your food to you. Lines can get long, especially since it seems busy most days now. If the wait isn't worth it, there are other solid-looking vendors in the same food hall to check out. Parking - Small paid lot on site, or street parking nearby. It's also next to a DMV in which you can park after 6pm-ish (would double check the signs)

    Photos
    Holbox - Kitchen view

    Kitchen view

    Holbox - Taco de pulpo

    Taco de pulpo

    Holbox - Shrimp aguachile

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    Shrimp aguachile

    El Calamar - mexican - Updated September 2026

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