I'm half Ecuadorian and half Mexican, and I've been looking for an Ecuadorian restaurant for the…read morelongest time! I did a Google search and came across Ava Maria. I told my mom about it, and what a perfect little gem it turned out to be to celebrate my brother's birthday. I've been longing to eat some nostalgic food from my father's homeland, and since he is no longer with us, Ava Maria brought a little piece of him back home. The flavors and atmosphere were reminiscent of being Ecuador, and that made the experience even more special. The owner and her son were so welcoming and such a delightful duo to be around. Somehow, it makes the food taste even better because you know it comes from a place of love. I recommend Ava Maria to anyone who loves being treated with genuine kindness and hospitality and who appreciates a meal that tastes like something your father, mother, or grandparents would have cooked for you. Food made with love, passion, and the joy of watching another person delight in flavors that only someone from back home seems to know how to create. Thank you, Ava Maria, for bringing back a little piece of my father and Ecuador for an afternoon

I really wanted to like this restaurant. Ecuadorian food is one of my favorites. I ordered Guatita,…read moreEmpanada de Carne, Hayaca, and Quinbolito. The Guatita was made well with the honeycomb tripe tender yet retaining a slightly firm texture that this type of tripe will have. There were also several pieces of potato in the stew. Served with yellow rice, the guatita could use some seasoning, such as salt, as it was quite bland. A larger portion size would have been good considering the rather high price point. There were only four pieces of half inch sized tripe in the whole meal. Plantains came with the dish and were nicely prepared with slightly caramelized edges. The Hayaca was a good portion size in the banana leaf wrap with seasoned shredded chicken breast, green peppers, green olive, raisin, and a wedge of hard boiled egg. The slightly sweet cornmeal masa texture was fairly loose, resembling thin mashed potato. Overall, the Hayaca tasted good but could have used a sprinkle of salt to bring out the individual ingredient flavors. The Empanada de Carne, however, did not need additional salt. The beef filling had green olives in it which helped balance out any blandness but I did not detect any other seasonings used. The crust, however, was crispy on the edges with a nice chewy texture throughout. Quinbolito is a bread steamed in a banana leaf with a single raisin on top for decoration. I liked this very much because it was not too sweet. The texture felt light for a dense textured bread. This was a good ending for my meal. An average rating for this restaurant. The food was prepared well but overall lack of seasoning in the items I ordered was very disappointing. I had ordered the food for delivery so I cannot comment on the service and ambiance of the dining room. There was no price increase on the menu items for delivery; same price for delivery and dine-in. Boxes came well packed with no spillage. But considering the high price point of this restaurant, I may or may not return.

Some of the best pupusas in (north) East LA! It's owned and operated by one señora, who puts her…read morelove and care into all the dishes she makes. It is worth waiting ~25 minutes for 4 pupusas because you can't rush home-cooked delights! The pupusas come to you, hot and fresh, with plenty of melty cheese while the ingredient of your choice shines through (spinach, chile which is more like bell pepper, etc.). The rice is perfect and every grain is fluffed; the beans are smooth, creamy, and earthy. The queso fresco adds another layer of flavor. Seating is limited to ~16(?), and sectioned in a portion away from the kitchen/grill area. Cash is always great to have but card is accepted.

My usual pupusa spot was closed today, and we were really craving pupusas for lunch. I searched…read moreYelp and decided to give Kailey's a try. I called in an order for four revuelta pupusas, which came out to a little over $4 each. The restaurant was very clean and well maintained. The woman working there seemed to be both the cashier and the cook, so I'm guessing she's the owner. She was pleasant, though not very chatty, which I completely understand since she was running the place by herself. The pupusas were tasty, and the pickled cabbage and tomato sauce on the side were both good. I just wish they had a little more filling. I'm glad I gave this place a try, and I would come back again, but I probably wouldn't choose it over my usual pupusa spot.

Well husband and I are always so impressed with the food and we keep going over and over and over…read moreagain and take new friends which we never disappoint by bringing them to delicious seafood servings .. we had a little mishap nothing to do with the food but their general manager Briana, fixed the issue right away and we kept on enjoying our food!

BLOWN AWAY. Honestly despite all the accolades Holbox has received I put off coming here thinking…read moreit was overhyped...boy was I wrong!! First, street parking is decent you don't need to park in that lot. 2nd - the line is always long regardless of when you go. We got there at 3:30p on a Sunday of a holiday weekend but...there was a line. You can go in the Mercado while others are holding your group's place in the line for a browse or an agua Fresca tho! 3rd - GET THE SMOKED KANPACHI TOSTADA. this was the highlight of the meal. So so good. We also had the yellowtail collars (delish), octopus (also incredible) and a sampling of other tostadas split amongst the group. Scallop aguachile was also super zingy and refreshing. Their raw seafood dishes are more unique and worth eating here, over their cooked seafood in my opinion. Churros were also light and crispy and a delightful end to the meal Moral of the story is come to Holbox and eat a smoked kanpachi tostada. Don't be a doubter like me and put it off for this many years having lived in LA!! 12/10 worth the hype.

Service was excellent. We had the calamari, half parrillada, grilled veggies. Everything was cooked…read moreto order, the N.Y. strip (1 of the 6 proteins on the parrillada) was especially tender & tasty. We ended the meal with Cappuccinos & the panqueque dessert (wow). What a treat! Thank you Rodrigo!

Overall great experience having lunch during DineLA…read more The restaurant interior is beautiful and comfortable seating. The food was good particularly the meats. Loved the chorizo board. Loved the Milanese. We ordered the Evita salad to share and it was very good, but I did think it could use more acidic elements and less sweet elements. The crepe was ok. I wish the bananas were sweeter, but that's not the fault of anyone. The service was great. Everyone from the host to our waiter,Rodrigo, were so friendly and helpful.

I LOVE DAMA. If I could give this place more than five stars, I absolutely would. I've been coming…read morehere for the past six years, and it has truly become my favorite restaurant. From the exceptional food and drinks to the warm hospitality and beautiful location, every visit is a wonderful experience. the service is always welcoming and attentive. I've recommended DAMA to so many friends over the years, and it has become a favorite for them as well. It's rare to find a restaurant that maintains such a high standard year after year, but DAMA does exactly that. I truly love this place and can't recommend it enough. I have several favorite dishes and celebrated many birthdays here. Thank you for six incredible years--I look forward to many more.

Was brought here by a friend as they knew I was a foodie and wanted to show me their favorite tapas…read morespot Downtown in the Fashion Distric for an early birthday celebration. Cute building with lovely patio seating: from the trailing hanging pothos plants, Spanish tiles, to relaxing latin-house music the vibes were welcoming. I'm not much of a drinker though, when asked if I wanted to make my pina colada a "float" I thought incorrectly about ice cream. It was graciously explained that you take an additional shot of rum and float it on top of the drink or mix in to make it extra boozy. The pina colada is top notch they hollow out a real pineapple to make the drink and it's the size of your face! The watermelon cocktail was delicious and there is also a mezcal option. Tasted like if a watermelon aqua Fresca was combined with a margarita, there is a hint of salt that brings out the fruit sweetness. We special ordered a bunch of different proteins and vegetables at half portions to make a feast: Aguachile- Light refreshing starter, kanpachi perfectly marinated and great for the summer heat. Crispy potato- Phenomenally done fingerling potatoes. Whipped beans- Carnitas on top made this dish. Fried chicken tacos- Found the chicken slightly on the dry side, if there was a creamy/thicker sauce would be even better... nothing wrong with flavor, good mild heat. I did enjoy the fresh shredded cabbage and carrots, reminded me of bahn mi. Empanadas- Loved the acidity of the sauce that cut through the fattiness of the ground meat. Light shell. Crispy Squash flower- Delicate crunch, like an angelic version of a jalapeno popper. Lamb chops- Definition of "treat-yourself" luxurious meat lollipops. Celery salad- Simple dish but the lemon flavor and tartness really helped break up the richness of other dishes. Churros- Light crunch and small, petite dessert. The thin caramel sauce is addicting. Fine dining, for those special occasions or if you just want to splurge for a morale boost highly recommend this restaurant. Valet parking or park across the street or around the corner in a lot for $5-10.

We came here to try the Dine LA dinner menu. The greeter was welcoming and quickly seated us at the…read morewindow seat with a street view, very cozy. We ordered our drinks. I had the sangria and my girlfriend tried the mojito passion. Both drinks are refreshing. For appetizers, I tried the mussels with corn and onions. It's good. For entree, I tried the Lomo Saltado. The sautee beef has onions and tomatoes. The flavor is good and goes well with the rice. Dessert is not included in the Dine LA menu, but we wanted to try a Peruvian ice cream. The Lucum ice cream tastes good, it's buttery and has caramel and maple syrup flavor. It's a special Peruvian fruit. It's a good wrap for our dinner. We will like to come back to try more dishes.

We visited this restaurant at the beginning of Dine LA for lunch ($35)…read more When we arrived, the door was locked and had to be let in by the staff though there were at least 5 other parties dining there. I thought that was a bit odd, but I guess it was to detract from unwelcomed guests (i.e. homless people)? Anyhow, we were seated right away and sat by the window which was nice! We were given the menus, but I had to specifically ask for the DineLA menu which I also thought was a bit odd since it seemed like they wanted us to order off their regular menu. Perhaps this was just an oversight. For starters, we ordered 1 of each that was offered: Ceviche Carretillero - Refreshing and brought me back to time spent in Peru! I preferred this option Salpicon - This was also refreshing and reminded me of chicken salad mix in a bowl though not sure I would order it without it being a part of a prix fixe. For the main course, we ordered: Saltado Salad - This had minimal protein and was not so satisfying when compared to a traditional lomo saltado, but the protein that was there was yummy. Aji Gallina - I really was excited to see this on their menu since I love this dish so much and don't see it offered too often at Peruvian restaurants. Though the sauce was good, the chicken was VERY dry and hard to chew (overcooked) so it took a while to finish this. In lieu of desserts, they offered Maracuya (passion fruit) and Chicha Morada (purple corn) juices which were yummy but the star of the show was their sangria which was delicious especially on a hot day. My only complaint about the sangria was that we were charged for 3 carafes when we only got 2. Once we identified this, we brought it up and just went ahead and enjoyed the 3rd one since we had already settled the bill. That being said, always double check your receipt!

We've driven past Mely's so many times while sitting in the long In-N-Out drive-thru line next door…read moreand finally decided to give it a try. The great reviews didn't disappoint. From the moment our aguas frescas came out, we knew this place was different. The lemonade was freshly made, and honestly, who does that anymore? They do. Since it was our first visit, I asked our server to surprise me with her favorite dish. She recommended the Casorio, and wow. The presentation was beautiful, and it tasted even better. I can't gatekeep this place anymore. We moved to the area about two years ago and have been searching for a family-friendly restaurant with consistently great food. I think we finally found it. Our girls love pupusas, and they were a huge hit. We also ordered the fried yuca, which was delicious, and they had a new torta-style sandwich that wasn't even on the menu yet. It reminded me of a Salvadoran pan con pavo, and it was incredible. I have a feeling we're going to become regulars. Great food, friendly service, and a place we're excited to come back to. Highly recommend!

Returned for a second visit at this family run restaurant. Kind and quick service on a Saturday…read moreafternoon. Definitely good to order pupusas and seafood dishes. Indoor or patio seating.