Do you have a restaurant woven into your family's history to the point that it feels more like a…read morememory you can step back into rather than just a place to eat? For us, that's El Ranchito in Huntington Park. It's a family-owned, authentic Mexican restaurant that has had the community on its back for the last 6 decades. They hand-make the tortillas right in front of you, serve up fresh chunky guac, and make their iconic Mama Avila's soup fresh daily. It's rare that a soup has me hitting a stank face, but here we are. The Camarones al mojo de ajo is a can't miss appetizer. It's succulent shrimp sauteed in butter and fresh garlic, made to be eaten with the piping hot homemade tortillas. They have all the traditional Mexican dishes, my brothers go to is the chile relleno, but I always just run the fajitas. I'm sure I'll get clowned for this, but nothing heals my trauma and existential dread like a plate of sizzling fajitas. My pops has worked in the area for longer than I've been alive, so El Ranchito has seen every iteration of me, and of my family. For that, I am grateful. I'll be coming here until the wheels fall off. EL RANCHITO ALL STARS!!! IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

This place is a legend! But, it may have slipped a little…read more Went there on a Wednesday night. The parking lot was a bit full but there was enough parking. We walked in and it was a few minutes to get recognized by the hostess. Not a big deal but that bled over into the waitstaff. We were sat and ignored for quite a bit. We waited and we got chips and salsa and someone came for drink orders. The salsa was some of the best I've had. Drinks came back pretty fast but they were average. Something was off about them. We ordered the food and we got it fast! I was surprised how quick it came! It was good Mexican food. Not great but good. All in all, it was a good place for a sit down dinner with drinks.

Absolutely delicious. We big backed our way through CA and this spot is an absolute gem. Delicious,…read morepretty fast, and super STUFFED! We tried the asada, tripa, panela, pork belly, and skirt steak. There were no misses. We ate in an outdoor seating area, and whether inside or outside the vibes are always right. The staff is always super nice and helpful. Definitely come if you've never been!

the place is quite spacious. they provide the condiments and sauces in the middle ~ you can get…read morethem as much as you want. first time coming here and i am so satisfied with the way they make the tacos and provides many meat choices. i came with my daughter and nephew and we ordered: asada, cecina, mushroom, pork belly, rib eye, and tripas first, i was doubt with mushroom but after trying all of them, i will say that mushroom is the best one!!! you must try it!!! i am quite sure that they use king oyster mushroom and they grilled perfectly and it is absolutely yummy. the chile guero is also tasty. i should order for to go as well though, i could not sleep yesterday night and thought about how tasty the mushroom is. prices are quite cheap and thank you so much for satisfying our tummies...

Food was tasty and waitress was also very friendly. Would definitely go back again. The place…read morewasn't very full when I visited but it was nice and clean.

If you guys are craving comida casera, this is the place to go! We brought my mom for her birthday…read morelunch, since she heard they were new in town, and the service was delightful! The girls were attentive and super helpful! The environment is also very pleasant and clean! My mom and dad both were super pleased with absolutely everything, which is rare, lol. The cherry on top was when the girls surprised my mom by playing a happy birthday song and brought out a small dessert for my mom! :) Highly recommend if you're looking for great food and a chill vibe with your family!

Another Eat the World LA Find…read more La Casita Mexicana -- another Eat the World LA find that did not disappoint! I first visited while I was in the area with my best friend, who is also half Argentinian like me and does modeling as a hobby. She had just finished another successful photoshoot on the Eastside of Los Angeles, made great connections, and got some amazing content. It was getting late, and we wanted to start heading back home toward the freeway, but we were starving. We both love food and get the munchies now and then, but we also wanted to celebrate her latest milestone, so I suggested La Casita Mexicana. The ambiance was like stepping into a little casita in Mexico -- bright, colorful, vibrant, and welcoming. The staff were friendly, too. We tried an appetizer and shared the Enchiladas Tres Moles. Granted, I've never had truly authentic mole, but I've had versions of mole that were not good. The mole here, however, was out of this world delicious. Even the mole that came with the dinner chips as their "salsa mole" was fantastic. I remember thinking, I feel like I'm experiencing Michelin-star-level food in the middle of the LA barrio. And honestly, that's the beauty of the barrio. There are culinary diamonds all over Los Angeles -- you just have to give them a chance and be willing to try somewhere new. I've since returned with my boyfriend, and the food has never disappointed. For a little personal context, I'm half Argentinian and half Mexican. Although the Mexican side of my family is from Guadalajara and Sonora, I didn't grow up eating Jalisco-style cuisine, so exploring different regional Mexican cooking has been especially fun for me. It's always interesting discovering flavors and traditions that are part of my own heritage but weren't necessarily part of my upbringing. La Casita Mexicana is definitely one of those places I'm glad I ventured out for -- and another successful Eat the World LA discovery.

La Casita Mexicana -- if there's ONE thing you need to order here, it's the flautas de mole. Hands…read moredown. They serve them with three different moles, and honestly, nobody is beating them on that. All three are good, but if I had to pick a favorite, I'm going with the pipian mole. That one really stood out. I tried a few other things off the menu, and they were okay, but nothing made me want to come back the way those mole flautas did. I'd literally return just for that plate. I also really like the inside of the restaurant. The paintings and artwork give the place a lot of character and make you feel tapped into the culture while you're eating. Service has always been good too. They actually check back on you and make sure you're taken care of, which I appreciate. Overall, I'm coming back for one thing: those mole flautas--especially the pipian.

Food is amazing I regret not taking pictures but the chips and salsa are good they have good flavor…read morenot spicy just tasty My husband and I both got the carne asada traditional plate medium well with tortillas de maíz it hit all the right spots meat is tender and juicy and well seasoned the cafe de olla is to die for and a complimentary concha The staff is very friendly and even though it was packed they were still very attentive refilling coffee and salsa everyone there is always so kind even when under pressure from all the tables they have to serve I love that they haven't changed the looks to the place makes it feel like right at home warm and cozy it's hard to find places that haven't changed and is still the same a lot of people wish they would upgrade but I think it's nice to keep things simple and how they used to be some things are better left as is and I think this is one of those it's perfect as is FYI portions are big and my favorite plates are the chilaquiles rojos with sunny side eggs over medium with carne asada, machaca plate, and the carne asada traditional.

Disappointed, have been customer for many years and the quality and quantity we received was very…read moredisappointing. Ordered 2 parrilladas The parrilladas Glorias for two and the parrilladas Veracruzana for two and paid $141.84 definitely not worth what we got. We usually dine in but we instead ordered to go. Definitely will not be ordering to go anytime soon. We had never had any previous bad experiences.

This place was so delicious ! Very well seasoned rice and beans were bomb! My chile relleno and…read moreenchilada were delicious. My partner got a bomb ass tostada de pollo !

The food here continues to be amazing. It's delicious and never disappoints. This morning we…read moreordered the chilaquiles verdes AND rojos and the car fish soup, as well as menudo. Phenomenal Cafe de olla here is amazing. Service is great every time. Will definitely keep coming back.

My dining bud and I split a bit of our food so this is the "after" photo. The had the huevos en…read moresalsa. They wanted to try the chilaquiles so we split them. I can't have dairy so we had them on the side. Their plate came with warm tortillas as seen in the red bin. I liked the potato slices, the beans, and the chilaquiles. I thought the carne asada was a bit burnt. Otherwise the food was great. I loved the service and ambience of the restaurant. You definitely feel like you're dining in someone's kitchen in Mexico. I'd go again. It's a great spot with great food, and a great deal of connection with the culture of Mexico.

Seriously was hands down!!! Great customer service !!! Food excellent very tasty perfect. The…read moreingredients were put perfectly in each of our meals. We definitely will be back with family and friends. Ambulance is very relaxing.

Delicious burritos here. I was a little sad I came in 30min before closing and they didn't let us…read moresit inside but it's okay. We ate in our car and it was delicious! There was a lot of people just picking up to go.

Posted on IG 9/24/2024…read more Taco Number Three from #latimes101besttacos @latimesfood This was another gem recommended by @danielledorky and I ordered everything she suggested-the carne al carbon taco (I also got a sope because according to Yelp, they are known for them) and the Apache Agua Fresca, a mix of horchata, jamaica, and fresa. Carbon asada is cooked over coals so adds a taste of char which, combined with the house made tortilla, was perfect!! The sope was amazing. Plus, it was covered in lettuce so it was healthy!!!! (I absolutely loved the agua fresca too. What a great flavor mix. I'm not sure when I'll be back to #apachescarnesalcarbon because I still have 98 more tacos to try, but it's definitely on my list of keepers and recommendations.

Came here for my mom's birthday and was pretty impressed. The food was very delicious and the…read moreservice was excellent. Was a Wednesday night so it was fairly slow. Great little Mexican restaurant environment with music playing. We ordered several different dishes and everything was really good. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for some good authentic Mexican food.

I waw in the city of Huntington Park and was looking for some good Authentic Mexican food. I have…read moreto say I was very impressed with El Chamizal. As soon as I arrived I was greeted immediately and given a table by their stage. I ordered their Camerones Chamizal (Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and a Michelada. The food was absolutely delicious and the Michelada hit the spot perfectly The service overall was great from beginningtoend. I was also told that the restaurant is under new ownership and that starting April 23, 2026 they will be having live Mexican music every Thursday night. I highly recommend this place to everyone looking for great authentic Mexican food restaurant.

Hidden little gem Super tasty…read moreService is super nice and adjust to your special orders if you want to adjust or add any ingredients in food. Small spot but they are very quick to serve you. Highly recommend come check it out always get the wet burrito and French fries can not get enough

Muy rica la comida, la verdad si recomiendo este lugar . Todo súper rico, probé el mole muy…read moresabroso yo ordené el cóctel de camarón muy rico , mi hermana en Cristo ordeno los sopes y dijo que estaban muy deliciosos !!!!!