The birria was heavily seasoned, particularly with cumin, and the meat was quite tough given the…read moreprice. The flan was dry and firm, as if it had been stored in the refrigerator for too long. Overall, the quality of the food did not justify the cost.

Let me admit something annoying (perhaps even snotty?) about myself: I try to go against the grain…read morein most things. I prefer things that are underground, independent and not mainstream. When EVERYONE loves something; I tend to scoff. I am this way with most forms of art, places and even food. I simply question trends and prefer to rely on my own opinion. So, when fellow Yelper and dining partner Michael B. suggested we try North Hollywood's Birrieria Familia Castro (only minutes from my apartment!) which received the coveted #1 position on Yelp's Top 100 Taco Spots list - I was hesitant. I wanted to hate it. But there is no way to hate Birrieria Familia Castro because they deserve their title. Let's explore... Birrieria Familia Castro is located near the Oxnard/Vineland intersection close to the Noho Arts District in a teeny tiny strip plaza next to a smoke shop across the street from a tire shop. Being the literal definition of 'hole in the wall'; don't let this environment detour you from dining at Birrieria Familia Castro because it is these hidden gems that are often the best (and obviously in this case). Birrieria Familia Castro is a family-owned eatery that is the baby of Anthony Castro and his parents opening the venture in 2022 and focusing on homemade recipes passed-down generations of their family tree focusing on layers of flavor and hours of marinading and simmering. Anthony begins his day with a prayer and takes nothing for granted with each patron who walks in the door. Those who Anthony welcomes will find a tiny dining space in terms of square footage and super-hot in temperature (their AC isn't the most consistent so they need to open the door as the day-long cooking heats the space); but it is clean and cozy enough. The menu at Birrieria Familia Castro is rather simple focusing on what they are good at: breakfast, tacos, various birrias (quesatacos, vampiros, mulitas, dorados) and some a la carte plates. I personally enjoyed the smaller menu as I tend to get overwhelmed with too many choices. For my dinner, I chose two Quesatacos (crispy corn tortillas filled with meat, mozzarella, onions and cilantro - $5.25 each choosing one birria and one asada) while my dining partner chose two Birria Vampiros (toasted corn tortilla with meat in between burned cheese on top, onion and cilantro served with beans and rice - $13. 49) plus, Birrieria Familia Castro's famous birria consommé. Our dishes arrived rather quickly and were served on gorgeous, culturally-authentic clay plates that I thought were a lovely touch. My desire to go against the popular fan-favorites is out the door because Birrieria Familia Castro is sooooooo goooodddd! My quesatacos were fantastic: perfect texture tortillas made by spreading the consommé fat on the tacos because throwing them on a hot griddle with tender, amazingly-flavored long-simmered meat. Even the little picked onions were marvelous. The birria consommé was to die for: an orchestra of harmonious flavor with chunks of meat swimming in the broth: I could consume a bucket of this! Yelper Michael B.'s Birria Vampiros were, by his account, delicious and "a win": hard shell with burned cheese that was a perfect combination with the pickled onions and tableside salsas and birria consommé. Micheal even mixed some of the consommé with the rice and beans which was "an extra treat". If the amazing food wasn't enough; we had a pleasant chat with the main man Anthony, himself. Anthony is hyper-focused on not only offering delicious food; but genuinely caring about his customers and how he can improve. Anthony reads all Yelp reviews to see any areas that need finessing and cares about small details of his business: remember those clay plates I am obsessed with? Anthony curates those from an artist in Mexico and he even orders plates with dividers for those who don't like ingredients touching on their plate. It is this concern and attention to detail that helped land Birrieria Familia Castro as Yelp's #1 in the nation. Although limited in hours (closed Mondays, some days closing as early as 5pm due to overhead costs and competition); Birrieria Familia Castro is highly recommended. Top-tier food, customer service and priced well - truly deserving. Don't be stubborn like me and find out why Birrieria Familia Castro is #1

Great time! Love the vibe of the place, friendly workers, good food!…read more I came for Taco Tuesday with my good friend, and we fell in LOVE with the inside! It's so colorful with emphasis on purple and blue. I felt like I was inside of one of those adult bingo places, as if the place could transform into a game room or club at night. Super cute! It did take a while to get our food, but I will say that the shrimp ceviche was DELECTABLE and our tacos were delicious! The shrimp tacos were my fav! They have a station where you can dress them. We did have a floor table, but I was a bit jealous of those in the booths. The colors were so pretty and the seats looked so comfy! Maybe next time! From the music to the energy, aesthetic, and food, this place was pretty awesome! I'd go back for sure!

Went here for trivia tycoon on Monday at 830p. It's not quiet but the music they play is good helps…read morewith unwinding the start of a work week. I had the mole and the heat level was perfect.

It's been a little while since I was last at Cascabel but it was just as great as it's always been!…read more Amazing drinks, wonderful food, and delightful service. Will absolutely continue coming back!

amazing experience! The steak tacos were absolutely remarkable, full of flavor and some of the best…read moreI've had. We also ordered the Mexican cornbread, and it was incredible. Definitely a must-try if you visit. A special shoutout to Andy, our waiter, who made the experience even better. He was so welcoming, attentive, and gave us fantastic recommendations that did not disappoint. His excellent service really stood out. Great food, great atmosphere, and outstanding service. We will definitely be back!

On the corner Los Amigos restaurant is on Olive Ave near NBC studios…read more The servers are always attentive & acknowledge you as you enter. There's a cool bar vibe & I have enjoyed their margaritas. Check them out for lunch or happy hour.

Haiku Review ****…read moreReprieve from the heat Hey! Bean dip comes with the chips All went down easy

Great casual and fun spot to get authentic Mexican food!! This location specifically is quite large…read moreand has a ton of seating including an outdor patio. My boyfriend and I popped in without a reservation and they were able to seat us immediately. They give you complimentary chips & bean dip (it has cheese, but if you can't have cheese they'll bring you a bean dip without the cheese!). The chips are crispy and addictive. We ordered the fajitas combo which comes with steak, chicken, and shrimp. We were debating adding on another entree but our waiter honestly told us the fajitas is a large portion and is good to split amongst 2 ppl. I really appreciated that honesty, it really made me respect him & the restaurant so much more - often times, people recommend ordering way too many dishes! The fajitas came out unbelievably fast so it's great if you're hangry and impatient haha. They were sizzling so we waited a few minutes for everything to cool down. It was delicious! Sure enough, it was the perfect portion to split between the two of us. It also came with a plate of rice and beans, and a very tiny portion of salad. I would 100% come back here. The margaritas look really good too so it seems like a fun place to come with friends. Also, make sure to try out their salsa bar. They have a ton of different salsa options to eat with the chips or with your meal!

We hadn't been here before but came due to a recommendation…read more The food and the service were excellent. However, it is so noisy inside that it is hard to have a civil conversation. I cannot coming back only because of the noise.

This is my old school location when I used to work in the building behind and lived in the…read moreneighborhood, but I don't get to this particular location often anymore. Still has the same charm to it, the salsa and chips are always super tasty and I can never figure out exactly what I want to eat because I always want four or five different things on any given evening, but easily always settle on something and always happy with the quality and flavor, not to mention being completely stuffed once I'm finished. I do also love the old school bar scene inside; makes for a good relaxing spot, whether your solo or with a small group:

Food is not that great. Ordered:…read more1) chicken nachos- chicken was cooked perfectly, chips were good. Beans overly salted. 2) Chicken flautas- salty yet lacked flavor. Tortilla tasted stale. Beans were extremely salty. Service was good.

First time visiting Casita! Decided this would be our anniversary date night, wanted to try…read moresomething new! We loved the Birria Nachos with cashew cheese! Very unique and delicious, highly recommend! Next we tried the taquitos, these were okay, a bit overly fried, but okay! Next we tried the Tinga tacos and we liked them, was expecting a lot more flavor from the chicken itself aside from the toppings! Had a glass of Rośe, it was good. Definitely coming back for the nachos and trying something outside of the Happy Hour menu which runs from 5pm-6:30, decent menu and options! Service was okay, ambiance was lively and happy!

So glad to finally check this off my valley list!! Took advantage of the dinela and boy was it so…read moremuch food!!!! On top of the meal ordered the spicy mango margarita. Flavor wise delicious but definitely lacked any spiciness. Also appreciated getting a celebrity sighting! At first we were seated by the window but given the heat and lack of being able to feel the AC we were able to get moved to a different table which I greatly appreciated. I can't even describe all the food we got but my favorite for sure was the pulled beef taco, the chips and assortment of dips, and ahi tun. I absolutely will come back. I'd say desaert was my least favorite as the cake park of it was too dense for my liking. Parking was no sweat there is valley but costs a lot.

Great service, I had the carnitas which were delicious. They were not dry, beans with cheese and…read morerice were delicious. Thanks again great service. We will definitely be back.

I don't remember writing this but I've been back since it's reopening & it's my local!…read moreTheir own Parking lot & street pkg. Clean bathrooms. Excellent service!! My fave chips & salsa. IMHO the best chicken wings! I get them crispy and at happy hour - It's $13 for 12 wings and they come with celery, carrots, and ranch and/or blue cheese and they're fantastic.! $8/10 margaritas at HH as well. HH til 6pm, I believe all week??? I looooove this place!!!

Amor a mi... what a lovely place in the middle of Burbank!…read moreLovelovelovelovelove! I've been at Amor A Mi a few times for lunch and being gluten free I was afraid they couldn't accommodate but my plate came out not only looking beautiful but gluten free with a black corn tortilla that was delicious! I am so appreciative. I do wish they had gf bread and maybe yellow polenta but I'm thrilled to be able to eat here. Every sauce has its own unique flavor, and every item feels like it's been prepared carefully and thoughtfully. I feel like this chef had watched a The Bear a few times. :)

Unfortunately, we won't be returning. The hosts never smiled, our server wasn't very friendly, and…read morethe overall atmosphere felt unwelcoming. The food tasted good but was served cold. I was also surprised that a Mexican restaurant doesn't serve Mexican rice. For me, a friendly atmosphere matters just as much as the food. I'd rather have average food with great service than good food in an unfriendly environment

Amazing service and great food Everything is delicious and…read morefreshly made Nothing better than a hole in a wall Mexican food with great taste

Food is great but over priced. They charge you for everything…read more Restroom needs to be cleaned and only for customers. I entered accidentally and even the all walls had feces. That took my appetite away.