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.

The food is great but I think it's ridiculous how they charge a per item fee for using your card…read moreinstead of paying cash. As if card fees aren't bad enough they take it a step further and charge you a fee per item, that has to be illegal.

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!

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!

Food is delicious but charging $2.99 for 4 thin slices of avocado is too excessive…read more Their salsa roja is the best quality of this restaurant

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.

Celebrated my birthday dinner here with family, and it turned out to be a great choice! I got the…read moreTres Carnes plate, which comes with carne asada, cecina, and chorizo, so you basically get a little bit of everything on one plate. The chorizo was a bit too salty for my taste, but the cecina more than made up for it and honestly was my favorite of the three. The carne asada was solid too, cooked just right and full of flavor. Before the food even came out, they brought us chips with mole, and those were perfect on their own, a worthy palette opener while we waited! Service was great the entire meal, our server checked in often without hovering and made the whole experience feel special. For a birthday dinner with the family, it was just right.

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.

Amazing food & service! The fresh orange juice is spectacular. Homemade tortillas with the pozole…read morewas a great meal. The chilaquiles are always a go to here for my husband. Thank you for bringing amazing authentic food to Huntington Park.

If you ever find yourself wandering through Huntington Park and your stomach starts whispering…read more"feed me something real," this spot is exactly the kind of family‑owned gem you hope to stumble into. I swung by on a whim, and honestly, it felt like I walked straight into someone's home kitchen, small, cozy, and run with genuine pride. The horchata was cold, creamy, and refreshing, the kind that makes you pause mid‑sip and think, "Okay, they're not playing around." Horchata The ceviche and shrimp tostadas were the stars of the visit. Fresh, bright, and loaded, none of that sad, tiny‑portion energy. The tostadas had that perfect crunch, and the toppings tasted like they were prepped that same morning. Ceviche Shrimp tostadas. This spot is tiny, like "if you sneeze, you might hit the back wall" tiny, but that's part of the charm. It's clean, simple, and clearly cared for. No fancy décor, no trendy neon signs, just straight‑up authentic Mexican cooking. The service was warm and friendly, the kind where you can tell the people running the place actually care. They treat you like a neighbor, not a transaction. I walked in looking like I was just "passing through," and they still fed me like I was a long‑lost cousin. This is one of those spots that proves you don't need a big space or flashy presentation to deliver great food. If you're in Huntington Park and craving fresh ceviche, crunchy shrimp tostadas, and a horchata that hits the soul, this place is worth the stop Miguel C.

I'm a long time fan of Apache's Carnes al Carbon. I used to go to their location in Boyle Heights…read moreuntil they closed. I was sad when they closed. I was working in South Gate a few years ago and discovered this location in Huntington Park. I started coming here for their most delicious sopes, tacos and burritos. The restaurant's ambience is simple. There are two counters and a table. People come here for the authentic and delicious food. I'll sacrifice ambience for amazing food any day! The meat they serve is pork and they grill it over lump coal so the edges are crispy and charred but the meat itself is juicy and porky. The beans are fried up perfectly, just like homemade. The salsa is simple but very tasty. Today's was fire and addictive. I had a taco de chorizo ... yum. I also got a jamaica to help cool things down. I got a couple of burritos to go. I'm really looking forward to chowing down on those later. I know they'll be delicious as always. The sope shells are handmade and fried up fresh to order. They're thin and crispy but hold up well to the fresh toppings. The first one was so good that I ended up ordering a second one. Asusana was working the counter today. She was very kind and accommodating. ¡Gracias Asusana!! I know I'll be returning for my fill of authentic sopes, tacos and burritos. Thank you Apache's Carnes al Carbon for offering some of the best food in SoCal. You are one of a kind!

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.

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 had read rave reviews about this restaurant. Sadly I was dissapointed the margaritas were watered…read moredown and the alcohol was non existant i had to ask the waiter if he had given me a virgin marhargita. The pescado sarandeado arrive half cooked and disgusting. We could not eat it. I orderd campechana and it was ok. I told the waiter and the manager about the fish plate and all i heard was im sorry, the manage said he doesnt like that fish either. The bathrooms on our way out were very very dirty. I won't be coming back .I really did have high expectations .

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 !!!!!