Paco's Tacos - Los Angeles, California

Address: 4141 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Items Ordered:

• Two beef tacos combo plate - no beans
  
• Chicken taco and tamale combo plate - no beans
  

"SHOW ME THE TACOS!" I imagine that's what Tom Cruise would have said when they filmed Jerry Maguire at Paco's Tacos. When our plates arrived, they were huge and heavy and looked like they could've weighed 8 pounds! The crispy tacos at Paco's Tacos were crunchy, flavorful, and especially satisfying with the addition of spicy salsa. The mexican rice was delicious and made me happy that I skipped the beans. As for the tamale, it arrived a little on the cold side so I'll reserve judgement for another day. However, the real winner at Paco's Tacos were the homemade tortillas made fresh every minute by the tortilla lady. The tortillas arrived piping hot, soft, and chewy, and I wanted to wrap everything into them and just eat it up. Somehow I managed to reserve a tortilla to take home, and after reheating it on a grill, and wrapping it around eggs, sausage, and hot sauce, it made for one of the best breakfast burritos I've ever eaten. YUM!! I would definitely return to Paco's Tacos--after all, they had me at tortilla ;).

--y

Pink Taco - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Items Ordered:

• Guacamole
  
• Crispy chipotle chicken tacos
• Orange braised carnitas
  
• White sangria, strawberry margarita, passion fruit margarita

On a post-work weekday, after waiting 45 minutes for a table, I thought "This better be the best Mexican food EVER." Luckily, Pink Taco's food was decent. Starting off with the guacamole was a great idea, as the guacamole was well-seasoned, fresh tasting, and paired really well with the crispy tortilla chips. My favorite dish of the night was the chicken tacos, they were super crispy and filled with an ample amount of shredded chicken. The orange braised carnitas were tender and flavorful, although the orange taste didn't really shine through. The drinks we ordered were nothing special, which was surprising given that the bar menu is huge. I would definitely return to Pink Taco for the chicken tacos and guacamole, and hopefully order better drinks to pair with the meal next time.

--y

The Shed - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Address: 113 1/2 E Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Items Ordered:

• Chicken Enchilada Plate - Fresh baked chicken, cheddar cheese & onion rolled in two blue corn tortillas & baked with red and green chile. Served with posole.
• Shed Salsa and Tortilla Chips
• Half Jug of Sangria
• Tacos Plate

We visited New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, but we wanted to visit other parts of the state. Decided on visiting the state capital for a few hours to enjoy some Southwestern cuisine. New Mexico is know for their red & green chile - I opted for both options (they call it Christmas). I loved my enchiladas plate - everything was so hot and flavorful. I am glad I chose both the red and the green so I got to experiment with both. I slightly preferred the red over the green, but both were great! The chips and salsa started the meal just perfectly, along with the glass of sangria. The wait was pretty long, but we just walked around to the markets while we were waiting. If you're ever in the area, you've got to stop by here!

--v

Border Grill - Santa Monica, California

Address: 1445 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Items Ordered:

• Guacamole and chips
  
• Green corn tamales
• Roasted lamb tacos? or carnitas tacos?
  

Obviously I can't remember everything I ordered from Border Grill, but what I do remember is that the guacamole was super fresh tasting and the green corn tamales were like a special dessert treat at dinnertime. Hot and full of corny goodness (ha ha), I would go back for the tamales alone. I remember we went during happy hour so the food was a bit cheaper, but we did wait at the bar for about 35 minutes--just enough time to get buzzed enough to enjoy everything about the meal.

--y

Cozymel's - El Segundo, California

Address: 2171 Rosecrans Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245

Items Ordered:

• Chicken fajitas
• Fajita steak salad
• Fish and shrimp tacos

Came here for a going-away lunch a few weeks ago, and I thought the restaurant was very spacious and good for group events. There are also a ton of options on the menu for picky eaters. I ordered the fajita steak salad and thought the meat tasted great, but the vegetables were just okay. Overall, the food was adequate, could definitely be more fresh-tasting, but sometimes its having great company that counts ;)

--y

Gloria's Cafe - Culver City, California

Address: 10227 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Items Ordered:

• Pork & Cheese Pupusas (2)
• Cheese & Herb Pupusas (2) with a side of rice
• Enchiladas - Carnitas (1) and Steak (1)
• Chips & Salsa

Gloria's Cafe is one of our favorite restaurants. Immediately after sitting down and perusing the menu we were brought a bowl of warm chips and spicy salsa - these are ADDICTING and can fill you up even before your entrée comes out. No wonder we're always so full when we leave here. A mixture of Mexican and Salvadoran cuisine, the food was as good as any other time we've gone there. There was a bit of a mix-up with our order, but it was quickly fixed, and we were given our correct pupusas. Those, along with the enchiladas made for an excellent meal of Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine. On a side note, did you know that this place was recently featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

--v & y