El Tepeyac Cafe

11/22/09

good food nice informal dining room

by Benjamin Orr at Citysearch

I could have enjoyed this restaurant so much more, I had heard so much about it for years about their giant Manuel special burrito. The burrito was just okay and I was very full after eating this monster burrito and that's saying a lot because I can eat a bunch. I will probably not go back because they charged me for some corn chips, and the salsa they bring is in very small dishes. I'm a salsa fiend and need a lot and I believe they had the red and the verde and they were good. Any mexican restaurant that charges for chips I will not be visiting again because this is a given that you get chips with your meal. Not only do they charge but it's for a very large profit not just to cover the actual cost. I think it was $1.75 for a darn bowl of chips. Anyway, if this doesn't bother you then I half-heartedly recommend it.

• Pros: big burrito, great tasting dishes
• Cons: no chips and salsa

09/26/09

Manuel Special with Pork!

by porkjello at Citysearch

I went here with two friends that can put away their fair share of large meals. We ordered the Manuel Special, a huge burrito filled with pork and topped with, you guessed it, more pork! Usually, with large portioned food, quality is sacrificed with quantity. Not at El Tepeyac. This was a delicious burrito that is worth the trip to East L.A.

The parking lot has a corner shrine to the Virgin Mary and I guess it's there to pray for your soul if you tried to finish the Manuel Special by yourself. My two friends and I ate two thirds of the burrito and we were full. We took the other third home and it took two more people to finish it off. A $20 burrito that fed 5 people is an awesome deal.

If you are in LA, you gotta give this place a try!

• Pros: Great burrito, cosy restaurant feel

09/11/09

As good as it gets for Mexican food in LA

by spursrule at Citysearch

This is by far my favorite place to eat Mexican food at on the west coast; at least, my favorite place north of the border.

For starters, I'd k1ll for their guacamole recipe. El Tepeyac is the only place I have ever been that had better guacamole than I can make on my own. Their salsas are top notch too; especially the ranchero salsa (I believe) that they put in the Hollenbeck burritos.

It's hard to pick a favorite plate here. Their enchiladas are outstanding because of the red guisada they're covered in. The shredded beef they put in the beef enchiladas is also always cooked to perfection.

Their refried beans are outstanding. The only other restaurant I know where they're as good is back in Texas. The rice is consistently good too.

All of that leads me to their burritos. I'm a Texas boy and we don't eat burritos, but I gotta recognize game here. The Hollenbeck burritos (especially my favorite, the Hollenbeck de machaca) are really without peers. They're a combination of my favorite guacamole I have ever had, one of my favorite salsas, outstanding beans and rice, and delicious shredded meats (+ egg in the machaca). Last but not least, they're huge. It has been a year since I have had the pleasure of eating there, but I last recall the burrito being something like $8; a hell of a value.

The taquitos covered in guacamole are outstanding, and I have always enjoyed the T-bone with grilled jalapenos and onions. The shrimp in mojo de ajo were equally great when I had them.

• Pros: love the salsa, the gucamole, the red guisada on the enchila
• Cons: Waiting outside for a spot to open is almost guaranteed