west coast wilds and mexican

here's some options for Mexican food

restos:
Guisado's (Boyle Heights or Echo Park)
Mexicali Tacos (near chinatown)
El Parian

taco trucks:
Guerilla Tacos (dtla & culver city)
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Tacos Leo
Mariscos Jalisco

My list is heavy on the taco spots so someone else will have to chime in about other types of places.

 

West LA just isn't a place to get great Mexican food. Go East my friend.

I'll second most of what grilledsquid said...all of these are worth driving out of your way for.

Guerilla Tacos - this guy cooks up some crazy shit
Ricky's Fish Tacos - best fish tacos in the city
Mariscos Jalisco - shrimp tacos dorados
Huaraches Azteca - if you've never had a huarache, these are the best
Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada - shrimp/fish tacos only

As far as drink...the westside isn't the best place for bars since it's pricey...sours aren't always on...but that being said.

Fathers Office - solid tap list, decent food
Library Alehouse - very good taplist, decent food
El Segundo Brewing Company - tiny basement bar, all hoppy usually
Blue Palms Brewhouse - in Hollywood, but great taplist, good food, $4 pints on Tuesday
I would avoid Daily Pint(smelly, depressing)...City Tavern(too expensive)...Surly Goat(unless you go early)

and then venturing further south you get the good stuff...Beachwood BBQ Long Beach and Smog City Brewing

Not sure about bottle shops, but Valley Beverage is kinda close to ya. https://www.facebook.com/valleybev

 

I'm up in SM several times a month. I believe for requests:
Almanac - won't be too hard to find at specialty shops, including Whole Foods. Some of the more desirable releases like Valley of Heart's will be very hard to find.
Cascade - would be quite hard to find. Not sure if these ever get officially distributed or if specialty shops are buying these in bulk online. the very few times I've seen that at very very specialty stores, they were marked up quite a bit,
Russian River - These are going to be hit or miss if you're lucky. They might release some during the month, and if they do, you'll have to be at the shop day of, maybe within an hour or two, and possible have to ask someone to check in the back room.

Others inc the FW sours, but even though people say it's not far, Paso Robles is actually pretty far of a drive from LA.

 

as others have said, the West Side does not have the best Mexican. that said, there are a few hidden gems in the wasteland of the West, should you find yourself there, which you will. Tacos Por Favor in Santa Monica is solid. not a fancy place. it reminds me of places in actual Mexico. great everything though. also, Pinches Tacos (there's one in Culver City - near Father's Office - and one in the Santa Monica mall if you should sadly find yourself there) delivers the goods. if you want family style Mexican with good atmosphere and margaritas, La Cabana in Venice is good, El Cholo in Santa Monica (bonus for lotta hotties), and Casa Escobar in Santa Monica/West LA. it's not authentic but the closest place to Pacific Palisades is probably Merix Tex Mex, which is actually pretty good. great breakfast/brunch there too. also, while overpriced, Border Grill in Santa Monica is a classic LA (non-traditional) Mexican restaurant with star chefs at the helm. good margs. i have no shame, i like a marg sometimes

if you're in the Hollywood area my favorite (doesn't mean best by any means) family style restaurant is El Compadre. best atmosphere by far. good margs. good guac. mariachi band. red booths. does the trick. been around since the 70's

but if you want to get hardcore, the best shit is further east, and generally served off of a taco truck in the evening in a sketchy part of town. i'm impressed grilled squid mentioned tacos Leo. that place is epic (only open after 8pm) but be aware you'll be eating in a gas station parking lot. also impressed with the el parin mention. that place serves ridiculously huge, delicious tacos.

i urge you to do some research on Taco Hunters website. a legend of our time:

http://www.greattacohunt.com

 

Gonna plus one on Guisado's. Its not west side, but its awesome.

Also, if you head out there you can hit up Ramirez Liquors

 

Hit up the truck on Lincoln just south of rose, there most nights after 6. Many things to choose from - Oaxaca influences, but I love their burritos. The Venice whole foods is also right there, they have taps and a decent bottle selection. Have fun.

 

If you're near Main St. Santa Monica, go to holy guacamole (no sign out front) for some pretty tasty Mexican.

 

Guisados is good if you like stewed meat style. i like their tacos, but nothing beats an al pastor spit with a pineapple on top

 

Make sure to find a restaurant that serves Oaxacan food. I especially recommend Guelaguetza on Olympic. (http://ilovemole.com/). It's the kind of place you may need to visit more than once because you are unlikely to get some of those foods prepared well anywhere else in the world outside of Oaxaca.

 

Since you want Mexican food on the Westside, I have to bring up Tito's Tacos in Culver City simply because it is an institution, the same way Fatburger is by no means the best burger in LA, but it is a classic.

Old school gringo tacos. Cheap. If you are driving by and there is no line, jump out and grab one. Don't expect it to be great, because it isn't.

The Great Taco Hunt is legit. Man, I remember his first post. Time flies.

In general, keep an eye out for carnicerias. They frequently will sell tacos from their butcher counter or at least have weekend food like caldos, pozole, tamales, etc. They will also sometimes have a restaurant next door owned by the same people. El Charro in Venice/Mar Vista, for example. And, on that note, the most authentic Mexican neighborhood I can think of close to you is Mar Vista and parts of Venice (the inland parts).

 

Their Barrelworks is actually in Buellton, north of SB, so it's actually not that far.

 

You won't go wrong at Tito's. It's a classic, it's cheap, and very satisfying and filling.
Also, if you head to Ramirez or are gonna hit up Golden Road, go to El Tepeyac. Bring a friend and share a Manuel special or a Hollenbeck and thank me later. Not westside but worth the trek.

 

Craftsman sours are worth it, if you can find 'em. Their Angeleno Weisse is incredible. One of the best Berliner Weisse I've ever had.

 

Not a Mexican place, but Maximiliano (http://maximilianohp.com) in Highland Park is probably your best bet for Craftsman beers. They always have the standards plus a few seasonal/sour options. Plenty of taco stands/trucks in that neighborhood, as well.

 

Man, I gotta say, if there's one thing you take away from this thread it's to avoid Tito's Tacos at all costs! Stating that a particular eating establishment is an institution does nothing for me. What matters to me is whether or not the food is good and while it's not absolutely disgusting, it's not something I would recommend to someone visiting from out of town. They're famous for gringo tacos, which are the crunchy hard shell tacos with ground beef, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, and salsa. While I have a soft spot for such a nostalgic type of taco, if you're working with limited dining opportunities, I wouldn't waste a precious chance to eat something good on Tito's. You can make a better gringo taco at home with a home-made blend of spices, your choice of ground beef (go baller and get some Lundy and Grundy dry-aged blend if you're so inclined), a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, and some hard shells from TJs. Do yourself a favor and don't go to Tito's! It's like going to Pink's, which serves some shitty-ass hot dogs. haha

 

I love Maximiliano!! I used to live in Mt. Washington, and I'd head over there quite frequently. Fantastic wine list, too, but I suppose that's neither here nor there.

 

Since you will be there a month, Cascade ships to California, and the selection will be more than what you would be able to find here (if you found any at all).