"We write about El Coyote a lot and usually include a disclaimer that the food here isn’t all that great—which is true. And yet, we’ll forever love this ancient Mexican restaurant on Beverly, because no matter what day you come, a meal here feels like a festive holiday gathering. Within two seconds of sitting down, a member of the eccentric waitstaff (most of whom have been working there for decades) will plop down a big bowl warm tortilla chips and two different kinds of salsa (a chunky salsa fresca and spicy red). The house margaritas are equally iconic—and iconically strong—and come with one of our favorite restaurant hacks in town: Say you want the ice on the side and you’ll get two margaritas for the price of one." - brant cox, garrett snyder, arden shore
