amá•cita

"Great news for Culver City folks (and hammered Rush Street patrons next door): Roughly two months after BäcoShop closed, the team behind it has reopened the spot as Amácita. Like its DTLA cousin, Bar Amá, the space is cool and casual, and the menu features some of the same Tex-Mex favorites - like queso dip and pillow-y handmade tortillas - but Amácita offers plenty of new options, too. The charcoal-grilled baby corn, with queso fresco and a tangy morita chile crema, is a creative play on elote, and larger plates like the pork shoulder pibil, served with sweet-and-sour roasted pineapple and pickled habanero onions, are great for sharing (and pair well with cocktails like a hibiscus frosé). They’ve also kept one of Bar Amá’s best features: The Super Nacho Happy Hour, with daily deals on tacos, drinks, and more." - James Montgomery

"It’s been a wild month for chef Josef Centeno, who announced last night on social media that he would be closing his downtown Culver City restaurant Amacita tonight until further notice." - Farley Elliott

"Culver City’s popular Tex-Mex destination from chef Josef Centeno closed in early April. Centeno has already shuttered his Downtown restaurant Baco Mercat, and it’s unclear what is to become of the corner Culver space now." - Matthew Kang

"Swing into to chef Josef Centeno’s latest Amácita in Culver City for a two-course taste of Tex-Mex. The ranchero chicken rice bowl makes for a solid main, while the bunuelos offer a sweet finish for $20." - Cathy Chaplin

"The New York Times critic Tejal Rao took to Culver City this week to shine some light on Amacita, Josef Centeno’s casual Tex-Mex paradise. Rao loves Centeno’s honor of the cuisine’s “most persistent clichés,” including a happy hour with lots of queso, shredded iceberg lettuce, and of course guacamole. From a constantly-rotating seasonal menu to a surprising grilled hamachi collar, Amacita really is doing great work right now." - Farley Elliott