Stew, mangu, and other traditional Dominican fare are served at this casual place.
"One thing New Yorkers have that we don’t is plenty of Dominican restaurants, but thank goodness we at least have El Bacano. Located next door to a Subway in a North Hollywood strip mall, this small, colorful spot offers a wide range of Dominican staples, like tostones, various habichuelas, and, our favorite, their sancocho. This soup is only available three days a week, so feel free to plan your entire visit around it because it’s worth the trip. Big pieces of pork, chicken, and beef bob inside a salty, zippy broth that’s cloudy from rendered fat. Just know it’s a big portion so maybe split it with a friend and order more for the table." - brant cox, garrett snyder, sylvio martins
"Founded by a brother and sister duo who previously operated a food truck in Anchorage, Alaska, El Bacano serves a compelling array of Dominican comfort dishes including the cuatro golpes breakfast of salami, cheese, longaniza, and eggs; and bistec encebollado with gandules guisado (pigeon peas) and ensalada rusa (potato salad) to the Valley Glen community. Expect a casual strip-mall vibe with a few tables for dining in; even more take steaming plates of Dominican comfort fare to go." - Mona Holmes, Matthew Kang, Nicole Adlman
"We can probably count every Dominican restaurant in LA (in Southern California?) on one hand. That’s a shame, but thank goodness we have El Bacano. This small, colorful strip mall spot offers a wide range of Dominican staples, like tostones, various habichuelas, and, our favorite, their sancocho. This soup is only available three days a week, but feel free to plan your visit around it because it’s worth the trip. Big pieces of pork, chicken, and beef bob inside a salty, zippy broth that’s cloudy from rendered fat. It’s a big portion, so maybe split it with a friend and order more dishes for the table." - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren, garrett snyder
"As of this writing, LA has one Dominican restaurant. One. And it’s next door to a Subway in North Hollywood. That makes El Bacano something of a novelty, but you can’t eat novelty for dinner. What’s more important to us (and hopefully you, too) is this 16-seat restaurant’s simple, delicious Dominican staples that are perfect for a casual weeknight meal when all we want is a nice fried pork chop. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: El Bacano photo credit: Jessie Clapp Oddly, whether you dine in or order your plantains to-go, El Bacano serves all of its food in styrofoam containers. Our suggestion: eat there while the food is hot and enjoy the reggaeton booming from the sound system. El Bacano’s menu is big, but most meals follow a similar pattern: beans and rice (a.k.a. habichuela), a side of chewy tostones, and your protein of choice, which can come fried, stewed, or sauteed. It truly comes down to personal preference because we’d give the thumbs up to everything on the menu, from tomato-y bacalao guisado lapped up with red beans to the extra crispy machi chicken wings marinated in tons of garlic to the deep-fried pork chops that you should absolutely drench in lime juice. But if you’re the indecisive type, order the sancocho. This glorious soup is only available three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday), and it’s worth planning your whole trip around. The rich broth is slightly cloudy from rendered pork fat, perked up with fragrant spices and lime juice that make it delicious enough to drink straight from the Big Gulp-sized cup it’s served in. This is a jumbo portion of sancocho, so split an order between you and a friend, which will free you up to snack on tostones and mojo and bob your head to whatever Karol G banger is playing. Food Rundown Moro de Habichuelas There are two sides of moro de habichuelas on the menu, and you’re golden with either. Whether you choose black or red beans, expect creamy beans stewed with rice until they blend together, plus extra oomph from garlic, onion, and tomato paste. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Empanada These crispy fried pockets emerge from the fryer with a beautiful gold color and one with three fillings (pssst…ground beef is the best one). The juicy meat is cooked down with sofrito and tastes a little sweet from the sauteed onions. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Machi’s Chicken We’ll never pass up a box of fried chicken, especially chicken with crispy, crackly skin. Rather than hiding in thick dredging, this poultry’s charm is in the marinated meat flavored with garlic, oregano, and warm spices. Order this for the table. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Sancocho This literal tub of stew is the best thing at El Bacano, so we’re not annoyed that it’s only available three days a week. You’ll find an entire barnyard swimming in this salty, citrusy broth: chunks of beef, pork, and chicken bobbing on the surface, along with corn cobs and soft plantains. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Bacalao Guisado This entree's side of rice is a useful tool for soaking up every drop of the soupy, tomato-y salted cod stew (which you’ll want to do). It’s filling but light enough to be a nice change of pace from the menu’s many fried dishes." - Sylvio Martins
"Decorated with illustrations of Dominican cuisine and geography and a tropical wallpaper that complements a logo emblazoned with Barbie pink lettering, El Bacano compels both the eye and palate with distinctive Dominican plates. The casual restaurant has quickly gained regulars with a menu starting with street food items like the chimi burger, which features a well-seasoned beef patty dressed with slaw and mayo-ketchup in a sesame seed bun. It comes with crispy tostones on the side. Add a morir soñando, a sweetened milk and orange juice drink. They’ve mastered traditional meals of bistec encebollado (beef with onions), and bandera, a combination of carne guisada (stewed beef) rice and beans that are vibrant, flavorful, and beautifully plated. The bacalao guisado features a sharp tanginess balanced by a mound of moros con habichuelas negras. For breakfast, El Bacano’s cuatro golpes is a dish of deftly fried Dominican salami, cheese, longaniza, and eggs served on a base of mangú." - Bill Esparza