El Coyote

"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

"Every LA neighborhood has an old third or fourth-generation California-Mexican spot to claim as their own. Koreatown has El Cholo, Sherman Oaks has Casa Vega, and Boyle Heights has El Tepeyac. But the most storied of them is El Coyote. This combo plate landmark on Beverly is home to lots of bizarre local history, and its Christmas-light-strung dining rooms still swell with people who are down to get a little weird. The food is by no means special, and that's fine. You’re here to drink potent margaritas, fill up on complimentary chips and salsa, and eat enchiladas plastered with an obscene amount of melted cheese. Chips and salsa, Enchilada Howard, house margarita with ice on the side" - brant cox, cathy park, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"With a truly cavernous space on Beverly Blvd., El Coyote has always been a great spot for a big group dinner. But now that this Mexican restaurant has taken over their equally large parking lot and turned it into a patio, that big group revelry can also exist outdoors. One area of the lot has an open tent not unlike what you’d see at an outdoor wedding, and if you’re rolling really deep, there are stand-alone tables with their individual tents as well. As far as the food goes, we tend to go for either the carnitas plate or fajitas, but at the end of the day, the reason for the season here will always be their famously strong margaritas. Just be sure to ask for ice on the side - you basically get two margaritas for the price of one." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, brett keating

"It takes one midnight Google search of “Sharon Tate” to realize that some pretty strange stuff has gone down at this ancient Mexican restaurant. Open since well before dinosaurs roamed Beverly Blvd., El Coyote certainly doesn’t have the best food in town, but if you’re coming here for a thoughtful take on menudo, you got the wrong memo. You’re here because the margaritas are the strongest in LA and the cavernous dining room is always one round away from being a full-on house party. And you better believe the spirits are down to get a little weird." - brant cox

"It’s 9pm on a Friday night, you’re with four hungry friends, and everybody wants to drink. Go to El Coyote. The massive Mexican restaurant on Beverly has been around since 1931, and while the food will never be the reason you come here, it does what it needs to do - put something in your stomach while you gulp down their legendary margaritas. Reservations are the smartest choice, but the place is so big that even during peak hours, you never have to wait more than a half hour for a table to open up." - brant cox, brett keating