El Jacalito

Delicious and satisfying Oaxacan food! The best Mexican in the South Bay. Fresh chips, spicy salsa, and rich homemade mole! High quality ingredients, generous portions, reasonable prices. Start with the tlayuda and don’t stop! Casual atmosphere and friendly service. The rotating aguas frescas are always a hit.

Just found out about this restaurant so my family and I decided to try it out and WOW. From the moment I took a bite of their tortilla chips I knew this place was gonna be great. And great it was. My family is Oaxaqueño so we obviously eat a lot of Oaxacan food and have high expectations, but this place far exceeded our expectations. A new favorite, for sure!

Love Love Love!!! This is a Xuacan restaurant and was delicious… this is a must visit type of place … I don’t think I read the reviews properly in the beginning it’s not a taco shop it’s a regional specialty place and I cannot spell Wahacken save my life. Cannot wait to come back!!

Family-owned and packed with flavor. I tried their wet burrito with carnitas and was amazed — it’s massive and perfectly balanced. Their agua frescas are always freshly made and refreshing. It’s a casual place with welcoming service. Prices are fair for how much food you get. It’s become a weekly stop for me.

The main dishes were pretty good tasting. The rice was plain instead of the Spanish or Mexican style rice other Mexican restaurants have served. The drinks they had were only traditional Mexican drinks with no refills. The parking is bad with only street parking available.

A great find in the South Bay after a surprise birthday at the Torrance airport. Was craving Mexican and was way out of our neighborhood, so went to Yelp who was spot on again. Food was awesome. Very authentic and delicious. Tried a carnitas taco, Chile relleno plate, a milanesa torta and menudo for later. The taco was good, but everything else was on the exceptional side. Just really good home style, with restaurant quality good. Service was also top notch. Due to Covid we decided to call in our order and got there so quickly we were parked up front before we ended the call. They must have had some mix ups before because they were wanting to make sure we knew their address. We told them we were calling from the car our front which they thought was pretty cool. We went in for our order and paid hit part of the order wasn’t ready so they gave us the option to take what was ready to the car. We were starving so we agreed and they brought the rest of the order to us when It was done. Nice car side service! If your in the neighborhood, give them a try and you won’t be disappointed. Pro tip: menu says menudo on weekends only but we were there on a Wed and they took care of us.

Great authentic Oaxaca food. Everything taste awesome along with friendly service.

Well hidden little gem. Meaning quiet evening with good food and nicely attended.

Food was great and service was great! Recommend this please! Repair to park in the street.

I came here for a weekday lunch with my husband. The place was pretty quiet with only one other diner. It's a very casual spot near a busy intersection. I've driven by many times and I never knew this place was here! I got the enchiladas de mole negro which came topped with lettuce, onions, avocado, and queso fresco. I really enjoyed the mole here! It was delicious and had that amazing smoky flavor. I love Oaxacan mole negro in general and this one did not disappoint. It was a well balanced dish that was rich in flavor yet with fresh and light components from the avocado, onion and lettuce. The portions were huge and I couldn't even finish my plate. Washed it all down with a cold and fizzy Mexican Coke. So good! There was one guy running the whole show doing all the seating, taking orders, and cleaning. Wouldn't be surprised if he was also helping in the kitchen because he disappeared after he took our order. He did a great job! Friendly and efficient. If you want to try Oaxacan food in the South Bay, I recommend this place! Authentic and delicious. Parking: street

I pass by this place all the time and finally got around to checking it out. It's deceptively big and there are a ton of tables. I came for lunch and it wasn't crowded at all - it's a mom and pop place and it always feels good to support local business. I got the mole negro chicken enchiladas and thought it was decent. The mole had a little kick to it which I appreciated but thought the chicken was mediocre - a little on the dry side. Yes, you can mask the dryness of the chicken with mole but I was hoping it would be great on its own.

Could not recommend for young couples or young group of friends. I live down the street. I use to come often with my family. But even my mother had bad energy from the male waiter. Always has an attitude and is not welcoming. 2nd bad experience was on a date with an older woman I knew. The waiter just kept looking at me with envy and checked my id 3 separate times for ordering 2 beers. Even the woman I was with was bothered with the way he was being. 3rd. Bad experience was with my brother and a coworker. We went to go get wet burritos. The burritos are good just the meat needs a bit more flavor. But the worst part was I decided to take a nap after devouring the big wet burrito. I took the nap parked on the street infront of the business. Well the male waiter again. Decided to call the police and told them a suspected robber was infront of there building. Mind you I had just ate there with my brother and coworker. The police pulled me over harasses questioning why I was parked infront of the building. Never going to jacalito again. They lost business from a real Lomita local.

It's been so long, since I've been here!!! A family owned restaurant for authentic Oaxacan food, made with love. I had the pleasure of ordering the asada nachos. Everything was GREAT about my meal. Tortilla chips handmade, asada seasoned perfectly, tomatoes, avocados and sour cream with fresh diced onions. Sooo good. My better half ordered Buenos ranchero with nopales. Oh and mexican squirt sodas in the glass bottles! Jose the owner, took our menu was very nice and went over items we had questions on. Quaint restaurant with authentic flavor and a feeling of eating with your family! That's what I got from dining here. So if you're in Lomita, pay this restaurant a visit for homemade food with family appeal.

I had a great lunch there and the food was absolutely good. The tacos were so delicious. The Carne Asada perfectly cooked, it was tender, flavorful, and it was seasoned right. The menudo was savory and packed with all the right spices. The portions were generous, and everything was served hot and fresh. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere had a cozy, and has authentic vibe.

Went with a few coworkers last week for a go away lunch. The food and service and ambiance were awesome. The price of food is definitely worth how much you get for it. A good spot for some good food!

Nice guy working the front... but man that was NOT a $20 burrito. Sadly that was more like a $6 burrito.. and even if it were $6, I'd still never get it again. It was 80 percent lettuce, and totally bland. What a bummer.

Our first time here and definitely not our last. Food was amazing . I got the enchiladas verde and my husband git this amazing meal too

My absolute favorite place for memelas (which are basically sopes) and the wet burrito! The service is always consistently great and I can't recommend this place enough!

Was excited to try this place since Oaxaca is one of my fave places I've visited. Got the chicken with black mole, but unfortunately it was a miss. The portions are small and the mole is a bit bitter and lacks flavor. The chicken was a bit dry as well and not garnished with sesame seeds. Go to Madre in Old Torrance for bigger portions and a more authentic flavor. :/

Came here at 5:35pm and they were only taking "To Go" orders. It's challenging coming here because their hours are so limited. We've come here several times in the past for dinner and they were always closed. They finally updated their hours and they close early at 6pm in the evening. Apparently the last dining in is at 5:30pm, but I would try to come earlier to be sure. We ordered the Mole Negro chicken enchiladas and the Carnitas plate. Both of the dishes were very good. The takeout order also comes with salsa (but on the spicy side) and chips.

Good food and ambiance. Only thing I don't like is that they don't pick up the phone to place a phone order for me to just pick up. It's an inconvenience when you are on a timed lunch. Other than that definitely recommend.

I don't know why Yelp is listing El Jacalito as closed. I ate there today (05/24/2023). I had the enfrijolada. My lunch pal from work had the quesillo torta. I posted a photo of the torta. It is something we had not tried before. Their food is great as always. I will be going back next week.

Honestly this place is one of the best Oaxacan restaurants I've been to in LA. Had the 3 meat combo. All was flavorful. Even the rice and beans were well seasoned. I'm used to Mexican restaurants in LA treating the sides as an afterthought. Not this place. And like any good restaurant, they close way earlier than they should, so you gotta plan your visit accordingly.

Amazing amazing food. We just went to Oaxaca and El Jacalito's food tastes just as authentic and well seasoned as what we had in Mexico . It's a family business, everyone was very nice and the place is very clean. We had the empanadas de pollo which is not your typical empanada it's more like a quesadilla which is great because it's not deep fried. We also ordered agua de papaya, very refreshing and flavorful (not synthetic) .. check them out!

The mole negro is the best I have tasted in the South Bay and beyond. The service is quick and efficient? But e mole.... They have no beer/wine license. The Horchata is great either way the mole. Go visit. You will love it.

Amazing homemade and authentic Oaxacan food! I live out of town and whenever I'm in the area, I have to visit. The service is always great and the food is always delicious. So far I've tried the tacos de barbacoa, enchiladas de coloradito, huevo con nopales and the Tlayudas - all have been great. Definitely give it a try.

First time coming to El Jacalito, it was wonderful. The chorizo and the El Oaxaqueno had a great strong flavor. Can't wait to return!

Liked Everything! Best service! Best tasting! Best of everything from start to finish! Chips, salsa ... friend had the Chuletas de Ahumadas: smoked pork chops; I had the Enfrijolada: handmade tortillas smothered in blk bean paste with tasajo: marinated tender slice of beef steak with fresh stawberry agua frescas!!! Ended with Kansha's ice cream for the month of June. Thank you for a most wonderful experience! Not a die-hard fan of Mexican food ... this is certainly my fav Oaxacan styje! Thank you, Kansha! Thank you El Jacalito!! Recomm'd cos of Kansha's parnership for the month of June!

I had the chili vetde enchiladas they have absolutely no flavor. Enchiladas usually come with rice and beans a lot of cheese. They barely sprinkled any on. I will never come here again.

Loved the fried fish, it was delicious. You can tell that this spot is homemade food made by great people in the community! Definitely say hi to the owner and enjoy the great value spot.

Super annoying... Arrived for dinner at 5:45PM on a Saturday evening and were told, "We're closing at 6PM and only taking "to go" orders." Huh? I live 20 minutes away and did not plan on standing around with my family for 20 minutes to get take out, only to drive home another 20 minutes to eat. I told the guy his hours on Yelp were wrong and he shrugged. C'mon, are you serious? :/

Two words, Coloradito Mole. Trust me, you won't go wrong at this hole in the wall with this delicious goodness spread all over your desired carb or protein. The waitress suggested this one over the others, the least sweet in the bunch. I had mine with the chicken enchiladas. It was the best mole I'd had in a while, even better than Quidalyn's in culver city. Chips and salsa were very good as well. Service is very pleasant and quick. On a random weekday, mine was the only table occupied inside. Price is very reasonable, and great amount of food for the price. Totally recommend this homestyle restaurant to any fans of authentic Mexican mole.

First time trying El Jacalito and I would recommend 10/10. My fiancé and I are local to Lomita and have been looking for a truly authentic Mexican restaurant so we don't have to go to DTLA and El Jacalito is just what we were looking for. The service was top tier, the ambiance (e.g., music, sport, decor) were on point, and of course the food was *chef's kiss* whoever is cooking definitely has "sazón en las manos." The tortillas were freshly made, the coffee was smooth, the salsa was real Mexican salsa, the flavors were amazing. I ordered the mole negro and my fiancé ordered the empanadas. Will definitely be coming back to taste more of their wonderful food!

Read the rave reviews and sent my niece to pick up my phone order for me. I love Mexican food. So, the idea of a delicious local spot had me excited. Well, not once I received the food. All together we ordered an asada burrito, 3 asada nachos, 1 chicken nacho and 1 chicken quesadilla They do not have a menu online or a website. I called to ask and was directed to FB but could not find their page. I relied on the person who answered the phone to give me all pertinent information. I wish he had told me their burritos were full of salad. My carne asada burrito had carrots, peas and corn in it, as well as lettuce, all of which was shocking. I was sharing the burrito so we cut it in half. Imagine my surprise when the portion on my plate had absolutely NO CARNE ASADA. I immediately called the restaurant, thinking that they had given me someone else's veggie burrito. Nope! Jose (said he's the manager) said that he was sure that he had put meat in the burrito. My sister looked in her half and sure enough she had ALL of the steak. Okay. Well, Jose could not have cared less about my displeasure. When I said that I was bringing it back for a refund he said "bring the burrito back". As if I wanted to eat it! . NOT! The nachos they sent barely had cheese. I had to open a pack from my fridge and grate it over the nachos. When I took them out of the tray to put the cheese and put them in the oven the styrofoam container was full of holes. Maybe the kitchen was out of aluminum foil. So, I will NEVER return. Except to get my refund and take Jose his burrito back. My niece threw her asada nachos away and went to buy tacos at the stand down the street because the nachos had so little content. I'm calling BS on these reviews. I think they had their family and friends write them.

One of the few Oaxacan casual restaurants in this area. Great value. Very warm Service. It feels like homemade food in a family environment.

Smokey dark mole sauce is killer. Cheese enchiladas are so tasty, my favorite comfort food. Hours a bit funky.

Yesss!! So glad I found this Oaxacan restaurant while I was in the area. Everything was flavorful and delicious. Ordered their taquitos, enchiladas de mole and a Tlayuda. Tasted just like how my auntie makes it. Soo yummy. Will def be frequenting this restaurant whenever I'm in the area. By the way this was a takeout order. The staff is friendly and everyone was wearing masks too. Cheers!

Eat at El Jacalito yesterday for the first time and LOVED it! The food is like your Abuela made it! The restuarant isn't fancy but the waiter was warm and helpful. Our order: Ensalada Nopales, Carnitas, Mole Negro - FABULOSO!

A great find in the South Bay after a surprise birthday at the Torrance airport. Was craving Mexican and was way out of our neighborhood, so went to Yelp who was spot on again. Food was awesome. Very authentic and delicious. Tried a carnitas taco, Chile relleno plate, a milanesa torta and menudo for later. The taco was good, but everything else was on the exceptional side. Just really good home style, with restaurant quality good. Service was also top notch. Due to Covid we decided to call in our order and got there so quickly we were parked up front before we ended the call. They must have had some mix ups before because they were wanting to make sure we knew their address. We told them we were calling from the car our front which they thought was pretty cool. We went in for our order and paid hit part of the order wasn't ready so they gave us the option to take what was ready to the car. We were starving so we agreed and they brought the rest of the order to us when It was done. Nice car side service! If your in the neighborhood, give them a try and you won't be disappointed. Pro tip: menu says menudo on weekends only but we were there on a Wed and they took care of us.

Fist of all the menus are NOT presentable they are dirty.. Service was good the port server was overwhelmed with five (5) tables We where there for lunch. This shows that the owner needs to hire more people I just don't understand why don't put more employees on the floor. Like I said poor ownership

This place is so underrated!! Little hole in a wall places are the best and El Jacalito does not disappoint! I am not a fan of mole in general but their mole was delicious. My son loves their carne asada burrito. I had a bite and it was to die for. Second time around, I ordered the carne asada. The meat was so juicy and flavorful. Their tortillas were delicious too. Stop going to terrible chain restaurants and support local small businesses! You won't regret eating here for great Mexican food!!

Ive driven past this place 10000000 times and always wanted to try it. What better time than cinco de Mayo. We ordered a chicken mole burrito, grilled lemon butter white fish plate, fried cheese, salads and Guacamole. All the food was really good. My mole burrito was big, easy two meals. Im a mole snob, but they had really good mole. A+ The fish was good and the guac was fresh and tasty. Great place for take out, but once this covid thing passes by, ill go dine in. Staff guy was super nice. Prices were good for amount of food. Ill be back!!

Looking for authentic Mexican....Oaxacan food?! My wife and I have been visiting this place and their Culver City location for years. They have something for everyone...including kids. Our kids love the handmade tortillas...wife loves spice and I enjoy the portions and I'm vegetarian. She orders the Plato de carne asada...or chilaquiles or enchiladas verde. Kids love black beans (quest fresco on top) and my go to is burritos. Must try and worth the drive.

Delicious, authentic food! I am a mole lover and this place has one of the best I have ever tasted, highly recommend. Good portions and decent prices.

I knew I would love this place as soon as I tried the Chips & Salsa. The Chilaquiles were amazing! Don't tell my momma, but they are much better here...shhh.

So this is a great hidden gem of Oaxacan style Mexican food in the SouthBay! Located in Lomita off the beaten path, I Read some reviews on it and would have to agree with all the positive comments! Me and my family ordered a wide variety of their menu including the chicken fried steak torta, the giant wet Carne Asada burrito, tacos and enchiladas and everything was fantastic! Very authentic, flavorful and delicious.

Let me start off by saying this place is so good the bean and cheese burritos are excellent their soups which are chicken and beef stew are very good it hits the spot when it's nice and cold outside or you're like under the weather the owner is very polite they make a really good I could not ask for no better the ambience is nice and quiet and peaceful

Great mom and pop shop on the corner of Narbonne and Lomita. They do not have a parking lot- so don't go down the alley that's next to their shop because you'll end up having to reverse back out of there like my two friends did. Just have to find parking on the street and walk over to the establishment. It wasn't busy when we came but this business needs more attention in my honest opinion. They have a great menu- section varies from plates, caldo, burritos and even tortas. They even have a breakfast menu. Don't make the mistake like I did and not order a drink from here- I was too caught up catching up with my friends but I really wanted to try their melon or horchata drink. So order it and leave a review on how it is! They also serve beers for anyone interested. The carne asada plate came with rice, beans and guacamole and it was sooo yummy! I would definitely get this again. The meat was so juicy and flavorful and I left there really full and happy. The mole was good here according to my friends- very deep dark chocolate taste so it wasn't my favorite but they said it tasted authentic. My other friend ordered the enchiladas verde with chicken and that was really good as well. I would recommend it if you like green sauce. The service here was so family friendly and they were so nice and attentive. So glad I got to try this place!

Delicious, authentic Mexican food with amazing service and a great atmosphere. We got the Molcajete and it was phenomenal. This will definitely be my new go-to Mexican restaurant.

Proven Performer. This place is always a hit wether we are having breakfast or lunch. Try their chilaquiles verdes or their menudo with garbanzos in lieu of hominy. You will opt be disappointed.

Holy mole!!!!! This little hole in the wall has the best mole I've ever tasted. The horchata is homemade and such a great treat. I asked the waiter what he's eat if he was going to die tomorrow and he said "the black mole" so I ordered it. Ok after tasting it I exclaimed "Holy Moly" and devoured it greedily. It was so rich I had to drink another horchata to complete the experience. Try it! Oh they also have this hot chocolate in an authentic Mexican cup. I loved it so much I bought similar cups to duplicate that nostalgic experience at home.

I've been here once with a friend who recommended the black mole enchiladas, and while they were good (1 star for that alone) the service sucked. The dude their is a jerk. He was rude to someone else I told to go there for the enchiladas. Not a nice guy. To make matters worst, they open and close when they feel like it because almost every time I've come there based on the hours they say they are open, they are NOT open. Waste of a drive. And don't bother calling because they rarely answer the telephone and you can't leave a message. I don't understand how someone runs a business like that. I'm hoping the real talent (the cooks) branch off elsewhere without the short little dude there with no customer service skills. Period.

They should update their times I drove here in my lunch to find out there closed not coming back

Okay, so just to preface and humblebrag lol, I am the kind of person who booked a dinner reservation at Pujol -- 3 days out, and THEN booked my flight and hotel after securing the best reservation in town. So when I say that this place has the best mole I've ever had, I truly mean that this place has better mole than pujol. This little hole in the wall in Lomita, CA has the best food ever. Like Michelin rated Mole. Incredible.

Picked up some breakfast burritos, mediocre at best. Based on their ratings I'm sure the other items on their menu are much better. Service was fast but didn't feel welcomed. Maybe they were just having a bad day.

Love this place so much it never disappoints me the food is fresh and tasty i'll always recommend this to anyone in th South Bay.

Very good homemade food. I was worried it was going to be busy at lunch but it wasn't. Service was fast and the guy was really nice. It was exactly what I was looking for when I searched for authentic food. It definitely had a vibe of an old restaurant I use to go to as a kid after church. Can't wait to go back and try everything on the menu.