Juquila Restaurant

"Juquila is a casual Oaxacan spot in West LA with murals of Mexican landscapes and a built-in shrine to La Virgen de Juquila. Maybe her holy presence is why this family-owned spot is so good at diffusing a hangry group that just sat in 405 traffic. Many dishes on its extensive menu are impressively large, from the tlayudas to the sizzling parrilladas with enough chorizo and tasajo to feed four to the namesake Juquila burrito. This “Oaxacalifornian” behemoth is loaded with a full entree worth of rice, beans, grilled chicken, and a matte coat of mole negro. It’s popped in the oven, so the cheese on top melts, and the sweet-smoky sauce seeps into the tortilla." - sylvio martins, jess basser sanders, brant cox, arden shore

"Norma Garcia and Florentino Hernández opened their West LA restaurant on a sleepy stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard that remains unchanged by the restaurant trends of the last decade. As at many Oaxacan restaurants, there’s Oaxacalifornia fare — burritos, numerous dishes served with beans and rice, and parrilladas that have seafood and chicken — and the moles are impressive, too." - Bill Esparza

"Juquila is a family-owned restaurant located off Santa Monica Blvd specializing in Oaxacan and “Oaxacalifornian” dishes that use moles for creative spins on some local staples. Their gargantuan burrito juquila comes filled with chicken and rice before it gets coated in a mole negro, shredded cheese, and popped in the oven until everything harmoniously melds together. The final result is a richer and denser wet burrito due to the mole not fully soaking through the flour tortilla. Juquila’s Oaxacan parrillada is another impressively large display that can be shared by two to four people depending on which size you get. These tabletop grills come with sizzling chorizo, tasajo, cecina, roasted jalapeños, nopales, and quesillo cheese that slowly melts in the center." - Sylvio Martins

"Juquila is a casual Oaxacan spot in West LA with murals of Mexican landscapes and a built-in shrine to La Virgen de Juquila. Maybe her holy presence is why this family-owned spot is so good at diffusing a hangry group that just sat in 405 traffic. Many dishes on its extensive menu are impressively large, from the tlayudas to the sizzling parrilladas with enough chorizo and tasajo to feed four to the namesake Juquila burrito. This “Oaxacalifornian” behemoth is loaded with a full entree worth of rice, beans, grilled chicken, and a matte coat of mole negro. It’s popped in the oven, so the cheese on top melts, and the sweet-smoky sauce seeps into the tortilla." - Sylvio Martins

"Norma Garcia and Florentino Hernández opened their West LA restaurant on a sleepy stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard." - Bill Esparza