Heidi K.
Yelp
This place is the real deal. Total hidden gem, hole-in-the-wall, authentic, and damn good.
Located off of Ogden avenue, La Parrilla's presence is not visible from the street, as there is no signage other than a large decal on the door. It's in a tiny strip mall, which is slightly dilapidated, from the storefronts to the parking lot.
La Parrilla is on the small side, with only four tables or so. For the most part it was clean, except for an empty coke bottle on one of the tables that hadn't been cleaned yet. The menu is all the standard Mexican fare you'd expect to find: tortas, burritos, taco, appetizers, dinner plates, desserts, etc. They even have hamburgers, chicken wings, and hot dogs. The hamburger comes with the standard fixins, but the hot dogs come with bacon, mayo, cheese, ketchup (eeek), and sliced jalapenos.
After looking at the menu board I decided to deviate from the ol' standby (street style tacos) and go with a burrito instead, and a side of rice. The standard burrito comes with your choice of meat, rice, beans, cheese, grilled veggies, lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
The wait for my food was about ten minutes, which was fair as their was an order ahead of me. I received my food and headed out to my car to dig in.
The burrito was large and well made. It was sliced through the middle, which I appreciated because although a plastic knife was included in my order, it certainly wouldn't have been able to cut through this monstrosity. At first bite, I was pleased to taste all of the ingredients at once. Everything was fresh tasting and delicious. The al pastor was perfect in both flavor and texture. Not a bad thing could be said about this burrito.
The rice was a bit bland, though. There were trace amount of peas, carrots, and corn; certainly not enough to be a deal breaker in my book. Not the best rice I've had but not the worst, either. I was provided with both the tomatillo salsa and the roja salsa; the lady didn't ask when I ordered but I'm glad both kinds were included. They were excellent in flavor; very fresh tasting and homemade. I used them on the rice to help give it some life.
Service can be a bit slow, so you'll need some patience. I only encountered one employee; the lady who took my order and made my food. I came a bit before five o'clock, so I can only imagine how long the wait can be during lunch or dinner.
For nine bucks and some change, I was very pleased with both the quality and quantity of the meal. Definitely grab a paper menu to order from. The menu board only displays a portion of what is available, and seems to be a bit outdated, pricing wise. I definitely look forward to trying their other menu items in the future.