Rocio's Mexican Kitchen

"Rocio Camacho is well-deserving of her title as the Goddess of Mole. The recipes she serves at her eponymous restaurant, Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen, are some of the best in a region where plenty of others prepare mole. The Bell Gardens restaurant offers four types of her famous mole — Oaxaqueno, verde, poblano, and pipian rojo. Other dishes include carne asada with rice and beans, plantain sopes, and albondigas. Grab a table outside if the sun is shining and sip on an agua fresca." - Rebecca Roland

"Rocio’s isn’t big, and you’re likely going to drive past it the first time you go, but once you reach its Bell Gardens location, you’ll be treated to some of the best mole in Southern California. Chef and owner Rocio Camacho is nicknamed “Goddess of Mole,” and whether you order her rich, chocolatey oaxaqueño mole or creamy, botanical-forward rosa santa prisca, it’s not difficult to understand why. You get to choose a protein for each mole and we recommend either the chile relleno or the mild, sweet mahi mahi." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder

"Mexican restaurants are lucky if they can pull off one good mole sauce. Chef Rocio Camacho offers more than 10 great ones in this humble Bell Gardens outpost that has little in the way of décor. Indeed, they don’t call her the "The Goddess of Mole" for nothing. From the dark-as-night Oaxaqueno to the spicy-sweet manchamanteles to the vibrant verde, moles here are layered, sophisticated efforts that come paired with your choice of chicken, fish, shrimp, steak or even a massive chile relleno. On a menu that covers a lot of territory, stick to this signature dish, which arrives overly generous in size. Otherwise, a warm basket of chips laced with a handful of sauces and a plate of zucchini blossom empanadas will position you well for the main event." - Michelin Inspector

"La Diosa de Los Moles, or goddess of moles, chef Rocio Camacho is an institution in LA, known for her Oaxacan, national Mexican, and other creative takes on Mexico’s popular pre-Hispanic celebration dish. There are treats from her hometown of Huajuapan de León in the Mixteca region, such as chileajo, a guisado made with a blend of toasted chiles, garlic, and spices, and her mom’s flawless mole negro, sublime in its texture and its many distinguishable ingredients — a feat to accomplish." - Bill Esparza

"Ever cheerful, Los Angeles’s Diosa de Los Moles, or goddess of moles, chef Rocio Camacho, continues to explore traditional moles of her native Oaxaca, national moles, and creations of her own at her charming Bell Gardens restaurant. Enmoladas, Camacho’s cheese or chicken enchiladas covered with mole are best with her award-winning mole negro oaxaqueño or mole poblano; still, there are more options like manchamanteles (tablecloth-stainer mole), pipian (pumpkin seed mole), or her original pistachio-mint mole. Try them all, and appease the goddess." - Bill Esparza