Sabores Oaxaqueños Restaurant
Oaxacan restaurant · Koreatown
3337 1/2 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Highlights
Authentic Oaxacan dishes, live music, and strong margaritas
Authentic Oaxacan dishes, live music, and strong margaritas
"Stepping into Sabores Oaxaqueños feels like you’ve been teleported to a picturesque Mexican market plopped in the heart of Koreatown. You can shop for Oaxacan chocolates or a shiny new tortilla press, but the main draw at this bright orange restaurant is the delicious food from Oaxaca’s Costa Chica region. Think sizzling molcajetes full of grilled fish and shrimp, tortilla chips covered in sweet mole, and a huge tlayuda mixta that makes the table groan. It’s perfectly sized for sharing, but we won’t blame you if you don’t. Our sole complaint about this place: the nightmare of a parking situation. Head to their second location in East Hollywood for the same food and space for your Honda Civic." - sylvio martins
"This Eighth Street mainstay continues to be one of Los Angeles’s best destinations for Oaxacan specialties like tlayudas, mole, and alambres, but beyond the food, it’s also "really fun." The colorful interior is lively even when not entirely full, as frozen margaritas and tortas emerge from the kitchen and land on floral-tablecloth-topped tables. The restaurant is open literally all day, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., which makes it easy to swing by for a breakfast of huevos rancheros or a late dinner. Note that the Koreatown location has the same parking issues as any other restaurant in the neighborhood, and the operation also runs a second location at the edge of Hollywood." - Eater Staff
"Stepping into Sabores Oaxaqueños feels like you've been teleported to a picturesque Mexican market plopped down in the heart of Koreatown. You can shop for Oaxacan chocolates or a shiny new tortilla press, but the main draw at this bright orange restaurant is the delicious food from Oaxaca's Costa Chica region. Think sizzling molcajetes full of grilled fish and shrimp, tortilla chips covered in sweet mole coloradito, and a massive tlayuda mixta that makes the table groan. It's perfectly sized for sharing, but we won't blame you if you don't. And if you want the same menu but an easier parking situation, Sabores Oaxaqueños has a second location in East Hollywood with its own lot." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder
"Open since 2011 in the original Gualeguetza space, Sabores Oaxaqueños is a Los Angeles legend. The restaurant comes from brothers brothers Germán Valentín Granja, who both worked at Gualeguetza before striking out on their own. In the process, they convinced Gualeguetza’s chef de cuisine Dominga Velasco Rodriguez Velasco to join. People from all over the city flock to Koreatown to order Sabores Oaxaqueños’s tlayudas, topped with asiento spread, black bean pasta, cheese, and a choice of meats. Other standout dishes include memelas made with thick corn tortillas, goat barbacoa, and empanadas with quesillo or huitlacoche. If dining it, make sure to order one of the restaurant’s famous (and very strong) margaritas. While parking in Koreatown tends to be tricky, Sabores Oaxaqueños has recently expanded with a second location at the edge of Hollywood." - Rebecca Roland
"Some people might recognize Sabores Oaxaqueños as the “old Guelaguetza,” but this place has developed a stellar reputation all on its own. Brothers Valentín and Germán Granja, two longtime employees of the original Guelaguetza, opened Sabores Oaxaqueños in Koreatown in 2011 after the previous restaurant moved to its current location on Olympic Blvd. The duo then successfully recruited Dominga Velasco Rodriguez Velasco, Gueleguetza’s original chef de cuisine and Valentín’s now mother-in-law, to take over their new kitchen. Besides serving various dishes from Oaxaca’s southern Costa Chica region, Sabores Oaxaqueños has excellent tlayuda tortillas that are imported from Oaxaca every week. Their tlayuda mixta is a personal favorite and comes topped with the three traditional meats: Oaxacan chorizo, cecina adobada (sweet/spicy marinated pork), and tasajo (dried and grilled beef). Dominga’s asiento provides a deep savory undertone that pairs perfectly with the creamy bean paste, and the restaurant’s spicy salsa roja offers great contrast to the tlayuda’s mild avocado and hearty meat toppings." - sylvio martins
