Tlayuda Restaurant

"A hearty breakfast is usually enough to get us out of bed, but the spicy chilaquiles at Tlayuda LA have us busting out the door. Instead of the typically uniform totopos, these chilaquiles are made from thicker, crispier Oaxacan tlayudas broken into various-sized shards. These crunchy bites also never fully soften under the salsa, bringing plenty of texture to this hearty breakfast dish. The salsa verde at this East Hollywood spot is particularly great with its bright cilantro flavor and green chile heat that clears the brain fog from last night’s festivities  And instead of stewing the tlayuda with the tasty sauce, the salsa gets generously ladled on top, along with a runny egg and some spicy Oaxacan chorizo, if you care to add that to the mix. It's creamy, crunchy, smoky, and overall, a perfect excuse to zone out for 30 minutes. " - sylvio martins

"East Hollywood’s Tlayuda LA is a Oaxacan restaurant known for its excellent tlayudas, vegan tacos, and homemade moles, but do not skip out on their torta Oaxaqueña. Compared to other tortas, this sandwich is simple and effective. There’s a lot of flavor packed into these soft telera rolls, including well-seasoned frijoles, mayo, melted quesillo, a thin slice of asada, and, the star ingredient, a pile of ground chorizo. The spicy, smoky pork stains everything bright red and makes your car smell like a five-star Mexican breakfast, which is never a bad thing. " - sylvio martins

"Many of us have devoured tacos al pastor in front of a vegan friend who ordered three rounds of chips and guac instead. East Hollywood’s Tlayuda LA provides a different (and less awkward) experience by serving delicious Oaxacan classics with tons of plant-based options. Their signature tlayudas can be ordered with meats like cecina or tasajo, or a mix of sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini on top of savory bean paste. Get the vegan tacos on handmade tortillas, too, filled with savory-sour hibiscus flowers simmered in rich mole negro." - sylvio martins

"Many of us have devoured tacos al pastor in front of a vegan friend who ordered three rounds of chips and guac instead. East Hollywood’s Tlayuda LA provides a different (and less awkward) experience by serving delicious Oaxacan classics with tons of plant-based options. Their signature tlayudas can be ordered with meats like cecina or tasajo, or a mix of sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini on top of savory bean paste. Get the vegan tacos on handmade tortillas, too, filled with savory-sour hibiscus flowers simmered in rich mole negro. photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto Food Rundown Chilaquiles de Mole Negro Instead of the usual chips, Tlayuda LA breaks up large bits of tlayuda for their chilaquiles, which is technically also a fried corn tortilla but just a smidge denser. The mole negro is sweet, decadent, and hits all the nutty and spicy notes we could ever ask for. Rather than stewing everything together, the mole gets poured over the tlayuda chunks, with the dish’s fried egg filling in all the sauce-less gaps with runny yolk. Memelita We appreciate the pillowy softness of these freshly made memelitas, but the masa could use some salt. You still get plenty of flavor for the mildly salty queso fresco and bean paste, but the whole dish still feels like it has some untapped potential. Vegan Mole Tacos The vegan tacos here are made with hibiscus flowers, which get cooked down and stewed in a tangy, nutty mole sauce for a nice balance of flavors atop the fresh corn tortillas. Everything is nicely tart and sweet, with pieces of raw onion providing some nice bitterness and crunch. Vegetarian Tlayuda What this tlayuda lacks in meat, it definitely makes up for in texture, with a whole assortment of vegetables like zucchini, grilled onions, and bell peppers arriving on top. There’s a whole lot of crunch going on here, but you also get some needed creaminess from the bean paste, quesillo, and thick slices of avocado. Make sure to add some salsa for a bit of zing." - Sylvio Martins

"We’ve long relied on Tlayuda LA in East Hollywood to kickstart our mornings with strong Mexican coffee, a pile of chilaquiles, and maybe pillowy memela every now and then, but their vegan mole tacos are still our lunchtime go-to. Made from hibiscus flowers stewed in their signature mole, the saucy filling is mildly tart, sweet, and nutty and has a similar texture to pulled pork. We also love the lightly charred homemade corn tortillas that bring a nice chew to every bite and the sharpness from the raw onion on top. Along with a few vegan tacos options, you’ll also find vegan potato flautas and a vegan chipotle torta." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, nikko duren