Tortas Ahogadas El Rey

Mexican restaurant · El Monte

Tortas Ahogadas El Rey

Mexican restaurant · El Monte

1

11537 Garvey Ave, El Monte, CA 91732

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Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
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Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
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Tortas Ahogadas El Rey by null
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Highlights

Authentic Jalisco plates with birote and flavorful carnitas tortas.  

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11537 Garvey Ave, El Monte, CA 91732 Get directions

$10–20 · Menu

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11537 Garvey Ave, El Monte, CA 91732 Get directions

+1 626 522 0485

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Oct 16, 2025

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19 Amazing Tortas to Try in Los Angeles | Eater LA

"One of the city’s many Guadalajara torta specialists, offering sturdy birotes, or pan salado, with a stinging salsa. Request the heat level according to one’s own tolerance. The tortas here come packed with carnitas, and pickled red onions on the side." - Farley Elliott

https://la.eater.com/maps/los-angeles-tortas-map-guide-valley-south-central
View Postcard for Tortas Ahogadas El Rey

Hector Villasenor

Google
Friendly staff and the food was amazing. The place is clean. Had the Torta Ahogada with the 2 tacos on the side. We also had the two soft barbacoa tacos with consomé. Will be back when in town.

Maria Avina

Google
The food was great, and the employees were so nice. The only thing they could improve on is wait on your food. Waited so long for my takeout . Also it's so hot in the restaurant

Ernesto Jaime JR

Google
The food is delicious. But gets cold super fast specially with AC vents pointing right at you. It's was a bit chaotic and dirty. Waiting in line is normal for good food but not 2 to 3 hours. And the place has a C" for state score.

Jorge Borrego

Google
The torta ahogada was good. The lonche de pierna was too spicy for the family and the bread was way too hard and chewy. In my opinion you should not use the same bread that you use on the torta ahogada. If you would use a softer bread it would be much better and maybe don't make it that spicy, the pierna needs flavor not spice. Not sure if I will be going back.

leon castellanos

Google
Tortas Ahogadas El Rey in El Monte was a letdown for me. The torta was just okay—definitely not worth the steep $23 price tag for a sandwich and a soda. What really threw me off was that they handed me a Mexican soda without even asking, which felt presumptive and inconsiderate. For that kind of money, I expected better service and food that stood out. Honestly, I won’t be going back.

Kathy C

Google
Tried this place on our way home from solvang. The burrito was unbelievably huge I could only finish half of it. My husband loved his meal as well which I believe was a chile relleno. We got our order rather quickly, lots of places to sit, and big screen TVs, 4 together, with advertisements.

Mary Zamora

Google
Very nice place and food. Service was the best I ever seen. It's a small place but very homely feel. Every one very polite and attentive. It's not a Restaurant but you get the service as if you were. Me and my husband left a tip for the girl who was so attractive to use that day. Thank you ❤️

Jose ca

Google
It was my first time stopping by, so I had to try the famous wet torta, and it was a great blend of flavors. I highly recommend you stop by Next TIME you're in town

Gabriela O.

Yelp
If you really want a good torta ahogada! This is the place , they do have the original BIROTE , if you are from Guadalajara, you know what I'm talking about, this place is good , good prices, and good service !!!! Definitely if you're from Guadalajara, you have to try this place!
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Oscar C.

Yelp
As a native Mexican from Guadalajara, I can tell you that this restaurant has one of the best and original food from Guadalajara. We ordered a little bit of everything, tacos dorados, tacos de canasta, tacos de barbacoa and a torta ahogada and it was delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant!! We will stopping by again!
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Sophia J.

Yelp
I don't even live in the area and my husband and I come here every so often for the tortas and tacos. Great service and food is delicious. I think the least favorite thing I tried were the bean tacos. Overall well worth eating here.
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Maira L.

Yelp
Delicious and authentic! We ordered 90 tacos de canasta and gallon of horchata special for Christmas Eve. They packed it in an actual basket, very cute presentation!

Jocabeth L.

Yelp
I did order online to save time and the took forever to get it ready, had me waiting in the place. Service sucks honestly. Food is okay but service not professional quality at all My order at the end was incomplete and they're not answering the phone. Not pay attention on orders details.
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May M.

Yelp
I love sourdough bread, birria, and cheese! So when I saw it on the menu and they put it all together in one, I couldn't resist!! Glad I've tried it. It was so good with the birria broth (consome). Dipping the crunchy and chewy sourdough with birria into the consome. Yum!

Albert M.

Yelp
Awesome tortas ahogadas! Carnes en su jugo to die for. They have all your typical "Guadalajara favorite treats" in one place. If you been there, you know what I'm talking about. Clean place, great service and they have pozole and menudo on the weekends, I'm definitely going back again!

David L.

Yelp
Food is definitely good and servers are good. Owner needs to hire another cook to help the young man . He has a lot of customers and expects one cook.

Mirna S.

Yelp
For "Employee Appreciation Week" we placed an order of 120 tacos, 40 chicharron, 40 beans, 50 potatoe on Wednesday afternoon to pick up Thursday morning at 10:30am as our employees take lunch at 11am. We were confirmed, lady said to pay when we pick up. All was set up. When our Rep arrived to pick up the order, to our surprise, at 10:15 am he was told that they didn't have our order, he waited for over an hour, they didn't have potatoes, so we got stuck with 60 bean and 60 chicharron tacos, our employees had to eat late, and rushed, some couldn't eat meat and had been looking forward to the potatoe ones. The tacos, perhaps because they were made in a rush were not great. Ok but not wowed. Highly disappointed in the unprofessionalism, poor service and quality. We will NEVER be returning here for food.
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Dre W.

Yelp
Sooooo amazing! Love, love, love this place! The portions are very generous and homemade is always the best! Highly recommend

Alberto M.

Yelp
El servicio que hoy recibi por parte de Mariela fue super especial tengo años asistiendo a este lugar y jamas me abien recibido con una sonrisa y un saludo hoy superaron mis espectativas en tortas el rey fue mui atenta y pendiente con lo que ocupara . Gracias Mariela espero el patron balore tu perona ya que personas como Mariela asen que uno regrese espero y buelba a ser atendido por ti de nuevo .

VIANEY F.

Yelp
Best carne en su Jugo! El mejor bolillo de las torras ahogadas! Y los tacos dorados también :)
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Jose C.

Yelp
Food was amazing, service was being expected. Owner spotted by and asked if all was well. Who does that any more? The place was super clean and plenty of seating. I had the non spicy because I've heard that the chile is tasty but super hot. I also had potato tacos that were simply delicious.
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Yadira O.

Yelp
I loveeee that this place is so close to me! Mexican comfort food at its finest. Los tacos de canasta estan bien sabrosos!
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Rafael L.

Yelp
This place is legit, I live in west covina and I order takeout at least once a week. (yes I drive all the way to El Monte lol) The food taste great, I have been to mexico and the food is the closest you can get in the SGV, more specifically those damn tortas!!! The service is good obviously sometimes they seem like they would rather be at home or whatever lmao but for me its no big deal. Parking is decent the seating is spacious and the food comes out in a reasonable amount of time.
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Eugene T.

Yelp
My fave place for Tortas Ahogadas. Next best to homemade imo. I wish they opened one closer to OC.

Helena S.

Yelp
You're definitely paying for the ambiance here, the food itself is subpar at best. Save yourself the gratuity charge for the very large entertainment set up and take your ass to the streets of LA for a better umami experience.

Jennifer K.

Yelp
I've been here several times and this is my second review on this place. The parking lot is small and service is always kind. The food does not disappoint. My go to is Carne En Su Jugo and my husband favorite is the Torta Ahogado in either Carnitas or Buche. The sauce to the Torta comes mild, medium and spicy. For anyone who cannot eat spicy I wouldn't recommend eating Torta in mild. It still has a kick to it. But! If you can with stand Tapatio than mild will be perfect. Medium and Spicy is pretty up there in spiciness. Overall, I'm always satisfied coming here.
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May..Lene D.

Yelp
I'm going to let everyone in on a little secret.... TikTok style. This spot has the best refried beans cooked in lard & mashed to perfection. I can live off of them for the rest of my life! They are fried twice in lard so they have that extra brown charred color and are super flavorful yet creamy. I always buy a large container just to have at the house. Their barbacoa is really good too. Every piece of meat is shredded and there is no fat. The consome it's cooked in is flavorful and not too oily. I also like how your order comes with a cup of consome.

Yadi Cisneros T.

Yelp
I have been craving tortas ahogadas for years now. My 1st time trying this place and the tortas did not disappoint. They were perfect and delicious.

Raymond R.

Yelp
I was very hungry during a bike ride and decided to check this out. It was very clean and the fact that they had three locations suggested they were doing something really right and that they might still have things "together" so that if this was the third restaurant it was still as good or nearly as good as the first - some places are only good at one location and can't move beyond. Well organized and thought-out interior and very clean as I mentioned. The person who took my order was quick polite and nice. I got the chicken torta which was incredibly delicious. The French roll had an amazing taste and a really delightful crunch when you bit into it. The chicken was excellent - no gristle and well cooked. Very generous slices of fresh, delicious avocado (I went to a different highly rate restaurant and got some yuck avocado spread but the real deal here). I'm not that close to this restaurant but it is a destination that is worth the time and effort if you don't live close. I thought the price was very competitive for the extremely high quality and large portion combined with cleanliness and friendly, thoughtful service. Congratulations to the owners / managers for a job well done. Highly recommended - I will be back.
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Natalie S.

Yelp
Solid spot for tacos de barbacoa. My go to order is two tacos dorados de barbacoa (1 cheese, one regular) and a side of rice and beans. The Mexican Coca Cola liter is a must! The worker kind of messed up our order and charged us for 3 extra tacos, but we just decided to take the extra ones to go. There's plenty of seating to dine in, but it's very casual. You gotta order at the register and they'll bring your food out. I usually come for the tacos and haven't tried the signature torta ahogada. Overall this is one of my favorite spots in El Monte and I would highly recommend you check it out.

Joy H.

Yelp
My first time here. Don't think I will be returning due to the fact that it was so hot inside. It took awhile to order because there was a line and it took longer just to get our food. I get that they were busy but it shouldn't take 25 minutes after ordering just for take out.

Noemi P.

Yelp
Honestly I think they're over hype . I have high tolerance to spicy food but theirs is ridiculous you can't even taste the actual flavor of the spice the chili was to over powering . They say they have none ,medium and super spicy their medium seems like it was the super spicy it was just too much . I was excited for this place but it wasn't what I expected at all . Service wasn't the best either .

Sal M.

Yelp
Food was terrific not greasy. Price was great for the meal. Service was great and very attentive when dealing with all customers entering and leaving their establishment. Air conditioned environment and well kept as well.
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Nancy A.

Yelp
I've been here a couple of times and I really like this place. I've tried their tacos de canasta, tacos dorados with carnitas and consome. The tacos dorados in itself was good but the carnitas was dry. The consome helped to make the carnitas easier to eat. Now, the real star is their tacos de canasta. The tacos were just like I imagined they would taste after watching taco chronicles from Netflix. They were flavorful, soft, moist and the filling had a great consistency. At the time when I ordered, the canasta was still under the same menu. I don't know when it changed, but they have a separate listing now for tacos de canasta in Uber eats.

Miranda O.

Yelp
To start off, the food was so good. it reminded me of my times in mexico. The service was good. They greeted us and were nice to the other customers as well as us. The building is clean and everything is set out nicely. not too crowded and enough tables for everyone. They have a tv and spanish music playing which sets the whole mood of the restaurant. I really recommend coming here.

Patty S.

Yelp
First time coming here. Food is very delicious tried the torta ahogada, tacos de carnita, and tacos de canasta. Really good customer service !!
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Al O.

Yelp
They need to learn to how to have good customer service. The lady had a shit attitude and was very disrespectful. I would always go with 5 or more people on many occasions but now it's never. I won't come back to this place. Good luck

Viridiana H.

Yelp
Been to this place several times but the service today was poor . First the cashier said no carnitas was available then when another person ordered then apparently they still had some . I had to pay extra to get one of the other meats left which was not the best . The ribs were very dry and just didn't taste the same as the carnitas. Apparently they also leave the bones inside the torta ahogada which the cashier said they would cut it the same as they do with the carnitas which I assumed the removal of bones. Is this normal? Maybe I didn't know that the bones are left inside when ordering that type of meat...
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Marc L.

Yelp
This is greasy, fatty Mexican food... and I mean that in the most positive of ways. I went to Torta Ahogadas El Rey off the recommendation of a chef friend. Apparently a lot of restaurants close early in El Monte and if I didn't want Chinese takeout or buffets, this was a solid option. I ordered 6 of the mini tacos de canastas and a mini torta ahogada, plus a medium horchata... all for about $15. The tacos de canasta were semi-fried and greasy... again, in the best possible way. You have your choice of potato, bean, or chicharron fillings and to me, the potato and chicharron definitely stood out. 6 tacos for $6, a nice appetizer before you sink your teeth into their sandwiches. The torta ahogada is indeed unlike any torta I've had before. Served on a crusty birote roll, this carnitas sandwich is dipped in tomato sauce, served with onions and lime on the side. If I had a bigger appetite, I would have had 2: if you like French dips, this is like the more flavorful, more robust Mexican variant. The birote roll was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside; instead of falling apart, the structure of the bread stayed intact, in spite of the substantial amount of light tomato sauce covering it. Not very familiar with the cuisine of Guadalajara, but if this is a good representation, I'm a fan!
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Albert A.

Yelp
Found this place by accident and what a blessing it was!! got some tacos de canasta and they did not disappoint.. come try it out you won't be disappointed!! Very nice workers and service was excellent!! No Long wait excuse the half eaten tacos de canasta I couldn't help myself
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Karina C.

Yelp
Mi novio y yo vamos todos los fines de semana me encantan los tacos dorados nomas enfrien mas las cocas porfa porque estan como caldo de pollo y por eso les doy 4 estrellas bye
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Jason T.

Yelp
I was looking for a vegetarian option, and I saw that they had a vegetarian burrito. I ordered over the phone and my order was ready when I got there. The burrito was $8.80 after taxes which I think is a little high for a meatless burrito. The burrito was a good size. Inside the burrito was potatoes, avocado, sour cream, cheese, and tomatoes. I was disappointed with the potatoes and avocado. Both tasted a little hard. It felt like they were kept in the refrigerator overnight. I think the burrito would have been good if the potatoes and avocado weren't a little hard. I will give this place another try. I saw the potato tacos are a good value. I want to try them out.

Alisha C.

Yelp
Very spacious good vibes from the moment you walk in. The tacos de Birria were phenomenalBut i would definitely skip the consomé as it is a bit salty. We got the tacos de canasta as well, chicharrón & papá were amazing, but i'd skip on the bean tacos. A lot of food options as well as drinks. Would definitely recommend.
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Sergio H.

Yelp
Great service, its like being in Guadalajara eating a delicious Torta ahogada and taquitos dorados.
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Charles T.

Yelp
A friend of mines showed me some Instagram photos of Torta Ahogadas El Rey and I immediately knew I had to stop by here soon. Well, today I was in the area but my visit was not pleasant. For a big place, Torta Ahogadas El Rey's parking lot isn't huge so be prepared to park somewhere else if there is no parking. As soon as I walked in through the rear entrance, a huge ladder was propped up against the door and the smell of old wet dirty towels immediately hit my face. This place smells. It's not even funny how bad this place smells. I'm looking through the previous yelp reviews to see if other people mention it but so far I only see two other reviews that talks about the smell. Odd, it's really bad. I already made my decision to eat there since I know the food will get soggy if I bring it back so I decided to eat in the corner next to the door to get away from the smell. I went up to the front and asked for a table of 1. They pointed to fold out menus and didn't say anything else so I assumed they wanted me to order from the takeout menu. I wanted the Burrito Ahogada with Pastor but they said they were out of Pastor so I opted for the Asada instead. After ordering I sat down and waited for the food. The clerk later walked to my table and asked me if I wanted it here or togo... I was confused... I asked for a table of one and now you ask me if I wanted it togo? Odd... After that confusion, my food arrived. The burrito was above average, but the Ahogada sauce made the whole meal. If it weren't for the sauce, I wouldn't have enjoyed the burrito They didn't give me a fork so I ate the whole thing with a spoon and knife. I will definitely not come back here. The meal was $10 and I can totally get a better burrito or ahogada meal somewhere else that doesn't smell like wet towels and mops. Seriously, that smell is not ok. I'm surprised they're still operating with that smell around them. Totally not ok. Find a solution please. Like keep the doors open or get some air fresheners up in there.
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Veronica M.

Yelp
I didn't like the tacos de canasta !! No tenían sabor ni la birria. Muy desabrido todo
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Karina G.

Yelp
It's annoying to drive to a place that advertises that it's open and then find out they decided to close early.
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Johnson C.

Yelp
This place has been under construction for a long time. Well, it is finally open and it was pretty delicious. Finally a Tortas Ahogadas place in El Monte! The decor is very rustic with quite some space inside. There are about 12-16 tables that seat 4. You order up at the counter and then grab a table. It was a little confusing at first. Personally I didn't know if you sat down first and they waited on you, but it was pretty easy to figure out. The menu was clear and simple. There were quite a few options to choose from, but it was not overwhelming. And if you have any questions, the cashier was more than willing to answer them for us. For wanting the tortas ahogadas place to open for so long, what would a visit be without trying their namesake? I got the Ahogada Especial, which is a torta with two potato tacos, for $8.99. The torta ahogada is $6.99 by itself and potato tacos are $1.29 each, so you save a little money. Torta Ahogada: The torta was delicious! It is a torta that is dipped in or covered with a salsa. You are able to select your level of spiciness from not spicy(0%), a little spicy(25%), medium spicy(50%), more spicy(75%) and very spicy(100%). I got the poco spicy because my spice intake isn't what it was a few years back, otherwise I would have got the spiciest. The bolillo is a little hard and crusty which is what you want from it. Even though it is drenched with salsa, the bread holds it's own and you are able to pick it up. This is a hands-on food. It is topped with red onions that give it a nice crunch while adding sweet onion flavor. The carnitas inside is tender and has a good porky flavor. It was a little too salty for my taste, but that was just for me. I also am used to pickled red onions and I feel that it is missing the vinegary taste from the onions being pickled that adds a nice tanginess to cut through the fried meat. Taquitos de Papas: The potato tacos are good. I enjoyed them very much. The tortilla is crispy and not too thick. It has a nice crunch to it even though it is covered in salsa as well. There's some lettuce that is sprinkled on top. It reminds me of Taco Nazos potato tacos in the past before they changed it. Overall, the food was delicious and service was good. Maybe not a good first date restaurant, unless you and your date don't care about getting messy and like flavorful food. This is a meal that you can't be worried about looking sexy eating or even clean because you pick up the drenched torta up with your hands. Napkins are a must to wipe your hands and face to look a little decent. Parking can be a problem. There is a small lot but you can park on the street around the business. Also if you made your order and find it wasn't as spicy as you wanted it, they also have a squeeze bottle with pure heat that you can add to the salsa or the sandwich itself to make it more your spice level. I would recommend ordering a spice level below what you like and add it later. Or go as spicy as you want because you aren't a little b!**h and aren't going to listen to some guy on Yelp.

Maria Z.

Yelp
I love the food here , but for some reason every time I come the drinks are always hot , maybe need a better fridge or something ! But food is delicious
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Margaret G.

Yelp
The "tacos de canasta" were delicious. I had all 3 flavors papa,chicharrón, beans. I didn't get a chance to try the tortas ahogadas but my guest said they were delicious. Highly recommended.

Charlie D.

Yelp
My family and I's first time. Entering the restaurant- I noticed half the tables are dirty, and empty. Maybe we missed a rush, I don't know. My family ordered several different things. Being the only table there, they brought all the food out at once about 13-15 min later and the only person that didn't receive food was me, BECAUSE "we ran out and couldn't make your plate" I was told. Why wait till last second? THEY WAITED TO BRING OUT THE ORDER TO TELL ME THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT I ORDERED. Lame customer service. I suggest next time- y'all can advise customers up front before they pay for something y'all don't have or not wait 15 minutes to walk 10ft to tell customer that you can't make a plate. Lost my appetite and just watched everyone eat. Save your $$ or be aware. Thanks anyways for the experience.
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Josh R.

Yelp
The food at this location is sooooooo amazing ! I pretty much recommend everything they have here. If you get the opportunity to come here on the weekend get the posolle it's great !! The salsa is pretty hot so watch out but out side of that try everything here. Only reason it's a 4 star is because service is pretty slow( but it's worth it) and the parking is horrible (you will see for yourself) but both are manageable.

Addie C.

Yelp
This place was great l had the hard Tacos in my life the flavor better then East LA or the Tapayak. I sure will be back. Thank you! Addie
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Angie G.

Yelp
Omg the tortas are so fricken good! The salsa that they drench it in is really good and the spicy one wow! We also had the bean and potato crunchy tacos they were delicious. I also ordered the kids chicken nuggets my baby loved them. Definitely will keep coming back.
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Marvin O.

Yelp
Best torta ahogada in LA with great sauce and nice birote. Carnitas and barbacoa are great meat choices. Their extra salsa is worth it if you didn't ask for it hot enough. Small location so it can get long during a rush but it's to be expected with growing locations.
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Otto O.

Yelp
I came to drop off my truck at a mechanic across the street when I saw this restaurant. Decided to check it out while I waited for my ride. WOW, I was delightfully caught off guard. The conzome (soup) was "delicious" I also had the barbacoa crispy tacos. This great food was topped off by a very welcoming girl named Zulma. Very good food, very good service. Recommended 100%
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Jose M.

Yelp
The tortas ahogadas are ok. But seriously they are getting too lazy though. They now serve the tortas on those red plastic french fry dishes with holes in them. They cover it with plastic bags and lay the torta on top. I expect that from a street vendor not a restaurant.