El Carmen Restaurant Review

8138 W. Third St. (La Jolla Ave.) Send to Phone

323-852-1552 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu

Price

The food chain in this blood-red hipster hangout is as follows: drinks are first, food is secondary; the twist is that the Mexican fare here is actually better than average.

Cuisine

Open

Dinner nightly

Features

Full bar
Open past midnight
Valet parking
Casual

* Click here for rating key

This Tijuana tequila and taco bar is a longtime favorite among the L.A. hip. Decorated with deep red walls, dark woods, colorful (though dim) lanterns and traditional Mexican wrestling masks, the atmosphere is definitely unique, oddly festive and certainly well suited to the cadre of starlets and black-clad screenwriters who frequent the place. While El Carmen may be known for its almost comically long list of tequila offerings (over 300!), more than a few revelers have returned for the better-than-average tacos and surprisingly fresh and chunky house-made guacamole. Make no mistake: those looking for a full-on dining experience would be better pleased elsewhere, as the menu here is clearly meant to accompany the drinks, and not vice versa.

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