Where is the Best Cuban Food in Los Angeles, California?
The place is not bad. The ambience is casual, the food is ok, the service has been spotty half the time. Once they brought our food after the couple next table who came after us had already eaten and paid. But they ordered simple breakfast items, like scrambled eggs and we had ordered a nice lunch item that needed some work. They made it up to us with a discount. The breakfast items do get served more quickly because they are made in mass. But the service has been ok at other times. The house mojito is a nice one that come blended with banan and fresh mint leaves. There are two vegetarian plates that are nice around $13. I don’t believe in paying $25 for a fish entree at any restaurant because i may as well pay a few dollars more and go to a prestigious restaurant like Valentino and have an amazing experience. So I have a problem with all medium retaurants charging that much for delicate dishes that they cannot possibly do magic with. I agree with other reviwers about Asia d
Being Cuban, I’d say this is perhaps the best Cuban restaurant in Los Angeles for down-home “abuelita” style comida. The Wednesday special, “Pollo fricase,” is worth a pilgrimage for lunch. Have a Materva with your meal, have a heated conversation about the political death of Fidel Castro and you will have fulfilled your Cuban dining experience.Pros + good food, great specials, central locationCons – icky neighborhood, parking scarce
I found out about El Cochinito through a friend that lunched there. I was very curious to try it since I had spent a number of years living in the Caribbean and know the food well. I wasn’t disappointed. The food is authentic, flavorful and not greasy. This is particularly true for the chicken fried steak which is served up crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This dish succeeds or fails based on the breading, which must be crispy, seasoned lightly, adding to the flavor of the steak sealed within. This is how its served up every time I’ve had it. I met a friend years ago there, who had spent some time in Cuba, he mentioned the chicken fried steak reminded him of his stay and was just as he had it there. But there’s other dishes to laud, such as the “ropa vieja” or shredded beef. The chicken fricassee is a real crowd pleaser, and if you’ve never tried Cuban food its a safe dish to start off with. All their pork dishes are phenomenal and remind me of when I lived in the Carib
