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23rd Street Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Mexican Restaurants American (New) Indian, Mexican, American (New) [Edit]
936 W 23rd StLos Angeles, CA 90007
Neighborhood: South Los Angeles
(213) 749-1593
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
88 reviews for 23rd Street Cafe
Review Highlights
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"...combos are really good, especially Chicken Tikka Masala." In 8 reviews -
"Update* CHICKEN CURRY Breakfast Burrito." In 17 reviews -
"The place also has free wi fi which is an added bonus." In 7 reviews
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88 reviews in English
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Review from john n.
Los Angeles, CA
salmon burger is delicious, nice avocado spread and a 3 cup green salad
Everything here is always a delightful surprise2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/23/2011
Yelp is fixed but this is still a hard place to find. It is just North of USC.
The owner/manager… Read more »
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Review from Katie S.
Bakersfield, CA
4/27/2012
My boyfriend and I walked in pretty late (9:30-10ish, I think), and we decided to get our order to go because the place was empty except for the two employees - awkward. We waited maybe 10 minutes, which wasn't too bad, since we saw them freshly preparing our food. While we were waiting, a person came in and picked up their order, so next time I will definitely call ahead to place an order.
I ordered the chicken tikka masala burrito - a huge Chipotle-sized burrito filled with Indian and Mexican goodness. It was big enough to save half for lunch the next day, but my boyfriend finished it all! I don't remember much of what was in the burrito, but I remember I loved the flavors. My boyfriend wasn't too big of a fan - the mix of Mexican and Indian flavors was too weird for him. I'm sad about that since whenever I go visit him, I get cravings for it! -
Review from Mary B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/26/2012
Like the Calgon commercial, 23rd St. Café's Indian food takes me away to a special place. Seriously, it's amazing. You get buttery naan and jasmine rice along with a side of yogurt sauce and miniature lentils with the main item. I have had the mutter paneer, saag paneer, and chole samosa, all great and homemade tasting, like the Indian mother I never had. I usually get a Masala tea-not to be confused with the sweeter, more American chai-and it is genuine, a pot of scalded milk that needs sugar to even out the intense spice. They have a whole selection of Tazo teas and an espresso bar too if you need some caf.
The service is casual, where you order at the counter and get food brought to your table. Usually a lot of hoodie clad USC students are around eating and working on their laptops 'cuz the WiFi is free. I can't personally testify about the Mexican food, but my friends gave the burrito an A+. They even have chicken tikka masala burritos, a hybridization of said Mexican and Indian cuisine. -
Review from Christopher M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/12/2012
Love this place!!! I'm from London and know Indian food! This chicken here is tender and everything is fresh. Although you might wait 5- 10 minutes for a burrito/curry, they cook everything here from scratch so you know you're getting a good meal. Both the Mexican and the Indian is divine! But for those of you with adventurous taste buds will definitely be rewarded with the Indian-Mexican fusion food! I have never heard of such a concept and was wary at first, but I have never looked back!! Favourite has to be the curry quesadilla.
Overall, this cafe has a really good vibe, nice decor, very well priced and really friendly people behind the counter. They know my name and I've been maybe 5 times! -
Review from Brian I.
Meet the owner because he's a really nice guy. From what I was told, the restaurant has been there for about 6 years and the current owner had it for about three. I've been here with friends to dine, to study, and to chill. It's pretty popular among the USC students. Sometimes you'll see students in their PJ's picking up a quick snack. They have free wi-fi and they have power outlets near every table. It's a terrific place to study.
They have American (burgers, sandwiches), Mexican (burritos, tacos, quesadillas, etc.), and Indian food and some of that is a little bit of a "fusion" cuisine. For example, they have items like the Chicken Tikka Masala Quesadilla ($7.99). If it's your first time, it's a good thing to try. I've tried the Chicken Curry and Chicken Saag and you get naan, rice, dal, and salad. The prices are very reasonable, all under $10; in fact, most meals range between $6 and $8. Again, it's a great place to study and use your computer. I'm glad it's really local to me.Listed in: My study spots
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Review from Amy S.
Los Angeles, CA
What a great idea....People love Indian food, People love Mexican food, so why not combine them together?? GENIUS!
Things to know:
1. street parking, just beware of the signs. I parked across the street when I visited
2. Definitely try the chicken tikka masala quesadilla..it's delicious
3. FREE WIFI!
a great place to chill and eat good food. I'm already thinking about what i want to try next...the chicken tikka masala burrito...sounds delicious. -
Review from David R.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2012
The chicken tikka masala was not good. I know my tikka masala, and this was not the business. I was shocked at the reviews saying it was good. The aloo gobi was on the good side. The thali sides were good enough. The samosas were very good! The guy seemingly running the show was nice to us, but snapped at his employee, and was testy with someone on the phone. Not nice to see at a place of business. But the ambiance of the restaurant was nice.
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Review from Beeha A.
Cypress, CA
3/29/2012
Their chicken tikka masala quesadillas are out of this world.
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Review from Sally E.
12/20/2011
I never knew this place existed until a week ago, and it's my last year at USC. It's a far enough walk from school though, all the way on 23rd (duh).
When I first yelped this place and found that it was "indian-mexican-american" I was a bit skeptical. However it was pretty decent. I had the chicken tikka burrito and the iced chai tea.
The chai was AMAZING, though a little pricey.
The burrito was just okay. The rice and beans overpowered the chicken flavor. I would have loved to have gotten more of the indian flavor in there.
Also--they only take cash if your order is under $8 (?) which is sort of a pain. It's also a little pricey considering they're catering to students. However I would definitely go back and try something else on the menu! -
Review from David A.
Downtown, Los Angeles, CA
2/24/2012
Dear Yelp: Let's be real. You need to add a sixth star.
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Review from Prashanth R.
Irvine, CA
10/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Ah.. the good old 23rd street cafe. So many memories from this restaurant. This is the place frequented by all the desi (indian) population in USC. Has valuable and essential indian groceries that we cannot live without. The indian groceries are reasonably priced (well, not all of it, but it's not outrageous) but the regular groceries like milk and juice are expensive. Day-light-robbery I say.
The restaurant here is decent. I haven't had any excellent dishes here.Okay types. In fact, once my friend found a piece of meat in his veggi dish and was totally grossed out. -
Review from Amro N.
Bethesda, MD
12/7/2011
This is my favorite place near USC.
The idea of Mexican-Indian fusion initially sounded weird, but the best way to think of it is as an Indian place that makes any of their classic Indian dishes in burrito form.
My favorite dish is Chicken Sa'ag, which is great as a burrito (an easy and quick meal) or as a plate with side dishes ($0.50 more, with raita, lentils, and rice on the side, this usually leaves enough leftover for takeout).
For a cafe aimed at university students, it's somewhat expensive (~$8 per entree with tax), and you have to wait about 10 minutes once you've placed you're order, but you get what you pay for: high-quality and freshly made Indian food. -
Review from Jason B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/20/2011
Aside from Bacaro, the only other place near USC that's not apart of USC that's delicious, well thought-out, and serves the upper echelon of the culinary community. While the menu involves Indian/Mexican fusion, you can divide the two as well.
In addition, the service is outstanding. It truly feels like your neighborhood cafe! Grab a cold Tazo iced tea or a piece of cheesecake too!
Also, the coffee is off the hook with its full service espresso bar. Don't knock this place - it's way more than the neighborhood lets on. -
Review from Ben V.
8/5/2011 11 Check-ins Here
SPECIAL NOTE: Hours are changing (back) to 8am-10pm as of Monday August 8th, 2011.
Also, there is a $7 minimum for credit cards or else they charge $.50 to use one. Bring cash or eat well. :)
PARKING: In the back and on the street. Not too hard to find.
This is my first visit here, and I love the place! The iced coffee I ordered was way too sweet, and they were kind enough to give me a new one. The WIFI is fast, and the seating is comfortable. Best of all: plenty of outlets (no need for 10,000 foot extension cords to reach one like other cafes). Great place to hole up and get stuff done!
The food is down right funky good. I'm talking about Bootsy Collins playing Sex Machine funky. I tried a Samosa and a Chicken Tikka Taco, and they both are worth having again. The Indian Fusion here is completely legit.
If you're serious about trying good places and you are in the USC area, you better get yourself over here to 23rd Street Cafe.Listed in: USC Essentials!
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Review from Vineet S.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 7/22/2011
My dad and I came here earlier today for their samosas. He does this once a month.
Actually, this is the only place north of Artesia and south of Fremont that my dad comes to when it comes to samosas.
Actual conversation with Le Papa and the owner, Gopal:
Father: "Your's is the only place in LA that has good samosas"
Gopal: "Glad you like it."
Me: (under my breath) "Gives him something to wash down all that YogurtLand with..."
Yeah my dad loves YogurtLand too much. It's hilarious seeing him in line with the little samplers with all those freshman girls who live in the building above the USC YogurtLand. They think he's a professor or something. It is very LOLable.
I think between 23rd St Cafe, Health Hut, Chipotle and the two Thai places around campus, you'll never go hungry.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2010
FREE WI-FI!
This one time I was reeeaaalllly hungover but wanted something Indian and Mexican...… Read more »
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Review from Steven F.
Garden Grove, CA
6/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
When I arrived at 23rd St. Cafe I didn't really know what to expect. I mean how often do you see Mexican-Indian restaurants anywhere. My girlfriend ordered a sourdough breakfast sandwich and I played it safe with a Texas Burger.
At first, I felt my girlfriend was getting the short end of the stick because our meals came out to the same price, but I got fries and a drink with mine. Boy was I impressed when she received her delicious monument of a sandwich filled with what looked like four eggs, hash browns, cheese, and bacon. The sandwich was literally the size of a small child and tasted 10x better.
When I received my Texas Burger, I knew I would be yelping about this place in the future. The slaughtered cows and pigs came smoldering off the pan and onto my plate topped with melted cheese and thousand island dressing. What made this burger so great was the thick, chewy bacon. The meat strips were sent from heaven to my mouth and reminded me of homemade beef jerky I used to have as a kid.
The only problem I can say about this place was that the service was pretty slow, but then again, you can't rush food with that kind of quality. Definitely a great place to go to in the morning after a night out of heavy partying. Great location really close to USC. -
Review from Michelle s.
Los Angeles, CA
6/12/2011
During the four years that I attended USC, I had never heard of this place...and I'm sad that I didn't! I had this enormous craving for a breakfast burrito this morning and luckily fellow yelpers mentioned they had one of the best breakfast burritos here. I would have to agree!
I was completely confused by this place, Mexican food, with a full espresso bar, with American and Indian foods as well. There was a cross, a picture of Ghandi and a statuette of a Hindu god. I usually feel skeptical of when a restaurant tries to do too many things and no things well but I still had a hankering for that breakfast burrito.
The burrito was the perfect ratio and combination of scrambled eggs, cheese, sausage (meat of choice, but they also had chorizo, ham, and bacon) and hash browns. The burrito was literally larger than my face! They wrapped it tight which I liked because I didn't end of with a huge mess at the end which sometimes happens when all the ingredients sink down to the bottom. The only thing I had a problem with was their salsas were a little too watery for my taste. but that may just be personal preference. All in all, I would totally recommend this place, if only just for the breakfast burrito. -
Review from Santana S.
Los Angeles, CA
12/5/2011
Holy crap..chicken masala quesadilla. Delicious, brilliant, simple. Drowned in tamarind sauce = OMG
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Review from Christine L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Got the breakfast chorizo burrito, which is huge and well worth the $7. I split it with my boyfriend. They also have an interesting drink selection. We got vita coco and our friend got some sort of Italian juice/soda. For checking in, we also got two free empanadas. They were mouth-watering!
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Review from Maria R.
Anaheim, CA
7/5/2011
After a disappointing breakfast @ the Farm of Beverly Hills in LA Live the day before, ex-roomie, lil cuz & I got past our laziness and ventured a little further from our surroundings to get some real grub.
It was 4th of July, so the first couple of places we yelped were closed. :( However, 3rd time's the charm. :D This place was open till 3 on the holiday!
The cook/cashier/waitress that ran the place by herself was very sweet and friendly, even when more peeps trickled in. It seems the place is a fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine... very interesting. We finally settled on a carne asada & eggs plate w/ toast and a sausage breakfast burrito.
The sausage burrito was HUGE and we actually didn't finish it. It was very tasty, but the best part for me was the green salsa it came with.... I love green salsa and this one was bomb. :) The carne asada plate was okay... the beef was overcooked, but I can't whine about it cuz the lady mentioned it as she delivered (the grill got too hot) and offered to change it. We were really hungry so we just kept it. It was still tasty.
I mentioned the samosa offer here on yelp and the lady delivered TWO huge samosas with a big smile. :) They were pretty good!! This rating should actually be 3.5 stars. Not amazing, but we were very satisfied. I'd come back. :) -
Review from Larissa M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/16/2011
I love Paul and his awesome Indian-Mexican-American food.
Try the breakfast burrito or the tikka masala quesadilla. YUM. Mango lassis are delicious, and offer a nice alternative to coffee (which also happens to be good here).
Free wi-fi, lots of tables, never crowded. Great place to study, work, or meet with friends. I once came in with a group of 8 friends, and Paul treated us so well. He recommended his favorite dishes, and even brought us complimentary Indian sweets for dessert with our check. -
Review from Hongming L.
Los Angeles, CA
Nearest place for me to eat. Not bad taste. I think I will be here again.
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Review from Sidharth K.
Mountain View, CA
4/29/2011
This place is the worst food and to top that off, the service is plain horrible. They take forever to bring out anything, the waiters are rude and uncouth and the owner seems to care more about chatting up the ladies than actually serve food and take orders. A lot of the reviews here seem very suspicious.
Give this a pass, unless you are into getting abused and bad food.Comment from Gopal S. of 23rd Street Cafe 5/3/2011
Dear Patrons: Please disregard this review posted here By… More » -
Review from Anilee A.
4/3/2011
Free samosa when you mention Yelp?! Since when?! I'm sooo there!
23rd St. Cafe is on the corner of 23rd St. & Portland St next to a mini- mart. There's a really small parking lot on the Portland side and street parking is usually available.
I'm a fan of the Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry, Samosas, Naan, & Ice Blended Chai! The Indian dishes come in a really cool big plate with lentils, naan, yogurt, and basmati rice. You can substitute the yogurt with more lentils if you like. MMMMmm soo good!
There are only a few tables, but this is a great spot to meet for a small study group during lunch or dinner since there is free wifi! Indian food & free wifi! How could this get any better?! -
Review from Kristina R.
West Los Angeles, CA
11/25/2010
23rd Street Cafe is a hidden gem. Indian and Mexican food for decent prices. Good service. Chill environment. And.. Free Wi-fi! Put it all together, and you got a great study/meeting spot! Or, just a nice place for lunch with friends! ;)
Recommendations:
-Chicken Tikka Masala
-Samosas
-Mango Lassi
As you can tell, I'm a fan of the Indian food.. Get ready for yummy and humungous plates! -
Review from Christy K.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2010
One of the better eateries near USC!
The owner is almost always there and is super friendly, and down to earth.
I've tried their fusion Indian/Mexican, veggie burritos, Indian platters...all great!
Their Indian dishes are fabulous and each comes with lentils, yogurt, this warm bread... really big portions and super satisfying. I've also had their vegetarian meatballs, which is apparently a homemade unique recipe, bathed in a yummy curry-ish sauce.
They also have great breakfast food and a full coffee bar.
My favorite time to come is during the day, and you can sit outside on their cute patio! Give it a try! -
Review from Lynn s.
Santa Monica, CA
3/31/2011
This is a really fun place and the owner and other staff are super cool and friendly and make you feel at home in what can be an unfriendly neighborhood - especially for dining. The 23rd Street Cafe has a mellow Berkeley-cafe vibe which is refreshing.
The Indian food is tasty and solid. Love the samosas! The hybrid Indian-Mexican fusion part of the menu is unusual but good. Food is very fresh and made to order, so don't expect fast food timing. It's worth the wait, though. Nice drink selection and yummy desserts - I had key lime pie and it was delicious!
Another big plus is the free WiFi, the cute patio for outdoor eating in the back, and a safe parking lot out back. -
Review from Joe T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/29/2010
This place is the bomb dizzle. Yes I said dizzle, make your peace with it already.
From what previous yelpers have spoken about, this is one of those nice gems you find in the concrete jungle and away from the mainstream eateries you find locally near USC.
Granted it can get packed on weekends, when I checked in on Sunday from a few years hiatus, it's STILL DAMN GOOD. Friendly staff, prices are progressively rising, but the food is worth the trip.
So whether Mexican, American, or Indian, this is a nice "getaway" joint from all the other crap that's a cancer on Figueroa. But make it just as a secret or else I will come after you with a 3 week old loaf of bread that's been sitting out. Them sticks are hard as rocks, and they will hurt! -
Review from Patrick F.
Los Angeles, CA
3/30/2011
So glad a friend of mine took me to this place today!
Food is awesome! The paratha was so damn good. Tried a bit of the Mex-Indian fusion and have to say the Curry Taco was delicious- something abod the "tortilla" which was like quasi tortilla quasi nan- just yummy stuff!
The service is amazing- the guy is very friendly at the front, he even remembered my friend from having ate there 2-3 weeks ago- just overall a great little place near USC! -
Review from Vee J.
Los Angeles, CA
I simply love this place. Amazing home cooked meal feeling, good conversations with the owner and very good staff.
Try Chicken tikka masala quesadilla, any thali, samosa, and not to forget the masala chai....yummm! -
Review from Weley L.
Los Angeles, CA
8/23/2010
I live two blocks away from this place and I came here because I heard that they have free wi-fi and I needed a place to get some work done. Someone had also told me that this place (which is owned and run by an Indian man) served Indian, Mexican and American food (with plenty of fusion items on the menu) and I thought "interesting... maybe I'll try it one day"
Anyway, they have a full espresso bar so I ordered an iced coffee because I didn't want to use their internet without supporting the business. The guy working at the cashier was super helpful. After working for about an hour and a half I got up and decided to try one of their fusion dishes. I got the chicken tikka taco combo ($6.99 + tax) and I gotta say it was pretty damn good.
Also, I was in the restaurant for about 4 and a half hours and they were totally cool with me staying, which I really appreciate.
I'll definitely come back here to try some of their other menu items. I heard their breakfast burritos are really good. -
Review from Scott H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place was an awesome surprise. The ambiance is not their thing, from the front, I thought it was a mini-mart. But the food spoke for itself.
I tried my friend's tikka masala burrito which was fanTAStic. That was fusion at its best....really good stuff.
I ordered the sourdough breakfast sandwich (at 1 pm in the afternoon...no problem for them at all) and it was REALLY good.
I plan to take others here for the burrito...maybe my new acquaintance Aarti Sequeira...right up her alley! -
Review from Samantha S.
Los Angeles, CA
11/6/2011
23rd Street is a safe haven for all hungover USC students! Great food at a starving artist price. Try their clever blends of Mexican/Indian cuisine like the chicken masala quesadilla. The internet access is free and the staff is friendly. Not a Sunday has gone by without at least one of my groggy eyed roommates accompanying me for a revitalizing breakfast sandwich and Mexican mocha.
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Review from Kyle J.
Bronx, NY
6/21/2010
When you first walk in you think American, Mexican, and Indian food in one place? Then you get the idea (from the Indian music playing and owner/staff) that Indian fare is their game. But wait! there are some Latino chefs in the back, too, cooking it up! Dunno how the American fits in but your wanton Indo-Mex desires will be satiated here. According to other reviews, the fusion Indo-mex dishes are not to be missed (i.e. Chicken Tikka Burrito). I only tried the Indian food and it was off the hook. An oasis of good eats in the Good-Eats Void that is Hoover/Adams near U$C.
EATEN: Malai kofta: veggie meatball curry. Holy Maha Raja, these meatballs tasted like meat! tender moist and flavorful. Piping hot melted into the curry sauce so nicely as i chewed.
Chicken saag: tender chicken and spinach (saag) with a spicy kick to it.
I basically had the best mango lassi ever!! Order it! I will probably come back just for that.
Usually I don't like lentils from Indian restaurants but these were exceptional.
Finally, the SOFT nan was tasty in it's own right, but with the tamarind chutney sauce it became a worthy side dish.
The JOVIAL owner (manager?) gave us a COMPLEMENTARY side of Briani (sp?) Indian fired rice. It was an experimental dish he was trying to customize including onion, ginger, curry powder and a butt load of other Indian spices, according to the generous shop-keep. Is that not awesome? he brought us a dish he was still trying to tweak for free. that is hott.
I'll be back to try a lot of other dishes, at this rate. Most items are $6.99-$7.99. The Indian plates I had (to stay) were very, very filling. Large portions! -
Review from Christina Y.
Santa Monica, CA
2/18/2010
I'm sure there are plenty of cute little hidden cafes around USC that all the students know about and hang out in all day studying. Unfortunately, I didn't find any of them. In the area before an appointment and completely unfamiliar with the neighborhood, I found myself at 23rd St. Cafe. I will say right off the bat that I messed up by not consulting the Yelp reviews before placing my order. If I had, I would have definitely chosen an Indian-Mexican dish like that tikka burrito that sounds so amazing. Instead, i went with a boring tuna melt and fries. The fries were sprinkled with some seasoning that made it a little different, but the tuna melt was basically a tuna sandwich with some toasted bread. Don't get me wrong - I love me a tuna sandwich, but when I order a tuna melt I basically expect a grilled cheese with tuna in it. That means some buttery-ass bread and lots of melty cheese.
Maybe it's been too long since I was in college, but the atmosphere left a bit to be desired as well. The place was ok clean..the bathroom was in good shape, but I had to do a bit of a wipe down before sitting down at a table.
HOWEVER, this business greatly redeemed itself by having a couple of outlets available for laptop use, plenty of tables to spread out on, and for employees who had no problem with me sitting there for hours doing work. Granted, there wasn't much of a crowd in there at all, but never did I receive a dirty look while I mooched off of their space and electricity.
I'm giving it four stars for their niceness and their usefulness to me when I was in dire need for a spot to sit and work. I hope I have another appointment at USC sometime soon so I can check out that Indian burrito!! -
Review from Olivia S.
South Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2011 9 Check-ins Here
23rd Street Cafe is awesome!!! It's one of my favorite places to go! Plus, they have a good amount of seating, so its a good alternative to Starbucks to go study or get work done, plus they have free wifi. I love their Chicken Tikka Masala Quesadilla and their Samosas!! My favorite drink is their Mango Lassi!!!! Sooo Good!!! Also, their Chai Latte is good, tastes like it has a hint of vanilla :) Their Naan is also really, really good!! The people who work there are super friendly and the owner is really nice. The place is always clean and you get your food pretty fast. I will definitely continue going to 23rd Street Cafe!! :)
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Review from Yulree C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/29/2008
You don't go here for the ambiance. You don't even go here for top quality food.
It's cheap, decent food. and a pretty wide selection at that - you can get anything from club sandwiches, burritos, tikki masala, smoothies.Listed in: The charming & ghetto USC…
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Review from Abra W.
Fullerton, CA
4/4/2010
Mm, I don't know about this place.
The owner was REALLY friendly and clearly loves his restaurant/menu, but the food was just OK. The boy and I split samosas and a breakfast burrito. The samosas were filling, but just OK. The breakfast burrito tasted fine when eaten with the green salsa, but without it? Super disappointing. And I really don't like it when food isn't stand alone tasty. Sauce is like icing on a cake. Icing can really improve/ruin a cake, but regardless, the cake needs to taste delicious on it's own and that breakfast burrito that everyone is raving about left SO much to be desired.
Also, the prices are apparently no longer super cheap (as in, this $5 breakfast burrito that everyone is raving about is NO LONGER $5). In fact, it's extremely obvious that they raised the price of almost ALL their menu items by $2-4 because they just cut and pasted new prices over their menu. Der. And it seemed as if the more popular the item, the more the price of that item was raised by. WTF? OK, if you're going to do that, please don't make it so obvious because now I just feel as if I'm getting completely ripped off. If you were willing to sell a product for $4 less than what it currently is listed, clearly you still make money off of said product at the lesser price. So you're just trying to overcharge me, is that it? NOT appealing.
My favorite part of the whole restaurant was the backyard patio, in which there is a bit of quaint, peaceful seating and some lovely trees. A rare find in this part of LA. Unfortunately, the lovely ambiance was kind of ruined by the gas station trash can (the really big, industrial looking ones) that they put out there. Um, ew.
So while the menu was very large and the owner was very (overly?) friendly, I really don't get what the big deal is. The food wasn't that great, and I felt like I was being overcharged. Their one redeeming factor (the backyard patio) lost so many points with that disgusting trash can. I might go back to try their Indian (which looked pretty good, but looks can be deceiving) or fusion food (specifically their tikka masala burrito...), but I don't know. I'm not excited to go back anytime soon.
ALSO!! I just noticed that 5 of the 8 five star reviews on here are by people with less than 5 reviews total (3 of which have only 1 review total??) which makes me think that SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO RIG THE RATINGS here on Yelp. Don't be fooled... -
Review from Jan S.
Pasadena, CA
11/4/2011
I graduated this may and there's no place I miss more around SC. Fortunately, I still live close enough, and will be returning soon!
The owner and staff are very nice, and even when there are a lot of orders to get done, they make sure that you are satisfied with your meal. -
Review from mike j.
Cheviot Hills, CA
5 stars based solely on their breakfast burritos.
Today I had the best breakfast burrito I've ever had (pictured above)...
The awesomeness is 3-fold:
1. they have veggie breakfast burritos- never seen them done right before. it's your basic breakfast burrito but with all the stuff you've always dream of- avocado, grilled onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, the perfect amount of cheese and hashbrowns
2. hashbrowns, not bfast potatoes...yea, legit.
3. great tortilla
It was $4.39.
The fact that there wasn't really salsa/pico de gallo really didn't matter- it tasted amazing....and I truly love my salsa.
They also took the time to cut it in half, which really helps so you don't feel like you need to eat the whole thing before you put it down.
The service was also great, though it wasn't busy. The guy even brings you your food.
Also, check out the back patio on a nice day. Nothing too special but nice nonetheless.
Free wi-fi.
Very nice gentlemen/spanish lady.
