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CaCao Mexicatessen
Categories: Restaurants Mexican Restaurants Delis Mexican, Delis [Edit]
1576 Colorado BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90041
Neighborhood: Eagle Rock
(323) 478-2791
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 8:30 am - 9 pm
Sat 8 am - 9 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
365 reviews for CaCao Mexicatessen
Review Highlights
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"The mole fries were surprisingly great." In 21 reviews -
"My husband tried the duck tacos last time -- superb." In 19 reviews -
"I had the Carnitas de Pato (duck tacos) and my husband had..." In 7 reviews
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365 reviews in English
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Review from Rod D.
Van Nuys, CA
5/18/2012 2 Check-ins Here
It was my first time there today. It is a very different type of Mexican Restaurant. The menu is creative and seems a regional sampling of the Yucatan. I am not a Yucatan expert but the flavors were delicious. That seems to be the test of great creative food for me. The plate presentation is incredible for a simple place.
It is a small restaurant with parking in the rear. The decor is interesting and clean looking. Someone put a lot thought into this place. I found a lot of things to look at as sat, like the Sea Salt and Pepper shaker from Mexico. But all is cleanly place and not cluttered.
I had the Three Pigs or Tres Puerquitos, sampled the Pancakes Patano. My friend had the Pancakes Cacao. All three were presented well. The Tree Pigs is somewhat of a salad topped with three different kinds pork, guacamole and salsa. Served a platter with rice and beans. All was good. I liked the carnitas best. The beans had great flavor and well as the rice. I will definitely ordered this again.
The Pancakes Patano are a dense cake with hints of chocolate topped with glazed bananas. It is served with syrup. I enjoyed this but not what not am I used to. I might try it again.
My friend enjoyed the Pancakes Cacao. It is served with strawberries on top with a chocolate center.
The service was outstanding. It is casual dinning meaning you order and then sit. There is a self service coffee and water station.
I believe I need to work my way through menu and I expect I will be dazzled. -
Review from Jeremy K.
Los Angeles, CA
5/17/2012
Your review helps others learn about great local businesses.
Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. -
Review from M M.
Los Angeles, CA
4/30/2012
I have been to CaCao many, many times and it's consistently great. The portions are HUGE, the quality of food is excellent, and the price is very reasonable.
Brunch here is awesome, with favorites being the Huevos De Los Angelitos and the Huevos a La Mexicana. The coffee is also great. The lunch and dinner menu offers a variety of traditional and exotic taco and burrito choices, as well as platters. There are a lot of vegetarian options that are not boring, such as panko-crusted avocado tacos.
The burritos are gigantic and delicious.
People on Yelp get a little uptight about the fact that it can get crowded and seating can be difficult, but I've only ever had to wait once even during the busiest times. Sometimes if it's a bit busy and we have to wait for our food (not a table, and I'm talking wait 10-15 minutes) they will bring you complimentary chips and salsa. Really considerate. I also hear they are expanding, so soon this shouldn't be a problem. Even if you do have to wait, it's worth it! CaCao is one of the best restaurants in Eagle Rock. -
Review from Rude A.
Los Angeles, CA
5/21/2012
A unique & delicious Mexican place. Informal with lots of options for vegetarians & meat eaters. I love the agave latte served in beautiful big handmade mugs. I love the squash blossom tacos. The food is very flavorful and rich.
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Review from Cindy G.
Los Angeles, CA
5/20/2012
Took my hubby, Oscar, here to celebrate his 41st Bday! My daughter, Margarita, had the chicken mole, he had the shrimp, & I had the grilled chile poblano relleno it was delish, & healthy too!
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Review from Laurice F.
Los Angeles, CA
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
What an Eagle Rock gem! Blink or you might miss it, Cacao Mexicatessen is a small spot right next to Trader Joe's on Colorado. My vegan friend hipped me to it and I'm glad she did. It's not strictly vegan/vegetarian, but everything on the menu looks delicious.
How it works - line up, place your order with the super nice servers, pay, take a number, and find a seat. It's a small restaurant but there's always seating inside and out on the patio. Their complimentary chips and salsa are delicious and help tide you over while you wait. I've had their tacos and love the fact that there's only one layer of handmade tortilla (as opposed to two). Their cochinita pibil is AWESOME (so tender, juicy and well-seasoned), as well as their fish and shrimp. My husband had a torta and deemed it his favorite ever. I've also had their mole fries, and personally I thought they were just OK.
I love this place and might make it a personal goal to try everything on their menu! -
Review from Patty K.
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
5/20/2012
Been to CaCao 3 times now, and I am so torn between giving them 3 or 4 stars. If I could, I'd make it a 3.5, but I can't so I'm going to go ahead and give them 4. I really have loved everything I've ordered here. The best is the corn on the cob. It is so delicious! I might just order 2 of those next time. The combination of the sweet corn, salty cheese, creamy and tart sour cream and smokey chili powder can't be beat! The tacos are excellent as well. Although, I was a little disappointed that the duck taco tasted very similar to the cochanita taco. I really would not have been able to tell you which one was which. The wild boar taco was very flavorful and unique. The chile rellenos were also very good, but not quite hot enough in both temperature and spiciness. My only other complaint would be that when we were here on Mother's day, we had one person too many to fit at their teeny tiny tables and this really seemed to irritate the server. (not really our fault, sorry guy!) I think this place is a good addition to my list of regular spots. I'm a fan!
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Review from Robert V.
Los Angeles, CA
5/17/2012
Ordered our food for our group of four, sat down and within 10 minutes our dinners trickled out one by one.
Half way through dinner we were only served 3 dinners and the fourth was missing in action. Flagged the owner down and asked for the other plate. He asked what was ordered and responded the special is for Tuesday's only. We explained the cashier said no problem they will make an exception. Finally it arrived but the taco I ordered
was still missing. Got up and walked to the kitchen entrance and a few minutes later out comes the owner with taco in hand.
I explained how disappointed we all were and he could keep his taco. Owner didn't even attempt to rectify the situation or comp the meal so this is our last time for the eatery. Plus the price of $75.00 for 4 seemed a little steep.
Adios. -
Review from Ami S.
4/21/2012
THANK YOU yelp!! This place is fresh and clean and oh so good!
I truly loved this place. Thank you for having such a great variety in vegetarian options where your meal is not just loaded with cheese. I don't remember the exact name of my burrito but it was the breaded avocado burrito with black beans (it was a suggestion from the guy who took our order and it was yuuuummy!) My burrito also had vegetarian rice, cabbage and pico de gallo. The only problem I had was that my burrito was sorta dripping so a bit messy, but all worth it in good taste. Also my whole wheat tortilla was perfecto! The burritos come with a side of blue corn chips. Sure its a bit pricey at $7.95 but I don't mind the price if its actually good.
As for the salsa and chips, pretty good. I liked the green and the habenero salsa!
For sure we will be returning as I need to try all the vegetarian options!
Yummy for my tummy! -
Review from May P.
4/10/2012
I have dreams about the food here. I'd heard about this place from one of my friends a long time ago, but when my Mexican co-worker raved about this place having food that was the closest to his own home cooking that he's ever had, I knew I had to go and try it out. Within 2 weeks of repeat visits, I was on a first-name basis with Frank. Everyone who works there is really nice. They're vegan-/vegetarian-friendly, and they have handmade tortillas. Handmade tortillas that don't need to be doubled up in a taco. The corn truffle tacos are my favorite, as are the aguacate frito (fried avocado) tacos. But they also have something on the menu that combines two things I LOVE: mole fries. They also have really good agua frescas and daily specials. I'm never able to get down there for their happy hour menu though...
Their set up is pretty simple: you order/pay first, they give you a table number, and they bring you your food. I like it that way. The dining room is small, but I haven't yet encountered an occasion when I wasn't able to find a place to sit.
I haven't been there in a while, but just writing this review is making me crave it. So that means I need to make a stop over there, STAT! -
Review from Saul S.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2012
What I like about this place in addition to the very tasty food is the fact that you can buy real Mexican style chocolate, which is a little different from the typical chocolate you get here in the US.
The employees were also very friendly and patient. Always a plus.
Also, homemade horchata is always a good thing! -
Review from A-Dub W.
Los Angeles, CA
4/17/2012
The only thing keeping this place from 5 stars is the price.
I really enjoyed this place! A friend of mine who is a big fan suggested that we meet there. Considering I am not as adventurous as he is (he got duck and ahi and told me how they used to have rabbit tacos), I stuck with carne asada, cochinita pibil, and chorizo w/potato. All were delicious and WHEN I return (because it's not an if), I will probably repeat that order.
I'm all for a la carte purchasing, but for $12 plus, it would be nice to walk out with more than 3 small tacos and a drink. There were no sides included and so after I ate my three tacos, I actually wanted a forth, but didn't feel like shelling out another $3.
But, next time I feel like hitting up my old neighborhood and splurging on tacos, this will definitely be the place I choose! -
Review from Emill K.
Pasadena, CA
4/16/2012
Two words: Frozen Fries.
Really guys. Try harder. It just makes me wonder where else you cut the corners. The food is pretty good but this just is such a lame thing. -
Review from erin L.
Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 4/12/2012
I've heard that the definition of insanity is repeating the same action expecting different results.
Apparently I am insane, because I went back to CaCao and expected a different experience.
All I wanted was a quick bite before meeting some friends at the Black Boar, which is so close to CaCao I decided to give the place one more try.
I figured I would pop in, get some mole fries to-go and get on with my evening.
I walked in and when I saw that the line to order wasn't too long, I thought "Sweet! maybe this time will be good times".
Then I realized that the woman at the front of the line was arguing with the person working at counter about her order.
Uh oh.
A guy in the back called out a name and a College guy went to claim his to-go order, he walked past me to his waiting friend, and laughed, and informed him that his half of the order "STILL wasn't ready".
The line I was in hadn't moved, the lady was still arguing with the counter guy, so I figured I'd do a little to-go timing recon.
So I asked the College guys if they had been waiting a long time for their takeout.
They told me it depended on my definition of "a long time" but that one of them had time to complete his grocery shopping at Trader Joe's next door and his food was not ready yet.
He qualified this with the fact that he was a "fast shopper" but I took note of his two full grocery bags, glanced back at the stationary line behind the still arguing lady, and gave up.
I walked next door, bought a bag of popcorn, and went to meet my friends.
After all, Happy Hour waits for no woman.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/27/2011
I wish I could love this place. I want to love this place. I keep deciding I dislike this place, and… Read more »
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Review from Natalia B.
Berkeley, CA
4/3/2012
Outstanding menu - so hard to choose among the unusual and tasty options - but the huitlacoche (corn truffle), duck carnitas, cochinita pibil, and avocado tacos were all delicious, as was the elote (corn on the cob) - yucatecan style with creme, spicy but not too spicy. Horchata was delish, and the mexican hot chocolate (with shaved almonds as little repositories of yumminess) was just the thing to hit the road.
We were in town to visit Occidental College, and if we return to Eagle Rock, this is going to be our first stop! Oh, and the young man who waited on us was above and beyond the nicest person...thanks for your welcome and friendliness! -
Review from Sam J.
Brooklyn, NY
4/12/2012
My favorite sit down spot for a nice Mexican dinner.
I always get their tortilla soup, which has the perfect blend of cheese, chicken and all other manner of deliciousness.
Their tacos and burritos are great as well.
Bottomless chips and salsa don't hurt either.
Great guac that you can buy in plastic containers to-go makes it a worthwhile place to stop after a trip to Trader Joe's next door.
I am a patient person, so the fact that their service is sometimes spotty doesn't really bother me.
When they forgot to bring out my soup the first time I went here, they made up for it by giving me a second container of soup to-go after my meal. Good people. -
Review from rebecca c.
San Rafael, CA
4/6/2012
We will be back. Awesome!
Coffee, duck tacos, puerco pibil -
Review from Andy H.
Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2012 1 photo
Yes you'll spend a little more here than you may want to for mexican food, but it's really worth it. Their modern spins on traditional fare are a breath of fresh air. Duck confit or pork belly tacos? Yes! Great fresh chips and salsa, and sauces and mexican chocolate to go. Come for breakfast too or check out their weekly taco and happy hour specials
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Review from Eli S.
Los Angeles, CA
Surprisingly disappointed. They were out of my favorite fried avocado burrito, so instead we went for somewhat run of the mill carne asada burrito (which was in fact not run of the mill but in its wet form overly cheesy and the interior was too salty to eat) and tortilla soup (who puts an inch of cheese in their tortilla soup???). To add on some not cheesy flavor we had some duck carnitas (which were pretty good, but no match for good tacos at Sergio's in commerce or even their most recent addition in Montebello) and some duck chicharron tacos which were ok but not great. Not worth the price today. Though the strawberry mango horchata was very good. And as always the chips and salsa are great. Hopefully there will be learning from leftovers we wouldn't even take home.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/7/2012
Really the best modern Mexican around. They really keep trying to keep things new and exciting on… Read more »
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Review from Clarke W.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Always inspiring and imaginative, with curious offerings such as cafe con leche with cajeta, tequila-marinated pork belly, tamarind covered apples, and house-cured bacon with salsa de cacao. The tortillas and sopes are made fresh, in-house daily. If you are going to Cacao you ought to be going for the tacos. That being said the duck carnitas are amazing, the wild boar, house-made chorizo and venison are honorable motions. They even offer a full vegetarian menu which includes tacos with squash blossoms, hibiscus blossoms, portobello mushrooms, deep fried avocado and huitlacoche. All amazing! Cacao may not offer the most 'traditional Mexican' dishes, but it more than makes up for it with exciting new complex flavor combinations, easily one of my favorite restaurants in LA.
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Review from Amy K.
2/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bertha C. took me here. It's a cute place with cozy Mexican decor, friendly staff, and a vegetarian-friendly menu, with veg items clearly marked (I love that). I got the Aguacate Frito burrito, and mole fries for good measure. Since this is fancy Mexican deli food, as the sign at the cash register notes, be patient for it to arrive. That also allowed us to snag one of the four outside tables (there's minimal seating inside and out).
I think I'll probably bump CaCao up a star when I go again (most likely for breakfast, because they have two pancake dishes that look incredible), but my problem with the burrito was the rice: it was so undercooked that some of it was still crunchy and kinda hurt my teeth. I didn't send it back because it tasted really good and I didn't want to wait for a new one, but yeah, that was a problem that I'd think a Mexican restaurant wouldn't have. The chunks of fried avocado were good and the (vegetarian!) refried beans were excellent. The burrito itself was enormous and topped with a Mexican flag-adorned toothpick.
The mole fries were a bit disappointing; the combination was a bit weird. However, the fries themselves were perfect.
And then fewer than a day later, I headed back for the soy hot cacao, Mexican-style hot chocolate with spices and everything. I got it to go and let it cool down for a while, then was unable to find a stirrer, which was too bad, because it meant the cinnamon and spices all ended up in a sludge at the bottom (although they could certainly be tasted). I'll remember that next time. The drink was rich and flavorful, and because of this, there was no way I could even tell it was soy (I loathe thin soy cocoa).
Pancakes, I'm coming for you next. -
Review from Frances P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2012
Let's be honest: I had one of my worst restaurant experiences here.
I was with ONE other person - you'd think finding a table for two would not take long. We were told it was busy and it would probably take about 45 minutes to seat us. We'd heard good things about this place and decided to wait.
An hour and a half - READ IT, 1.5 HOURS later, we finally got seated. FINALLY. Then we ordered. Our food probably took an hour to arrive - TWO PLATES OF FOOD. 1 HOUR. I was ravenous by the time the plates came, but the food was spicy. I can't eat ANYTHING spicy because of stomach problems, and their menu said nothing about the spiciness of their food...so I assumed it wasn't spicy. Bad assumption.
The service was completely awful. It took forever for them even to refill our water glasses, and we had to ask for almost everything that should have been basic service at a sit-down restaurant.
I will never go here again. Seriously. -
Review from mark w.
Los Angeles, CA
2/15/2012
Just don't know anymore. I've been here dozens of times, but always end up taking a break. Seems really hit or miss. Sometimes I'm like, "Wow" why don't I come here more. Last night wasn't the first time though, when I thought "Uck, this place really isn't that good". No reason to go into details but nothing was that great, it was all to salty, and it's not that cheap for what it is either.
I'll probably wait a few months before trying it again. It's a shame to since I live within walking distance. -
Review from Brad K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
I REALLY want to like this place, because it's totally my kind of place. Contemporary decor, bustling atmosphere, friendly accommodating service, a highly innovative menu and fresh, high-quality ingredients. All the elements are there for a great dining experience, but unfortunately the kitchen just doesn't seem to be able to execute.
The first time, I went for lunch and had the Carne Asada Torta and Mole Fries. The Torta was served on a fresh roll, with a delicious slab of Cotija cheese and slices of fresh avocado. So far, so good, but the dish was ruined by the Carne Asada which was like a piece of shoe leather. It was tough and chewy and WAY over cooked. The Mole Fries were also nothing great, actually not even good. The fries themselves seemed to be frozen and the Mole sauce was just eh. Additionally, the fries weren't hot and the sauce, which also wasn't hot, made them kind of soggy and sad. I ate a couple and left the rest over.
I know it sounds awful, but like I said, I really wanted to like the place, so this morning I went back for breakfast. I think a big part of the appeal for me is that everything on the menu SOUNDS so good, it makes me want to try it all. For breakfast, I had Huevos Rancheros. It's kind of a boring, common dish, but it's usually what I order the first time I try a new Mexican place for breakfast, because it gives me a baseline for comparison with other Mexican restaurants. Anyway, if I were to rate this Huevos Rancheros on a scale of 1-10, I'd give it about a 3. The eggs were cold and the sauce was mediocre, lacking any kind of spice. I poured their house habanero sauce on it, but it didn't help much. It was served with refried beans that for some unknown reason, had a strong taste of fish? I couldn't eat the beans.
Even though I've had two sub-par meals, I'm not ready to give up yet. Like everything on the menu, the Cacao Pancakes sound delicious, so maybe I'll try that next time. Their specials also sound great, so maybe next time I go for lunch, I'll try the Catfish Burrito. I really hope they can get their act together because this place is close to where I live and I'd love to have a good neighborhood Mexican restaurant. If the owners are reading this, my suggestion would be to fire your cook and find a chef who's capable of actually producing dishes that taste as good as they sound. I truly can't imagine that the person who created the menu is the same person who's cooking the food, because there's a major disconnect between the quality of the menu and the quality of the preparation. -
Review from Philip A.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2012
AUTHENTIC grub.
EXPERIMENTAL dishes.
HEALTHY ingredients.
HOLY mole :P -
Review from Donna S.
I love this place for their Mexican options that you just don't find in the average Mexican American restaurant. The reason I hate to go to Mexican places is the limited menu, as if all of Mexico only lives on greasy burritos and enchiladas, and the lack of nice vegetables. It set up in a little deli style (Mexicatessan, cute), and you order at the counter and then seat yourself.
This places offers my beloved Mexican favorites of butternut sqash soup, hibiscus flowers, squash blossoms, cactus, zuchini, corn, potato tacos like gramma used to make, aqua frescas and tamarind apples! Woot!
My fave is the Hibiscus Taco. But get it without the American jack cheese. It totally overpowers the hibiscus. Only the cotija cheese is needed with this. Delish! It really has a nice meaty texture with a savory, porky, tangy flavor.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Love the chipotle butternut squash soup when they have it. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Green Chorizo! You just dont' find that here, and its wild boar chorizo to boot. Pretty good. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I love sweet potato. The SW fries here are sprinkled with chipotle powder and come with chipotle ketchup. Tasty.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I love the cucumber mint agua fresca because they add jalepeno and cilantro to it. Wow, what an extra depth of punch it gives it. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Don't forget to try a tamarind apple for a snack. Wrapped in tamarind candy paste and then coated in chili lime powder. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Didn't care for the duck tacos. They were totally soggy and not like chicharron at all. Could have just been a bad day, but I haven't ordered them again. Maybe be sure to ask for extra crispy or something.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I guess I'm in the minority, but I don't care for the mole fries. Their mole there isn't my favorite, but I admit I am kinda picky about mole. Plus I have a huge issue with soggy fries, and the mole just sogs them up. bleh.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Chips are average. On the thin side. And sad you have to pay for them, but I can't seem to eat a Mexi meal w/o chips. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
No alcohol served here, but you can walk down the street after dinner for some wine or whiskey. Bring a flask and spike your horchata or agua frescas. =)Listed in: South of the Border
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Review from Mari B.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a great find on a Sunday am! It was crowded but we managed to find a seat. You order first and then they give you a number. Their staff is nice and really helpful! I ordered their special of the day - chile rellenos with a truffle mix to them. OMG so good! Everything on the plate was really good. Their tortillas are delicious, and although it's extra calories - you have to splurge on the Horchata. I think they definitely make it there. Also get a side of the squash with corn, totally reminded me of my grandma's version.
They have healthy portions, and it's a great place to go to for lunch on a Saturday or Sunday. Totally didn't see their breakfast menu and will need to go back. I saw a few of the breakfast dishes that came out and they looked pretty good! -
Review from Scott M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2012
Everything here I have ever had has been amazing. The house made tortillas are incredible, the salsa are superb, and the entrees are delicious. The staff is always friendly and the prices are great. Plus, you can then go buy groceries at Trader Joe's next door.
Only teeny minor complaint: the horchata is sometimes chalky. -
Review from Clarissa C.
Los Angeles County, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Met some of my homies for breakfast last weekend at Cacao. The place is very cute. The entrance doors kind of confused me. There were two sets of doors and I was trying really hard to walk in through the set of doors that were locked. I think it would be helpful if there was a sign that said "ENTER HERE"
What I loved:
- Diverse menu, something for everyone
- Refillable coffee, iced tea, two kinds of coffee
- Excellent food presentation, fancy plates
- Real Coca Cola
- Attentive friendly staff
- Parking lot in the back
- Yummy food, everything we ordered was delicious: pork sampler, pancakes, chilaquiles, sopas, coffee, latte
What I didn't love:
- Confusing ordering line. There were two places you could order. I ordered from one line, and when my friend went to the same line, she was told she needed to order from the other line. It'll make sense once you visit the place. Apparently the line that I ordered from was the "to go" line. Didn't see any signage.
- Small space. On the one hand I like the cozy atmosphere, but if you want to go on the weekend, get there early or go at an odd time. Otherwise, you'll have to wait.
I'd definitely go back. Nice addition to Eagle Rock! -
Review from Julie L.
1/21/2012
I've never eaten in-house, before, but my family has a tradition of having tamales every holiday season, and for the past 2 years we've been getting our tamales from here... which have been AMAZING.
Tamales, you can order by the half dozen, dozen, etc.. Great pricing, very sweet customer service...
Don't forget to get their amazing salsas and mole!
Enjoy! -
Review from David F.
Pasadena, CA
1/22/2012 1 photo
This is Eagle Rock! A little bougie, a little spicy, and a lot hipster. A great spot to drop some $$ on tacos or more composed dishes. Flavors are full of dimension and dishes rarely need extra salsa/sauce.
The real winner here is breakfast. How many different ways can you combine eggs, tortilla and beans? Quite a few ways here. Toss in a chile relleno and you have a feast. Oh, and the soup!
This place needs a beer and wine license desperately. Waiting for then to give them the 5th star.
Ive noticed that they rarely have a vegetarian special listed under vegetarian specials...odd. -
Review from No N.
Los Angeles, CA
3/12/2012
This place is so good it is ridiculous. Their classic stuff is top notch and their more unusual offers (corn truffle tacos, fried oyster tacos, crickets, wild boar, you name it!!) is legit gourmet food. They also have the best coffee in town, and their varieties of spicy hot chocolate/mocha is fantastic. This is one of the best restaurants in LA.
Only knock I can think of is parking can be a little tricky during prime time and it gets really busy. I think they should turn the flower shop next door that they also run into more seating. -
Review from Joanna C.
West Hills, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amazing food and excellent service!
I've eaten a lot of Mexican food- home cooked and dining out. There homemade tortillas are delicious! They have a variety of dishes and traditional drinks. The bread alone that my torta was served on was incredible. I can't wait to go back and try something else.
Get there before the lunch and dinner rush to find seating. The restaurant and tables are super tiny, but the ambience is great! That is the only reason why I didn't rate 5/5. -
Review from Jonathan P.
Los Angeles, CA
It's hard to try much here because the food is a tad expensive. However, the tacos or burritos are a larger portion compared to most other taco joints. The difference is the ingredients and preparation. Everything is made fresh to order.
We tried the duck taco, bacon wrapped scallop, cochinita pibil. All were excellent and the corn tortilla they use is handmade and thick, made with homemade masa.
I can't wait to go back and try more of the other varieties.
Yelpers were very gracious in their praise for the mole cheese fries.
I've had really good restaurant and homemade mole before so I was eager to try them.
I was a little disappointed. Not that the fries and ingredients weren't good, but I just felt the mole was too thick and rich. It just felt too heavy and the mole just overpowered it all.
All in all, the food is exotic and worth trying again! I love it! -
Review from Ruben I. N.
Eagle Rock, CA
5/10/2012
What a surprise! The first time I tried the food here was over a year ago 'cause they had a sign displaying their fish taco special. I decided then to give them a try and I was not impressed to the point that I knew that I would be returning. However on my second visit which was today with my wife, I tried the cheese enchiladas and had shrimp added. (First time I ever had enchiladas stacked like pancakes, which were equivalent to about 3 enchiladas) My wife had chicken and mole and both dishes were very tasty. I think they're a little pricey but they DO give you enough (each dish included a small bowl of rice and some kind of vegetable/garnish, both good) and I think they're the best tasting enchiladas I've had anywhere (for the exception of my aunt Sally's but that doesn't count and that's not fair.) I've been to a lot of Mexican restaurant's around L.A. and this place is different because of all the authentic ingredients and recipes from different regions of Mexico (including duck meat, which is a new one on me). So I do recommend this place to anybody who appreciates good tasting Mexican food. The place is small and I think they should arrange their tables so as to get the maximum number of people seated comfortably. They had two larger tables so close to each other that I had to move my seat to the side to avoid pushing up against the person behind me. CaCao please take note. One more thing, the corn tortillas that were in the enchiladas were home made which I believe was the reason they tasted so good, plus the home made enchilada sauce.
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Review from Jaime S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/25/2012
Delicious, authentic Mexican food! It's fun to sit outside in their patio dining area on a nice day. I love their seasoned chips, salsa and spanish rice. At other Mexican restaurants I usually add salsa to spice up bland rice, but that is not necessary here. The family appears to own the flower shop next door, which doesn't seem to be getting a ton of business. They should think about expanding the seating area into the flower shop, as every time I've been here the restaurant is packed, and there is almost always a bit of a wait. Definitely worth the wait!
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Review from Emma P.
South Pasadena, CA
1/23/2012
Went here for dinner for the first time last month, and I can't wait to go back again! Found it on Jonathan Gold's Top LA Restaurant list. And as always with Jonathan Gold, we weren't disappointed. Food was delicious!! We got the fish dish, tacos, and several other things that didn't last very long on the table. Wow! Service was very friendly too! It's a small place, though, so it get really packed. Go early or on an off night if you can. We went at 6 p.m. on a Saturday, and we just beat the crowd. Nice!
Okay, well, we went back and was not so impressed. The pork taco was too fatty and just not special at all. For the price, we need to see consistency and special food. Not going back. -
Review from steve g.
Los Angeles, CA
3/2/2012
Two stars, which Yelp describes as "Meh, I've experienced better," more or less sums it up perfectly (thanks Yelp). We had a few mediocre dishes, reasonably priced, experienced thoroughly mediocre service (had to literally throw something at a waiter in order to get them to acknowledge our presence and bring the part of our order they had forgotten) while dining in okay (at best) atmosphere.
Wouldn't recommend, won't go back. Nuff said.
PS: Happy IPO, Yelp. -
Review from Jason Q.
12/13/2011
Chips were quite fresh. You can actually smell the corn; nice crisp and not overly greasy. Got the specialty #2 version of Mexican corn on the cob. Good but maybe not great. Bacon was a nice touch but I love the original #1 style I would get in Mexico.
For the first timer patron, I recommend the sampler. Duck skin fried, wild bor, and good ol' duck was awesome. Food took awhile to come out but presentation on banana leaf was top notch. Flavors were surprisingly delicate for tacos. Corn tortillas tasted home made.
Definitely coming back. -
Review from Brad F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012
This place was good, but not knock-your-socks-off Mexican.
CaCao seems to be a representative of that wave of experimental California style (which I completely endorse!) that's a bit sophisticated, multicultural (without being ostentatiously 'fusion'), and focused on quality ingredients. While for Mexican, I prefer the grittier homestyle cuisine, I really give these guys credit for their approach.
It just fell a bit flat on the flavor, for me (as does a lot of the NewCal cuisine - yes, Kogi Truck, I'm talking about you). The good: the duck chicharone tacos were really good, and the horchata. The fries themselves were also good (but I really wish I'd liked the mole on them more). And the salsa with the chips. The lacklustre: We got the tres cochinitas, and it was all... okay. But I've had better cochinita pibil, and carnitas. It was actually kind of hard to tell the two apart. And the chorizo was overspiced (and seriously, if I say 'overspiced' it means something). We also tried the mole chicken, and it was merely okay.
Having said that, this was fun, funky little place - informal and cute. And the staff were great.
