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Categories: Food, Restaurants
Neighborhood: DowntownMon-Wed. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I looooove this place. My friend and I found it in a magazine and thought we would venture out since we had both just moved to downtown and were exploring. It was the best find in downtown (although it is not in the walkable area of downtown...dont worry there is front door parking). The mole chicken enchiladas are to die for. It is also the first place that I have ever seen Calabasitas served as a main course. The Salmon salad is also terrific, it has strawberries and a chipotle ranch dressing with a kick, delightful to your tastebuds. To drink, the basil lime martinis are the best in LA.
The atmoshphere is chic, yet unassuming, the staff friendly and very helpful. I always take my foodie friends there who are looking for a memorable meal without haveing to deal with the see and be seen crowd.
I would give it a 3.5.
Had the taco sampler and my date had the chicken mole. Taco sampler had 8 tacos (kinda on the small side) for $18, which I thought was on the pricey side, and mole dish was $13. Both good, but nothing really blew me away, like most yelpers have mentioned.
If anything the atmosphere was pretty cool, would come here for drinks and ice cream. Their cinnamon ice cream tasted like a churro in ice cream form. Super delicious!
Great looking place, sure wish I could love this place but it's not gonna happen this time.
The margaritas were mostly lime and not a hint of alcohol flavor, which is really just not my idea of a good top shelf margarita- I want some flavor, not just lime juice. We ordered enchiladas, and wow- they came out in about 3 minutes! Surely not enough time to cook anything! Food turned out to be bland and not very exciting, although like the restaurant interior, food presentation was appealing. Not surprisingly it tasted like some cooking time would have made it better!
If this place added/trained a decent bartender and a chef with some more exciting taste buds to give the place some zest I am sure this place could be a hit. It's really a nice building with lots of potential. Fix the food and drinks and I'd be back. As it stands now I am suprised it's not another bancrupt casualty. As cute as the staff was, maybe there's a daddy paying to keep it going? Feels that way.
Great Mexican food, fantastic happy hour, free parking!
Plain exterior in Warehouse District with elegant restaurant/bar setting
Take cab or park free next door to the restaurant.
Fantastic Happy Hour M-Sa 4-7 with great $6 appetizers
The food is very tasty and appropriately spicey (not dummy-downed) e.g. guacamole, tacos de carnitas
Very flavorful entrees e.g., camarones al ajillo
Super vegetarian dishes e.g., nopales with corn
Deadly capirotada (Mexican bread pudding)
Service is good, but needs a little fine tuning
Awesome!!! I was in town visiting my brother and friends and had the chance to dine at this wonderful restaurant. Everything from the food to the staff to the dessert was top notch. Having lived in and near NYC, I have gone to dos caminos, maz mezcal, and rosa mexicano tons of times, and this has been my favorite so far. I started with the empanadas and shrimp taquitos, and then had the skirt steak salad as my main course. I finished of with the mango cheese cake which was delicious. If you enjoy great mexican food you can't go wrong here.
I was expecting so much more from this place. The decor, the yummy sounding menu, the rave reviews from LA foodies that recommended this place.
But guess what? Fellow foodies on Twitter CAN be wrong. Or maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes. Then again, how can anyone mess up something as easy as chicken enchiladas suizas?? Here's how: a bland sauce, the use dark meat instead of white meat and a side of really, really dry cilantro-lime rice.
On a positive note, I will say homemade tortillas are always treat!
But I will end with this, you know it's pretty bad when your dinner date suggests grabbing fast food afterward.
Ummm...went here for lunch today & this place was horrible! I feel like my taste buds were molested!
It looks nice, the seats are pretty comfortable, and free valet, hence the one (1) star :o)
We ordered a bunch of tacos, sopes, and enchilads...but what we actually got were: horrendous aftertaste, heart burn, gas, and a dent in our wallets! Their ingredients are OBVIOUSLY questionable cuz I don't even get any of the above side effects from taco trucks.
This place was not cheap, but tasted so. I even chewed on a piece of plastic that was in my sope.
Never coming here again & wouldn't ever recommend it!!!
I wanted to love this place.
It had all the makings of what I like. Located in the ghetto, like a gem in the rough. Designer decor and well worded menus. A super hip crowd.
But, alas, no dice.
Although the food wasn't bad at all, my dinner guest and I gave each other the same assessment of our dinner.
"Eh."
I mean, was it bad food? Nope. I cleaned the plate actually, but it was lackluster. There was no fire, no spice, no spark. It was like one of those dates you go out on with someone who looks great on paper but just does absolutely nothing for you in person. Eh.
So will I go back. Eh, maybe? But the excitement I felt for this place before my visit has been squelched.
OH and another thing, their Jamica Margarita (which was basically a regular tasting margarita) was freaking $12 dollars. The SAME PRICE as my MEAL. That was no bueno.
Jessie and Catherine created a tasting menu for a large party at lunch, affording us the opportunity to sample lots of small dishes - all of which were outstanding. I felt like a judge on Top Chef, and enjoyed the experience so much more than eating the usual big platter. I was especially taken by the squash and the corn dishes, one of which was combined with roasted jabaneros in a cream sauce, as well as the rice dishes. Just as the measure of a Korean restaurant is the quality of its banchan, Yxta's craft and inventiveness is evident throughout. Our dessert trio of flan, bread pudding and ice cream hit the spot.
Everyone was pleased with our experience - two people came the very next day for lunch.
Meh.
No, really. I wanted to like it. I really did. Heck, I wanted to love it. It was this cool little place in DTLA that we stumbled upon. The reviews seemed to be very complimentary and I couldn't wait.
I opted for the Chile Relleno plate. The chile was okay. The nopales were so-so, as was the rice. My friend and I decided to order, and share, a jamaica margarita. It was good. But I really didn't taste the jamaica. And there was so much tequila that I was a bit turned off. I know; me turned off by a strong drink? I think I only had a quarter of it. So, it was a surprise when the bill comes and the drink was the price of my chile relleno plate.
I can't say that the food was bad. It was decent. It wasn't great. It wasn't memorable. It was... what it was. And that's where it's going to stay because I can't see myself going back unless it's for Happy Hour.
Lord have mercy, what is going on lately with the bad Mexican food? I actually was unable to eat the food I ordered here. And I was starving. Famished to be exact. And none of it was edible.
The margaritas were very good however, not too sweet, and strong like I like them. And the servers were friendly. Too bad the food wasn't up to par and the ventilation leaves one smelling like a steamed tamale fried in Crisco when all is said and done.
We pulled into the parking lot and it's attached to a strip mall. Plus one, plenty of parking, but then it is lost with being part of a strip mall. Walked inside and it is an amazing cool space, very Downtown LA. Brick walls, high ceilings with beams, etc. Service was excellent. I had what had to be the best mole I have ever had. I am not usually a big fan of mole and now get what it is to have it done right. Margaritas were awesome. Prices were very reasonable.
After weeks of craving some of Yxta's Carnitas, I went back last night and didn't got the sopes with Carnitas and some of their potato tacos. Way too much food for one person by the way. But enjoyed it as always!
Amazing Carnitas. The best I've ever had. And a nice sized portion. The mole and shrimp taquitos are… Read more »
Modern, hip, dimly lit space. Great for large groups. Huge patio, no one using on a Saturday night (it's not the kind of place you might happen upon by accident...you have to be looking for it among the seafood warehouses)
I had steak, which was incredibly tender and delicious. I love carne asada at a local taqueria, but you can really taste the difference with a more expensive cut of meat. Accompanied with a enchilada in mole sauce, black beans, and fresh tortillas. Enough for leftovers the next day. My friend had the fish special, fresh and delicious. oh, and the chips and salsa were also yummy.
This is a good addition to the great Little Tokyo area. The first time I went with coworkers for a 2 hour lunch - which, btw, is not the norm in our office. I got the steak salad and shared some it with a coworker in exchange for some of her enchilada. The enchilada was okay. My friend commented that it was the best steak she'd every had. I wouldn't quite go that far bit it was very good - tender, juicy and lightly seasoned. The salad itself was light, refreshing and had some nice tropical fruit. Other cowokers really liked the salmon salad and tacos. On a second visit a month later I had the salad and wasn't as blown away by it however. The jamaica was also very refreshing.
Best part was the customer service. The waiters went out of their way to make sure we had a good experience. When our order took longer than expected, they gave us two free desserts which were delicious. The flan was denser than usual, less eggy with a generous amount of cinnamon. The pineapple upside down cake however, was awesome. Very moist and strong fruit flavor.
Also loved the decor. The high ceilings coupled with subway tiles and spacious placement of tables gave the place an airy, open feeling.
C and I started with a "trust me" cocktail, made from agua fresca de sandia. Jesse mixed the watermelon agua fresca with sparkling wine, and it was delicious. Light and refreshing.
Last time there, some humans were sitting in the corner, making it difficult to get good room shots. Family style tables are a great choice for a dinner party without being banished to a private room. Both the food and the prices at Yxta make this a perfect destination for a birthday party. We saw several parties larger than 6 getting started before we ended our meal. Love the light quality, the industrial yet polished feel of the room.
Los Banos...
We started out sharing some apps. D ordered practically before we got in the door. Sometimes I wish he would eat before we go out to dinner because he acts like a starving child when someone puts menus in front of us. Sometimes a leisurely pace is a nice thing. At any rate, Jesse recommended the Empanadas. These are offered with beef, chicken or cheese, and we sprung for cheese because the only meat C eats is fish. It was pretty delicious. Nice fluffy little pillows of dough with just the right amount of cheese in the middle. Not over or under filled.
We also shared the Taquitos de Camaron. The kitchen was generous with the guacamole on the plate, which really made the dish. This was universally loved, the shell was very crispy and the shrimp inside was large and satisfying.
After noshing on such hearty antojitos, C and I decided to share an entree. Salmon en Salsa de Mango. Solidly great tasting, I would have preferred this dish to be less rich. It seems to be swimming in butter or oil, as you can see on the bottom of the plate. More mango salsa, and salmon in my mind does not need extra fat to make it flavorful. However, the filet was generous and we certainly didn't leave the table hungry even for people sharing a dish.
Chipotle mashed potatoes were the hit of the evening. Psychotically delicious. Irish/Mexican mash. Cabbage, large chunks of chipotle mashed with potato and "just a little butter". Crazy good.
Jesse rec'd the Enchiladas de Salmon for D. The spiciness of this grew to be too much for him, but luckily it didn't creep to that level til he was nearly done eating. I didn't find them spicy at all, but I can take some heat. I am hard core like that. I would have liked to have seen more avocado and onions on top, so I could have a little in every bite.
Rice and beans, like last time, solidly great. Simple but cooked well.
One drink never really being enough, but two perhaps being one too many, C and I shared the Pina Real. Pineapple with tequila and jalapeno. This could have used more heat from the jalapeno, but it was beautifully pinappley. Crave worthy during the coming hot summer months.
Friday they were offering pineapple & jamaica agua frescas and horchata. They make a white Russian… Read more »
Had another delicious time @ Yxta.
First off the service 5 stars
Chips and salsa were better than last time- lots of flavor and spice 4.5
Salmon Enchiladas 5 stars
Cantaloupe agua fresca 4.5- it was refreshing and not too sweet
Ono fish special with mango salsa 5 stars
The rice and frijoles de la oya are my favorite
Caperotada 4.9 (super tasty!!!!!)
I'd give it 4.5 if yelp allowed me but they are more 5 than 4 so their you have it. Yum!!!!
After reading so many great reviews- I was dying to try this spot.
Location: interesting industrial…
Read more »
Yuck. My husband and I went for dinner on a Friday night and boy, were we disappointed. We were pleasantly surprised by the nice decor, but sorely disappointed by the disgusting food. I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas which basically tasted like salty shredded chicken, wrapped in tortillas, topped with a really thick chocolate sauce. Actually, the sauce tasted like Chinese black bean sauce with chocolate mixed in...doesn't sound appealing right? My husband ordered the marinated skirt steak...big mistake. The meat tasted old...like it had been precooked and then tossed on the grill to warm it up. And it seemed like it had been marinated so long, you couldn't even see the pink of the meat. Weird. As for the accompanying beans and rice...more yuck. The refried black beans were topped with mozzarella cheese. Seriously?? A mexican restaurant not even topping their black beans with cotija? Sad. And the margaritas were not impressive either...reminded me of a next day hangover of too much tequila and lime wedge chasers...
As for the service, it was terse at best. Our waitress didn't seem to enjoy her job and didn't seem to want to be serving on a Friday night. The owner didn't seem too friendly or interested in the customers either. A shame really since the restaurant was more than half-empty on a Friday night.
So 1 star for the food and an added star for the space and decor. I really wish we could have taken our $60 bucks on gone to El Cholo.
Torta de carnitas was excellent.
Even reheated in the microwave the next day it was delicious!
Eeksta...Eeksta...
Found this in the latest issue of LA magazine and put it on the list. It's located on a complete dump of a street, a stone's throw from Skid Row. I'm fairly sure noone will ever drive by and notice it, because you can barely see it from Central Ave. We were almost on top of it before we saw the writing on the side of the building. It wouldn't hurt them to popl for a sign if the city will let them, but maybe they just want to be hip.
It's true you can't judge a book by it's cover, because once you get inside it's way cool. Didn't spend much time inside because we went at brunch and sat outside but I love the decor here. Pretty tight bar, interesting art on the walls, some exposed brick, and really interesting chandaliers. This is exactly the type of place I love, so if you're into the ambience we'll definitely get along.
Ambience however only gets you so far unless you're just drinking but the food here is simply amazing. I want to give a five star review, but I think I'll hedge my bets until I try it again to make sure. Lots of places are good the first time, and then taper off later.
Apparently they have a special brunch menu on Sundays that is different from their regular menu. After asking for recommendations, we ordered the Carnitas taco plate and the Beef Enchiladas they suggested. Both were excellent, although I'd order the enchiladas of the two. The meat was shredded and tender and had wonderful flavor. The pork tacos were also quite good, the meat is delicious and fatty. The plates came with rice and beans. I'm not a fan of beans, but I know these were really good even if I only at a little of it. The rice was my favorite part of the meal. It's light and airy and almost tender, and each plate had a different type. Special stuff. The sauce for the chips reminded me of one of the Border Grill trio, with a little more heat.
Pricing was moderate, high for the area and possibly for the type of food but worth every penny. For some reason the soda was flat, that was the low point of the meal. Service was great, but then we were only one of a few groups in the place so it had to be.
Hopefully this place goes off during the week, because it was empty and it would be a shame if they disappeared. Similar to Loteria Grill, it's such a welcome addition to the LA food scene. Can't wait to come again.
Oh yeah, the music rocked. A nice mix of latino rock and roll to jazz everything up. Nice.
Food - A
Ambience - A
Service - A
Value - B+
Listen up eses y esas...now this is fucken Mexican food.
(Translated for those not up to par with their Spanglish)
That shit you eat that has pinche yellow cheese covering up whatever is underneath is not my Jefitas (my Mom's) food or real Mexican food at that...I don't know where throwing cheese on top of something made it Mexican (maybe Tejas...that's Texas) but definitely not in the Mexico I know.
The Mexico I know gives you a grood slice of fresh cheese (queso fresco) or crumbles a little on top of you beans or enchiladas...Yxta does this.
The Mexico I know serves you a popular cut of beef called Arrachera (flank steak)...Yxta does this
The Mexico I know is more than beans and rice. It's about flor de calabasa (pumpkin flower), calabasitas (sauted zucchini), mole con semillas de ajonjoli (with sesame seeds), and Casta or Indio Beer...but I 'll settle for a pint of Cucapa Chupacabras Ale (on draft...ahhhh)...Yxta has this.
Mexico is about working hard and playing hard and by the looks of it a lot of corporate types come here to get rid of the ties and have a good time after a long day of putting up with the bs.
Mexico is also about music and the selection being played during dinner gave me a smirk on my face as I noticed myself tapping away to the voice of Beto Cuevas (La Ley), Los Prisioneros y Ruben (Cafe Tacuba)...no these are not Mariachi Bands...it's updated music for the updated taste.
I hope they stay consistent and innovative to give them the 5th star...so I will keep coming back just to make sure they do.
Nestled near the garment district of downtown LA, you'll find a place to park your palate that's well-worth the drive. Yxta has all the ingredients for success, and word is getting out.
This is not your ordinary Mexican restaurant. It's older sister, El Arco Iris in Highland Park, has a lineage steeped in traditional Mexican fare. El Arco borrows from these family recipes, and thanks to owner, Jesse Gomez, takes it up a notch or two.
Check out the Margaritas, and in particular, the Real Pina, nicely spiced with real silver, muddled pineapple, cilantro and jalapeno. I've never had a spicy Margarita, and I thought this one might even put hair on my chest.
On a tamer note, try the Jamaica Margarita with centenario rosangel, fresh sour, and jamaica. Both are wild with flavor, making regular Margaritas pale by comparison. As for the food? It's a total WoW!
We began with the Empanadas del Dia. These spicy D-shaped delights were packed with beef, creme fresca and salsa brava. They slid down easily, our stomachs begging for more.
Also great was their Mole Enchilada, made with pulled chicken, housemade mole poblano, creme fresca, and paired with their snappy Mexican rice and black beans. Great cluck for the buck.
The Al Pastor tacos featured marinated pork, pineapple, red onions, cilantro, and are coupled with their zingy cilantro lime rice and frijoles olla. The menu is bountiful, and buoyant with possibility.
Dessert? Their cinnamon flan is as big as a sombrero, and their bread pudding can easily be split four ways.
If you're tired of battling the traffic in downtown LA, and those hefty parking prices, head to this industry standard at 6th and Central. Word is getting out and this place is getting busy.
More about Yxta
http://www.examiner.co...
Quite a few people have stated that this Cocina isn't properly decorated like a Mexican restaurant, and thank god for that it is a refreshingly sparse designed industrial space that emphasizes good Latin food a good price to quality ratio. The room is comfortably cool and doesn't really feel cold or stale. The margaritas were delicious and the carnitas tacos were solid. Do try the chipolte mashed potatoes as well as the cream of corn pablano vegetable dish they all were delicious.
Yxta would get 5 stars if they livened up the music a little bit and maybe had some specials to draw in more of a crowd, it was a little slow for a Saturday night in such a cavernous space. Overall though it is a great place that I intend to frequent in the future.
I called Yxta to see if the were open today [Sunday] and how late. They said "yes" and open until 4 pm.
I arrived a touch after 3 pm and the entire staff looked at me as though "I'd dropped from the sky. They asked me what I wanted and appeared to be genuinely curious.
Well, they decided to close early regardless of my earlier call. I'd driven downtown for nothing.
I wish restaurants would understand what ill will this type of behavior generates. When I go back, if they are open, I will update this review.
Bah!
Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo - I know, I'm massively creative. I can't comment on authencity, but based on Chuy's review below, it sounds like Yxta is high-end Mexican food.
I had high expectations for Yxta, yet I feel like Yxta just fell slightly short. Nothing was wrong with the service, in fact out server was pleasant and helpful.
I ordered the Chile Relleno, which little did I realize is a stuffed giant chile pepper. Even though this dish was the "speciality" of the season, I was entirely envious of my friend's fish tacos, which looked and tasted delicious (great job on the batter fry). My Chile Relleno was good, but a bit soggy to me. I guess I just wasn't impressed by it. :\
Parking wasn't bad for us, though if someone mentioned that the valet during the lunch hour was only $1, I would've sprung for it instead of driving around looking for metered street parking (and risk a ticket).
What's funny is the clientele was mostly made up of LAPD, which is not a surprise as I saw the station on my way out. Hahaha.
My boyfriend treated me to Yxta as a birthday treat. The unassuming exterior shielded a classy and well designed interior. We were seated immediately and brought chips and two varieties of salsa. I ordered the house margarita, which may have been the best margarita I've ever had (El Carmen coming in a close second). For dinner we both ordered tacos. I had the al pastor. I loved it...the flavors were fantastic, and I the pineapple chunks perfectly complemented the seasoned pork filling. The homemade tortillas were heavenly. My boyfriend had the carnitas tacos, also juicy and delicious. Both came with rice (two different kinds) and beans de la olla. The only part of the meal I wasn't too keen on was the rice, which was on the salty side.
Unfortunately we felt rushed toward the end of our meal. The restaurant wasn't full, and we had a friendly waiter, but my dish was cleared while food was still on it and whisked away. I was finished, but the server should have asked me first. I didn't feel comfortable to hang out and chat because everything else was cleared, glasses and all. A clean table is nice, but if our chips and water glasses had remained I would have felt better.
Aside from that issue, the food and drinks were delicious. I can't wait to return...and check out happy hour!
My Wife and I read about Yxta opening up in Thrillist magazine, and we had to check it out (we do live 5 blocks away).
It's phonetically pronounced: "eek-sta"!
Upon arriving we were greeted by the staff and loved the open air feel and ambiance. The décor is modern Mexican and very well put together, comfy leather seats and booths, big and bright Flatscreen at the bar (great ambiance).
We started off with the giant Guacamole appetizer, and also requested additional homemade tortillas to drench in Avo-goodness (yum). My Wife ordered the Chicken Enchiladas served with a homemade Tomatillo sauce - she said they were amazing! I personally ordered the Skirt Steak with a cheese enchilada - smothered in sauce and served with homemade black beans, I was literally in Mexican Steak Heaven!
Just when we thought we were finished and stuffed, the waiter recommended the Chocolate and Kahlua Flan (OMG-r u serious?) - nuff said, we had to order it! Truthfully, it was one of the best Flans I have ever had "." - also it is enough for 2 to share ;)
- Would we go back? In a heartbeat
- Did we enjoy the food and atmosphere? Hell yes
- Would we recommend to fellow Yelpers? OHHH YEAH!
P.S.: They have amazing margharitas and tequila selections!!
What a great meal - seriously this place is a gem! Just what the neighborhood needed! No more going to Boyle Heights for a good Mexican Meal!
This restaurant is bound to end up on foodies' lists of best downtown restaurants, if not best Los Angeles restaurants in the price range. Very good and sometimes creative food that looks as good as it tastes. Bright, spacious interior. Outdoor patio too. Reasonable prices. What's not to like?
Over time I've found this restaurant more and more boring. The food isn't bad, but I haven't been excited by anything since my first meal (which I think I overrated).
yxta was simply amazing. Definitely a great surprise. Wifey and I were out for an after-work walk when we passed by this place. I remembered hearing about it somewhere so we thought we would try it out.
First off, the place looks great, modern-simple-straight lines-Mexican. They really utilized the space they have well. You can see the kitchen if you sit on the side by the door.
The food was great. Wifey had calabacitas and I had the steak salad (which was really a steak with a small salad on the side). Both were so delish that we cleaned our plates.
The staff was super-friendly as well. Not much more to say about this place, you just have to go and check it out. Will definitely make your A-list.
A (not-so) quick update...
We stopped in around happy hour last Friday and had amazing potato tacos and the carnitas plate. Both were amazing. As with our first visit, the service was impeccable and super friendly. The happy hour margs were delicious and didn't taste like a watered down version of the real thing.
The real reason i have to update my previous review was the complementary dessert that was sent out this time. Instead of the pineapple flan, we were brought some kind of amazing bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream. I do not have words for how delicious this was! It was like a cinnamon roll with walnuts soaked in custard with amazing ice cream. I am actually so disappointed in that description, but there is really no proper way to describe it! I want that dessert every night. I was so full from the chips and entrees, but we pretty much polished off the whole thing. I can't wait to go back and I'll actually end up paying for dessert, which i rarely make a point of doing.
Thanks Yxta, you are so freakin' awesome.
I've been on Yelp hiatus, but my review just cannot wait. Downtown needs more places like this! I… Read more »
I just went there last Friday for lunch with my fiancee and her dad. I've got to say I have never had such good Mexican food. The enchiladas suizas were amazing. That tomatillo sauce was delicious. Their rice is so flavorful and I scooped it all up with chips and tortillas. The al pastor tacos were good. I've never had tacos with pineapple on it but I've got to say it gave it a nice taste to the meat. The horchata was AMAZING. Some of the best I've had all my life and I've had many. Not too chalky, fresh and refreshing. So was the cantaloupe drink with small chunks of cantaloupe in it. Just the way MOM makes it.
We also got the carnitas torta which I didn't try but looked delicious. The calabacitas were really good too. I ordered a side and mixed it with my rice. SO GOOD! Great staff and parking was easy with cheap valet. Definitely going back soon. Hopefully for dinner.
A couple weeks ago on a Friday, I met up with a couple of the girls for happy hour. It's located in an odd place, but one cannot argue since there was an abundance of available parking.
It gets one star for the decor.
Service left much to be desired. Although they put in good effort, they were utterly inefficient and understaffed! They whole place had about 2-3 waitors for Friday night happy hour, granted the place was fairly empty. I'd say 50% of our drink/food orders were botched. Right when i got there, a bartender came to our table and gave me a drink, which I did not order. I let the waitor know that I had not order anything yet. He just winked at me and said it was probably on the house. I am not the one to turn down a free drink! Shorly after, he came back to inform me that it was actually a drink my friend had ordered for herself. I had already finished off a third of it, and they did not even apologize or make her another drink!
As for the food, it took about half an hour to get our food and the plates all came at different times(not acceptable). We missed happy hour for the most part. The food from the regular menu was less than okay, especially for the premium prices! And the portions were small, I felt like I was bring jipped. I've had better Mexican food at El Torito. And the drinks! You are not allowed to serve $10 margaritas at a random Mexican restaurant in the middle of no where!
I needed to get out of there! Much to my dismay, the check became a whole ordeal. We all wanted to split the check and put it on our cards, except me. I think it took about half an hour for that--I had no idea why. We had written all the amounts on the back of the receipt for how much on each card. Simple enough, right? Turned out the waitor had charged all the cards so that each subtotal was divided into 85%food and 15%tip. (i.e., If we wanted to put $20 on one card, he charged $17 food and $3 tip). I'm sorry, but I felt like that was a lot of unnecessary math to do. It took FOREVER. Usually places just charge it all as food on each card, and let us put on the tip afterward. Simple.
Overall, I would not recommend this place. It's unfortunate becuase I feel like it has so much potential. It has the ambience.
It's hard for me to find a Mexican spot in LA that really gets me excited. I grew up eating Mexican food in Chicago. For those of you who know, we know how to do it right there! So I'm always skeptical when there's a new Mexican spot in town.
This place gets me excited. It's got a fresh take on a lot of traditional dishes. I took my friends tonight to try it out because I'm a fan of Arco Iris, another restaurant owned by the Gomez family up in Highland Park. Everything was so delicious. My favorite pics are the shrimp taquitos (and I'm not a big shrimp fan) and the tacos de tinga de pollo! Those are easily my favorites. My friends loved the tuna sushi tostadas.
And the ambiance is really cool. I'm looking forward to hanging out on the patio during the summer on a Sunday afternoon. Or maybe having my birthday party there. There's plenty of free parking.
I went to this place full because I had eaten already...
So, we ordered Strawberry - Kiwi aqua fresca - Delightful!
The decor is well done and I'm so hooked on the light fixtures.
(Just wish this place wasn't so far, oh well, I guess it'll give me reason to visit my Tia)
Mom ordered the Manchaca tacos - So JUICY and full flavors.
I ordered the Chorizo Torta - Way too big for my already full stomach. It had a hunk of Mexican cheese, avocado, tomato and chorizo on a light and fluffy torta bun. It came with rice and black beans... Had to take it home. The boyfriend loved it.
We're planning our menu for the next time we go.
Wish this place was on the westside...
Mexican food in downtown has been oddly lacking. One has had to go to Boyle Heights or Echo Park to find good quality. It all changes with the arrival of Yxta.
Yxta shows real promise. They put a lot of effort into the interior. It's a big space with high ceilings, leather booths, a large bar with lots of tequilas, and a tall, long table in the middle for communal seating or very large parties. The exterior, on the other hand, needs some love.
The drinks are delicious. The margaritas are made with fresh juice. There are fresh agua frescas (redundant, I know) and horchata. The White Mexican - vodka, kahula, horchata and cinnamon - is yummy and packs a punch. I also recommend letting the bartender make something up with the day's agua fresca.
The food is very high quality - on par with Malo - but some of it could use a little work. The al pastor is a little dry and the salsa could be a little more flavorful. Same with the beans. It's like everything needs to marinate a little longer. Well, it is a very new restaurant - perhaps it is all marinating right now! The mole sauce, on the other hand, is rich and smoky.
The staff is very friendly and professional.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
I used to come here when this place was 6th Street Bar and Grill. I was very disappointed when they closed because i really liked the place..Anyway i wasn't eager to try Yxta, i figured, great another Mexican restaurant downtown. But I heard good things and decided to try it...Their menu has most of the traditional mexican plates, i wasn't feeling it and decided to make lunch outta the appetizers. I had a shrimp cocktail which was delicious! I also shared a plate of the potato tacos dorados which were stuffed with cabbage instead of the usual lettuce but i have to say that they were also very good! Someone also ordered the enchiladas suizas, I was told they were also delish..Their red salsa for the chips was grade A. So, needless to say i was pleasantly surprised, will come back.
I checked the Yelp reviews before heading over to this place, and was a little worried since there were mixed reviews. It seems people really like or really hate the food. Good thing for me, I fall into the really like category.
We ordered the Manchaca tacos and Enchiladas Rancheros. Both were excellent. There were just 2 small tacos on the plate, but served with rice and beans, the dish proved to be very filling. The enchiladas very flavorful, and the cilantro lime rice was delicious. However, the item that blew away both my boyfriend and I was the beans. I'm not really a huge fan of beans of any kind, but these were surprisingly good. So good that I ate the entire bowl.
I also had an agua fresca cocktail. Not sure exactly what was in it - vodka, pineapple agua fresca, and something to make it a pinky-red hue, but I loved it. Strong enough to get me tipsy, and tasty enough to slurp it all down quickly!
Total cost for the meal for 2 was less than $40, not including tip. Cocktail was a little pricey at $10, considering each dinner plate was only $12. Service was good, the owner (I think) made rounds around the restaurants to make sure everyone was taken care of. Our waitress was just okay.
I was expecting the experience to be mediocre, but this place surpassed my expectations. Good food, decent prices, nice decor, and best of all - no hassle for parking (rare to find near downtown). It's not exactly in the nicest part of downtown, so it's good that the free parking lot is right outside the front doors.
I will definitely be back.
Great happy hour specials. Great creative margaritas. Only drawback, limited vegetarian choices. The sopes for happy hour have a veggie filling option which was really good with lots of flavor. Also, a yummy, albeit somewhat bland, taco de papa plate for happy hour. The place is modern and sleekly decorated, witha spacious, clean look. We've enjoyed everything we've ordered here, including wonderful desserts. A nice updated spin on traditional mexican cuisine.
I had read this was a new place downtown and the menu looked good, but I really had no idea what to expect. This made the experience that much better.
Two words - THE FOOD. INSANELY GOOD. One of the best meals me and the bf had in awhile. Completely worth driving downtown for - and we'll do it again. The area's a little sketch but come on, we live in LA - the actual corner where the place sits is a bit tucked in, clean and isn't a prob. Also, on a Saturday night there was no valet and plenty of free parking in the huge lot the restaurant sits in.
The service was great and helpful. She seemed to genuinely care about our feedback. All the dishes were interesting and were a bit different than most Mexican places. The flavors were rich and fantastic - from the homemade salsa's to the blood orange maragita's to the YUMMY Guac and then to my Chix Mole. The bf had a side salad of cut up chili relleno (peppers) with milky creamy queso sauce with corn! YUM.
The decor was modern and very open and the crowd was pretty hip (and not in the US magazine, followers, poser /surface LA way) but interesting and creative way.
I have nothing but all positive comments. And FLAT OUT - those don't come easy with me- I eat out multiple times a times a week, and with an expense account often. So I expect good food, attentive and smart service, and a place that doesn't lose sight of details.
Just do yourself a favor, and go. Plus, 2 blocks west is Varnish...perfect evening...
We went on a Saturday night, at around 6:00 pm. It was surprisingly pretty empty. After we got our food, it was even more surprising, because it was incredible! i have the tacos de papa, with frijoles. The tacos were good, but I have to compliment the beans- they were straight from la holla, with some queso (I think it was queso fresco), just like my mom makes them- bomb! Overall, the food was really casera and delicious.We were all really impressed with our meals and the service. The ambience was cool, I only wish it was a little more Mexican (not necessarily traditional Mexican, but they could do without the wall of American flag paintings!). But they kept it real with the music, it was a good mix of Chente, Buena Vista Social Club, come rock en español, etc.
Overall, i definitely recommend this place, you won't be let down.
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