El Cholo

El Cholo is the mother of Mexican food in Los Angeles. Since 1923, this absolutely massive restaurant in Koreatown (there’s also now a location downtown) has been serving classics that have become staples of this city’s cuisine. Their sonoran enchiladas (with a fried egg on top) are a must, but you can’t go wrong with the chimichangas, the green corn tamales, the guacamole, or anything else that hits the table. This isn’t cutting-edge Mexican, but it’s comfort food at its finest in a festive atmosphere you’ll never want to leave. Come with a big group and order way too many margarita pitchers.