Guelaguetza

Restaurants, Mexican Koreatown
3 out of 5 stars
(6user reviews)
Guelaguetza
Photograph: Courtesy Guelaguetza

The guelaguetza is an Oaxacan dance; its use as the name of this restaurant serves as a reminder that the food served here differs from classic Mexican. The speciality is meat (chicken, beef or pork) served with richly fragrant and spicy sauces called moles, which use fresh-ground herbs and chocolate to create a depth of flavor. Try the seafood stew or a tlayuda, a strange pizza-like corn-cake, with a fresh juice.

Posted:

Venue name: Guelaguetza
Contact:
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Address: 3014 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles
90006
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am–10pm; Sat 8am–11pm; Sun 8am–10pm
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Average User Rating

3.4 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:1
  • 4 star:2
  • 3 star:1
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:1
LiveReviews|6
1 person listening
tastemaker

Unfortunately I wasn't as blown away by this place as I hoped to be based on the praise I've heard. The mole, cactus, chorizo, and etc were all fine but I didn't leave with a burning desire to come back. Overall though, it's a really cool Oaxacan spot with a wide range of interesting dishes and an enormous Mezcal menu. Both the restaurant itself and the portion sizes it serves are very large. Come hungry

tastemaker

Perfect for festive big groups of meat eaters. This Oaxacan place is known for their mole, so don't leave without trying it (which is an easy task, they give you a sample of the red on your complimentary chips). There's live music every night and guaranteed to be a few birthday celebrations. If you're dining family style, get the Botana Oaxacana (tasting platter with meats covered in Oaxacan string cheese) and the Festival de Moles to try a bit of everything. Those two alone are PLENTY for 10 people. 

tastemaker

This Oaxacan place is nested in the thick of Korean Town, from the main street it doesn't look to be super lively - but when you turn in on the side street, you'll see the big line of families waiting to be seated, there's live music every evening and an open kitchen that's bustling. We were going to go for the black mole but we got the red mole on chips as soon as we sat down - it was so good that we had to get the festival de mole so we can try every mole they have! 


I felt totally let down by following this review.  We ate there yesterday (6/6/2016) and instead of having the best Mexican food, or even good Mexican food, I can say without reservation it was the MOST underwhelming dining experience I have ever had. Vegetarians do not go there for lunch!  The best part was the free chips with mole and queso fresco, the worst was the cold pre-packaged avocado puree failing to pass as guacamole.  It was too expensive and tasteless to warrant praise, and since we were traveling from Brooklyn, we felt we wasted time and money going there for an authentic LA food experience.  Chevelas in Crown Heights reigns supreme in our estimation!

moderatortastemaker

I love the atmosphere at this place! They have an amazing live band that play every night. They don't have too many vegetarian options but it's still worth going for the mole and terrific atmosphere!

moderator

This cavernous restaurant is super packed and super loud (even when the live band isn’t playing, though they almost always are).It makes sense, since the service, music and food are all great—especially the food. This place is known for their mole, and even if you aren’t the biggest fan, try the red sauce that comes on your complimentary tortilla chips; then decide. Tip: Skip the fried crickets. They’re underwhelming, and you get a mountain of them that you’ll never finish—trust me.