Welcome to the 18th installment of our guest-critic series, Free Lunch. This week we had the pleasure of treating kcet.org commenter Libby Rego—aka thelustyglutton—to Guisados in Boyle Heights which serves "traditional homestyle braises on fresh handmade tortillas."
Libby is an educator and foodie who has been a member of Yelp's Elite Squad since 2009. That achievement got her invited to be a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. Most recently, and perhaps because school is out, Libby has been busy launching her blog, thelustyglutton.
An American of Italian ancestry, Libby loves Mexican food, considers herself a taco expert and feels right at home in the culture. When it came to Guisados, she decided to order the taco sampler which in her case included tinga de pollo, bistek en salsa rojo, calabacitas (vegetarian), hongos en cilantro (vegetarian) and mole poblano. To wash it all down, she asked for the Arnoldo Palmero which is Guisado's version of an Arnold Palmer made with agua de limon and jamaica (instead of iced tea).
Being a fan of tacos myself, it was great to watch Libby enjoying her free lunch. There are so many taco stands and places in L.A., and opinions to go along with them, that we could produce a series of videos solely focused on tacos.
Guisados is located in the heart of Boyle Heights, which has plenty of street parking, but they also have a small parking lot around back. During our visit, it became apparent to us that many of the patrons had made a pilgrimage to sample these fine looking tacos.
So what do you think about Libby's review? Would you like to see more taco reviews? If you have some restaurant recommendations for us, please add them to this discussion.
Keep on Lunching!
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Guisados
2100 E. Cesar Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 264-7201
Guisados isn't a traditional Mexican taco joint, that's true. However, it takes the traditional flavors and dishes of Mexico and creates a new and interesting take on what we in East LA have come to call a taco. The price is not bad considering the quality, portions and how surprisingly filling the food is.
I have since brought a few friends and family to try Guisados, and when they were told that there weren't any typical types of tacos, they were skeptical. However, after giving it a try, they are all fans and plan to return.
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cinder says :
I was born and raised in EastLos and have had my share of home-made cooking! I am also a Yelp Elite member and came to this place a couple of months ago after seeing Guisados on Yelp's hotlist. I gotta say, I was not impressed. Their tacos are okay and a bit pricey, especially considering that their rent can't be too high. And their sweet tamales are tiny portions of flavored masa, no fruit to be seen. If you're looking for a traditional Mexican taco joint, this is definitely NOT the place but if you're looking for a white-washed American taco "cuisine" joint where you will find an assortment of other hipsters, then by george, you've found it!