When Roy Choi’s Locol opened in Watts, my mom expressed an interest in visiting there. That surprised me because she rarely expresses interest in visiting any new restaurants. The first time it was convenient for both of us, it was a Monday and Locol was closed. The second time was during the holidays and they were closed for an extended period.
The third time proved to be the charm. As we drove north to Locol, I pointed out the Watts Towers and later the Tamales Elena trailer, a place where I like to pick up tamales.
We arrived just as they opened and being the first ones there, it was a bit eerie. The roll-up doors began opening from the outside and we suddenly experienced the sensation of being in an outdoor patio. There is no glass in the windows of Locol; instead, the large doors and windows are simply screens.
The music is cool hip-hop and the decor was a creative black and white theme. The tables and chairs are made out of block wood and painted black or white and lacquered. There was definitely not an attempt to pack the diners inside; it was to give people a sense of making this a neighborhood restaurant.
Braised Beef Foldie
The menu is primarily hamburgers, fries, and messy greens. Chili is a large part of their menu and it is available as a chili cheeseburger, chili cheese fries, and just plain chili. What is unique to Locol is the foldie, a folded and stuffed tortilla. That day, the selections were bean & cheese or braised beef, my mom choose the latter. We both agreed that it was tasty.
Locol’s chili cheeseburger
We shared our selections. The chili cheeseburger had chili bursting out of its seams. My mom thought the burger was very good. The bun, however, was unusual. It was dense and chewy and probably selected so that it could hold up to the chili without falling apart. To me, it was similar to sourdough in texture but did not taste like sourdough.
The restaurant is set up for self-serve to minimize their expenses. Everything is available to the diner without having to ask someone. When I went up to ask for ketchup, I noticed a tray filled with Heinz ketchup packets.
Since we were trying to sample as much as possible, I went for combo #4: Chili, messy greens, and an agua fresca. Combo 1 includes a cheeseburger, combo 2 includes a double cheeseburger and combo 3 includes two foldies. Fries and an agua fresca round out combos 1-3.
I mixed the chili because the top was covered with crushed saltines.
Messy Greens – good flavor
The chili was topped with crushed saltines and shredded cheddar. Tasting it, I was somewhat disappointed. It tasted like seasoned ground beef with kidney beans. I didn’t taste cumin or garlic. The messy greens had the requisite pork seasoning and my strawberry lemon agua fresca was tasty and refreshing.
The special that day was a grilled cheese sandwich.
Locol reviews indicate that their veggie burger is outstanding. I’ll definitely try that the next time I visit.
The next day I pulled the remaining chili out of the refrigerator, stirred it up and noticed that there was white rice beneath it. I fried an egg, stirred it into the mixture and it turned out great! The egg yolk mixed well with the chili and rice and I liked that more than the original.
The staff was friendly and cordial. They greeted us when we arrived and they thanked us as we left.
My mom told me that she had a good time. To me, that’s all that matters.
Locol, 1950 E. 103rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90002
welocol.com