LA’s West Adams district is not known for Mexican food, and I was surprised to find Taqueria Los Anaya, a family-owned restaurant on West Adams Blvd.
The Anaya brothers (Juan, Manuel, and Gerardo) hail from Guadalajara and opened their West Adams restaurant ten years ago. While they advertise themselves as a taqueria, their menu is extensive, from breakfast items to tortas, sopes, burritos, and tortas. Beverages include Jarritos, agua fresca, beer, micheladas, and wine.
Many Mexican family restaurants feature food from their hometown. Due to the Anaya brother’s experience, they also offer specialties from other states. An example is the Del Mar Burrito, a popular dish in Veracruz, and Machaca Con Huevos, a breakfast entree in Nuevo León. The last time I was at Taqueria Los Anaya, they had Cochinita Pibil on special, a Yucatán staple.
Some popular items include the Carne Asada Burrito, the Breakfast Burrito made with red potatoes, egg, onion, and cilantro, and the Grilled Chicken El Paisano Burrito with a choice of chicken, carnitas, al pastor, pollo mole, or adobada.
Creative vegetarian options include the El VeraCruzano burrito with grilled vegetables, coleslaw, and chipotle sauce, Tortas filled with prickly pear nopal or grilled vegetables, and Sopes topped with beans, cream cilantro, onion, and salsa roja.
Taqueria Los Anaya has daily specials to keep customers returning. We took advantage of Sangria Saturdays and purchased Sangria to get the other at half off. Other specials include Pacho Villa Taco Tuesday with Chicken and Pork tacos priced at $3 and Frida Fridays with 20% off on all chicken appetizers.
The Don Lupe Fried Quesadilla, or Quesadillas Fritas known in Mexico, is a corn tortilla filled with mozzarella cheese, cilantro, onion, and deep fried. The shell is crispy and much like a fried taco; you can have it filled with chorizo for an additional $1.25.
My wife is not a breakfast person and surprised me by selecting Machaca Con Huevo ($18). Shredded beef is sauteed with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and scrambled eggs. When I was young, I remember that my dad enjoyed machaca burritos.
Since they call themselves a taqueria, I ordered a trio of tacos ($4.25 ea) Asada, Lengua, and Barbacoa. They are served on homemade tortillas and topped with just the right amount of salsa, cilantro, and onions. The lengua was tender, and the Barbacoa was nicely seasoned. I later discovered that their chicken mole taco is also popular.
Pro Tip: Taqueria Los Anaya has a free parking lot west of their restaurant.
Taqueria Los Anaya, 4651 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles; taquerialosanaya.com