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El Cholo

21 Ratings: 2.1
Mexican Restaurant

El Cholo is a small chain of Mexican restaurants in southern California with locations in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, La Habra, and Irvine. The original location opened in Los Angeles in 1923.    El Cholo was originally established … see full wiki

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Mexican Comfort Food (As Interpreted by a Caucasion from Suburban LA)

  • Jan 9, 2009
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Rating:
+4
As a kid, I don't really remember taquerias. Maybe it was growing up in suburban southern California or maybe it was just the '70s, but Mexican food, as I understood it, pretty much came from a chain. I spent many a dinner out as a kid in El  Torito or Acapulco, consuming endless mixtures of refried pinto beans, jack and cheddar cheeses, tortillas from a plastic package, and either boiled chicken or shredded beef. A real thrill for me was in going to a smaller chain like El Ranchito or, in particular, El Cholo. 

Strangely, having never ventured further into Mexico than a hundred miles down Baja California, I have no idea how inauthentic this stuff is. In my adult life, having put a lot of time and effort into dingy hole-in-the-wall taquarias and taco trucks, I came to a sense that what I had been consuming as a kid left much to be desired in terms of spice, fresh ingredients, methods of meat preparation, and a fear of not covering every last bite in mounds of cheese. Still there's a real soft spot in my heart for the hot mess that is this dated, traditional southern California take on Mexican Food. When I'm looking for that kind of comfort, I still go back to El Cholo.

Having not been to El Cholo in maybe 15 years when I returned a few years back, I somehow still new exactly what I was getting into. The dimly-lit, festive mixture of a family establishment and a sleazy date spot; the greasy chips and salsa; the two dozen variations on refried beans/cheddar and jack cheeses/packaged tortillas/and boiled chicken or shredded beef; and that ultimate feeling of being so full you're almost sick but still not being able to stop because the food is so deliciously trashy. No arguments here.
El Cholo

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January 09, 2009
Cheese enchiladas is my standby at any cheesy Mexican restaurant, whether it's El Coyote, El Cholo, or El Torito.
 
January 09, 2009
I went to the one out in Santa Monica once and wasn't too impressed, but I'm always willing to try a restaurant twice before making a final judgment. What's your favorite dish? I had the nachos and wasn't terribly impressed...
 
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"Mexican Comfort Food (As Interpreted by a Caucasion from Suburban LA)"
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