LA Latinx-owned restaurants and cafes to support
Los Angeles is full to the brim with culture. Before Manifest Destiny, California was a part of Mexico and many parts of the Latinx culture remain visible to the naked eye. Street names, neighborhoods and beyond all represent the culture that is the foundation of L.A.
There is no shortage of good food to be found within the city limits. Angelenos gather around, below are some of the best Latinx owned eateries in L.A.
La Pupusa Urban Eatery
If you are missing USC’s Wednesday Farmers Market pupusas, look no further than La Pupusa. With both owners being of Salvadoran descent, the pupusas are authentic to their culture but with a fun L.A. foodie twist on traditional pupusas. The restaurant has updated to coronavirus safety protocols with outdoor seating, take out and delivery.
A few of their signature dishes include La Mamasota, an 18-inch, 10-pound pupusa with slices, the Corazon Pupusa, a 15-inch heart-shaped pupusa and empanadas de poleada. The menu is full of delicious other items perfect for a night in with friends and family.
Equelecua Cuban Vegan Cafe
According to its website, Equelecua Cafe is the first Cuban all-vegan restaurant on the planet. Two inexperienced restaurateurs worked with Cuban-born chef Juito Ortega-Gazo to create a mouth watering menu that is uniquely “Vegano a lo Cubano!” The restaurant is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus but they are still offering take out.
Yelp reviews rave about the authenticity of the menu to Cuban culture. El Cubanaso Sandwich is one of the fan favorites at the restaurant. It’s a classic vegan Cuban sandwich with lechón asa’o, ham with swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and mayo. The sandwich may be the best hangover cure yet to exist!
Churro Boss
Ooey gooey goodness in dessert form can be exclusively found at Churro Boss. A food truck that specializes in made to order churros is a Latinx Heritage Month MUST. Masks and social distancing are required to maintain safety at the food truck.
Start by choosing your size, four or seven churros, then your drizzle, guava, condensed milk, dulce de leche, chocolate or strawberry and finally add your toppings: Fruity pebbles, Oreos or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Feast, enjoy and repeat!
Versailles
Cuban chef Orlando Garcia opened his first location in 1977 and has dedicated themselves to being the most flavorful Cuban cuisine in town. Since then, the restaurant has expanded to three locations in the L.A. area. Versailles is best known for its signature Versailles Mojo, a marinade created by Garcia.
The restaurant set up outside seating to remain open during the pandemic. The Versailles garlic chicken is the fan-favorite on Yelp. The succulent flavors of Versailles are perfect for a special family weekend dinner.
Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla
A family-owned and operated food truck open Wednesday through Sunday is a gem amid a mostly industrial part of L.A. The tacos are generously piled with meat and all your favorite accessories. Masks and social distancing are required at this food truck.
Onion, cilantro, salsa verde and a dash of lime all add to the glory of the meal. The eatery also serves quesadillas, molotes and cemita poblanas in a variety of flavors. Tacos Arabes utilizes its social media in an endearing and meaningful way by sharing anecdotes about its family’s history and what inspired its recipes.
Capuyo Cafe
Capuyo Cafe is Latina-owned business in Boyle Heights dedicate to serving healthy food and organic Mexican coffee. The cafe has all the normal cafe menu items and then some. The menu ranges from espresso to Mexican mochas to drip coffee to the signature Capuyo latte with all-natural Mexican vanilla. Since the pandemic began, the restaurant has added an outside patio.
One of the items advertised on its Instagram is a vegan Lavender horchata. Great vegan horchata is hard to come by, but guests swear by it! Additionally, the owner is dedicated to making a space for members of the Latinx community. In an interview with Good Day L.A., Capuyo Cafe’s owner, Daisy Iniguez, shared that she showcases Latina artists as her decor in the cafe.
Viva Los Cupcakes
Inspired by Mexican foods and desserts, Viva Los Cupcakes is a specialty cupcake company. Every item is made from scratch and honors traditional ingredients. Masks are required in the bakery and only one guest per order is allowed in for pick-up.
Owner Karina Jimenez is passionate about sharing her heritage through her unique baked goods. She relishes in the reactions from her customers’ enjoyment toward her desserts.
The most popular flavor is the tamal con mole cupcake. In addition to cupcakes, Viva Los Cupcakes also serves flavorful ice cream, sorbet, fruity and creamy chabets, traditional milkshakes, buñuelo nachos, sugary churros and dreamy concha ice cream sandwiches.
Mikaza Nikkei Sushi
Three chefs work to combine their different flavors at Mikaza Nikkei Sushi. Latina chef Elizabeth Valencia told L.A. Taco that there were difficult obstacles to overcome to be a sushi chef. After graduating from California Sushi Academy, Valencia was the head chef at Hama Sushi in Venice. Now she has come together with Miguel Torres and Danny Rodriguez to create genre-defining menu items for Downtown L.A.
The menu includes ceviches, signature sushi rolls and entrees such as Peruvian cilantro paella, grilled wagyu beef and duck in citrus grapefruit sauce. It’s safe to say the combination of flavors is a unique must-try! The restaurant seats 60-80 on its patio outside to ensure business amid the pandemic.