Mexican Restaurants in Los Angeles: El Abajeno

Right up there with our favorite mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, El Abajeno is a cheap hole-in-the-wall that you probably wouldn't even notice unless it was pointed out to you. A good friend of ours once opined that the best way to tell if you are in a good Mexican restaurant is to look around you... if you see guys with big hats and big belt buckles then you're in a good place. If you mostly see white guys with sunglasses, you're in a bad place. By that silly but quite true standard, El Abajeno can't be beat! In other words, this place is authentic enough to attract those who know their Mexican food!

Don't expect healthy, watered down food here, this is real traditional Mexican food, grease, lard and all. But the flavors are a notch up from most other places out there. While the menu definitely has plenty of traditional dishes for purists, like Pozole and Menudo, there is lots of familiar stuff as well for those less well versed in traditional Mexican fare.

This place is cheap, doubly so given the large portions. One of our favorites is the El Abajeno burrito. It is made on two huge flour tortillas, resulting in a gargantuan burrito that we affectionately refer to as the "baby". As if that weren't enough, it is then smothered in a rich meat sauce. Yowza! Unless you are a big eater, just buy one and share it with a friend!

The chile relleno is moist and delicious. Carnitas are rich and tender. Just about everything we've tried is good. Truly on of the better mexican restaurants in Los Angeles.

El Abajeno
4513 Inglewood Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230-5858
(310) 390-0755

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8:00 am - 8:30 pm
Friday-Saturday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am - 8:30 pm

View Larger Map