Here in Los Angeles County, we’re not at all short of a good Mexican eatery. From the many wonderful taco trucks that sometimes appear to be on every L.A. corner (which is a very good thing), to the swankier joints – if you’re in and around L.A and want a taco, burrito, etc, you won’t be short of options.
Cinco de Mayo is one such place, and it’s typically excellent. It’s not much to look at, as is the case with the best Mexican places in this region. It’s a roadside shack, with basic décor and diner tables. You order at a window, cantina style, and they’ll yell for you to go up and collect it when your food is ready.
But none of that matters, because the food is exceptional.
We opted for the Fiesta Burrito, with asada (steak). When it arrives, it’s so big that it looks like they might have wrapped a cow in a tortilla. We’re exaggerating, but only a little bit. More importantly, it tastes fantastic. The meat is nice and chewy, while the accompanying rice and beans are piping hot and bind the whole thing together perfectly.
The lettuce and tomatoes are crisp and fresh, while the avocado sauce, cheese and sour cream bring the whole thing to life.
Truth be told, we’ve yet to have a bad burrito anywhere around Los Angeles (we’re sure they exist, but the competition is such that those restaurants wouldn’t last long). Trying to rank them would be a futile exercise. But Cinco De Mayo is delicious and filling, and perfect lunchtime fodder.
It’s also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling it to pick up the bar-closing crowd. Like the gyro sandwich, the enclosed nature of a burrito makes it perfect post-party eating.
The burrito is so big that we ended up leaving with half of it. The fact that we ordered a side of rice just means that we were naïve – it wasn’t at all necessary. That said, the seasoned rice, with pieces of peas and corn, is very tasty.
The burrito also comes with chips and salsa, both of which are standard but good. Overall, this was a delicious Mexican meal in a region that expects nothing less. The staff is helpful (although be warned – there’s a charge for using debit cards).
We would certainly go again.
