Trejo's Cantina - Hollywood

Actor Danny Trejo's restaurant. Tony had an assortment of tacos just before they had their grand opening: "jidori chicken with chipotle cream sauce, some charred branzino with summer squash and sauteed poblano peppers, and crispy pork tacos with black garlic mole and some fat sacks of uni, and lots of healthy greens."

"“Machete don’t fail!” One of the many immortal lines spoken in the classic B movie exploitation franchise Machete, and also a pretty accurate description of everything that went down at Trejo’s Tacos before it officially opened. Trejo’s Tacos is named after (and owned) by Machete star and growing Hollywood legend, Danny Trejo. Located on a strip of S. La Brea where not much of anything happens, Trejo’s Tacos is a slick, casual taco joint where at pretty much any point in the day there’s a line out wrapped around the corner. But it wasn’t always like this. After soft opening, and then closing, and then re-opening over the course of several months, we all began to wonder if this thing was ever really going to happen. Was this the moment Machete finally fails? Yeah, right. Whatever bogus city zoning hoops Trejo’s had to jump through were conquered probably because Danny Trejo showed up at City Hall and just silently stared at everyone until sh*t got handled. And it did. Trejo’s finally opened, and it’s safe to say it’s a massive success. photo credit: Holly Liss Aside from the afternoon lines (seriously, give yourself an extra half hour), Trejo’s is a well-run, relaxed, and very accessible lunch spot in an area that badly needed it. The space used to be an old auto repair shop, but has been completely redone into an airy taco oasis with a fantastic patio and long communal tables ideal for a lunch hour swing-by with friends or after-work solo binge. While the tacos themselves aren't necessarily life-changing (the Fried Jidori Chicken is a real winner though), it's everything else on the vegan-friendly menu that gets us excited. The white shrimp tostada w/citrus is light, sweet, and quite spicy. The guacamole has pistachios, and there’s a street corn side dish that makes all regular popcorn seem outdated. Like any successful movie franchise, there are sequels already in the works. So if you can’t make it to S. La Brea on lunch hour, be on the lookout for a Trejo’s near you. Because after all the ups-and-downs, Danny Trejo delivered a cool concept with food good that'll keep people (and us) coming back. Never doubt Machete. Food Rundown Fried Jidori Chicken Taco Wrapped in lettuce, one could argue that this isn’t actually even a taco, and more just fried chicken wrapped in lettuce. Let’s not split hairs here. This thing is delicious and that’s all that matters. Guacamole It really takes some doing to make a guac in this town that matters, and Trejo’s has done just that. The vegan-friendly dish is both chunky and spicy, and in a true stroke of genius, covered in pistachios. Give it all to us. Grilled Mexican White Shrimp Tostada Not only is this fairly substantial, it’s one of the better things on the menu. If it was just the citrus and avocado with the shrimp, this thing would be too sweet to eat. But it all works out because the serrano pepper brings in the heat and transports you to heaven. Steak Asada Taco Residing in the FOR SURE taco category, the Steak Asada is definitely our favorite. The asada itself is pretty good, but it’s that toasted pepita pesto that takes it to the next level for us. Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder This one isn’t our favorite. The pork tends to be a tad dry and the red chili hot sauce doesn’t add much kick. Organic Street Corn No more 3-in-1 popcorn tins for Christmas please. Just this. And all of the chipotle cream." - Brant Cox