Los Petates

Great food. Small restaurant, but the food is like home made. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Don’t let looks deceive you. The carne asada tacos are excellent, the steak picado, and they have the best horchata and Jamaica that I have ever tasted.

I really don’t like giving bad reviews but in this case however I feel strongly compelled to do so. Ok I’ve passed by this place numerous times in the past, and the curiosity … Well you know what it did to the cat so it’s time I give it a try after all you gota support your local neighborhood businesses right. Well in this case however I regret stepping foot in this place! Ok So I consider myself an open minded guy and somewhat tolerant of bad service, but we all have a breaking point!
That said I came in to Los Petates with a very strong craving for pozole. I sat down and after a good ¹⁰⁄₁₅ minutes was finally greeted with a menu. Ok maybe they’re busy even though it’s just me and one other customer. The waitress takes my drink order and I’m ready to order 1 bowl of pozole please… She rolls her eyes at me. Ok growing up in East LA I have dealt with this kind of attitude before. Yes I’m a pocho who’s Spanish is almost non existent, but I am a paying customer damn it! So Let’s call that strike one. As I continue to sit at my booth for about a half an hour I get extremely concerned due to the fact that I know it doesn’t take that long to serve pozole if it’s sitting in a hot pot waiting to be served. So she finally brings me my Order. My first taste and it’s just as I had anticipated old pozole watered down just bad!
I’m thinking she’s going to bring tortillas with all the fixings. But no answer five minutes I realized she was not going to bring me anything. So I ask her for onion cilantro tortilla ms repollo she brings me lettuce and tostadas… What you gota be kidding me!
Strike two ladies and gentlemen.
Long story short I did not finish my food asked for the check. Debating whether or not I should pay I ended up doing so, but I didn’t have a penny for her tip! Anyhow all that said people do I really need a strike three? Didn’t think so, my advice to you is STAY AWAY RESTAURANTS THRIVE ON CUSTOMER SERVICE JUST AS ANY OTHRR BUSINESS! BAD BAD BAD!

My grandma owns the restaurant and I work there also. Honestly you get what you pay for. My grandma takes days cutting meat so people can get good quality meat. Where they get the meat they just shred the meat and not cut it the right way and they just leave all the fat. My grandma tries to give quality and that’s what I think she is providing. I hope you all like and consider stopping by you won’t regret it. Service will always be slow because again we give quality and we make everything at the moment. There is also parking in the back if no parking in the front. Hope you guys continue to enjoy!

This place was recommended to me by the mechanic that was working on my car. I also had spotted this place on my Unilocal app. It was a short walk away from the mechanic’s shop.
They first serve you corn chips with a green and red salsa. The red salsa was hot :(H.O.T. I tell you :(The green salsa was just right and had great flavor too!
I ordered the Costillas en Chile Verde (Ribs in Green Chile Sauce). The sauce was SPOT ON!!! It was just right in the spicy department too. The beans were superb and the rice was really good too! Truly authentic guisado — just like the mechanic had said. Portions are great. Not too much and not too little.
My only issue and this robs them of one star is that the meat was not half as tender as it should be. Well, there is also the fact they are CASH ONLY :(
The place has simple décor but they try to make it nice. Service is friendly but kind of slow. However, they were nice enough to let me stay and watch TV for a while. This was a godsend as I had to wait for my car to get fixed this day. They even gave me the control.
You can park free in front of the restaurant. Parking may be an issue at some times of the day. They do not have a lot as far as I know.
Based on their authentic guisados I am a fan. Four stars!

I love this place. Not only because my boyfriend’s parents own it but because the food is amazing. Even before my boyfriend and I started to date the owners have always been so nice to my family and I. My favorite dish is the chicken enchiladas they are just amazing. I always have a problem choosing what to eat here, when I finally decide the food is always great!

Stopped in for breakfast quiet cozy and clean. I had The huevos rancheros and my lover jad the the large bowl of menudo it was clean and delicious. We will definitely come back.

you know what the food is good, if you want to wait for a good forty minutes for a bowl of pozole, my boyfriend and i went this weekend two tables were taken other than that it was empty, got there at ten am, ordered around 10:05 am, asked about our food at 10:40, walked out at 10:48 am — do think i will bother returning there are several great spots in the area, sorry los petates

I first came here in 99 when a buddy said they have good Menudo… what a lie!!! The Menudo was the Bomb! (still is) ask them for a Pata and they will give it to you :). I would come here 2 – 3 times a week from Whittier. Now I live farther but when I can I try to stop by. These sweet ladys remind me of my mom or aun’ts that wear thos manteles the whole place just takes me back to when I was a kid growing up in East Los. Everything is good here at times when I come in I go see what they are cooking fresh at the moment and the ladys are always greeting you with a smile try anything it is delicious Perfect portion & the price is very affordable. love the taco combination with beans & rice. If I could ever open a restaurant I would model it after this place… to me it’s not a hole in the wall… it’s a hidden gem on the Boulevard.

I love this place! Real homemade authentic mexican food! Just like my moms! Price’s are cheap!

Great menudo, other foods are good too. Horchata and agua de tamarindo are tasty. Service is a bit slow, but food is hot and fresh.

I have been coming here since I was younger with my mom. I love to hard shell tacos and the beans;) soo yummy. Also chicken soup is very good on those cold days. Ladies are very nice;).
I will continue to support my local family owned restaurants !!!

Guys, Ive been bringing my family here for 15 years. We live near the suburbs and my very Americanized kids love this place over any restaurant. I call in my order15 minutes prior from my car and they have my whole table set-​up when we arrive. The price is great and family owned. Don’t waste your time and money with crap from Chipotle, El Torito, etc. They have the best mole in all SoCal, guaranteed!

the chicken enchiladas plate with rice and beans is HEAVEN. you will fall in love at first bite.

Homemade? Not quite, but it will do when I can’t make it to moms house. Nothing special. Just simple good food.

This is the absolute place for REAL, Authentic, homestyle mexican cooking.
I’ve been a regular here for about 3 years now, as soon as I tried it once I was hooked.
Some of my friends have been eating here since they were kids, some for over 20 years now.
the ladies are very polite and make you feel at home. Anyone have memories of growing up ina mexican household with the tias cooking away???
I as well as my friends love this place so much we call it Las tias (Spanish for the aunts). Because it feels like you’re going to eat with your tias. LOL.
The pollo con mole is great. Reminds me of when I was young and this was a regular dish at home.
I can’t get enough of the chille rellenos, crispy tacos, and any of the breakfasts.
They have specials every now and then to that are a real treat. They’ll make items not regular to the menu. One day out of the week they make tortas de camaron. I think that’s what they’re called, it’s not a torta sandwich. They’re little fried patties of like shrimp paste or something in red sauce… To freakin die for!!!
The first time I was in there and I noticed the sign there was an older guy we started some casual conversation with. He told us he’d been going there for over 20 years, every single week, to make sure he got those.
The clientel here can be a lil shady at times, and the place isn’t all that clean. It’s literally a hole in the wall. You can enter from the front or from the back and walk through the kitchen and greet the ladies.
I always feel at home here, and everyone I’ve taken loves the food.
I’ve even mentioned this place when talking about it on a date or two and been convinced to take them here. Really, THIS IS NOT A DATE SPOT!!! LOL. But after eating I’ve always gotten the same response, «I can’t believe you didn’t want to bring me here because you thought it wasn’t nice enough, the food was GREAT!!!»
Just goes to show, some people can get paste looks and go for quality. I even introduced my grandparents to this place a couple years back and they’re regulars now to.
I think everything on the menu is under $ 6.50, most being in the $ 5 range so it’s more than affordable for anyone!
Try it, you’ll like it.

This was our spot growing up. My parents used to bring us as kids every Sunday for breakfast. Machaca and eggs was my favorite. this place is authentic Mexican food. A small place and realllly good. I need to give this place a visit. it’s been a long time. My dad and I were reminiscing this weekend remembering those great Saturday mornings at this place.