La Merced

Hard to like or dislike this place. The dessert (flan) and beverages (horchata) were outstanding, the rest of the meal below average. Taco’s were small street size taco’s and the carne asada burrito was filled with a lot of beans. Service was good and the place was very clean.

Avoid this place the manager or person in charge has horrible service and refuses to refund or give a discount on bad service and discusting food. The Chilaquiles ordered tasted like Marianara sauce and we’re so soft and watered down we wonder if they were fresh with little to no cheese.
Then he had the nerve to say «It’s because your white bro». We waited 20 min to sit, had to walk up to the front and ask for refills, never got an entrée and he had the nerve to argue with us about the food.

OK… this is my first time here, and I’m only buying a fruit cocktail to go (got hungry after the gym), but the whole menu looks delicious and everyone else’s food looks delicious! Can’t wait to cone back and try it! They were extremely friendly, too.

I really wanted to like this place. I frequent La Frontera Taco truck and a few taco trucks in LA, and I was looking for something comparable on the east side. Unfortunately this is not the place for me.
The carne asada taco was disappointing. The meat was slightly overcooked with charred edges and tasted stale. As with La Frontera, the carne asada was not particularly well-​marinated. I noticed Shawna M’s pictures with an abundance of cilantro topping her tacos, so I was quite disappointed when mine showed up with about half of that amount.
The carnitas taco was different. I’m used to carnitas being pulled into strands. The carnitas (if that’s what I ordered and received) on my taco was chopped into chunks; wiki says it’s legit, so I’m not complaining. Mike R noted that his carnitas tacos were crispy, and I’m assuming he meant the meat… mine was not.
The burrito al pastor was also interesting. The tortilla was noticeably greasy to the point of appearing translucent in some spots. There was what tasted like a bland chili-​based sauce throughout the burrito. It was not particularly spicy nor tasty but had a pleasant hint of pineapple. The meat itself was not noteworthy.
I love having radishes with my tacos and burritos, but again, an emerging theme here is stale/​old. They were dried on the edges and appeared to have been prepared a few too many hours/​days before being served. The cucumbers, however, were crisp.
They were generous with the salsa: my 1 burrito and 2 tacos were accompanied by 4 salsa containers. The same amount of salsa at certain trucks in LA would cost a whole dollar (note the sarcasm). However, the salsa was not spicy at all. Maybe it’s the way their salsa is supposed to taste, but I’ll try asking for something spicier if there is a next time.
This review only covers the small sampling of what this restaurant had to offer, but I tend to stick with tacos and burritos so I probably won’t be visiting again soon.

Had some great priced tasty street tacos. Great flavor and salsa. Plan to come back and try more next time. Sunday was packed wall to wall… customers don’t lie @ LOL.

Great customer service, all you see is the owner run up and down to make sure the restaurant is clean and ready for the next customer. Will return again:)

Ordered online… 1.5 hours later they call to get my location. The driver was no where near my location. The restaurant offered nothing. 2 hours later the driver gets there with cold food! I sent it back and got my money back

Food was very delicious. Lot’s of menu options. Even gluten free stuff. Aguas frescas and licuados were amazing.

I was long time since my last visit and this place they surprise me this place is clean I see the owner working hard to attend his customers that’s nice. Back to the food I have the huarache off pork is was good the best part I was the flan I have to say is good.

Clean and quick service. Waitress is very nice and food is delicious. Came here for the Tortas, it was as good as I remember. Breakfast of champions! Good luck eating it all in one sitting. Ask about the challenge. :)

Food was decent, service was HORRIBLE. As we finished our meal, I put my knee on the booth seat. I’m in flip flops and shorts. The owner came and told me to remove my dirty feet from HIS seat. My feet weren’t on the seat. He proceeded to argue with me and told me this was his place and to remove my feet because it was unhealthy. I’m not a dirty person, and to be called out publicly that way was rude and unprofessional.
I will NOT be back.

It’s been a couple weeks since I ate here, but not a day has passed that I havent stopped craving those Pineapple Al Pastor Tacos. So spicy, sweet, & savory. I can’t wait to have a few of these again with some of their beautiful crispy carnitas tacos.
I also tried the torta since that seems to be the focus of this place, but it was very underwhelming. Just because it’s big that doesnt make it good. The carne asada is definitely not their best meat in the building and the bun could have been greatly improved. Don’t waste your time and appetite on it. Stick with the tacos.
The pricing is fair, the service awfully slow, the average horchata comes from a machine, but omg those tacos be hittin’.

This is a funny place, doesn’t appear to be a Mexican restaurant when you go in and the service is terrible. But when you finally do get food… Wow! I was going to have the La Merced Torta which the guy next table over was eating and was huge, but decided on Chilaquiles with steak. This is something you don’t see often anymore, and it is done right here! Maybe the best I have ever had, great chips, amazing green salsa. I couldn’t finish it, it was huge. I had a watermelon water drink that was delicious also. I will be back for the Torta, but will have to force myself to not order the Chilaquiles.

Food was okay. Service however was horrible. We waited 20 minutes to get our drinks and then they brought out our food and they didn’t give us any silverware or napkins. Their «ensalada rusa» was so disgusting. The service here was the worst. NEVER COMING BACK AND NOT RECOMMENDING THIS PLACE TO ANYONE

It is a hole in a wall. I was impressed. I had their ribs, it came with a nice red sauce. The portions a big (as expected in a Mexican restaurant). Simple, authentic Mexican.
I would agree w the Music comment. It is a little odd. They had music and a Mexican soap opera playing at the same time. Lol, 2 TV on. I needed to answer some important phone calls, they turned down the TV for me, so I would say they are accommodating. The food is good, ambiance is odd but hey, my belly was happy and full. Next time I will try their mole.

Came in looking for some Mexican City food, and they got it!
I ordered the Huarache with Al Pastor which was huge AND delicious. The inside was real simple, but i go to a restaurant for the food so i didnt really care.
I recommend this place if you’re tired of wannabe Mexican restaurants that typically offer the same fake americanized version of the real deal!

Seriously, great food, good enchiladas, good pastor, good Carne asada. Jugos naturales, nom nom. The food is actually spicy, like how it’s supposed to be. I would prefer it hotter but this place is spicier than most. Oh yeah I forgot, GREAT SALSA!

3.5 stars for the food (my burrito was very good and HUGE), 4 for the service, 5 for the cleanliness, and 1.5 for the ambiance. As mentioned elsewhere, there are 2 TVs in the very small dining area, and both were blaring obnoxiously loud volume levels, showing a Mexican drama of some sort. Really, really inappropriate, especially in such a small space. Other than that annoyance, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

I’ve been looking for authentic Mexican food and I was told that this place was legit.
I was looking for authentic barbacoa and this place has it on the weekends.
I tried several tacos, sopes and the barbacoa (I’d course) and everything was just ok.
It’s with the visit but wouldn’t crave it.
The horchata was the best thing they had and was a little too sweet for me.
Cheers

Very good food.
Small local place, not easy to find. But well worth the effort.
Had a carne asada torta, chicken enchilada and quesadilla to share between two people. It was a lot of food… and it was all good.
This is one of those places that really makes me wonder how chain mexican restaurants attract customers… let alone stay in business.