El Cholo

This is the original El Cholo restaurant (of which now there are a few), a veritable LA Mexican food institution since 1927. Getting beyond the history, this place is perfect for parties of any shape and/or size, a full-on experience fueled by their notoriously strong margaritas. These things are no joke - it only took half of one to send our own Alexandra to seek refuge on the floor of her apartment to stop things from spinning. It's pretty much on jam from 8 p.m. onward, especially on the weekends, so prepare to wait (the bigger your party, the longer you wait). Just don't get too drunk at the bar while you're waiting to enjoy the consistently delicious food, even though hardcore Mexican foodies sometimes scoff at the "Americanization" of much of El Cholo's fare. Still, you simply cannot beat their seasonal green corn tamales (May - Oct.), or the perennial favorite blue corn chicken enchiladas. The very definition of "eat, drink and be merry," an evening at El Cholo is one to savor. Just remember to take it easy with the margaritas, OK? Seriously.

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LA bars, Koreatown bars