LAistory: The Cocoanut Grove
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Too Tipsy? Take a Triple A Tow.
He's Baaaaaack
It was one of those lovely Sunday mornings down in the Valley: sunny and clear, not yet hot enough to send San Fernando-ists scurrying indoors towards the comfort of central air conditioning. We were looking for a casual and parent-friendly place along Ventura Boulevard to enjoy some lunch and a cold beer with our nearest and dearest. Mexicali Cocina Cantina seemed to fit the bill: reasonably priced, easy parking, and a wide array of Cali-Mexican dishes from which to choose.
So we ordered. The menu states that the fish tacos come with your choice of lobster, cod, or shrimp, but the waiter gave us a nasty retort when we tried to get the lobster variation. Okay, then, cod it is. Their other specialties include the "Untraditional" Chili Rellano, blue crab enchiladas, ahi tuna burritos, and an intimidating selection of tequilas. (We were dying to try the Marga-tini, but alas, 11:30am on a Sunday was not the time.) We placed our orders and got a round of beers and waters. Then we waited. And waited. Looked around. Talked some. Drank our beers. Watched people parade up and down Ventura Boulevard. Watched the waiters swish around. Waited. "What the heck?" we asked. There were only three other tables seated, so it wasn't like the waiters were busy. But they all seemed to be flocking around one table in particular, which was filled to the brim with women. Wait just a second....
"Do you see those women over there? They're wearing more makeup than anyone I've ever seen in my life...and those boobs? Are they serious? Oh, HOLD UP...I think those are professionals. Welcome to the Valley!" Family-friendly indeed.
Yup. Our waiter was so distracted by the porn stars sitting two tables over that he couldn't be bothered to hurry our order along, let alone fill our water glasses with ice, after we had asked two times. We ended up asking the bartender for ice. He was nice. The other waiters? Not so much. Despite all the talk over on Yelp about the "hotness" of the staff, all we saw were a bunch of Ryan-Seacrest-lookin wannabes who seemed to possess the intellectual capacity of, well...an aspiring actor-slash-waiter from the Valley. Upon further reflection, we are not surprised.
We did get our food eventually, but it sure wasn't worth the wait. The chili rellano was pretty decent, with a cornmeal breading and four-cheese stuffing. The fish tacos were disappointing - the red cabbage on top was tough and overpowering, while the cod itself had little taste. These faults could have been remedied with a liberal application of crema, but alas - we had to choke our tacos down with only the merest dribble of zesty sauce.
The beer was good, though. The chips and salsa weren't bad. The porn stars were funny to watch. We're not picky about our dishware, but Mexicali seems to have acquired the most random collection of plates ever - see, for instance, the "Happy New Year 2000!!!" plate which supported our chili rellano. WTF? Overall, though, our favorite thing about Mexicali has to be the great old photos of the Valley up on the wall - we're talking pre-Mulholland-era San Fernando. They're incredible pieces of L.A. history - and yes, the porn industry is an incredible piece of Los Angeles culture, but just not during lunch.
Mexicali Cocina Cantina
12161 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA
91604-2515
Phone: (818) 985-1744
Photos by cmeathrell via flickr.
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Without a doubt my LEAST fave Mexican joint in this entire city. Think service was bad for brunch?? Try going there in the evening. Since the food is so unremarkable I am perplexed by the popularity of this place. My guess is that people come for the large selection of Tequilas? I agree the photos are the best thing this place has to offer. In related news, I ate at the nearby and always packed Casa Vega this weekend for the first time in years (I mean it's always packed) and it was FANTASTIC.
do you ever get asked "what's the worst restaurant in los angeles?" i get asked that all the time, and my answer, without a moment's hesitation, is MEXICALI. it is a travesty of scene and be seen in a place where no one needs to be seen. the food does not merit the "oooh, mexicali is so fabulous hype" and the service is HORRIFIC. my famous "i hate mexicali" story features the lady at the table next to me throwing up all over the place, and the myriad of ways in which the management and waitstaff did a piss poor job of handling her and those who had the misfortune of dining near her.
That corner of the valley is home to some of the most over-hyped and underachieving restaurants in all of LA. First there's Nozawa, where low-grade fish are cut up by a bully whose sushi credentials are highly suspect. Then there's Boneyard Bistro, where fake barbecue is served by a clueless staff to customers who've never had the real thing. And finally we hit rock bottom at Mexicali. That such a restaurant can survive in a town filled with astonishingly good Mexican food is a tribute to the power of buzz. In a just world, these three places would all have the Russian Mafia's "for lease by Piken" signs in the window.
It doesn't get more bland than Mexicali.
Casa Vega is always good but crowded. If you're in Echo Park try El Compadre; I think the food is even better than Casa Vega's.
go valley!
Okay, now I am going to really chime in.
For clarification to Guest's [3] comment, Boneyard Bistro is not on or near that corner of Ventura/Laurel Cyn. That is more of the Woodman/Ventura corner, East Sherman Oaks area. I don't eat meat, so I don't know anything about the rest of the comment.
Carrie, now that you are a Valley girl, time to check out Casa Vega (I'll join you) and Senor Fred (I'll join you again). Then there are tons of little crappy places that ara excellent!
Okay, I'm done now.
that's funny. i was there the same day. not my favorite either but a friend insisted on going and i'm not sure why.
as zach said, casa vega is much, much better.