Papa Cristo's half chicken with potatoes. Oh yeah.
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Julie Leopo
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Topline:
For the most recent edition of Cheap Fast Eats, we visited the historic neighborhood of Pico-Union. It's been home to different immigrant communities from Europe to Central America over the last century, making it the perfect place to find great food that doesn't bust the budget.
Why Pico-Union? If you like the idea of being able to stroll from a Nicaraguan eatery to a Greek grocer to a Salvadoran Korean mashup, this neighborhood is for you.
What’s on the menu? Ultra-satisfying breakfast burritos; bulgogi pupusas served with curtido kimchi; and viral chicharrones served with fresh guacamole.
Read on ... to learn about the pupusa bomb. You need to know about the pupusa bomb.
The Pico-Union neighborhood, just west of downtown Los Angeles, is packed with history. And where there’s history, it usually means great food.
Much of that history comes from the neighborhood's immigrant populations. In the 1930s and '40s, many came from Europe. In the 1970s and '80s, Central Americans began arriving.
It means there's delicious cuisines from around the world, up close to each other, making Pico-Union one of the most dynamic neighborhoods we’ve visited.
From viral chicharrones to gargantuan Nicaraguan tamales to some of our favorite Greek roasted chicken and potatoes in Los Angeles, it all hits the spot.
This is Cheap Fast Eats: Pico-Union.
Zamora Brothers
The family-owned carniceria has been in business since 1975. The butcher, market and fast-casual restaurant specializes in pork, prepared in various cuts and used in almost every imaginable dish, including tacos, burritos, tortas, gorditas, menudo and pozole.
Dip the Zamora Bros.'s viral chicharrones in cool, citrusy, fresh guacamole.
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Inside Zamora Bros., a family-owned carniceria.
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However, it's their chicharrones that have caused them to go viral, thanks to the work of Andrew Zamora, whose posting on social media recently created a firestorm of interest. His pork belly chicharrones ($10 per half a pound) aren’t your typical pork rinds; they are thick and chewy slabs of deep-fried pork belly crisped to perfection while remaining juicy inside. Dipping your chicharrones into their house-made guacamole ($5) gives the crunchy fat a chance to dance with the cool citrus texture and flavor. Round out the meal by grabbing a couple of their handmade corn tortillas to assemble a taco. It’s undoubtedly the right move.
Location: 1559 W Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90015 Hours: Open daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
La Pupusa Urban Eatery
Customers dine in at La Pupusa Urban Eatery.
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Julie Leopo
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That's not a jelly donut. It's La Pupusa Urban Eatery's savory pupusa bomb.
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Julie Leopo
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The small restaurant storefront at the corner of Union Avenue and Washington Boulevard known as La Pupusa Urban Eatery, might be in the running for one of the most only-in-L.A. dining experiences, up there with the Mamba Pizza at LaSorted’s or Langer’s #19.
Let me explain why: It tells a specific story of the city. The perfect example would be their bulgogi pupusa ($8), made with Korean marinated thin cuts of beef mixed with melted cheese inside the pupusa. It’s a dish that pays homage to the intersectionality of two immigrant groups in this part of the city: Salvadorans and Koreans. However, it’s not just the contents of the pupusa that are worth noting; They go the extra mile with their kimchi curtido, seamlessly combining two titans of fermented cabbage to make a topping for the ages.
La Pupusa Urban Eatery in Pico Union combines cultures with its kimchi curtido.
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If you want to experiment, try a pupusa bomb ($5). It's similar to oversized donut holes or cream puffs. But instead of a sweet filling, you can choose a savory one, including beans, cheese, veggie and meat options. As a person of simple pleasures, I opted for a bean and cheese mixture packed with savory flavor, including epic cheese pulls.
Location: 1051 W Washington Blvd., Unit # G, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
La 27th
Along Pico Boulevard stands La 27th, one of the most well-known Nicaraguan restaurants in Los Angeles. It specializes in its home cuisine, which includes Mesoamerican, Spanish, Caribbean and African influences. The restaurant got its name from the owners, who used to sell food from their home on 27th Street, a few miles away.
The interior La 27th, named for the street where its owners used to serve food.
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Julie Leopo
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A nacatamale served with bread from La 27th.
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The brightly colored walls inside and a loud reggaeton soundtrack create a lively and welcoming atmosphere that still manages to conjure up the comfort of a home-cooked meal. The all-day menu features a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The most bang for your buck is their nacatamal ($10.50), the Nicaraguan version of a tamal.
This sizable tamal is packed heavily with masa and topped with chunks of roasted pork rubbed with annatto; the red seed is also used in cochinita pibil from the Yucatan region of Mexico. It’s also crammed with rice, potato, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes and olives and steamed in a banana leaf. Served with an ultra-soft French-style roll for a bit of carb-on-carb eating, it makes for some excellent stick-to-your-bones dining that feels perfect for the surroundings.
Location: 1830 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90006 Hours: Monday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Happy Taco
There’s something about this corner taco stand that keeps us coming back. A few years ago, we featured Happy Taco in our nacho round-up. When I decided to cover Pico-Union for Cheap Fast Eats, I knew Happy Taco would be on the list.
You'll never want for variety at Happy Taco, where the breakfast burrito has 10 protein options.
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Customers wait for their orders from Happy Taco.
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Aside from its beyond-reasonable price point, Happy Taco's menu is all-encompassing. A case in point is the breakfast burrito ($10.95), with a choice of 10 proteins, including sausage, bacon, turkey bacon, chorizo, soyrizo and fajita veggies. It’s then filled with two over-easy fried eggs, a crispy hash brown, cheese, sauteed bell pepper and onion, chipotle aioli and poblano crema. It arrives wrapped tightly in foil over a bed of tortilla chips, topped with sliced radishes, pickled carrots and red and green salsa. You truly can’t beat the value of such a filling meal.
Location: 1309 Hoover St., Los Angeles, 90006 Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Papa Cristos
Hungry yet? Papa Cristo's half chicken is just $8.99.
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Local landmark Papa Cristo's is located in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, which initially housed many Greek immigrants in the 1930s and '40s. Having been there since the beginning, the marketplace/restaurant offers a wide variety of Greek food, including gyros, racks of lamb, grilled baby octopus and spanakopita.
The half chicken at Papa Cristo's is only available to-go.
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Julie Leopo
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You could seriously have an epic feast on your hands while tossing back glasses of the retsina; I urge you to stay the course and keep prices low, which is why I recommend ordering the 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken ($8.99) available to-go only, along with a small side of potatoes ($3.99). The juicy chicken — with its slightly crisp skin, which I tear off in chunks and dip into the potato juices — contains notes of olive oil, lemon, thyme and rosemary. It’s certainly enough food to fill you up, so there’s a good chance you’ll return soon to try the rest of the menu with friends.
Location: 2771 W Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90006 Hours: Wednesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
