One of LA’s beloved burrito spots is closing its doors after 50 years in its original East LA location

The L.A. burrito universe is about to get slightly smaller. Famed La Azteca Tortilleria in East L.A. has announced that it will close its original location on Cesar Chavez Avenue on July 13.

For more than 50 years, the small, unassuming cafe has been serving the community from a stretch of Cesar Chavez that’s packed with tiny storefronts that feel like they’re from another era, located in the shadow of the 710 Freeway.

Despite its humble set-up, where customers queue up to order at the counter during breakfast and lunch, La Azteca won a Bib Gourmand from Michelin in 2021, a major accomplishment.

The interior of the original La Azteca location

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Gab Chabran

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LAist

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The restaurant is best known for its burritos. Yes, it’s true — Los Angeles might be more famous for its tacos, but the burritos we have are uniquely special, and those at La Azteca are some of the city’s best, made with their renowned ultra-soft, buttery flour tortillas.

The most popular dish is the chile relleno burrito, made with a stuffed poblano pepper, melted white cheese and refried beans. All its ingredients meld together perfectly. It’s the stuff that burrito dreams are made of.

La Azteca’s legendary chile relleno burrito, where smoky poblano heat meets the soulful heft of Eastside tradition.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Over the years, it’s garnered plenty of fans, perhaps most notably, famed food writer Jonathan Gold, who in 2015 included it on his “ 5 Best Burritos” list for the L.A. Times.

Gold compared the full-fat tortillas at La Azteca to an Iranian flatbread known as a sangak, paired with its chile relleno contents, which he described as “a goblet brimful with molten cheese.”

Yet despite the praise, and use of quality ingredients, the burritos have stayed affordable, with prices ranging from $10 to $14.

Second location

The people responsible for this tortilla alchemy, Cynthia Hernandez and her parents, Candy and Juan Villa, have owned the restaurant since 2010. A few years ago, when the family learned that the landlord was considering selling the property, they decided to look for a second location, just in case. They found a property in a stripmall on the corner of Atlantic and Beverly boulevards, just six minutes away, and opened its doors in 2023.

It turned out the be a smart decision. The original building was sold earlier this year, and the new owners increased the rent. As a result, the family chose to merge the two locations into one and close the original establishment.

While fans are glad to hear of its continued existence, many are mourning the ending of an era.

Memo Torres, from L.A. Taco, said, “I think anytime L.A. loses a beloved, especially an original location, we lose a bit of ourselves. L.A. is ever-changing, but we identify with these places.”

Torres said that whenever he posts about the chile relleno, people who have moved away always comment about how much they miss L.A.

“ Even though they're keeping the second location," Torres said. "I think it loses a little bit of its roots.”

Casey Shea, a social media influencer who’s been on a search for the best breakfast burrito in L.A., visited the original location last year. She tried their Ranchero burrito, made with chorizo, eggs, and refried beans and gave it five out of five stars, remarking: “WOW. HANDS DOWN THE BEST BURRITO I HAVE EVER EATEN. PERIOD. SO. DAMN. GOOD.”

La Azteca Tortilleria on Atlantic and Beverly Blvd will soon replace the original location.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Hernandez said her family has developed extremely close ties to nearby residents, depending on them to keep the business alive, especially during the pandemic. She hopes the same amount of support she’s invested in the community will follow her to the new location.

“ A lot of the customers are transitioning slowly, and I know that some of them have a lot of memories and attachments to the original,” she said. “So they're waiting till the door's completely closed. But of course we don't wanna miss anyone.”