HomeState — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Hello TexMex. I had heard much about HomeState, mostly good. The bad would be the long lines, especially on weekends. Perhaps, because breakfast tacos are a popular post-drinking food. Plus that home-y sign just draws you in already (no pun intended). We came here late one Saturday afternoon, about 40 minutes to closing time. I was hoping there wouldn't be a line, but there was still a bit of a wait. It wasn't too bad. We were able to order and receive our food in about 15 minutes or so. Some people dined outside with their cute little pets.

We grabbed a $3.50 Arnold Palmer to help wash down some starchy food. It was definitely on the sweet side.

$7 Frito Pie in a bag - chili con carne, cheddar, lettuce, sour cream, tomato, pickled jalapeño and pickled red onion: I ordered this out of pure curiosity. How good can a bag of chips with chili and toppings be? To be honest, it is pretty damn good. It's so simple, it's kind of genius. It's basically the same concept as nachos, except this has chili instead of nacho cheese, and the ingredients are served within a bag. Now that I've satisfied my curiosity... for $7, I don't think I'd order this again.

$3.50 Guadalupe - organic eggs, chorizo, cheddar: Good! Simple and delicious, but a little on the soggy side.

$3.50 Trinity - Organic eggs, bacon, potato, cheddar: Good! The potato added to the filling binds everything together and makes it more substantial.

$3.50 Brisket - shredded brisket, guacamole, cabbage slaw: Good! This is some juicy brisket and the guacamole doesn't come at an extra charge, hooray!

Considering HomeState is known for their breakfast tacos, that is what prompted us to get two 'breakfast tacos' and one 'anytime taco.' I appreciate that they individually wrap each taco in aluminum, so it makes it very easy to carry out. This is all very yummy and satisfying junk food, slightly expensive for rather small tacos. But if you're in the area and need to satisfy a taco craving, go for it. Otherwise I don't suggest coming here and waiting in a long line. Overall, I...

What a disappointment! I tried to love it. I'm from Texas originally and moved to Los Angeles only a few months ago. I was feeling a little homesick so I did a Google search for nearby breakfast places. I visited it for the first time on March 2, Texas Independence Day. Not only did they have NO special that day to commemorate this fact, NO ONE neither knew nor cared. This place is apparently all gimmicky and hipsterland. It's a marketing theme they apparently aimed for and sure it got me in the door. Also, I admit the tacos were fresh and delicious, but SO small and not cheap. I ate 3 and could have easily had one more. My biggest pet peeve is that they DO NOT give free coffee refills. Omg! It is TOTALLY asinine, cheap, and un-Texan to be that way. The one employee I managed to get to acknowledge me explained that you get free refills of iced tea, but not coffee. Unreal! Also, I made it clear to the cashier that I'd never been there before so it would have been nice of her to freaking TELL me that so I would have known to order a large coffee. Since I had a small coffee with which to wash down my tacos, I was even more offput by how hard it was to get a glass of water. My other pet peeve is that (also cheap on their part) their tortilla chips must be ordered separately. Any REAL Texan knows it's always complimentary. At the entrance the shelves and décor are kitschy and try to be Texan but it just rings false. On a good note, the brisket was delicious, tender, and tasty. I just couldn't abide their lack of authentic Texan friendliness, hence in my book, this place is just another overrated hipster hangout. Also, it's not rocket science yet the cashier still messed up my order, and I went at a slow time in mid-morning way after breakfast rush but before lunch rush. How is it so hard to get the tortilla right when it's either corn or flour. Come on! I was just so bummed. Best part was that since I walked there from my apt, I discovered the cool Goodwill...

If you are in the area, and don’t visit this place, you are doing yourself a great disservice.

I travel a lot, have had a lot of Mexican food (Americanized and authentic), Tex Mex, etc. and have never ever had any that tasted THIS good.

I got the Tijuana Panther and the Chicken Quesadilla. Starting with the Quesadilla, first bite - instantly loved it. Wasn’t sure if it was the tortilla, which they make fresh in house, or whatever mixture they put into it - but I couldn’t believe how well it stood out from the crowd. It’s a QUESADILLA, they are always good but there isn’t THAT much variance… right? WRONG! Here, there is - it’s absolutely stunning and a true treat to the buds. Not sure how they do it, but it’s absolutely a trophy example of how to do it right.

And then…

I delved into the Tijuana Panther.

I legit had to pause while writing this, because it was absolutely a formative part of my food tasting life.

You don’t understand until you try it. They have put together one of the most perfect balances of ingredients into the most absolute scrumptious homemade tortilla and it creates an absolutely oasis in your taste buds.

When I say that I have eaten at many similarly category places all over, I am not going light on that. I have tried many a great taco, from coast to coast, and NOTHING, I mean NOTHING has delivered like this one did.

HomeState, you are the absolute winner, in my opinion, for tex mex inspired food! Don’t change what you do - looking forward to returning one day when I venture the long distance back to Cali again. Thank you for a truly amazing...