The Talpa Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Whenever someone I knew would suggest going to Don Antonio's restaurant next door, I would immediately stop them and would DEMAND they go to El Talpa. I'd also demand thatvtheyvorder the flan for dessert which was the best Ive had in LA; And they'd usually thank me afterwards...

Now, I cannot do that in good conscience. And it saddens me.

I went to El Talpa for lunch, figuring the earlier the better. I won't talk about what my other party members ordered as they will post their own reviews.

So. I ordered my usual...the El Talpa burrito and a Flan for dessert. Long known to be their biggest and best dish. I usually would get the red enchilada sauce.

However, when it arrived, the sauce was more deep dark brown than red. It also had a strange cinnamon note to it. I let a party member taste and they agreed that it was NOT enchilada sauce. We surmised that it was a moley sauce. Whatever it was, it was not what I had had before, plus it simply did not taste good.

After speaking to the waitress, she adamantly said that THAT was the red enchilada sauce. So, they offered to remake it. This time, without sauce.

When it arrived, it was TINY. Absolutely, 100% noticeably smaller. And ugly. It might as well have been a frozen burrito. It only had a dollap or guacamole and sour cream.

This was NOT a $20+ burrito. $8 on its best day.

And the Flan? Also a HUGE disappointment. The Talpa flan I remember was firm, solid, and absolutely delicious! I've been suggesting thus to friends and family for YEARS... This was NOT the same. This was the soft custard kind with a lackluster flavor.

My bill came to $70+(tax and 20% tip included.) which was for the burrito, a soup. 2 beers and a glass of juice.

I cannot recommend this place to anyone anymore. Not because of the price, but because the FOOD just isn't what it used to be.

Sadly, not only will I not recommend this place to anybody anymore, but this will also be my last time here. They lost a loyal patron and advocate.

So disappointing.

BUT, this is LA. Good Mexican food is everywhere. Just not...

We stopped in for our first time this past weekend and had a nice experience. I know that it used to be a part of Don Antonio‘s and then there was some beef between the owners that caused the two restaurants to split and open up different name. I have been to Don Antonio‘s many times and would say it’s in my top three favorite Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles so I was excited to try Talpa as well because I’ve heard good things. I will say that the food is very authentic and there are some seriously great flavors here. One issue that we had though is when we entered the restaurant, not a single person greeted us. We stood around for about 8-10 mins waiting for a table and then after we sat down, we waited another 15 minutes before anyone came over to take our drink and food order. Also, all the food items came out very slowly so this is not the sort of place that I would go if I was in a rush. It’s a lot smaller on the inside than Don Antonio’s so there is limited table capacity, which causes some wait times. There isn’t a dedicated parking lot so it will be metered street parking.

Aside from the service issues we did have a great meal. I started off with the bowl of the Albondigas and it was a huge amount. The flavors were great, but definitely a larger size than I would recommend any single person ordering if you plan to get food after that. For my entrée, I chose the Beef Milanesa and thought it was fabulous. The beef was very tender and flavorful and seasoned perfectly. It was a large size dish, so it was plenty of food which I really enjoyed and even had leftovers of. Overall, a really solid Mexican restaurant and a good option if Don Antonio’s...

Looking for quality Mexican food? Like your drinks strong? Wanna make sure you're getting enough "bang for your buck"? Then I highly recommend The Talpa! It's a local favorite known for their piping hot food and very friendly staff. The atmosphere is usually very gentle, with dark ambient lighting helping give the place an intimate feel.

If you're having a large gathering it's always best to call ahead, but they're usually very accommodating of last minute large groups. It's also a family friendly restaurant for anyone wondering, with the bar sectioned off from the regular seating area.

Valet parking is provided in the alley, though there's also free private parking in the back when they're not there, just make sure you go in through the alley behind the restaurant to find either.

Personally: I always recommend you try their burgers... You'd be surprised how good a Mexican burger tastes! But honestly every dish I've had there has been great and I never leave feeling hungry! I also recommend having a mezcal margarita just once for the experience; they make their lime juice fresh. Also, if spicy isn't your thing(their salsa is very spicy), they have a non spicy salsa option! And a milder tomatillo option as well.

Bar area: they have three TV's set up and their cable provider is Time Warner so you can watch the Dodgers there. There's high table seating as well in addition to seats at the bar.

Wait time for seating is usually pretty non existent as they have plenty of tables and...