Xochipilli Taco Bar — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Well, first things first came here on Father's Day, and honestly, it wasn’t too busy. We came here because the reviews were good, and we figured, why not try something new? That was our first mistake. At first, the service was nice, the restaurant was well-decorated, and the waiter was kind. The owner, I’m assuming, was up and about the restaurant helping guests and his staff, which was nice to see, but as the dining experience continued, things just got worse. First things first, our food took 40 minutes to even get to us, and when it did, it was laughable. My mother luckily had nothing wrong with her dish (enfrijoladas), other than that it was underseasoned. The real offense was with my dad's dish (Chile Relleno) and mine. (4 tacos). I’ll start with mine since it is the lesser of two evils. My plate was suggested by the waitress since I was ordering tacos. She suggested Taco Fiesta, which had 4 tacos and a side of rice and beans. I asked for rice only since I wasn’t craving beans. However, they were out of rice. Mind you, what kind of Mexican restaurant runs out of Mexican rice? But I digress. I was hoping the tacos would make up for the lack of rice, but they did not. I ordered four tacos. The first was a lengua taco, which was my favorite. The meat was soft and flavorful, but of course, I only ate the meat since the tortillas were stale. The second was a beef tripe taco, which tasted as if I were chewing literal charcoal and turning it into ash in my mouth. The third was a carnitas taco, which was stringy and tasted like plastic-covered lard. My fourth and final taco was the most egregious. It was a “barbacoa” taco, and I put it in quotations since, after having a chat with what I assume was the owner, he stated that the barbacoa and the Birra were the same thing. I asked since the meat looked awfully like birra instead of barbacoa. However, is one more expensive than the other on the menu? If they are the same thing, why list them as different? Anyway, the taste was awful again, and the texture was off. Moving on to the most offensive plate, that was my father’s Chile Relleno. First of all, the chile was so small that it looked like a jalapeño. It was so small that the side salad was bigger than the actual entree. At the end of the meal, we decided to try their famous caramel churros, only to find out they were out of them. When we went to the front to pay, we were met by the owner, who asked us how our experience was. When we explained our disappointment, we were told empty apologies but offered no other action. All in all, we paid 53 dollars plus tax just to leave us hungry and with a bad taste in our mouths. I’m sad to say we will not...

I had seen some video ads for this place on social, and bookmarked it as a place to check out in the future. I don't get up that way often, and when I do, it's slipped my mind. Luckily, I just happen to be driving past there, and caught it out of the corner of my eye.

Man, I'm glad I did! I REALLY enjoyed this spot! I had gone midday (between lunch and dinner). I was greeted at the door, and offered any open seat (I chose the bar) the bar. It's not a big bar, and seating was a bit tight, but comfortable. There were two big TV showing the NCAA basketball games, some decor that added a bit of visual flavor, and an attentive staff.

As I was talking to the bartender about my options, a gentleman next to me chimed in, and recommended a signature margarita. I come to find out that the gentleman was the owner! Unbelievably nice, and amazingly helpful. Not only did I get a fantastic drink recommendation (slightly smokey margarita with Hibiscus), but a great dish suggestion (a large platter that offered a variety of everything). Asking about the restaurant, the owner was kind enough to tell me about the history, the dedication to quality ingredients, and the family connection (a number of family members also work there). This made me appreciate my visit even more.

A few notes. The spot isn't the biggest in terms of size, so maybe call ahead during peak hours. Also, parking is a bit tight. It's a shopping center that shares a lot with other businesses, so plan accordingly. But outside of that, everything was great.

I will absolutely be going back. I recommend you...

After checking in at this business on Yelp, I took photos of the nice, clean, chill dining room, my vegetarian burrito, and my Dad’s 3 tacos so I could leave a review. We were happily and warmly served by the owner.

I enjoyed my burrito and I told the owner that I like judging restaurants on how good their vegetarian options are, and his was worth repeating.

UNFORTUNATELY— my Dad made a mistake a day or two later, and he thought he was overcharged. I calculated an unauthorized 25% tip and accused this business of fraud on Yelp and Google and left 1-star reviews. This business graciously responded and thoughtfully pointed out that the bill was in my dining room photo. Upon review of my own photo, it looks like my Dad did actually write down what he was charged. I guess my Dad is getting old.

My Dad and I both know how difficult it is to run a small business, but we can only imagine how difficult it must be to run a restaurant.

I regret being another unfair frustration for a small business owner. For me, the whole point of taking photos and leaving reviews for any restaurants I visit is to SUPPORT GOOD BUSINESS AND ESTABLISHMENTS—not to mistakenly smear them.

I APOLOGIZE TO THIS BUSINESS AND ITS OWNER FOR OUR ERROR AND MISTAKEN REVIEW.

My previous review has been deleted. This 5-star review replaces the mistaken review.

And I’m bringing friends to this business whenever I get a chance. ...