El Abajeño

Great food, quick service for pick up!

I have been a fan of El Abajeno since 1971. I now live in Seattle, but when I visit LA, «El Ab» is typically the first place I stop after arriving at LAX, and try to stop again on my way back to LAX. El Abajeno is a Mexican cafeteria, where you can study a printed menu, or look at the large menu above the serving line. Pick up a cafeteria tray, and let the server know what you want. All the servers are bilingual. My favorite menu items are the carnitas taquitos, the El Abajeno Burrito (with carnitas), the refried beans, and their house salsa (I believe it is made with both yellow (guero) chiles and jalapeño/​serrano chiles). The carnitas taquitos are probably different that you have had at other Mexican places. The carnitas taquitos consist of two soft corn tortillas that are quickly dipped in hot oil in the back kitchen. They are then filled with an abundant amount of carnitas, Monterrey Jack cheese and an avocado slice. The server used to add the salsa at this point, but a few years ago, they stopped doing that. The carnitas taquito is then wrapped in foil. I recommend ordering Dinner #12 (2) carnitas taquitos, which comes on a thick china café plate accompanied with Mexican rice, refried beans and a few freshly made totopos (or fried corn tortilla triangles). After you check out with the cashier, take your tray to the condiment bar. The fresh salsa is in a large iced bowl and completes the carnitas taquitos experience. If you are starving, try ordering the El Abajeno Burrito. I have fond memories of enjoying this burrito after a day of skiing. From chatting with other diners at El Abajeno, I believe everything on the menu is felt to be excellent taste and value. Give this place a try, it is not your typical California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas style Mexican food.

I love their famous El Abajeno Burrito! But it has been getting pretty expensive lately, that price keeps creeping up, other than that amazing food!

Love this place…
My boyfriend loves there carnitas tacos. Me too although I recently became a vegetarian after trying a few times and failed. This time Im on it.
Yes, there carnitas tacos are delicious. So is there chili rellanos, and their Chomparados.
All delic!

First time here. Pretty good Mexican food. Authentic. Set up like chipotle. Line is super long but food is worth it. We got a huge burrito and the super tostada.

I’ve had El Abajeno cater my 30+ person birthday parties 3 – 4 years in a row. They’re one of the few tasty Mexican places that actually caters. Their salsa, guac, quesadillas and tacos are DELISH!!! I always got the chicken and beef hard shell tacos — they are the bomb and are relatively reasonably priced when you’re ordering a bazillion for your fatty friends. They always have things ready on time and are super easy. I’ve never actually ate at the restaurant, but if you need Mexican catered in the Culver City/​beaches area… this is the spot!

I’ve lived in the neighborhood pretty much my whole life so this place is one of my favorites when it comes to carnitas taquitos (a must if this is your first time!), posole (weekends only) and beef, bean & rice burritos (with sauce poured over the top). I can’t say I’ve ever tried anything else off the menu (I know what I like!) Since I live nearby, I usually walk over, which is great because parking can be challenging on the weekends. I suggest parking on the street and walking. There is usually a line on the weekends as well. If you don’t want to wait or battle others for a table, I suggest calling in your order for pick up. You can then by-​pass the line. Minus one star for the salsa bar– I know they get busy but it seems like every time I go, it needs refreshing and is out of almost everything! Overall, I would recommend this place, just maybe not at peak hours on the weekends!

I have been going to this awesome Mexican restaurant since the late 70’s. Love it. I no longer live in California but every time I come to town, this place is at the top of my list to visit. Y’all should come too, you won’t regret it. Everything is great.

I’ve been coming here for years. Some of the best Mexican food you will ever have. You have to try the Carnitas taquitos.

I was recommended this place so I decided to check it out — uh the place was crowded and the tables were dirty. I ordered the menudo and a pork tamale. Being from Santa Ana, I have eaten better. The menudo was weak (they dont add hominy to their menudo) and the tamale was dry. Parking is horrendous so GOOD LUCK! This place is GHETTO!!!

I used to live in Culver City and came here all the time. Now anytime I’m back in the area I make sure to come here! Such good flavors. I always get one of the burritos and always get it wet.

Yum! Good fix. Not overpriced, I love the food. I mainly just want to post a pic I took. Nachos, fiesta burrito and a taco plate.

This place is definitely worth your money. They don’t play around when it comes to portions. If you’re famished then this is the spot to satisfy your hunger. Had the beef wet burrito and every bite was full of chunky beef! Very hardy and tasty. Then i also had a lengua taco… man, now that’s a taco, Delicious! Also had the carnitas taco… FIRE! I totally recommend this place for eating. Parking is a hassle tho.

My favorite Tampiqueña in Los Angeles area. Just superb!!! The seasoning is out of this world. My favorite Mexican spot in LA for sure!

For anyone who lived in this neighborhood when you had to dodge bullets, you know this place as «Vic’s».
Tip: Order the Super Tostada (con carnitas) with extra meat sauce and a side of sour cream. Say yes to jalepenos because they are the best in LA.
The burrito gets a lot of reviews because of the size. It’s a good item but Abajeno built their longevity on the Super Tostada. Unilocalers order the burrito. Locals get the tostada.
Other items to order:
— Nachos. Get it with beef (not the steak/​carne asada). OGs order the beef. If you get the nachos to go, then order extra chips because they do not skimp on the toppings. Nachos come with sour cream.
— Beef tacos plate, with crispy shells. Way better than Tito’s and I really like their tacos.
Portions are always generous so arrive hungry. And tip the friendly staff a couple bucks.

Oh lord. This place is good. My go to burrito when evaluating a Mexican spot is always the carne asada burrito. I came here for breakfast and got just that. I didn’t have to wait and I was immediately impressed by the cleanliness and the staff’s patience. They are nice and helpful. On top of the fact that Baron Davis came here and signed a photo here. I loved this spot and can’t wait to come back!

My friend, boyfriend and I came here the other night after we heard of their infamous 5 lbs burrito. We came around 8:00pm, a half hour before they closed and they were still really busy. The staff were really friendly and really efficient. The food wasn’t the worst but I’ve had better. I ordered the vegetarian burrito with chips and guacamole. If you don’t ask for «CHUNKY» guacamole be prepared for guacamole to be more of a sauce.
My burrito was pretty good, again it wasn’t awful but there really wasn’t anything making the burrito out of the ordinary. My boyfriend and friend both went with the 5 lbs burrito and this thing was HUGEE! Most people were ordering the burrito to share for their family of 5.
Since we came so late before they closed the sauces they had out were pretty gnarly, but that’s almost expected since they were closing in 30 minutes. I would recommend this place if you’re someone who wants to conquer a personal food challenge!

One of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. It’s not super cheap, but not super expensive. I’m not a big fan of the cafeteria style line but as you can often tell by the line when you arrive, the food is delicioso! I’m a big fan of anything with pork the Carnitas, Catnitas Taquitos. A little on the greasy side which adds to its deliciousness. Good size portions.

My family has been going here for generations. The best thing on the menu is carnita soft tacos, its a must try. We live 2hr30 min away, its worth the drive. Food has always been fresh since I can remember

This is my favorite Mexican food spot hands down. Everything on the menu is awesome. They incorporate plenty of fresh veggies and give you chips with every order. Every time I order something new, it never disappoints.
Great staff, great food, great ambiance. I love El Ab!

My boyfriend brought me here last year, and I really don’t think we’ll be back. I ordered a fish enchilada, which was served in a huge portion and festively decorated with salsa in the colors of the Mexican flag, but I think that was the highlight of my dining experience here. The fish was very salty and practically unbearable to eat. I didn’t eat most of it, and I think I threw out the leftovers. The prices are pretty high for a Mexican restaurant and for the quality of food we received.
The only upside to this place is that it’s family-​run, and the staff seemed super friendly to us and toward each other. I wish I could say better things about my experience here, but I’ve really had better elsewhere for much cheaper.
There is a parking lot around back that they share with the Metro PCS next door. The lot is strictly monitored by a security guard who will make sure you are patronizing either establishment or you will get yelled at.

We love the food here. Our family has been coming to this place since I was a little girl. We eat here sometimes 4 xs a week. We are rarely dissapointed in the food. Sometimes they forget your tortillas when your order is to go, but even then just call them up and they always replace everything without a Hassel the next time you come in. I wish I had somewhere like this near where I stay so I didn’t have to drive so far now to get some good, delicious, consistant mexican food. I love it!

The bomb Mexican food in West Los, period. Simply good food. If you’re looking for bougie kiss ass ambiance go to some fake place like el torito or sumpn. It’s an old skool chill spot with good food. In all my life living in this area never had a bad experience there. Don’t miss out on some good food.

One of my patients told me about this place and boy am I glad! The best food Mexican food in California. I have told so many of my patients about this place that I know I’ll be sorry because now I’ll have to wait in line longer. I don’t care! It’s that good!

Grabbed a carnitas, rice, beans, & cheese burrito on the way back from LAX. Will definitely have to come back to try the tacos.

Super burrito with chicken was like the size of my leg. Just the way I like my Mexican food — in huge quantities.
Tasted good enough. Bean and cheese burrito was decent as well. And I’m very selective about bean and cheese burritos.
Will repeat.

My neighbor came over last night and was raving about this place and I just couldn’t take it so I went! He recommended the carnitas taquito although it’s a taco. It was amazing! I just wish the shell wasn’t so greasy!!!

2 stars for the food. 3 stars for service. Came here for dinner before our long drive back to the Bay area. So dissatisfied and disappointed. Was expecting authentic Mexican cuisine but it was far from it. Walked in and saw the extensive menu and was initially impressed. Ordered the carnitas El Abajeno wet burrito. Was originally going to choose tongue but there is a 2 dollar up charge from the original 10.99. Sampled the beef tongue and was not impressed anyway. Didn’t even ask to sample any other meats cause the woman working was not very friendly. Boyfriend and I chose carnitas cause everyone seemed to order the carnitas. BAD DECISION. CARNITAS ARE BLAND AND DRY. The wait for our food was about 5 minutes and I asked for a side of chips while I waited and the cashier said not to fill up on chips. OKAY LET ME LOVE MY LIFE PLZ. LOL got my food & The burrito was huge. (Refer to photos). It was the size of my forearm. Probably the size of a baby. I was excited till I took a bite. Cold tortilla. Salad bar jalapeños, thick sliced tomato’s?!? I was confused. My wet burrito that I ordered extra crispy was cold and soggy. My boyfriend didn’t even finish his second carnita taco and we LOVE mexican food. Incredibly dissapointed. On the bright side the chips were good. I would probably never dine in again. Maybe takeout and I’d go home and dress up the burrito and tacos. Both did not come with sour cream and guac. #NOTIMPRESSED

Taquitos!!! So good but their version is more like an oily soft taco filled to the max with meat, cheese and avocado! This is a secret spot that I can’t tell my fancy friends that I eat here bc I know they will pass judgement. It’s a hole in the wall filled with Mexican delicious-​ness! This place is always filled with people and sometimes it’s like 18 people deep in line, don’t walk away! It’s worth the wait!!! Plus they have a salsa bar! Always a plus for me!

This place is our go to hangover mexican restaurant they have good chilaquiles and menudo. What else do you need!!!
The people that work there are pretty nice!
Everytime we’ve gone it’s been really really packed but don’t worry! By the time you order your food there will be an available seat for you to pig out.
4 stars because although good, I live in santa monica there’s no good mexican food anywhere, this is the closest good mexican restaurant but it’s def. Not the best

Are you serious? I thought I wrote a review already!
El Abajeño is an amazingly authentic Mexican joint. The food here is always good. Family and I came in late when they were here on vacation. My dad got the Abajeño burrito. Which comically ended up being bigger than me! I love the taco plate, rice and beans are great, even late. The crunchy tacos are delicious.
Definitely try this place, it’s wonderful

Desperate for menudo, I came here to give it another try. I was glad to see they put out fresh onions, cilantro, and limes for my meal. There was plenty of tripe and patas, and the broth had good color and flavor today. It made all the difference in the world for the flavor. I also had my traditional carnitas super tostada. My go to which always satisfy my bean and meat cravings.

I absolutely love Mexican food, so any time I get an opportunity to eat it, I will.
That’s what brought me to El Abajeño. The servings looked huge and the food looked authentic.
Firstly, I will say that parking was annoying for me because I was on the wrong side of the street and couldn’t really turn in or execute a U-​turn. So, basically, don’t be on the wrong side of that Inglewood. I decided to just park in the lot of the Mexican supermarket down the street and walk two blocks over, which essentially makes me the fittest guy ever.
Secondly, while the place looks interesting from the outside with its barred windows, it looks pretty comfortable inside. There’s a huge menu board with a ton of options, and seating is aplenty. It’s cafeteria style, so you order to have the employees assemble your meal in front of you.
I found the prices to be just alright; most plates were about $ 8 – 10 including rice and beans. However, everything looked pretty delicious.
I ultimately decided on a wet beef, bean, and rice burrito, which basically looked insane, as you can ascertain from the photo I took. Yeah, basically, I realized I wasn’t gonna be eating the most healthy meal in the world, but I knew I would enjoy it the second I saw it.
The employees are nice and don’t seem to hate working there, which is always great to see. Another plus is that they do accept debit and credit cards here, which I was afraid they might not after seeing very little mention at all in any Unilocal reviews.
The most amazing part of this place is the fact that they have a picture of BARON DAVIS EATING THERE!!! BARON DAVIS!!! You know, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors’ «We Believe» point guard BARON DAVIS? BARON DAVIS, who was drafted by the CHARLOTTE HORNETS and then eventually played on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS? BARON DAVIS! …What was Baron Davis even doing here?
Anyways, I enjoyed the salsa bar very much as well as the limes and peppers available, which BETTER BE THERE for any real Mexican restaurant!
I sat down and feasted my eyes on that beast of a burrito to mentally prepare myself for the crazy concoction I was able to devour. Then, I dug in.
Boy, the first few bites were heavenly! I loved loved loved it.
Then, of course, it got extremely heavy, and it became a case study in diminishing returns. I still enjoyed it and finished the thing, but by the end I started feeling kind of sick because of how filling it was.
Overall, it was very satisfying but not the most delicious and tasty burrito I’ve ever had. I found that the sauce they covered the burrito in was overpowering, and I just found the whole thing a bit much. If I ever stop by here again, I’ll definitely order something else.
Because let’s face it: if Mexican food is in the equation, I’m the answer.
OH, AND BARON DAVIS!!!

El Abajeno has been around for at least thirty-​five years that I know. It has been over twenty-​five years since I’ve been here when I came in to meet a friend for lunch on Wednesday, 5÷6÷15 at around 12:15 PM. This is not a full service Mexican restaurant. You order your food and wait for it at the counter, and then either take it to-​go or sit at any open table in their dining room. The order takers actually prepare the food; i.e., they dish food from the steam rack pans on to your plate or takeout box.
On this visit, the bad:
I waited in a line to order at the counter. When it was my turn, the young man behind the counter (with basically a very unhappy look on his face) literally looked over my shoulder at the (Hispanic) gentleman behind me and asked him what he wanted. When I said, «Excuse me, I’m next,» this counterman totally ignored me and continued taking the other person’s order.
The same young man who first ignored me and then waited on me after helping the person behind me, used his bare hands to pick up the grated cheese he put on my salad.
Forks were missing from the utensil service area.
Salsa bar had missing items and was very messy.
The good:
My Tostada Salad was AOK. It consisted of Frijoles on the bottom of the plate (I declined the chips that were going to be put on the plate), lettuce, onion, tomato, grated cheese and shredded Carnitas.
This restaurant is unique in its own way. If it is excellent Mexican food you are looking for or if you want to be served in a welcoming atmosphere, there are many other places locally to go to. If you just want a quick, somewhat authentic Mexican «quick fix» meal and don’t care about ambiance, surly/​rude employees, questionable food delivery procedures or a dining area that may or may not have clean table tops, this is your place.

The normal burritos are large and the Abajeno burrito’s just crazy. My standy-​by here is the chicken and rice burrito. It’s not my favorite ever, but definitely one of the better Mexican places on the Westside. Why would you ever go to Chipotle when you can get a better, bigger, and cheaper burrito here?
Oh, and they give you a side of chips for free. It’s sad that I have to mention this, but so many places don’t. There’s also a salsa bar. The red salsa is a bit sharp, but at least it’s actually kind of spicy.

Man o man o man. Stopped here after a workout (lol) to get this abajeño burrito I’ve been hearing about. Got in the long line of this cafeteria style mexican kitchen and made the excellent decision to be patient. The food was well worth the wait.
Ordered my el abajeño burrito with carnitas and no lettuce. The server poured heaping servings of rice, beans, cheese, avocado, and carnitas into 2 large tortillas. With the look of amazement in my eyes, the server asks «would you like con Carne sauce on top? «Yes please! (Aka Run That Shit!!!)
Got home and shared the burrito with 2 other people and 4 small dogs. The burrito was very flavorful. Nothing was too salty and was very balanced taste wise. The El Abajeno definitely kills chipotle and titos! I’ll be back here soon A+++

Football!
That’s what came to mind as I watched my El Abajeno Burrito being built. It’s the size of a small football. Take a look at my pics — they don’t really capture the size, even with the five dollar bill thrown in for scale. For $ 10, it’ll feed a few people.
Anyway, my uncle had raved about this place for years. A few times, he tried to take me to lunch there but I had other plans beforehand. Until this afternoon, when he asked if I wanted to join him for lunch. Not having any plans and no excuse not to, I was in, like flint.
This place is located over near the corner of Inglewood and Culver. It’s on the Inglewood — going south, on the right. There’s street parking and there’s also a small lot. Parking is free — so no complaints from me.
Walk in and jump in line. They’ll make your order as you watch and as you shuffle to the cashier, you pay as they hand you your food. It’s not a full service restaurant where you sit and are served. If you want anything, you go and get it yourself. Excluding refills. Fountains drinks are free. Anything else, is an additional full charge; stuff like Horchata etc.
Salsa bar isn’t labeled so grab some and try them. If it looks hot, for you it maybe, however for me, even the hottest sauce seemed mild. Maybe I need to ask for super hot from the staff behind the counter.
Lots of seating and could probably accommodate a large group. That’s if the timing is right and the tables that can be pushed together aren’t taken. Remember, it’s not full service. It’s take your food and seat yourself. No host to coordinate seating.
Now for the food. As you can see by the pics, it’s a huge portion. As for the taste, it’s not bad. I tried the Asada and it was a little on the dry side. Adding salsa helped and I even tested it for dinner, as I couldn’t eat it all. Heating it up in the microwave, turned out meh. I know for next time, as the burrito is being built, to specify quantities of the filling. Way too much beans and lettuce. Doesn’t heat up well when you nuke it. The veggies that is.
I’ve heard awesome things about the Tostada so it may be the next menu item I try when I return. Yes, I’ll be back.