Don Rogelio’s Restaurant

Was staying at a hotel near the airport with my kids and in laws for just 1 night. So of course I went to Unilocal to find something close for dinner. 4 ½ stars? It has to be ok right?
We pulled up to this tiny little house looking restraunt with a cute little outside seating area. There is also inside seating in a little building off the patio.
The menu is not big but please do not let that keep you away. Everything we tried we were more than pleased with. My mother in law is a VERY picky eater. She ordered a Carnitas burrito and loved it. We also had Chili Verde, a Carnitas plate, chicken enchiladas, ribs, cheese enchiladas, chicken nachos, chorizo and fresh made Guacamole.
Everything was outstanding and the owner was as sweet as could be. The kids made me promise we would stop to have lunch here before we headed home the next day. And once again everything was super yummy! Oh and I can’t forget the chips, salsa and refried beans for dipping they give you with every order. This along with the Real Mexican Coke in a bottle… seriously doesn’t get better than this!

Good food. Great beans. Great people.
Off the beaten path and easy to miss, this Tex-​Mex joint serves amazing carnitas, hot salsa that is actually hot and Mexican Coca Cola.
Very small but has a nice outdoor area where you get great views of the planes landing at LAX. It is right in the flight path so you actually have to pause your conversation as the planes pass.
Can’t wait to come back.

I can’t say. They weren’t open at 9:15 am. The opening time on Unilocal said 9am but we were the only ones there.

Awesome food and amazing service! Thanks Viola! You must try the carnitas with rice and beans plate with a side of fresh guacamole!

We landed at LAX and we’re about to start out drive to Palm Springs but wanted to grab some tacos or a burrito since we are east coasters. Found this place on Unilocal and it exceeded our expectations. The outdoor seating is adorable and so relaxing and the carnitas tacos are to die for. We ended up ordering another order! Homemade guac is also not to miss. May have to stop here before we head back home!

The food: I ordered three tacos and the guacamole appetizer… and I am stuffed. Maybe I should have ordered less ;). I had both the chicken and the Carne Asada tacos. Everything was made fresh to order. The tortillas are hand made… yummy! A must have! Don’t forget to get the spicy salsa. I like spicy salsa.
The place: As I sat eating I found the space to be peaceful and unique. You can also watch the airplanes fly into LAX; they fly right over the restaurant.
The service: The service was wonderful… really friendly staff. I met the owner (Viola) and she welcomed me to her restaurant and gave me the tour of the place. It was very kind of her to come out and make me feel welcome (I was alone). She even showed me a very old walnut tree on the property.
I will definitely be going back! :) and taking friends

Diamond in the rough! We returned our rental car and my boyfriend insisted on ‘one more Mexican meal’ before we left California. This place was palatial and so cute. Little courtyard with statues and a fountain?! The woman who owns the place, Viola, was awesome and full of interesting stories. The guac was incredible, the tortillas were obviously handmade. This place is truly a gem and I recommend to anyone looking for their last good Mexican meal before heading to the airport.

Excellent food, love the quaint atmosphere and Viola the owner is just as sweet as pie. The homemade tortillas are excellent and the carnitas were to die for.

Went for lunch …
Beans are good
Rice was amazing
Salsa is good
Tacos are good
Tortillas are hand made and delicious (a bit small tho)
Ordered a side guacamole … it was good just needs a bit of salt and lemon .
Great location. nice outdoor set up.
Overall great experience… definitely will be back.

Food was amazing!

The best carnitas I have ever had.
Unilocal came through! My friend and I were looking for a spot close to her hotel near LAX. I searched ‘restaurants” and Don Rogelio’s popped up. I thought «I love Mexican, lets try it!»
The parking situation was kind of odd, but totally worked. The garden/​patio is quaint and well-​kept. The dining room was cute, and handy as her and I were trying to have a conversation and the planes were directly overhead.
I will definitely be coming back. The food was amazing. The atmosphere was welcoming. We even sat and had a chat with Viola and her son Rollie, after hours. Good people.

Great Food…
Great food prepared by people that seem more like family.
And its true! You’ll want to take the owner home with you or want to be adopted by her!
Will have you looking forward to your next visit with more friends in tow!
Don Rogelio’s Restaurant is a cozy little spot located is the city of Lennox and is one of those places that you wish you’d heard of sooner. Thank goodness for Unilocal.
I had a wonderful first visit and was impressed with the food, its quality and the overall service. I was immediately sold on the carnitas plate (see pictures). Slow cooked over several hours… if not over a day and the whole thing just melts in your mouth. Savory. The plate is served with beans, rice AAAAND hand made corn tortillas. YUUUUUM!
Guacamole is pretty bomb too.
DRR is claims that its authentic Tex-​Mex. Ive never set foot in Texas so Im taking Ms. Viola’s word for it. She’s an amazing hard working woman that puts her heart & soul in all she prepares. Had a great conversation with her while enjoying my lunch and sure that what she’s serving up representative of the Lone Star State.
I hope you’ll make some time to stop by as well… except Tuesday.
DRR is not open on Tuesday cause hey everyone needs at least one day off.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Ample free parking in its private lot. There is a detached dining room for larger private parties or if its nice outside take a seat by the fountain. Does take debit/​credit cards but the machine was on the blink. I recommend cash.
Looking to take my family on the next visit, then family and friends on the visit after that. The experience really is like visiting a close relative and enjoying a home cooked meal.
Cheers!

Good place to grab a bite after a long flight.
Don’t usually enjoy TexMex as much as I did today.
Nice, child friendly garden environment.
No wait.
Give them some time to food prep after opening only two people working.
Plenty of parking.
Try the Guacamole, fresh and delicious!

Instead of fighting the 405S during rush hour I exited the freeway in search of some great food. Leaned on Unilocal to help me find somewhere. Stumbled across Don Rogelio’s. It’s not your average hole in the wall — it’s a beautiful little courtyard with chairs and tables, a fountain, and a separate quaint dining room. Viola was a lovely host. Very sweet and accommodating from the moment I walked in. She recommended the Carnitas plate that she spend hours and hours cooking — who could refuse!
After ordering, she asked if I wanted guacamole? For some reason I assumed it came with the carnitas plate, but it was actually a $ 4 addition — caught me off guard but was absolutely delicious. The carnitas plate came with freshly made/​blackened tortillas, spanish rice and beans. I scooped it all up into a tortilla, one by one, and polished the plate clean. Nothing crazy, nothing revolutionary– just really great authentic Mexican food.
With a bottle of water ($ 1.50), Guac ($ 4 – 5) and the Carnitas plate ($ 11) is came out to just over $ 17. IMPORTANT TIP: the credit card machine was out of service and thus I had to go to the ATM to grab cash. CASH ONLY. Instead of paying $ 3 fees at the local market a few houses down, I drove to ⁷⁄₁₁ around the block and got cash back. Viola trusted me to return with payment for the food, and of course I did… Again, she’s a lovely lady and a great host.
Great experience overall, I’ll definitely be back

Unilocal 100 Challenge 2016 — Review 8 of 100…
Dear, Mom,
I’m in love with a woman! She loves Jesus, she’s a blessing to others, we mutually appreciate each other’s hair, she made me smile when I wanted to sulk, and she makes da bomb food! Her name is Viola.
I know, I know — we are super close, you know almost everything about me and I have never mentioned anything about loving women outside of a friendship, but please keep reading so I can share why she means so much to me…
I’ll start with the one drawback — Ms. Viola is married. She told me her story of how, after the housing market crash and losing a dear loved one, she and her husband decided to do what she loves — share the recipes she helped her parents in Corpus Christi prepare with local folk. I have to take you… she said most of her clientele are tourists but the locals need to come support. You tell me stop working so much and enjoy life, Mom — surely you can appreciate her encouraging me to do the same!
Ms. Viola’s restaurant is on a busy street with loud planes that fly overhead but, like you always told me, when you’re surrounded with love and joy other outside factors don’t irritate or bother you as they normally might. I feel safe and secure in her space — like I’m not in the middle of a bustling city!
I didn’t get your cooking gene, nor did you teach me to cook deliciously like you do — she is like you in that she’s creative inside the kitchen, too! She said her carnitas recipe (one of her best sellers) came by accident… I’ll let her tell you how. I want you to meet her.
She encouraged me to try something new — a Mexican Coke and menudo. She reminded me that I have to try things before I say I don’t like them. I wasn’t a fan of the menudo but I can say that with knowledge now.
She’s very balanced — she has thigh dimple making goodness like carnitas, asada, chicken and cheesy goodness. But she cares about my health, too! She has veggie and potato tacos (I’ll try those next time) and everything is so fresh — the guacamole was delicious and she cuts and prepares a lot (that she can) as it’s ordered!
They say you choose someone like one of your parents… she loves to decorate with color and has eclectic style — personal and professional, like you!
— She has a short sassy ‘do and wears fun outfits with daring jewelry, just like you! She knows how to get the most out of space available to her and her son helped her design the «village» on which her restaurant rests with mosaic art in the parking lot. He told her «just because our store is in the ghetto doesn’t mean it has to look like it!»
— Ms. Viola uses an array of pieces and décor to bring her spaces to life. Each table in her main dining room contains different sets of chairs.
— She has great taste in music… I grooved to soulful jazz on 88.1 and she told me The Wagman (DJ on that station) is awesome.
— She uses festive lights to decorate like you did for me when I was a kid.
— She has a green thumb like you too! She has everything from succulents to big leafy greens to potted flowers to brighten her spaces. She even poinsettias that are still alive — it’s the end of February!
— She’s humble like you, mom. The man next to me described his chicken burrito as «amazing» and she laughed and said «it’s just a burrito!» If you can make the simple things great, you can make bigger things great!
Ms. Viola made me feel like I was at home away from home. If I didn’t have to hurry home to clean for your OCD presence (coming later this week), I would have stayed and chatted with her longer!
The only thing is she doesn’t serve alcohol. Probably better for me anyway.
She knows the value of a dollar… fresh food at reasonable prices! She takes cash and check (which means she still trusts people in this crazy world) — no card. But she supports her neighbor who has an ATM machine you can use.
If we decide to take things a step further with a union, it should be cost effective… she caters!
She laughed at me when she saw that I scraped each plate clean into my carryout container but it was a cute sweet laugh, not a mean one like the folks who have seen me eat everything on my plate and told me I’d better watch my figure. (The quickest way to get me to stop liking anyone is to criticize my eating habits!)
Support me or not, mom, I love Ms. Viola and what she stands for and her beautiful presence. I’m going to keep seeing her over and over and over again — with or without your approval! She’s beautiful inside which makes her already gorgeous outside even more attractive. You told me to surround myself with good people… I have that AND good food at Don Rogelio’s, so that’s why Ima keep visiting her!
(dated February 21, 2016)

This place is amazing! Definitely a GEM. Only a about 10 minutes from the airport and has a super cute little front courtyard where you can enjoy your authentic, delicious meal under the shade of an umbrella. The lady who owns and runs the place is very sweet. I would highly recommend!

How is the owner not a millionaire? This place is a GEM. As much as I would love to keep this to myself, I would be doing Don Rogelio a disservice. This is hands down the best Mexican meal that I ever had. The chef, owner, staff are great.
Must order– Guacamole. Trust me on this. Order it and you wish that she sold this by the bottle. It’s correctly balance with zest, salsa, avocado and everything else with it.
I ordered the tacos– you must try the salsa hot sauce. OMG, it’s delicious.
This place needs to be bookmarked and visited by all.

This is without a doubt the ultimate hidden gem. It defines the term completely and you have to find it to know what I’m talking about. Drive down this basically low income residential and light commercial part of Inglewood Ave (LA has to have some of the worst zoning) and be on the look out for some signs that this place exists. It sits about ⁴⁰⁄₅₀ yards back from the street and you could easily miss it if you go zooming by.
By the looks of the buildings in the surrounding area you’ll be thinking, hole-​in-​the-​wall but I wouldn’t call it that. When you walk up to the place, you’ll see it’s more of an oasis in an urban landscape. It’s basically a home turned into a restaurant and it works. It works very well.
Others have mentioned the LAX flight path and they aren’t exaggerating. This wonderful expression of home cooked food made with love from a lady who does it based on her cherished memories, is center stage along one of LAX’s 4 runways which has a steady flow of arriving aircraft. That’s a bonus for commercial airliner lovers — eat, enjoy and be merry.
So what are we here for? Oh yeah, the food! The food! We’re talking Tex-​Mex that doesn’t fool around. These plates get down to business so don’t bring your lazy out of shape taste buds and expect them to take the day off on some bland generic options. At this place, your buds are gonna work. But don’t worry, it’s the kind of work you want your mouth doing. The kind that leaves you pleasure receptors flashing and satisfied and has you thinking about your next trip this way to stop and try something else on the menu.
Guacamole. Did you know guacamole could taste so good you almost want to make it a meal or at least a snack on its own? How about brisket marinaded so well, the flavor bursts with eat bite? Hand made tortillas to compliment any plate. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, you know the rest.
Okay, what are you waiting for?

Great place we loved it, real Tex-​Mex food and the price is great! Muy buena comida y el precio muy razonable, el café muy sabroso les recomiendo los guisados!

I had a few hours at the Westin hotel at lax and looked this up on Unilocal.What a find. Best corn tortillas I ever had and I’ve been around the world of Mexican food for years. Everything was fresh and delicious
The people there were super nice and told me all about how they cook there food. I’ll be back and if you are in the area this is a must go to.

I swear my mom or grandma did the cooking here, THAT’S how much I loved the food. It may sound silly but I judge a Mexican joint by their beans ;)
Viola, the owner is so sweet that I literally felt I was eating with family.
She served me a small plate of beans and chips once I placed my order for chile verde.
After my first dip into the beans I knew I was in for a treat. The chile verde was tasty and tender and it was served with 3 small handmade corn tortillas.
I’ll be coming back soon when I’m craving some authentic Mexican food and I’m just too tired to make it!
Thanks Viola for a delicious meal