CaCao Mexicatessen

Food is good at this restaurant but the wait time for your order is long. The servers don’t come around enough to check if patrons are ok or if they need anything else. The tacos seem a bit overpriced in my opinion.

We came here for brunch and enjoyed ourselves. I wish they had a bigger outdoor patio but otherwise the place is pretty roomy and spacious.
You can get chips and salsa (bottomless) for $ 3.50 which isn’t bad although at most Mexican restaurants it’s usually free. It comes with two different salsas, I loved the spicier one.
This is an order/​pay first and sit down kind of place. I had the vegetarian burro which has potato, beans, yummy lettuce and cheese. Delicious! It was $ 9.50 and HUGE.
My friend and husband both got the Abuelitas with the fig mole and they both loved it. You can get it vegetarian or add chicken/​pork to it for extra. The mole is flavorful and delicious. We got a mango agua fresca which did not taste that sweet or ripe. I wish it was a little more mango-​y.
We parked on the street but I believe they have a small parking lot in the back as well. I would definitely recommend this place!

This place is awesome! Every time I come I order way too much and leave with an extremely full belly but it’s totally worth it. The mole fries are perfect! Not too thick, and extra crispy. Can get pretty crowded, but like most places it depends on when you come. Highly recommend to anyone in the area.

One of the best Mexican places I’ve been to in a while! Ordered the vegetarian burrito (I forgot its name :/​) wet, with the green sauce I believe? (I just went with what the cashier recommended) The chips and salsa seemed to be an extra charge so my sister and I didn’t bother to order it so we could have more room for our main dishes, but as soon as we sat down we were offered some so we thought why not! The burrito was so flavorful and big! I could only finish half but it was sooooo good. Rice and beans were great and the vegetables that were inside were cooked well enough to have a slight crunch.
Seating is a bit of a hassle if you don’t find any inside, but overall great place.

OH man is this place bomb. I stumbled across it on Unilocal and the pictures sold me. It ended up being as good as it looks. The mole is soooo good. Everything we had was amazing. Only thing that didn’t make sense is the charge for chips and salsa. If I pay $ 45 for food, chips/​salsa should be free. However saying that, the chips and salsa were blah. Better off saving stomach space for the good stuff. Good beer choices. Plenty of seating. Not cheap, but that is okay when you are getting great quality food. If you are looking for cheap, go to a taco stand.

I ve been here several times. Not really impressed by this place… I ve heard really good reviews, but I think that is a bit overrated.
First, it takes forever to get food.
If you have big party, the seating situation can be challenging…
The food is not bad, but i is a little bit pricey.

I was pretty excited to try this place, from the menu and the décor it had an authentic Mexican vibe. We ordered the deep fried fish tacos, carne asada burrito, and a michelada. They gave us complimentary chips and salsa which was nice. The homemade green salsa was spicy and pretty delicious, but that’s where the flavor stopped.
The fish tacos were simple, a little too simple. No avocado or guac, it just tasted bland and boring, not bad by any means but nothing to write home about. My boyfriend felt the same about the carne asada burrito. As for the michelada, it had a bit of a smokey flavor to it, kind of muddled, the mix was a little too heavy for my taste.
Overall, everything was just alright.

Cacao is equally familiar and equally innovative.
I’ve been here several times before for a coffee and flan meet up, but this weekend I sampled a few food items and was tickled! (Side note: their flan is mmmmmmmm good)
Mole fries: just as tasty as I’d imagined… wish there was a better ratio of crunchy fry to the soggy ones covered in mole but the taste was enough to keep digging in for more.
Trio of Taquitos: perhaps the most beautifully plated chicken taquitos ever! 3 blue corn crispy taquitos are served in halves, over guacamole/​queso fresco/​crema. Rather than your typical shredded iceberg, the taquitos are topped with micro greens (a stylish and nutritious choice). Juicy chicken filling is generous and makes you want to order round 2!
Duck confit taco (carnitas de Pato): excellent! Juicy shredded duck topped with pickled onions and radishes. Needed a little sprinkling of salt, but otherwise quite delicious.
Camaron Chipotle something (chipotle shrimp taco): juicy, not too spicy, seasoned grilled shrimp wrapped in warm homemade corn tortilla make for a perfect bite.
Agave margarita: straightforward and delicious. Dangerously easy to drink.
When you visit order up front and then find a seat at a cute table or the bar. Staff is friendly and approachable.
I’ll definitely be returning again and again. i can only hope that service is a little faster next time as I waited 30 minutes for food to come out (two appetizers and two tacos). Still, didn’t turn me off from returning as everything was so delicious!
Cacao Mexicatessen, ¡Te quiero mucho, Mucho!

Great spot for a delicious brunch. Nice hipster twist on traditional Mexican and breakfast dishes. Order at the counter and they deliver to your table. Yummy mimosas on the weekend. Chilaquiles were Delish. Everything else looks good as well.
Tres. Leches. Pancakes. (Mind. Blown)
Chilaquiles with Mole (wow)

Warning for vegans: The Dorado de Papa tacos are not vegan even if you ask for no dairy.
Cacao might have the best Mexican food anywhere, and I have no doubt they have the best chips in LA, possibly in the world, but I’ve been disappointed lately by the lack of transparency over which dishes are actually vegan or vegetarian.
I’ve been ordering the fried avocado taco and potato taco for months, requesting no dairy, after asking if they were vegan without the cheese and being told yes. One night I ordered on the phone and the guy on the other line said, btw if you’re vegetarian don’t get the fried avocado, it’s fried in the same oil as the meat. I was really surprised to hear that. The next time I was in the restaurant I asked a woman, who looked in charge, about that and she got very defensive and said it wasn’t true. So, I took her word for it but it’s still really weird that a guy who works there would make that up and volunteer that information unsolicited.
Finally, my husband and I were ordering a meal in the restaurant last week and as usual asked for a few potato (dorado de papa) tacos (which are amazing) with no dairy. The woman we ordered from deduced that we were vegan based on what we ordered and said, you know there is dairy already mixed in with the potatoes, they can’t be made vegan. I was really annoyed that they’d been serving this to me for months and that I’d asked before and been given the wrong information!
These two experiences have left me with a bad taste in my mouth and now that I know the dorado de papa tacos are out, I won’t be back as much. I somehow still feel like I can’t go below 4 stars because their food is just really, really good.
I also appreciate how they have been trying different things to make the place more efficient. The whole repeating your order back to you didn’t really work that well, at least for me, and I was happy to see they stopped doing it but was worth a try, and I liked that there was a woman there helping people find tables last time.

To redeem my Mexican food craving and having one the worst at Max’s in Duarte yesterday… today’s lunch is at Cacao Mexicatessen, it’s so satisfying and definitely authentic. Love this place!
Check out our meal through photos I took, all so yummy!
Ambiance: Cool
Food: Excellent
Service: it’s self-​service but they do deliver your meal

Cacao Mexicatessen is an interesting concept of a fast food restaurant. It’s a deli, coffee shop, and Mexican restaurant. For some reason, I expected a full service restaurant experience when I walked in.
You walk in through the door then order at the counter. You’re given a number to put at your table and they bring your food over to you. Not much for service at this restaurant.
I wasn’t too hungry so I ordered two tacos as suggested by the cashier. The spicy cochinta pibil (shredded pork) and the taco de guera (fried breaded shrimp) topped with uni (sea urchin).
Both tacos packed some heat in each bite that I had to sip on my horchata between every bite.
It’s seem like the item they are famous or most know for is the duck confit tacos.
They have so many interesting «Modern Mexican» items on the menu other than tacos to try. This is not your typical Mexican restaurant, so expect to spend more time looking at their menu.
I loved the handmade tortillas used for their tacos. It makes all the difference when eating a taco.
Parking might be tough. The restaurant is located right by the Trader Joe’s in Eagle Rock. I was able to find street parking in the neighborhood.

A friend recommended this place and raved about it so I was pretty excited when she suggested we meet here for dinner. Once I arrived, I realized it was an «order at the front» restaurant and then seat yourself. As our entire party hadn’t arrived yet, she and I decided to sit at the bar for a margarita first. We each got just a regular agave marg and it was pretty good… didn’t taste too strong for my liking. Once everyone arrived, we were going to go to the front and order but since it was pretty crowded on a Friday night, we decided to just grab a table first. One of the servers saw us sit down and said she would be able to serve us from the table so that we wouldn’t have to get in line. It was nice. The table was incredibly small for 3 people so we were pretty cramped. We ordered chips with salsa and guacamole for the table and I ordered the Abuelita’s Enchiladas with mole verde. The enchiladas aren’t your typical rolled enchiladas, they were stacked in one round circle. It came with a zucchini/​corn side dish and Spanish rice. I found the enchiladas to be really dense (felt like I was eating a stack of 10 tortillas). It didn’t really taste all that great either… I’ve definitely had more flavorful enchiladas in my life. I ended up only eating ¹⁄₃ of it since it was sooo filling. The service is subpar… one of the servers spilled all over the gentleman sitting next to us and barely apologized to him, which I found to be unacceptable.
This place wasn’t what I expected it to be… the other kicker is that the parking absolutely SUCKS. The driveway to their parking lot behind the restaurant is SO narrow, I was so worried my car would get scratched… once in there, there was no parking, I had to do a 5 point turn to get out. It was very inconvenient. I ended up parking down on a side street and walking.

I came here on a random day with my boyfriend and his mom. I’m not sure why this was bookmarked on my Unilocal but it was and I am happy.
I got their shrimp wet burrito, which was good but I really liked their carne asade wet burrito that my boyfriend got. We also got their micheladas but I thought it was okay, at least it was happy hour. I like their chips and salsa!
Environment: Cozy inside and outside seating, there is a bar, order at the counter before seating.
Service: The girl helping us with our order was very helpful and friendly. All the waiters were nice.
Parking: On the streets, I’m not sure if they have their own parking.

We love you Cacao!
Ignore the whiners, this place is legit. What it is: a slightly foodie twist on Eastside Mexican with a great mostly-​Latino staff. What it is not: a taqueria in Boyle Heights. Most of the whiners seem to think that this is a supposed to be a greasy or down-​home Mexican restaurant, it’s not. Nothing wrong with either but don’t judge a place for being what it isn’t. Word!
We love to come here after shopping at Trader Joes next door (because there’s only so many free samples I can jack). The blue corn chips are epic. I love the camarones enchipotlados tacos (shrimp). They have a citrusy spice to them that is the bomb. My husband loves their giant burritos and carne asada tacos. If you order the enchiladas be prepared, it will be the size of your face! They don’t mess with portions.
It’s a great spot to watch games if you want to avoid a rowdy sports bar. All the staff are super kind. We especially love Edward! He’s the young guy with the big smile and afro. He’s always happy and helpful. (He’s also a student so tip generously.)

After reading amazing reviews about this place and recommendations from others, my boyfriend and I finally decided to try it. We walked in and loved the vibe. Its very authentic looking with a very elaborate menu (mostly in spanish). He got a torta and I got the carne asada special from the lunch specials as our entrees, and the corn as an appetizer. We also took home some guacamole and chips and the chile apple. All I have to say is that I am extremely disappointed. The service was slow even during a time where the place was pretty empty. The food was OK, edible but not amazing. The carne asada meat was the problem. The corn on the other hand was PHENOMENAL. The guacamole, once again very WHATEVER. I expected more from the place but I guess I have to test out other menu options before I make my final decision.
My tip for now, do NOT get the carne asada. Did like the vibe so will be back to test out some other menu options.

Tastiest Mexican food in LA
Service ³⁄₅
Food ⁵⁄₅
Ambience ⁴⁄₅
The hot salsa is incredible
Recommendations:
Tacos tacos tacos — never tasted a bad taco here
Burritos are HUGE I recommend sharing

It seems like it is a tradition now to get margarita’s on Sundays.
This location is an interesting take on a restaurant, there are no waiters/​waitresses here but instead you order at the counter like a fast food joint and seat yourself and wait for the food to come to you. There are booths that are reserved for parties 3 or more so nab one while you can.
After looking over the menu, my gf and I decided to get their version of a carne asada burrito «wet» style and an order of their take of carne asada fries as well.
The good thing about not having a server is that you can get everything yourself. Need more water? Head over and grab a big bottle yourself! Need more plates/​utensils? No problem! Get as many as you desire. Need to go boxes? It’s right around the corner. You see where I am going with this, everything is just so much more convenient when you can just get up and get it yourself without having to rely on someone to get it for you, which I find nice.
The food is kinda pricey for what it is. I always considered Mexican food as cheap «street food» since pretty much it revolves around choice of meat, rice, salsa, beans. Basic foods that do not have high costs and can be purchased at large quantities for cheap, but I guess for a location like Eagle Rock they have to charge more than usual for it.
Price aside, I think that this place is pretty good for what it is. The portions are pretty good, the burrito was more than enough for 2 people, and with the fries on the side it was a perfect way to fulfill my craving for Mexican food. With the limited Mexican food options in the area, this place is a good option. I will come back here again when the situation presents itself.

Walked into this place a realized it was a mad house! Almost all the tables were being occupied, a good amount of people in line waiting to order, busy servers hustling this way and that way in the tiny little restaurant.
Luckily, when we informed the server we were only here to drink she didn’t skip a beat & right away scored us a table & went to make our drinks. 3 rounds of micheladas in & the crowd dying down, we ordered a carne asada taco, fish taco & a cochinita pibil taco. All 3 served on fresh hand made tortillas. My favorite & most flavorful was the cochinita pibil taco.
I absolutely adore this place! Can’t wait to continue to go back & try the different items on the menu! ^_​^
Your Homegirl,
Violy

Cacao Mexicatessen is a wonderful mongrelized word: Mexican & from a Franco German word combination, Delicat = delicate, Essen = eat, food, meal. Façade of Cacao looks like a small ranch house made from red/​brown adobe w/​a small front porch for al fresco dining on an hacienda in Northern Mexico. The look deceived me since I thought I would be greeted by meseras in a dress closer to regional dress.
However, upon entering, expect to get in a line so you can get to the order counter, and as the signs say, «Please be ready to order at the counter.» Grab a menu while you are in line or look up at the blackboard since indecisiveness at the counter wastes time so that the people behind you get delayed. There is no wrath greater than from strangers w/​empty stomachs. Once you order & pay, they give you a stainless steel rod w/​a number card so they can bring the food to where you have claimed a seat.
1) Taco Asada: beef seemed marinated in a reddish tomato/​chipotle/​garlic sauce so that when the beef was grilled, it retained a moist, soft texture unlike a lot of Carne Asadas that come out being over cooked & extremely dry & hard in texture. Diced onions, microgreens, cilantro along w/​a red salsa which also tasted of chipotle, tomato, garlic were the garnishes.
2) Taco de Confit de Carnard: Confit in French cooking means cooked in its own juices or fat so the duck meat in this case is cooked in its own fat. Meat is shredded, & dressed w/​pickled red onion slices reminiscent of the Yucatan style & thinly sliced smooth, unctuous aguacate/​avocado. Squeeze of green lime provided a gastrique to counter some of the oiliness. The duck is meaty, subtle in seasonings so that the nuanced duck flavor comes through.
3) Vampiro de Taco: is of fried duck skin, guacamole, Pico de Gallo/​chopped up tomato, chiles, onions, micro cilantro, Cotija/​aged dry cheese, Salsa Verde/​tomatillo, chile, onion, garlic. Tortilla is closer to a pancake that is thick, moist, soft, pillowy w/​3 cheeses infused in. The complex flavours all marry well & swing toward a more funky, fermented, dairy flavor w/​the fried duck skin acting as the rich, fatty foil. However, the fried duck skin retained a strong «old oil» smell & taste that ruined this complex taco.
4) Aquachile de Camarones: Julienned crunchy Jicama, diced red onions, cool sliced cucumbers, sliced aguacate, ultra thin rings of Serrano chiles, cilantro microgreen, about 6 whole medium shrimps slightly seared, but still raw in the style that Japanese chefs would call Tataki. There is a complex watery salsa that has a strong scent of lime juice, serrano chile infusion, possibly a touch of medicinal, bitter Epazote & Oregano that adds an herbal, oily, smoky funk.
Semi-​raw shrimp was velvety, soft, moist, & since there were so few shrimps, I decided to chop up the shrimp into fine pieces & tossed them in the julienned vegetables for more equal distribution. Lady Isobel L. & I thought the Aguachile de Camarones was the best dish chosen. Lime/​serrano salsa w/​its complex mixture of herbs & seasonings awakened the refreshing vegetables & shrimp as well as adding citrus gastrique & earthy herbals tastes. The chile heat was toned down for us «gringos». Purple corn totopos/​corn chips are provided.
1−4a) Ordered the wine flight where you can choose 3 wines from their selection. However, the Chenin Blanc & Petite Syrah by LA Cetto were flabby & unbalanced in terms of sugars, tannins, acidity. Merlot by Bodegas Santo Tomas was better, but still rather lackluster compared to a better wine like El Grenache also from Baja California del Norte in the Valle de Guadalupe as served at the incomparable Babita Mexicuisine.
5) Hot Cacao: Hot chocolate from Oaxaca w/​scalded milk, sliced almonds, powdered canela/​cinnamon. I stirred all the ingredients together to incorporate all the flavours. The mellow chocolate, & canela made the scalded milk take on a more thick, viscous quality. Nice alternative to dessert.
Nino appeared to ask us if we needed any further assistance. He’s the one who made our excellent Hot Cacao. He told us a little bit about the history of Cacao Mexicatessen. Initially it was to be a Yogurt joint until another yogurt place was set up before Cacao did so a new concept restaurant scheme was developed. Nino’s sister is also a chef at Cacao. We also talked about the food at Cacao, & Nino also elaborated on the production of Oaxacan chocolate & pointed to a bunch of brown chocolate pods hanging from the ceiling near the order counter. After all, the origin of chocolate is Mexico.
Generally, the food at Cacao Mexicatessen is well executed w/​a few faux pas such as the wines & the fried duck skin, but the price & the quality of ingredients are reasonable. Nino was charming, helpful, & informative which upped it to the next star. 4– Unilocal stars for a pleasant Wednesday evening.