El Diner

I like the food, but the service is really bad. I ordered my lunch and sat down to wait for my food. After about 10 minutes, still no food. So I went up to the counter to find out where it is. The guy I talked to didn’t know where it was, so he started making it. When it’s done, the lady I had originally ordered from gives me my food and says that my original meal had been given to someone else, which was strange since there were only about 5 people in the restaurant and I was sitting in clear view of the order counter the entire time I was waiting. I then go over to grab a fork and napkins, only to see they are no forks where the forks should be. I ask the lady at the counter for a fork, but the lady at the counter says they’ve run out. How can a restaurant run out of forks?

solid food

This little hole in the wall needs some more attention! You have to get an empanada! I got the bbq pulled pork empanada and it was sensational, but I have no doubt that any option would be a good option. The dough is pretty dough-​y but also pretty flaky and just melted in your mouth. Ugh, so good. Then I opted for the carnitas tostada salad. basically a burrito in a bowl but. better. If you’re looking to be healthy, then the salad is a good choice. I would just ask to veto the tostada because you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating it all once you try it. Gold. ⁵⁄₅!

Went there for a late lunch today. We ordered our tostada salads to go ($ 7, cheaper than all the chains I know) and they were good! Mine was the carne asada one and I was happy to see them cook my meat and prepare everything right in front of us. We got their sauces as well. I did not find them anything special, unlike pretty much everyone else it seems, but the freshness of the ingredients was obvious, and the taste of all of them combined made my salad so good that it did not even need any sauce. Even the tostada itself was tasty!
I will definitely go again but for take out, again, probably.

Pretty cool to offer an in and out option for food while at the El Rey for a concert. They give you a wrist band or you can come in just for dinner sans concert.
Try the sweet potato taquitos, BBQ short rib tacos, skip the halibut taco (a bit bland unless you like simple). Try ALL the sauces… Amaze-​balls!!!
From my picky food-​eating man who had the carne asada tacos and chicken quesadilla… even he gave it an 8.5÷10 with the scale = 0 = «help me I am going to puke, take me to the hospital» and a 10 = «is this heaven it tastes divine?!?»
So… Pretty damn good, right?
Simple little place. You cAn even hear the music without going deaf (help me as I go inside El Ray).
Just don’t mind the usual LA LA land import crazies talking next to you about how they won’t go on stage and embarrass the singers by doing better because ‘I’m about the people, says my mom’… No… I seriously heard this!!! And they are actually serious… meanwhile I see them entering through the normal stand-​in-​line gate rather than behind stage. Oh boy. Is it wrong to notice the accidental deodorant streaks on the red dress? Probably should delete! Too catty!
Anyway, I love LA LA land locals… Cool… Kick back… Here for the music not to be crazy. I know, I know… I’m Canadian! But I didn’t move to LA to be famous. I came with my family. So, I’m kinda a local.
Great food.
Fast service!

I loved everything about this place. The atmosphere, smells, service, and the food. All I needed to try were two tacos. One bbq short ribs, and carnitas. Their sauce station is bomb. Expertly crafted and perfectly executed. Definitely coming back in the next couple days!

A small taqueria located adjacent to the El Rey theater. tortas, burritos, tacos. the food is average, nothing unusual or special. if your in the el rey line and hungry give this a try

This place is a great hiden gem. They have amazing Mexican food for a really great price. The burritos are only $ 6 (less than Chipotle right across the street and WAY better). A favorite local spot for sure!

I was wandering around the area before a concert at the attached El Rey Theater. I wasn’t super hungry, but I figured, «Hey, I’m ALWAYS in the mood for an empanada.» I got my ticket checked by the guy at the theater, who then made me wear an extra wristband to go into the diner for some reason. (They don’t/weren’t serving alcohol there, so no idea what that was for.)
I ordered 2 empanadas, one chorizo and aged cheddar, and the second was shrimp and bacon. I also got a Diet Coke. It was something like $ 9.30. Ok… I figured as long as these were good quality, or good-​sized empanadas, I wouldn’t be too salty about the price. (For comparison, a good empanada down here in OC is about $ 1.50-$ 1.75.)
Well, they weren’t, and I’m salty about the price. The shrimp one was pretty good. I don’t know if it needs the bacon, but, the flavors they have in there work well with the pastry crust. Delicious.
The chorizo one, however, is basically an object lesson on why you don’t mix chorizo and cheese in an empanada. The filling just adhered to itself, becoming a ball of greasy mush in the center. You need to make this with chorizo and a filler like, potato, in order for the greasiness of the chorizo not to overwhelm the thing.
And that was it. These things are about 1 – 2 bites large, if your empanada’s cool enough to eat comfortably. The ambiance of the place is like sitting in any old cramped hole in the wall. If you can get a lunch special and try two of the shrimp emapanadas and a drink for a non-​onerous amount of money, I could see you stopping in. Otherwise, pass.

This is a great little spot to grab some deliciousness. I have been here several times. The food is fresh and cooked to order. It is reasonably priced and has a great selection to choose from on the menu. Give it try, I think you will really enjoy it.

The food is great! A little pricey for tacos and other small items, but it’s a hipster’s version of Mexican food. If you check the specials board, you can usually find a decent priced item.
The food, I don’t have a problem with. So why 2 stars?
I come here all the time. In fact, my whole office does! Today in particular I decided to grab a salad from the salad bar at Ralph’s and was going to meet a friend for lunch at El Diner. I arrived earlier than expected with my salad and sat down. There were plenty of seats to choose from as there were literally only 2 other guests dining at the time.
Within a minute, before my friend had showed up, the cashier came out and told me to leave the patio because I was not eating food from El Diner. Mind you their patio is literally in the middle of the sidewalk, anyways. I was shocked. I didn’t even have a chance to explain that my friend was coming before she brushed me off and went back inside.
I texted my friend and told him to meet me at Yuko’s Kitchen across the street instead. I actually felt a little embarrassed until about 5 mins later, I just felt annoyed.
I get the whole taking up space at a restaurant thing when it’s busy, I really do. But as a typical paying customer and over 10 open tables on the patio, not to mention the inside was EMPTY, I would assume they’d not be so quick to kick me to the curb.
I’ll go elsewhere for my hipster Mexican food, thank you very much.

I walk by this place every week and never thought of going in. Just looked small and underwhelming for a lunch spot. However I should have known better — remember, don’t judge a book by its cover.
I got in around noon. Not much happening except the kitchen getting set up.
The menu options looked great. Street tacos, burritos, tortas, and more. I ordered up the chicken nachos. Everything looked good as orders came up. Fresh guacamole was being made and the best part was the tortillas were being grilled to make the chips. Fresh chips — they tasted great on the nachos. The chicken was grilled, seasoned lightly and juicy not dry at all. Usually I am not a big fan of the sour cream but here it was nice and complimentary, not too tart. Lots of melty cheese and some beans tasted great. I always love nachos and know if they are good they can be more than an appatizer, but a meal.
The nacho portion was definitely enough for a good lunch meal. And for $ 6 I felt completely satisfied. They also have a nice salsa bar with several options from sweet to hot.
You can eat inside in the limited seating, or out on the sidewalk to people watch on the Miracle Mile. By mid lunch hour the place had a line about 10 people deep extending out to the street. So it must be a hot neighborhood spot.
The man working the register was cool and relaxed but appreciative of the business. It’s a small place but you can tell they take some pride in their little spot on the boulevard. And being attached to the historic El Rey Theater is a fun piece of nostalgia.

I ordered takeout from El Diner after my coworker recommended that I go here for the empanadas. I got a short rib taco, corn & kale empanada and a chorizo & cheddar empanada. The taco was just okay and nothing to rave about but the empanadas were the best I’ve ever had. The dough was perfect and the fillings were super flavorful. Highly recommended!
I took off a star because when I arrived to pick up my food it was sitting in an open box on the counter. The cashier was ringing up someone else’s order so I don’t know if she stopped packing up my order to help them or what, but I would have preferred her to close my box once my food was in there.

Delicious Mexican food. Delicious. Ok, now that it’s out of my system, onto the review. Was craving a burrito so I found this place on Unilocal (duh, where else?). There’s no parking lot so I grabbed street parking right out front. It’s a small cozy spot. There were about 6 tables outside, 2 tables inside, and a handful of bar style seating against the wall. As soon as you walk in, the smell of the meats on the grill takes over. Take a second to let your mouth fully water before looking up at the clearly described menu offerings. Everything from tacos and burritos to quesadillas and nachos. They even have empanadas. Yum! I opted for the carne Asada burrito. For $ 6, this thing weighed as much as a brick. To the right of the opening/​ordering/​cash register area is a spot for sauces. Each clearly labeled and ready for consumption with those delicious Mexican food items. I went with the chimmi churri sauce as I ordered carne Asada (great pairing).
Food was cooked in about 7 minutes. Watched the entire process through the open kitchen. Burrito came out hot with crispy golden brown tortilla exterior. Took my first bite and knew this was going to be an epic meal. I actually got meat, rice, cheese, sour cream, and beans in one bite. I threw on some of the chimmi churri sauce and it was dynamite. The herbs and spices just worked so well. The meat was nice and tender. The beans were cooked perfectly; not too hard and crunchy and not too soft and mushy. Safe to say the burrito lasted about 4 minutes. It was that good.
If you’re in the area, definitely stop by. It’s a few blocks from LACMA. Smart & final and Ralphs are one block over. Grab a bite here before you go shopping so you don’t buy everything up.

This is the 100^th review!
Waiting in line for the best concert of your life at the conveniently located el rey theater and what’s that sound? it’s your grumbling, hungry stomach. what’s that smell? It’s the smell of beautifully crafted burritos and empanadas and nachos and tacos and probably everything else on their menu being born. get the burrito, add an extra dollar for the option of shrimp, tack on a box of freshly fried nachos and for under $ 12, you have in your hands, heaven in disguise. Don’t forget about the captivating salsa bar! I would return to el diner even if I didn’t have a show to attend. don’t miss out on wilshire blvd’s best kept (not so little) secret! (shhhh)

Best empanadas in town.
I used to frequent here a lot more when I lived nearby, and the reason for that is that they use fresh quality ingredients. It’s fast quality Mexican food located right next door to the El Rey theatre. I especially like the kale & corn empanada and carne asada nachos.

I’m pretty indiferent about this place, but considering the service and food I had today I’m tempted to rate this place 1 star.
1. I agree that they really do have issues with customer service. I understand that there were only 2 cooks and 1 cashier but that doesn’t mean you get to be rude to customers.
2. The place is super tiny and cramped.
3. The wait time is the same as going to the DMV. Only two guys doing all the cooking. :/​
4. Check your food if you’ve ordered to-​go. I had a nice surprise as I took a bite from my torta, only to find that my food was bloodly undercoooked. Regardless of the lunchtime rush, there’s no excuse for selling undercooked food. Come on guys, seriously? You guys had me waiting 15 min+ for this!!!
This place isn’t always this bad but I guess it just wasn’t my lucky day today.
Two stars since this is one of the few nearby taco places other than Baja Fresh.
Here’s a photo of the delicacy I received today. It’s RED, not even pink. Thanks guys… :(

When you desperately want a burrito and everything is closed at 9 o’ clock at night, El Diner is the place to be. My favorite guilty pleasure here are the empanadas, in particular the chorizo and the bbq pork, although so greasy you will feel the grease of the shell drip down your mouth when you bite into it. The burritos are decent for what it is, although usually its just a bunch of beans, rice, cream and a skimpy amount of actual meat.
They do however have a full salsa bar, with different types of sauces and toppings, since they will be your lifesavers in giving the food some flavor. However, most sauces are watered down, so you probably have to get a whole lot of it to make up for the lack of substance. For an American-​Mexican-​to go «Mexican» restaurant, it is an adequate choice if you are out of options, but it is basically like a smaller version of a chipotle where you get to pick your toppings in the form of sauces. If you had a Mexican food Cafeteria at your local college, El Diner would be it. I can’t give it any points for authenticity but it’ll definitely fill your tummy when you’re in desperate need of a carne asada burrito after a long day of work.

This place may be the worst place I’ve eaten in a very long time.
My list of complaints:
1. It’s hot.
2. It’s small.
3. The dude was super rude to us who took our order. Not even a friendly hello.
4. There’s no bathroom.
5. Everything is super overpriced. I can’t believe how much they charge for stuff.
6. The food was greasy and bland. Seriously bland.
7. How do you mess up a carnita soft taco? Well, this place managed to do it.
It’s right next to the El Rey theater and we were there watching a concert. We should have tried the great deal of other places around. This has to be the worst.

Great little diner next to the El Rey!
I love getting their chicken burrito and then drizzling their sweet and spicy sauce from the salsa bar on it
Don’t hate until you try it! I’m a sucker for sweet and savory!
Their sweet potato taquitos are a staple, and they always have a plethora of other salsas to try!