Tikal Restaurant Cocina Maya

sad to see its gone I really liked the food and special activities that I was invited to. Good luck and hope to see you guys again soon!

Sad to see this place is gone. I passed by it recently and noticed the signage and decorations all gone. Just a sad, lonely, grey building remains.
I had the opportunity to try this place last year using a groupon. I tried the many items that the fellow Unilocalers recommended. Overall the food and presentation was good. I remembered that night we were the only diners there for the night.
Their website does have a closing message. I hope that they will continue business and find a new good location.

I went by here tonight on a Saturday at 700pm for an early dinner and they were closed. There was no sign on the door or anything, the place looked like they just abandoned the building. What kind of business doesn’t put up a notice to at least let the patrons know they are closed for the day?

Delicious! The garnachas were new for us, we ordered 3 to start and then 3 more after our entrée because they were so good. The marinated grilled chicken was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and you could really taste the citrus marinade, perfect! And the horchata was my favorite one that I’ve ever tried, it had sesame and a little bit of chocolate. :)
I’d recommend Tikal to anyone who likes Mexican food or taco trucks in LA!

This is my second visit to Tikal. They were so nice and recognized me. We had one of the stews (can’t remember which) as well as the Garnaches and the tostadas last time.
This time we had the Chicken Crema stew. It has all been really delicious!

Like Unilocal says, «Woohoo! As good as it gets!» Over all, the food is authentic, healthy, tasty and the portions are perfect. Very clean place and great customer service. As if I were in Guate. Excellent set-​up and beautiful store of Guatemalan souvenirs
FOOD: They have NEVER served me greasy nor dry food, just perfect! Chile relleno de carne– It was delicious! I couldn’t find this dish anywhere else. Pepian bowl– is a bit too strong for me, but just a small portion with rice is perfect. Platanos con crema– Platanos were good, not greesy not dry. Crema? Amazing! Jamarindo drink– you have to try it but it’s not as addicting as their… Atol de platano– I cannot get enough of this. Because it’s a hot drink they don’t make it during the summer. They compliment every dish with something to keep your palate ready for the next bite, like bread, miniature tamalitos, rice, or tortillas. I think it depends on your dish.
PLACE:
Clean, organized and quiet. Marimba playing in the background. The music takes you away from the havoc and makes you feel like you are in Guate. Enough space between tables. Small privately owned business, dont expect to get the same rushed service for a party of 20. Though I think they can handle bigger parties, a heads up would help.
PARKING:
their own private parking!!!

Have been a few times now and have loved it every time. Just introduced family from out of town to Guatemalan via Tikal and they’re huge fans now too. We’ve had a tostada with a super tasty salsa verde, cheese stuffed squash, and the traditional stew, which is wonderful. The stew is hearty and flavorful and perfect for a chilly day. Another cool item is the warm banana beverage (the name of which is escaping me), which my Dad had them refill three times!
The folks who work here are so passionate about their business and educating people about culture and food, I hope they make it big. They deserve it.

Great place, great food, great staff. Something different from what I’ve been to.
Definitely coming here again!

A delight to all the senses and magnificent all around-​amazing food and lovely staff. Definite must visit.
I highly recommend the Chuchito (a delectible corn husk, chicken tamale served with delicious tomato sauce and grated cheese). Also, do yourself a favor and order an enchilada. You will be dazzled! Keep in mind that this is a Guatemalan enchilida and has nothing in common with a Mexican enchilida — it’s a tostada topped with beets and pickled cabbage, sauteed beef and veggie stuffing, tomato sauce, parsley and grated cheese. So delicious!
Tikal is a fabulous place. You owe to yourself to give it a try. You’ll be glad that you did!

Shame on me for not trying Tikal out sooner. (Actually, shame on me for not trying the Brazilian restaurant before it was Tikal) I’m in El Sereno, just blocks away from this location.
I even let my Groupon expire. I think what turns me off is the location. It’s by no means difficult to get to, but it’s not terribly convenient.
We started by trying their homemade drinks. I think the horchata was the real winner. It was more special than what I am used to. It had almost a cocoa-​y taste.
I ordered the Guisquil– steamed squash stuffed with cheese.
I’ve had chile relleno plenty of times, but this was just a little different, a little more special. It was really delicious. The rice consisted of huge, fluffy grains. The beans were full of flavor. And plantains. I love plantains and these were just right. Soft, but slightly caramelized.
We ended up coming back the following weekend. I tried the tostaditos – a really yummy and pretty dish. And the Guisquil. Again. Still amazingly good, but it’s disappointing that I can’t explore more dishes off their menu. Unfortunately, this place doesn’t really cater to vegetarians. If they considered adding more vegetarian dishes, I would make this my new go-​to spot! Head next door to Mama Churro for a churro relleno.

This was some of the tastiest Latin American food I’ve had in a long time. Very tasty:)
I had the Chilaquilas corn tortillas stuffed with chicken and cooked in egg batter then smothered with delicious tomato sauce.

I grew up in Guatemala so of course I’m very familiar with the food. And this place comes very very close to the real thing.
As an appetizer We ordered garnachas which where delicious.
To drink My mom had a Jamarindo (tamarindo mixed with jamaica) not as good as we thought it would be. I had the sangria with jocote and that was yummy.
Main dishes were carne adobada, carne asada and enchiladas. The only thing the enchiladas were missing was the hard boiled egg. But everything very delicious.
For dessert we had the moyete, this was perfect the ending. Also we tried the atol
De masa con chocolate. Very very good.
Our server was really really nice and well versed.
Will definitely come back :)

My husband first heard of this place through Unilocal.
We were not disappointed.
The first time we tried it was on a Sunday. It’s a really small place in El Sereno (of all places — I didn’t even know this area was called that!), just North of East Los Angeles, and Southwest S. Pasadena.
We came in on a Sunday noon and we were the only ones there.
I ordered the Pepian and my husband ordered the Carne asada plate.
The Pepian was delicious! Perfectly seasoned and paired with rice and a tamalito.
I’m originally from Guatemala and have been to quite a few guatemalan places to try and re-​live the flavors, Tikal has been the closest and most authentic one I’ve had so far (other than my mom’s cooking).
We attended their Journey on a Dish VI, which featured regional foods from the Pacific regions of Guatemala at $ 20/​person. The dishes included frijol colorado con chicharron (red beans with pork rinds), Chojín de cerdo (not sure what that translates to lol), basically a pork stew, and carne guisada (beef stew). They were all delicious.
We had fun and really enjoyed it. We look forward to more of these «foodie» events.
Their Jamarindo (Jamaica/​Tamarindo mix) is good, strong at first, but definitely worth trying. I also tried their jocote sangria but was not impressed. Should’ve gone with the Jamarindo instead or tried their horchata.
The ambiance is nice, the place is clean, and I just loved the fact that they play marimba music in the background :)
I really hope word gets around about this little treasure and more people get to enjoy authentic guatemalan cuisine. Finally, a guatemalan restaurant worth visiting!

One of the best, friendliest restaurants in the area!
We love this place and have eaten here several times for lunch during the week. We were introduced to Tikal’s by a co-​worker who eats here all the time. She’s Guatemalan and feels like Tikal’s is just like eating at home.
Everything I’ve ever tried has been delicious and well prepared. From the pollo asada to the pollo crema and everything in between. Try the hisbiscus drink or the horchata — really good although some in our party thought they were too sweet.
Come hungry. The portions are good sized! You might even have to take some home. We will definitely go back.

woo… I attended the 2^nd foodie tasting event with friends tonight! At the beginning, it was only me attended the foodie event. However, after the first time, I told myself i would definitely take my friends to the restaurent. Tonight me and my friends came home without regret! instead, with surprise and another wonderful experience of different style food! I am the kind of person like to share good things with friends :)
Will definitely go back there with friends again :)

Gautamalan food! Would have never found this place without Unilocal but I’m glad I did. The Garnachas are an awesome way to start the meal. Bite size corn tortillas stuff with beef, bits of pickled veggies, tomato sauce and topped with cheese and parsley. Seriously a scrumptious appetizer. Would love to have them for my next Super Bowl party.
The Toastaditas were also really good. You get three tostada shells topped with different spreads: guacamole, tomato sauce and black beans. Surprisingly I liked the black beans the most followed by the tomatoe. The guacamole wasn’t thick enough.
I didn’t really care for my entrée though. I had the Chilaquilas Tortilla which is a corn tortilla stuffed with cheese, tomato, onion and chicken. Comes with sides of beans, rice and plantains. The dish kinda reminded me of a tamale but not as good.
The horchata is house made and different from any other horchata I’ve had. It has a sort of powdery texture which is due to the cinnamon coco mixture. Pretty good though! Service was very friendly and attentive. Would probably come back only if I was in the area though.

First of all, Darwin (one of the owners) was a great host to a group of us who dined in for lunch. A friend of ours from work, Martha, recommended that we try Tikal, which served authentic Guatemalan food. Today was the second time I tried it and Iall of us left very satisfied.
Food to try: Chilaquilas Guisquil… delicious! The Pepian Chicken is also a favorite at the restaurant.
Both Jamarindo and Horchata are delicious!
Looks like we found a go to spot for lunch with the workmates!
Only 5 minutes away from the USC Health Campus.

Wow! Thank you Groupon for introducing me to this delicious Guatemalan restaurant! The food is served fresh off the stove, quick and packed with a lot of authentic tasting flavors.
Drinks:
Horchata: You can tell this drink is definitely made with whole milk and although its not Mexican horchata (obviously) it’s a really yummy.
Jamarindo: This drink is a combination of hibiscus aka «Jamaica» with tamarind and it has a hint of mint leaves which is really refreshing. It reminded me a lot of the yummy aguas they have at Cooks’s Torta.
Food:
Tostadas: We started off with tostadas for my 4 y. o since it was recommended as a winner for children and it sure was! It comes with 3 tostadas and you can order as they are come which is one topped with guacamole, another topped with a tomato based sauce, and finally our favorite. beans sprinkled with cheese. :-9
Garnachas: This appetizer dish comes in an order of 3 or 6 small size little sope looking masa topped with shredded beef and cabbage. Our waiter suggested we also try adding a Guatemalan green spicy sauce and it was sooo good! You just want to add it on everything like crack or something.
Pan adobada: This was also a hit! This bread was so soft and the chicken meat had great flavor. They had cucumber slices, romaine lettuce and avocado just add some of that yummy green spicy sauce and it takes it up another notch. Yum yum!
Chilaquilas en tortilla: thumbs up too! Loved the tomato based sauce on this dish.
Definitely a place worth coming back and recommending.

This place is a hidden gem! I have been wanting to try it for a while. I saw that «La Casita Mexicana» was announcing it. I absolutely love La Casita and for them to recommend a place is because it’s freakin good. I went on Sunday to try a few appetizers and desserts, I wasn’t in the mood for a huge meal. I tried the garnachas, it’s a mini sope topped with shredded beef, onion, parsley, pickled chiles. My date tried the tostadas, they serve three. One with refried black beans, fresh cheese and parsley, another one with red salsa, cheese and parsley and my favorite mashed avocado with cheese and parsley. Those were good, I’m not big on tomato sauce so I would trade it for a guacamole one because I love avocado.
I also tried the Guatemalan Hot chocolate and it was ok for my liking. I am Mexican so I am very used to the mexa hot chocolate. This one is a little stronger in chocolate flavor, it’s very good I just need to acquire my palate to the taste. Now the horchata is off the hook! Very different than Mexican horchata, it’s delicious too! I want some right now!
The plates looked huge and I definitely would love to try them next time, I went like at noon so I wasn’t in the mood for a huge meal and they had ran out of tamales which is the main reason I went Buuahhh!!!
Anyway, I ordered a rellenito to go and a couple of ojaldras (sweet bread) the rellenito is huge! they should call it rellenote! it’s a plantain empanada with sweet black beans on the inside and eggnog cream on the side, I only used a little bit, the rellenito is soo good. That was breakfast the next day with a cup of coffee! The ojaldras are very good. It’s more like a cookie than bread, it has a hard texture, you’re supposed to dip it into the coffee to soften it up. I tried a piece and enjoyed very much.

One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in L.A. in a long time. The authentic Guatemalan cuisine was fresh and so flavorful, the Sangria was unique and absolutely delicious, and Darwin, our host & server could not have been nicer.
I am excited to bring friends back to this rare find and hope they find success so I can look forward to frequenting Tikal and enjoying a truly quality dining experience in El Sereno.