Gardens of Taxco

I've been going to Gardens of Taxco on Harper and Santa Monica Blvd. for years now. My little league softball team would go at the end of season to celebrate it being over, my parents have had Holiday parties there for their employees, and I've celebrated many birthdays there with friends. Why so much celebrating and why there? Gardens of Taxco is the bomb authentic homemade Mexcian food. This is not fast food or food truck Mexican food...this is grandmas recipes, generations old, and good!

Go for dinner. The menu is oral and the guy who tells it to you does it with passion, and without laughing, which seems hard to do. You pick what you want: steak, chicken, shrimp, vegetarian...and he tells you how it is prepared. I've tried everything on the menu, but here are my favorites:

-shrimp with cilantro sauce
-chicken a la crema-this is the sauce they use for the pasta I get on the side too
-carne asada

The entrees come with rice and refried beans which are good and traditionalist, but I ALWAYS get the pasta (with the crack crema sauce) instead. Your call.

The dinner is about $25 a person and it comes with five courses.

On the table are chips and salsa and spicy marinated vegetables. Don't fill up here because the food starts rolling out and the goal is to get through dessert.
First, you get a small quesadilla with guacamole. Delicious!
Then, the albondigas soup-it's like a minestrone soup but with a meatball...comfort food and not salty.
My favorite appetizer is the chicken enchilada with the sauce a la crema (basically, it's the best sauce ever, thick, creamy, tangy...wow).
The portions of the three aps are good, small but because they are so rich, they are filling too.

I already described the entrees-that's all about your personal choice. I don't think you can go wrong with the three I listed above. Anyone have a different favorite?

For dessert-a banana pudding that is gooey and creamy and delicious...it comes with a shot of creamed sherry which leaves the best after taste.

Now, I know, this is a lot of food...but you can also order a la carte without all the appetizers and just have a good dinner with rice and beans and call it a night.

The goal is to be able to walk out of the restaurant without having to unbutton your pants and without feeling like you are never going to eat again...but the truth is, that never happens...you always leave full.

Gardens of Taxco
www.gardensoftaxco.com
(323) 654-1746
1113 N Harper Ave
West Hollywood, CA
Hours: Sun, Tue-Thu 4:30pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 4:30pm-12am

Tip: They do deliver to the West Hollywood area now.
If you are into being serenaded, the guitarist will be happy to sing you a song for a tip-La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha...