Chef/Owner Ulises Pineda-Alfaro (Tikifish, Umi by Hamasaku) didn’t waste any time when Angel City Grill closed. El Barrio quickly took its place and he and his co-owner Joe Lin transformed the location to a modern LA taqueria. This is not your typical taco restaurant that serves street tacos. The menu is chef-driven and it is focused on quality ingredients.
El Barrio is located in a strip mall on Aviation Blvd in Redondo Beach. During this stretch of Aviation, people tend to drive fast. The restaurant is located on a curve and unless you want to slam on your brakes and pull into the parking lot, the odds are likely that you will overshoot El Barrio. Further, there are challenged with only a handful of parking spaces in front of their restaurant.
GMO corn is prevalent across the US and Pineda-Alfaro takes extra lengths to acquire masa harina ground from Oaxacan single-origin heirloom corn. Further, El Barrio uses this masa to make their tortillas fresh in-house. Tacos are available with shrimp, carne asada, al pastor, birria de res, carnitas, cauliflower en mole and nopales (cactus). Pineda-Alfaro elevates them by adding ingredients to complement the overall experience.
Mulita is best described as a double face fried taco. Birria de res vendors have been featuring this as a platform and it has gained in popularity. I selected birria de res as the protein. It was similar to a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich (substituting tortillas for bread). Spices were added to the meat before simmering and the result was a gooey cheese Mexican beef sandwich.
Al Pastor is spit-roasted on a vertical trompo using Beeler’s Pork. I selected this protein with a torta and I hit the jackpot on flavor. First, I appreciated that El Barrio uses a high-quality telera roll. It had a tasty crisp exterior and a fluffy soft interior. The meat was prepared in a marinade and it was combined with lettuce, tomato, carrots, pickled escabeche, and avocado crema.
El Barrio’s interior makes me think of a beachfront restaurant in Matzalan or Puerta Vallarta. The restaurant is tastefully decorated. Further, they feature cool music to set a relaxed vibe. Each table has a bottle of their housemade red salsa which is quite tasty and fairly high on the heat level.
I like the Mexican beverage theme of horchata, Mexican coke, and soft drinks like fruity Jarritos. They don’t appear to have a wine and beer license.
El Barrio is a true neighborhood restaurant where you can unwind with some tacos with a chef that is passionate about taking it to the next level. The decor is pleasant, the tunes are cool; the only thing missing is an ice-cold Negra Modelo.
El Barrio, 1505 Aviation Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; 310.921.8620
elbarriogroup.com