Manuel’s Original El Tepeyac Cafe

Manuel’s Original El Tepeyac Cafe is a small iconic restaurant located in the East. L. A/ Boyle Heights area. Known for their giant burritos, the restaurant gained national attention in 2009 and that has only helped to showcase the authentic Mexican dishes.

Some of the restaurant’s accolades are it was featured on Travel Channel’s  Man vs. Food, named to Travel Channel’s 101 Best Chow downs in America, and was the last stop of native, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, on his campaign for reelection.

A big reason for the restaurants success is its focus on its customers and the community.

My first visit to the restaurant was in college when I visited in the early morning with friends. Manuel, the owner, came over to the table, joked, laughed, and gave us tequila shots(not on the menu). It’s this same attitude that has made the restaurant such a favorite for locals in the area.

During its peak hours the line outside is 10-20 people with a wait of 15-20 minutes to sit inside. Luckily, if you don’t mind sitting outside, there is also a takeout window with ample outdoor seating.  

The Original Hollenbeck burrito is one of the more popular dishes and is huge. It comes with pork, rice, beans & guacamole and topped with chile verde sauce. The chile verde sauce is fried pork chunks in a tomato based sauce with onions and spices. Although it can get messy, the burrito is delicious and the pork is very tasty.

The other standout from this restaurant is their “Manuel’s Special”- A five pound burrito! It can easily feed 4-5 people and comes with a choice of original pork, chicken, shredded beef, veggie, and beef. All burritos come with rice beans & guacamole topped with cheddar cheese or jack cheese & sauce. If you finish the burrito by yourself you get a t-shirt that states, “ I Ate The Whole Thing!”

The food here is authentic and the restaurant has a very casual laid back feel to it.

No alcohol served. Good horchata. 

Service here is generally friendly but rushed because it can get busy at times.  

Must try: Hollenbeck burrito

The bad: during peak hours you must wait outside to get an indoor table. Greasy tortilla chips.

The good: Hollenbeck burrito, horchata, guacamole, takeout window, ample outdoor seating, parking lot

Food: $$1/2

Price:$1/2

Service: $$$

Ambiance:$1/2

Drinks: $$

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