Cielito Lindo

Back in the early 1930s, Aurora Guerrero immigrated to Los Angeles from Zacatecas, Mexico, along with her three children. She took odd jobs and sold Mexican food outside of bars in order to make ends meet, and in 1934 she was able to scrape together the $300 needed to purchase a small food stand on Olvera Street. The historic stand, called Cielito Lindo, is still going strong nearly a century later (it's one of the oldest surviving restaurants in the city), and the third-generation owners are still serving the same classic Mexican dishes that Aurora perfected all those years ago, including her signature taquitos with avocado sauce.

At Cielito Lindo, every recipe is a family tradition. The legendary taquitos start with homemade corn tortillas, which are rolled up with shredded beef, fried to a crisp, and doused with an addictively delicious salsa made with avocados, chiles, cilantro, and tomatillos; tamales are stuffed with savory beef, chicken, or spinach & cheese; and the rice & creamy refried beans are just about perfect. Countless Angelenos have fallen in love with Cielito Lindo, and after one taste, so will you!