Planning pays: Antojitos Guerrero in Highland Park, CA

I spent about half a day deciding where I'd eat during the three days I have in Los Angeles County this week. With limited time between business meetings, speed and distance are big factors, so I set out with some specific food itineraries, along with backups in case the plans somehow went awry. My first effort today was to seek out this gorgeous-looking pastor stand I learned about on eatingla.blogspot.com.

Pastor stand that looks so good it makes me weep:

(photo from eatingla.blogspot.com)

Sadly, the stand was nowhere to be found today,and my questions of folks in the neighborhood were met with answers including, "yeah man, that's the best pastor in the world. She's around sometimes. I don't know when, really. You should come back though, 'cause that stuff will make you cry it's so good." Bummed as I was, I needed to regroup and remind myself that all my excellent planning included backups, and in this case, the backup happened to be right next to where the pastor stand sometimes is.

My backup plan: Antojitos Guerrero


The "backup" quickly enabled me to forget the pastor I was missing. When I asked the friendly proprietress/ cook what I should eat, she lauded the birria, telling me that she is sure she makes the best version in the Unites States. She also hand-presses corn tortillas daily, so I was happy to take a seat outside and wait to be served.

First came chips and two very good salsas. One tart, hot-as-heck tomatillo based green salsa, and one smoky, chile de arbol based red salsa. Both were fresh and delicious.

Chips & Salsas:



Then, what I was really there for arrived, and it did not disappoint. The birria had goat meat that was better than any I've had. So rich, fatty and gamey, this was not one of those could-ba-any-kind-of meat birrias. This was definitely, unmistakeably, goat. I had another fabulous meal with very different flavors later in the day, and I have since brushed my teeth, but it is the taste of this goat that lingers with me as I get ready for bed.

Birria and handmade tortilla:


Though I still long for some good pastor, I am so glad that my planning yielded an excellent replacement. Fabulous birria, gratis fresh chips and salsa, handmade tortillas, and a big bottle of Squirt came in at around 10 bucks, and my trip was off to a great start. Antojitos Guerrero seems like a gem.

Antojitos Guerrero
5623 York Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 254-6118