Yxta Cocina Mexicana

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Address:
601 S. Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Neighborhood:
Downtown

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Cuisine:
Mexican

Price: $30 and under

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Yxta Cocina Mexicana Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://www.yxta.net
Email: info@yxta.net
Phone: (213) 596-5579
Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 4:00pm.
Dinner: Monday - Wednesday: 4:00pm - 9:00pm, Thursday - Friday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm, Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm.
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Mexican
Executive Chef: Blanca Prado
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Beer, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Private Party Facilities: We will close the restaurant for private parties. Minimum required. Minimum varies on the day of the week.
Private Party Contact: Cathy (213) 709-6222

Getting there

Cross Street: 6th St.
Parking: Public Lot
Parking Details: We offer valet for $1 on Monday thru Friday from 11:30am til 2pm. Free lot after 2pm.

A word from Yxta Cocina Mexicana

The restaurant offers authentic Mexican food—handmade tortillas, fresh guacamole, slow-cooked carnitas, enchiladas de mole, as well as delicious updates to the classics—tostadas with sashimi-grade tuna, sweet shrimp taquitos, and salmon a la parilla.

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service

Diner Reviews

"My wife and I just went to Yxta on a Friday at 6 p.m. We had read Open Table reviews that were consistently 4 and 5 stars in recent months, and spoke of good Mexican meals not just Tex-Mex fare. We even ordered 3 house specialty entrees to sample multiple tastes. We were disappointed. The roast pork dish was dry and not flavorful. The salmon dish similarly so, without any distinctive sauce or any wonderful Mexican flavors. The large sautéed shrimp were the best, and were decent and fairly flavorful. Guacamole presented the avocado in a sort of muddy tomato sauce, the salsa was just adequate and the chips were much too thick and heavy for the purpose. Flan was better than average. Inattentive service. Indigestion. We would not return."
Dined on 4/4/2014
"I had family visiting from out of town - one of whom was celebrating a birthday. My husband and I couldn't think of a better place to take her than YXTA. Between the amazing food, fun decor, and great service, it's one of our very favorite spots in LA. We've been going since it first opened and try to make an appearance at least a few times a month."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"Came for dinner after work on a Friday. Loved the margaritas and fresh guacamole! Hubby had the carnitas plate while I had the enchiladas with shrimp. He loved his entrée; mine, not so much. The shrimp were fresh and tasty but I'm not a lover of zucchini, which I think was diced and served with the shrimp. Not a problem, though. We will definitely be back and I'll try another dish. The service was very good."
Dined on 3/21/2014
"If you can get past the hidden location and lack of signs, you will find one of the best Mexican restaurants in Southern Cal. The dinner specials are all fantastic. I was there for happy hour, so I got 3 appetizers that were all just great. Highly recommended if you are downtown."
Dined on 3/22/2014
"It's in a strange industrial area, but well worth the trip. The food is excellent, well marinated, seasoned and perfectly cooked. Steaks are fork tender, shrimp and ceviche dishes are fresh and tasty. Service is good. The decor is modern, color vibe, very non traditional."
Dined on 3/20/2014
"The shrimp enchiladas were outstanding. The service was great from our waiter and the whole team. You can get a quiet table outside. Great lunch with great company for discussion."
Dined on 3/20/2014
"Love this place! Great food, great guacamole, great waitresses. A gem in a neighborhood of nothing great. Can't walk from most places downtown like many other restaurants but worth getting in the car or getting on Uber and making it a destination!"
Dined on 3/18/2014
"Came here once for an office gathering, loved it and came back. Second time was just as great. Server was really humble and funny, food was great. Only issue was the Horchata...was a little watered down. LOVED the chips and salsa. It's something I always look forward to at Mexican restaurants. Some are ehh..This place was amazing. Will be vack."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"Great restaurant tucked away in off-beat neighborhood. Love the food (very reasonable prices), great margaritas and lots of unusual ones, awesome decor, great service, One dish was too spicy and they actually redid it totally! Great for pre-theatre. We made it there in plenty of time. Great for occasions too. We had a post-grad dinner with close to 20 there too and it was perfect. Loved it both times. Also, love having free parking in front lot. That's a treat in L.A."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"The food here is superb! The service great! The atmoshpere very nice. It was cold inside, bring a sweater, outside has heated patio to dine at. The margarita's were yummy, but at $10-15 a piece, very pricey. When compared to the cost of food, the drink prices don't match up. The carnitas was to die for and their salsa's are amazing. I will be back, to eat, but not to drink. Their bar is overpriced."
Dined on 2/22/2014
"We go here often before going to the show at the Music Center. Good food, margaritas and service. Easy to get to and then go on to the Music Center."
Dined on 2/18/2014
"Had been there for lunch before and decided to try for Valentines...Was interesting...Food was average / slightly above average, not quite like the quality that they serve for lunch...waitstaff looked a bit lost at times and delivery times were a bit long considering that they were not full...Was pretty loud as well, but I was aware of that from the lunch time visits... All in all was a bit less than what I expected, however, expectations were probably high due to the awesome level of service / quality of food that they normally serve."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"I had heard good things about the restaurant from friends who work and live in downtown L.A. This was my first visit, and worth fighting the heavy traffic - all aspects were good."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"The Enchiladas are great. The portions are just right to fill full. It was perfect for a special first date. The Salmon were a little too spicy, try ordering the sauce on the side."
Dined on 2/8/2014
"Great food. Great service. My only complaint is the noise when the restaurant is full--deafening."
Dined on 2/6/2014
"It was my first visit to the restaurant highly recommended by my daughter who frequents the place since she works a few blocks away. My friend and I were planning to have dinner there but arrived early to have happy hour instead. We ordered both from dinner menu and happy hour. The grilled salmon was excellent and the flan is the best I've had, it's a must try. The happy hour tacos pastor didn't disappoint. The server Vicki was pleasant and friendly, my friend and I had a good time. Will definitely return ."
Dined on 2/5/2014
"Overall the food is fresh and delicious, the service outstanding, the cocktails are very good, and the menu offers a wide selection of meals. You will be glad you selected Yxta for your dining experience. We were a party of four and we each chose a different meal and each meal was outstanding. We will return soon to introduce others to this great place. The only negative point is the restaurant gets loud and got difficult to hear each other."
Dined on 2/1/2014
"The food was fabulous, as usual. Cindy, our waitperson, was great, as usual! We try to go to this restaurant whenever we are downtown for evening activities. The happy hour is also good with good margueritas."
Dined on 1/28/2014
"My group of friends was a little leary when I gave them the address for our party, but I assured them "Easy free parking, no traffic in the area, and the best Mexican food you ever had." And, they all LOVED every minute. Eat the alambres! And the calabacitas!"
Dined on 1/22/2014
"This was a delicious, friendly restaurant. The part of town that it's in is challenging, but valet parking is plentiful and cheap. Go for it"
Dined on 1/21/2014
"My family and I were in downtown LA for the Rose Bowl and were having trouble finding a restaurant for NYE. We found Yxta on Open Table and since we love Mexican food we decided to try it. Driving to the restaurant, we passed skid row and our cab driver warned us that it was not a very safe area. Make sure you don't walk around and cab to and from the restaurant. The food was very good! We all left super full since we got 4 courses. We also loved the margaritas and our service!"
Dined on 12/31/2013
"Came here with a group of 8 for New Years Dinner after making a last minute reservation. Was a little hesitant due to the location and lack of a reputation but the entire group walked away with rave reviews. Definitely a spot worth checking out! Amazing taste and reasonable prices."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"My girlfriend and I had been to YXTA several times before and thought we would try it on New Years eve 2013. We were disappointed in the food. Was not what we expected. Other times it was great, price wise and tasty."
Dined on 12/31/2013
"We were a little concerned about the neighborhood when we drove there. Once inside we felt like we had discovered a fabulous gem. All if the staff was incredibly welcoming. Our waitress Yesenia was very helpful and friendly. The margarita was fantastic and the food fresh and beautifully presented. She gave us a heavenly flan for dessert. Don't miss the calabisitas either! It is hard to find a true sit down Mexican restaurant. This one offers great food , contemporary style and welcoming staff. My whole family highly recommends it."
Dined on 12/28/2013
"Second time coming here and had an awesome experience. Really cool Holiday Seasonal drinks. I can see myself ending up here again in the future. Huge fan of this restaurant."
Dined on 12/27/2013
"Mole was great, mahi mahi fish tacos were 'so so', and DEFINITELY OVERPRICED for the quality"
Dined on 12/26/2013
"Yessenia, was our server she was friendly and attentive. I had the shrimp enchiladas served with rice and roasted veggies, So good. Looking forward to returning soon."
Dined on 12/20/2013
"Food is excellent. Our server was on top of everything. Great experience"
Dined on 12/20/2013
"Five longtime Cal State L.A. colleagues/friends and I have gotten together for a Christmas lunch/gift exchange every Christmas since Yxta opened. It's become our tradition. And it's always wonderful. Whoever trains the servers is a master because they're not only extremely attentive without being in the way, but also very professional, yet friendly and caring. And the food? Just can't get enough of it. My two favorites are the carnitas (either as an entree or in tacos) and the flan. But, there's no such thing as an inferior dish at Yxta. Just can't say enough good things about Yxta!"
Dined on 12/19/2013
"There are some wonderful eateries being opened in that great industrial region of downtown LA. This place is a cool place with great vibe and food. Give the shrimp tacos a try"
Dined on 12/13/2013
"Love this place and all the wonderful dishes they offer. Their tamales, calabacitas, and potato tacos are AWESOME! Their mint lemonade is a MUST have. Great for small groups because it gets loud in there. If you're in a large group, you can't really hear anything from one end of the table to the other but overall really, really, really good and excellent customer service!! Highly recommended. I just wish the neighborhood but better to be able to check it out at night time."
Dined on 12/10/2013
"Our service was fantastic!! There's nothing worse than taking clients out to lunch and experiencing horrible service. The dessert menu was not that great though."
Dined on 12/6/2013
"This is our 3rd visit to this restaurant. We love the food, both regular menu and happy hour. Good magheritas and fabulous service by Cindy. She remembered us from our previous visits, and even that we had once been there on my husband's Bday."
Dined on 12/3/2013
"That Jalapeno margarita was great....though i should have paid more attention to the fact that it costs $4 more than a regular one. Still yummy. Carnitas were great. Mole was good, a little too sweet for ideal. High touch, interchangeable service. We had two ready to take our order. A bit too loud...sometimes hard to have a conversation."
Dined on 11/22/2013
"My previous experience with Yxta the food was very good, but the service was poor. This time the service was excellent and the food was very good, as usual. I have eaten here many times and I have sent many people to this restaurant. I did have one bad service experience which I can only assume may have been a trainee who had trouble handling his table assignments. Thank you for fixing this problem."
Dined on 11/19/2013
"However the service was not great. The server was not experienced at all. Our plates were cleared off at all different times of our meal, leaving some to hurry up and eat before theirs were taken, very little follow up at the table, no option for water, etc... Food was great and the drinks were excellent! I would definitely recommend it. Cheers!"
Dined on 11/16/2013
"Happy hour runs till 9 pm on Mondays. This was the best meal we had in Los Angeles, and it was a bargain too."
Dined on 11/4/2013
"Love the happy hour specials & the drinks are the best!"
Dined on 10/29/2013
"Service was outstanding. Dishes explained and help in deciding what's best for our tastes. Guacamole was delicious. Pork was fork tender. Terrific flan."
Dined on 10/26/2013
"I'm a regular at their mama restaurant El Arco Iris in Highland Park. I don't get to Yxta very often, but when I do I always tell myself why don't I come here more!! We had their Cumber Margaritas, outstanding!! The food and service is always excellent. Every time I come here I order something different and they never disappoint!! If you want a little different twist on traditional Mexican this is the place to come. Also, try their other sister restaurants Mercado Santa Monica and Mercado LA you won’t be disappointed."
Dined on 10/26/2013

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Yxta Cocina Mexicana Details

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