Guisados

The story

Guisados, Los Angeles – Homestyle Braised Tacos on Handmade Corn Tortillas

Homestyle Braises, Handmade Tortillas

In December 2010, Guisados opened its first four walls in Boyle Heights with a simple mission: serve the homestyle braises that defined Mexican family dinners. The De La Torre family, owners and operators, built a menu around the stews—guisados—that brought them comfort growing up. “It’s just how we ate,” they say.

Every taco starts with a fresh handmade corn tortilla, made to order from masa ground next door at Carnitas Uruapan. The stews themselves are still prepared in Boyle Heights and delivered to every location multiple times a day to ensure freshness. The result is a menu of traditional Mexican food that feels personal and precise.

The Tacos

The menu is organized by protein, with each taco priced at $4.50. The Bistek en Salsa Roja simmers flank steak with red bell peppers and tomatoes, topped with chile de arbol and avocado. The Steak Picado adds green bell peppers and bacon. Chicken options include a nutty Mole Poblano and the Tinga de Pollo—shredded chicken braised with tomatoes, cabbage, chorizo, and chipotle.

Pork lovers will find Cochinita Pibil, shredded pork in sweet red achiote with pickled red onions and habanero, and Chuleta en Chile Verde, diced pork chop in a green chile stew. The Chicharron—pork rinds simmered in chile verde—is a standout. Vegetarian and vegan options include Calabacitas (squash with tomatoes and corn), Hongos con Cilantro (mushrooms with cilantro), and the fiery Chiles Toreados, a blister of habanero, serrano, jalapeño, and Thai chiles.

Seafood tacos include Camarones (fajita-style shrimp) and Pescado (grilled white fish with cabbage and avocado cream). Breakfast is served all day at many locations, featuring tacos and burritos with scrambled eggs, chorizo, bacon, or chile verde.

Michelin-Recognized

Guisados has earned a Michelin Recommended award, a reflection of its commitment to quality Mexican cuisine in Los Angeles. The restaurant has expanded from Boyle Heights to Echo Park, DTLA, West Hollywood, Burbank, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, and Venice—each location serving the same homestyle braises on fresh tortillas.

The Atmosphere

The brand’s motto, “In Tacos We Trust,” is woven throughout the experience. The original Boyle Heights location on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue remains the heart of the operation, where the smell of chiles and meat simmering still fills the air. It’s a place that honors the weekday preparations of a Mexican kitchen—simple, braised, and served with rice, beans, and warm tortillas.