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You know Danny Trejo from tough-guy roles like Machete in the Spy Kids franchise, but off-screen you're most likely to catch the LA-born Mexican American actor bent over a plate of tacos at an old-school restaurant, his infectious laugh crackling through the air. “I'm always eating good food,” Trejo says. His mother's and grandmother's cooking may have had something to do with it: “If you brought a store-bought tortilla into my grandma's house, she would not talk to you.” In recent years, he has built on his fame, family heritage, and infallible taste buds with a string of seven restaurants—including Trejo's Tacos and Trejo's Coffee & Donuts—and a foray into cookbooks, the second of which, Trejo's Cantina: Cocktail, Snacks & Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood, will be released on April 18. So we had to find out: Which L.A. Mexican restaurants meet Trejo's exacting standards?
El Cholo
“Of course I love El Cholo—that's what people always call me! You find locations all over the city. Their enchiladas are not as good as mine! But they're really, really good with two eggs over easy on top. You can kill breakfast and lunch at the same time.”
Magaly's Tamales & Mexican Grill
“I live in the Valley now, and [Magaly's Tamales & Mexican Grill has] probably the best tamales I've ever had besides my grandma's. On Christmas and New Year's, there are lines around the block, but I eat them all year-round. I get two beef tamales, then I'll get six or seven to bring home.”
Los Tres Hermanos
“I always order the pork chile verde—it's unbelievable—and their hard-shell beef tacos. I've never seen anybody complain about anything they've had there. They even have a chair that says ‘Reserved for Danny Trejo, Machete.’ [Los Tres Hermanos] has become a go-to spot for me in the San Fernando Valley.”
El Tepeyac Cafe
“In East Los Angeles, you can drive anywhere and get homemade tortillas. At El Tepeyac, they are next-level, paired with real Mexican food. I don't drink, but every time I go in, the owner is always like, ‘Hey, el cholo!’ and gives me a little shot of whiskey or tequila. Once he walks away, I give it to somebody, so everybody likes to sit next to me.”
This article appeared in the April 2023 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
