HELP! Craving REAL hot chocolate (thick) and CHURROS!

[Liquid Sky]

Hi Hounds,

Craving that thick, wonderful hot chocolate I had in Spain with CHURROS.

I figured there has to be a Mexican-run place (downtown LA??) that makes both of these well.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!

[csnyde]

Senor Freds on Ventura Boulevard in the valley has Mexican hot chocolate and churros on the menu. Its been a long time since I've had it but I remember it being pretty good

[cujo]

Tried the churros /hot chocolate combo at Churros Caliente yesterday. The churros had a fishy after taste. Don't know why. I prefer the churros at Costco.
The thick hot chocolate was good for dipping, especially since it masked the odd flavor of the churros.

[bulavinaka]

That fishy flavor is what I detect when stuff is fried in canola oil.

[cujo]

Thanks for the info. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had this experience.

[monigi]

The churros at:

Lucero Bakery
6200 Gage Ave
Bell Gardens, CA 90201

are quite good. If I'm in the area (not often), I stop by. It's a neighborhood store on a tiny strip mall with little parking. The chocolate, I make myself. I've had champurrado there during the xmas season but not hot chocolate.

[dlew308]

You can try both at Amara in Pasadena. Really friendly staff.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/amara-chocola...

[msmarm]

40ish years ago there was a booth at the early Agoura Ren Pleasure Faire with a machine that extruded dough that dropped into a vat of fry oil. Experiencing those random lengths of churros with a crispy, brown, ridged exterior and tender center tossed in cinnamon sugar, wrapped in wax paper and handed to you steaming was revelation of the senses to remember.

[Steve Green]

Yes. Right around the same era, I once went to the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival near Agoura, and they had a similar setup, with kind of a long trough of hot oil. ISTR powdered sugar rather than cinnamon sugar. No other churros, before or since, have ever come close.

[ns1]

cafe demitasse has a ridiculously thick hot chocolate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rios-enr...

[HayDegha0917]

Surprisingly, Black Hogg on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake has amazing churros. Hot, fried (not baked), and with delicious hot chocolate sauce.

[ns1]

really now? Man I love me some black hogg but they didn't have any churros last time

[HayDegha0917]

Hmmm... It's on their menu. http://blackhogg.com/

[ns1]

their menu changes frequently.

[HayDegha0917]

Dammit.

[willworkforcheese]

Chu don't know mang @ Aframe. Sticks of poundcake "churros" with a shot of malted milkshake on the side. Wildly inauthentic, yet oh so good.

[J.L.]

Old original post on churros con chocolate (Spanish style, not Mexican style), but it deserves a new reply:

Churros Calientes. The churros are a bit more Venezuelan here than Spanish in style (sugar-coated), but they are prepared and fried legitimately. Of all the churros con chocolate I've tried in L.A., this most resembles what's found at San Ginés Chocolateria in Madrid.

The hot chocolate, on the other hand, is COMPLETELY legit. It comes to your table piping hot, with the consistency more of a rich chocolate pudding than of hot cocoa.

Though they offer optional fruity toppings with your churros, I like my churros old school - unadorned. You dip the churro into the great chocolate, bite in, and it's more than enough to bring back memories of all-night bar-hopping on the terrazas of Madrid, then as the sun rises, you somehow stumble your way to Sol, into San Gines, get your incredible churros con chocolate around 8AM, and call it a night (well, technically it's day by then)...

Churros Calientes
11521 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
[phone]
www.churroscalientes.com

[trvlcrzy]

I agree with Churros Calientes. Closest thing to authentic Spanish style Chocolate con Churros. On the other hand, La Espanola in Harbor City sells frozen churros from Spain. Yes, those thin, light loop sticks. You can also purchase the Amalia brand hot chocolate (thick). I usually add a tablespoon of Cacao Barry cocoa when cooking it for that added chocolate depth.

[kevin]

Yes, churros calientes are pretty good, especially after a meal on nearby sawtelle.

[shorstackian]

Best Mexican hot chocolate in Hollywood is at Sabor Mi Cultura.

[smfoodie]

Cobras & Matadors

[lafoodie7]

Churros Truck on Echo Park Blvd...does anyone know the hours? I kind of wanted to bring a big batch of churros into work, but the only info I have found says "evening"...so I don't really want to waste a trip schlepping over there if the truck doesn't arrive till afternoon/evening. Does anyone know their schedule, roughly? Thx.

[Dommy]

Well if you have nice bosses here is the contact information for the Moble Churro Man:

818-834-2303

He has one of those deep fry carts and makes churros hot and fresh... it's always a happy day at El 34 when the Churro man comes...

--Dommy!

[DoctorQuality]

don't know about the hot chocolate, but the best churros i've found are at mr. churro's in olvera street. not only are they fresh and piping hot, but can be injected with custard, caramel, or strawberry cream

[Liquid Sky]

Thanks, Doctor! Sounds like Olvera Street is the place to be to get my churros AND chocolate fix...

[compucook]

I wasn't enthused with Literati II's version of churro's. I thought they were mushy inside, maybe it was just that evening's batch, but the 3 of us left them over. The chocolate was good,but they could have done even better.
JMHO.

[katkoupai]

Taco Rosa in Newport Beach has fresh churros with chocolate on their dessert menu. I have tried them twice, and they are very good. I've just noticed that someone else has already mentioned this above. :)

[CarlieInLA]

We just got back from Spain where we enjoyed many chocolates con churros, I can't wait to try all of these recs. Although I will say that that churros we had were very thin and light and did not have sugar or cinnamon on them. They were served piping hot and you had the option to put powdered sugar on them if you wanted to. I have never seen churros like that here. Are any of these recs similar?

[writergirl]

Off topic, but I lived in Europe, and there are definitely to-go lids at other (non-chain, non-American) restos/cafes (when I lived there it was pre-Starbucks.) Especially in places that cater to workers in a hurry.

As for churros, Grand Casino on Main in Culver City has them, I'm not sure if they have the thick sinful chocolate that all of us who've been to Spain miss! The churros are kind of a cross between Mexican and Spanish in texture. They do have sugar, but not tons.

[Dommy]

Grand Casino's are great!

[rednax8]

There is a Churro Truck that parks on the corner of Echo Park Blvd just south of Sunset every evening. Their churros are AMAZING. They make them there, and they're light, fluffy, and not at all greasy. Plus, they're incredibly cheap!!! You get a bag of 6 or 8 for $2. I don't know if they have chocolate, but i wouldn't be suprised, since they sell all kinds of botanicas.

[avena]

So is this truck actually parked on the corner of Echo Park & Sunset or is it parked at the park? How do I know its the churro truck?

[rednax8]

it's parked on Echo Park Ave, just a few yards south of sunset on the west side of the street, and it say's Churro's on the side of the truck.

[Dommy]

YEESS!! My first thought was the Churro Truck... I'm almost positive they have 'Chumpurado', a type of Mexican hot chocolate.

--Dommy!

[ns1]

Is this truck still around? Drove by a few weeks ago and no dice.

[LLLLL]

Churros and chocolate was on the dessert menu at Literati II last night.

[avena]

This thread might help you find the best churros. There is a post on there about the churros on the Redondo pier...I'm pretty sure thats where I got the best churro I have ever tasted in my LIFE!!! I'm so glad someone else mentioned it because that churro was soooooooo good it spoiled me for any cold re-heated stale theme park churro. Go to Redondo and try those!!!

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/364899

[JORDAN23]

Lucques use to have amazing Churros con Chocolate....but one of the pastry chefs left and took it with her. I heard these might be the ones that are available at Literati II.

[Diana]

Doesn't Galeguetza do them?

[aprmayjun]

I love the churros at Disneyland.

On another note, I think I remember a Mexican restaurant in Newport (or somewhere near there) that has chocolate covered churros if you're into that. It's called Taco Rosa.

-----
Taco Rosa
2632 San Miguel Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

[Emme]

In addition to Disneyland, Magic Mountain has great churros. Love the frozen lemonades too.

[omakase]

If you go just for the Hot Chocolate, Senor Fred in Sherman Oaks does it very well.

[sel]

I've only been for their Hot Chocolate and Cookies which were both really good and made for part of a fun 'date'!

[ipsedixit]

J Gold has already done the legwork for you on the hot chocolate part if you look here http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/cou...

As to churros, I always like the ones at Costco.

[Liquid Sky]

Thanks, ipse. Casa de Souza is walk-able from my home... too cool! I am a big fan of Jin's, too. Good to know they have the hot chocolate as well. Cheers.

[Mr Taster]

My gut reaction is to advise you bring your own churro to City Bakery for their ultra rich hot melted chocolate

As for churros, the ones at Baja Fresh are consistently fresh... I've had too many bad experiences getting cinnamon-flavored rubber sticks out of the glass boxes at stands all over town)

Mr Taster
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Protect Chowhound
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[Liquid Sky]

Does City Bakery have any connection to the City Bakery in NYC?? Just wondering, because I did not enjoy the hot choc from the one in NYC (as everyone else did).

[NYCnowLA]

it is. i never liked the hot chocolate there either. i never had the hot chocolae at this one.

[Liquid Sky]

table: Marie Belle (SoHo) makes a much better hot chocolate than City Bakery.

I find City Bakery to be sickeningly sweet and overpriced.

Marie Belle's hot chocolate is thick and rich, and the quality of the chocolate is much better.

[tastycakes]

no recs but thanks for the new craving. spanish hot chocolate and churros are quite different from mexican i'm afraid.

[Liquid Sky]

I was hoping that since many Latin Americans also eat churros, and also Mexican hot chocolate is known to be pretty good... Aaaaaaaaaaaa!

Anyone??

[tastycakes]

ok, apparently burrito king on sunset/echo park has them. they also happen to have great chicken tacos! and are next to house of spirits which has a decent beer & wine selection.

and i see on yelp there is a place called churrolandia out in whittier - must check that out. they are not too hard to make at home if you're inclined but it's a lot of arm work without a mixer =)

[Liquid Sky]

Thanks, cakes. Burrito King... hmmmm... Who'd have thought? I was picturing some mom-and-pop place where they might serve breakfast and comfort food.

I'll do more research and get back to you...

[notmartha]

Thanks for the pointer to churrolandia. Not too far so I must check it out.

I miss the spanish/mexican kind of churros. The stuff at Costco is pretty good, but it's really different (doughy) than the ones I got off the street vendor at Tijunana and at a stall at St. Paul de Vence.

[notmartha]

Checked out Churrolandia. Their plain churros is not as good as Costco's, strange as it may seem. I think it's a little too dry.

My son enjoyed his bavarian cream stuffed churros just fine, but at $3, a bit overpriced. I can get a donut similar in taste for less than $1.

[msmarm]

Years ago when sons were kids we used to go to that Burrito King from Van Nuys to buy a dozen machaca burritos at a time, some to gorge on, some to freeze. Memories.

[LaLa Eat]

Though Spanish in origin churros and hot chocolate (or champurrado) are definitely part of the Mexican food repertoire….The best I ever had was at a place known as an institution for both (name fails me) in Mexico City.
Pretty sure I have memories from childhood of having both hot chocolate and churros at Olvera Street downtown. I did some research - Casa de Sousa serves up hot chocolate (and maybe churros?) and there is place in the merchant directory called Mr. Churro’s.

[Liquid Sky]

Thanks, LaLa!! (Tummy thanks you also.) I'm off to Olvera Street...