Where is there good Mexican vegetarian in/around West LA?

[cimui]

Greetings, LA chowhounds. I'm a NYC chowhound who will be in your fair city in a few weeks. My travelling buddy is vegetarian. I love Mexican. Can we reconcile this in any single place?

[napos]

Paquito Mas is fantastic for lunch or a quite bite. They have multiple vegetarian options under every category. www.poquitomas.com/

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Poquito Mas
2215 Westwood Blvd Ste C, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[cimui]

y'all are tremendous. thanks so much for all these great suggestions!

[goodhealthgourmet]

there's also marix tex-mex playa in santa monica.

obviously not the best or most authentic mexican food you can find in l.a., but they have a large menu with some vegetarian options, they don't use lard, and they're really accommodating when it comes to special requests.

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Marix Tex Mex Playa
118 Entrada Dr, Santa Monica, CA 90402

[a_and_w]

Wow...this is the third time today I will be recommending Monte Alban. Tell your veggie buddy to try the tacos enchiladas with cheese or the veggie enfrijoladas. No lard in their beans.

[mollyomormon]

I believe that Gilbert's El Indios' beans aren't made with lard. The veggie burrito and their chile rellenos burrito (called Fernando's burrito) are both great. Again, not the most authentic Mexican, but a really fun neighborhood place.

[Servorg]

I like Gilbert's too and the Fernando burrito is great. The only thing I do differently with it is to have them leave the lettuce out. There is just something about lettuce in a burrito that seems wrong to me. YMMV.

[mollyomormon]

That's a great call, actually! I'll have to ask for it that way next time I'm in. And if you don't already know this trick, ask the waiter for diablo. It's a different variety of their housemade salsa and it's awesome.

[Servorg]

I always get both diablo and the regular salsa and spoon them on to my meal together in a "generous melange of tongue tickling taste"

I also talked them into making a machaca burrito with avocado and a chorizo burrito with avocado previously. Burrito's are just a wonderful way to avoid utensils. ;-D

[mollyomormon]

That's how I eat them too!

[Discokill]

The vegetarian wife likes Kay & Dave's a lot. Not hugely authentic but Mexican and good.

Also seconding the vote for Lula's.

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Kay 'n Dave's Cantina
10543 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[Diana]

Senior Fish has some veggie options, (not vegan!) as does Sabor a Mexico-like the veggie burrito. (also not vegan)

[nick_r]

Lula, one of my personal favorites, has a good number of veg-friendly dishes, both large and small plates. And the margaritas, which are also vegetarian, are killer.

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Lula Cocina Mexicana
2722 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

[cimui]

That does sound good. I'll look into this place. Thank you, nick!

[Chowpatty]

Loteria in Farmer's Market has good mushroom tacos and other veggie dishes. You will find plenty of meatier choices there. And since you're at Farmer's Market, he can choose an even veggier friendly place like the middle eastern place if he prefers.

[cimui]

This sounds promising--thanks! Where / when is the farmer's market?

[Diana]

Always open during the Original Farmer's market on Third and Fairfax...same center as the Grove.

[Emme]

Tacos Por Favor does not use lard - potato tacos, spinach burritos and mushroom-pepper quesadillas.

Not west LA, but two purely vegetarian Mexican restaurants are Cinnamon Mexican Vegetarian, and Leonor's in the valley.

Certainly *not* the best Mexican, but Kay and Dave's *will* accommodate vegetarians and vegans.

Tacomiendo has a super veggie burrito

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Tacomiendo
11462 Gateway Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Cinnamon Vegetarian Restaurant
5511 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Leonor's Vegetarian Restaurant
11403 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606

Tacos Por Favor
1406 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404

[Kochav]

There's also a Leonor's in Studio City ( 12445 Moorpark) and another in North Hollywood (5217 Laurel Canyon)

[westsidegal]

even though most of the food that i eat is vegetarian food, i'd have to recommend against lenor's. imho it's simply not very flavorful nor well-prepared.

even the chains, like taco plus, serve better vegetarian mexican food than lenor's.

for 'healthy' food that is vegetarian and 'mexican-like' (i.e. places that use whole wheat tortillas, etc. i'd recommend THE SPOT in hermosa beach on second. it is right around the corner from the sand.

for really delicious, innovative california-style food with tons of vegetarian options that takes it's inspiration from mexican food, i'd recommend HOMEGIRL CAFE. they were in boyle heights, but i know that there was a rumor that they were trying to move, so check location before going.

[westsidegal]

don't have an answer for you, but be careful because many mexican restaurants use lard in their rice and beans.