I made it into El Tejano, which just opened up in the North Hollywood Arts District. I know El Tejano translates into “The Texan” in Spanish, but my background with Tex-Mex isn’t extensive. I’ve (sadly) never been to the Lone Star State. So I’m not coming from the perspective of a Yellow Rose From Texas, just a SoCal girl who loves food. Cause that’s what we’re all about here.

 

El Tejano
11122 W Magnolia Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601
http://eltejanotexmex.com

The interior design of El Tejano is festive and welcoming; it definitely brings to mind what I imagine a summer in Texas is like. Right when you enter through the large patio the party gets started! There is an outdoor bar with plenty of seating. And to your right, there’s outdoor bean bag games, giant Connect Four and even a pillory for pictures.

Those bright colors transferred into the dining room; this would be such a fun place to get your local girl gang together at for food and drinks.

I died when I saw this wall of cowboy hats and sombreros. So cute!

I bellied up to the bar ready to wet my whistle with one of my favorite cocktails, the Paloma; grapefruit-infused tequila, soda, lime, agave and grapefruit bitters. I love my cocktails a little bit tart, so this was perfect for me.

If you’re coming in with a guest, I recommend the Michelada. This bloody mary (beer instead of vodka) comes with Imperial Cerveza beer and the mix but look at that portion! It’s perfect for two people to share. At $7, that’s tough to beat.

Heads up: There isn’t table service here, you do have to order at the bar, and then you are given a number for your table. Let’s eat!

I wanted to try the fun appetizers I associate Tex-Mex with so I ordered the Queso Fundido, Nachos, and Frito Pie.

As you can see, this portion of Nachos is gigantic! There’s plenty to share with friends. The chips are covered in melted a Tejano cheese blend, black beans, guacamole, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and tomatoes. You have your choice of meat to add if you want to add it. I want with the carnitas, which was obviously an awesome choice!

For my cheese monger readers, the Queso Fundido is made up of all your food porn fantasies (see my video here). The gooey cheese is piping hot and fresh off the skillet with poblano peppers, onions and I added chorizo on top. It comes with a side of flour tortillas to soak up all those juices. It’s like Tex-Mex fondue!

Their Frito Pie is a huge step up from my Dad’s growing up (sorry dad!). The Fritos came topped with ground beef, cheddar cheese, sour cream and Pico de Gallo. I love the difference in temperatures with the cooked beef and chill spreads.

After all these savory treats, I had a serious sweet tooth, so I decided to try their Churros, which came with both caramel and chocolate. They’re fresh out the fryer, crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside and topped with cinnamon and sugar. You can view my churro dipping porn here.

 

 

If you’re ever in North Hollywood, slap on your cowboy boots and get in there!