Drinks So Good You’ll Forget The Food… Literally

The most memorable thing about East L.A. is definitely the frozen margarita selection. I have to confess, they hold a special place in my heart.

Shhh… here’s why: My girlfriend and I became friends in college who parted ways after graduation. Our “resurfacing” date took place at East L.A. where we had a few frozen margaritas each and she ended up passed out at my place across the street. As they say, the rest is history.

The food is good – a step above Chipotle, but the same level of authenticity– and the Washington Street location is ideal for post-meal bar hopping, which you’ll want to do since East L.A. closes quite early (10 p.m. on weekdays, 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).

The wait staff started out friendly and personable, but seemed to lack any knowledge of their customary responsibilities like remembering orders. Maybe they don’t do that in the real East L.A. I’ve never been. Our waiter returned four times to confirm the order, and managed to get some part of it incorrect each time. In addition, he seemed to be growing frustrated with us for his own incompetence. A simple pad and pen might have saved nearly 20 minutes of confusion.

The arrival of our food eased the tension and our huge entrée combination platters, which consisted of enchiladas, flautas, tacos and rice and beans, were all delicious. As an added bonus, our patience was rewarded with a free frozen margarita pitcher (as if we needed another). The margaritas are strong, which makes it a pretty good spot for a first or second date (see the above side note). But be warned, the bar area is small and always cramped on the weekend.

The restaurant in general had a drab, faded feel to it, but that might add to the authenticity of its décor. Plus, after two or three of those margaritas, the interior of the restaurant is no longer your focus. Now that I think about, I had at least two myself before the food even got there. Hmm. There might have to be a part two to this review that focuses strictly on the food, as my memory might be, shall we say,… a tad out of focus.

East L.A.
508 Washington St.
Hoboken
(201) 798-0552

— by Steve Lawrence
Steve, originally from Philly, now lives in Hoboken and works as an associate producer in NYC.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!