When you are craving Mexican food in DTLA, you have a wide range of options. If you want a nice Mexican restaurant with table service, you can head to Mezcalero, El Cholo, B.S. Taqueria or Tabachines If you are looking for a more casual option, then head to Sonoratown or Chica’s Tacos. And if you want to get even more casual, you need to head to Casa La Dona on the corner of Main and 8th Street. There is nothing fancy or trendy about Casa La Dona. It’s a classic neighborhood Mexican restaurant. At Casa La Dona, you order at the counter and once the food is ready, they bring it to your table. The menu offers up a variety of items, including an all-day breakfast section, but the star of Casa La Dona is the salsa bar. They offer up 18 different salsas. There is something for everyone. Mild to Spicy to HOT! You have to try the Pina Salsa. It’s in the mild section, but it has a bit of a kick!
My husband ordered the Enchiladas Rojas ($9.99). It came with your choice of chicken or cheese enchiladas and is served with rice and bean, plus a bowl of white bean soup. He also ordered an additional Asada Taco ($1.75). He apparently loved his food, because he didn’t offer to share it, and he cleaned his plates.
Our friend ordered the Chilaquiles a la Bandera ($8.99) and added a side of chorizo. He was disappointed that there were too many chips and not enough egg. I went for the Asada Quesadilla ($6.49). This was a lot of food, but I was able to eat it all and enjoy a plate of the Plantanos Fritos ($7.99). These fried plantains are served with cheese, sour cream, beans and corn tortillas. Okay, when you go to Casa La Dona, you MUST get the plantains. Delicious!
Okay, so the food was good. The service was great. The woman behind the counter was friendly, helpful and efficient. Our only complaint was that after ordering a side of chips and (really good) guacamole plus sodas, our bill was over $50. Now, we did order way too much food, but $50 at a neighborhood Mexican restaurant seems a bit pricey. I’ve heard that Casa La Dona has an awesome Taco Tuesday menu, so I need to check it out.
Casa La Dona is open every day at 10am and closes at 8pm, except on Sunday when they close at 6pm. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food a restaurant that is not trying to be trendy or hip, you need to check out Casa La Dona.
CASA LA DONA 800 So. Main Street (at 8th Street) 213.627.7441
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