My Favorite Salsa
1920 Hyperion Avenue
Phone: 323-662-4255 | map

Campo has been around since 1962 (founded by West Side Story dancer Rudy del Campo), and settles comfortably in the older, quieter gay vibe of Silver Lake. The decor feels nicely authentic with some colorful flair: vintage Spanish movie posters and a few slightly-suggestive paintings.

I crave - crave, I say! - their chips and salsa; the former is properly puffy and brittle with a salty sheen, and the latter is properly chunky and zesty, with just enough cilantro. The albondigas soup is better than the salad, and not too heavy on the celery.

I personally dig their chicken mole, the pollo al cilantro, and the chile verde's very decent. The carnitas have that nice crisp edge on them.

As for cocktails... stick with the basics. Asking for a margarita on the rocks with Hornitos or Three Generations will result in something that is slightly too expensive for its worth. However, if you order them without a premium brand, you will probably get something more strong than well-mixed. O'course, you may prefer things that way...

There is also a chance that, if it's busy because of a campy show downstairs in the Cavern Club Theater, you'll get one of the more distracted waiters. Just relax and go into Zen mode. Weekend lunches on the outside patio, at rickety tables with deep red glass ashtrays, are ideal here.

I thought they had a website!... but it doesn't seem to be there.