Where people who love Cuban food go
2328 West Pico Blvd. (west of Convention Center)
Phone: 213-386-6131 | map

El Colmao is one of those places where you walk out with a food buzz, full and useless for the rest of the day. You do not plan on a hurried lunch here.

They make the best fried rice I've ever had, and their ropa vieja is as savory as the white rice, black beans and chimichurri that come with it. The steaks are thin and juicy and worth it. Try one of the huge Cuban sandwiches and listen to the conversations in Spanish all around you.

The decor is very thin and aged (think faux-wood paneling and plastic figurines) and feels correct. It's tucked away in a ragged strip mall along a stretch of Pico Blvd. that doesn't exactly stimulate casual tourism but, really, the neighborhood could be worse.

I'm still deciding whether this place or El Cochinito on Sunset wins.