Salazar

Salazar hides a generous outdoor world behind the fencing of a former auto-body shop near the Los Angeles River. Gravel, desert planting, bright furniture and open sky give the courtyard a sense of escape, especially as the afternoon light softens. The cooking looks towards northern Mexico and the grill: house-made tortillas, tacos, vegetables, seafood and mesquite-fired meats are the natural centre of the table, with margaritas and horchata-driven drinks keeping the mood loose. Order communally and include at least one larger grilled dish rather than treating the place only as a taco stop. Families fit easily during the day; evenings become more date- and group-oriented. Because the restaurant is largely outdoors, heat and rain materially change the experience, and reservations are wise. Salazar's enduring achievement is atmospheric: it makes an industrial corner of Frogtown feel like a compact desert holiday.