Tasty Places :: El Pocho Grill

CLOSED

Long Beach truly is my city. And I’m enjoying the growth of its burgeoning restaurant scene. As close as the delicious town of Los Angeles is to my home, it’s lovely to be able to scootch only a few miles down the road to enjoy chill dining and tasty cuisine – with ease. Problem is that there hasn’t been much of anything fresh and new going on in my specific LB hood, Bixby Knolls. There are some old standbys (Bake ‘N’ Broil is a fave worth raving about), some new establishments that seem to have staying power. But this area is not overwhelmed with foodie hits.

Enter El Pocho Grill. Like, it literally showed up and opened a couple days ago. I’d heard about El Pocho on Instagram, expecting a grand opening this coming weekend at Bixby Knolls’ monthly First Friday event. But today, during a family ride to the bike shop, I saw that they’d soft opened. And so I suggested it as our lunch spot while we got tune ups of various sorts.

As you’d expect for a soft opening, the staff were in ready-to-please mode, though I feel their great service will continue as more people hear about the place. I got that vibe – that they care about getting things right, putting out good food. I’m very happy to have them nearby – I’m a big fan of casual and cool Mexican joints. Heck, it’s good to have Mexican period in the BK. It’s one area where this hood is lacking.

Here, I discovered something I’ve never tried before – a dish called a vampiro; more or less a beanless, souped up tostada. Spread with tender chunks of chicken, crema, melted cheese, and guac, it easily became my favorite, an item I’ll have a hard time resisting despite wanting to try other options on future visits.

After just the one vampiro, I barely had room for my fish taco, packed with shredded bits of white fish and covered with a cilantro cream. My husband’s chicken salad seemed a worthy bang for the seven or so bucks paid for it. So yes, yummy flavors and lots of choices for a sweet price. It’s just the kind of place Bixby Knolls has wanted, has needed for years.

And lucky us, as we’ll soon be home of yet another Mexican spot – the second location of Lola’s, a sit-down place complete with moles and ceviches and margaritas. I imagine lunching at El Pocho and kicking back for dinner and drinks at Lola’s when it opens this fall. ¿No soy afortunada?

El Pocho Grill
610 E. Carson in Long Beach

The Cog and Crank
4250 Atlantic in Long Beach