Frozen-style French fries piled with grilled steak, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and pico. A San Diego-LA Mexican-American invention from the 1990s.
Carne asada fries crossed up the California coast from San Diego, where Lolita's Mexican Food on Imperial Avenue is widely credited with the format around 1986: a paper plate of crisp fries piled with grilled steak, melted cheddar, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. The dish reached Los Angeles in the early 1990s and became a staple of late-night Mexican counter spots, particularly across the Westside and the Eastside. It is messy, communal, eaten with two forks, and reads as the West Coast cousin of poutine and nachos. Most pure-blooded LA versions still use crinkle-cut fries.
2 editor picks for Carne asada fries in Los Angeles, ranked by editorial score. All Los Angeles signature dishes · Carne asada fries across every city.
Tacos Tu Madre ★ 4.1
westwood · 1945 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tacos Tu Madre on Westwood Boulevard near UCLA, Los Angeles, is a small walk-up window for tacos, burritos and famous loaded carne asada fries.
Eduardo's Border Grill ★ 4.0
westwood · 1830 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Eduardo's Border Grill on Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, has served carne asada fries, burritos and combo plates from a corner counter for decades.