Mercado La Paloma ★ 4.5
Mercado La Paloma near USC, Los Angeles is a 1940s textile factory turned community food hall, with Chichen Itza, Sarita's Pupuseria and Holbox under one.
Large 30cm crisp grilled tortilla smeared with asiento (pork fat) and refried black beans, topped with Oaxacan string cheese, cabbage, avocado, salsa, and tasajo or chorizo. The signature dish of LA's Oaxacan community.
Tlayudas arrived in Los Angeles with the wave of Oaxacan migration that began in the 1980s, particularly to South LA and the Pico-Union and Koreatown corridors. Guelaguetza on Olympic Boulevard, opened in 1994 by the Lopez family from Oaxaca, became the canonical LA Oaxacan restaurant and won a James Beard Award. Today the dish is the centerpiece of every Oaxacan menu in the city, from Guelaguetza to the Mercado La Paloma stalls.
4 editor picks for Oaxacan tlayuda in Los Angeles, ranked by editorial score. All Los Angeles signature dishes · Oaxacan tlayuda across every city.
Also in: Mexico City, Oaxaca.
Chichen Itza Restaurant ★ 4.5
Chichen Itza inside Mercado La Paloma, Los Angeles plates Yucatecan dishes including the city's reference cochinita pibil. At 3655 S Grand Ave.
OrderCochinita pibil panucho
Guelaguetza ★ 4.3
The Lopez family's Guelaguetza in Koreatown, Los Angeles has cooked Oaxacan moles, tlayudas and clayudas for the city since 1994. A James Beard winner.
OrderMole negro over chicken, and a tlayuda to share.
TipThe Lopez family runs a moles-by-the-jar takeaway out the side door; carry one home on the plane.
626 Night Market ★ 4.1
626 Night Market in Arcadia, Los Angeles County runs the largest Asian-American night market in the country, weekends June through September. 250 vendors.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Oaxacan tlayuda makes more sense with someone from Los Angeles explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Book food experiences in Los Angeles
2.5 hours
Los Angeles: Handmade Spaghetti with Italian Mamas & Lunch
Learn to make authentic Spaghetti alla chitarra in an apartment complex in Los Angeles. Enjoy a full Italian meal with crostini, tiramisu, and Italian espresso.
from$203 Check dates
2 hours
Los Angeles: Thai Cooking Class (Includes 4-Course Meal)
Mix, stir and plate your way through four bold Thai favorites with Chef Marc. From crunchy papaya salad to silky coconut soup, savory noodles and mango sticky rice, ev...
from$187 Check dates
2 hours
Los Angeles: Vegan Cooking Class (Includes 4-Course Meal)
Join Chef Jackie for a hands-on plant-based cooking class. Create global dishes with a vegan twist, including a fig and avocado salsa, a Caribbean curry, and a dark ch...
from$180 Check dates