Pozole season is nigh!
Studies show that fridges in Mexican households are a game of chance around this time of year. Is this margarine in the margarine container? No. It’s pozole. Sour cream here? Nope. You ran out three weeks ago. It’s pozole, again.
Pozole is a dish associated with celebrations, gatherings, and holidays. Considering that the dish's origins called for four portions of human meat, consider it an improvement (depending on who you ask) that we now prepare it with pork, and occasionally different proteins like shrimp and chicken.
Pozole comes from the Nahuatl word pozolli, which translates to “frothy” or “boiled,” and was used as a ceremonial dish. According to Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, he saw the human meat stew (then known as tlapozonalli) offered to Moctezuma at a festival honoring the sun god in the 1500's. However, the protein eventually changed to pork because it is rumored to taste similar and the colonists didn't get down like that, eventually destroying the human meat economy.
The prehispanic dish, minus the human flesh part, remains one of the most popular dishes in Mexican gastronomy. There are three common iterations throughout Mexico: red, green, and white. The differences are seen regionally, with their variants in proteins, spices, and chiles.
Lucky for L.A., we have long a list of some of the best pozoles that the city offers, with each pozole on the list showing its own distinct identity. ~ Cesar Hernandez
Rojo
Pozolería Doña Ana ~ The Valley
We’re starting strong with this Los Angeles gem, Pozolería Doña Ana, in Panorama City and Pacoima. The family behind the restaurant believes that Mexican food provides more than just a meal. They believe it's offers a celebration of life, and you can taste that. The business makes their famous pozole rojo estilo Nayarit with your pick of pork and chicken. To try a mix of the best, we suggest getting their loaded pozole rojo mixed with pork meat, pata (pork foot), and cuerito (pork skin). This is the only dedicated pozolería in Los Angeles County and the best pozole in the San Fernando Valley. Doña Ana started selling pozole in the streets to help her with her mental health and now she's developed a huge following for her pozoles. She sells both red and green varieties made with pork or chicken. We definitely recommend pairing her pozole with her tacos dorados de picadillo for the complete pozole-induced euphoria effect.
Open: Monday through Sunday from 7 A.M. to 8 p.m.
14551 Nordhoff St, Panorama City, CA 91402
10345 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331
El Parian ~ Pico-Union
While primarily known for its phenomenal birria de chivo, El Parian's secret weapon is an exceedingly good pozole. It has no business being so good, in fact. The pozole is a classic, pork-based red, the caldo rich with pork, chiles, and spices, which are never overbearing. The most intriguing thing about this pozole is the use of a particularly large variety of hominy that looks like freshly popped popcorn. A server explained that they start cooking it very early in the morning for several hours to achieve this glory in a bowl. It should go without saying that an order of birria is also mandatory. ~ Cesar Hernandez
1528 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015
Sabores Oaxaquenos ~ Koreatown
This neighborhood Oaxacan eatery offers pozole made from pork head. Once the bowl arrives you’ll notice a faint funk that becomes more prominent in the caldo, adding an extra dimension to the broth, and reminding us of the strong fishy flavors found in the best bowls of ramen. The first bite of pork head bursts with concentrated porkiness; the meat is tender and slightly chewy. A thick layer of rendered, stained pork fat consistently floats on top of the bowl. This pozole is one of the most unique on the list because the offal adds a dimension that isn’t present with traditional proteins. ~ Cesar Hernandez
3337 1/2 W. 8th St. Los Angeles, CA 90005
Tamales Elena y Antojitos ~ Watts
Tamales Elena is one of the first regional food trucks in L.A. to celebrate Afro-Mexican influences from the state of Guerrero. While this place is recognized and named for for its signature, tender banana leaf-wrapped tamales, its pozoles, offered in green, red, and white varieties, are equally famous, including a pork pozole topped with chicharrón, one with chicken, and a veggie-filled pozole. The family behind these great bowls were even featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles for their regional Mexican sazón.
Open: Monday through Sunday, 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Wilmington Ave & E. 110th St. Angeles, CA 90059
Cefishé ~ Pomona
Shrimp pozole is a staple in coastal communities in Mexico, such as Baja, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Sinaloa. Yet, for some reason, a seafood version never caught on in the States. That is until Cefishé came around and rectified this crime against L.A. County's mariscos and pozole-loving communities. If you love brothy, Mexican-style shrimp cocktails and need something that is a little bit more substantial during winter, then consider this your new addiction.
197 E. 2nd St. Pomona, CA 91766
Verde
Chicharroland ~ Historic South Central
Contrary to what Chicharroland's name might suggest, it is not a theme park dedicated to fried pork skin, though this charming restaurant in South Central does specialize in chicharrón. On weekends they offer two different pozoles: a pork-based rojo and a chicken-based verde. The pozole verde has a formidable broth that is more subtle than what you’ve probably encountered before. It leans more on the strength of the chicken broth, spiked with a subtle taste of tomatillos and cilantro. Little greenish beads of rendered chicken fat swirl after each hearty spoonful. It can be probably a little spicier, sure, but it’s nothing a scattering of chile flakes from the table's shaker can’t fix. ~ Cesar Hernandez
4714 S. Main St. Los Angeles, 90037. Pozole is only served on weekends.
Cacao Mexicatessen ~ Eagle Rock
Cacoa Mexicatessen is a few years shy of classic L.A. restaurant status. They were the first on the scene to bring duck carnitas here back in 2010, and their pozole verde is equally enticing. From a glance alone, you can sense the weight of the pozole. The caldo is cloudy green with a spicy punch. It has a strong porky presence and plenty of granos hidden under the broth, cooked just right—slightly firm and not overly gummy: al diente. This place gets bonus points for offering a super-solid local craft beer list and Mexican wine to go with the food. ~ Cesar Hernandez
1576 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, 90041
Pez Cantina ~ Downtown L.A. and Pasadena
Pez Cantina has a fantastic pozole verde. This place flies low, mostly catering to downtown power lunchers and executives blowing off steam after work over their enticing happy hour menu. But don’t sleep on their pozole. The broth is on the thicker side and there are moments when you wonder what percentage of the caldo is just salsa verde. (If you’ve caught yourself with tendencies to sip on your taqueria’s salsa verde cups, this pozole is for you!).
It is a smaller portion but don’t let the size fool you because it packs a punch; slightly acidic from the tomatillos but spicier than expected. While it’s not ridiculously spicy, the heat builds with each spoonful of the thick green broth. It’s a chicken-broth but not overly chicken-y. ~ Cesar Hernandez
401 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90071, United States. Pozole is only served on Saturdays.
Blanco
Antojitos Los Cuates ~ Compton
Antojitos Los Cuates' small, peach-colored, Compton restaurant is decorated with yellow lettering and iconic scenes of Jalisco. Upon entering, you automatically know some amazing antojitos are about to pull your heartstrings from the feel of the dining room alone. While their tacos de requesón are what people come for and are highly recommended by contributing writer Xitlalic Guijosa, their pozole blanco doesn’t stay behind. It is a bowl of love made with nixtamal de maiz morado (purple corn nixtamal) and topped with repollo (cabbage), cebolla (onion), rabanos (radishes), and limon (lime). The perfectly simmered pork in your bowl makes for a broth so good you’ll be sucking on the bones to get every bit of it out.
Open: Tuesday through Friday from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 A.M. to 10 P.M.
1811 N. Long Beach Blvd. Compton, CA 90211
Guajillo Restaurant ~ Huntington Park
This neighborhood spot is great for breakfast, but on weekends they offer white pozole made with pata (pork feet), which means some of the collagen is rendered into the broth, though not to the point of palpable thickness. The pozole is served with plenty of accoutrements: onions, cilantro, tostadas, avocado slices, rabanos, oregano, lettuce, and a specially tailored red salsa to crank up the heat. The floating bits of avocados offer a nice creamy texture that pairs pleasantly with the chunks of pork. The grano is on the tougher side, call it al dente. If you have the inclination to order a huarache with carnitas, I’d urge you to follow that intuition. ~ Cesar Hernandez
6480 Santa Fe Ave. Huntington Park, CA 90255
Vegan
Guayaba Kitchen ~ Pacoima
This green pozole from Guayaba Kitchen will fool you. Recommended by contributing writer Noe Adame, this vegan bowl of pozole is so popular that, in the past, it sold out in just one hour. It has all that a good bowl of green pozole has to offer, made with mushrooms (the star of the show) and spices and herbs homegrown in the owner's backyard. You can top it with the classics, chopped red onion, and a couple of squeezed limes, and top it all with chopped repollo for that familiar crunch. Y sin faltar, you can’t forget some chili de arbol oil to add extra heat.
Noe tells L.A. TACO, “I didn’t think a vegan pozole would ever taste like the real deal, much less, dare I say, better than any meat-based pozole I have ever had! Spicy, earthy, flavorful, and best of all, piping hot—just the way I love it.”
DM for curbside pickup
El Cocinero Restaurant ~ Van Nuys
Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on eating some of your favorite Mexican dishes. Pozole is one of those meals that can be made meat-free and packed with a flavorful and rich broth. And that’s what you will find at El Cocinero Restaurant: a bowl full of vegan pozole rojo made with jackfruit cooked just right, leaving you with tender strips of what might as well be chicken.
Open: Tuesday through Sunday from 1 P.M. to 8 P.M
6265 Sepulveda Blvd. #12. Los Angeles, CA 91411
Un Solo Sol Kitchen ~ Boyle Heights
Across the street from El Mariachi Plaza stands Un Solo Sol Kitchen. Its Latin-American menu (there are also Asian and Middle Eastern influences here) features plenty of meaty recipes, but the vegan options are about as vast. One of the best items has to be its veggie tacos. But as the weather gets cooler, the vegan pozole, be it the red or green one, rises to the top. Their green pozole is made out of mushrooms; the red with soft pieces of tofu.
Open: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 - 8:30 pm
1818 E. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90033
