Skip to Content
Tacos

Enchílate: A Mexican Fusion Pop-Up Run by Two Lynwood Moms, Hard-Workers, and Chefs

Enchílate was created by Lynwood chefs Judith Martinez and Aimee Verduzco. Courtesy of Enchílate.

[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]here is one central tenet to Enchílate – as their namesake suggests, it has to be spicy. Each dish from the fledgling Mexican fusion food pop-up layers spiciness but it is always in favor of taste, like their chimichurri steak taco. It’s a flour tortilla smeared with the coarse green sauce – in this case made primarily with serrano peppers – and filled with a citrus-marinated steak and habanero slaw.

Chimichurri steak taco. All photos by Cesar Hernandez.
All photos by Cesar Hernandez.

Enchílate was created by Judith Martinez and Aimee Verduzco, two Lynwood natives who are sisters-in-law, mothers, and have other full-time jobs. Verduzco and Martinez find inspiration in Latin American flavors they grew up with at home and the small mom-and-pop restaurants the cuñadas love.

A cold beer pairs well with their food, which is fortunate because Enchílate is mostly found at breweries. But even a cold, soothing stout hardly puts out the fire. Martinez, one half of Enchílate, explains that the chimichurri is their version of the Argentine favorite, “if you add limon, it’s an aguachile,” she tells L.A. Taco with a laugh and a nod to her Nayarit background.

Chimichurri steak taco from Mexican fusion pop-up Enchílate.

A typical pop-up day for the Lynwood natives starts with a full shift at their respective day jobs. After work, they must each secure a babysitter, buy all the ingredients, and prep. Then they can stage their creations.

Enchílate’s menu usually consists of one taco and a few other special items that change every pop-up. This format allows them to try new items and lead with what’s in season. Some of their past menu items are tinga, cauliflower ceviche, teriyaki salmon tostadas, shrimp pipian, Mediterranean al pastor, and Mexican pot roast tacos. They usually offer a meatless option for vegetarians.

Their “steak saltado” taco takes the Peruvian favorite and resizes it to a taco. It is sauteed steak with fries, bell peppers, onions, and topped with an aji sauce. The sauce is made of Aji peppers and it is creamy, spicy, and acidic.

RELATED: ‘Making the Things You Already Love A Little Differently’ ~ How Todo Verde Is Leading the Plant-Based Food Revolution

Spicy pot roast sliders from Enchílate.

The pot roast sliders start with a smear of auburn colored chipotle sauce on a toasted bun, their Mexican-style pot roast, a morsel of cheese, and two different slaws. One of the sliders – the spicier of the two – has the aforementioned habanero slaw and the other one has pickled carrots and cucumbers to brighten things up. These little sliders seem innocuous but they sucker punch you with spice and make you want another bite.

The idea for Enchílate came after Martinez was laid off from her job at a software company, a job she had for 12 years. Since they both shared a passion for food they decided to buy a food truck. But after reassessing the situation, they figured the pop-up model was more cost effective. Now they pop up around Los Angeles usually at breweries.

The food pop-up model has become common place for the Los Angeles millennial consumer but there’s a perception that it skews masculine in the upper echelons. Enchílate is challenging that narrative by cooking as well or better than their contemporaries. Though Martinez points out that the perception is false to begin with.  “I feel we women are pretty much carrying the torch at the moment,” she says.

Handmade tortillas on the comal at Enchílate.

Martinez’s relationship with food started as a kid eventually landing her in culinary school. She stopped attending because of work and family but the desire to cook remained. Verduzco is the quiet one of the two, but she shares her story of wanting to go to culinary school. “When I told my mom I wanted to go to culinary school she responded: ‘¿estas loca?’”

According to Verduzco, she has never been a stranger to the kitchen, where she basically grew up with her mother as her culinary inspiration. “She makes the best food,” she says matter of factly. “I know everyone says that but mine really does.”

RELATED: Feminist Food and the 'Queerest Coffee'; in Long Beach ~ Wide Eyes Open Palms

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Tom Morello Unites B Real, Pussy Riot, K. Flay and More to “Defend L.A.” at The Echoplex

Morello brought out all the artists at the end to sing along together to "This Land is Your Land," encouraging everyone to continue to defend L.A. and not back down in the face of state repression.

June 20, 2025

No Cops, No Chaos: Long Beach’s Peaceful Protests vs. L.A.’s Police-Fueled Clashes

Like my favorite Basque band, Eskorbuto, famously proclaimed in their political anthem: “Mucha Policia, Poca Diversion.” The logic is straightforward: No police, no violence; too many police, too much chaos.

June 18, 2025

Kids of Taqueros Take Over East L.A. Taco Stand to Keep Families Safe

Jonathan, his brother, two sisters, and the children of other employees announced last Friday via social media that they would be temporarily taking over the business, saying: “We continue the work in honor of our parents.”

June 18, 2025

L.A.’s DIY Underground Hardcore Scene Raises $10K For L.A.’s Undocumented Families Affected by ICE

"We're in crisis mode," says Victor Campos, the Director of Mosh for Youth. "Immigrants build our communities, and they thrive with immigrants. If we look at who's being taken by the raids, it's hard-working Latinos. They're going to Home Depots, to swap meets, to places of business, and taking our people away. Families are left broken and shattered by these raids, so it's our responsibility as individuals with platforms to do something about it."

June 17, 2025

Unhoused Residents and a Chef Getting Off Work Get Unintentionally Caught in Violent Police Actions Against Protesters in DTLA

A Black woman in a wheelchair who did not appear to be involved in the protests found herself trapped among dozens of protesters. When a line of police advanced towards her and the remaining protesters, two people put their bodies on the line a sthey struggled to move her wheelchair away from the police.

June 17, 2025

Who Allowed ICE To Arrest Vendors and Customers at The Santa Fe Swap Meet?

Suspicion is falling on management, despite its formal denial that employees knew anything about it. "“Who let them in? That’s what we want to know,” said a vendor. “They have speakers; they could have alerted people,” said one vendor.

June 16, 2025
See all posts