La Fiesta Brava Mexican Restaurant & Mariscos ~ 423 Rose Ave. Venice, CA 90291 ~ (310) 399-8005
This is exactly the place I 've been looking for in Venice for years, and apparently I'm not alone. La Fiesta Brava is the best Mexican eatery on the seaside and probably much further than that. From its standards to its specialties, La Fiesta Brava brings quality, personality, and fantastic flavor to a variety of excellent plates.
I started out with hearty and sublime breakfasts of machaca and chorizo with eggs, before finding myself there every other day for lunch. Like my beloved Juquila in West L.A., this spot has a neighborhood vibe, you feel welcome to come and hang out over coffee, Hoy, or the Times. I usually want to linger here, even though beer is not served at any point. Guests are always greeted to a hot basket of chips and spicy salsa roja, and usually quite quickly, unless a cute girl gets the staff's attention, in which case you might have to be patient. Typically, the owner, a warm host if ever there was one, is taking orders and running to and from the kitchen, where another couple of dude are flicking saucepans, flipping grilled meats, and slapping up warm tortillas.