El Compadre, Hollywood California

After an exciting morning at Engelbert Humperdinck’s mansion in Bel Air my group of traveling companions and I were famished. As we made our way back to Playa del Rey we drove through Hollywood and we stopped for lunch at El Compadre, a reasonably priced Mexican restaurant.

Ian, Stephanie, and I grabbed a booth in the very dimly lit, windowless, dining room and began to scarf down our chips and salsa. The chips were thick and crisp and not too salty. The salsa was smooth and flavorful but I felt it could have used a little more heat. Our server came by and got our drink order and then didn’t return for a long time. When she finally did we were able to order our entrees. I ordered huevos con chorizo, Ian ordered something known as “El Grande”, and Stephanie ordered the beef tacos.

When our entrees arrived I was pleased with the look and smell but I was not served the warm corn tortillas I needed in order to eat my entrée. Ian seemed pleased with El Grande if not somewhat intimidiated and Steph enjoyed her tacos a lot. When my tortillas arrived I dug into my lunch. Smoky spicy chorizo paired with rich scrambled eggs on warm corn tortillas topped with the house-made salsa and a few drops of hot sauce and I was in heaven! I have an affinity for all things pork but especially chorizo. This version was long on spice, with just the right amount of heat, and it had a touch of clove and black pepper that made it really well balanced. Also this sausage wasn’t too greasy as some chorizo has a tendency to be (see Mexi-Hole.) Stephanie ate her tacos with a smile, and then we come to Ian. El Grande bested my friend. Just as I was defeated the day before by Fogo de Chao, this huge plate of Mexican food destroyed Ian. He enjoyed the taste but the sheer quantity of the food was too much.

The service here was pretty subpar. We waited for the drinks, we waited for the entrees, we waited for the check, and we waited for the credit card slip to sign. In short, we waited. The dining room was maybe a third full and we were there during a slow part of the day after the lunch rush if there was any. The service staff had no reason not to be on their game. I enjoyed my meal and I enjoyed watching Ian eat himself into pain. I am enjoying my vacation. Viva chorizo! Seven out of ten.