Manuel's El Tepeyac ...
Finally … Finally, after all these years … Finally, I know exactly what my future baby will look like when I dress him up as a burrito for Halloween. What am I talking about? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!?? … Because I'm talking about the ginormous, mouth-watering burritos being served up at Manuel's El Tepeyac. Thanks to our GRUB buddy Steven A, it was one of the first GRUB-suggestions we got back in the day when we started up this crazy journey … and after Jim R. gave us some more encouragement towards the mayhem-of-Mexico … the time for a GRUB-revolution was finally upon us. This hole-in-the-wall over in East LA is definitely a local institution … packed on a Sunday night, we patiently waited with enthusiasm in a line outside … for the opportunity to dine on the soon-to-be-yum being devoured inside. We started out with an order of their cool-n-creamy guacamole and layered it on a basket of their deliciously-super-fried-and-crunchy chips. They're those deep-fried, not-from-a-bag, I'm-a-little-nervous-they're-actually-a-trap chips that make my knees weak and my belly strong. To go along with the guacamole, they served up a couple dishes of homemade salsa … one a tangy verde and the other a fire-breathing roja … both amazing … and both just prepping our taste-buds for the monster lurking around the corner. We all knew of Manuel's reputation. We thought we were prepared. After all, there were three of us ready to battle the beast … and a battle it truly was. As we gazed at the menu, our first challenge was to pick between the several varieties of the Manuel's Special … ranging from carne aside to machaca, or seasoned ground beef, to our ultimate pick … chile verde. The burrito is not only huge … it's damn tasty. Loaded up with tender chunks of pork, bathed in a green chile sauce, paired up with rice and beans, all topped with a healthy layer of salsa and shredded cheese. All the ingredients melted together as we ate and each bite brought a giant smile to our faces. We did our best, and only took down about two-thirds of the baby-sized burrito … nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn't until after we finished that we noticed the free shirt you'd get if you finish it all by yourself. So with the GRUB-nation as my witness … I will be back. The gauntlet has been thrown down … the challenge made … a war will be waged, and we will rise victoriously through the GRUB. And screw it, even if we don't … it'll be amazing. Because that's the sort of place Manuel's is … the giant burrito is no gimmick … they've just got the goods … and lucky for us … they've got a lot of it.
