One of the best things about living in Los Angeles is the bounty of Mexican restaurants. The family-run chain Pinches Tacos recently opened a branch in Westwood Village, on a sleepy stretch of Glendon Ave., down the street from the Trader Joe’s.

Pinches Tacos is a counter service restaurant, so you’ll place your order with one of the extremely friendly staff, who are eager to answer any questions you may have. Once you’ve ordered, you’ll get a colorful card to take to your table with you. There is no salsa bar unfortunately, so don’t bother looking for one.

Kid’s meals range from tacos to burritos to cheese quesadillas, served with rice and beans (or in my daughter’s case, all rice, no beans).  Tortillas are made fresh on the premises daily, always a good thing.

If you order a fish burrito, you’ll find a generous portion of lightly fried fish, comprising almost half of the filling, along with some Veracruz slaw.

The taco trio comes under a blanket of red salsa draped across all three tacos. It would have been nice to have different salsas for the various tacos (where’s that salsa bar?), but it’s a small drawback. I had never had pork adobada, California chili marinated pork, so I tried it and was surprised to find that the meat reminiscent of Chinese char is (BBQ pork) in appearance and texture. The pork was a little on the dry side, with not much added boost from the chili.

Better yet was the Al Pastor, marinated pork, which was full of flavor…

…but my favorite was the carnitas, pork that had been slow-cooked in citrus until tender, juicy and delicious.

After the recent election, I’ve been extremely thankful to live in Los Angeles, a city that celebrates diversity. Going to Pinches Tacos, you not only get to enjoy some solid Mexican food, but you’re supporting a local family-run business, owned by immigrants, who also happened to be UCLA alumni (GO BRUINS!), living the American Dream.

Location – 1030 Glendon Ave., Los Angeles 90024. Additional locations in Culver City, Larchmont, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Las Vegas.
Website – http://www.pinchestacos.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes