I got some pretty bad news a few hours before heading out to dinner at Sonoritas.

What it was about was irrelevant. While, I can say that it wasn’t like a “plague upon my house” bad; it was pretty disappointing. After getting the news, I didn’t want to go anywhere but home and I didn’t want to eat anything but ice cream and vodka. You don’t have to tell me, I already know it’s a bad combination. Considering that, you already know my interest level in going to a dinner—on the westside (which is far if you’re not from LA). But I went against my current interest because if I didn’t, it would be the third time I rescheduled and that would be rude. So I hopped in the car, blasted Mary J. Blige, and put on the best “no this smile is genuine” face when I walked into the restaurant. All I wanted at this point was for the restaurant to be good.

The universe was on my side as there was absolutely no traffic on the 10 West freeway which is almost unheard of at 6pm. Even better, I found street parking the minute I pulled up to the restaurant. Maybe, this would be good after all? As I waked into Sonoritas, the hostess Sabrina exuded happiness. I, on the other hand was trying my best to ditch a dark cloud over my head and deflated balloon in my hand. As she took me to my seat, I loved seeing the brightly colored artwork and some of the industrial pieces sprinkled throughout the restaurant. It was then that Danny came by with a menu. He introduced himself with so much liveliness that I felt the balloon leave. His corny jokes were hilarious and his description of the food made me hungry. I liked this guy and was ready to order. Scanning the menu, the first thing I noticed were the prices. I knew going in that the restaurant makes gourmet tacos so I was expecting them to be in the $3 to $6 range and I was right. If that number frightens you a bit, then that’s fine. You can keep eating $1.50 tacos at King Taco.

Shortly after I ordered, my first dish arrived. The first plate was the Mexican Chopped Salad ($6.75). The salad was made with romaine lettuce, grilled jicama, Mexican zucchini, black beans, red onions, grilled corn, cilantro, and avocado. To bring it all together, they drizzled their homemade balsamic Sonorita vinaigrette on top. Bites of the salad were delicious. There were so many bursts of flavor thanks to the cilantro, corn, and vinaigrette. Then there were moments of spicy kicks which were all thanks to the vinaigrette. Overall, it was a playful salad with nice accents. What I liked most about it is that it wasn’t heavy. It’s enough to have on its own if you’re watching what you eat, but it’s also a suitable size that you can have with another dish and not feel like a fatass when you’re done.

Following the salad was my trio of tacos. I ordered the al pastor, filet mignon, and salmon.

The first one I tried was the Al Pastor ($3.50). The taco was made of all-natural marinated pork, cilantro, and a spicy pineapple salsa on a corn tortilla. Every part of it tasted fresh, especially the pineapple. Then there was the pork whose center was tender and exterior was crispy.  In spite of the description of “spicy pineapple”, the spiciness was pretty moderate (and that’s coming from a wuss). My favorite part would be the way the salsa coupled with the pork. The vibrant taste of the pineapple with the tender pork was perfect!

The next taco was the Filet Mignon ($5.50). Slices of filet mignon were plated on a flour tortilla with pickled red onions and chunky guacamole.  Looking at the taco, there was such a good heaping of guacamole! It was the amount that other restaurants would consider excess, but that’s because they’re stingy. Sonorita’s clearly is not. The steak was seasoned very well and was tender and easy to chew. The onions were a nice pop of color and added a bit of flavor to the taco, but wasn’t a prominent ingredient. Probably because the guacamole was.

The last of the three tacos was the Salmon ($3.95). A filet of fresh grilled salmon was topped with radishes, cabbage and a cilantro lime crema on a corn tortilla. Danny told me to eat this one first and then the other two after, but I was so excited about them that I didn’t remember and I should have listened. While I love salmon (heck it’s my last name), this one was a bit uninspiring compared to the filet mignon and the al pastor. While it looked pretty, there was a lot of cabbage which hid the salmon both visually and in taste. Once I tried it, I realized most of the seasoning was on the exterior with much of the reason to the grilling of it and the lime crema. The actual filet was where the excitement slowed for me. It didn’t taste bad, it just didn’t taste consistent.

The last dish was possibly my favorite of all: Churro Volcano ($6.95). The churros were homemade and made with organic flour and covered in dulce de leche, Nutellea, and whipped cream plus it was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The churros were deep fried and incredibly crispy on the outside and extremely soft on the inside. And what made it even more exciting was they used Nutella instead of chocolate syrup. The Nutella made it creamier and richer especially as the vanilla ice cream melted away and picked up the cinnamon. It was so delicious that I would go back just for this. I would keep the restaurant open late just for this. I would show up early and wait outside like it was Best Buy on Black Friday, just for this.

Thanks to one dinner of delicious tacos and dessert, that dreary cloud and sad balloon disappeared. Then I realized my stomach expanded. Not too happy about that, but beggars can’t be choosers.

To see more photos of the eats at Sonorita, check out the gallery below!

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Address: 2004 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (310) 444-9100
Hours: Sunday to Thursday – 11:30am to 10:00pm, and Friday and Saturday – 11:30am to 11:00pm.
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