Best Outdoor Dining Mexican Restaurants in Chinatown
4 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Mexicali Taco & Co
Northern Baja California-style taco shop where every meat is charcoal-grilled to order and the signature garlic-laced vampiro has drawn its own LA Weekly feature.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A Northern Baja California-style taco shop where every protein hits a charcoal grill to order, producing a smoky char that separates it from steam-table competitors—the garlic-laced vampiro alone earned its own LA Weekly write-up. It runs as a quick-service counter with outdoor seating on Figueroa, priced for a weekday lunch habit rather than a special occasion. The move is to treat it like a Baja street stand: order two or three tacos, eat them standing, and get back to your day.
Must-Try Dishes:
Al Pastor Taco, Taco de Camarón, Battered Fish Taco
What Makes it Special: Northern Baja California-style taco shop where every meat is charcoal-grilled to order and the signature garlic-laced vampiro has drawn its own LA Weekly feature.
#2
El Paseo Inn
7.9
A sprawling open-air Mexican cantina on historic Olvera Street that leans into the full festive experience—tableside guacamole, mariachi on Sundays, and a patio that fills up with multi-generational tables sharing enchiladas and margaritas. Operating since the 1930s, it draws on atmosphere and tradition more than culinary precision, making it the right call when the occasion matters as much as the meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cadillac Margarita, Chicken Enchiladas De Mole, Tableside Guacamole
What Makes it Special: LA's oldest Mexican restaurant, serving on historic Olvera Street since the 1930s with live mariachi and a sprawling open-air patio.
#3
Café Tondo
7.8
A Mediterranean-Latin café-bar in Chinatown that functions as much as a cultural venue as a restaurant, with weekly jazz and bolero nights spilling into an outdoor parking-lot stage. The kitchen runs a Latin-leaning menu anchored by milanesa de pollo and ceviche de camarón, served in a space where metro trains overhead and salsa dancers on the patio set the tempo. It draws date-night couples and creatives who want dinner and a show in the same seat.
Must-Try Dishes:
Milanesa de Pollo, Pan de Elote, Tuna Tostada
What Makes it Special: Mediterranean-Latin café-bar in Chinatown doubling as a cultural venue with weekly jazz and bolero nights
An Oaxacan-rooted kitchen that grinds its own moles from scratch and builds around traditional preparations like pozole and nopales, steps from Olvera Street in the historic LA Plaza. The setting rewards families and walk-in crowds who want outdoor seating with a direct line to regional Mexican cooking that skips the Tex-Mex shortcuts. Expect casual pacing and a menu that leans heavier on technique than presentation.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mole, Nopal, Pozole
What Makes it Special: Oaxacan-rooted kitchen specializing in from-scratch moles and traditional Mexican dishes served steps from Olvera Street in the historic LA Plaza.