Best Cheap Eats Mexican Restaurants in Hollywood
12 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Wake And Late
Dedicated breakfast-burrito shop where the burritos are the headliner.
Notable Picks
8.4
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Trendy Table Hotspots
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Wake and Late’s Hollywood outpost is a breakfast-burrito specialist turning Selma Avenue into an early-morning burrito run, with oversized wraps, tater tots, and strong coffee. Lines of locals, industry workers, and Pantages-bound crowds rotate through a small indoor counter and sidewalk seating, but food comes out quickly enough to work before a call time or matinee.
Must-Try Dishes:
Juarez burrito, SoCal burrito, Steak & Egg burrito
What Makes it Special: Dedicated breakfast-burrito shop where the burritos are the headliner.
8.3
Oaxacan-leaning street stand delivering trompo-sliced al pastor and rich suadero with handmade tortillas and a deep salsa bar. The menu stays focused on classic meats, and the late-day-to-midnight hours make it a reliable Melrose taco stop for locals and studio crowds.
Must-Try Dishes:
Tlayuda, Mole Coloradito, Chapulines
What Makes it Special: Authentic Oaxacan street food with traditional ingredients like chapulines and regional moles on Melrose
8.3
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Sweet Treats Escapes
Papi Tacos & Churros focuses on street-style tacos built around rich birria, smoked pollo asado, and fresh-fried churros in a casual counter-service setting off Vine. Locals and visitors use it as an easy Hollywood stop for halal-friendly birria plates, quesatacos, and a quick dessert without leaving the neighborhood.
Must-Try Dishes:
OG beef birria quesatacos, Smoked pollo asado tacos, Fresh-fried churros
What Makes it Special: Birria-driven tacos meet made-to-order churros in a casual Vine-side spot.
8.1
A late-night parking lot taco stand at La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd where tortillas get pressed by hand to order—the kind of detail that separates a good street taco from a great one. It runs a tight menu of al pastor, carne asada, mulitas, and tortas at street-stand prices, pulling a loyal after-hours crowd that treats the parking lot like a destination. Show up hungry past midnight; expect to eat standing up and leave satisfied.
Must-Try Dishes:
Al Pastor Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos, Quesadillas
What Makes it Special: Late-night street stand pressing handmade tortillas to order at the corner of La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd.
8
A late-night chicken counter on Santa Monica Blvd that runs a tight, spice-forward program—crispy birds with real heat, backed by sides like mac and cheese that hold their own. The format is walk-up and no-frills, which keeps prices low enough that you're ordering extra without thinking about it. It earns its crowd after midnight when Hollywood's other options thin out and the craving for properly seasoned fried chicken doesn't.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Tenders
What Makes it Special: Late-night chicken counter on Santa Monica Blvd turning out crispy, spice-forward birds well past midnight
8
Vibes:
Hidden Gems Heaven
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Tacos El Fogon is a small streetside stand off Hollywood and Gower known for focused, well-seasoned carne asada and al pastor tacos. Regulars treat it as a no-frills alternative to more famous trucks, stopping by for a few tacos fresh off the plancha on their way through Gower Gulch.
Must-Try Dishes:
Carne asada tacos, Al pastor tacos, Pastor quesadilla
What Makes it Special: Compact Hollywood stand turning out simple, deeply seasoned pastor and asada.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A Salvadoran-Mexican counter operation on Vine where handmade pupusas dominate the order flow by a wide margin, backed by a short lineup of mole-sauced enchiladas and platanos that round out the ticket. The format is fast, no-frills, and priced for regulars who eat here multiple times a week rather than once for the novelty.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pupusas, Enchiladas with Mole, Burrito
What Makes it Special: Salvadoran-Mexican counter spot where handmade pupusas outsell everything else by a five-to-one margin
7.9
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Late Night Legends
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Tacos Gavilan’s Hollywood outpost is a fast-casual staple for classic tacos al carbón, with a long menu of asada, al pastor, pollo, lengua, and more served late into the night. It’s the reliable pick for quick, inexpensive plates after work, before shows, or on the way home along the Sunset and La Brea corridor.
Must-Try Dishes:
Carne asada tacos, Al pastor tacos, Lengua tacos
What Makes it Special: High-volume counter-service taqueria with a big meat lineup and long hours.
Open 24 hours, this no-frills counter specializes in richly spiced birria, hearty breakfast burritos, and comforting plates at wallet-friendly prices. Popular with night owls and early risers, it's a staple for locals craving a late-night fix.
Must-Try Dishes:
Birria Plate, Chilaquiles, Breakfast Burrito
What Makes it Special: 24/7 operation perfect for insomniacs and service workers.
#10
Sabor Mexicano
7.8
A morning-first East Hollywood counter where traditional Mexican breakfast plates—chilaquiles, memelas, loaded burritos—come out fast and priced well below what the execution warrants. The draw is honest, care-taken renditions of street food staples in a bare-bones setting where the food does all the talking. Show up early, order at the counter, and eat outside if you can grab a spot.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chilaquiles, Breakfast Burrito, Enchiladas
What Makes it Special: No-frills East Hollywood spot where traditional Mexican breakfast and street food standards are executed with care at rock-bottom prices
7.7
A cash-only Vine Street taco stand where the carne asada pulls a dedicated late-night crowd that treats the strip-mall parking lot like a communal dining room. The menu stays tight — tacos, nachos, horchata — and the prices stay low enough that you order extra without thinking about it. It delivers on speed and flavor for the post-midnight window when most kitchens are already closed.
Must-Try Dishes:
Carne Asada, Nachos, Fish Tacos
What Makes it Special: Cash-friendly, no-frills taqueria on Vine where the carne asada has earned a near-cult following with late-night crowds.
#12
La Reyna Tacos
7.7
A late-night East Hollywood taco stand turning out handmade tortillas and well-marinated meats from a focused menu of mulitas, tortas, and burritos until midnight. The street-side format keeps prices low and turnover fast, built for the post-shift crowd that wants al pastor and lengua without ceremony. With only a handful of reviews on record, the early signal is strong but the track record is still being written.
Must-Try Dishes:
Al Pastor Tacos, Lengua Mulita, Milanesa Torta
What Makes it Special: Late-night East Hollywood taco stand running handmade tortillas and well-marinated meats from 4 PM to midnight every day