There are so many Mexican eateries in Los Angeles, and indeed right here in Gardena, that finding the perfect spot can sometimes feel like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It is hard, in fact, to find a truly bad one. Most of them are decent at a minimum. But to find the place that you just want to keep going back to again and again, to take friends and family from out of town when they’re visiting – that’s the real challenge. We think Cervecta might just be that spot.
“Cerveteca is a family-owned Mexican joint,” they say online. “Chef Mama prepares traditional family recipes that have been handed down for generations from her home town, Veracruz Mexico, known for its rich culinary history. At Cerveteca, our tortillas are hand made, our sauces are made from scratch, in house and our food is flame-grilled and prepared daily. Try our breakfast burrito, awarded ‘Best Breakfast Burrito in LA,” or stop by for some amazing tacos, burritos, tortas or bowls.”
That’s all fair enough. Everything on their menu looks superb, and their claims that it’s all prepared with care in house, using traditional recipes, hits home when sampling their delights.
Two of our family were eating, so we tried two separate meals. First off, we tried their nachos, selecting chicken as the protein. So that’s the Cerveteca house-made tortilla chips, topped with queso, rajas (or peppers), pico de gallo and guacamole, with salsa on the side.
Those chips are superb. Crispy and warm, they’re delicious enough alone, before they’re drenched in toppings. The queso is gooey and rich, and the pico cuts through the grease beautifully. Tart and spicy, it’s fresh and vibrant. The guac also tastes fresh, and it helps bring the nachos to life. Finally, the chicken is marinated wonderfully, topping off what is a delicious, decadent meal.
We also went for their bowl, picking shrimp for the protein. This thing is another level entirely.
The dish is served in a tortilla bowl, which is just glorious. There’s a lot of pleasure in pulling pieces off of the side and dipping it in the filling. That filling is beans, cotija cheese, pico de gallo, pickled onion, a grilled jalapeno, and white or brown rice. We went with the standard white.
Every ingredient balances beautifully with the others. Special mention to those pickled lengths of onion, which are gloriously tasty.
You can taste the love.
Cerveteca is located at 9418 Venice Blvd., Culver City 90232. Contact 310-837-3836 or visit cervetecala.com.