Malo - Bad Mexican, In a Good Way
Sunday, November 26, 2006 19:45
Malo
4326 Sunset Blvd.
Silverlake, CA
I like Malo despite it’s many flaws. He’s rather like the super good friend you have that’s always flubbing meet-up times and inserting foot-in-mouth, but you see his goodness, so all is forgiven. Actually, wait, no - Malo is like that friend that screws up on a regular basis but looks adorable during every last blunder, so what the heck. The love goes on.
It’s the interior and vibe that makes me gaga. I love that there’s a huge adjacent bar, separate from the dining area, and a large outdoor patio. All my moods are covered. And inside, there’s dark gothic wall paper, sconce lighting, and a gorgeous crimson glow. Me likee. This is saying a great deal, I must duly note, as I don’t go for scenester LA hideaways - I like my favs to have good food, first and foremost. Malo is a special cat.
My darling friend Paul and I met up last night at Mr. Malo for good ‘ritas and a bit of noshing. I’ll say one thing about this place - I’ve been multiple times now, and they are quite consistent. Good and malo.
Service is always somewhat polite but oh-so-spotty; our waitress disappeared for eons at one point (when we needed the check - grrr), but, you know, I’ve had worse. And the food is really hit/miss. Stick to the basics and you’ll likely do just fine. I am never impressed with their specials. Except the gargantuan Mexican corn cob I had once. Those were good times.
If it’s the real-deal tequila you’re looking for, Malo’s got it in spades. Kudos for that. And while their ‘ritas aren’t quite as good as El Carmen’s, they certainly satisfy on a boilerplate day. See why I’m so forgiving?
Now for last night’s rundown:
Drinks:
I had their basic margarita, with salt, on zee rocks. Thumbs way up.
Paul stuck to Pacifico. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.
Chips/Salsa:
Habanero and Cream
* Malo gets a lot of crap for charging people for salsas, but I don’t actually mind - they’re all homemade, along with the chips, and really quite tasty. This is my favorite, but it’s got serious kick - you’re going to feel the burn for quite awhile. To that I say, yes, please.
Appetizers:
Green Salad
* A handful of greens dressed up with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and the house dressing.
Um, ewww. We both got this, as a little healthy rabbit food, and while none of us voiced the obvious, neither of us got past about two bites. Not good. Bad dressing, bland as all get out. Blech.
Entrees:
Eggplant and Potato Tacos
* A tiny bit of eggplant and a dollop of potato wrapped in a corn tortilla and fried. Served with guacamole and sour cream.
I always forget that the “corn tortilla” tacos are served taquito style, which makes me a bit steamed. I didn’t want fried goods, but so be it. My fault for having the memory of a goldfish.
These are OK. Not a lot of flavor, and if there was eggplant in there, not much died for my tacos.
Grilled Chicken Flour Tortilla Tacos
* Grilled chicken strips, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, salsa, on flour tortillas
I can’t say these are a home run, but they’re solid. Nothing scary or offensive. Goes good with beer.
Sides:
Mexican Corn
* A small ear of corn, cut in half, grilled, and dosed with butter and a bit of spice.
Good. Nuff said.
The damage for one beer, one ‘rita, two salads, two entrees, and one side of corn was $60, including tax and tip. Yup, you’re right - more than it ought to be.
RESTAURANT REPORT CARD - Malo, Visit 4
Ambiance - B+
Service - C-
Food (Taste) - C
Food (Presentation) - D
Wine/Drinks - B
Value - C
Vibe/Energy/Scene - A-
Overall Experience - C+
Final word - It’s just one of those places I can’t resist. I’ll be back, see - it’s not so Malo.
By PoetKitty (see more of her posts). You can find more of PoetKitty's writing at her own website OMG Food!
meg says:
November 26th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Can I just say, you’re the first person I’ve seen who has admitted that the sun does not shine out of Malo’s ass? I get sooo tired of all those over-the-top encomia, so clearly undeserved. Cobras-and-Matadors ownership or not.
Our only time there, my ‘rita was way too sweet, and the food was, as you say, hit or miss (salsas and some tacos good; some tacos bleah). But the service was what sent us round the bend: we got a hefty dose of attitude every half-hour on the half-hour — no more, no less.
k. says:
November 26th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
This restaurant is way overpriced. I’ve only been once, and yeah, the salsa thing caught me by surprise. We ate a tiny amount of food and spent about $30 apiece on it. Never again!
H.C. says:
November 27th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Malo’s a good standby for after getting sloshed at Tiki-Ti a block away (which takes that blundering friend analogy you had to another level!) But somehow I still can’t bring myself to really love the food there.
KT says:
November 27th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Thanks for the review (and comments). I’ve been unsure about this place, and I think I won’t go out of my way to try it. Maybe if I’m in the area, but I won’t make a special trip. This consensus is kind of what I suspected.
Heather says:
November 28th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
I agree with just about everything you’ve mentioned. But you have to try the Carnitas — yummy! Marinated in OJ and Coke. and I can’t resist the Bananas in cream fresh with garlic chips.
le lion says:
December 4th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
ya know,i think Malo is famous for consistantly being so bueno/malo. i feel the same way…i love:
- the habanero and creme salsa– its SO GOOD
- the garlic bananas with toasted almonds– i always make my friends try it, even though it sounds like it would be weird. but believe me, they are so amazing, i often times go just for that.
- the beef and pickle tacos– in the land of El Tacos de Delish, these seem kindof like a tacky joke. its just ground beef, shredded cheddar, and some pickles popped in a corn tortilla and deep fried…but after a few beers (or margs), these little buddies are exactly what you’ve always wanted: a deep fried cheeseburger.
and the few things i absolutely cannot stand:
- the service– the bartenders are usually nice and attentive to those perched at the bar, but the waitresses are hands down the worst ive experienced in LA. first off, forget putting yoru name down for a table, as the hostess doesnt stick to that list (i once waited and hour and 45 mins to get a table), the waitresses never come take your order and once they do, someone else brings it out! you’d better hope nothing is wrong because sending things back for a change is out of the question if you planning on eating that night. and like you mentioned, its impossible to pay the check.
- the whole scenester quality is a bit grating, but whatever
overall, if you know what youre in for and can find a table at the bar its not so bad. open a tab with the bartender and order everything through him. drink a lot while you wait for your food and enjoy the people watching!
Casey says:
December 5th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
If you go to Malo you have to order the Carne Asada. I’ve had it several times so far and its always great. The rest of the food- well I’ll agree with the rest of the reviews.
Amelia says:
December 8th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
I’m a native Angelino, just moved to NYC- There is NO good mexican cuisine here- just heartbreaking! I frequented Malo, up until I left this past August, and I agree that it is WAY overpriced. The chips and salsa are the best in town, all of their salsas are made there from scratch-each has a completely distinctive taste-worth trying them all (you have to pay for them, but it’s worth it!) Malo is fast becoming Silverlake-eastside chic for all those little hipsters into the bar scene, but if you can ignore all of the bad hair and giant thrift store sunglasses, the ambiance it charming- day of the dead, goth chic? When they have red snapper, the fish tacos are KILLER, and the carnitas is the BEST IN TOWN, next to my mom’s, that is….the frijoles are pretty good, the rice is nothing to write home about-the platanos are AMAZING and sprinkled with garlic…mmmm. And the manager Matt, is a doll, and knows everything a person can know about the plethora of tequillas they have on hand, so ask him to hook you up!Malo doesn’t try to front as serving authentic mexican cuisine, so dont expect that…but the carnitas are WONDERFUL and muy autentico!
mostly hungry says:
March 27th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
though the tacos do not rival many of the $1 tacos in los angeles… i will go out of my way to go to malo for the “mexican” chocolate ice cream. i cannot describe how good it is. sublime. heaven. perfection. these words do not do it justice. the concoction would perhaps best be described as frozen mousse. the texture is unique, and it is not cold the way ice cream is. it is served in a fried & sugar dusted tortilla bowl that frankly, just gets in the way. there is a similar chocolate concotion at cobras & matadors. i would pay for the recipe. i highly reccomend.
Jonah says:
March 27th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Yum, that ice cream sounds like it’s worth the trip out from the Westside. Any other places that have it, other than Cobras&Matadors?