Ortega 120 – Irresistible Mexican Cuisine!

There are a myriad choices for Mexican cuisine in Los Angeles, but there’s one restaurant in particular that keeps local South Bay residents and “Westsiders” alike coming back for more! Known for its modern mexican cuisine, Ortega 120 serves fresh, authentic, and sabrosa south-of-the-border food and drinks that you will crave! Veteran chef Thomas Ortega (a name you may recognize from Hell’s Kitchen) and co-owner Demi Stevens created this unique Mexican restaurant in South Redondo Beach, offering customers delicious meals in a hip, Dia de los Muertos-inspired atmosphere!

The “120″ in the restaurant’s name relates to the 120 different types of tequila served in Ortega 120′s bar! They use their expansive collection of tequilas and their creative mixology to create the finest margaritas and cocktails around. LA Weekly named Ortega 120‘s margarita as LA’s Best in 2009 and Citysearch LA voted Ortega 120 the place to get some of LA’s best summer cocktails. I was never a magarita-lover personally, but I am obsessed with O120‘s margaritas! This is because that there is no sweet and sour mix in the Ortega 120 building! Instead they use fresh citrus juices, high quality tequila, and a “secret ingredient” to serve up fresh and delicious margaritas that can’t be beat!

While dining with co-owner Demi Stevens last weekend, she shared that they nicknamed one of the margaritas the “Shut Up Margarita” because it was SO delicious customers couldn’t believe that could possibly be alcohol in their drinks. Well…”shut up” because I watched them pour the tequila into our pitcher and couldn’t believe that my to-die-for margarita could taste SO amazing. They really have created the perfect margarita!

While one can usually predict what items will be found at a Mexican restaurant before even taking a peek at the menu, Ortega 120 combines classic dishes with culinary creativity to create a unique, delicious and exciting menu! One customer said that the food was “the best food I’ve had outside of my grandmother’s kitchen!” Traditional plates, such as their guacamole, carne asada and tortilla soup, are unusually delicious due to Ortega 120‘s commitment to provide customers with fresh and natural foods. The Tour de Tacos, which includes 5 of their most popular street tacos, and Baja Shrimp Style Tacos are two of my personal favorite dishes. As a dessert-lover I can never resist their freshly made churros served warm with chocolate dipping sauce!! SO good!!

In addition to the incredible food and drinks, Ortega 120 offers lunch specials, live music and happy hour specials– some happy hours even last all day!! Event dates and times can be found on their festive website along with details about their menu and reservation information.