Whittier

A festive Mexican roadhouse in the middle of the city, El Mariachi serves up a fantastic carne asada, marinated with lots of lime and grilled to an addictive, chewy char; an impressive puerco en salsa verde, in which pork and potatoes are married with a citrus-bright tomatillo sauce; and great tacos (with fillings including pork al pastor, carnitas, chorizo, cecina, lengua, barbacoa, carne asada, and chicken). While the menu doesn't break any new ground and the burritos are a little rice-heavy, El Mariachi's list of nearly a dozen imported Mexican beers, excellent house-made salsas, late hours, and party-of-12-with-kids-crawling-under-the-table atmosphere should keep this joint jumping. Southwestern and Mexican. $. Review by http://www.citypages.com/dish/detail.asp?CID=9949