#1 Tocaya Organica
Tocaya Organica was born out of a mission for better eating.
We’ve created a movement behind our signature ‘Modern Organic Mexican’ cuisine by using the highest quality ingredients paired with bold flavors. We offer salads, tacos, bowls, and burritos – serving them in a sophisticated yet accessible fast casual setting. Our versatile menu is rooted in traditional Mexican recipes, naturally accommodating a variety of preferences including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
Locally sourced organic produce is the foundation of our chef driven menu. Underscoring our commitment to serving natural and sustainable ingredients, Tocaya Organica only serves meats and fish that are fresh, never frozen, and are 100% percent free of hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Above all, we believe in making choices that have a positive impact on our health, our communities, and future of our planet.
Better eating is achieved with every meal, down to every last detail. Always organic, always sustainable.
Founded in Venice in 2016, Tocaya Organica now has locations serving West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Playa Vista – with new locations coming to Hollywood, La Jolla, Westwood, Century City, Scottsdale, Chicago, and The Point in El Segundo.
#2 Gracias Madre
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to celebrate and serve the presence of the mother which resides above us, within our hearts, within the earth, and in all those who nurture us. We serve cuisine inspired by the kitchens of Mexico sourced from locally grown organic ingredients. Welcome to a seat at love's table. Un lugar en la mesa del amor.
OUR STORY
We first conceived the idea of Gracias Madre while visiting the families of our employees in Mexico. We wanted to both; offer organic Mexican food to the communities we serve as well as honor the mothers who work tirelessly in the kitchens of Mexico and often live without their husbands and children while they work side by side with us in California. Inspired by some of the recipes of these families and the love of their mothers, Gracias Madre serves organic, farm fresh, locally sourced food, full of flavor and love.
#3 Guisados
The smell of chiles and meat simmering in a stew, wafting through the house as the sun goes down.
If you grew up in a traditional Mexican home, guisados brought you comfort and familiarity; with every ingredient serving its purpose guisados are a true labor of love. They were the weekday preparations—simply braised, usually served with a side of rice, beans, and warm tortillas.
Born in Boyle Heights in December 2010, Guisados set out to serve homestyle braises on handmade corn tortillas; tortillas made to order from the fresh ground masa next door at Carnitas Uruapan. We created a simple menu, one which reminded us of home and how mom spent her afternoons before we got home from school. It’s that same feeling that we try to put into every bite—because simply put, it’s just how we ate.
Within 5 years we’ve expanded from the comfort of our first four walls to locations in Echo Park, the historic core of Downtown LA, vibrant West Hollywood and most recently the production capital city of Burbank. Along the way we've cultivated a community of artists, grown our Guisados family, and all throughout, remained true to our homestyle cooking. Being so close to home, our stews and masa are still made and delivered from the Boyle Heights location—multiple times a day—in order to ensure freshness and love in every bite.
We do this not to change the world, but rather show the world just how talented mom really was.
And still, every flavor remains “Just the way my mom used to make it."
Armando De La Torre Sr. & Armando De La Torre Jr.
Owners and Operators