Part II: Experience Javier’s Vibe, Dine, Drink, Décor

  A clean cave-like entrance pulls you into the restaurant. The inside is reminiscent of the kind of beautiful, elegant restaurants found throughout Mexico City's trendy neighborhoods with large tables and cream-colored booths surrounded by plants and an elegant bar. Javier's is a high-end cantina that opened mid-May on12th Street between Flower and Figeroa.

The food matches the vibe, with every taste full of multiple flavors. There are a wide variety of drinks, pleasing traditional tastes such as my fiancé's classic margarita as well as the unique option I preferred which was Javier's Last Word, a gin cocktail with maraschino liqueur that was strong and sweet at the same time. Next, we moved on to the ensalada de asada, a great mix of steak, avocado, corn, gorgonzola, greens, and honey mustard vinaigrette.

Our main meal was the enchilada trio del mar, an indulgent mix of seafood favorites: crab, shrimp, and lobster covered in sauces and sour cream drizzles. We capped off the night with the rich pastel de chocolate, a ganache cake with vanilla ice cream inside a churro shell.

Javier's may be high end, but the portion sizes are large enough to fill one up easily. The experience and great service helped make Javier's into an overall great value. Our waitress, Jaraset, was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about every menu question we had. Moreover, multiple members of her team engaged with us, showing they work together well and are ready to support each other around the restaurant.

"We're very happy to be a part of the neighborhood," General Manager Ernesto told us.  He is pleased with the amount of appreciation they've received. When asked how resident feedback has been, he said, "I feel like we've been embraced by the locals as much as the visitors from LA Live."

Javier's is another great and welcome addition to South Park's food scene.

  By Justin Orkin