La Ventura

Lousy… Bad move that replaced the best Out Take…

Extremely yummy, affordable and good service! The menu isn’t super experimental, most of the sides aren’t very exciting… but the chicken and carne asada tacos are dead perfect. I love spicy stuff, so the habanero infused margarita was great for me – not too sweet with fresh lime juice. Patio was attractive and plenty warm even in the recent cold snap. We’ll be back.
Honorable mention: the spicy pineapple salsa.

I had plans to meet a friend at Mercado but they were closed for a private event so we decided to check out La Ventura. The restaurant is cute, it was a little cold outside so we sat inside. I would have probably sat in the outdoor patio if it wasn’t raining.
The watermelon habanero margarita was yummy, it wasn’t overly spicy so don’t let the name intimidate you. My friend enjoyed her blackberry basil mint marg. We ordered a side of guacamole which delicious, perfectly chunky; it was served with their homemade tortilla chips and a few salsa options. I was torn on what to order but the waiter helped me narrow it down to the grilled fish entrée which was huge. It had two nice sized filets, a generous side of rice, pinto beans topped with bacon and corn tortillas. My friend got the carnitas and raved about them. I don’t love pork so I’ll have to trust her word.
I’m giving La Ventura 3 stars because the service was not good at all. Given that it wasn’t busy, I expected more attention. We had wait a long time to place our drink order and no one checked on us until we finished our food and were paying the bill. The party next to us ran out of water but no one was looking out for them. It was so bad that they held up the water pitcher to get someone’s action but the staff was busy chatting in the kitchen area. Fail.
I hope to get better service if I make it back!

I really wanted to love this place, especially after reading all of the reviews. We originally wanted to go to Lola’s but since they were packed I figured it would be a good time to try this place out. We ordered the short ribs taco which were ok, could have tasted better. As for our meals no one from our party was happy. I ordered the chicken enchiladas which were bland and the rice was like eating out of a microwave rice i roni box. It had Zero flavor, was dry and definitely not presentable. My husband ordered the cubano sandwich and stated it wasn’t great at all.
I would not consider this upscale Mexican but wanna be expensive Mexican food.
We did express our concern to the waitress but she really didn’t do much just said I am sorry.

Stopped by here on a Saturday night around 9:30 (after giving up on Black Market Liquor Bar next door which was way too crowded and we had a late show to atend down the street.) We tried only two things and they were amaze-​balls! The habanero margarita was deliciously spicy and sent a good kick to our taste buds. The tacos were incredible — the meat was moist and the shell cooked to perfection. I can’t wait to return and try their other options as well. Plus, the service was super sweet and attentive. I can’t say one bad thing about this place except that they should be more crowded for how good they are.

Absolutely LOVE La Ventura! We needed a more upscale Mexican option in our neighborhood (sorry Mexicali) and this fits the bill!
Make sure to swing by for Taco Tuesday, and the margaritas are a MUST.
Their garlic guac with homemade chips is to die for, and the whole staff is incredibly lovely.
Bummed they got rid of the corn!
Also, came in once with a large group, and Jeffrey brought us all out tequila shots/​samples — this place FOR THE WIN!

La Ventura is the best «find» I’ve come across recently. The place is well decorated and laid out. The staff is informative and friendly — attentive and not intrusive. The food is creative and inspired without being too far off conventional Mexican flavor. The place is deceptively spacious and the bar scene when I was there was not yet thriving. The menu isn’t overwhelmingly varied but offers Mexican staples.
I was impressed at how knowledgable the wa itress was when discussing specifics about the menu and the flavors as well as the preparation. For dessert, don’t leave without the churros and the caramel and chocolate dipping sauces.
My entrée tasted really fresh and homemade. If you love Chilis or Taco Bell don’t come here. Nothing tasted like it came from a jar or uninspired. Jeff (the owner) came by and checked on me and asked how I liked the food. He didn’t seem to be doing it as a routine. He genuinely wanted to know and couldn’t have been nicer about chatting about his restaurant.
This place should be packed. It is in a populated area for restaurants so competition is dense. It shouldn’t be. La Ventura isn’t a «wannabe» restaurant. They have a great vibe, an energetic noise level and stand out in any city. The prices were reasonable and portions were above average especially for L.A. I’d come back again. Everyone here seemed happy to be here — diners and staff alike. What a breath of fresh air.

Gourmet Mexican cuisine with an American twist, exactly as the menu says.
First off, this is exactly how I would set up a restaurant: A Chic, intimate space with a cool bar and a chef/​owner that is personable with the customers while serving amazing food and drinks.
We had everything from the Cubano (lovely American twist with avocado, bacon, black bean spread and chipotle-​orange salsa), plantains, drunken beans, watermelon habanero margarita, mar y tierra, carnitas tacos, chips, salsa and guac.
Highlights for me were the margarita, pineapple habanero salsa, and the mar y tierra (large enough for two).
And to be honest, the greatest part was quick chats with Jeffrey. Cool, personable guy and his passion and enthusiasm shows. Great for dates as well and it won’t bust the wallet.
A gem on Ventura!

My two friends and I went here on a rainy Sunday night and it was absolutely dead. It was great! When we walked in, we were able to choose our table and get our drink on immediately. First, we all got a round of the house margaritas. They were $ 10 and good, but not great for being $ 10 and their exclusive margarita drink.
This — and the *pretty* good lobster dip appetizer we got — is the only reason I chose to give 4 stars instead of 5.
With that said, my entrée was amazing. I ordered the Enchiladas (with chicken) and it was the best Enchilada dish I’ve ever had (just moved to LA from Pittsburgh after all). Served with some exceptional rice and black beans, the Enchiladas were filled with pure Mexican heaven. Awesome red sauce, awesome cheese, and awesome spices.
Another thing that’s awesome at La Ventura? The atmosphere and the staff. The gent who greeted us was kind and helpful, as was our waitress.

Tuesdays are Taco Tuesday ! And the tacos at La Ventura are delicious.
I got the Fish Tacos, with lots of cabbage. The waitress said the creamy taco sauce was spicy, so I had it served on the side. But to me, it was not that spicy at all and was very yummy. It was served with 3 other salsas on the side, but I stuck to the most mild. It was all good.
My friend got the spicy pork tacos and she liked hers as well.
We shared a pitcher of regular margaritas — and for Taco Tuesday a pitcher is only $ 10. That was a delicious margarita — lots of lime juice, not too sweet, not too tart, just right. I have been joking now that I will not get Scurvy because of all the lime juice I drank that night.
After having such delicious margaritas and tacos, I am anxious to go back and try more of their food.

*******Taco Tues!******
So my wife and i live in Studio City. A week ago we got a flyer for Taco Tues @ La Ventura They have chicken, veggie, fish and a super spicy ground pork for $ 2 each. We are from Chicago, where oddly enough every taco joint has $ 1 on Tues. Needless to say we were super excited to continue the tradition. To be honest we expected some bush league tacos and watered down Margaritas (which are $ 10 for a pitcher). Ahhhhh, we were waaay off! These tacos were totally legit and the Margaritas perfect! Our sever Laurisa was super nice and made our night. We sat in the patio, which only added to the amazing night. If you are down for great taco and great Margaritas and love getting a deal stop by here. I swear you won’t leave unhappy.

Great food and great service! I also saw a new Taco Tuesday special with $ 2 tacos and $ 10 margarita specials from 5−7pm on Tuesdays. It’s starting today! (10÷7÷14)

We were out on a pub crawl of Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, and after stops at several other local establishments, we had just a tiny bit of room left in our stomachs. We had never tried La Ventura, but it looked nice and had sidewalk seating, so we figured we would give it a try.
We sampled the lobster/​chorizo fundido. Sounded fantastic! Lobster tail, chorizo, and melted cheese, I mean come on! But I have to say, we were very disappointed. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t nearly as good as it sounded. The cheese just wasn’t gooey, but hardened quickly, and the lobster had a salty and not very rich taste to it. Unfortunately a disappointing execution to an interesting concept.

I was slightly disappointed after reading the reviews on Unilocal and seeing the delicious pictures of the food and drinks posted.
La Ventura is a contemporary Mexican restaurant. The exterior is cute and modern and there is a small patio seating area in addition to indoor seatings. The service and atmosphere was a little snooty, although our service throughout the meal was fine, it gave us more of a fake nice/​snooty vibe that I didn’t care about.
Food-​wise the garlic guaca is a must try. The tacos and drinks (margaritas) were good.
Parking is a little tricky unless you want to valet.

This place has a good location, nice atmosphere, and great service. We ordered chips and guacamole, which were excellent and came with three salsas. The salsas were fantastic and it was nice to have some variety. They were very small portions, but they refilled them for no additional charge. I was less impressed with my entrée. I ordered the vegan burrito, which contained beans, rice, soyrizo, and cauliflower. I wanted to like it, but it was very dry. Maybe they forgot to add the tomatillo salsa? The people I came with ordered the fish tacos and mentioned it was too «fishy» tasting.
The prices were very reasonable and the guacamole was great, so I might give it another try.

Great margaritas, good food, vegan options available.
The food is about 4 stars. Oddly, portion sizes appear to be all over the place — some dishes are really tiny and some super-​huge. You might want to quiz the server on this a bit before ordering.
The margaritas range from 3 to 5 stars, depending on who is making them. Just order a bunch. You’ll be happy.
Although they use the word «vegan» on the menu and, without prompting, mentioned «vegan» when listing the specials, it still took quite a bit of negotiating with the waiter to end up with a vegan meal. Same problem both times we’ve been. The first time I understood as we came during their opening week. The second time was many weeks later, so I’m not sure why they were still confused.
La Ventura is no substitute for Gracias Madre (100% vegan), but I can walk to La Ventura and it is much better than the nearby Loteria (better atmosphere, service, food, drinks). They’ll continue to get my business.
To minimize future uncertainties when ordering as a vegan, I contacted the restaurant via their website. Here’s the official list (from the owner) of the vegan options available:
Vegan taco/​burrito
Veggie enchiladas
Veggie sandwich
Veggie Platter (leave off the pesto from the zucchini and the feta from the beans)
Veggie Tostada
Beans
Rice
Chips/​salsa
Plantains
Guac/​chips
Black bean and sweet corn soup (leave off the garnish)
Mexican chopped salad
side of kale with serrano and lime
side of roasted cauliflower
Hope this helps.

I took a friend to La Ventura today… And usually I am weary about talking up a place, because the disappointment is greater if expectations are not met… I don’t worry about that with La Ventura… Ever! Today we had the tacos al pastor and the short rib burrito. Of course we had the guacamole as well. And for dessert — something new: salted caramel ice cream.
The pork is amazing. The short rib is also out of this world — spicy and I say opt for the tostada or tacos instead of the burrito. Not that the burrito was not good — it is all good — but it is my preference.
Be prepared to valet. That’s just the norm on this part of Ventura Blvd. Not a big deal, but come with cash — $ 4.
If you haven’t tried it yet, please give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed.

Such a huge fan of this place! Food was very delicious and the service was great. A must order is their lobster and chorizo dip appetizer. That dish alone makes the trip to this place worth it. They are not stingy at all with the lobster… lots of big chunks of lobster. Their cubano sandwich was really REALLY good too. Make sure you ask for their special spicy sauce if you’re a fan of heat. YUM. Their al pastor burrito was okay… it had a little too much bean for my taste. I felt like there was so much bean that i couldn’t really taste the rest of the burrito. But the other two dishes I mentioned are must-​orders!
P. S.: Dog friendly on the front patio. Yay! (:*

Between 2 and 3 stars. Going with 2 because I doubt I will be back anytime soon, if ever.
The staff is super friendly. And our server was great. But the service was beyond slow. We didn’t order anything special, it was slow when we walked in, and then crowded by the time we left. It took two hours from start to finish. Way tooo long. I think our entrée took about 45 min to reach our table from when we ordered. We ordered drinks, chips and salsa, and one platter to share.
Our margarita’s were way too small for the $ 10. Like a joke size you would see at happy hour. I could have just hopped over to Black Market Bar for some great mixed drinks. The chips and salsa just OK at best. I didn’t mind the crispy chips, but the salsa was just big slices of tomato and onion. Our steak was good, (we got the platter you can split for two) BUT the steaks at Lala’s are just a great if not better. And Lala’s has great prices too. I found the menu to be boring and uninspired. I would have tried dessert if we hadn’t been waiting so long for our food. We were not alone in our long wait either.
The patio is dog friendly though, that is always a plus.

We had the largest red snapper I have ever been served at a restaurant and it was cooked to perfection. This fish was huge! (It’s enormous teeth are seared in my memory. I wanted to eat it’s cheek, but my friend got a bit squeamish.)
I loved their veggie platter with cauliflower and kale as well, although it was a bit heavy handed on the butter.
Enormous portions, my date was in wonderment as to how they could serve such large portions and at such low prices.
I loved the salsa verde, the pico de gallo was not diced evenly and had too many hunks of onion, I loved the plantains however the chile sauce they were in overshadowed the the plantains. Would have preferred more plantains than 5 small slices and a lot less sauce.
Very good spot. Jeffrey Saad’s of course!