Owning two successful restaurants in a city whoes number of restaurants per capita is among the highest in the world can only mean one thing: the food must be damn good. Why else would people keep coming back? At both locations of Los Arroyos, 18 W Figueroa and 1280 Coast Village Road, you will find the freshest and most tasty Mexican food in town. Los Arroyos boasts an award winning salsa bar (#1 by the Independent) and exceptional service.

It is no surprise that Tony and Maria Arroyo designed a winning recipe for success. Both worked in the industry before meeting, marrying and then realizing their dream of owning and operating their own Mexican Restaurant. Their experience has definitely paid off. They have remained in business for 9 years now and there are no signs of slowing down.
Tony and Maria were hospitable to Tinta Latina and welcomed us into their restaurant to share with us a little about themselves:

TL: Why do people keep coming back? What makes your Restaurants so appealing?

TONY: I believe it is the food. We make our food with high quality ingredients and it is as fresh as it can be. We make our salsas 3 times a day, cook rice every 1/2 hour, slice our own meat and make our own corn tortillas minutes before they hit the tables. I am also very proud of our tequila selection. We have approximately 300 different kinds here in our Montecito location.

TL: What are your favorite dishes?

TONY: Mole. We serve it every Tuesday.

MARIA: Beef Tacos.

TL: When not eating Mexican food, where can we find you dinning?

TONY: Italian Food at Ca Dario’s.

MARIA: Sushi at Arigato.

TL: Your favorite Tequila?

TONY: Gran Patron Burdeos.

MARIA: Don Julio 1942.

TL: What takes up your leisure time?

TONY / MARIA: Raising our son Diego and traveling throughout Mexico.

TL: What message can you give to inspiring entrepreneurs?

TONY: Follow your instinct; follow you feelings and intuition, and most importantly, don’t be afraid.

I have had my share of good Mexican food, and I can honestly say that the food at Los Arroyos is among he best. Nothing had that fresh out of a can taste or that dry have been sitting for a long time taste. The flavors were well balanced and incredibly fresh. It was obvious to my taste buds that Los Arroyos simply does not cut any corners when cooking from scratch. Tinta Latina would like to thank Tony and Maria for being good hosts and praise them for serving truly delicious and authentic Mexican food.

Warning: be very careful with the Habanero sauce.

“We just try to serve the best quality food, and we also have the best customer service possible. People love our staff,” explained Tony Arroyo, who first opened his Figueroa Street location eight years ago with his wife, Maria. (They opened their second location in Montecito five years later.) The other trade secret is freshness. “We make six different salsas three times a day. So if you visited our walk-in refrigerator, you wouldn’t find a giant bucket of salsa like at other places.” Arroyo knows what he’s talking about, having worked a number of restaurants in the decade before opening his own. “We make everything by hand,” he said. “And that’s what makes us the best.”

www.losarroyosrestaurants.com