Cilantro Lime is bringing the life back to Mexican food with new takes on traditional flavors that draw out the biggest foodie names on Instagram.
If you’re searching for a Mexican restaurant that does more than the traditional tacos and tortas, we’ve got the place for you! Located inside of Cosmo Plaza’s International Food Court in the Fashion District, Cilantro Lime manages to stand out from the Mexican restaurants that crowd DTLA.
The restaurant has soared to Instagram fame, accumulating 11.4K followers on the platform within the last year and attracting some of the biggest foodie accounts to try their unique eats.
The owner of Cilantro Lime, Leo Matias, credits his mother, Maria Matias, for bringing a flavor that packs a punch to the dishes, but the execution is all him.
As a second generation Mexican-American, Leo has created a menu that caters to Americans with a collaboration of authentic Mexican foods and new American twists. Mixing traditional favorites like Menudo, Mexican-American favorites like Asada Fries, and new offerings like Esquisite Fries has fleshed out his menu to offer something for everyone to try.
Leo’s proudest achievement in his restaurant isn’t the big-name foodies he’s attracted with his unique menu, it’s that Latinos love the food. “The fact that my own community is accepting us is an honor,” he says, and that’s something he can attribute to the classic flavors his mother contributes to the mix.
Some years earlier the man’s mother had passed away, and he had never been able to find a bowl of Menudo that could compare to her home-made rendition. That is until he tried Maria’s expert recipe. The traditional flavor overwhelmed the man with memory and he thanked the chef with tears in his eyes. At the heart of the restaurant, it is the home-ade flavor which elevates it past your run-of-the-mill spot. The perfect balance of spices that Mariangs to the table enables Leo to create his unique offerings.
Keep an eye out on October 13th, as the restaurant hosts their second competitive eating event of the year, the 30 Taco Challenge. Competitors will scarf down tacos in a free event featuring the Insatiable and incomparable eating champion Raina Huang. Make sure to also keep an eye out this Saturday as the restaurant debuts an all-new vegan menu along with another big surprise.
