Don Felix Meat Market ~ Culver City

A very unassuming place, I have driven up and down sawtelle so many times and whizzed right by it...never giving it a second thought. 

That was dumb.  This place is a three in one convenient store/ carneceria (meat market) /restaurant.  My dumb ass didn't walk through to the meat market while waiting for my meal.  I will be back though...the food was that good.  

Don Felix

I walk in on the side where the restaurant was at and stood dumbfounded.  I see a menu...ok, thats good, I see a doorway to a kitchen...ok, thats good too, then I see a girl at a register to the far left by the market.  Confused, I'm like... "where the fuck do I place my order?"  I ask the girl and she gladly let me know that she would take the order.  Relieved, I order myself 1 carnitas taco and a torta de carne asada.  Both with their "famous" habanero sauce.  She gives me my receipt and I quietly wait by the side.  I start watching the tele for a couple min's and she's like, "Oh, go give your receipt over there" she pointed at the doorway to the kitchen.  At this point I feel like a serious newb.  Embarrased I give my receipt and once again wait for my food.  

Finally I get my food.  It's funny cause homeboy must've thought I knew spanish cause he was all about it with me.  Good thing I know just enough to get by, I shoot the shit for a couple seconds...get a chuckle outta gordo and head for outdoor seating.

I was a little disappointed my meal didn't come with chips, but that quickly went away after my first bite into the carnitas taco.   So moist and tender, I picked up a stray piece on my plate and it literally buckled under the soft pressure of my finger tips.  You can tell they properly simmer the fatty cut of shoulder meat for a long period of time, which gives the taco its soft, moist consistency.   As for their famous Salsa Roja, it wasn't as spicy as I have previously read.  But good enough for me.

The torta de asada was good...not great.  The meat was very tender, with the flavors heightened by the sour cream, guacamole and frijoles.  What really gets me everytime with a good torta is the bread.  I don't know what it is, but the bread they use...soo good.  This place must bake their own cause I could have literally eaten the bread by itself.  It was very warm and soft in the inside, with the outsides equally as hot and crispy.  

Next time I come back, I'm gonna make sure to try out their milanesa torta.  As well as a heffty order of carnitas.

Pro's

-Meat Market/Mexican Convenient Store

-Big menu at inexpensive prices

Con's

-Chip's not included

-Could be a bit confusing for a first timer

Taco's @ 1.25,  Torta's @ 3.99

Don Felix Meat Market ~ 3985 Sawtelle Blvd.  Culver City, Ca 90066.