El Taco Llama

For a first-timer like me, this taqueria exceeded my expectations, despite the stale chips.
Maybe what made me love this place was that the red salsa at the bar tastes exactly like my mom's.
After all, mom's cooking never disappoints.
The delicious food and affordable prices more than made up for the chips, perfect for me, my wife, and 2 kids.

With so many restaurants to choose from, we thought we might try El Taco Llama in Newhall.
We were impressed by the artistry, the colorful chairs and tables.
As for the food, I was really happy with my Chile Relleno.
It tasted fresh and it was covered in a tasty sauce, peppers tomatoes and onions.
It was not inundated with cheese inside or it, allowing for the pepper flavor to survive.
Even the plates were vibrant.
If I have one small issue, it was with the wimpy plastic forks and knives after such a lovely presentation of their food, it just seems wrong.
I understand the economics of it, just not the aesthetics.

I had the Menudo and was a little disappointed that it was made sin grano (that means without hominy for all us güeros out there lol) but it was awesome that they hecho con pata (make it with pig feet).
It was also a little under-seasoned for my taste.
But once we added the usual add.ins (cilatro, onion, oregano, red chili, and lime) and some salt....
now we eating good! The menudo itself was tender with a good flavor, so they cleaned it well before cooking.
The pieces could have been a bit smaller, like the size of a quarter rather than the size of poker chip. My wife had the ceviche tostada.
The fish was a little mushy, and they did not quite balance the seasoning with the lemon, tomato onion, and tabasco.
But the tostada was light and crispy and they were generous with the avocado.
Overall, it was pretty good. The dining area had plenty of seeting and included movable tables and chairs, which makes it very convenient for a large family meals.
The chair backs are each hand painted and carved are a delight. This is a walk up and order and pick up your food style place so service was pretty good.
The bathroom needed a little attention. Overall, it's not a bad place at all with a little bit of tweeking on the seasoning of their food this place could be at least a 4.5.