(Portrait of Manny in El Tepeyac)There is a rumor floating around that El Tepeyac Café had been bought out and relocated to Chino. Today, when I asked if this was true, Manuel Rojas, owner of the Boyle Heights restaurant, stated that the story is completely false.
El Tepeyac (aka: Manny’s) is on Evergreen Avenue in East Los Angeles. In addition to the Manny special (a large plate-size burrito that if you could eat in one sitting used to earn you a free meal; an achievement of this writer in 1991 at the near cost of his digestive wellbeing), a signature dish is the Hollenbeck burrito monikered after the barrio’s LAPD division station. According to a 1986 LA Times report by George Ramos, the burrito’s name developed from the years of Eastside cops patronizing the establishment on their breaks.
For good food (and lots of it), a friendly atmosphere, and interesting Eastside stories from Manny go to El Tepeyac. BTW: When meeting up with San Ferndando Valley friends for breakfast, my favorite plate is the huevos rancheros.
fpb
2 comments:
Frank,
I had not heard the rumor but thankfully it was false.
I was born in Boyle Heights and raised in East L.A. I enjoyed many meals with friends at Manny's.
When I lived in the dorms at UCLA I laughed when some of the NorCal freshmen talked about El Tepeyac like Columbus talked about the new world. "You gotta check out this place!," they said. These silver-spooned kids with their hearts in the right place ventured off into East Los to learn a little something about the East Los culture. They came back that weekend with what I expect were some of their richest memories and experiences.
Every now and then a landmark goes down. I am happy to hear that this was not the case.
Jesse Torres
President and CEO
Pan American Bank
East Los Angeles, CA 90063
"California's Oldest Latino-Owned Bank"
Jesse,
Nice colonial gaze analogy. I am going to have to pocket this one.
Yes. Manny expressed that he was not going anywhere soon. He also still passes out a tootsie roll, a lollie pop, and bubble gum as you walk out.
Best,
fpb
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