Now, this Mexican restaurant is what I like to call a GEM. This charming, cozy, Mariachi-themed restaurant is known for its outstanding Mexican food. This has got to be my favorite Mexican restaurant in all of Los Angeles. If you read reviews on this place, almost every review says it’s the best mexican food in the San Fernando Valley! Sol Y Luna is PACKED at all times. There is always a wait with people lining out the door and the bar seating is usually crammed to the max. They do not take reservations, so expect to wait, unless you don’t mind sitting at the bar, bar/lounge or outside patio, which is first come first serve. I would say this place is comparable to the famous Mexican hotspot Casa Vega in Studio City, also on Ventura Blvd, but I think Sol Y Luna is even better!
Literally everything on the menu is amazing. You can’t go wrong with anything here. But, there are some specialities they are known for, and of course I must add my Ms. Foodie recommendations lol. Let me start by saying this: there are THREE MUST HAVE’S at Sol Y Luna that are especially amazing and that you must order at least once.
THREE MUST HAVE’S AT SOL Y LUNA
(In no specific order)
*Recommended by Ms. Foodie*
1. TABLESIDE GUACAMOLE- Prepared fresh at your tableside. They ask you how you want it in terms of “spicy-ness” and anything else you want to add or take out. You custom make it just how you want! I tell the guy I like it spicy and to make it however he thinks is best. This guac is banginn’! Fresh chunks of avocado, and just the perfect flavor and texture. The chips that come to your table are freshly made, warm and crispy too! I can make a meal out of this it’s the best!
2. MULITAS- Two handmade corn tortillas filled with cheese, steak and bacon, cut in 4 pcs. Topped w/ guajillo chili dressing, sour cream & guacamole. I get this everytime at Sol Y Luna. This is my favorite Mexican food dish out of all Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, or maybe out of any Mexican restaurant period. This is why I come to Sol Y Luna- it’s for this dish. Obsessed. First of all, I don’t get it with sour cream, I have a strange phobia against sour cream and refuse to eat it. So I get this dish without sour cream, and it’s perfection. I can’t explain in words how flavorful the steak meat is, and mixed with crispy freshly fried pieces of bacon. The steak is charred on the outside and tender on the inside. Charred steak mixed with bacon, you can’t get more meat flavorful than that. The cheese is oozing out and when you put guacamole, and the chili sauce on top, it equals the PERFECT BITE. You get a burst of crunch and flavor from the steak and bacon, and the creaminess of the cheese, and the spice of the chili sauce and gaucamole, and how can I almost forget—! The corn tortillas are made fresh and grilled just right too. FRESH tortillas make a huge difference, and these tortillas are handmade! You have to try this dish! Five stars all around.
3. MOLCAJETE SOL Y LUNA– “ESPECIALIDAD DE LA CASA”. House specialty. An array of grilled strips of steak, chicken, fresh cactus leaf, panela cheese, grilled shrimp, green onions, & yellow chili peppers. Served on a hot molcajete w/ special guajillo red sauce. Served w/ rice & your choice of refried, black or pinto beans. Accompanied w/ poblano pepper strips sauteed w/ onion & corn. Topped w/ Mexican cream & handmade tortillas. (Serves 2).
Last but not least lol..now, this is a production! This is the dish that makes Sol Y Luna famous. People rave about THIS right here. It’s not only their “house” special, it’s pretty special lol. It’s like a cheese and meat fondue on steroids. It’s basically a bubbling stone pot concoction of steak, chicken, shrimp, peppers, and cheese soaked in the guajillo red sauce- there is so much going on with all the different textures and flavors- it’s pretty spectacular. It’s very big and a whopping $30 so it’s definitely for two or more people. If you eat all of the ingredients above, you must try Sol Y Luna’s “specialty” dish. It’s pretty damn special.
Aside from my three top picks at Sol Y Luna, my mom ordered the CARNITAS PLATE, with tender lean, fried pork meat served w/ your choice of beans. She loved it. The carnitas pork was crispy and charred on the edges, and juicy and flavorful. Like I said, everything is amazing and perfectly cooked at this place!
QUESO FUNDIDO W/ MUSHROOMS SERVED W/ FRESH TORTILLAS
So rich and heavy but sooooo amazing!
I think you get the idea how much I love this place! If you love Mexican food give this place a try, it’s worth the wait! You will not regret it. 5 stars!!! Favorite Mexican restaurant in LA! *****
SOL Y LUNA
19601 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91357
(818) 343-8488
Sippin’ on my Cadillac Margarita on the Sol Y Luna patio…cheers!
