I wouldn't know if original recipes are shared, but it was not the original Manuel's recipes as far as the original chili that is smothered over your burrito. Not to say it wasn't good,just not the original taste. As far as service, it seemed as if only two ladies were working. One covering the front section & the other holding down the back area. At least that was what I noticed. Our waitress was working hard! She was covering everything, orders, drinks, food, & payments. I must say she was doing a great job. Although I didn't enjoy seeing her having to quickly bounce from one table to another. I felt bad seeing her literally sweating as if she was cleaning out something out in the sun. They should have absolutely had more staff on an afternoon weekend.It is nice inside, with a huge 4 screen TV over the bar counter, that our waitress lol was too trying to get all 4 screens to work. Yup, that was one more thing she was doing. Would I give it another try? SURE! I'll be looking forward next time to an actual restaurant menu rather than a piece of paper with a few options. Good luck to the new uptown El Tepeyac restaurant. read more

I am a longtime Whittier resident and have been ordering the original Manuel Special from the Boyle Heights location since the 1990s. I have always been a huge fan of that burrito, so when I noticed an El Tepeyac location had opened in Whittier, I wanted to give it a try. I stopped by on Father's Day to pick up a burrito for my dad. When I was younger, he would make the drive to Boyle Heights specifically for a Manuel Special, so I thought it would be a nice surprise. First, the good. The burrito is actually pretty good. While it is not the original Manuel Special, it is clearly inspired by it and comes surprisingly close in flavor. I would have liked a little more guacamole, but overall I enjoyed it. The service was attentive, my order was ready in a reasonable amount of time, and they had the World Cup playing on the TVs while I waited. Now for the reason behind my rating. The menu listed the Chile Verde Manuel Special at $55, but my receipt shows that I was charged $75. Since I was there specifically to pick up a Father's Day meal for my dad, I chose not to spend time arguing about the discrepancy and simply paid for the order. What makes the price difficult to justify is that the original Boyle Heights location charges approximately $37 for its Chile Verde Manuel Special. I understand that different locations can have different pricing, and I wasn't expecting the Whittier location to match the original. However, being charged $75 for a burrito that is an imitation of the original rather than the original itself felt excessive. The burrito comes close enough to the original that I enjoyed it, but not close enough to justify paying more than twice what the original location charges. I've uploaded photos showing my receipt, the size of the burrito, and pricing from the original Boyle Heights location so others can make their own comparison. If convenience is your top priority and you don't mind paying a premium, you may enjoy it. For me, the pricing made it impossible to recommend. read more

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Been going to the original for 55 years Now live in San Diego for the past 25 years When I come up to LA I always stop by. At least once a month Stopped at the new Whittier location, I'll be going back to the original. Food was good, way smaller portions got the chili verde plate because I never finish it and take the rest home. I get the plate because if I get the Hollenback burrito it gets too soggy to take home. When the plate came I had to ask for the lettuce and tomato Iykyk. Size of the plate is smaller than ELA Parking sucks. Tequila shot up to Manuel in heaven. I had my tequila and Manuel had his Presidente. Nothing beats the original Manuel's. Yes Manuel's never called it El Tepeyac. Let's go to Manuel's and nobody questioned where we were going. 55 years and I've only ever ordered the Hollenback and taquitos never anything else. read more

My friend lives in Whittier and invited me to join her for lunch at this nearly opened restaurant. It was fairly busy, it's good to see that the community is supporting them during this soft-opening phase. The have combo plates, and specialty dishes to choose from. We shared a Hollenbeck burrito with pork (instead of beef). The food was delicious and filling, just like the original location in Los Angeles. Our server was quick with taking orders, bringing water and drinks, we received service with a smile. Please note that Chips and Salsa are not complimentary, they must be ordered if you want to snack before your meal is served. Parking can be a challenge since this area has several restaurant and boutiques. I parked in an open "public" lot one block East of the restaurant. There is no charge for two-or-three hours, read the sign to avoid getting a parking citation! Sincerely, Rosemary read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Chili Verde Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

I've visited twice, six months ago and then today. I frequent the El Tepeyac in LA. I had beef taquitos and a beef enchilada. The first time I went. The sauce is not the same for the enchilada doesn't taste as good as the one in LA. It's not moist enough. The beans are not moist. There wasn't enough guacamole served with The taquito. The service was OK. I don't like the seating with a high chairs, not comfortable. Today when I went, I had the taquitos with guacamole and rice and beans. Hoping that the menu had improved. But the taquitos were not filled with enough meat as compared to in LA. And the beans were dry and the rice wasn't as flavorful. The prices are too expensive. Everything is $18.50. I won't go back. read more

Tried this on a Friday afternoon for lunch and it was delicious. The burrito was packed with meat and there was lots of flavor. The service was great and the ambiance was chill. The chips and salsa could use some improvement the chips werte stale but it is still their soft opening. The place was packed but food came out pretty quickly. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Chile verde burrito - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

Welcome to Whittier! The food offered at this location is the perfect amount of choices Pretty much a greatest hits. The restaurant is very clean and the space is big enough to accommodate a good amount of customers. The food is delicious and very nostalgic. My go to is always a Hollenbeck with on top and a Horchata. Ingredients are fresh and well seasoned. The service is fast and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I will be back . read more

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According to our waiter, this location has been in soft opening status for nearly 3 weeks, and grand opening is coming next week. I would have thought that the ordering and cooking bugs would have been worked out by now, but not yet. The issues began as soon as we sat down. Two baskets of chips were placed on our table, (for three of us), but no salsa. We had to wait for that. Then drinks came out haphazardly and with a good amount of time between each of ours. We never got the water we requested. Finally, my dad got his food first. Then awhile later my wife got served. I asked them to start eating because I didn't want their food to get cold. I waited and waited and finally had to flag the waiter down again, and it appeared he forgot that I had ordered too. I noticed other tables getting served piecemeal as well. When my burrito finally came it was ok, nothing to write home about. It was about $100 for two Hollenbeck burritos, a plate of Huevos Rancheros, three soft drinks, and a tip. I would hope the management reads these reviews and hires and trains more servers; cook or cooks; and bussers before the grand opening next week. Also, it is important for management to understand that my dad and many of the other customers are clearly senior citizens (probably with fond memories of the original location) who were all having a hard time with seating because the entire restaurant has only high top tables with really high chairs, and several customers were struggling to get up and down from these chairs. This could be dangerous. Because of this, I would say restaurant does not seem to be ADA-compliant at this time, but hopefully they will provide regular tables for seniors and disabled customers by the grand opening. In summary, we will simply take my dad to the original location if/when he wants to get his ETC fix. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Chile Verde Hollenbeck Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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The food has been delicious both times that I've dined here. On this visit I enjoyed carne asada nachos and drank a cold michilada while watching the World Cup game. The service was excellent and the crowd was warm and friendly. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Toasting to a hopeful win on the game. - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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My parents would go to the El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights when they were dating and continued with taking my sister and I since we were little kids. So were are happy this location has opened up which is closer to us! This location is cute and a decent size. I love the big windows you can sit in front of and see the Main Street. Waitress was really nice and provided good service! Food was good but seems little tweaks have been made to some things. Rice seemed to have more of a heavy garlic smell / taste. I ordered the enchilada plate and it was delicious but they did go very light on the sauce, so we had to ask for more sauce on the side. El Tepeyac is known for its sauce or other great things of course. I know they're new and have to ride the wave but just wanted to give a little input on the sauce. I asked for more soda and the waitress asked me to remove my straw, so she can take my cup and provide a refill. Thought that was kinda of weird because why not just give me a brand new cup? So I had to hold my straw on a napkin so it doesn't touch food or the table. I'll add photos of Whittier vs Boyle heights plate. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Whittier location * 1 cheese & 1 beef enchilada Rojas - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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So we walk in last Saturday, and it was hot as people were in there eating . I couldn't kick back don't know if they have central air being it use to be a pizza parlor . Plus the fact they don't have a phone to call . So we walk out . The one in industry sucks . I'm hoping it's not the same one .and yelps got it wrong it's not my favor place ! read more

The food was just like the original. Simply delicious. Service was great and the place was clean with 3 big screen tv's. We watched the Dodger game. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Hollenbeck burrito pork. Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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Authentic Manny's food and immediate fit in. Lucked out in stepping with Mom for Mothers day yesterday with 'Live Mariachis' in attendance, for that special day. Only drawback is table seating is that of high chairs (elderly) and unexpectedly chips and salsa not complimentary.Will certainly head back. The front door was open and the Mariachi's hitten it (the Singing & Instruments!) to the street and noticed that El Tepeyac was to different for 'thee' Whittier Hispanics and other Whittier community residents' taste passing by there. If your new authentic Mexican cuisine and type of Mexican meat (the food!), The Hollenbeck Burrito, with chunks of red beef blocks/shredded is where want to start at. That meat makes their main entrees and if your a beaners eater - request extra on the entree. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Viva Manny! - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

Delicious food with the same exact recipe of the original tepeyac restaurant in ELA. It was a lively, happy atmosphere, and our server was excellent read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Dinner before a World Cup game - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

Good to see a LA icon make it to Uptown. We met friends here for dinner and were greeted and seated right away. Our drink order was taken right away and our server was very helpful and friendly. We were waiting for my daughter and her husband to show up and weren't ready to order food when our server came back. Unfortunately this meant we had to wait and get the staff attention to order. My son in laws nachos took a while to get served, we all had our food and he was still waiting. As for the food, the green Chile Hollenbeck is still the king. Tender chunks of meat and super flavorful. Tacos were also good and crunchy. Chips and salsa of course are a tasty way of getting full before your meal arrives. We had to take home left overs. All the tables and chairs are high tops which does make it hard on the legs after a period of time. Overall good experience good food and we definitely will be back. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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The food is as good as always but I'll never ever go back to a place that forces a customer to pay a tip Tips are for good service not for the asking I will never tip someone that asks for one VERY UNHAPPY read more

The food is so amazing. The pork burrito is so good we get an extra big burrito so it last for 3 meals. The chips are hot and crunchy I love the salsa except it's spicy. My husband eats what I can't. Service is good everyone is nice. Wait not too long. The chips and margaritas keeps you busy. The place is clean and inviting. read more

I drove all the way from Texas and diverted to Whittier just to have lunch on Wednesday June 24, 2026 at noon AND IT WAS CLOSED. NO PHONE NUMBER POSTED ON WEBSITE read more

The food is great. The same as the original. Love the burrito and the Menudo. Diehard Manuel fans will make comparisons but it's the same. It's the same family- owned business. Talk to Andrew, a friendly bar tender and jack of all trades, chipping in on waiting tables when needed. For you old timers, Andrew does not carry around what the staff called Manuel's "apple juice" to share with customers, but he does carry around the same welcoming charm that Manuel had. Enjoy. read more

The food was terrible, tacos & taquitos were overcooked,hard as a rock, rice under cooked, beans were more like a sauce you could suck up through a straw. Service was good. I was expecting a restaurant it's actually a sports bar, floor standing fans blowing in your face & table so you know where your napkins & straw wrappers were, yup flying all around and so were the flies. It was a terrible experience, I'll never repeat, besides it is very overpriced. Del Taco is better. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Taco & taquito plate with rice, beans,avocado & salad. - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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First time here at this location, have been going to the original location in LA for years so when I passed by and seen that they opened up a new spot in Whittier I had to try it. So far it seems just as good as the og spot but I will say they need more people at this location. The employees look stretched thin for a "soft open". From the looks of it, in the short time I was there it became pretty full which is good but they do need help. Hopefully the owners see this and manage to get more waiters to help with the busy times. Overall I can't complain, food was delicious and staff was friendly. Keep it up! read more

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We ordered "Hollenbeck" burritos, Chili Verde and Carne Asada Both were really good, and good sized servings, we will be back ! read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Chili Verde "Hollenbeck" - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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Food is fantastic always. Prices are so much higher than the original in Boyle Heights. Only down fall with the Whittier Tepeyac is that I can't seem to find a phone number. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Manuel's burrito (oh so tasty) - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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Customer service. Food. Went for lunch. The chips were stale. The food was mediocre. Especially when all is overpriced. Very loud inside. Couldn't hear each other. We wanted margaritas, but the waiter said we had to wait for the owner to make the margs. well that never happened! The owner never showed up. Won't be going back. I do not recommend to anyone. read more

Very disappointed. We visited on Father's Day Sunday, and in hindsight, the nearly empty dining room should have been a warning sign. The location is fantastic--a prime spot in downtown Whittier--but unfortunately, the food and overall experience were a major letdown. First, the menu has been significantly reduced from the original. I wanted to order the mini Hollenbeck burrito, but that option is no longer available, so I had to order the larger version instead. That wouldn't have been a problem if the quality had been there. Unfortunately, about three-quarters of the meat was inedible, consisting of large chunks of unrendered fat and skin. The burrito was swimming in watery beans and came with what seemed like only a teaspoon each of rice and guacamole. The sauce tasted somewhat similar to the original recipe, but it left a greasy, slimy coating in my mouth that lingered until the next day. My stomach wasn't very happy the following day either. Then came the bill: two burritos, two beers, one Pepsi, and chips and salsa that I never requested--$78. For the quality and portion balance we received, the price was extremely difficult to justify. I hate leaving negative reviews, but this experience fell far short of expectations. The food was poorly executed, overpriced, and not something I would return for. Unfortunately, this was my first and last visit. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - All fat with minimal meat - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

This was our first time in this newly opened restaurant. So glad we came in. The food was outstanding! Simple and delicious. The hollenbeck green chili burrito was packed with tender meat, the salsas were tasty and chips very fresh and hot. The very best part was our lovely server, Erica. She made our evening perfect. To the owners, Erica is a keeper so treat her well! We'll be back soon. read more

Not worth the hype or the money. During our visit, there was a young boy helping serve food, and I noticed him putting his finger in the beans. That was very unsanitary and unacceptable. It also seems like the new owners may be inexperienced in the restaurant industry, as the overall operation felt disorganized. Whittier deserves better. The atmosphere felt run-down, and it wasn't the type of ambiance many customers would expect when dining out. read more

I was not impressed, the food quality was not great. There are much better Mexican food options in Uptown.

El Tepeyac on Greenleaf uptown!!! Opened 3 months ago and the food is fantastic and just like the mother-ship in East LA on Evergreen! They even use the same dishes for serving. Portions are huge. I've tried all the others. El Tepeyac is now our go to favorite and there's no need to drive to East LA anymore the service was great too! read more

The food is as good as I remember it from when Man used to serve up shots while you waited in the long line

Try Manuel's in uptown Whittier. Just as good as the original. Cooks are trained by the chef's in Boyle Heights. Atmosphere is great. They have a bar inside as well. Official opening in Friday. Give it a try. You won't have to drive a long way for great food. Alex the owner has taken pride in the quality of the this restaurant. Chips and salsa very good. Fresh Chichattones and guacamole. They are popping fresh at the table. Enjoy. read more

El Tepeyac Cafe - Chicharone starter with fresh guacamole. Rinds still crackling on the table they are so fresh. Great with salsa also. - Mexican Near Me - Whittier, California

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Overall the food is ok and nothing else you can not get elsewhere. To many other options.

As a huge fan of the original, though it's not what it was, for the past 30 years, I was incredibly excited to try this. Unfortunately my meal Came with the wrong meat, lettuce in the burrito and onion. I'm Hispanic and got my Hispanic grandmother the original holl. I could tell my how much she ate she just felt ok about. I had to order something else. Though the hardshell carnitas taco and hot sauce was solid. Hoping I can report back better in a month, read more

Dismal atmosphere that leaves one questioning their ability to serve decent cuisine. My brief visit included a stained menu and multiple non operating televisions. Not worth my patronage. read more

Yup now just down the street, I grew up eating at Manuals. We're back together again, just up on Greenleaf Love there Tacos, enchiladas, chili Verde burrito. The Hollenback burrito still my favorite read more

The food came out quick and hot. The portions were large and my taco was stuffed with cheese just like the Evergreen restaurant. The taste was delicious and equal to the original. Our server was quick with drinks and took our order timely. I do agree that parking is not ideal but once you find parking it is worth it! read more

Great traditional food and friendly staff, and yes they accept credit and debit cards

Came here last night, still soft opening period, no draft beers yet. Overall food was delicious ordered the taquito plate, one chicken, one beef, both as I remembered them. Can't wait till grand opening when they have full menu. read more

The best food returns to the city of Whittier. I've had the breakfast (Huevo Rancheros) one day, and my second visit, I had lunch (the Hollenbeck burrito) delicious . The servers were excellent. They were polite, professional. The parking is a little bit limited, but it's worth looking for parking because the food is spectacular. read more

We went for Father's Day & had a great time. The food was great. The owner is super nice. They were very accommodating. Will definitely be back! read more