Visit Gish Bac on a cold night for a hearty nourishing meal. This tiny spot in Arlington Heights serves great Oaxacan cuisine while playing ranchera music. This is one of the neighborhoods in Oaxacalifornia, one of the largest Oaxacan communities outside Mexico. Remember to bring cash. Plato de Barbacoa: Barbacoa is usually a meal you have on the weekends. With this plate, you can order it with goat (roja) or lamb (blanco). The goat is marinated in a red sauce before it is slowly barbecued for many hours. You easily pull the juicy meat off the bones and the flavor is milder than lamb. Tear off pieces of the large blandita (corn tortilla) and dip it in the juices and consommé by the barbecued meat. The cabbage cilantro salad adds a refreshing crunch to the plate and the lime juice adds a nice zing. The green salsa is crisp and citrusy. Also on the plate are some black beans and rice. Champurrado: The big mug contains a hot chocolate beverage thickened with masa. It also has cinnamon and other spices. Parking: Street parking is easy to find here. Dining Area: There are a number of booths and little tables in this narrow dining room. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Plato de Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The service is horrible and how they treat the people is wrong, please don't consider this place. If you dress and act humble they treat you like trash. Por favor no coman aqui, no tratan alas personas bien. Si uno es umilde aqui lo tratan como basura. Please don't come here/ por favor no coman aqui. read more

Went to an Oaxacan lunch with friends at Gish Bac, a restaurant serving Barbacoa and different kinds of Mole. We had the Barbacoa Roja (Goat) and Barbacoa Blanca (Lamb). Both were delicious, but for me, Blanca was a tad tastier. As for the Mole, my favorite was the Mole Negro. It had such a deep flavor and was so delicious! It's very hard to find a good mole, and this was the best I've ever had! The service staff are wonderful, very warm. read more

See all

Opened in 2010 Gish Bac is led by third generation barbacoa master Maria Ramos, and along with husband David the Oaxacan spot in Arlington Heights turns out Meats cooked slow and succulent plus rich Mole and a top-tier Tlayuda all featuring fresh Tortillas. Roughly translated as "a place of abundance," an idea uncommon at Los Angeles' fanciest Mexican eateries, Gish Bac features casual environs plus friendly service across perhaps a dozen tables in full-view of a kitchen working almost non-stop. Lined in brick with Mexican tunes playing overhead it is a mistake to not start with Horchata featuring the works, a trio of Prickly Pear Sorbet, Melon and Walnuts adding depth to housemade Rice Milk that goes great with complimentary Chips plus Salsa and a side of Mole made with minimal sweetness and lingering heat. Well-known for Barbacoa, a dish novices may not associate with Oaxaca, rest assured that Mrs. Ramos is a master whether utilizing Goat or weekend-special Lamb and even those dining solo would be well-advised to not skip the monstrous Tlayudas offered "plain" or beneath a variety of tender cuts of Beef. read more

See all

4++ So I clearly I'm not the one who discovered this place, but this place feels like one of those neighborhood hidden gems. I think this place has been featured on some food shows for their mole in addition to getting recognized by the LA Times as one of the best restaurants in the city. I felt like I would regret not ordering their chicken in (black) mole sauce. Boy, was I not disappointed. Can't say that I eat mole sauce too often, but this may have been some of the best mole I've ever had. It was rich and the texture was silky with the slightest amount of spicy heat. I'm unfamiliar with the process, but you can just tell a lot of ingredients and method went into this. I also ordered the Horchata because the extra items looked fun. I must've been thirsty, because I drank it so fast. It was delicious and loved the bits of nuts and melon in it. The person who waited on me was super nice and helpful. It was also pretty low level of non-sense. I ordered, got my food, and was check on at least one more time. I came by myself at a really late lunch time or early dinner. So the place was not busy at all. It was just me at one booth, two folks in another booth and one family. The place itself was very clean and had Oaxacan banners hanging from the ceiling. Parking can be a little bit stressful because it is a very busy street, but again, I came at an odd hour, so there was plenty of street parking at the time. Just be prepared to do some quick parallel parking on a busy street at peak times or maybe there's ample parking off one of the cross streets. Definitely would love to come back to explore more items on their menu. The Barbacoa looked really delicious and it looks like it's only served on the weekend. read more

See all

Barbacoa by a master, say no more. The consommé is a bright red balance, strong with chilies and savory like liquid meat. The meat itself has a gamey-er finish and slides off the bones in clumps of shredded bliss. Wrap in a warm tortilla, add a dab of salsa to add the heat, and top off with a cool squeeze of lime and a bit of cabbage slaw. Best thing I've eaten this month. read more

A hidden gem serving Oaxacan Mexican food. Unfortunately, this gem is too hidden! This is a cute restaurant along a busy street. There was plenty of free parking on the next side street. The interior has a mix of Art and local news clippings highlighting their features. We came at 7pm on a Saturday night (they close at 8) and we were the only ones here. And I have no idea why. To start, we had horchatas ($7). These are fancy with walnuts, sliced cantaloupe with a little dallop of sorbet - delicious! The house specials page were all barbacoa, with several entrees only served on weekends - so what's what we did we had a Barbacoa Blanca (lamb; I think $20), which was very tender and tasty and came with a flavorful consume for dipping. We also had the Plato de Tasajo (a salted beef; I think $17). This was a little less tender (which maybe makes sense for a thinly sliced grilled meat) but the flavor was good. We loved the rice and fresh tortillas, too. I'll also note that we paid with a credit card but when she brought it back to the table there was no tip line. They have a tablet at the counter so I'm sure you can tip that way, we luckily had cash! All in all, this is a local restaurant with casual but attentive service. I'd give it a 4.5 but rounded up to give them the boost. The food was great, I would definitely be back! read more

See all

My husband is a huge Anthony Bourdain fan and as a birthday treat I planned an Anthony Bourdain inspired Culinary tour of LA. Gish Bac was on the list of his favorite LA restaurants and it was everything we could've hoped for and more. As people who have eaten authentic mole in the Mercados and restaurants in Oaxaca many times, we can certainly say that Gish Bac is authentic and delicious as food you would eat in Oaxaca. Their servers are attentive and kind and you can tell that the cooks love what they do and it shows in the food. This establishment is CASH only, and if you don't have cash there is an ATM nearby. We ordered the mole con pollo and it was as authentic as mole you get in Oaxaca. We also had the taquitos de pollo covered in beans paste and they were to die for! They provided us with chips and salsa while we waited for our meal and provided us with water. If we ever start to miss Oaxaca we will certainly come back to Gish bac. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

This restaurant is a little hides and if you pass by it you will miss it. But if your looking for a place that sells some good oaxacan food than this is the place. It's a little small mom and pop shop but the restaurant is nice on the inside and the service here is good. I ordered a ton of food today and I am happy with everything that I ordered. So much variety and I love how everything tasted today. The green salsa from here was so delicious I recommend you try it on your food cause your gonna love it. Pros -nice restaurant -support small businesses -good portions for the food Cons -no parking only street parking read more

See all

tl;dr this frill-less, family-owned cocina features home-style Oaxacan fare, specializing in their ancestral barbacoa recipe Settled between Starbucks and a liquor store over in Arlington Heights, Gish Bac screams dive more than a renowned eatery. Street parking out front may prove to be a challenge, so consider rolling the dice in the Jack In The Box lot across the street. The indoor space features pumpkin-colored painted brick walls and well-worn booths. Walk past the tables and through the kitchen to reach the concrete patio out back. Plain wooden tables and white folding chairs are surrounded by semi-open wooden screens with intermittently placed potted plants. Silver-and-red foil banners are strung from the E-Z UP canopy tent. Driven by a wicked hankering for tacos, a friend and I stumbled upon stellar reviews for Gish Bac and were sold. We each opted for the specialty Tacos de Barbacoa platter and had the opportunity to sample both the barbacoa blanca (goat marinated in garlic and cumin) and barbacoa enchilada (marinated in guajillo chili). A generous helping of each variety was wrapped neatly into a large flour tortilla and served beside lime wedges, salsa verde, and a broth derived from the meat drippings. Both tacos emphasized the depth of rich and smokey flavor behind the meat, and the sides added dimension to the meal. I also decided on horchata to drink; Gish Bac's rendition featured cantaloupe, walnut pieces, and a scoop of cinnamon shaved ice. While I don't feel strongly that these additions elevated my drink to new heights, the ice-cold horchata still hit the spot in the summer heat. Service was attentive and foresightful -- specifically, our server suggested to us that we try one of each barbacoa variety (just before I asked about the same thing). At $45 (after tax and tip), Gish Bac left my wallet feeling noticeably lighter. While the food was certainly higher quality than a standard taqueria, it was not quite unforgettable. While certainly a solid option for the area, I don't think I'd actively go out of my way for Gish Bac in the future. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Tacos de Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Pretty solid restaurant! I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of mole, but I really enjoyed what this place had to offer. All the meat was tender and the flavors were enjoyable! read more

See all

It is very authentic Oaxacan food, the place is nice and clean and the service is very good too. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Empanada de Amarillo - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Good food. Portions are decent. Service is less than average but friendly. I'll be back to and I'm curious about some of the dishes. There were some dishes that weren't available as stated on the menu. Nonetheless when needed to make another choice it was ok. They only take cash or Zelle. And gratuity only by cash! read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Wow. Run to this barbacoa. We ordered both the white and red Barbacoa. The red Barbacoa was similar to a consommé soup and delicious. The white Barbacoa is just flavored with a dry rub rather than the extra flavor from the soup, I would order the white if you just want more of a meat taste, but order the red is you want a more robust spicy flavor? We also ordered an appetizer the Tlayuda - it's a pizza-type thing, which was a base lay of beans topped with meat and cactus. I could have done without but it was a nice to try and presentation. I ordered a chicken empanada with red mole - kind of boring. read more

See all

Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, Episode Los Angeles... This episode featured Gish Bac's legendary Mole sauce with chicken, and me being a whore for a good Mexican Mole sauce, just had to visit this eatery while I just happened to be nearby on one of my rare visits to Los Angeles. $16 for this legendary Mole Negro with Chicken thigh and leg, and rice. I know there are 30+ ingredients, a multi-stage cooking process, a long simmering session, which all led to the perhaps the amazing Mole sauce I've ever had. I can't think of a better one. But there wasn't a wow factor. The prices is more than fair, especially for Los Angeles. I came on a slow night, and the location looked a little shady, I'm not sure if this was bad or good neighborhood, LA is general hot mess like that. Inside is low key family environment, clean, but not flashy. read more

CASH ONLY. I really wanted to like this place. After coming back from 2 trips to Mexico and discovering amazing Oaxacan food, I was surprised and pleased to find that there was an establishment near my house, without me getting on the highway to get to it! And, it meets all of the Tyler Cowen economist-gets-lunch checklist: grungy, bad lighting, family-owned, lots of spanish speakers eating there, located between some random buildings, etc, so I was optimistic! But the food falls short of expectations. -PLATO GISH BAC: got it to try it. beware, its HUGE! definitely enough for 3-4 people. We couldn't finish it and we have a party of 3. -TLAYUDA GISH BAC: also super huge! i would say skip this. Its ALOT of the same type of food, but the Tlayuda part was kind of dry to my taste. -HOT CHOCOLATE WITH CINNAMON AND OTHER STUFF: this was good. My friend got it and i tried it. Everything was just moving very slowly throughout the night and it was tough to get water refills. read more

See all

Great restaurant but once we were already sitting down to eat, had a worker tell us to move our car out of their parking in the back. I was so excited to have their food but ended up leaving because how do you have a parking spot in the back but not available for your customers. Very disappointed that we were getting sat and had us get up to move our car read more

Met up with friends at this Mexican restaurant in Mid City. The flavor was good and they did have a variety of dishes to select from..it was more of a 3.5 star experience for me but I'll round up. The meats were nicely flavored and they were accommodating for vegetarians as well. The horchata was unique with lots of added ingredients that I've never had before...it turned the drink pink. Overall a good experience but with so many other great Mexican restaurants in LA...I'm going to continue to explore. read more

See all

Mole. Mole. Mole. What do I know about mole? Or Oaxacan food in general? Not much, which took me to Gish Bac to find out. A rainy Thursday at lunchtime and we were able to snag a table. Relatively full, mostly locals (like the older gentleman next to me who wanted to chat but was disappointed at my poor command of the Spanish language) or those who know the place. Restaurant is clean, cheery and homey - service is friendly but thin, with one server/busser/cashier for the entire place and 2 people in the open'ish kitchen. No worries for us as we are in no rush. Also gives me an opportunity to see food go by to help me decide what to order. We have the mole negro (of course!) and the Gish Bac Tlayudas. The mole negro is exactly as I imagine it should be - dark black, thick and I don't really care what's below it. But the chicken leg and thigh are tender and the ideal vehicle to transport this heavenly sauce. Made with over 30 ingredients, the chocolate, chiles and spices combine in a flavor I've never had anything like before. This was worth the trip. The Gish Bac Tlayudas was an experience, though not nearly as successful for our tastes as the mole. An extra large grilled flour tortilla, covered with dark refried beans, shredded cabbage and tomatoes and topped with chorizo, beef, pork and chicken with avocado and nopales garnishing the top. It was large and nourishing, however dry all around. The salsas at the self-serve salsa bar helped, but it is not something I would order again. Wish we had instead tried the barbacoa tacos that a lot of the regulars were having. I must admit that because Anthony Bourdain chose this restaurant to visit on his last LA episode in 2017, it definitely gave it some cred for me to try. Not sure how he chose this as there are SO MANY worthy restaurants in LA, especially many of the ethnic ones, but I'm glad it pushed me in this direction. Loved learning a little more about regional Mexican food and especially Oaxacan mole. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - mole negro - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Service was Wonderful! Very polite lady explained items in the menu for us. Food was exquisite! Best memelita I've ever had! I really recommend this place if you are looking for authentic oaxacan food. read more

See all

The food is delicious. Big portions. Authentic Oaxacan food. The restaurant is kinda small but still enough tables for large groups. I went in with five others and we all enjoyed it. I definitely recommend this place. read more

First off - Cash Only Now for the food. This is Mexican food but it was not what I expected. Delicious but different! This cuisine is regional and the flavors packed a punch. The BBQ lamb was delicious as were the red and black mole. I am not sure I would order the empanadas again because I am use to a exterior texture like Jamaican meat patties or Argentinian empanadas. These were more like large soft tacos folded in half. Tasty but I was ready for what consider traditional empanadas. That aside, we will go back soon. read more

The young woman who works here is one of the kindest people I've met in a long time. My friends and family came here for a small feast and we had an amazing time. Thank you. read more

Hands down the best mole I've tried at any restaurant. Packed with flavor and the beans and rice cooked right! read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Mole enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Gish Bac serves wonderful Oaxacan cuisine. They have an extensive menu. I had their house special tlayuda which was delicious. A friend had the goat barbacoa and loved it. A woman who was spoiled by her mom's mole sauce was very happy. We were all happy! We sat on their patio in back. Service was excellent. Not fancy but I came for the killer Oaxacan food. Gish Bac delivered the goods. I cannot wait to come back to try more goodies from their menu. Gish Bac has enough menu items to interest me that I will literally have to return 10 times! That good. Their parking lot is tiny so park on the street, which is busy so be careful. read more

LOVE this spot! It's right around the corner from me and we order take-out all the time!!! The Gish Bac Torta is killer. The Birria gives me the right amount of heat and flavor. Oh, and the serrano hot pepper sauce.... OMG they should bottle it. So fresh. Honestly haven't had a dish there I haven't loved. Thank you!!! read more

Really wasnt impressed. Almost walked out when the guy at the counter flat out ignored me. After around...7 or so minutes a waitress showed up and we figured we were supposed to sit. The seats are like those ones McDonalds once had in the 90s to make you not want to stay. Like sitting on bricks. So no one speaks English. Luckily my friend does. Guess what? a portion of the menu doesnt have prices and they dont know the prices themselves! Fun. The food was OK but no I wont be back. read more

First time here. Me and my boyfriend decided to get some breakfast here after watching them on buzz feed. Food is great and the horchata is delicious, next level stuff. Employees are nice and welcoming. read more

Food tastes just like you were in Oaxaca! When you walk in it smells so good! We had Amarillo, enlomadas, y tacos de Birria! All yummy! Kitchen is super clean!!!! read more

I ordered the Yellow Mole. I had no idea that I was getting a take-out container of mild flavored chicken with squash soup, with not much solid chicken or squash in it. Okay, I did ask for no onions. It tasted alright but having had other types of mole at other restaurants I was disappointed. Gish Bac gets a lot of juice for being authentic and yummy. Maybe I should have ordered a Tlayuda or a red mole or i don't know? The physical plant is pleasant enough and they were serving outside in the back. read more

See all

I ordered some birria for 20 PEOPLE, payed $250 dollars and what I received was bullshit!!! I got ripped off!!!!!!!!!!!! My mother was in tears because we didn't have enough food for our family members. It was so bad we had to start cooking. Way to celebrate our Christmas Eve Day. I PAYED WAAAAAAYYYY MORE THAN WHAT WE RECEIVED. I would appreciate if the owner gets in contact with me. I have pictures and videos measuring the little food they gave me. I want some of my money back! It's not fair, they're doing their customers wrong. read more

Gish Bac Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Were I to visit Mexico, the reason is not only to experience the history and culture of one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas, but to savor and partake in the Oaxacan culinary soul. Getting addicted. So I focus on Oaxaca, the Mexican cooking region popularized by the legendary Rick Bayless. And now Maria Ramos, a 3rd generation barbacoa maven is here, in a humble restaurant in Arlington Heights to show Angelenos how it's done. There are flavors here that can't be got from just any restaurant; the Oaxacan dishes here are made with heart and soul that each plate qualifies as a 'musical' epicurean piece composed by Maria Ramos. The mole negro is sublimely complex, the charred chiles' strength tempered by cooling dark dark chocolate notes, so dark you think you are eating burnt ebony, but it's not. Mole teases your palate with a cornucopia of flavors that you immediately thank the food gods for. My favorite here is not the memela (Mr. Bourdain's- the Oaxacan version of huarache), yet still nicely made. What is memorable at Gish Bac is the Barbacoa de chivo. Maria Ramos, creates this goat dish in consomeé that smokes, pun intended. The broth is so delicious and flavorful, so beautifully simple that you can taste the prominent profiles here: the guajillo chiles, the chivo essence and Mexican cinnamon melding to convince your palate you've tasted a fine offering to the gods, leading you to savor an unforgettable palate and depth of umaminess; dare I say soul food? Yes I reckon this dish may have served as a gift for the gods, when mole is not appropriate and I thank the gods that us mortals are privy to this dish served at Gish Bac. The tacos barbacoa were also memorable, simple flavors yet a bite into a taco shows that the refinement is there, that touch added by Chef Ramos that makes this dish pass muster. The molotes (empanadas) covered with a bed of cabbage and slightly salt-pungent Oaxacan cheese were strikingly provincial to the palate, flavorful and worth having again. Maria Ramos in her most humble endearing way, schooled me this visit with her simple-ness in describing her plates. Yet after my meal, I was gifted her profound understanding of Oaxacan cuisine, easily in a different class thought me, by Mr. Bayless. Up until I visit Oaxaca, I fantasize that plates served at Gish Bac represent the cuisine in what I estimate as one of the most beautifully intriguing cuisines I've experienced. Visits: 1 and more Tip: Metered parking on street. read more

See all

Service was awesome! I had a lot of questions bc it was my first time eating at Gish Bac. I had read good things on Eater LA and elsewhere. A lot of traffic on a Saturday, but it was worth the drive for the 3 of us. Yes, the squash agua fresca was the bomb. Just order it. I liked the horchata w its different toppings and touch of flavored slush inside was good as well. The goat barbacoa was great. Def will order it again each time I come back on a Sat or Sun. The mole w Chicken was good, and the memela w beans and Oaxacan cheese was ok. Def will get a tlayuda and maybe a sandwich too. read more

See all

Went with a group yesterday. Love the look of the restaurant and the staff were great. First the barbacoa was good, not spicy as Oaxacan food is much less spicy than reg mexican food. But a lot of places do good barbacoa today. So it was okay. Had the tlayuda. It was also okay. all the food needed salt, the tlayuda was meh, the meat on it was very hard to chew. the chicken in black mole was tasty, but they dont make their own mole. I saw the mole paste in their fridge. So again sort of okay not great. read more

We tried this restaurant by recommendation from friends from Oaxaca, and we really like their food, the flavor was good, the service was good and friendly, we will be coming back to try other dishes. Their horchata was Yummy! read more

See all

Ok.. so I am a total gringo when it comes to Mexican food. My friend Ray read about this place in the LA Times so we tried it out yesterday for dinner. The area is a tad rough at night but not too bad. The restuanrant is small and cozy and frequented by Mexican families. Everyone was super nice to us and explained the menu (since non of us read spanish. Other diners were very friendly as well even offering us some of the food to try! WOW. We got the special goat barbacoa, one of the combo dishes, and the Chicken mole. The combo plate was great because you got to sample so many different things. It cost $14 for 2 people. Everything tasted really nice. Make sure to try the Mexican hot chocolate. Prices are super cheap. $10/person. read more

See all

Oh my gosh- just do yourself a favor and come here!!!! They only take cash, so if you forget or don't have enough, you can pop in the liquor store right next door and use their atm. Their chocolate con leche is muy delicioso. Jaja AND their horchata . read more

easily among the best mexican food in LA and that's saying something. barbacoa to die for and mole with amazing depth of flavor! Oaxacan food at its best. not fancy or anything but amazing, traditional, affordable mexican yumminess! read more

We had a group go on a Saturday night. There was only one server, so service was a tad slow because she was waiting on about 4 different parties, so be aware that this could be an issue for you. Personally, I didn't hold it against them. The food itself was all fantastic! They served the best mole negro and Coloradito I've had in LA, and the barbacoa was flavorful and fall-apart tender. read more

So I've been to Oaxaca and absolutely love the Barbacoa if you are looking for authentic Barbacoa look no more this is the place eating this Barbacoa roja transported me to Oaxaca I had the white barbacoa both are delicious the agua de horchata is perfect not to sweet just right you get a Mezcal shot before you eat your barbacoa which completes the tradition so that you have a good digestion as they say when you visit Oaxaca I'm telling you this is the place to have the authentic Barbacoa de Chivo it's their signature dish. read more

See all