As promised, it’s now time for our second-favorite Sunday-after-the-farmer-market eating establishment in Mar Vista.
…drum roll, please…
It’s the MV Grab & Go.
The MV Grab & Go is a smaller version of the Mar Vista Restaurant located across the street from it on Venice Boulevard.
They serve some of our favorite tacos. As I am an omnivore (with ridiculous gastronomic issues) and Jeff is vegan; with some finagling, the MV Grab & Go works for both of us.
They offer traditional taco favorites like carnitas, fish tacos (grilled salmon with a pineapple salsa… yum!) and chorizo with potatoes, plus some really inventive modern tacos like their deliciously spicy and crunchy vegan butternut corn nut taco with pickled onions and a spicy chipotle sauce that, upon our first bite, makes us both smile, and a burrata, beet and Romanesco taco that Jeff loves (sans burrata)—but that I can’t even look at due to a previous unfortunate incident having to do with beets and food poisoning. He describes it as “really yummy,” along with a nongluten free falafel taco seasoned with sumac. But, be forewarned! All their tacos are served on flour tortillas unless corn is requested (which we do).
One of my personal favorites is their pork belly taco, with chunks of grilled pork belly—i.e., tender crispy pork attached to melt-in-your-mouth fat in a spicy cream sauce with pineapple salsa, and boy do I like it! I describe it as an upscale, gourmet version of tacos al pastor, but on a more affordable budget. They also have burritos, Thai chicken wings, fried okra and a breakfast-dilla that I keep promising myself I’ll try next time, along with salads and sandwiches on the menu, but we haven’t gotten around to trying any of those yet as we’ve only been eating there for about five years and we’re still on the taco part of the menu.
I will say, when we first started eating there, the flavors were inconsistent. One week, we would have the best tacos of our lives and couldn’t wait for next Sunday to come around again… only to discover when it did, we’d be disappointed to find the same close-to-holiness experience we’d had last week was not to be repeated again. But, we didn’t give up on them and, for the past two years, have been rewarded—100 percent consistently great tacos. You can sit out front and watch the cars go by while gobbling up your tacos or sit in the backyard in a nice little seating area that’s quiet and casual. Either way, order at the counter and they’ll bring your food to you.
mvgrabandgo.com.
12226 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066