Quiadaiyn Restaurant

Reviews

• Ron L.

  star star star star star 1 June 2026

  I thought I was walking down Venice Boulevard checking out the art during a recent art crawl from Mar Vista to Venice. However, when I saw this restaurant I was transported to Oaxaca. I don't know how to say the name of this restaurant and I don't know what the name of this restaurant means. To me, it looks, smells and tastes authentic and amazing. Sometimes you find things in the most unusual places. I would never expect to find a restaurant like this on Venice Boulevard but there it is in all it's Oaxacan glory.
  
  The minute I walked into this restaurant I was greeted by a very friendly server who sat me in the colorful and simple restaurant where she brought me some very rustic tortilla chips and mole salsa. I could've eaten the chips and mole salsa and been more than satisfied. I then ordered a Horchata which came unlike most the way Horchata should be-not sweetened with sugar but the rice cinnamon taste I remember. The menu was a serious problem since I wanted to try everything. I agonized over what to choose until I finally selected the Mole Coloradito - chunks of chicken in a mole sauce that was gluten free. The traditional chocolate Chile mole usually has flour, but this was perfect.  The mole had a kick causing the lovely server to refill my Horchata so many times I lost count.
  
  The homemade corn tortillas were thick and let you know these are made with real corn masa. When I say thick think of shag carpet of corn. I cut some pieces of the Coloradito and put the pieces in the tortilla with the mole and just reveled in the complexity of Oaxacan cuisine. After two tortillas filled with the chicken and mole I had to stand up and declare No Mas although I wanted to have dessert. Thankfully I was eating at an odd time around 3:00pm so there were no patrons around to witness my gorditoness. I took half of my dish with me, my belly happy and sloshing  with the sounds of way too many Horchata's acting like coolant in my engine. Walking outside it was like I  had to have my passport checked as I enjoyed this mini-vacation for my culinary soul. I will return on another voyage, for sure.

• Davey R.

  star star star star star 31 May 2026

  I've literally driven by this place hundreds of times but never went inside until we had a craving last week for chilaquiles and went on a lark. First of all, the interior is much larger than you would expect just having seen it from the street, and the decor and seating is really warm and welcoming.
  
  All of that is just icing on the horchata, however, because the food is deeeeeelicious. Very good chilaquiles, mole negro so savory you'll want to drink it from a ladle, and though I'm not usually a fan of rice, the best Mexican rice I've ever had. I hate the word "moist" but damn, that arroz had me feeling some kinda way.
  
  Barely a morsel of food escaped my plate when I was through with it. Definitely a "take no prisoners" meal. Tortillas and chips are freshly made on site, which is always a good sign, and the salsa is really solid (chips and salsa brought to table, complimentary). Coffee was café de olla style, brewed with cinnamon. Service is very friendly and attentive. I can easily see this becoming a regular weekend spot for me.

• Prairie S.

  star star star star_border star_border 29 May 2026

  Mole that strikes the palate with its noteworthy, full, rounded taste.  For a sauce that has cocoa notes underneath, it tastes fresh and warming.  The sauce preparation is obviously meticulous without a hint of singed or burnt spice. The top notes of chili-tomato pique are balanced perfectly with the caramel notes of chocolate underneath.  Sauce execution is perfect!  
  
  Rather disappointing to hit such excellent notes on the sauce flavor but have nothing exceptional to showcase said sauce.  Slightly unimaginative, traditional presentation of chicken with a side of rice and one sprig of cilantro.  I note also that their complementary chips comes with a disappointingly low-brow, highly acidic salsa that I cannot condone.  
  
  In other words, it's a bit of a mid-range restaurant-- it doesn't elevate the entire menu but it does perform well when it comes to the mole.
  
  The shop being family run has its moments. There's a slightly distracted service which is more than compensated for by the authenticity and warm hospitality of the owner family.  I would return again, if I am in the Mar Vista vicinity, for more mole sampling (I only tried the negro so far but might return for the coloradito).

• Stephanie B.

  star star star star star_border 25 May 2026

  Quiadaiyn ("Summit of the Hill of the Town") Restaurant is a Oaxacan restaurant in the Mar Vista area.  It is a pleasant spot.  It is brightly colored and has a festive feel.  It is very casual and easy to get a table - a very neighborhood place.  The service is good, albeit not very attentive (my water glass was empty...a lot).  The food is tasty, but certainly not the best that I have had.  It is a great place for a group, especially at the last minute, because they have flexible table arrangements and can definitely accommodate a decent sized group with little notice.
  
  Because there were four in our party, we could order a sampling of the food.  I love Oaxacan food and have had plenty of it.  We had:
  
  Memelitas: These are corn discs that are topped with saucy black beans, Oaxacan string cheese and cilantro.  First of all, Quiadaiyn makes EXCELLENT beans.  However, the corn base was a bit tough.  They are supposed to be fairly thick, but I have had many that are far more tender.  With that being said, they were still tasty and I enjoyed them - just not perfect.
  
  Chicken Taquitos: These were perfection - the narrow cigar like tubes were crunchy and fresh.  While the bits of chicken inside were not substantial, they were still quite hearty because of the awesome black bean sauce.  They were served on a bed of cabbage, which is great for getting the extra black bean sauce, and finished with crumbled queso anejo (I think - it may have been fresco, because there was not much there) and cilantro.  This was the best dish of the night.
  
  Mole Colaradito: a chicken leg and hunks of white meat were served alongside seasoned rice (rather than the traditional white rice) and covered in a deep red mole sauce made from chiles, sesame seeds and dried fruit.  While not very thick, the sauce had excellent flavor.  It was deep and complex.  I liked the change in seasoned rice as the Oaxacan tradition is definitely white rice, but this was more interesting.  Unfortunately, the white meat chicken was beyond the pail.  It was so dry - it needed the mole and the black beans from another plate to be palatable.
  
  Almuerzo Quiadaiyn: this was a fun plate - it had black beans, grilled scallion, grilled cheese, grilled chorizo, grilled nopales, rice, and a chile de agua.  The chile was medium spicy and tender.  The grilled cheese was crunchy and creamy as it should be.  The nopales were pretty standard.  The rice and beans (awesome beans) were as previously described.  The chorizo was disappointingly dry.  It had nice seasoning but it had been overcooked.
  
  Each mole and the Quiadaiyn plate came with one homemade tortilla...sort of a bummer to only have one.  However, they are pretty big tortillas and very hefty, so I broke it up into pieces to "stretch it."  Because of the thickness, it was on the tough side as well.  It was made more so by the method that they use for reheating previously made tortillas.  I prefer fresh tortillas to be actually fresh from the comal - not made earlier and reheated.
  
  Overall, Quiadaiyn is a great spot for Oaxacan food if you are in Mar Vista, but it is not worth the drive I made across Los Angeles.  I would much rather go to one of Madre's two locations.
  
  FYI: Parking is on the street at meters (enforced to 8PM) and there is no alcohol.

• Naija D.

  star star star star star_border 17 May 2026

  I was in LA and decided to try some authentic Mexican food. I had the mole which was really flavorful and the tortillas are awesome and homemade which is great. Only thing was being so excited about the horchata and it was meh but other than that great spot and super nice staff