Guisados downtown to open in February, serving breakfast and late-night menu

The downtown location of Guisados taqueria, the third in Armando De La Torre and Ricardo Diaz’s burgeoning mini-empire, is scheduled to open next month in the Spring Arcade building in the heart of downtown.

Soon, downtowners won’t have to drive to Boyle Heights, where the original location is, or Guisados’ second restaurant in Echo Park, for the thick, handmade corn tortillas filled with stewed meats such as chicken tinga, cochinita pibil, mole poblano and steak picado.

De La Torre says they’re still mid-construction and had intended to open in December but now expect to open by the end of February. “The thing with these older buildings is that you find things that you had no idea were there. Like where the plans from the 1920s building say there’s nothing below us, then you start digging and there’s five inches of concrete. There’s always something new.”

But construction of the kitchen is well underway at the 1,200-square-foot restaurant, which will have about 50 seats and some outdoor seating in the arcade. With all three locations “we try to cater to the audience that’s there,” De La Torre says. “Boyle Heights is small and gets really busy and people will rush. Echo Park maximizes the space, people bring their dogs and relax. Downtown will be a hybrid of both and meant to appeal to people working and living in that area.”

De La Torre says they also are working on getting a beer and wine license. The menu will be the same as at the other Guisados locations but will also serve breakfast -- home-style chorizo con huevos and more egg dishes along with the tacos on hand-made tortillas. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, “we’re looking at 2 a.m. nights,” De La Torre says. The Spring Arcade building is on Spring Street between 5th and 6th streets.

541 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, www.guisados.co.

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