Guelaguetza
Best Oaxacan Restaurant in Los Angeles · CA
The Lopez family's Oaxacan moles in Koreatown since 1994.
Guelaguetza has been Los Angeles's temple of Oaxacan cooking since 1994, when the López family brought the deep, complex moles of southern Mexico to a mural-splashed dining room in Koreatown. Named for Oaxaca's great festival of giving, it taught a generation of Angelenos to love mole negro, tlayudas and sipping mezcal.
A James Beard Foundation America's Classics award in 2015 confirmed what the neighborhood already knew — and in 2025 the public record cleared our bar too, with the Centurion Award for Los Angeles.
What they're known for
- Mole negro
- Tlayudas
- Mezcal & Oaxacan clayudas
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Guelaguetza met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Los Angeles since 1994 — 32 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Los Angeles.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Los Angeles has kept Guelaguetza busy for 32 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Los Angeles regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles for 2025 for the Lopez family's moles, a James Beard America's Classics award, and three decades at the center of Oaxacan LA.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Oaxacan Restaurant in Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Guelaguetza
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Guelaguetza.
- Legal / trading name
- Guelaguetza
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1994, Los Angeles, CA
- Founders
- Fernando & María Monterrubio López
- Location
- 3014 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006
- Centurion Award
- Best Oaxacan Restaurant in Los Angeles — 2025
- Other recognition
- James Beard Foundation America's Classics (2015)
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Guelaguetza against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Guelaguetza?
Family-run Oaxacan restaurant founded in 1994, famous for its black mole and honored with a James Beard America's Classics award.
Is Guelaguetza award-winning?
Yes — Guelaguetza is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Oaxacan Restaurant in Los Angeles, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles for 2025 for the Lopez family's moles, a James Beard America's Classics award, and three decades at the center of Oaxacan LA.
Where is Guelaguetza?
Guelaguetza is in Los Angeles, CA.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.