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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Oaxacan Restaurant in Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Guelaguetza
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Guelaguetza (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.