Authentic doesn’t always mean tasty.

Sometimes one’s palate isn’t ready to deal with an entire fish (skin, bones, eyeballs) or unexpected tripe in place of a steak.

The good news about Amalias, an authentic Guatemalan restaurant on the east side (Beverly and Virgil), is that it’s at least cheap.

If you don’t like what you are eating at least you didn’t pay much for it.

From all the Yelpers that raved about the Enchiladas (which look more like mini tostadas covered in a pickled beet salad topped with a few chunks of mystery meat) and they look really pretty but they just tasted odd. I love all the ingredients but they just did not meld well together.

We stupidly assumed beef belly would be similar to pork belly and sadly, none of us are tripe lovers so the plate of stomach in green sauce sat mostly untouched.

I really loved the Hilachas however, it’s just shredded beef in a tasty sauce. The tortillas were also handmade and top notch, so there was something I really enjoyed.

Oh, and the refriend black beans were awesome.

Some folks may enjoy diving into a whole fish but I am just too lazy for that mess. But Tenille seemed to enjoy it and the few strands of fish meat she was able to pass to me were tasty.

Amalia’s has a cute courtyard and boasts a decent happy hour, but just be really careful what you order and I think you’ll be fine.

No guarantees, though.

751 N Virgil Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 644-1515
amaliasrestaurant.com