Don't Be Tricked By Happy Tom's and Rodeo Grill in Echo Park

Looking for a bite on Friday night a friend and I drove around Echo Park. You could find Mexican food trucks up and down the area, we wanted something different. We passed Happy Tom's and the Rodeo Mexican Grill on Sunset, they were practically next to each other. Happy Tom's looked like a Johnny Rockets from the outside. My hunger made want to go to a 1950's burger diner.

We pulled over, found parking and were surprised to learn the inside of the restaurant was a Mexican food truck in disguise. The menu and decor totally lackluster; screaming kids, we gave up and headed to the higher-end looking Rodeo Mexican Grill.

From the outside the Rodeo Mexican Grill looked like a hip restaurant to get a bite and chat with friends. Upon entering I gasped aloud and went, "Did we just enter the same g-d damn restaurant?!"

Someone had built buildings around two Mexican food trucks. A facade of good food and good service lie in Echo Park. Neither of the restaurants need have such formal looking locations. One restaurant that serves the exact same food as the other just one building or so in-between shouldn't exist.

The food was the same we could have found at any Mexican food truck up and down the street.
It's almost an elaborate prank. Why call the restaurants different names and serve the exact same food?

Don't waste your time or money on either place when you can get what they serve for much cheaper anywhere else on Sunset.

Happy Toms​

On Sunset (Echo Park)

1807 West Sunset Blvd.

Rodeo Mexican Grill​

On Sunset (Echo Park)

1721 West Sunset Blvd.​