My love affair with churros started in the womb. My mother told me it was one of the things she craved when she was pregnant with me. One of my early childhood memories was eating a churro with my brother, but not just any churro- it was a churro relleno. The churro was perfect on the outside and it was filled with pastry cream in the inside. It blew my mind and an obsession was born. A perfect churro is really hard to find, even in LA. It is all about consistency, temperature and the flavor of the dough. I found myself on a quest to find the perfect churro relleno.
Churros Rellenos and Churro Sandwich
Mama Churro y Mas is my favorite churro place in Los Angeles. It is located in El Sereno’s quiet downtown. The ambiance is super family oriented, cozy and inviting. The place itself reminds me of an old fashioned neighborhood ice cream shop. When you come in the first thing you see is the beautiful art. Pictures of puppies and churros in all their glory adorn the colorful walls. There is a beloved upright piano against the wall and cute little tables all over the place. Although I have no proof, I like to imagine that people actually play the piano; that each night at closing as the ovens are cooling down the music is heating up. The “y mas” part of the name translates to “and more” since they serve other food and desserts but the real star in this place is the Churro.
Mama Churro y Mas
4836 Huntington Dr.
El Sereno, CA 90032
323-225-6262
The churro relleno is the item that brought me here. They are freshly made, perfectly golden brown, crunchy in the outside and yet moist in the inside with lots of cinnamon and sugar. They have a wide variety of rellenos (fillings) but my favorite is cajeta. What is cajeta? It is the Mexican version of the dulce de leche the difference is that it is made with goat’s milk.
Churros Rellenos with Cajeta
The churro ice cream sandwich is another one of the specialties here. The churros come perfectly warm, sandwiching a big voluptuous ball of vanilla ice cream. My experience with the churro sandwich is that you have to eat it fast, otherwise the ice cream might melt. I always get messy eating this dish but it is totally worth it.
The Churro Sandwich
Last but not least the churro hot-dog. Yes, you are reading correctly, a churro hot-dog. The bun is made with a sweet French roll. Taking on the role of the hot dog is a churro. This is topped with two scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and cherries. You would think that it is too much but it is actually very balanced. The churro, the sweet French roll and the ice cream compliment each other.
The Churro Hot-Dog
Mama Churro y Mas is a great place to get freshly fried churros and if you are feeling adventurous other churro concoctions. The staff are super friendly and most days you can find the owner there. The churros are, to me, the closest to the ones I grew up eating in Mexico a perfect mix of flavor and nostalgia.
