Stuffed quesadillas, Milanesa tortas and margaritas at El Condor in Silver Lake

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The El Conquistador margarita. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

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The old El Conquistador sign is still visible. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

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An order of chips and salsa. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

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The queso flameado with chorizo served with green salsa and tortillas. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

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The chicken enchiladas with green sauce. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

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The mushroom quesadilla topped with a squash blossom. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

By Jenn Harris

April 11, 2014 10:34 AM PT

Name of restaurant: El Condor

Concept: A new Mexican restaurant by L&E Oyster Bar owners Tyler Bell and Dustin Lancaster in the former El Conquistador space. They’re serving up tacos with handmade tortillas, green- and red-sauced enchiladas on hot skillets, tortas stuffed with Milanesa and chorizo and an entire section of the menu devoted to stuffed quesadillas. The atmosphere is festive with colorful furniture and lights strewn across the dining room to the upstairs bar. Natural light floods the new patio, surrounded by bright yellow walls and patterned tiles.

Chef: Spencer Bezaire, formerly at Cafe Stella, who is also the executive chef and “oyster director” at L&E Oyster Bar.

What dish represents the restaurant, and why? An asada quesadilla stuffed with grilled steak and onions, mild cheddar cheese, soft red peppers and sweet roasted corn. It’s grilled to a crisp, smothered in a deep red chile sauce and topped with a sprinkle of queso fresco and cilantro. It’s hot and gooey, filling and the perfect food to eat before you down a couple of strong margaritas.

Appropriate for: An evening with friends spent reminiscing over tequila shots, or a romantic date at one of the tables on the patio.

Who’s at the next table? Small parties of Silver Lake’s stylish hipster set lingering over margaritas as the sun sets on the patio. A family with two small children fighting over a plate of chips and salsa, who all pause to gasp as their waiter brings the whole fish plato to the table.

Service: Friendly and eager to share their favorites.

Uh-oh: The queso on the menu is not the Tex-Mex version of melted cheese dip/sauce you might have been hoping for. It’s queso flameado, a skillet of hot cheese you can pull apart in chunks and eat with a tortilla. There is a piñata/puppet in the women’s bathroom that could startle you. Chips and salsa are not complimentary, neither are refills.

What are you drinking? Margaritas, an añjeo Negroni, and a selection of mezcal and tequila curated by bar director Ellen Rehak, formely at Bottega Louie, Covell and the original Largo. You can also cool off with a Modelo Especial or order a glass of wine to sip with your grilled fish tacos.

Info: 3701 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 660-4500, elcondorla.com.

The scoop on more new restaurants? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris_

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