The Michelada has been my favorite drink of late. Popular throughout Latin America, a Michelada is a beer cocktail with lime juice, assorted sauces, spices and peppers. Diablo, a new gastropub in Silverlake, serves really excellent Micheladas with a twist. The beer of your choice is poured into a tall glass with a heavily salted and spiced rim and is accompanied by a tomato or yuzu popsicle, which you can dip and/or suck on between sips or simply submerge into your beer to melt.
The unusual Micheladas are not the only great thing about Diablo. The food there is exceptionally good. The main focus of the menu is gourmet fusion tacos. While fusion tacos are nothing new in LA and are served by at least half of the gourmet food trucks on the streets of this city, the tacos at Diablo stand out due to their high-end seasonal ingredients and their unique combinations of sweet and savory. My favorite is the Maple Fried Chicken Taco with Purple Kale and Red Rooster Vinaigrette. It’s salty, sweet, crunchy and incredibly good! I also love the Pork Belly Taco with Thai Peanut Salsa and Caramelized Bananas, and the Beef Cheeks Taco with Horseradish Puree, Fromage Blanc and Parsley. Vegetarian and vegan options are numerous and include the “Portabello Asada” and “Hen of the Woods” Tacos.
The layout and decor of Diablo are very similar to that of Wurstkuche. It’s industrial chic with lots of brick, metal and reclaimed wood. You order and pay at a counter in one room and your food is brought to you in a large Biergarden-esque dinng hall with a very long communal table and several smaller tables. In addition to the tacos, I also recommend ordering the Grilled Sweet Corn with Cojita, Lime Mayo and Truffle Oil and the Heirloom Radish Salad with Persian Cucumber, Jicama, Chili, Lime and Apple. For dessert, there are more popsicles. One is Hibiscus-flavored, while another is made with Chocolate, Espresso and Bacon. Speaking of bacon, there’s also a Chocolate, Bacon, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cookie served warm out of the oven. If you’re just going there for drinks, I suggest you order the Kurabuta Pork Chicharrones (fried pork rinds) with one of Diablo’s homemade sauces such as the Habanero Gasoline Sauce or the Ghost Chili Aioli. They’re devilishly good and the perfect accompaniment to the Popsicle Micheladas.
Diablo is located at 3129 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (in Silverlake).
Michelada with Tomato Popsicle (Beer with Lime, Chili, Salt and Tomato Paleta)
Heirloom Radish Salad with Persian Cucumber, Jicama, Chili, Lime and Apple
Grilled Sweet Corn with Cojita, Lime Mayo and Truffle Oil
Pork Belly Taco with Thai Peanut Salsa and Caramelized Bananas
Beef Cheeks Taco with Horseradish Puree, Fromage Blanc and Parsley
Maple Fried Chicken Taco with Purple Kale and Red Rooster Vinaigrette
Bison Chili Taco with Yellow Cheese and Banana Peppers
Kurabuta Pork Chicharrones with Diablo “Ketchup”
Warm Chocolate, Bacon, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cookie
Diablo describes itself as an “Urban Taco Fabricator and Crafter of Fine Micheladas”
