Jesus Manzo and his family drove from the San Fernando Valley to dine at Moles La Tía on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.
Photo by Jessica Perez / Boyle Heights Beat
This article was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat, a nonprofit newsroom of the L.A. Local News Initiative serving Boyle Heights and East L.A.
For nearly six years, fans of Moles La Tía stalked Yelp and Instagram, messaged owners, and drove past the shuttered East L.A. restaurant, peering inside a mostly untouched dining room in search of signs of life.
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“I was devastated,” said Marco Klug, 37, of Monterey Park, who was introduced to the restaurant by his mother and tías from East L.A.
“It felt like a community loss. My family celebrated everything here…. The food tastes like my abuelita and tías made it. If you know how elaborate Mexican cuisine can be, you know how impressive having coffee and pistachio mole on a menu is. It serves quality dishes made by Mexicans for Mexicans,” Klug added.
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On August 21, the wait finally ended. Moles La Tía quietly reopened its doors — and within days, word had spread.
As if it never closed
On a recent weekend, the restaurant’s dining room buzzed with life. Families shared chilaquiles and café de olla, friends caught up over fried eggs and fresh tortillas, and couples split fresh pan dulce.
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