Wes Avila's Swanky West Hollywood Mexican Steakhouse Suddenly Closes
Wes Avila's Monterrey-inspired West Hollywood steakhouse, MXO, suddenly shuttered this summer after less than a year open. A representative for the restaurant initially stated that the closure was temporary, but later confirmed the restaurant's permanent closure on July 21, 2025. MXO has not shared any further public statement about the closure, but there are multiple comments on its Instagram from people who allegedly had reservations and showed up to find it closed. The last activity from the restaurant on Instagram was from June 9, 2025.
Avila, who is the current chef at Ka'Teen in Hollywood and former operator of Guerrilla Tacos and Angry Egret Dinette, opened MXO with restaurateur Giancarlo Pagani and Sam Nazarian's SBE in September 2024. The restaurant opened as an upscale Mexican steakhouse, serving Monterrey-inspired cooking in a space designed by Jae Omar of Jae Omar Design, a firm known for its work on celebrity homes.
Jakob N. Layman
At the restaurant, Avila served whole cuts of dry-aged steak such as porterhouse and rib-eye, alongside chile Colorado short ribs served with frijoles and tortillas. A handful of tacos were available as well, filled with fish, chicken, and rib-eye. Avila prepared a show-stopping birria beef martillo as one of MXO's signature dishes, featuring a whole braised wagyu shank served with consommé. Smaller starters included oysters, queso fundido, and Caesar-style braised cabbage. 'LA needs a Mexican steakhouse,' Avila told Eater LA when MXO first opened.
The closure leaves Avila, who has been an influential force in Los Angeles's dining scene for years, with Ka'Teen as his only restaurant in the city, as well as a bar and taco lounge in Kyoto, Japan called Piopiko. There's no news yet on what the recently renovated MXO space, located just a block away from Nobu on La Cienega, will become next.
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MXO
Location 826 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90069 External Link
Phone (323) 805-0696
Link https://www.sbe.com/restaurants/mxo/los-angeles/
Wes Avila's latest project is an impressive West Hollywood steakhouse inspired by his time in Monterrey, Mexico. Opened in partnership with Giancarlo Pagani and Sam Nazarian's SBE, MXO focuses on wood-fired grilling, large-format meats, and of course, tacos. The birria beef martillo made with wagyu beef and served with with marrow and consomé is a highlight of the menu; it feeds a group of eight to 12 and costs $275. Antojitos include Okinawa sweet potato tacos, queso fundido, and a grilled cabbage Caesar. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
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