El Coyote Makes It 75

The food may be notoriously bad at El Coyote, but for 75 cents, I'm in.

The famed Beverly Blvd. restaurant -- famed, of course, for its potent margaritas (although not as cheap as they used to be) -- is celebrating its 75th anniversary today with 75-cent meals all day long.

Notes the restaurant's press release:

Opened in 1931 on La Brea Avenue by Blanche and George March, El Coyote moved to its present location on 7312 Beverly Boulevard in 1951. Grace, Blanche’s 89-year-old sister-in-law continues on as its matriarch and dines at the restaurant every Thursday afternoon.

The parade of celebrities began with John Wayne and continued with Loretta Young, Ricardo Montalban and Dorothy McGuire to name a few. Royalty also came calling when Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco walked in unannounced. A little Drew Barrymore spent many an evening tearing around the restaurant while other family members dined. And probably the most notorious incident in El Coyote history occurred on August 8, 1969, when an eight-months pregnant Sharon Tate and other Manson victims Jay Sebring, Wojciech Fryowski and Abigail Folger ate their last meal there.

The secret to tolerating El Coyote food? Well, first, the margaritas don't hurt. And simply special order your plate. I ask for soft shell tacos; no cheese; and black beans. And then down another margarita.

UPDATE: Just got back from El Coyote, and a warning: Only two items are being offered for 75 cents: The cheese enchilada with rice and beans, and the taco for rice and beans. What's more, you can only order one 75 cent item per person. Disappointing, yes... but it still made for a cheap lunch.