El Cholo

Pros: Welcoming, casual restaurant; huge portions; good food.
Cons: None really.

El Cholo: We ate at El Cholo while shopping around the trendy Third Street area in Los Angeles. El Cholo is not in this trendy area. We walked a few blocks to 1121 South Western Avenue. In 1922 Alejandro Borquez said to his wife, Rosa, ...

Pros: Tasty food, variety of menu, ambiance
Cons: Service was somewhat lacking, ginormous portions

My husband and I recently dined at El Cholo in Santa Monica, California. We were there for a holiday gathering for his work. Location and Contact Information El Cholo - Santa Monica 1025 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) ...

Pros: "Borderline" margarita
Cons: green corn tamale

I recently went out to LA and my friend insisted that we go to El Cholo. I did not go to the one IN LA, rather the one in Santa Monica on Wilshire, so please forgive me for not reviewing EXACTLY what I appear to be. Anyway, I started out with The...

Pros: Good Nachos and Margaritas
Cons: Ho Hum food

When I heard the El Cholo Cantina would be opening in Irvine, I was really excited. I had heard for years that it was the best Mexican food in L.A. but I had never tried it. I don't know if it was the years of waiting that ruined it for me or what, but...

Pros: Huge Portions, Tasty, decent Prices, lively atmosphere, short wait
Cons: not that much variety in the menu

Recently while I was home for spring break, my friends and I were in Santa Monica shopping and we had a huge craving for Mexican food. Being on the West Coast, we figured it would be an excellent opportunity to have some, because here in Boston, there is...

Pros: Good food, good service, reasonable prices, great Margaritas, fun ambience.
Cons: Some unusual (and unappreciated) ingredients.

Though I enjoy eating Mexican food, I don't get to eat it too often, as I live in a small town with no Latino population (Chi Chi's is our best option). So on a recent visit to LA, I definitely wanted to eat some good, authentic, Mexican cuisine. My...

Pros: delicious fajitas, margaritas, atmosphere
Cons: can get expensive esp. with drinks, sometimes there is a wait.

I love El Cholo. In the last five years I have visited El Cholo at least once a month, and I have rarely been disappointed. This authentic Mexican food is always deliciously prepared and the margaritas are the best I've ever had.

The decor...

Pros: The food, menu, service and Ambiance.
Cons: At least an hour wait on most nights.

My Opinion:

I have traveled all over the United States and in Cancun, Mexico. Being a Hugh Mexican food fan I always look for a Mexican food place to eat at.

While traveling in L.A. I checked out El Cholo by a recommendation from a...

Pros: None
Cons: Rude, slow service on 3 occasions

El Cholo has been a fixture of college dining (and drinking) for over 50 years in Los Angeles. College kids have no taste, and El Cholo recognizes that with a 50% student discount on meals. The margaritas are famous because the food isn't. People have...

Pros: Sonora Style Enchilada... tasty (*drool*). Interior decor looks great and sets a nice mood.
Cons: A bit pricey, but guaranteed to fill you up. Most margaritas are weak.

As a UCLA student, I've been hardpressed to find restaurants in LA that can impress my friends when they visit. El Cholo is the perfect place for such a task.

Decor:
What really separates El Cholo from the rest is that the interior is simply beautiful. Upon entering the restaurant you'll find a very cozy lounge/bar area with plenty of couches to get comfortable on while socializing. Passing through the bar is the main dining area, which mimics a patio that you'd find in some Spanish villa.

Drinks:
The menu only shows 2 margaritas, but they have more flavors. All the margaritas are tasty, but are made weak. If you're looking to get hammered, ask for a "Gran Tradicional." It's their strongest margarita (costs $11).

Food:
The combo dinners may be good, but they're nothing to rave about. I believe those dishes are for people who're adverse to trying new dishes. I always choose the "Sonora Style Enchilada." It's served open-faced with a tasty green sauce and an egg on top. It's damn tasty, just take it from me and try this dish out.

Crowd:
The average crowd's in their late 20's. Take someone you'd like to impress here.

Pros: The lounge area is nice...but the bartenders are rude.
Cons: bad food terrible margaritas horrible service

I went to El Cholo last night after hearing great things about the margaritas. What a joke. First of all my award winning margarita was basically green water. It was mixed wrong. My friends all tried it and agreed it was really bad. I NICELY sent it back only to get another that was half full and still watery. So much for my 8 bucks... The food was even worse. The nachos were very very soggy and the meals were extremely generic. I was really surprised at how plain the food was. I would suggest going to a 5 dollar taco stand because you will save a ton of money and get better food. I must also add that the waitstaff was extremely rushy and rude even though the place was only half full. I would recommend going elsewhere if you plan on visiting el "Choke O." There is a great mexican place one block east of the santa monica prominade that not only has amazing food, but an awesome cactus/pear margarita.