El Cholo
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 899-1106
- Price:
- $$
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-9pm
Editorial Review for El Cholo – by Allison Austin
The Scene
A faux roof made of tile, decoratively carved wood booths, and crookedly hung pictures of the owners' family make it apparent that minimalism is not the theme here. Nevertheless, the come-as-you-are vibe is ideal for large groups of friends. Boisterous conversations result from rather stiff, tasty margaritas, delivered by a hardworking, efficient staff.
The Food
Those in search of authentic Mexican should look elsewhere. Folks come here for giant platters loaded with refried beans, rice and your choice of enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. Got a group? Order the fiesta platter and share the taquitos, nachos, quesadillas and chimichangas while sipping a pint-sized margarita. Stick to the hard-shell tacos or the carne asada, broiled steak served with soft tortillas. Most entrees are big enough to share, leaving plenty of room for dessert, such as the tasty vanilla flan.
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Insider Tips
ParkingLeave your car with the valet for $3.50, or try your luck with metered street parking.
DeliveryYou can get food delivered by calling L.A. Bite at (310) 441-2483, but you'll pay a delivery fee. For takeout, call the restaurant to order.
User Reviews for El Cholo
05/27/2008 Posted by jenheidir
In a city filled with Mexican restaurants, this is one of the best in my opinion. Their margaritas are thick and flavorful. The guacamole tastes tantalizingly fresh, which is good since the wait staff makes sure to keeping filling up your tortilla chip basket. The meat and shrimp for the fajitas has never come overcooked for me, and the enchiladas are deliciously creamy. Make sure you bring a big appetite as the portion sizes here are huge. The inside of the restaurant decorated to look like Mexican kitchen is a festive place to eat, though sometimes noisy. The outdoor patio on a warm night, which is sectioned off from the roadway, is perhaps the more intimate area of the restaurant to dine. Prices are average for what you pay at a higher-end, sit-down Mexican restaurant around L.A.-area. El Cholo fills up fast, so be sure to make a reservation.
Pros: Food, drinks, atmosphere, dining room decoration
Cons: Noisy at times, wait can be long without reservation
02/11/2008 Posted by kumarik
I went with a friend for the first time and didn't have a good experience. Ordered salad in a tostada shell and sent it back because it was so greasy. Ordered chicken enchiladas instead because I thought it was a safe choice. Not the case. Food was extremely salty, and slathered in cheese and sour cream. By that time I was starving so I ate most of it. Really seemed like they use prepackaged frozen foods and ingredients. So overpriced! I prefer Taco Bell to El Cholo. To their credit, the salsa was decent. The service was decent as well. That night, I also ordered a plate of enchilada suizas to go for my boyfriend. Didn't say anything about my experience with the food in case he liked it. It turns out he didn't like his food either. Same reasons: salty, cheap ingredients, soaked in grease. Neither one of us would recommend El Cholo.
Pros: Great setting
Cons: The only good thing about El Cholo is their facility
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