06/28/09

Overpriced

by tonymoore

Had a drink here on Friday night. $10 for a margarita on the rocks. It was mostly rocks with very little tequila. And it comes in a small glass. The bartender chick was pretty worthless when it came to service. Stick with the beer and the food.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Service with an attitude

05/27/09

How great is this place!

by good_will_dining

Dug this place for years, never fails to deliver on food, ambiance and of course, drinks. Great crowd too.

Happy hour has some nice offerings and attracted a good size crowd, even on a weekday. Bonus, a few blocks from The Grove, so nice place to head after a movie.

• Pros: Kinda loving all of it
• Cons: Parking

05/21/09

Mmmmm.... Pomegranate Margarita....

by rosannajaan

My co-workers and I went to El Carmen last night for Happy Hour, most of us for the first time. I really liked it, although it's a cozy place with no outdoor, you quickly warm up to the place because of its pros. Mexican theme, great service - even though it was crowded, she was there whenever we looked up, and the food and drinks kept coming... (That's partly due to our amazing boss though) We couldn't stop raving about the food, we kept saying, "OMG, this is sooooo good! (Munch, munch, munch) Did you try the shrimp? (Munch, munch, munch) What about the guacamole? (Munch, munch, munch) Did you try the ceviche? And we kept eating! It was great! We love to eat, and all that is on the Happy Hour menu!!! Don't forget to try the pomegranate margarita... Bomb!

• Pros: Great Service, thanks to Idalia, our waitress
• Cons: No Outdoor

05/21/09

WOW. Great drinks and the Food is amazing

by meyka

After work my co worker and I went for Happy Hour let just say we had a great time. Idalia the cool waitress told me to try a watermelon margarita it was grrrreat. Oh my the Tequila Shrimp were amazing but the Apple Fritter A la mode was mouth watering. If you are looking for great drinks, food and service this is the place to go.

• Pros: watermelon margarita Tequila Shrimp
• Cons: none

05/21/09

WOW!! Best Margaritas Hands Down

by Dales

So we went to this place for some coworkers. The place looks kinda small from the outsite, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Wrestlers are looking over you in this hot spot, with great ambience. The best part was the Cactus Fruit margarita. Wow!!! You must also try their desser menu. Their apple firtter a-la-mode was amazing!!!! Overall this place was a great spot, with people to mingle with and fun atmosphere.

• Pros: Great drinks, food, staff

05/21/09

Fabulous Fun!

by jazzolicious

Went last night after work for happy hour and let me tell ya we had a blast. The drinks were very tasty "watermelon margarita" on the rocks my fave as recommended by our cool waitress Idalia. The Tequila Shrimp didn't even touch down on the table "Banging"! You cannot leave without getting an order of the Apple Fritter A la mode...K if you do you I just might have to send my doggie Dolce Vita to teach you a thing or 2. Bottom line we had a wonderful time the food and drinks were "Fabulous". Looking for a low key place to have a great time, look no further!

• Pros: Tequila Shrimp & Apple Fritter are CRACK-O-LICIOUS!
• Cons: None

05/11/09

Mexican Wrestlers and Tequila

by crey01

El Carmen is one of those bars that just makes you happy. With the bold and funky decor of black velvet paintings, wrestler masks, Mexi-comic wallpaper, and illegal Vietnamese snake bottles, El Carmen gives so much in such a small package. It's like the "Three Caballeros" but with booze. The specialty drinks are never a disappointment, especially the homemade pineapple-infused tequila on the rocks and the lip-burning spicy Margarita. Don't let this small bar fool you...the food at El Carmen is some of the best (if not the best) bar food in all of Los Angeles. Notably the fish tacos and the potato flautas will make you regret eating that stupid lean cuisine you had 2 hours ago.

• Pros: Infused Tequila, specialty drinks, simple yet amazing food.
• Cons: seating is limited

12/17/08

Try the Cactus Fruit Margarita!

by goodlife18

The cactus fruit margarita is amazing! The guava is yummy too. I always have my friends try a shot of the Fusion... it's tequila marinated in pineapple. Although it's frequented by the Hollywood-type, I like El Carmen for it's 'authentic tendencies.' The red sauce on the enchiladas is really good; it's not a salty wanna-be Mexican sauce. The asada tacos are tasty and so are the flautas. fyi - service is consistently mediocre.

05/06/08

Cinco De Mayo, Get there no later than 7:30 to avoid a line

by TATIANA80

I went here two years ago for Cinco De Mayo and had the best time. The highlight of the night ,were the large Margaritas!

However, I was a bit disappointed this year. They no longer have the large Margaritas. That was the main reason why I chose El Carmens, but all in all it was still a fun atmosphere and the drinks were good. Nothing beats El Carmens when it comes to Cinco De Mayo. ;)

p.s I would of given 5 stars but the not having the large Margaritas really disappointed me, plus one of the bartenders was a bit on the snobby side that night. Who goes to a bar to get attitude from a bartender, especially when you are tipping them? Not me! I would stick to the male bartender, he is a really cool guy plus he makes the drinks really good.

• Pros: Music, drinks, food and AMBIENCE
• Cons: Girl Bartender had an attitude

03/20/08

All Around Great

by beachcruiser

New to the neighborhood, and am definitely making this my place. Friendly, competent bartenders make a strong drink - all of which are very good. Some of the best margaritas in LA, and there's innumerable tequilas to sample. And whoever said "don't eat here" is WAY off the mark. The chips and salsa with guacamole was the best I've had in years. The cheese enchiladas were excellent as well, and inexpensive. Dinner for 4 people with 2 beers was $61. Great value anywhere, especially on 3rd St.

• Pros: Great drinks, atmosphere, food
• Cons: Arrogant 3rd St. crowd