Lares Restaurant

11/23/09

Bland Tam;les, Chocolate Pudding Mole

by dlmuns at Citysearch

I really liked the atmosphere of this place, and with 40 years owned by the same family, wanted to love this place. The atmosphere is legit...dim lighting with interesting wooden tables and bar. By the time the chips and salsa arrived and the margaritas were on the table, my anticipation of a great meal was peaked. The chips were thick and made on site it seems and the salsa was spicy and tasty.

Unfortunately when my tamales arrived, there were beyond bland. When I requested hot sauce for them, the waiter brought some kind of goopy tomato paste instead of more of the fabulous salsa. It seemed to have no spice in it. Beans were flavorless as was the rice.

My boyfriend says Bill Cosby would have loved the Mole because it tasted just like Chocolate pudding. It was very sweet.

Service started out good but soured as soon as I asked for the hot sauce. Like I said, I really wanted to like this place, but would love to go back in time and not have gone. At least we didn't pay outrageous prices like we did at Border Grill. Poor Santa Monica. Is there any good mexican food here?

• Pros: Decent drinks, great chips and salsa
• Cons: boring tamales and too sweet mole

03/16/09

Fantasic Mexican Food

by gobblespark at Citysearch

This place is highly recommended if you want a great meal with great service. There is an upstairs and a downstairs area (both are great), but no matter where you sit you get great service. I have been about 10 times now, and each time I am impressed. Any carnitas dish is excellent.

• Pros: Great food, Great interior, great service
• Cons: Starting to get crowded

01/11/09

Among the best Mexican restaurants

by justplanejane at Citysearch

With so many Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, it's hard to stand out, but this place definitely does! Everything I've had on the menu has been wonderful - I recommend the huevos rancheros or the carne asada tacos - the meat is tender and very flavorful. Their margaritas are strong, but still taste good and I love their Mexican hot chocolate. Oh ... and they have the best guacamole!

• Pros: great food
• Cons: none

11/17/08

Great food and services!

by CynMcKeever at Citysearch

My husband and I decided to try this spot out on Friday night. We didn?t have to wait long for a table. The food and salsa were great! Fast services and I loved their margaritas.

One weird thing?the bartender was our bartender, food server and he busses tables too. They all seem to help each other out and it works. Tiny bar area downstairs and no room to sit and wait. Up stairs has more tables and another larger bar. They have two waiting list: one for down and one for up-stairs. They had 2 string guitar players that move around the room. Over all we had a great time and I plan on going back and bring friends.

• Pros: Cheap, great salsa and food
• Cons: No area to sit and wait

Hidden among the gritty Pico strip, this casual Santa Monica nook dishes out traditional Mexican fare.

by Mar Yvette at Citysearch

In Short
Stepping into this dimly lit space is like walking into a rustic Mexican adobe. Framed prints of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo artwork hover near the sunken bar made of heavy carved wood, while the roaring fireplace, exposed beams and a white stucco interior make it homey and inviting. (And if that doesn't do it for you, the host's "Hola, como estas?" greeting will.) The noise level is conversational; upstairs there's yet another bar and tables that fill up with late-night revelers on weekends. Dishes range from the simple (carnita tacos, cheese enchiladas) to the more elaborate (camarones a la diabla features shrimp wrapped in bacon, then broiled in hot sauce). While many folks say it's the food that brings them to Lares, others argue it's really the warm hospitality that keeps 'em coming back for more.

Hits: On weekends, the roaming mariachis create a celebratory mood; also, the upstairs bar/dining area, which has a floor-to-ceiling window, provides great outdoor views.

Misses: The shrimp soup can be very bland and the chips and salsa taste about two days too old.

12/16/07

Great Basics

by pjorosco at Citysearch

I am not sure why others would write a review on their salads and streaks. Lares is one of the best of LA, with a great atmosphere, staff, and traditional down home mex (nothing fancy). Order the mole for some of the best in town. Great spot to meet friends.

11/26/07

Great ambience, horrible food!

by marpop at Citysearch

After passing by this two-story restaurant and always seeing a crowd outside its cool-looking Spanish colonial engraved wood sign, my fiance & I finally made it in. Upon first entering, we were graciously greeted by an older, heavily makeup-ed woman whose name easily could've been Dona Maria. Big plus. We were then seated by the window, which afforded us a good view of passersby as well as the trickling-in crowd on the first-floor dining area w/the white plaster walls & dark-wood sunken bar. Very cool. After ordering some soup de camaron (shrimp) and steak, I walked upstairs to discover the very lively & urbane dining/bar area that led to yet another rear dining area w/mariachis walking around. Fantastic! Then... the food arrived. The soup was competely impotent -- bland, blah, flavorless with shrimp that had THAT DIRTY LINE OF FECES ON ITS BACK VEIN!!! gross! And my fiance's steak? Let's just say he took one bite & said he may as well have had a rubber shoe on his plate. To the restaurant's credit, our server was very helpful and asked if everything was ok since he noticed our stil-full plates/bowl. We just said we were full and enjoyed a song from the mariachis (who had by this time made it downstairs) and left. Very unfortunate that the food sux so much cos we really wanted to come back -- but I am Mexican-American and this food is in no way indicative of what Mexican food should be. Tsk tsk.

• Pros: Fantastic setting, very friendly service, live mariachis
• Cons: Dirty shrimp in soup, rubber steak, watery salad

08/13/07

my favorite mexican restaurant

by stck_grl at Citysearch

i love this restaurant. everytime i go, the staff is so friendly and prompt. the decor makes you feel like you're in quaint restaurant in mexico. the potato tacos are the best!

• Pros: good food, good service, good price
• Cons: none

03/19/07

A Mexican dining destination...

by plumem at Citysearch

Of the many Mexican restaurants that pepper Los Angeles like New York City Starbucks, this is very near the top of the list. The ambiance is comfortable and unpretentious, but nowhere near seedy. The energy spent at other restaurants forcing waitstaff to wear "authentic" Mexican dress is clearly aimed at making the food authentic here. Incredibly fresh chips and homemade salsa made their way to the table quickly, and came dangerously close to being too filling.

The menu is extensive, with many standard Mexican fares scattered among some more unique dishes. One that caught my eye was steak served with cactus. In the end I decided to go with the more traditional tamales. The texture was perfect, the chicken was roasted to an amazing tenderness, and the red chili sauce was a perfect spicy addition.

Waitstaff was kind and super attentive and the wandering flamenco minstrels were a nice touch.

Will make this a new West side dining destination, and will be sure to try a margarita next time.

• Pros: great waitstaff, fresh food, easy access, not overly crowded

01/15/07

Enjoy Mexican food, the mexican way...

by marinagirl78 at Citysearch

Lares is a great. The food is great. The ambiance is terrific. The service is the best. The prices are adequate and I always go back. Never have a bad experience at this place, although it does get stuffy on Friday night. It's a happening place for being on Pico! Go and enjoy a nice relaxing night at Lares and ask for a special margarita.

• Pros: Street parking everywhere, and valet
• Cons: gets a little crowded