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El Cholo Restaurant

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1025 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401

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(310) 899-1106
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El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
El Cholo Restaurant - Santa Monica, CA
Reviews
( 15 )
( 21 )
( 2 )
( 6 )
( 6 )

Best

Our food came out on time and was prepared just right. I would recommend this place to a hungry person the portions are huge! Service as ok but the food made up for it! I

Worst

Did you ever go someplace everyone raved about and wonder what the furor was all about? Welcome to the paradox of El Cholo. The place was crammed with people, and the food was...

Good Times 11/14/2006

The Santa Monica location serves up the same fare as the LA location. This location is a little bigger, but the food just seems to be better at the original El Cholo in LA. Service is good, but that has never been a complaint. And of course, they serve an awesome margarita...their own mix!\r If you're there during the right season...they serve tamales! Their Crab Enchilada is very yummy! Their margaritas are great! Did I mention that the margaritas are great? Pros: Great place for a Happy Hour Cons: Hard to find parking more
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Great Margaritas 11/13/2006

This place is always crazy busy. But it's worth it. The food is good, the margaritas plentiful, and tasty. The platters here, are very large, and yes, you could definitely share it with someone. They have great salsa, and the fajitas do rock. This place is great for a party and anyone just wanting to get a little rowdy. The service can be slow, but it's a large restaurant that is packed every night, so that is to be expected. I have fun when I go here, and enjoy the atmosphere. Pros: Margaritas, large portions, fun Cons: wait more
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Great margaritas, and the food's good, too! 11/12/2006

There's always a wait at these venerable LA establishments--and with good reason. The food is solid, the prices reasonable and the margaritas are big and tasty! Highlights include the fresh, homemade tortilla chips that always start off any meal--always served warm. And while the menu is extensive and everything is good, time after time I am drawn like a moth to the flame to the fajitas because they're just that good. A trick for avoiding the wait is to eat at the bar. There is almost always a seat and the bar offers the same dinner menu. What you sacrifice in atmosphere, you make up for by not waiting an hour to eat. Pros: food, value, margaritas, ambience Cons: looooong waits, parking can somtimes be tricky unless you valet more
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good spot to bring friends 11/9/2006

margaritas are too heavy on the sweet & sour mix for me, but the food is good and definitely more upscale than your typical taqueria. And the chips are nice crispy. Usually too full to eat the pralines at the end but I hear they're good. more
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Good restaurant, great bar 11/5/2006

The restaurant is big, has a warm atmosphere with friendly service, and serves pretty good Mexican food (the chimichangas are great and I like Sonora Style Enchilada. It has a fried egg on top which I love but if that's not your thing let them know and there'll be no egg). As good as the restaurant is, the bar area is better. It's kind of unique in that it's a large, well-lit room filled with comfy couches. Kind of reminds me of the lounge area of a ski lodge. But instead of skiers its filled with young hipsters eating chips and drinking margaritas. A word about their margaritas: they're very good but I wish they were stronger. For a little extra money they'll add an extra shot of tequila. Then it's just right. more
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Yay, sangria! 9/11/2006

Great friendly bartenders, nice waitstaff, good yummy cheesy food. Not gourmet, but great American-Mexican comfort food. Loved the Chile Colorado and love, love, love the sangria. Pros: Sangria and drinks, flan, portions are immense Cons: Can be loud more
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Great food, great service! 9/4/2006

This place has great food, large portions, and quick service. The seasonal tamales that they offer are the best I've ever had, and they have all kinds of other fun dishes as well (I recommend the blue corn chicken enchiladas--an 80 year old recipe!). The ambiance is very warm, and the servers and valet staff are friendly and efficient! \r \r Be sure to use the valet parking, it is very difficult to find other parking. more
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Yum! 8/29/2006

This place is SO good. If you like homestyle mexican food then you must try El Cholo. There is a reason why it has survived the restaurant scene in LA for so many years. The enchiladas are great, they offer a couple diferent kinds. And though I'm always watching my figure, I will absolutely, never turn down the refired beans here. Try to sit on the patio, the ambience is nice on a warm evening. Pros: Great food and margaritas more
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Bad Margaritas, Bad Service, Bad Food 5/14/2006

If you want food you can get at Acapulco but served by unapologetically rude waitstaff, go to El Cholo. If you want decent Mexican food, Margaritas that actually tast good, and a pleasant dining experience...GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. more
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What do you expect, an empty restaurant? 5/8/2006

You guys want to talk about busy? Try cinco de mayo!! Even though it was busy, every aspect of my dining experience was great! Some people must have been born with no taste buds!!! The food was awesome, especially if you know about the dishes they serve that are NOT no the menu!! -Best Margaritas, best food, best locale, best server, and best time ever!!!! Even the valet was awesome!! Especially the one who you give your ticket to. He is very funny and extremely witty. Great establishment. Pros: Everything!, Everything!, Everything! Cons: A bit crowded, What do you expect?, Nothing! more
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Unbelievable!! 4/15/2006

I was shocked at the horrible service we received at El Cholo for a friends going away party. I would need an entire page of a newspaper to write about this horrible experience. The night started by getting yelled at by the valet. Then we met our waiter who was rushed, impersonable and at times RUDE! We had a total party of 18 people and spent over $300.00. The catch? The waiter was telling us we needed to leave because he had other people to seat! He went as far as picking up a plate that someone was still eating and placing it in the bar. This is no exageration. The service was the worst I have ever experienced! But this story makes for good dinner conversation at other restaurants with friends. Cons: Service, Service, Service more
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Yo Quiero El Cholo! 2/7/2006

Who wants to eat Taco Bell... when you can have great Mexican food!! I love El Cholo. The Blue Corn Enchiladas are amazing! Okay, it might be more expensive than most Mexican resturants, but we're talking Mexican, not French food. I love their chips and salsa which they make fresh. Wish they had more than just Flan for dessert, but I can go somewhere else for the sweets! Pros: Great Food, Reasonable Prices Cons: Crowded Sometimes more
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Eat, Drink and be merry! 11/29/2005

My favorite are the combo enchiladas with beef. You can ask for shredded or ground beef (my favorite actually). Very tasty. Flan for dessert caps off the night. Of course you can't go to El Cholo's without a pitcher of their great margaritas. If you are in the Los Angeles area try the El Cholo's on Western and Olympic, also a good place to go! more
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Home of the INFAMOUS LA Lemondae! 11/17/2005

unless you're planning for a long nite, just have one! They're great, but strong. Food here is traditional Mexican and is pretty tasty. Large enough for groups, welcoming enough for families, and right around the Santa Monica hubub! For those of you that enjoy a crawl, this would be a good spot for a stop. Pros: LA Lemonade, pueblo atmosphere, near many locations more
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Overrated 10/7/2005

I have been to this restaurant on a number of occasions (not by choice). Their special seasonal tamales taste putrid and overall their food comes nowhere near other mexican restaurants I have frequented in and out of the area. The margaritas really aren't much more special than any other medium to high end mexican restaurants (oh and i must agree their salsa taste more like ketchup than salsa). Unless you want to be ""seen"" in the bar, pretty much awaste of time. Pros: Younger Crowd, Good Bar Scene Cons: Food, Food, Food more
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very good food 4/30/2005

i like the ground beef enchiladas. i would recommend getting one of the combinations plates---great value! Pros: good food, inexpensive more
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Where is the spice? 4/3/2005

I don't get how anyone can say El Cholo has great food. Tamales, tacos, soups, enchiladas ... all below par. The table salsa tastes like ketchup. My girlfriend and I asked for more spicy salsa, which they made on the spot but still was no good. To make matters worst, as another reviewer mentioned, the prices aren't that great for what you get. So the ambience might be good, but if its the food you're after, forget it. Pros: aesthetics Cons: salsa, parking, food more
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Fun till Pablo takes my keys away 1/6/2005

This is probably the best place in Santa Monica to have margaritas and socialize. Fantastic bar area has TVs, an outdoor terrace and comfy sofas for hanging out. Magaritas are good and cheap! The food's just ok, though. Everything is passable, but you come here for the scene more than the food. Pros: Great fun, Terrace, Good standby more
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Fun, Festive and Good 1/4/2004

The blue corn enchiladas were plump full of juicy, tender seasoned chicken. The guacamole was to die for. Even the beans and rice were a couple of notches above average Mexican places. Surprisingly, the chips and salsa were just average. The margaritas were as good as in Mexico. All in all, a fun place to eat with friends and family. Pros: margaritas, blue corn enchiladas, guacamole Cons: chips and salsa more
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I Don't Get It 2/1/2003

I just don't get the allure of El Cholo. The place is WAY too crowded, the food is WAY too greasy and not particularly good and it is WAY too loud. OK - the margaritas are good. Pros: ?? Cons: Greasy, crowded, loud more
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Menu for El Cholo Restaurant


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Editorial

  • 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. ...

  • 10/16/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon - Thu, 11am - 10pm; Fri, Sat, 11am - 11pm; Sun, 11am - 9pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: West LA, Wilshire Montana
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