El Cholo Restaurant

Everyone chose El Cholo on Western Ave, now that is the Original El Cholo full of all the history.I want people to experience El Cholo, Pasadena. I truly believe that what Blair Sailsbery has done for the El Cholo, Pasadena is fantastic! Once you have experienced the Pasadena El Cholo the original will be a memory.
the ambience that is created in the Pasadena location always has you coming back for more.
When you can go to a restaurant and feel so welcomed you know you will be a repeat customer.

Pros: Original Restaurant, great Margaritas

Cons: bad parking, older building

Posted 09/05/03

El Cholo's offers a flavor and environment that no other mexican restaurant in L.A. has. The food is seasoned to perfection and they have the BEST margaritas ever!!

Posted 09/05/03

El Cholo's margaritas have gone through at least 3 significant changes over the decades. Their early (50s-70s) versions were an outstanding blender version (I think the first to actually use an electric blender). Superb. Then they went through some changes. The new ones are tasty, but weak, usually served over "small" rocks (the early blended versions tended to sedimentize, which was okay; when they stopped putting real dried egg whites in and started using a commercial frother they tasted like soap).

Pros: great food, good value, very good margaritas

Cons: All parking bad, Valet parking, Streets dangerous

Posted 08/15/03

The food at El Cholo's couldn't be more worst. I have given this place many chances and every time I come here the service and the food gets worst every time. They say they are famous for their margaritas......I would say go to Don Cucos in Glendale or Burbank. Stay away!!!! You have been warned.

Pros: nothing

Cons: to many to list

Posted 08/13/03

well, im just wondering how this place made it to the top 10 MEXICAN FOOD RESTAURANTS. This place is only good for drinks, nothing else. so this place should be under 10 best places to drink. the food is tasteless, overpriced.

Pros: nice environment, good drinks

Cons: food, parking, expensive

Posted 08/09/03

This is a terrific Mexican restaurant. You cannot go wrong if you wish to entertain friends or business associates here. I have been to all of the locations and they are all excellent.

Pros: Food, Drinks, Serivce

Posted 08/07/03

The food was wonderful but everytime I've gone, whether in a large or small group, the service has been lousy. One time, the waiter went around the whole table askin for drink orders and then skipped my husband & myself! And despite the wonderful food, the prices don't necessarily match the quality.

Posted 07/16/03

i had a very bad experience here about a year ago..and decided to give it another chance. boy was that stupid! once again the service was lousy, i sat for 20 mins with no water, and the waiter and bus boys walked past atleast 5 times ignoring my calls. the salsa was good, but the chips had an odd, stale-recooked flavor. by the end of the meal i was nauseaus and couldnt wait to leave. next time i'll stick to my 1st experiences...this is not authentic mexican food at any level...the only thing authentic about it are the names. i'd rather eat at taco bell...blah.

Posted 07/06/03

MAN!! we went here for a birthday party for my mother, only to be extremely disappointed. there were 15 of us, and we got one little thing of chips and salsa...which came before the water i might mention. we then waited for FORTY minutes for our water. the waiter kept coming out of the kitchen and looking at our table...all the while ignoring the waves and calls, only to walk away. tho the party of 20 next to us who came after us had already gotten water, drinks from the bar and appetizers. it took going to the mgr to get help. and last of all to really ruin it, they forgot to sing happy b'day to my mother, completely ruining the whole experience alltogether. i wouldnt go here again if i was drugged, beaten, tied up and dgragged in.

Posted 07/06/03

I grew up eating at El Cholo. The staff is wonderful, friendly, and helpful. They have the Santa Barbara Enchiladas in the world and the margaritas are the best in the world, and the L A Lemonades are to die for.

Posted 07/06/03

don't expect your mouth to be wowed. i dont remember what i ate but that means it couldnt have been bad. if you want filling mexican food in a dimly lit homestyle restaurant, check out el cholo. the menu is pretty standard and service is alright. the bar is a plus~ yummy margaritas.

Pros: variety in menu, mood/dim lights, bar (alcohol)

Cons: parking

Posted 05/28/03

It is hard to understand what Anna Kevorkian is saying any more. El Cholo is more than a mexican restaurant, is a dinner destination. Perhaps Ms. Kevorkian is a bit jaded, but for all good hearted people El Cholo serves up outstanding food in a fun atmosphere.

Posted 05/18/03

the bar staff is great, they are fast, friendly and have a generous pouring hand

Pros: crowded, margaritas, chicks

Cons: parking, business hours

Posted 04/24/03

Food is better than average, but rates no higher that 6/10 to 7/10. Prices are reasonable. A good neighborhood resturant with a slightly better reputaion than it deserves

Posted 04/18/03

Do yourself a favor and pass on this joke of a Mexican restaurant. Do yourself a favor and go to one of the Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurants, you can't go wrong.

Cons: Limited Selection, Bland Food, Overpriced

Posted 04/02/03

Went here last Saturday for early dinner (6pm) and the wait was 45 mins. Lots of families and children running amok. Once seated, service was really slow and food was bland and gross. I had tacos al carbon. Chips were stale and hot sauce was like mild Pace. Margs are okay..Won't be going back.

Posted 02/25/03

El Cholo has excellent food and decent prices. Unfortunately, the service has been consistently poor. On one memorable occasion, the waitress spilled an entire marguerita on my new dress without even apologizing. Clearly, the wait-staff need some retraining.

Still, an L.A. icon, and the food and decor make it worth a visit.

Pros: Reasonable Prices, Good Food, Nice Decor

Cons: Crowded, Poor Service

Posted 02/25/03

although the building may be historic, the food is horribly bland. Nachos? Chips with melted cheese on top. dishes come with generic "spanish" rice and flavorless refried beans. I had the carnitas plate, which was so laced with fat, it was virtually inedible. Save your time, (always a loooong wait) and your money, and head to any other great mexican food houses (which there are plenty) in Los Angeles.

Pros: historic building, historic building, celeb pix on walls

Cons: overpriced food, bland food, pedestrian food

Posted 02/08/03

the last time i was there it was very nosie. not some were that i would take a date. if i wanted a romantic date.

Cons: nosie, bad parking on weeken

Posted 02/01/03

Best mexican food I have tasted. Great service and the food is served quickly. Have tried a few dishes and all were great.

Pros: served fast, good parking, great food

Posted 02/01/03

From the Margaritas to the flan this has got to be the best around.

Pros: food

Cons: parking

Posted 01/29/03

The Margarita's are pretty good. Fun atmosphere. The food isnt all that great though. The drinks make up for it :) The only thing i like is their fresh guacamole that they make right at your table.

Pros: Margarita's, guacamole

Cons: food is bland

Posted 01/21/03

THE FOOD NEVER LIVES UP TO IT'S REPUTATION.WAY TO MUCH MONEY FOR MEXICAN FOOD.

Posted 01/19/03

Popular, but very bland food, weak Margaritas.

Original one on Western is in a very bad neighborhood.

There are a lot of better Mexican food restaurants in town.

Posted 01/13/03

I WENT HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST MONTH AND I REALLY LOVED IT! ITS THE BEST MEXICAN RESTURANT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. THE FOOD WAS GREAT!

Posted 01/12/03

The Cholo -- great place during the college years but definitely not the place for the educated palate. Lots of cheese and no flavor -- margaritas are cut with vodka -- guaranteed to give you a headache. Take a pass and try one of the other 5000 Mexican restaurants in town.

Posted 01/07/03

El Cholo truly has the best margaritas in all of Los Angeles. Trust me, I have tried them all. Rebecca's of Santa Monica runs a close second, but El Cholo is the one.

Posted 12/25/02

The atmosphere is cozy, interesting, and fun. The drinks are great, the food is wonderful. There's the option to sit in the restaurant, the bar area, or the outside patio. It feels like your out in a spanish villa.

Pros: Valet Parking, Indoor/Outdoor Option, Inexpensive

Cons: ?

Posted 12/24/02

Been eating at the El Cholo Chain Restaurants for years... I LOVE THEM ALL and there other restaurants as well :)

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK,

A SATISFIED STOMACH!!! :)

Posted 12/20/02

This isn't your normal Mexican Resaurant, this is more southwest U.S. A lot of pride goes into the building and the food.

Posted 12/19/02

There is nothing healthy about this place but it really is fun. I like the nachos and margaritas. The tamales (in season) are good too.

Pros: nachos, margaritas

Posted 12/13/02

I visited El Cholo a while ago, and the food was amazing. The helpings were so big that we could have simply ordered a starter and gotten full on that!

Pros: Good value, Good food

Cons: Crowded

Posted 12/12/02

I've tried El Cholo's about 4 times now, and I really don't understand the hype that this restaurant has. It's just a bit better than El Torito's and that's not saying much about authentic Mexican food. Whether you order one dish or a combo, the food and the sauces taste the same. I wouldn't recommend this place, unless you like El Torito's.

Posted 12/02/02

This place basically caters food for people who don't really know what mexican food is. There are better places that are terrific, even El Torito beats this place.

Pros: Nice drinks, Nice decorations, Nice napkins

Cons: Food not good, Service is crap, Too expensive

Posted 11/24/02

We went to El Cholo following a football game with a party of 5. We ended up waiting over 2 hours to be seated (we did enjoy the margaritas but since we had to drive home the number was limited) . When we finally did get a table and were served we found the food to be much overrated. There are any number of Mexican restaurants that offer better food at lower prices and without the wait..

Pros: good margaritas

Cons: overrated food, long wait, overpriced

Posted 11/21/02

I didn't think this was a great place. The food was so/so - I have had much better. The atmosphere was cool but service was absolutely terrible. We had to hunt down someone to get our check.

I'd say go elsewhere.

Pros: cool atmosphere

Cons: bad service, food wasn't great

Posted 11/17/02

Tlapazola Grill has to be one of the best restaurants in west LA its worth your money the food it GREAT and the flavors are magical one of the best dishes has to be the nightly special, DUCK serves in pork wine sause.

Posted 11/14/02

The food was not very good and the watier was slow. He took for ever to take our order. The only good thing is cheap food.

Pros: Cheap Food

Cons: Not very good food, servise slow

Posted 11/08/02

LA lemonade is the best margarita in town. Food is pretty good too.

Posted 11/07/02

The service is good once you are seated down. Yet the food there is not what one can expect. Having gone there I was deeply disapointed at their soup and tacos. I didn't believe it could be called Mexican. Other than that everyone should at least go once to see what all the hype is about. Its a good place for business and family/friend environment. Just dont expect greatness in food.

Pros: ambience, service, drinks

Cons: food, price, not authentic

Posted 11/03/02

They have a great after work vibe but you can do better at a hole in the wall mexican stand. Nice for sit down.

Cons: loud after work

Posted 10/31/02

I ordered the combination plate of a chile relleno and a beef taco. What I received was a 1 inch strip of pepper with no cheese wrapped up in egg and my taco was served on a different plate that looked like a taquito. Rice and beans were way too salty to eat. My daughter ordered a shirley temple drink and when it arrived they were so cheap it didn't even come with a cherry. I complained about the food, but they said that's how they prepare the food. Don't waste your time and money here.

Posted 10/28/02

Two words...crab enchilada. The main attraction for me, but just one of the many quality entrees on the menu. The complimentary chips and salsa are better than average and the tortilla soup is delicious. If you are undecided, you can't go wrong with the sampler. If you are lucky (or in some cases unlucky), on some nights you'll catch the mariachi band. The only minuses I can think of are the cramped booth seats and service can take awhile when it gets busy. This is pretty much my favorite Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, thusfar.

Pros: Crab Enchilada, Chips and Salsa, Live Mariachi

Cons: Cramped Booths, Slow Service at Times, Seedy Neighborhood

Posted 10/22/02

El Cholo has been a godsend for those living in Pasadena area. The bartender, Ben, will make amazing doubles for you. The fresh fruit blended margs are excellent and they have a great selection of tequilas. Relaxed atmosphere, I take my mom here just as easily as a group of friends or a date.

Pros: relaxed, festive, fun

Cons: service can be slow, small bar area, parking valet only

Posted 10/20/02

Although we are fans of the Westside El Cholo, this was our first visit to the Western Ave branch. The atmosphere here is a bit darker and smaller than the other, but the menu and food are the same. Our only complaint on this visit was the service, as our server was slow and inattentive. However, the busperson was really on the ball, making up for most of the inattention from our waiter. El Cholo wisely focuses on standard Mexican-fare dishes such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc. The chips are always cold, but the salsa is decently spicy. All entrees are prepared competently, but almost nothing really stands out as unusual or outstanding. The only possible exceptions are the corn tamales and the fajitas, which mix a wide variety of vegetables in with the plentiful meat. Still, compared to many mexican places we've visited in LA, El Cholo generally delivers.

Posted 10/17/02

Have visited many times. Though the food and service are always very good, we always end up waiting a long time for a table. If not for this, I'd probably eat here a lot more often.

Posted 09/28/02

Food is only mediocre and the last time I ate there, I found a hair in my food. Sent it back and my new food had a hair in it as well. Definitly not the best Mexican food in town.

Posted 09/20/02

I do not feel that there is anything authentic with El Cholo. The food tastes like an overpriced frozen dinner.

This restaurant would not even be in my personal top 200.

Posted 09/15/02

I have always loved going to El Cholo's. The atmosphere, environment and food make it the best.

Pros: great food, inexpensive, ambience

Cons: parking

Posted 09/12/02

Fine established Mexican restaurant in La Habra/Whittier area. Good specials of the night, entertainment, a fun family affair.

Pros: good parking

Cons: noisy

Posted 09/11/02