El Compadre

We used to go here often. But last time a bar tender asked us for (much) higher prices than usual. When we called him on it he explained the higher price was because he had to open up a new bottle ... and... he did NOT correct his 'mistake'. Make sure you check the prices/bill. Being lied to ánd overcharged spoils all your dinner fun.

Posted 11/29/05

Great Authentic Mexican Food! Awesome Flaming Margaritas! Great Place to have drinks with friends. For fridays and saturdays, try to arrive early around 6pm or 7pm , unless you want wait a while.

Posted 11/09/05

This is the best restaurant in town! Although it is located in Hollywood and full of celebrities and Hollywood types, it always stays true to its authentic Mexican theme. Their live music and flaming margaritas are excellent, and the romantically dim ambience makes you feel as famous as the person sitting next to you. For those of you who are turned off by the long weekend wait, call ahead for reservations! They just opened a new location in Los Angeles.

Pros: strong drinks, excellent staff, ambience/food

Cons: parking

Posted 05/07/05

I go to this place everytime I visit LA (which is very often). Good with a big group or with a few close friends. Margaritas are a must! I love the booth in the back dark corner. The service is slow and the wait is often long (this may be because we always go on a Friday or Saturday night), but it is well worth it!!

Pros: ambiance, margaritas, salsa/food

Cons: crowded, slow service

Posted 05/03/05

In 12 years in LA, I've eaten at Compadre's over 150 times! (I even bought an apron off one of the waiter's once!). Best dishes: chicken with molé sauce, any of their enchiladas, and their fajitas! Their salsa is high on cilantro!

The waiters barely speak English which smacks of authenticity, plus they are workhorses! Some of the best service I've ever had in LA...very old-world style!

I've seen everyone from Lenny kravitz to Sherman Helmsley to Jim Brown there, plus lotsa green-haired punks and cops (especially in the afternoons).

It's great for romantic dinners, parties, mid-afternoon lunch---everything. I love it!

Pros: back-room ambience, greasy food is GOOD, terrific service

Cons: , horrible bathrooms!, forget sat+fri. nites

Posted 02/16/04

I thought the place was awesome. the food is good, the service was great, and the best part were the drinks!! they were reallllly great. its a great place to go if u want to get romantic cause they have live music on the weekends. and the best part is that you see celebs there. I have seen fred durst their twice already.

Pros: music, food, drinks

Cons: parking

Posted 11/04/03

This place was over-rated and service was slow. Food was ok, better than El Cholo for sure, but not anything special

Posted 08/23/03

The atmosphere and the drinks are definitely the draw here. Great place for a first date, birthday party, family outing. The food is predictable Mexican/American. Nothing wrong with that! Great shrimp dishes, spicy salsa, taquitos, refried beans, and guacamole. It can get very crowded at times.

Pros: Atmosphere, Great Drinks

Cons: Can get crowded, Parking can be tough

Posted 07/12/03

The food is very mediocre. i would suggest only going for the delish margaritas. I am a "margarita expert" and when they came out flaming and I tasted, YUMMY!

Posted 06/05/03

The chips are the best thing here. Eat as many as you can. Normally I dont like to fill up on chips before I eat, but when my friends drag me to this place, that's the best thing to do. The salsa is quite a bit spicier than tomato sauce. But not as good. And its free too.
The food is similar to tv dinner style of "mexican" cooking. Taco Bell is probably more authentic. I've eaten at El Compadre several times and each time is as bad as I remember it. I really need to find new friends. And now for these award winning margaritas that people speak so highly about. I guess the "flaming" part blinds people to the fact that they're drinking cheap tequilla in a cheap mix. They're nothing special, but if you drink several of them you may not notice how bad the food is.

Pros: we saw johnny knoxvil

Cons: bad food, bad parking, bad drinks

Posted 04/20/03

I am absolutely addicted to the beef tacos done to perfection. I also always get the albondigas soup which is truly amazing, so much flavor. I had my birthday party here and everyone had a jolly good time. They also commented on how great the food was. The prices are also very to my liking.

Posted 10/24/02

I love this place! The margaritas are fabulous. Their salsa is amazing--very spicy! The place is very dark and the booths are covered by a spanish tile overhang that makes you feel like you are outside on a patio in Mexico. I admit the service can be slow, and I have had to flag down the waiters for water and more salsa almost every time I go, but I like the food,drink and the price!

Pros: great salsa, margaritas, your fellow diners!

Cons: the service is slow

Posted 10/18/02

I went there three times, the second adn third time to give them another chance, but they blew it. I will never go back. The dishes are not made fresh, they are microwaved. The inside of my tamales were fridge cold. That is unacceptable!! Eveything tastes the same. I had a chicken dish and it was made of a lot of canned stuff. I think even the chicken was from a Campbell's can. It was horrible. The flaming margaritas are indeed not a big deal. The live band always annoys me. The service is really bad. You have to wait a lot for your check. They don't pay attention and they don't care. I gave them the extra chance, but I left very dissatisfied, so I know that I will never go back.

Cons: microwaved dishes, loud live music, unattentive service

Posted 10/05/02

The Tortilla Soup was fantastic, the salsa is incredibly tastey and the service was definitely top rate! However, I don't see what the big deal is with the flaming margarita. It was good, but I don't think it's on a par with the "second coming....."

Pros: Great service, Great food

Cons: Parking

Posted 09/26/02

Best margarita I have ever had. I suggest on the rock with salt, they come with fire!

Pros: Drinks, Food/tamale, location

Posted 08/26/02

The "flaming" margaritas are the best I have had in LA. The food sucks, but the atmosphere is the best - they have during the weekends a trio of singers that will get you coming back for more.

Pros: Margaritas, Atmosphere, Service

Cons: Food

Posted 08/23/02

I love taking friends from out of town, there. I usually get the flamin strawberry margi. If you get there late, they'll put it in a plastic cup - it doesn't taste the same. The food is great and the dark automosphere with the live music has made me come back everytime I'm in & around Hollywood.

Pros: Live Music, strong drinks, dim lighting

Cons: on sunset, hard to find parking, be carefull comign&go

Posted 06/27/02

El Compadre is great! Be careful walking in during the day,,,it is really dark but you adjust after some chips and a great margherita. The service can be a bit slow but not to the levels of inconvenience.
The dishes are all good, i have been there for lunch about 5 times and every visit has left me knowing that I will return. Try it.

Pros: authentic, good, cheap

Posted 06/20/02

Overall I enjoyed this restaruant. The bar area is super small and dark so don't try looking for someone in there! The food was good and the service was quick.

Posted 06/11/02

By far the best margaritas in LA! Food is better than average, and thank God for the few parking spaces in the back. Great place to start your evening with a little Mexican food and a few margaritas before heading down the Strip. Has live music sometimes, but not sure of the schedule (call first). Fairly dark and private, so not a bad date place.

Pros: Amazing margaritas

Cons: Little parking

Posted 05/17/02