El Cholo

I like this place! It’s a tradition for me to go here when in LA:). Consistently good food and service with family feel:). I had the veggie fajitas vegan style today, man were they filling with much food! I’m able to have the leftovers for another meal:)… Or the fajitas are great to share. Absolutely love the complementary salsa that comes with the chips. Great place:)

This place has the best cheese enchiladas!!! I also love the ambiance of the restaurant and the margaritas are strong and delicious!

Would come here every weekend just to get a margarita and the Chimichangas! Omg I crave them just even talking about it. SO SO delicious!!!
HIGHLY recommend!

There’s really much better Mexican food everywhere on the westside… :-/

Is it possible for a place to get 5000 stars. I loved El Cholo! I didn’t want to leave, it was so fantastic!!! I had crab enchiladas and some margaritas. I took those suckers down. They didn’t stand a freaking chance. I loved it here so much, I went back the next day for some flautas! It was great to eat real Mexican food and not the crap they serve in NYC!

Went there and ordered the blue enchiladas. They were awesome. The chips were also excellent maybe ate more than I should off.
I really don’t like having to pay for parking at restaurants, so that would be my only bad critic about the place, but the food is great for sure

The margaritas, the enchiladas, the chips and salsa, the food is on point! This place has a great selection of drinks and traditional dishes, so bring a designated driver and plan on a food coma. I’m a big fan of enchiladas suizas, as well as their house enchiladas. They also have a good range of non-​enchilada dishes — but why bother? Pair your meal with a killer cocktail and you’re set for the best siesta of your life! My less gluttonous friends all take half their meal home, as the plates are large and full.
The staff is attentive, (always kept the chip bowl and our drinks full), and the restaurant is kept tidy. This makes El Cholo my go-​to for a sit down Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica. The prices are slightly above most Mexican places, but it’s well worth it.

El Cholo is great if you’re looking for copious amounts of decent Mexican food at a moderate price. There’s ample seating (both indoor and out) with a casual atmosphere backdropped by what almost feels like an authentic adobe building. Service here is fair — may not be the most attentive, but they will check up ever so often.
I’ve been here twice and have gotten A Taste of History and Steak Fajitas. Both are pretty delicious and come with so much food on the plate. A Taste of History came with such a good mix of food that you’ll definitely be pleasantly stuffed. The Steak Fajitas were decent and came with 4 tortillas (they offer corn tortillas!) and a small tray with sour cream, some cheese and guac. Not the best fajitas I’ve had — think the steak could’ve been better. Would recommend asking for their spicy salsa! Oh, and they also provide chips and salsa as complimentary starter.
Happy hour here is pretty good with $ 4 drafts (corona, pacifico, dos equis amber) and $ 5 margs.
Street parking or valet.

Fun place to get together with friends
Great atmosphere and great Mexican food
Guacamole is delicious and I always get the fajitas they are my fav
Fun easy casual :)

I have been to El Cholo on Wilshire several different times during my life in Los Angeles. I’ve been through work functions mostly. It never stood out as particularly noteworthy. I always liked that it was big and the servers and atmosphere had a traditional/​stereotypical vibe. It’s also nice that there generally isn’t a wait for two people any night of the week.
I like to either eat on the patio or the bar tables. Maybe it’s just me, but the restaurant in general has an old smell to it, it’s particularly strong upstairs. It’s not BAD or anything, it just doesn’t make me want to eat inside. I guess it makes sense, as the restaurant has been open for some time now.
Their chips are fresh and warm. Salsa is great. I don’t care much for any of their main dishes except for their enchiladas. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything else, but I think I had the fajitas and a fish plate once that left me underwhelmed.
For drinks, I only order their margaritas. I used to only get the «El Cholo» but since having the margarita made from scratch, which is about $ 3 more, I order that. It’s worth it, less sugar without losing the taste at all. Oh, I tried the coconut margarita once, but it was alright, sweet but basically a piña colada.
I know there is better, more sophisticated and «authentic» Mexican food out there. But for solid drinks, great chips and salsa, and delicious ENCHILADAS (my faves are the Enchiladas Santa Barbara and the Enchiladas Mariscos), friendly service with NO ATTITUDE, little-​to-​know wait time, nice atmosphere that helps you escape LA for a little while, you can’t go wrong. Again, stick with the enchiladas.

Came here for dinner one time. It was a company dinner so we had a set menu. Nothing here was really special or incredible that would make me come back. I ordered a Combo Plate that came with a Tamale, a Taco and an an Enchilada. Everything was pretty average. We also had pitchers of Sangria and Margaritas which weren’t bad. What I did really enjoy was the Guacamole — but who doesn’t?!
Parking is okay. I had to circle around the neighborhood to find street but if you are a baller you can valet or pay meters.

Solid Mexican food with a fun atmosphere. I like the classic scenery and although there is many many tables and the kitchen must be slammed, i have never had to wait to long for my food and i always think it is good. Table side guacamole is a nice started and the fajitas are my go to. it is a good place to bring out of towners as it is entertaining and upbeat.

Out of all the Mexican restaurants I’ve tried on the west side over the years, the two that I think has the best flavors are La Cabana on Rose and El Cholo on Wilshire. The Carne Asada here is really good. The place is pretty old school but still comfortable to dine. Service was good. Overall a good dining experience and we will definitely be back for more.

Came here with a group of 7 on a busy friday night and were seated promptly. Our server was awesome — you could tell he actually cared about his customers. I appreciated he went above and beyond merely doing his job.
We shared the chips, salsa and guac. It was all so good, but I did go into food coma after… Besides that, food was just ok.
Tortilla soup was more tomato-​y than brothy… Kinda reminded me of campbells tomato soup, so wasn’t much of a fan of it. The shrimp and scallop ceviche tostadas were huge but I wouldn’t order it again. Didn’t have a lot of flavor or freshness to it. I did hear that those who orderes the green tamales and pork special really enjoyed their food though!

The El Cholo enthusiast is back. I love that there is an establishment in Santa Monica… even if it isn’t next to the beach.
This is a grand location with two stories, but an open floor format. There is a huge bar and waiting area… it is huge because when you try to come there will be an hour to two hour wait during high traffic times. I recommend coming to this location in the day or visiting during happy hour to have a pleasant experience… and not being very very «hangry».
This is a bustling location… the food and ambience are up to par with the original on Western. the parking lot has valet… there is minimal parking on the street.
Definitely a place for large, loud groups, not for a sexy dinner. Enjoy!

This place exceeded my expectations! It’s really quite cozy inside and busy in the evening. Chips & salsa provided were good. Margaritas were just right. The menu is a bit pricey, but all the dishes come with a lot of food. I had the ceviche tostada and tortilla soup, and others in my party had the chile con carne and fish tacos. Everything was really tasty, and we even had some leftovers to take home.
The service is decent, but not exceptional. Food comes quickly enough, but any sort of «special» requests take a bit longer.
At the end of the meal they give you some brown sugar candy; I wasn’t a fan but it’s nice to end the meal with something sweet.

I love their happy hour (especially on Tuesday when it is all day!) and love their dog friendly patio. The patio is in the front and very cute and comfortable outside. They have plenty of heat lamps so we were comfy on a cool night.
I got the aged cheese quesadilla which was unique and I liked it (comes with guac). My husband got the taquitos. Both were 5 bucks on happy hour. Our table of 10 got two table side guacs which were delicious.
Everyone enjoyed their food and their prices are certainly reasonable especially during happy hour. Service was friendly and prompt. Parking is meters (free after 6pm) or if you can find a neighborhood spot. They have some sort of parking lot too. Not sure if they have valet.

Nice atmosphere. Good margaritas. Bar area is nice and patio.
We got the taste of history to share. Chile relleno was good. Tamale was very good. Other items were ok.
Sonoma enchiladas also very tasty. Wish the egg was sunny side up instead of over medium.

They have updated their happy hour menu: $ 6 margaritas, $ 4 draft beers. They offer a select appetizer menu. At $ 5 per appetizer you get a normal size portion.
Excellent service, and their lounge area is comfy and relaxing
A very happy hour indeed!

I just got charged fifty dollars on my debit card when I should been charged only $ 20.
When I asked for my transaction to be corrected Enrique the server decided to rip my receipt without any further notice. When I asked for a copy of a voided receipt he denied it. After ripping my over charged transaction he left the paper on the table.
Miguel the manager however was no further help either. He decided to back up the server and stated that I would have no further proof of purchase.
What in the? I have been coming here for over three years. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED!

Good Mexcian. Good Service.
Awesome Margaritas (El Cholo Margarita is my favorite).