Gilbert’s El Indio Restaurant

This is one of those nice authentic Mexican restaurants. You can tell the place offers a good value when the place is packed.

This has always been my favorite AUTHENTIC Mexican restaurant. My family has been coming here since I was a child. Now that I’m vegan, I’m happy that the veggie burrito can be altered (kettle beans and no cheese) to make it vegan. I love the green sauce they douse it in to make it wet, and sometimes I even add MORE salsa– the red salsa that comes with your chips– to make it extra wet and sloppy. This might sound gross to others, but I enjoy my veggie burrito leftovers cold the next morning! Yummy! Excellent service always.

The best Mexican food in Santa Monica hands down! The staff here are always super friendly and the service is great! I usually order to go around lunch time and so far everything has always been perfect! I call in my order, drive over to pick up the deliciousness & enjoy!

A restaurant where you can get a good meal any time of the day. The breakfast specials are delicious and filling and they come with coffee or tea. Taco Tuesdays are a family favorite; yummy mini tacos that come with a side of lettuce and shredded cheese. You can’t go wrong here — friendly staff, delicious food and fun décor.

I’m from the east coast and was looking for some yummy Mexican food while in Santa Monica. A friend recommended Gilbert’s and it was great! Good service, great tasting food and the prices were good too. But it’s cash only, so you need to keep that in mind if you go.

Excellent, authentic quality mexican food and most excellent Margarita’s on the rocks.

Gilbert’s has been at this same location for as long as I can remember. You don’t survive in the restaurant business that long if you don’t offer a great product. And Gilbert’s delivers.
I’ve tried just about everything on the menu at this point, and it’s hard to pick favorites. Buy I wouldn’t want to get sick and not have their albondigas soup to comfort me.
Open until 11:00, Gilbert’s is there for me long after most when I just want to run out late to grab a burrito to take home.
All said, you can’t beat the taste, price, and quality of Gilbert’s.

My husband and I have been frequenting this restaurant more than usual within the past year. They are most definitely consistent with the quality of their food. I always seem to order their chile relleno with rice and beans. The batter of the chile relleno is nice and fluffy and the sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Their beans are thick and creamy and make a great dip for their thick freshly fried tortilla chips. The rice is well seasoned and delicious. My husband is a big fan of their tacos and once a week they’re $ 1 each which is such a steal. This is some of the best Mexican food in Southern California. They still accept cash as their only form of payment, but if you go there without any there is an ATM available inside the restaurant. This is the type of place that you will want to take your out of town guests if they’re craving authentic Mexican food!

Great food, great service, and a unique environment. I haven’t had anything here that wasn’t great. The only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because the beer selection is smaller than I like. But don’t hold that against them, this place is a gem.

Chips and Salsa were amazing (ask for spicy salsa and pico). Ordered the carne asada burrito which was very flavorful and juicy. Three of us ate for $ 20. I really don’t think anything would have made it better. It is cash only but there was an ATM which worked fine for us.

I’ve lived in LA my entire life, and Gilbert’s is unquestionably my favorite Mexican restaurant. I think you can always judge a Mexican food establishment by its salsa, and Gilbert’s house salsa is my favorite in the city. Oh, and the guacamole? Amazing.
My personal favorite dish on the menu is the carne asada taco — the Taco Tuesday size is good, but I recommend going for the regular menu version. Also, a tip: apply the aforementioned salsa liberally inside the taco, and you won’t regret it.
The service is top-​notch — a super friendly staff and very quick order turnaround. It has a fun, vibrant, family-​friendly atmosphere. Having said that, it’s also an awesome choice for college students looking for a place to eat before they go out in Santa Monica, Venice, Westwood, or Culver City.
If you’re looking for Mexican food, I can’t recommend Gilbert’s highly enough.

Friendly and Homey staff! Gilbert’s has been around for years and you will get an old fashioned tummy filling meal!
You will always be greeted with smiles and easy conversation!
The Margaritas are delish and prices are reasonable! You will leave feeling full and Happy!

Delliciosos Sandwich y la variedad exelemte se los recomiendo es un restaurant muy tranquilo y muy buena la comida ya traje a mi familia …

Granted the only times I’ve gone here are when its Taco Tuesday. The tacos are a good deal for the many options you’re given. You’re given the choice of hard shell or soft tacos and also the different kind of meats. Inside the décor is nice with pictures and piñatas and things like that so it’s definitely colorful.
The parking lot is a bit small. I was really annoyed because last time I parked in the car space close to the entrance. I stayed in my car to wait to be called, and a bunch of high school kids were leaning against my car and one of them ran into it. I was so mad and got out of my car and told them not to do that. They stopped for a little then ended up leaning against my car again. I think they were Samo high schoolers. They really annoyed me.
Despite the setback with the high schoolers outside, this place is a good deal for a Taco Tuesday. Like others have said, it’s CASH ONLY. However, don’t let that stop you from trying this place out because it’s tasty and good.
Fair warning if you go for Taco Tuesday, sometimes going too late may not be the best. The line may sometimes simmer down, but sometimes they run out of the taco Tuesday tacos so you’re kind of left with just whatever is there.
Chips are crunchy and addicting. Salsa is a enhancing touch to the chips.
Overall food is good for a Taco Tuesday and service is a hit or miss sometimes to being great to just average.

Honestly I’ve had better Mexican food at Taco Bell, but due to decent service I’ll give them two stars. That said I will never understand why restaurants continue to put wilted hot, soggy lettuce in a hot wet burrito. I recommend you pass in this one my friends!

Stopped in for an early lunch. Chips and salsa are 5 stars. Ask for the vinegar carrots, delish. Has the chicken chimi, was good, needs some type of sauce, cause shredded chicken tends to be dry.

LOVE THIS PLACE! My good friend introduced me to this place as Mexican food (in his opinion) is pretty hard to come by in the West Side. There is nothing fancy about Gilbert’s — it’s just a local down home Mexican restaurant with excellent food! You can tell as soon as you walk in that the place is filled with loyal patrons from all backgrounds and it always seems the wait staff and owners recognize almost every face that walks in.
Although I’ve only been to this place during lunch hours, they get very busy which means their service can come off a bit cold at times however it’s really not the case. They just try and work fast to make sure everyone has their glasses full, their chips refilled, enough salsa and that your food comes out in a timely fashion. I’ve yet to have a bad experience here.
If you’re looking for great Mexican food on the West Side, Gilberts is the place!
***This is a CASH ONLY establishment!!!

Very good, solid Mexican food. Service is super friendly, sand the owner is a real sweetheart. I highly recommend them!

I left this restaurant 15 minutes ago because of how awful the staff and manager were acting. First of all we had to wait to be greeted by a short Hispanic gentleman who did not even greet the entire party. After throwing chips and salsa on the table, the Hispanic gentleman waved his finger at the table and said «hold on» and walked away. After waiting for about 14 – 15 minutes for our waiter to return, he stands at the end of the table, holds up his mini notepad and says «Who’s first?» without even looking up. I honestly felt like beating the shit out of his bitch ass but this establishment is so pathetic, I would simply be wasting my time. 0 stars if possible. Fuck this place and the whole staff.

This place is terrible. No one greeted us and they made it seem like it was a burden that we were there. My best friend and I are visiting from out of town from the Bay Area. I have never had service like this before, but technically we didn’t even get service. Management and servers are terrible. I wouldn’t recommend coming here at all. We had to ask if we can order food and the server put his finger up like we were bothering us. He then came to our table 5 minutes later and said rudely «who’s first». It is really sad. I don’t know why he was being so rude as we are all friendly, nice, and respectable people.

Went in on a Friday for some good Mexican food and margaritas with friends. I got nothing because I waited forever to be helped, glad I saved my money.

Wow, this place has by far the best margaritas ever! And wait, they come in pitchers you say? Nothing can even compare.

We did Margarita Monday! And it was delicious! Marg’s were on par and food — the chicken fajitas are not to be messed with. I’m giving this place 4 stars because of the set up when you walk in. We sat there in spoken to for 10 minutes. Even though we signed in and sat down could someone not have communicated that they would be with us?

Went here for a friends birthday. It was okay. If you have food allergies, watch out. I am on a gluten free and dairy free diet and they put cheese on EVERYTHING including the salad and guacamole. So if you have food allergies, be advised.

Recycled salsa, old chips, and yellow cheese in quesadilla’s?! Pictures were deceiving. I won’t be coming back. Don’t waste your money.

OMG — where do we START!!! Growing up in San Francisco, we’re used to Mexican food in and around the Mission district and it’s hard to come by down here in LA. That’s not a bad thing, mind you, as the Mexican food down here — on the whole — is far superior to anything you’ll get north of Santa Monica. However, sometimes you just want a taste of home.
Gilbert’s is a definite old-​school establishment that serves up the grub like grandma probably did decades ago. They make a great margarita, too! We always get the carnitas or taco combo, though their burritos and everything else will leave you staggering out with a bursting belly. Don’t even try to go on Taco Tuesday or prime evenings (Thursday-​Saturday) as the wait can exceed an hour and parking is a total hassle; their parking lot is small and there are a million rules for street parkiing in that area, so watch out. One last thing — Gilbert’s is CASH ONLY — so make sure to hit the ATM before going.

Went there for pick up, food was great people were personable. I will definitely come back and recommend this place for both positive vine and great food to atmosphere as well.

This place is cheap solid Mexican food with a lovely atmosphere and good margaritas! It’s nothing super fancy. When you walk in make sure you add your name to the list that is sitting there there is no host. There is definitely a decent wait at peak hours but a bar in front. Cash only can be a bit annoying. Small parking lot.

There needs to be a cash only sign
The server needs to be more polite
They need to place the bill on the table before mumbling «cash only»
make your chips less greasier
make your margaritas stronger
on the upside the enchiladas, beans and Salsa were on point.

My sis wanted to stop by here after her doctor appointment. We were seated next to a company holiday party in the booth in the back. The servers were so worried about the holiday party I had to flag them down every time I needed something! I ordered enchiladas and was surprised to find they use cheddar cheese!!! My sis seemed to enjoy her tacos dorados (hard shell tacos) but I was crazy underwhelmed by my food and service. Overall, I highly doubt I’ll be back any time soon.

My secret hiding spot when I’m craving some real authentic Mexican. Have been coming here off and on for years with my bf/​ex/​bf/​ex haha. It’s our Mexican spot. Cozy dark and romantic. LOVE it here!
I have never had one complaint about any of the dishes here. Everything is superb!
Really love their tamales and guacamole. Also love their salsas. Different types and some are super super spicy. just like me: D
Sorry I was so hungry I forgot to take pics of all our food.

Its rare to find a mexican restaurant that can make a decent fish taco. I came one day for work with my boss and she introduced to some of the specials. I decided to try their potato taco and fish tacos.
I haven’t had fish tacos that really jumped at me until I’ve tried them at gilberts. They tasted so fresh and had great garnishes adding really a great punch to flavor.
The potato tacos fared a ³⁄₅ for flavor and crunch. It had a stale-​ness to it that reminded me of trying to reheat crispy foods in the oven.
Dropping by later this week to try more on their menu.
They have lunch specials that change daily and also taco tuesdays! Be ware though. the wait Tuesday night can go up to an hr.

A very popular place. During peak times, there’s usually a wait.
Their refried beans are delicious per se and, really the best in town. But only if it’s seared on top (burnt on top). I also love their Carnitas Taco and flour tortillas.
They have daily specials. On Wednesdays, their special is Shrimp Fajitas. We tried it and were disappointed – it was dry and, worse, tasteless. But their Monday Special, the Enchiladas Suisas, has been consistently delicious per my niece who knows her enchiladas suisas.
I also tried their fish tacos but it had that citrusy, sweet taste which is not my type.
A glass of Chardonnay is $ 7, slightly expensive for this kind of joint.
Service: it’s good about 75% of the time – meaning, 75% of the time their servers are good.
Parking:they have about 15 spaces and some metered parking. But because of it’s popularity, they’re usualy taken during peak hours. Try parking across the medical facility across the street. You’re not suppose to but I don’t think they check. I did it one time. Shhh…
(Cash Only)

Stumbled upon this Mexican diner while cruising Pico … actually just looking for a lunch spot during the weekday.
You don’t have to drive to Indio for good Mexican food. It’s right here. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. I haven’t had the luxury of trying the margaritas because I’ve gone during the week.
Combos and burritos are delicious. Their homemade chips are also superb.
There’s a little mini bar in the back — a small bar, not a hotel room refrigerator.
If you like seeing unrecognizable aspiring actors’ headshots on the wall and photos of total strangers dining here, you’re in luck.
If you go here, bring your cash because while Gilbert’s El Indio serves up excellent tacos, they don’t take American Express … or Visa.

Just had to drop this one… best chicken quesadilla EVER!!! this place is the best! Amazing food, friendly quick service… prices are fair if not inexpensive! I love this place!!! Thank you!
PS Be sure to ask for the «Diablo Sauce»

Ok is this «four star Mexican cuisine?»
No. It’s kinda more like «what your grandma and grandpa who never travelled anywhere thought Mexican food was, and now we just go there because…»
So why even bother giving this place three stars?
The answer to this is: nachos and atmosphere.
See this place makes a mean plate of nachos. So big that I have to be HUNGRY to finish it. Almost «food challenge» level.
And this works because the time it takes me to order, chompify, and pay for the steak asada monstrosity is about the time it takes my laundry to finish drying at the laundromat next door.
Cheesy, meaty, and piled high with crunchy chips (no limpy ones here) it really is worth the food coma it induces.
I like the pictures they have all over the walls it’s a nice «neighborhood regulars come here» feel.
So why just three stars? Two words: «cash only».
C’mon guys get with the times!
Overall: food is ok. Nachos are awesome cheesy-​crunch grenades, and they only take cash.
Will return as soon as I’m off this low carb diet thing I’m trying.
REVIEW UPDATE: this place is growing on me. I go for the nachos still, and I enjoy a food coma while the laundry is drying at the laundromat next door.
I am going to give it a four star status for prompt and good service, and a good «toppings to chips» ratio on the super nachos.

I LOVE Gilberto’s. Don’t tell my fiancé. This place is delicious, has great portions, has fantastic margaritas, and an authentic feel. I highly recommend going here and taking guests from out of town if you’re in the mood for Mexican food. Get the extra spicy salsa. Get the chimichanga or any burrito. Get the margarita pitcher, they’re small of you get just a glass. I don’t think there’s that much alcohol in them either, or maybe it’s just that good! Just writing this review makes me hungry.

I have never, NEVER been disappointed at Gilbert’s. From the great food to the great margaritas to all the truly cool people who work here. I have been coming here since 1992 when I moved here from NY. Locals turned me on to this place, glad they did. Oh, remember!
Bring Cash!
No credit in Gilbert’s.
Keep those margaritas coming and two bohemia for me friend !

I can see why Unilocalers love and loveless Gilbert’s. We had a pretty top notch first time experience, but it got shakey at the end.
Found parking in the lot. There were quite a few people waiting on the patio, but there were a couple seats open inside the bar to wait. Ordered a couple margaritas and ejoyed some Santa Monica people watching. my wife told the bar tender we were from Culver City and he said, «Sorry to hear that.» Thumbs up for a sense of humor. I’d say to keep his day job but the margarita was only soso. So pre-​made So needing some kick, touché boss. The crowd is ececltic and young, with a family here and there.
We were seated after the time it takes to drink an unnaturally pale green margarita. We ended up in a smallish booth in the back that already had chips and salsa waiting, nice touch. The chips were only ok somewhere between too hard, too chewy and mostly chip chips. The second batch was a little better, hot at least and the red smooth salsa was quite fine. The El Diablo salsa people recommend is indeed very good, great flavor with some heat but not scorching.
Was impressed they had a whole menu dedicated to Taco Tuesday. Your choice or hard: potato, beef or chicken; Soft: beef, chicken 2 ways, carnitas. They had several combos that made them easy to order #2 2×2×2 hard, #3 2×2×2 soft or 5 of all 7 for 35 total. We both started of with #2. When the tacos arrived they were MINI TACOS, like the size of a pot sticker. The lettuce and cheese came on the side so you had to stuff them yourself. They were color coordinated shells, Green=potato (very good creamy and flavorful) Red=beef, and Yellow=chicken. They were okay, suprisingly small, only a dollar and deceptively described on the menu, ie lacking «Mini». You get what you pay for, no problem.
We ordered a second round and shared the #3. It took forever to come out unlike the first round that took less than five minutes. The soft shells were bigger, normal size but not very fresh. The beef tasted dried out, the carnitas lacked flavor as someone else reviewd and the chicken was hot, moist and more flavorful. I’m glad this wasn’t our first round or it probably would have been our last.
Beers were $ 3, yeah. Margs are $ 7 or pitcher for $ 17.5. You could definitely come in here have several beers and be quite okay with the taco as a real value.

Really great place to sit down and have Mexican food. It can get crowded but it’s usually worth the wait if you’re going with a group. The chips and salsa are super yum and make sure to get guacamole! I ordered a carne Arafat burrito the last time I went and was pleased

$ 1 taco tuesday?! I’m in!!! We had about a 30 min wait for the two of us to be seated because the place gets packed on tuesday.
Servers were very nice and the ambiance was fun. We had a margarita while waiting and it had a good punch of tequila, but wasn’t overwhelming.
We had 2 of each of the soft tacos: asada, carnitas, and steamed chicken.
The asada and chicken were really tasty. I though the carnitas could have used a little more flavor. We also got a small over of guacamole, which was very tasty. Will defo stop by again to try of their other food cause everything looked so delicious!

Está súper buena la comida mexicana aquí se las recomiendo tienen unas salsas que te vas a chupar los dedos