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Cal Mex Cantina

4.3 (485 reviews)
ModerateGastropubs, Mexican

Cal Mex Cantina Photos

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CAL MEX CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Touristy

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Recommended Reviews - Cal Mex Cantina

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Yummy chips n salsa.
Nikki B.

A dear friend of mine was in town and staying in Redondo. She didn't have a car, so I made the trek to see her. Cal Mex was the place. A charming little spot right on the beach. A delightful gentleman greeted me and escorted us to a table with a relaxing view of the ocean. Lily was our server, and she was lovely. We started with cocktails - a Watermelon Margarita for me and Cucumber Jalapeño for my friend. Each was refreshing and tasty. We shared the Spicy Cauliflower & Veggie Empanadas. Both dishes were flavorful and exceptionally good. The Spicy Cauliflower was on a bed of sweet potato puree & quinoa and topped with crispy potato threads. It wasn't very spicy, but it was tasty. The pastry of the Veggie Empanadas was crispy. Inside was a delicious mixture of mushroom-adobado & a gruyere cheese blend. We also enjoyed the complimentary chips & salsa. It was a nice, relaxing evening and we had a wonderful time catching up. Even though I'm not a fan of long drives. I'd come back here. Parking was easy & convenient because the lot is nearby. $2 per hour.

Ariana S.

I had always wanted to try this place! We finally came in on a Wednesday afternoon, the place was kind of empty, only two families were there. It's a big restaurant, they have big seating outside too. We sat inside because it was chilly. I love the lounge seating that they have with a beautiful view of the beach. It's perfect for a date with a friend or your partner, just some drinks and appetizers! I got the pulpo borracho and I thought I was going to love it. $20something for it, and was it worth it? No. I did not like the taste. I do not recommend that one!! It's not savory at all!!! My daughter got the tinga tacos and she actually ate them all, she really liked them and she's a very picky eater. My son got the cal mex burger and liked it. Their chips are freshly made and their salsa is good too!! Overall, not sure I'll be back. Also, I do not like the fact they do not have variety of non alcoholic drinks!!! Was gonna give them 3 stars but giving them 4 because they have amazing customer service! Their hosts are very friendly and welcoming, every person that works here that we encountered greeted us in a very friendly professional manner!

TINGA FLAUTAS
Ellen L.

I've only included the consommé, beet salad and tinga flautas in my photos but also had the cauliflower and the tinga empanadas. Both flautas and empanadas were so delicious (moist & gooey inside and delicately crispy outside) and the beet salad was very bright and tangy. I've had the cauliflower before and enjoyed it but not quite so much this time. My fiancé however really enjoyed what I had left of it so overall a 10 out of 10 for food. I thought the price for the side of consommé seemed a little high but at the same time, other items were lower in price than I would've expected. It's a great location taking the place of Barney's Beanery and the decor is pretty cool.

Seagulls
Lucho V.

The ocean views alone impressed me. What a perfect place to have dinner. Superb service and ambient decor. The food came out fast and we loved every dish. We enjoyed and shared habanero beans which weren't spicy at all. Also tried the avocado hummus.Unique dish that's surprisingly tasty.our favorite appetizer was the queso plancha. So good. Had to have it twice. For dinner we got their camarones mojo.Full of seasoning and flavors. Only wish they had been deveined and without the heads. Nonetheless we finished and enjoyed them. The watermelon margaritas are a must. Perfectly balanced to end the night. Don't sleep on their mimosa bucket.Great deal for a bottle of champagne and orange juice. Had to have tacos before we left so we shared a pork belly taco and a shrimp taco. Hands down the pork belly taco was so good. A must try.Will definitely be coming back.

Roasted cauliflower.
A C.

The location is great. The view is great and their service is also good, however I did not like what came out of their kitchen. The roasted cauliflower was only 40% roasted at best. The burrito was room temperature- maybe a little warm at best - typically I expect freshly made food to be hot. Nothing inside was hot. The guacamole made table side was amateurish. The grilled corn rib was good! I would not go again.

CAMARONES MOJO CAMARONES MOJO
Francine J.

Good food and the service was good our waiter was friendly we were there celebrating my friends birthday, the food came out a lil slow even though the restaurant wasn't crowded. We sat outside with a view of the ocean and the noise of the crowd from all the other places around. Which I'm not saying was a bad thing because we barely noticed it from our own conversations.

Kim C.

I came in with a couple of other friends. We didn't know where to sit so who I assume is the manager was nice and showed us around. Food was great! Definitely recommend the birria fries and octopus tacos- it was super soft and didn't taste too much like octopus if you feel it'll be overbearing. Staff was incredibly kind and patient as we had them come back a few times. But definitely recommend!

View from our seats on the patio.
Rebekah B.

The view is amazing. Our service was also really good. We were on a beach walk and decided to stop and grab a drink on the patio. They had 15$ bottles for mimosas. We enjoyed the view so much that we stayed for happy hour. I only tried the spicy Califlower but it was really good. We will be back for sure when we are in the area. I love that the patio is dog friendly.

Pulpo borracho
Molly O.

Service was really great. We were seated promptly and drinks came out fast. The Cadillac margarita was generously sized. My husband had the watermelon margarita. Both were buzz worthy. My husband had the Cal Mex burger which came with waffle cut French fries. Tasty but didn't look so great on the plate. I had the pulpo borracho which came in a spicy chipotle type heavy red sauce with potatoes and pineapple. I thought the heavy sauce overpowered the few pieces of octopus which were cooked really well. We also had the Brussels and pork belly that were ok. They were a little too tangy but the Brussels and the pork belly were cooked well. We would try it again for the ambiance which was so nice and the service which was fast and friendly.

Menu
Laura M.

Excellent food and service with a spectacular view! This was my first visit here and definitely not my last. I had a chicken taco and it was to-die-for. My taste buds were in heaven. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed the chicken taco. It was just the right amount of flavors and, while, it was creamy (from the sauce), it did not make for a mushy taco. Admittedly, I was turned off by the price of one taco ($10), but honestly, I'm a big eater and it filled me up. I didn't even try the chips they gratuitously serve with salsa. Give it a go for sure! Oh, by the way, the server said that the best taco on the menu is the shrimp taco and then the steak taco. Well, if the chicken taco was amazing.I can only imagine what the other two taste like like.

Vampira VAMPIRO TACO
Kerry C.

I came to the Redondo Pier and noticed the sign for Cal Mex Cantina and decided to venture for their happy hour. It was Tuesday so they also have as part of their offering, tacos for Taco Tuesday. I tried their Vampira taco which was very delicious- a slow cooked beef and a blanco cheese that was pressed into the tortilla. It was about an 8inch tortilla, not that big but substantial. 1 taco $8. They also offered a limited draft beer menu along with some cocktails. Since it was mid afternoon, it was not busy and the bartender/wait staff person was very cordial and helpful. The decor is very nice and the view overlooking Redondo Beach is beautiful. From what I understand, they allow dogs on their outdoor patio. I'll be coming back with our pup!

Ebonie B.

This place sucks. The server in the front will asks you to go to another restaurant if no one else is in there. I really actually wanted to eat here to be discouraged by the server. Then while no one is in there, they still do not try to help you at all to come into their restaurant and encourage you to go to other restaurants which is bad for business. It's sad to have a serve that tries to promote other businesses. Pathetic! Makes me never wanna come back here again!!

Jot T.

The taco might be the biggest scam in all of California. Im not from around here so I dont know how things are usually priced, but this tiny single Vamprio taco being $12 was genuinely crazy. It just came out on that tiny little plate and I was actually shocked. Like bro. What are we doing here? Not only that there was an automatic 4% surcharge for something about the government. Idk. Im not sure if thats common around here but that is just crazy. Just pay your workers a reasonable wage then. Dont put that burden on the customer. All the pricing aside. The food was actually quite tasty. Just not for the price. So unless they make some changes to the pricing, I wouldnt recommend it.

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Cal Mex Cantina Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Cal Mex Cantina

Do you have gluten free items?

Anything made with corn flour is gluten free. Try some tacos

What is the happy hour like?

You can make an entire meal out of the food options and there are several inexpensive (yet tasty) margarita, beer and wine options. 5 out of 5

Does this place have a full bar?

Yes it did. Food and service was also really good.

Are the habanero beans made with lard?

We do not use lard. 90% of the items we use are made fresh in-house.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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