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    Desperado Cafe Mexican Grill

    4.8 (10 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Carnitas Plate
    Michael G.

    Really good and underrated little spot. My favorite is the chile verde plate. They've been nice enough to make it in burrito form for me. Carnitas plate is delicious too. Service is great, very mom and pop and super friendly. Inside dining is super loud, it's like a party, but if you're like me, you'll appreciate the much quieter patio. Just be warned that parking is a nightmare. They do have a lot that's shared with another business and has three spots, one of which is a differently abled spot. I'm lucky to be able to walk.

    Brenda C.

    This place is soo yummy and they serve one of the best Micheladas in town! Service is always great and the vibe is chill. Chicken nachos were bomb- cheesy+ lots of protein! Parking: street parking.

    Forced entry?
    Richard H.

    What can I say as this was stop number 2 on Cinco de Mayo Monday and one of many great hole in the wall taquerias in Long Beach. If my colleague who lives in the neighborhood had not told me about this gem I would have not known about it. The lovely senora who took our order and served us was a hoot as we had two Coronas and She thought I had asked for an empty pitcher but I was asking for the bano (bathroom). She hands me with the key to the bathroom attached to a long serving spoon. We both laughed as I pretended to use the spoon to playfully pretend to hit her. Despite the boarded up window which is sometimes the norm in many cities, our food which we shared was wholesome, flavorful and. Nicely presented. Low number of reviews is from what I was told by my colleague was due to new ownership. 5 solid stars and Highly recommend this corner taqueria if you are on 7th street.

    Chicken enchilada w/red sauce
    Daniel C.

    Ok so I don't have any pictures of the inside or outside for reference but the food photos just have to do! This place has new owner ship and the ladies are always so nice and really know how to throw down in that kitchen. Love getting their chicken enchilada plates and throwing some of their spicy habanero sauce on top for that extra spice some of y'all like me love! Side note: only flaw is that there really isn't any parking. You gotta park in the street. With that being said....worth looking for some parking for this authentic food.

    Green enchiladas de pollo
    Melissa L.

    Under new management! Called in for a pick up order ! Got the Enchiladas verdes de pollo (Green chicken enchiladas) . Not only was it packed with flavor but perfect portion! The ladies that were there were super sweet ! Next time I'll come in and try another plate . Taste was authentic

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    Review Highlights - Desperado Cafe Mexican Grill

    I got carne asada and chicken both were very tasty and again a good portion for a street taco deal.

    $22 Carne Asada Plate

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    Lola's Mexican Cuisine - Jalisco tacos

    Lola's Mexican Cuisine

    3.9(2.3k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Of all the times I've been here, it's alway been great. The service was amazing and the experience…read morewas all great. This visit, we stopped by during happy hour. It's normally taco Tuesday or dinner. It wasn't busy when we arrived. Mainly everyone was seated outside which we wanted a table as well. There was one that we were interested in and asked if we could have it which the waitress working was ok with. But it needed clearing up. It took a while for someone to come out and clear and clean the table up. It was fine waiting but it was like did someone forget about us. Anyways. We got seated and then the waiting continued. It could be that they were short staff but it seemed like there was only one person working. It took a while for someone to finally come back and acknowledge us and take our order. After that the chips and salsa were brought out. Once we ordered the drinks it was easier to place everything together. Menu for happy hour is pretty limited. A few drinks and beer on drafts and for food, maybe 6 items on the menu. Went with an order of the street corn which was quite tasty. An order of the mole chicken nachos and the queso dip with barria. Out of the three, the queso dips and the street corn were great. Nachos were good but nothing really major. The flavors of everything were quite tasty. Dishes were 12.00 an item. For happy hour, it was decent and what we had was good. The service was pretty slow at the beginning. Only the front patio and inside seating was available as the back patio wasn't open. We did start to see other staff walking in so maybe there was only one staff during the time.

    The restaurant was decorated very nicely. Outdoor seating as well as indoor. The service was…read morefriendly and on point. Parking was pretty easy, street metered - but very walkable if you are from the neighborhood. The food was outstanding. Salsa yum , chips hot & crispy My salad was so fresh and tasty, my husbands mole was perfectly done

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    El Barrio Cantina - Rotisserie Chicken Meals

    El Barrio Cantina

    4.2(485 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Free parking

    There's so many places that you see constantly and walked by numerous of time and that is that…read more This place is one of them. I've always wondered what it was all about. Seeing people going in and out which I knew it was a restaurant. Last night we started off with drinks at the speakeasy next door. The two places share restrooms and that's how I found out about this place. Let me say it was a vibe. The first thing you notice from the back, the bar area and Photo Booth. And the live DJ keeping the place on its feet. We ended up wanted to check it out as it was a full restaurant and bar. Friday night without a reservation, spoke with hostess which they could accommodate 6 of us in a bit. Still had to close out at the other place before. The restaurant has a cool vibe with the main dining area in front, bar area towards the back side and on the opposite site is where the DJ booth was. Sam was our waitress who took very good care of us. Very sweet, friendly and of course attentive. Made sure that we were well taken cared of and if anything was needed she was there. It's a cool Mexican restaurant with a cool vibe to match. The place did get lively and was pretty full. You had parties up and dancing and enjoying themselves. Anyway, food and drinks. Started off with some spicy margaritas. Wow, they were strong but good. You had to sip versus drink... lol... Bartender was not playing and in a good way. The menu is somewhat limited compared to other restaurants but what was offered all looked amazing. A modern twist to Mexican food but still with the amazing authentic flavors. Instead of a meal we opted for à la carte and shared everything. Also was informed that the dishes are like tapas and great for sharing. Chips and salsa were brought out which both the chips and salsa were excellent. An order or the aguachille which had that nice sour taste with the lime juice perfectly balanced for the shrimp and trimmings. Served with tostada. The shrimp ceviche, another wonderful dish. Nicely marinaded in the lime juice was very flavorful and also served with tostada. An order of the enchiladas, came with three but we split it for 6 of us. The cheese and filling was very good. The molcajete served in a volcanic bowl stuffed with different meat, cactus, cheese all combined to create an amazing dish full of flavors. A must have and lastly the adobado hamachi collar, yellowtail. Very tasty but did have a fishy taste. Yes it's fish but still. Quite tasty and plentiful. Overall food and vibe was great. The place was definitely lively in the evening. We can finally say we've been and tried some amazing dish. It's a place that worth coming back for more. Parking is a little crazy as residential is always packed. There's a lot across the street which they do utilize but it's can be a bit crowded as well.

    Hubby and I were headed to the LGBT center for the NoH8 shoot and decided to stop and have some…read morefood beforehand. I'm surprise that I haven't reviewed it yet, we've been here a few times. Usually for brunch time on the weekend. The first time I've ever had a Tlayuada was here a while back and have always enjoyed it. I was actually craving some since it's been likely over a year since we last visited. The hubby had 2 tacos plates. The birria was very good, the asaea delicious but very rich. I've never been a fan of black beans but these were tasty. My Tlayuada hit the spot and chase it down with a Penelope. When we arrived we were the only ones there. The server was attentive and check on us throughout our visit. Engaging and friendly. The interiors are cost and warm with plants and green as the main color. Nice murals throughout.

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    Tequila Jack's - Tacos Tuesday.. baha fish tacos, carne asada, & pollo

    Tequila Jack's

    3.5(2.3k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Went here for lunch on Grand Prix Friday. 04.17.2026 I was…read moresurprised how fast we were able to get seated! Greeted and seated. Chips and Salsa were served. It was busy because of the large crowds. We waited for our waiter to come back so we can order some drinks. Once he came back we ordered our drinks which we waited another good 15 minutes for him to return with our drinks. The time line was too long of a wait. He left again, waited another 15 minutes to take our food order. Lol. Ordered my shrimp cocktail along with other entrees. Our waiter was ghosting us every 15 minutes. Overall, the ambiance was busy. It is expected because of the grandprix event. This place needs to up their staffing when events like this is taking place. Food was good but service was dissapointing.

    I would say 3.5 stars is right but our waiters definitely brought this up to a 4!…read more My friend and I celebrated our joint birthdays here and we had a great lunch. Portions are HUGE here! Omg my friend's taco salad was an insane size hahaha. I got the enchiladas which were solid, nothing that really stood out. My friend got the mixed ceviche but they brought him only shrimp ceviche, when we pointed out the wrong order, they quickly took care of it. Then at the end we mentioned that it was both of our birthdays and they brought out 2 HUGE cupcakes!! I mean Ive never seen so much frosting in one place! Great view of the water, and they comp part of your parking so parking was just a few bucks when I left. We had a baby with us and they were super considering and a great kids' menu. Would come back here for a happy hour again!

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    Photo of table in the outside patio from our visit, at Tequila Jacks

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    Desperado Cafe Mexican Grill - mexican - Updated May 2026

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