This is the real deal if you want good Mexican food. A tiny almost hidden restaurant has a menu straight out of Puerto Vallarta and it rocks. I had Mojarra, a whole deep fried tilapia and it was great. Everyone loved their meals and the woman who served us was SO NICE. Honestly, I felt like I was back in Mexico. The neighborhood was a little sketchy yet there was ample parking in the back. I'll definitely be back. read more

El Caporal - Mojarra - fried whole tilapia. Amazing! - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Delicious and authentic tasting Carne Asada burrito! Salsas were good too read more

This isn't the best Mexican food place I tired, but it is pretty decent around the area. I usually order food from here through grub hub or door dash. They always follow my request or call me to confirm my order/request. I always get their chicken enchiladas with green sauce combo. Their green sauce isn't that spicy and their chicken is cooked in red sauce and green pepper already. Just today, I decided to order flan from here. And right when I was ready to chow down my dessert, it had a hair in it. It just ruin my appetite.... read more

El Caporal - Hair in my flan. - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Mexican restaurant with parking in the back. Came on a Tuesday afternoon and sat down right away. Received chips and salsa. Finished the chips and salsa. Got more chips and salsa. :) Ordered the medium shrimp cocktail ($12). A little pricey for the size but there were so many shrimp!! Had shrimp down to the last bite and could barely finish it. We also got the wet carne asada burrito. Pretty good and filling. Came home with half. Last but not least service was super fast and the girl was nice. It's a family owned type of restaurant. read more

El Caporal - Medium cocktail shrimp (halfway thru) - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Good standard fare at a reasonable price. Service very good, not terribly crowded for a Thursday evening. They have mole so next time I will let you know how that goes. They also have Sangria Senoral, always a favorite and they had flan for afters. I had to edit this... I was incorrect in saying that they don't make their own flan... they do, and it's wonderful. Don't be fooled by the perfect shape it comes in on the plate haha... thank goodness the owner stopped me in the parking lot to protest! read more

Absolutely the best. Y'all ain't got nothing on this cause they so gooooood. Order my order. Ricky's Special - 1 carnitas burrito and a pineapple Jarrito. Make sure you order extra lime read more

Delivery was quick, the food was good, at least my friend enjoyed his chile relleno burrito. My torta was lacking a bit of flavor and there were no beans which are usually in a torta. The carne asada meat itself didn't have much flavor. Lastly, I feel the prices were on the high side, but as stated in other reviews, the portion was pretty large (speaking of the burrito) I'll give them another try another time, but with so many options in Pasadena, it may take a while. read more

Food is bomb. Service is amazing. Even with one $ sign, the food we ordered wasn't that cheap. But it was bomb good food :)

We always go to a very good place to eat Mexican food, but been ill has put us to depend on delivery, so we placed an order & was delivered by Uber Eats. The delivery was good, the food, however, not so much. 1st the carnitas burrito tasted like burned meat. 2nd the nachos had staled chips. 3rd the jamaica had a tingley taste. 4th the shrimp wrapped in bacon were cooked a bit too long & the 3 slices of avocado were grey in color. I think we are going to stay loyal to our favorite place... Puebla Tacos. read more

Never had a bad meal here. Plenty of parking in the back. Super nice people and staff. Fish tacos and Campechana are on the money. So deliciously fresh. They treat you like family here. read more

I ordered a Molcajete for 2 people and I got food portion for 1 kid , one small single piece of meat and 2 small pieces of chicken 1 nopal and small portions of rice and beans, they told me it comes with GUACAMOLE AND CHESSE , but there was none on my order , such big fraud and I paid $25.00 , I sure never order again from this restaurant . read more

Great food! Drove a bit to get to this place cause they have Chile relleno and it was worth it. Had a Milanesa De Res and Chile Relleno Burrito and they tasted great. read more

Great food. We got some takeout, it was prepared quickly. My carnitas plate was delicious.

Well since the Grand Opening I've been back a couple times and food is still pretty solid, most being above average, service is friendly and food comes out of the kitchen in a timely manner, unfortunately every time I've visited the place is empty hoping this small business get's some support from the community!!!..... Sope de Carne Asada - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#0jVYudTY-C_TzE9s-DRyfQ Carne was lean and tender with great flavor, beans were pretty good, lettuce fresh, cheese was cheesy, and the salsa selection is top notch, as for the sope it appeared to be a pre-made sope http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#q2Hbn_qhyA-ZQyg1daiPuA nothing special 4-Stars Mole con Pollo - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#XqRv8NMtaTaUPkpablJVkg I LOVE MOLE, for those who are not familiar it comes in various flavors though the brown chocolate mole is probably the most well known and to make it from scratch it takes 20+ different spices to make it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#UJk4rgpDgm0XvwpuLBzzBg Chicken they use nice size pieces of white meat chicken breast, unfortunately the flavor of the mole was not to my liking, it was way too sweet, I'm not sure if they went to heavy with the chocolate or some other spice but the balance of spices was way off. 3-Stars Birria de Res/Beef - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#FTGB-vBqEkC-SEsFNXcyQg The Caldo - Consome was lean, clean and with BOLD FLAVOR, up there with the best I've had, they use beef and it was tender and lean http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA#vIvuKlcEM7CRoU9ku8vRyA I only wish it came with more meat, you can order it on a plate with rice & beans or in a bowl, I'd say this is a medium sized bowl, so far this is my favorite item off the menu. 5-Stars read more

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They get their chips from a bag and they are cheap & tasteless. Mild salsa. Horchata is weak. Ask them for the tray of salsas. The green one has some heat. The green one is just jalepenos, salt and garlic. The two red ones tasted weird and not a good flavor. Maybe it is the crappy tortilla chips that influences the salsa taste. Trying to think healthier these days, I chose the cocido http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wgDN1YINgiRMPpNIq-w57g?select=aXkSLjDgQ2zQUQgaz2cmTg#aXkSLjDgQ2zQUQgaz2cmTg The broth was nothing but hot water and the lime, rice and onion condiments helped create a better flavor soup. Nice big chunks of veggies. Tough, cheap cuts of beef. Basic cocido. At $7, not a deal. Wet burrito at $7.25 and tacos at $1.50. I will stay with food trucks for those things. read more

El Caporal - Cocido - good veggies, onion & rice condiments helped with the flavor of the broth. - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

DONT COME HERE . RUDE PEDEJAS !!Came here n had a good experience, tried to call in rite now at 4::30 pm and I asked for a side of shrimp cocktail , as in a container and the bitch on the phone wants to have an attitude and act like a stupid pedeja n say ' what side ? I don't know what your saying , we don't have that . ' like wtf I don't know what sizes you guys have . You could have just said ' I have 2 sizes , small or large , what would you like ?' But instead she wants to act like a smart ass . I live rite next door but I will never come here again . read more

Every time I order food from here..the food is delicious!!! Highly recommend this mexican restaurant

Went in last sunday for lunch. Had never been so wanted to check this place out. Had a carnitas sope , carne asada nachos and an horchata. Friend had a burrito. We both thought food was really good. People were nice. Plenty of parking in the back. Place looked clean. Will definetely be coming back regularly. Hardly any good mexican restaurants near by. read more

Ordered chicken grilled salad, but avocado and tomatoes are not fresh. Called the restaurant a women answered is so rude!!!! She kept saying I can't refund you instead of providing customer service. I don't care about refund but to enjoy my lunch. It's not worth paying $14.99 for Chicken Grilled Salad!!! Save your money and time go somewhere else!!! read more

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I must agree with fellow yelpers -- fresh with variety. Seafood dish seem to be very popular also. Staff is super friendly. I'll be back! read more

El Caporal - They also make fresh juices with kale if you ask. - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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Since I've checked out El Caporal. I've been back 3 times in one week. The flavors are all there, I've found myself mumbling "that's really good Mexican food" hours after my meal. I've had the Chile verde, the Chile Colorado, the tacos de papa, and an el pastor burrito. No complaints, and the staff is super friendly. read more

Had out of town family drop by and It was way too hot to cook for them. We ordered birria tacos, bean and cheese burrito, chicken enchilada combo plate and chicken soup. Everything tasted so fresh and nicely seasoned. Definitely a fan, but the bill came to $69! read more

the best place for tacos! i've been coming here for over 5 years now and the service is always superior. family owned, and the owners are so kind and welcoming every time. They care about the quality of the food and their customers, it shows a lot in the service they provide. read more

I was born in Mexico and am a Mexican food hound! This place is family owned and run, clean, organized, authentic, friendly, and most importantly the food is delicious! Everything I've ordered is amazing. My favorite place. My daughter just had their carnitas plate which I picked up earlier today and she was like " Dad, where dis this come from, its soooo good. Yup! read more

Fast, efficient and superb customer services etiquette. Did I mention they have the cutest kitty in the front

Ordered breakfast burritos using the delivery app on yelp. They were excellent!! The two burritos were 1) sausage breakfast burrito with egg whites- flavorful, filling and well constructed. 2) bacon breakfast burrito - excellent and crispy bacon.... sooooo good. Loved their spicy salsa on the side. read more

We came on a Wednesday around 5:30pm. Found this place on Yelp and was visiting family and this place was local and had 4.5/5 stars at the time of visit. Place was empty. We dined in. People kept coming in and ordering take out while we ate which I took as a good sign. We Ordered birria, mole, molcajete, and pancakes kids meal. Everything was delicious. I would definitely come back. Probably order for pick up because Altadena is sketchy and i would take off a half star for location (if I could), but that's not the restaurant's fault so 5 stars it is! Food was really yummy. Also, lastly, the staff/waitress is very friendly and nice. She and the cook definitely put the cherry on top for a great experience! read more

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Good Mexican food in the Altadena food desert, and the ladies at the counter are some of the friendliest around. Try the #7 combination with an asada taco and cheese enchilada. read more

Stopped in after a round of golf randomly and didn't know what to expect. The kind young woman at the front suggested the mole enchilada with chicken and a carnitas taco. The mole was some of the best I've ever had, and I'm a Mexican Food fiend. Carnitas was also crispy on the edges and top shelf. Will be back, chips and salsa are also excellent. Highly recommended!! read more

Went on Thursday night, ordered carnitas two taco plate! It was really good food. The chips and salsa were enough to keep me coming back. It is made fresh, tastes like it!! read more

Hold your horses... Have you ever had a Molcajetes? A bowl of goodness; carne asada, Chicken, chorizo, nopales, peppers, cheese and shrimp. I took home the delicious sauce for my breakfast with eggs. Thanks Nettie for all the information. We can't wait to come back and try all the other menu items read more

El Caporal - Molcajetes with shrimp - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Read the Yelp reviews & decided to give this place a try. Was not disappointed. Ordered hard shell chicken tacos, with beans and rice. Everything was great, especially the beans and rice. Oh so tastee. This will be my new "go to" place for mexican food. Thank God it's local, makes it all the better! read more

Summary: Good food, great service and clean bathrooms. I came to this place cause we were in the area, but I will come back. My daughter got the Camarones al Mojo De Ajo (Garlic seasoned Shrimp) and they were really tasty. Before ordering the Chilaquiles, I asked the waitress how they make them (style varies by region). She said they could make them however I like them. They didn't end up doing it exactly right (chips were on top of the scrambled eggs, instead of the eggs mixed in), but they were still good - and pretty spicy, despite asking for "medium" spicy. Also, the bathrooms were well stocked and clean. This detail gets by many other restaurants, so I had to mention it here. (Sorry no photos) All in all, a good experience and I would definitely come back. read more

El Caporal - Camarones al Mojo de Ajo! #delicious - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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I just moved back to Pasadena and didn't have a stove for the first two weeks. I must have come here every day. It's almost as good as going to my tia's house to get a nice home cooked meal. This place is real authentic, and I don't even think they advertise themselves like that. The Tortas are ok point, buttery and crispy bread and fresh ingredients inside. The salsa verde is also very good, although I feel like they go heavy on the onions. I'm on a mission to try everything they got. read more

El Caporal - Looks thin, but this torta de milanesa is so good! - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Wow the food was amazing!!!First time ordering here through grub hub. I wanted some chicken soup and some queso birria tacos. The soup was on point. It was so good, tasted homemade. Good amount of soup with lots of veggies, maybe next time a little more chicken. Still good. Oh and the queso birria tacos with a side of consommé was fire. Tacos were so crunchy, the hot sauce is so good. Support small businesses. Will definitely be ordering again. read more

The best fish tacos and mariscos in Altadena and Pasadena. Probably L.A. As far as fish tacos are concerned. Some people prefer their fish battered like corn dogs. Others like to taste the fresh fish and ingredients more than the batter. I'm with the latter group. The fish is pan fried and seasoned perfectly vs deep fried which makes all the difference in the world. I also had the campechana and chilaquiles which was great but the fish tacos keep me coming back. The carne an sus jugos was different than I have had but hearty and delicious especially on chilly day. read more

Third time they got the order wrong and wouldn't fix it. Too bad, because when they get it right, the food is good. Done with them.

Not understanding the reviews on the "overpriced" food! You get what you pay for and the food here is DELLLISHHHHHHH! Literally everything is so good. New favorite spot :) read more

El Caporal - Only got 1 pic of 1 dish. Hard taco, enchiladas, Chile reneno! On and on and on... everything else is so goood also! - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

For starters, it's always nice when the restaurant you are dining at has a food and health score of an A. I tried quite a bit of their food, I wouldn't order the nachos supreme again, however their street tacos were great, crunchy tacos were great, I got a wet pork burrito with half red sauce half green sauce. It was delicious and I would order that again. The pork was shredded and to me I would've guessed that it was beef but I guess it was pork. Anyhow, it was really really good. Even better was the chicken enchilada. The enchilada sauce was the best I've ever had. I enjoyed the Horchata, you really can't ever go wrong with that. read more

Food was descent. I thought a bit pricey for the amount of food I got. The lengua Plate didn't have enough meat for what they charged me.