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    El Cholo

    3.5 (662 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order El Cholo Takeout or Delivery

    El Cholo Mexican Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL CHOLO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Cholo

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    Tres Tacos Al Carbon
    Michelle S.

    Came here with a friend for dinner. Hadn't been in years. The food was excellent. Classic, dependable, flavorful. It doesn't have the same old world charm as the original location, but it's still nice. Our server Elizabeth was great! The margarita was perfect. I had the Tacos Al Carbon and it was tasty. Would come here again.

    Southwest Chicken Tostada Salad. February 2026.
    Michele D.

    Cute and festive vibes!! The customer service could be better, with a little more effort. I ordered their Southwest Chicken Tostada Salad, and the salad was good, but the chicken was super salty. I loved the dressing, as it had a nice kick of spicy. Very flavorful with enough dressing. The chips and salsa were also very tasty. I was expecting a huge flour tostada bowl, but there was a very small fried corn tortilla at the bottom of my salad, so I was a little surprised and disappointed. Iced tea tasted like Lipton, nothing special there. For the prices they charge, I expected more. Nice menu. Other than that, I would return in the future. I'll just try something else, next time. Ample parking. Overall, my experience was decent. A strong 4 Stars!

    Margarita specials
    Marie S.

    This location is part of the downtown LA location offering same menu. The service was absolutely stellar and made the dining experience that much better. La Flaca margarita was 10/10 and packed a punch. Blackened chicken tostada was flavorful. Chicken well seasoned and salad had a nice mix of crunch and spice. Cannot wait until their green corn tamales are back in season. The vibe was typical of Mexican restaurants and very clean and vibrant. Will be back for their delicious green corn tamales in May. Nice to not have to drive to LA for this amazing dish

    #2 Cheese Enchilada and Chile Relleno
    Jenny W.

    Delicious Mexican food; fun, vibrant environment; and outstanding service. All reasons to dine here. Our go to spot for chili relleno (they have them both ways here) and fajitas (served with either corn or flour tortillas).

    Sue L.

    This El Cholo is nothing like the El Cholo that I know and love in Santa Monica, and everything like the Chevy's that was here before it. OC has a way of ruining LA things with its sure to be cheesy take, and this is a prime example of that phenomenon. If it didn't have the El Cholo name and with it its expectations, I probably would enjoy this location more. Service was fine. Ambiance was your typical Mexican restaurant in OC. Food was meh. Drinks good. Contain your expectations. This ain't the El Cholo you know and love. If you're an OC diehard, I love this place for you.

    Chris P.

    First time eating here and its definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever been to period. We were seated quickly and the booth was very comfortable and quiet could not of been better. I had a bowl of albondigas and a chicken enchilada. My wife had the Tostada with chicken but it was more like a Taco Salad. The salsa is thick and perfect and the guacamole was perfect as well. We were given a free plate of nachos by our awesome server Sergio and they were the best ever. I would like to note our server guy was so friendly and knowledgeable that me and my wife were very impressed with him making us feel so welcome. Thank you Sergio I cant wait to go back when its Mexican food time again. Great restaurant a must go.

    Annie's Early California Enchilada
    Natasha B.

    Consistently good food. Wide variety on their menu with a few good vegetarian options too. I like their blue corn chicken enchiladas, the verde salsa that comes with it is definitely made fresh. Great place to go with your family. Service is great, they will let you make substitutions based on your dietary requirements.

    Near the bar seating
    Paulla L.

    Ambiance was festive and spacious. Customer service was excellent. Happy hour margaritas, were great. Chips and salsas was plentiful.

    Sandra R.

    FOOD: uninspired. lacking distinctive qualities and the presentation totally uncreative. SERVICE: the service is friendly, although refills were not offered our server was pleasant. AMBIANCE: the location boasts beautiful decor and the exterior is adorned with well-manicured plants, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

    Happy hour beef Taquitos

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    5 months ago

    Sergio was fabulous and our meal came out hot tasty and we're very happy. Will definitely come back to El Cholo

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    First time at this location. Great food; extraordinary service by Mr. Martin. We will return.

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was great! Service was excellent. Our sever gave us top notch service. I think his name was Francisco.

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    4 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Very simple menu. Food is delicious. Service is fabulous. Love the peaceful ambience especially during weekdays.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    A truly underrated restaurant. We love el cholo! Their food is great, service is great! And their bar is perfect.

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Skimpy portion of food for the price .... Barely a 1/4 cup of beans on the plate , enchilada was pretty small

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    3 years ago

    Food excellent service was also excellent. . Zxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very expensive, food was not great. Service was just ok, ambiance in the restaurant was nice though.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great Food! Great Experience! Got the chicken fajitas were delicious. Salsa has great flavor. Love the chips.

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    Page 2 of 17

    El Cholo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Cholo

    Do they have patio seating in Anaheim? Is it open for brunch? System won't allow reservations :(

    Yes they do.

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    Story

    Story

    4.2(664 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    Veteran-owned & operated
    Romantic vibe

    My third time back at Story. We did another Mad Hatters Tea party. Towers of small bites of sweet…read moreand savory, along with sparkling wine and Drink Me potion. So good! Tip: ask to sit in Vickie's area, especially if celebrating a birthday. She personally adds the "Happy Birthday" to the plate that holds a cup of complimentary ice cream Sunday.

    Upon entering my friend and I were immediately seated and I gotta say the interior does give me the…read moremodern day mad hatter vibe from Alice in Wonderland. It has this dark but classy aesthetic and I was not prepared for that (in a good way). This restaurant has been here for about 2 years with different ownership and menu so I was excited to see what they had to offer. Hugo helped us with our order and he was very friendly and professional. We went ahead and ordered the ahi tuna taco, pork belly bao, garlic fries, the margharita pizza, the yuzu lobster pasta, and for drinks I got the virgin burning thyme. My friend got that and other drinks as well. Ahi tuna taco - 5/5 probably the best food item for the evening. The tuna was fresh, perfect amount of kick in its sauce, and the outter shell was perfectly crunchy. I think them replacing the shell with wonton was exceptional with the texture. Every bite was extremely satisfying. Pork Belly bao - 4/5 everything was delicious. The bow itself is bouncy and moist. There wasn't anything special about the sauce inside with the pork belly, but I would definitely give it a try at least once. A great portion with your friends or family as an appetizer. Garlic fries - 3/5 It was a bit underwhelming, but nothing horrible. I could not taste the garlic at all, but the fries itself was cooked to perfection with the outer being pretty crispy and inside being soft. Margharita pizza - 4/5 I really like the crust and the breading of this pizza. It was crispy and the pepperoni was cooked to perfection. I really like the small pepperoni because it gives an immense amount of flavor in each bite. The cheese and the tomato sauce was fine, but nothing special. Yuzu lobster pasta - 4/5 I wish I was able to taste more of the Yuzu since that's in the name of the dish, but I could not. If it was just called the lobster pasta I would say it's amazing. The tomatoes were perfect to lighten the entire dish with the heavy sauce and the pasta. The lobster was cooked fine. Other than that it was fine, but I would say either enhance the Yuzu flavor or remove it in the name of the dish. Burning thyme - 4.5/5 I really like the acid and the balance of sweetness and sour in this drink. Usually, I get skeptical when I make an alcoholic drink version because the bartender tends to over sweeten the drink, but this was not the case, and I enjoyed it a lot with our food.

    Photos
    Story
    Story
    Story

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    Signature Thai Bistro - FRIED RICE

    Signature Thai Bistro

    4.2(612 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    I recently had some teeth work done so I was craving some tofu soup. Unfortunately for us, the line…read moreat Jincook was out the door! I remembered there was a thai restaurant nearby so I asked my boyfriend if Thai food works. Luckily he said yes and we headed over to Signature Thai. I've been here once before in the past but this is my boyfriend's first time. The ambiance and decor was very pretty and intimate so it made for a great date night experience. The staff was friendly and nice and took out order right away. I got the tom yum soup with tofu while my boyfriend got one of their specials: the khao soi with shot ribs. Both dishes were amazing and it licked the bowls and plates clean. We had a really good time and will definitely stop by again when we're thinking about this food!

    Neighborhood Thai restaurant that offers excellent food, service and ambiance. Plenty of parking…read moreavailable, as it's located in the far end of the plaza past the market. Food/Drink- 5 stars Pretty solid flavors for all the standard Thai dishes. Our favorites are usually the papaya salad, pad see ew, fried rice, penang curry, and tom yum soup. Everything is really flavorful, solid, and consistent Service- 5 stars The servers are always excellent here, whether it's a takeout order or dining in. They keep the restaurant pretty clean and well decorated as well. Bottom Line Excellent neighborhood Thai restaurant. Excellent food, service, and easy parking.

    Photos
    Signature Thai Bistro - Clean environment drinks are beautiful with great presentation

    Clean environment drinks are beautiful with great presentation

    Signature Thai Bistro - Papaya Salad

    Papaya Salad

    Signature Thai Bistro - Mango cocktail.

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    Mango cocktail.

    El Torito - $30 Gran Patron Platinum shot

    El Torito

    4.4(2k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    We made a reservation online and walked in with ease--our table was ready and our party was seated…read moreimmediately. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything was fresh, and as soon as items started running low, they were quickly replenished. Our server, Jamie, was incredibly attentive to our group and kept the mimosas flowing the entire time. Keep up the great service and outstanding food!

    I keep giving this place a try... and it keeps failing for various reasons. Reservations were made…read moreand not available upon arrival, loud music out on the patio and several tables asked for it to be turned down but never was, expensive to eat and no menu options during the brunch timeframe, the list goes on. But our last straw was during our last visit. We had one person in our party that was drinking way to much and way too fast. We asked the server and also the bartender to please not serve her any more drinks. Yet they kept on serving. This person was passing out drinks to others on their tab right in front of the bartender... and we had already asked at least twice to please stop serving to them. The rest of our party had already left but we stayed for about an hour and a half trying to get things straightened out. We drove the person home but will never be back. Service is pretty good here normally, not great but fairly decent. Along the same lines as our story above... if your party isn't drinking during the brunch buffet, don't expect great service, they cater to the drinkers. Alcohol comes WAY before food service and the more you drink the better the service and attitude. Two times while dining here, we have had to correct our bill, charged for things that weren't ours or incorrectly. Ridiculous. We've had several meet ups with friends and/or family here in the past but each time it was not our call... and from now on we will just pass, it never gets better, just keeps getting worse. Nope.

    Photos
    El Torito - Jose Cuervo® Flaming Fajitas Supremas

    Jose Cuervo® Flaming Fajitas Supremas

    El Torito - Free Chips & Salsa.  The Salsa has the right amount of spiciness.

    Free Chips & Salsa. The Salsa has the right amount of spiciness.

    El Torito - Combo Trio - Carnitas Soft Taco, Mini Steak Cheese & Mushroom Chimichanga, and Chicken & Source Cream Enchilada

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    Combo Trio - Carnitas Soft Taco, Mini Steak Cheese & Mushroom Chimichanga, and Chicken & Source Cream Enchilada

    El Cholo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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