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    El Merendero

    3.7 (365 reviews)
    Open 5:30 am - 9:00 pm

    El Merendero Photos

    Business Info

    EL MERENDERO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Large bowl of menudo with the pata and buttered bolillo
    Khoa H.

    My favorite spot in Pomona when I'm craving menudo. But only when they got the pata tho. Love me them tendons. Sometimes it may get busy so be sure sign in and check in with security so they can remember your face. They help secure your place in line and find you when it's your turn. Might get a lil warm in there but they usually turn on the A/C and fans. If anything get agua fresca. Cucumber lime.

    July 2025
    Carrie A.

    It's good, not great. Stopped in for a quick burrito to go and thankfully decided to stay and eat it instead as it was the messiest burrito I've ever had. I don't even think double wrapping it could've saved it. The flavors were good; the staff was efficient and friendly; the store is clean and the outside patio is nice and shaded.

    Yummy food, never disappoints!  Their Menudo is delish too.  2.50 margaritas during happy hour
    Lora M.

    The food is always delicious & fresh (made to order) the staff is always nice & brings us more salsa (hot sauce) when we ask for more (it's delicious too) we usually go there for breakfast, but their lunch/dinner items are very tasty too. Menudo is good & tasty.

    Chips & Salsa
    Ruth D.

    The Food is good.. good portion.. Service is awesome the Lady is Friendly, Nice she allowed me to sit and she served the chips & salsa while waiting for my date.. The Place is Clean with Moderate noise..

    Super Fries w/ Meat Carne Asada
    Marcus P.

    Simple carne asada fries but really good and also filling. Usually takes a bit to order and then to get your food but not all crazy long and the waiters and waitresses are usually really pleasant and nice so they make the waiters a little easier for you haha.

    No. 51: Carne Asada Plate with refried rice, beans, and a side of lettuce & tomato.
    Mike W.

    Still one of my favorite work week lunch spots. The service is friendly and efficient, and the food is so tasty. I like their Carne Asada plate, Carnitas, Tortas, and my vegetarian co-workers love their veggie and potato tacos. Their chips and smooth salsa Roja are two of my favorites from any Mexican restaurant! There's an attached bakery which has various Mexican breads and cakes, although there seems to be less of a selection than in years past. Parking is either on the street or at a public lot nearby. I highly recommend you give El Merendero a try.

    Babraboa, chalupa and enchilada plate
    arlene n.

    Good Mexican food and great service lots of items on the menu to choose from, we love the chile relleno plate combinations and the sizzling fajitas

    I ordered a small menudo with pata, it was delicious! I also ordered a pork tamale it comes with chile verde, and it was also very good and flavorful. Our waitress was very sweet and had really great customer service. I loved the ambiance very casual, I went on a Saturday morning and it's packed. Look forward to visiting this place again!

    Bakery
    Maddy T.

    Half a panaderia (bakery) and half a restaurant. Parking: there are two parking lots attached to the building that you may need to pay for depending on time and day. Bakery: even at 6pm on a Sunday they had a great variety of pan dulce as well as flan, jello and pastelles. Small jello is $3 and the small tres leches was $3.50 which is not bad at all. The pastries were also very good! Restaurant: the workers here are so so nice. The restaurant itself gives a homey vibe which feels nice and their menu is massive. My bf and I came here for the tortas so I got the millanesa while my bf got the asada. - Milanesa: portion and ratio was really good although I wish there was a little more of a kick to the flavor - Asada: meat didn't really have any seasoning on it at all but everything else was good The green salsa is very good but the red was not our favorite. It had a different taste that we could not figure out. Overall; this place is amazing. I hope to try some other dishes!

    Enchiladas

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    The mojarra/deep fried whole red snapper is awesome here. All three of my boys get it when we go here.

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    8 months ago

    Great good and waitress very friendly and attentive. Good food and yummy pastries and pan dulce.

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    11 months ago

    Very yummy and good prices too! Very sweet staff. Loved my taco and friend loved her plate as well. Will be back.

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    1 year ago

    El Merendero never disappoints! The staff and the food are great! The menudo is exceptional!

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    Wish You Were Here Coffee

    Wish You Were Here Coffee

    4.3(377 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Speaks Spanish

    I am out and about on my way home back vegas and I you know a good coffee is great for a drive…read moreback. There is a ton of coffee spots in this area and this was the one that was highlighted driving back to Vegas. Coffee: The one I got was their popular item the vanilla sage latte. The gentlemen explained that the beans sit in sage to give it a more balanced taste. He was not wrong, i loved it, and I can't wait to get another one. Service: Friendly and on time on a fairly busy sunday morning. ambiance: this place is awesome, people were either studying, vibing, hanging out with family, rolling solo. There's also a BAR in the same vicinity, which is awesome. There's games to rent, a nice water station. Very hip. This place has all the components to make it a must to stop by. parking: free parking during the day for two hours.

    This is my daughter's favorite coffeeshop in here area…read more.. This past Saturday she took me here. As we approached the smell of the coffee was beautiful! the space was scattered with a variety of seating... booths, tables, couches they had QR code menu + digital menu... daughter and both got the bourbon caramel iced and shared a breakfast sandwich. oh wow ...i was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it all was! they have a counter set up with to go boxes, napkins, water etc... to help yourself...love that! also i guess it switches from a coffee shop to a bar at 5 pm...genius! not sure if alcohol is available before 5 and coffee after 5...i would be curious to find out. def will come back to check out the evening vibes

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    Wish You Were Here Coffee
    Wish You Were Here Coffee
    Wish You Were Here Coffee

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    Coco Palm Restaurant - Salmon, Filet Mignon, saffron rice, veggies and plantains

    Coco Palm Restaurant

    3.8(1.8k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$$

    Date/Time of visit: April 7, 2026 (7:30 PM)…read more My family and I went here for my dad's birthday, it was all our first time trying this place out. They got curious and got a reservation when they saw it as they were passing by on the freeway and thought it looked nice. Ambiance: 3/5 - Place looked nice outside with a koi pond by a nice entryway but looked underwhelming on the inside with a large empty hallway right next to a small host area, and basic waiting chairs. Dining tables were tightly packed as well. Food: 3/5 - Food looked good but tasted bland and underseasoned, might just be the lechon asado I ordered or could've just been my palatte but that's my take on it. Service: 4/5 - Service was okay, wasn't the worst but also wasn't the best. Although there were barely any customers in the restaurant at that time, we had to wait around 5 minutes after seating before we were given water on the table and asked for anything to drink. Throughout the service, waters were refilled without us having to ask but we did have to call and ask for soda refills. Overall, the place and the food was okay, and it was a good place to try.

    Actually this is not my first to have a gathering here . Even though it's been awhile from our last…read moreevent , the service & the food is still the same , "amazing ". Our anniversary celebration was great . All my guests loved the food and they are planning to come back for more paella. My coordinator Randi, was very accommodating and flexible to all our needs & I will definitely recommend Coco Palm restaurant.

    Photos
    Coco Palm Restaurant - Coco Room Havana Nights centerpieces

    Coco Room Havana Nights centerpieces

    Coco Palm Restaurant - Best house made cheesecake with oreo crust

    Best house made cheesecake with oreo crust

    Coco Palm Restaurant - One of the many private bar setups for your private event

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    One of the many private bar setups for your private event

    Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House

    Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    The food is still really good. Been going for years. The chicken is always really good but this…read moretime I went with the pork chops. Food was great. No complaints about that. It's just the area is not the greatest but it is what it is.

    I went to Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House and ordered Ron C's seafood combo, which was supposed to…read morecome with red snapper, shrimp, catfish, oysters, and hushpuppies. My order didn't come with the oysters or the hushpuppies, and another order at our table was also missing hushpuppies. After I got home, I called about the missing items and was told they were out of oysters. They also said the hushpuppies were forgotten and told me to let them know next time and they would take care of it. The seafood was seasoned well and tasted good overall. The only downside for me was the dark part in the fish (the bloodline), which has a stronger taste and isn't my preference. For sides, I had greens and candied yams. The greens were a little bland and needed more seasoning, and the yams were just okay--not very sweet. Someone with me ordered oxtails, mac and cheese, and collard greens. The oxtails were actually pretty good, but the mac and cheese wasn't for me (I don't usually like mac and cheese). The collard greens were just okay. The wait time was about 25-30 minutes, which they did mention ahead of time. One thing to note is that when we went, it was cash only because the card machine wasn't working. They accepted Zelle, but it would be helpful to have a sign posted. The place is small, but the customer service was great. Our waitress was very nice and attentive, and the staff overall seemed on point. Overall, the food was decent, but nothing that would make me come back.

    Photos
    Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House
    Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House
    Day Day's BBQ & Waffle House

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    Pancakes R Us - You call this an omelet.. SMH  it's not worth it . 1st and last time coming here

    Pancakes R Us

    3.8(474 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Bomb food Looks sketchy older vibe but overall some of my…read morefavorite crepes !!! Service is chill they don't over do it , they come as needed and are not consistently asking you questions. Overall 8.5/10

    I have a soft spot when it comes to getting pancakes with either boysenberry or blueberry syrup…read more Tara was in love with IHOP and she used to alternate putting a berry syrup on the top pancake, traditional maple syrup on the second pancake, and then back to berry for the last of the triple stack. So now that's what I do. That's why when I go to pancake joints like Pancakes R Us with their selection of syrups, I immediately smile. Yes, I like diner flapjacks and I like places that serve fruity pancakes, but it's nothing compared to how I overjoyed I get when a place has all the syrups and are willing to share them with you. The other parts of the breakfast were good too. The eggs were super runny and sunny, just like they were supposed to be. The breakfast links were good, if not skinny, but they give you four so I'm all good with that. And the hash browns were okay, but it's very hard to eff up those to any degree. And the coffee refills came in hot and came in often. I got to the five benchmark in less than an hour. That's all you want from your server. And this server anticipated me every time as if he were some kind of coffee Oracle. The place was kind of dim and old, but I kind of dug it because it gave away a hangout vibe, like I was a regular as soon as I walked in the door. I even talked MLS/La Liga/Premier League with the server like we were old friends. But the best part was the superb access to those berry syrups. That's the key to any success flapjack joint.

    Photos
    Pancakes R Us
    Pancakes R Us - And only her tenderness stopped me from bawling my eyes out  Big Classic Breakfast Combo from #PancakesRUs

    And only her tenderness stopped me from bawling my eyes out Big Classic Breakfast Combo from #PancakesRUs

    Pancakes R Us

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    Corky's Kitchen & Bakery

    Corky's Kitchen & Bakery

    3.6(585 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    I didn't even know there was a Corky's in Pomona until my brother mentioned it--I've only been to…read morethe Rancho location before. We decided to come here on Easter, and surprisingly, it wasn't busy at all. Our waiter was very kind and even offered to take a picture for us, which was a really nice touch. The breakfast portions were very hearty. I ordered the Hobo skillet and honestly couldn't finish it--it was a lot of food. I was also given biscuits and gravy, but unfortunately, the gravy was cold, which was disappointing. My hubby felt the same way. My daughter ordered the stuffed French toast and seemed to really enjoy it. Overall, a mixed experience--great service and generous portions, but the cold gravy was a letdown.

    We arrived and we were sat down promptly…read more We asked for coffee and it arrived promptly, only to be given to us without asking if we needed creamer. We waited a few minutes and asked for the creamer. We then realize we didn't have silverware, so we asked for that and waited - again. We placed our order and we received our food, except I got a different flavor of pancakes and not the ones I ordered. Why would the server even bring out the wrong pancakes to me and tell me they made the wrong one, but it's good. Based on how long things were taking I opted to just keep them. My friend's food came 5 minutes after. She asked for salsa and that took 10 minutes to arrive because 2 servers forgot. Then we needed napkins, we had to ask for those. We had to ask for everything multiple times and that is worse than getting the wrong flavored pancakes. I hope to never come here again. The service is subpar. I want to eat comfortably, not have to ask and wait for utensils, napkins, coffee refills, or salsa.

    Photos
    Corky's Kitchen & Bakery
    Corky's Kitchen & Bakery
    Corky's Kitchen & Bakery

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    Rail Side Cafe - New menu items coming soon!!

    Rail Side Cafe

    4.6(1.2k reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    This is a wonderful little cafe stop for enjoying a midday snack or specialty beverage while…read morestrolling through downtown San Dimas. It's close to the Metro station, dog-friendly, and offers outside dining on their spacious, shaded patio where you might even find some live musical entertainment (if the time is right). The servers are friendly and quick to offer suggestions or field any questions about the menu. Also, though you order inside, they promptly deliver your food and/or beverages while you enjoy the fresh air and take in the local scenery. If you enjoy breakfast or lunch paired with a bit of people-watching, this is a place you should consider visiting.

    This place gets very busy! I tried to come on the weekend with my family and found no luck with…read moreparking, so I had to raincheck it for another day... which was today. If you plan on visiting, I definitely recommend taking a peek at their large menu online before you get there so you have an idea of what you want. They have a huge patio area with fun games to play for the entire family, which is a great touch. The inside is a bit small with only a few tables and a little area to order, but the outdoor space really makes up for it. The staff was amazing in guiding my family and me toward the best food options for what we were craving. I ended up ordering the B.T.S.A. sandwich, which was a lovely combination of toasted bread, mayo, avocado, spinach, bacon, and tomato. It was a well-balanced comfort meal that really filled me up. For the side, I chose the cucumber over the fruit and sprinkled a little salt on top, making it a perfect pairing. I enjoyed the whole meal with an iced tea and really look forward to trying it again. I would love to come back on the weekend if I can manage to find a parking spot!

    Photos
    Rail Side Cafe - Caramel Sea Salt Express

    Caramel Sea Salt Express

    Rail Side Cafe
    Rail Side Cafe

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    El Merendero - mexican - Updated May 2026

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