This place has been on the "to try" list for a bit. Ordered rice and beans and a side of guac to go. These are a few staples to judge a good Mexican restaurant btw. Beans - not bad. Not too dry and good taste 3/5 Rice - dry.. had a burnt taste to it..the worst! 1/5 .. perhaps a bad run Guacamole - it was runny with a ton of onions and tomatoes... like a bit of avocado with my pico de gallo. 1/5 See photos.. Might try again.a non lunch hour and different plate. Clean inside with sitting area and salsa bar. read more

El Metate Cafe - Side of guacamole.. not good...avocado was an afterthought - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love this place! It is very unassuming and low key but the food is amazing. It really is the best Mexican I have had in Pasadena without going to a very high-end restaurant. Not sure if the people who work there are the owners, it seems like they are because they are extremely nice and attentive. read more

I am mad at myself for walking by this place so many times without trying it!!! I've been missing out on amazing food. Im going for the third day in a row today bc I can't get enough. SO GOOD!!!!!!! I love their tacos and tamales and their FLAN is to die for. Everything is great here. New fave place in the neighborhood. read more

Maybe after another visit, I would increase my ratings.... Or maybe I shouldn't have read the glowing reviews beforehand... Chips were good, and salsa was fresh but taste not to my liking. The green salsa at the bar was the saving grace for my chips. Pork tamale was really tasty with good spices. But the chicken tamale had peas and tiny carrots and whole kernel corn inside - and almost no taste...seemed like a frozen pot pie Midwest version of Mexican food. Strange and unusual, but not in a good way. read more

This is a small family run Mexican joint just North of Colorado Blvd. (right near the Ice House). Place your order at the register and they bring the food out to you (including chips & salsa!). Menu is quite large - good variety of options to choose from. Portion sizes are large and good value for the money in my opinion. Make sure to check out their specials - number of good options and includes a drink too. I like supporting small family run businesses like this one. Definitely will be back. read more

The Yelp reviews didn't let us down - this is tasty, generous, authentic, and affordable Mexican food; definitely will be one of our go-tos. We came on a weekday night, ordered quickly and found a nice table (open seating). Although a casual, even slightly hole-in-the-wall feel, it was clean and had purposeful and tasteful decor. Our food came out fairly quickly - fish tacos and a taco salad. My taco salad was one of the best I've ever had (and trust me, I've had a lot of taco salads), and my husband's fish tacos were also solid. The chicken on my taco salad was in particular very impressive - tender, lean chicken strips that were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The veggies/lettuce were also quite fresh and crispy, and then dressing was very light and by no means overpowering, which is good as most places tend to annoyingly lather on the dressing. One star docked as the TV was on very loud (granted, there was a major sportsy thing happening), and the seating wasn't exactly the most comfortable (this could've been just our table). read more

Delicious food, big portions, charming interior, awesome prices. Will be making this a staple in my local routine. read more

El Metate Cafe - Super burrito & grilled fish taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've bit the bullet, and survived! ;) Located right next to Ice House Comedy Club on Mentor Ave., (or in my case, Saturday Traffic School) I've decided to pop in here for my one hour lunch. Parking: 2 Hour Street Parking (no meters) on Mentor Ave., or they have a $5 parking structure across from them. I've parked in the structure since I was there for traffic school. Usually, I'm not a fan of Mexican food because my sensitive stomach doesn't agree with it. However, I took the chance, and it was delicious! The Setup: You order at the counter, and take your drink and number place card to the dining room, and sit wherever you like. Afterwards, they will bring you your complimentary chips and salsa, utensils, and your meal out to you. They also have a salsa bar on the right side by the cashier stand, along with napkins and utensils for to go items. The menu board is above the cashier stand - Large and visible. They also have to-go menus if you can't read that far up as well as a Specials Menu taped above the salsa bar. With so many, yummy (and underunderwhelming) choices, I went with their Specials Menu: #2. $11.99: Two Taquitos & 1 Enchilada (filling of your choice) + Drink (Your choice). Served with a side of salad, rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream drizzled over the two taquitos. For my two taquitos, I went with beef. The shells were lightly fried, and easy to bite into. The beef filling was hearty, and seasoned nicely. Drizzled over with sour cream, and dipped into the guacamole, delicious, and I would order their beef taquitos again. The chicken enchilada served with red mole was also tasty! The red mole wasn't spicy (thank gawd), and it had a sweet taste to it, yum! The chicken enchilada filling was also hearty, but would have liked it to be a bit bigger (like the same size of the taquitos at least). The salad and beans were pretty good - fresh and generous. The rice however, sucked! It was hard and lumpy. Luckily, I've mixed it with the beans and guacamole to help soften it up. The complimentary chips and salsa were great! The chips were generous, housemade and non greasy. The salsa wasn't hot either, and rather refreshing! Drink: I was slightly bummed that they ran out of horchata, but the Coconut Juice I got instead - LOVE IT!!! A MUST GET!!! Sweet and refreshing! Kept me awake through the last 4 hours of traffic school, yes! Service/Decor: Fast, friendly, and efficient service. Their dining area is cooling, spacious, and they also got seating outside if you prefer. Though, if you need to pee, you need to ask them to unlock the restrooms since they want to keep outsiders from using it. Otherwise, I would definitely come back here again. The food is fresh, light and filling. I made it through traffic school with no tummy ache, and so that itself, is worth five stars! :D read more

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Metate will open up again Tuesday, June 2 . We are so happy to see them back. The best Mexican food in the area and very authentic. Not only is the food delicious, there are many choices on the menu. We are always greeted and treated very nice too. Our favorites chilaquiles and the mole enchiladas. They always have homemade fruit water. Y read more

Authentic Mexican food cooked by the family who owns El Metate. Well prepared food that isn't over priced at all and is delicious to eat. The husband and wife remain in the kitchen cooking the best Mexican food ever!!!! The food is amazing and inexpensive as well. The family takes such pride in their restaurant. It's an adorable little place that produces truly authentic Mexican food. Happy hour is fun too:) read more

In Pasadena, this is excellent. Careful cooking, a diverse menu, fresh ingredients, family run. Can't recommend it enough.

Hidden gem! Decent price for what you get and the food we ordered tasted fresh like it was made from scratch including the tortilla.

Amazing food and drinks for the price. Ana is really sweet. All the staff are really nice!

This has been one of my favorite places to go for tacos. The el Pastor taco is seasoned so well my mouth is watering thinking about it. The cashier recommended that we try the Mocajete and it's amazing. An absolute favorite for us in Pasadena. read more

I used to come here weekly when I lived in Pasadena. The owner who I believe is the cook is really nice. He made me vegetable enchiladas and they are best I've ever had. He makes them with spinach and mushrooms. The salsa/enchilada sauce is what makes them even better. Ordered 2 burritos and taquitos to go for my family. Small shop. Great service. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

This little hole in the wall is a gem. Really good authentic Mexican food, which I find hard to find in Pasadena. I tried the seafood tostadas and I'll definitely come back again. I want to try their veggie burrito next. The staff is super friendly! read more

Small place, big taste! I choose here above all other Mexican food tacos in the area. Good people who serve you too

Came here based on the reviews and was pleasantly surprised. Food was delicious, service was great and the Micheladas were on point! Felt like it was family serving us. Will definitely come back here when I'm on Pasadena again!! read more

In my quest to find the best places to eat that I can walk to in my neighborhood, I had to check this place out. There are plenty of Mexican options in the vicinity which is one of the best things about living in the LA area. This place seems to have a loyal following and good word of mouth reviews, so I felt somewhat confident going in to try it. When I walked in, I was readily greeted and welcomed by a very expansive menu that reflected the casual but diverse options. I was not sure of what exactly I wanted, but the nice guy at the register guided me through the menu and made some personal recommendations that I appreciated. I went with one of their house specials, which was a chipotle chicken burrito. I'm a sucker of anything chipotle flavored, so this was an easy sell. The restaurant has an attached dining area that was decently full on an early Saturday evening. I enjoyed seeing people walking in, and regulars at that based on the familiar and warm greetings of recognition by the staff and patrons in Spanish and in English. That added some legitimacy to this place in my book. When i sat down, I was provided with some chips and salsa to enjoy while waiting for my dinner. When my burrito arrived I dived in pretty fast, and was pleased to taste the familiar chipotle spice with just the right amount of heat to add kick, but not render the dish inedible. I could only get through half of it, and ended up with lunch the next day. I will definitely be back soon to try some of their other dishes and recommend you do too. read more

El Metate Cafe - Chipotle Chicken Burrito. Made two meals outta this one! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great and unique approaches to the typical Mexican food restaurant. They have quite a few tasty choices on the menu and most should be tried to find your favorite. I'm partial to their burritos, but don't let that keep you from trying the specials. I have yet to be disappointed at El Metate. read more

Best happy hour margs in town. Love the nachos and the quesadillas. Feels so much like a local neighborhood spot. Everyone is so friendly.

The whole family enjoyed their plates from nachos, burritos, enchiladas, and huaraches. Good eats!

This Mexican restaurant is a true family owned, authentic, diamond in the rough in Pasadena! It is right next to the ice house comedy club and walking distance to the new hotel Constance. The El Metate has a world famous Molcajete that is better than any molcajete jn Mexico! It's a Sizzling tray full of carne asada, cactus, chicken breast, fresh cheese, and oh so delicious molcajete salsa. If you are itching for good old fashioned Mexican food run by the nicest family, visit El Metate for the best Mexican food in town!!!! read more

I've been here twice. The first time my husband ordered Carne Asada and raved about it. It was the best he had had in California he said. Unfortunately, he had had some poorly made dishes at that point so I didn't feel that he was saying much. That particular day, I only ate chips and salsa because I was developing a new dislike for all forms of meat and there wasn't much to offer me. We returned the other night as I believed that they might have had a vegetarian burrito. I was looking for marinated and sauteed veggies (fajita style), refried beans, rice, the works. They didn't offer this. They basically had a bean burrito available that would have included lettuce and tomato. That didn't sound so fun so I didn't order it. Instead, I had a cheese enchilada and a chile relleno with a side of rice and beans. I absolutely hated the chile relleno. It was so heavily laden with egg that this overwhelmed the pepper and cheese. I'm not a fan of eggs or their smell so I seriously wanted to gag. If you are a vegetarian that doesn't enjoy eggs, please be aware of this. The cheese enchilada was very basic tasting. The beans were clearly freshly made and hand mashed, but they lacked flavor. My husband ordered the Carne Asada again. He left disappointed saying that there was not enough seasoning, it clearly wasn't marinated and that he wished he could find a Mexican restaurant with good food and consistency. So, three stars is all they get. I figure it's a balance for the first visit being good for him and the last being just okay. Maybe you will catch this restaurant on a good day and get great food. I personally do not feel that they have anything to offer me in the future so I will not go back. read more

Such a great hidden gem nestled on a quiet street in Pasadena. Food was spectacular and I cannot wait to go back! The menu has a wide variety of choose from plus there are daily specials. Talk about decisions decisions! Restaurant is a bit small so small groups are welcome, however big groups would be difficult to accommodate. There is a self serve salsa bar which offered four different kinds of salsa ranging from medium to super spicy. Each customer is requested to limit themselves to 2 salsas each. Sodas are self serve and bottomless. Drinks such as Jamaica and Horchata are not self serve or bottomless. There is street parking available easily located outside the restaurant. There appears to be as structure parking available across the street. Service was quite excellent. Order is taken at the cashier when you first come in. Order taker was very nice and helpful in helping us decide what to eat. He also doubled as our server in bringing out our food when it was ready. Like I said before... I have nothing bad to report here and can't wait to come back and try more yummy things! read more

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4.5 stars Long story short: Food and service is still good. Probably now one of my favorite hole in the wall Mexican places that isn't a dirty hole in the wall. =P Long story long: Came back with my accountability partners a couple weeks ago. Some of us were feeling the hurt having just paid our taxes, so we needed something cheaper that knew would fill us up. We liked this place the first time and decided to come back. This time there was a guy working the register. One of my friends got the El Metate burrito again. My other friends got something else, as did I. I got the carne asada plate, which came with 2 fried eggs, rice, beans, and choice of flour or corn tortillas. I got corn tortillas. The carne asada was really thin but it was still good. Everything else was good as well, though I will admit I probably should have gotten the burrito again. I'm all about getting more bang for the buck (that's what she said) when it comes to these kind of places. The guy was just as attentive as the girl was last time and came by to refill our chips and salsa. They again had telenovelas playing on the TV. Yes I still like this place =) read more

El Metate Cafe - #9 El Metate Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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**HIDDEN GEM ALERT**GREAT Mexican food in Pasadena!!!** Man I LOVE Mexican food. Americanized Rubio's, my beloved Mexican joints in San Diego, taco trucks in LA, and all the great food I had in Puerto Vallarta! I like ALL types of Mexican food - I don't discriminate. However after the trauma of El Torito and the food poisoning from El Taurino, I've lost my appetite to Mexican food... but a recent trip to Metate has turned it all around :) Came here for dinner from a routine Mexican food craving :) Was shocked that I've never seen this place before, since its right in Pasadena. Tiny little restaurant - must be family operated since the "specials" menu was hand written, the little girl that took our order looked like she was 13, and the old lady that served us barely spoke any English. So adorable! I had a little trouble ordering because the menu was HUUUGE. I stared at it for at least a good 5 min... The little girl told us their most popular dishes are the hand written ones taped to the register. This narrowed it down to 7 choices :) I went for a safe choice - #2 Chicken Mango Salad with Avocado Slices and Raspberry Dressing ($7.99). My friend ordered #6 Chile Relleno Lorg Posilla Pepper Stuffed with cheese and creme Spinach Mushrooms Squash Enchilada Served with Rice and Beans ($7.99) My salad was DELICIOUS - huge chunks of mango, chicken, and avocado! And the portions were gigantic! I was actually a little afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish, but I managed -_- (of course). My friend LOVED his Chile Relleno! Ive never had stuffed pepper before, but it was VERY good. He wasn't able to finish his food - and he's a pretty big guy!!! But this could be because we were given UNLIMITED amount of chips and had access to an awesome salsa bar :) Yes, our tummy's filled up quickly!!! Metate is a great, Americanized, Mexican restaurant with great prices, fresh ingredients, and huge portions. Cheers to small businesses! read more

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The birria plate is a must. This is the best hole in the ground I've been to in awhile. Food and service is great.

Thank you God... I found my new taco spot! I've pretty much eaten at 95% of the restaraunts in Pasadena and have grown tired of it all. But there are always those few hole in the wall joints that make you wonder if it's gonna be hit or bust. Well today after work, I walked down Colorodo Blvd looking for somethin to eat. While passing by every restaraunt I was saying in my head... "had that, tired of it & yuck!" So when I finally got to Mentor Ave. I finally said "what the hell... i'll give it a shot." They had a pretty extensive menu and i didn't know what to choose... so I ordered some pollo tacos. And I seriously got lucky. These aren't your regular meat wrapped in corn tortillas.... why? (How does this sound?) Perfectly marinated chicken sprinkled in onions, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, secret sauce and melted white chedder cheese. There was an explosion as soon as I ate it. But the explosion wasn't in my mouth... it was in my pants! NOW THATS A GOOD TACO! read more

El Metate Cafe - El Metate is on a One Way Street! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Good deal. Food is okay, nothing spectacular. Chips and various salsas are good. Agua frescas have a chalky flavor. read more

El Metate for those of you who do not know what it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metate it's generally used to grind corn for tortillas, grind seeds for chili etc... funny thing though they don't even make their own tortillas here. I happen to notice this place while driving around the block located on a small side street it's really kinda hidden and parking sucks!, so my wife and I went in and it's one of those places you order at the register, have a seat and they will bring the food to you, they do have a large menu selection and my wife want's a molcajete but I want tacos what to do?!, so we order the molcajete and I ordered two tacos. Molcajete - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=DouEJ-59eB6QJFuxQ9kYEA it's smaller than most I've had but also about $5 - $7 less also so I guess that evens it out, I'd say this molcajete is for 1.5 persons or two very light eaters, Carne Asada was a very small piece and was rather flavorless, the pollo (chicken) was pretty good, chorizo was mushy, shrimp was 3 very small pieces, nopales (cactus) was nicely grilled, NO CHEESE, and sauce not bad actually better than the salsa's they provide, corn tortillas (was expecting hand made NOPE) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=bwvUD1c8nuv9yBGD8-SdOA Tacos - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=bwvUD1c8nuv9yBGD8-SdOA Carne Asada - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=ePnGb5il1BTlt7QS1aI6fA was OK though meat was tender it was lacking flavor Al Pastor - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=c5VePz9h4xFgSh7NII-IZQ was good, nice flavor best part of the whole meal. Salsa - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p8hQhrMD9Ls4nAdHzGnZzA?select=j9-qLENvp522Is0DyDsk4A was OK at best nothing thrilled me. This place gives the feel of a smaller family style Mexican restaurant, I'd give them another try when in the area but would definitely try something else on the menu. 3.5-Stars read more

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Cute little place off the beaten path. No margaritas or cevezas, just the bare bones. Great simple meals. NICE proportions, in fact had to take it home. Great MOLE sauce! Order at counter, then sit at table for table service. Food comes quick and staff is great! read more

El Metate Cafe - Enchiladas with mole sauce - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My husband and I were looking for a Mexican restaurant we hadn't tried but was highly rated. Most restaurants were at 4 stars (which is pretty darn good) but we wanted to find something special. We found El Metate on Yelp with 4 1/2 stars, so we figured we'd give it a try. First of all, we never venture down Mentor in Pasadena because it's a one way street that most residents avoid using because there are typically nothing but homes or apartments. Also, the restaurant is easy to miss located in a building where the signage of the businesses there have uniform windows. It's next to the Pasadena Ice House, which I have admittedly never went to. The restaurant is small and clean, not decorated in bright colors typical of a Mexican restaurant. There are several tables and can probably seat no more than 25-30 people at once. There's a single unisex bathroom. The menu is huge! They serve breakfast! They have various drink options! I ended up ordering a special not up on the main menu but printed on a paper taped by the register: shrimp burrito with green sauce and avocado. It tasted yummier than it sounds. I'm a petite person and I ate the whole thing and I would've probably used my finger to wipe my plate clean if I didn't want to set good table manners for my children. I also downed that with some coconut milk because...why not? I was a fan of Patron up in Altadena and there food was pretty amazing. This place is higher in flavor and room to eat but not by much. It's my new favorite Mexican food place in Pasadena. read more

El Metate Cafe - Shrimp burrito with avocado and sauce - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here is delicious, go visit this spot and support this awesome family business. I used to work in the area a few years ago when I first discovered the spot, fresh ingredients and quality menu items with so much taste in the food! So, When I was in the area last week, you know I had to stop by- still the same yummy food I remember. Thanks El Metate for being there and sticking it out with current climate and lack of business that y'all may be dealing with for now. Happy New Year! read more

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants! I discovered it about a year ago and so glad I did! This is now my go-to Mexican restaurant for a casual meal. Food: everything I've tried has been very good and made with fresh ingredients. I am pescaterian, and normally get their veggie burrito (love!), but have also tried a few of their fish/seafood options. My boyfriend loves their meat options, and we have both enjoyed a variety of their daily specials. They have a few house salsas, the chipotle one is delicious! Service: their staff is extremely nice and accommodating! My to-go order never takes longer than 10 minutes. Prices: pretty inexpensive, especially for the food quality and service you get. If you haven't tried this place out yet, you are seriously missing out! read more

A solid lunch spot that I wandered in on a cold Saturday after hearing there was pozole. Luckily, I nabbed the last portion of the day! It was like $8, but the portion was so huge that I had to take half of it home. The order also came with 3 tortillas, either flour or corn, and lime, chili powder, cilantro and onions on the side. I can't remember if there was lettuce. The soup hit the spot for me: It was gently spicy, not too salty, really oily, and somehow both light and heavy at the same time. The meat itself was fork tender, but the hominy seemed a little overcooked and a little sparse! While waiting for my order, I received free tortilla chips and salsa that was pretty yummy; I can't put my finger on what spices were in it. The horchata, however, tasted really grainy, a bit watery, and needed more cinnamon. I think the watermelon and cantaloupe drinks were better, but a little sweet for aguas frescas. I later bought some menudo to-go for some of my coworkers; they said it was alright. On another occasion, I was able to try the smothered burrito with steak and green bell peppers. It was delicious. read more

I decided on ordering food for Cinco de Mayo. I'm a big believer of helping family run businesses especially since this is my favorite Mexican restaurant. I was considerate enough to place the order in person 2 weeks in advance. I ordered food for 28 people. I told the owner that I wanted beans, rice, chips & salsa, salad and cheese enchiladas. I told him that we have some veggie eaters. He told me that he could make some special veggie enchiladas that were not on the menu. He said it would have squash and other veggies with cheese. After ordering the food I told him that I would pick up the food on May 5th at 11:15 am. When I arrived they were crazy busy. They had the food ready and asked me if I could come back and pay them after the lunch crowd. They placed all the food in catering food warmers and told me to just bring them back when I pay. The food was a big hit and most of the professors were asking where it came from. After the faculty noontime lunch takes there is usually some left overs but not today. All of the tray of veggie enchiladas were eaten. I wanted to try them. I took the warmers and trays back about 4 pm and paid for the lunch. The cost was about $280. A couple of weeks after ordering the catered food I ordered some menudo for myself. This was the first time ordering their menudo and I was quite impressed. My mother always told me that one should never smell the tripe in the menudo. That's an indication that it had not been washed and cleaned properly. Not here. The tripe was cleaned perfectly. No tripe smell. The pieces were large and you can tell that it had been simmering a long time because the meat had taken on the redness of the the chile broth. Truly my favorite. Another thing. They do not add hominy to their menudo. This was a first for me. I had never had menudo without hominy but it did not bother me because they included a lot of tender tasty tripe. read more

El Metate Cafe - Menudo $7.99 for a large bowl. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Looking for authentic Mexican ingredients and food ? This is the place. They food is so flavorful, the menu is expansive from several regions. The shrimp cocktail is fresh and refreshing. El molcajete which is a caldron of bubbly flavors which contain longaneesa (google it hipster), carne asada , nopales, chicken, Anaheim chile. The tacos are priced right and legit. The watermelon drink is freshly squeezed. Everything is fresh which makes it much more authentic. That's how home made food should be. Can't recommend it enough. read more

I think it was bland. Chicken falutas were not wrapped like a taquito and fried. It was like a quesadilla and dough was chewy. The rice and beans were nothing to rave about. The service was fine. They bring the food to you. Parking is street parking. I won't be returning. There are plenty of good Mexican food in Los Angeles. read more

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I used to work in the tower at 2 Lake Avenue, and one afternoon I decided to give this adjacent (on Mentor) restaurant a try. If u are looking for an authentic, and a good-valued meal- this is the place for you. Two carne asada tacos (lettuce and cheese), a la carte for $4.80! What a deal, and tasty! And this place is crowded for lunch- come early.. read more