Great family run place with comforting Mexican food. Come to have beers, burritos, chips & salsa. California burrito is my favorite. Big portions and they have a great lowkey happy hour (get the Paloma). Service is quick, they are kind and generous. Highly recommend trying the churros! read more

This is a really solid Mexican place. I went there towards closing time on a weekday; it was mostly empty so we ordered and got our food quickly. The ambience is very homey, and the staff is incredibly friendly. I got the El Metate Burrito, and it was amazing!! It was a wet burrito, loaded with beans, rice, steak, cheese, salsa and more! It's also served with lots of side items. This is an insane portion size for only $10.99. My friends got different burritos and enchiladas, and were also equally satisfied. The rest of their burritos are ~$10, and are also loaded with flavor and served with the yummy sides. The menu is extensive, so you'll never be out of options. I got the Tamaraind flavored Jarritos to drink. Anytime you have the opportunity to try this, I recommend doing so. It's tangy and pairs well with a heavy, flavorful burrito. read more

El Metate Cafe - Burritos and Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Amazing food!!! the service is so lovely i am so so happy to find this place. absolutely my husband and I's favorite spot. read more

El Metate Cafe - camarones mojo de ajo - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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El metate is a Pasadena gem, gracing the San Gabriel valley with authentic Mexican food for over a decade (that I have been coming to!). You order at the counter, and then get transported to Mexico with their rustic style decor, peppered with traditional Mexican food prep items like terra cotta pots and mocalejetes. They bring out chips and a spicy red salsa that they are quick to replenish. It's hard to resist not filling up on them, but the mains are worth the wait. The staff are very sweet and offer salsa/topping recommendations if they see you may have missed a tasty combo option. We got the birria special plate (which comes with a drink, fresh spinach pineapple frescas was our pick) and the shrimp tostada plus a soft al pastor taco and soft nopales taco. My typical go-to is the shrimp burrito, but thought I'd switch it up. The meat here is delicious, and my bf loved the melt in your mouth birria in its thick stewed gravy, but I personally come for the seafood. The tostada was piled high with chopped shrimp, avocado, and a cilantro lovers pico de gallo. The tangy lime was great on a hot summer night. The nopales were delicious too, a little hint of sour and "al dente" in texture, and reminiscent of stir-fried green bell pepper. The al pastor was solid too, I thought I could taste a bit more of the pineapple juice within it. They had red and green salsa accompaniments, and I mix and matched with everything. Plenty of food at a more than fair price in my opinion! We're fortunate enough to be walking distance from El Metate, but have parked on the street before too, though note that it is on a one way so you may have to loop around. read more

El Metate Cafe - Shrimp Tostada, al pastor taco, nopales taco - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The food is fresh, hot and tasty! It is consistently great. I go to a lot of different places with good food, but I find El Metate to be one of my favorites because the customer service is also consistent. They are always warm, friendly and very happy to see their customers. For me, the older I get, I care more about good service. I know when I come here I'm going to get tasty and satisfying food and share a smile with some very lovely people. Thank you guys so much! read more

My daughter and I stopped in for lunch today at 11:15, while on our way to Pasadena's Morton Simon Museum. We're very happy we did! Located just off Colorado Blvd, this warm and welcoming little place had great food. She ordered the El Pastor burrito, and I ordered tacos, both of which came with abundant extras in addition to a basket of chips and two of the most delicious salsas I've had in a long time. One was made with tamarind, which gave it a great sour bite. We were done just before noon, by which time it had filled up. One of my touchstones for restaurants is the cleanliness of the bathroom. All good there! read more

El Metate Cafe - El Metate Burrito, Tacos, and salsas - yum! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

El Monte is an absolute gem! Their authentic, family-style Mexican food instantly transports me back to Mexico.

Food SOOO bland! I don't think they even used any spice on their food. Maybe trying to make it too healthy? I got chile relleno and carnitas taco. Tried using salt, but was still tasteless. My friend only ate half his food. Service, on the other hand, was great! Friendly and efficient. Too bad food was just sub-par. read more

I can highly recommend this place. Every time I have visited they have always provided Great food and service. Wholesome ambiance where customers are treated like family. read more

I have been looking for a decent Mexican restaurant in Pasadena but no luck yet. Today I tried this place as the ratings were high. I ordered a torta and a taco. Very simple and two usually staples of what every Mexican restaurant should have on the menu. The torta was the worsts I've had. It was soaked in sauce or beans one half didn't have meat. Only lettuce tomato's and avocado. Let's just say it was un eatable so to the trash it went. The taco which I regret only ordering one was great. The meat was good and it had flavor. If only I would of ordered 5 tacos instead of that torta my review would be different. I would say check it out but don't order the torta. read more

Did an early Friday night dinner here and the food was delicious! I had the enchilada plate and did not leave a single bite on the plate. The salsa/chile they used for the enchiladas was so delicious and authentic (my Mexican grandma was with me and mentioned this a few times!). The chips and salsa they provided were also good and the salsa had that perfect kick to it! The service was excellent. The man that served us checked in on us multiple times which was nice. For an early Friday evening it wasn't busy. I took food to go and as we left even those in the kitchen said bye as we left. This will definitely be the go to spot for a nice Mexican meal! read more

El Metate Cafe - Chicken enchiladas plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

One of the best restaurants in Pasadena. They have a wide menu and all of the food is good. The service is very traditional and southern. Food is always fresh and good quantities. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The food was absolutely delicious the food tasted lovely ke my grandma made it!! The service was so great they treated us like guests

The best authentic Mexican food in Pasadena!! Each menu has good portion, food tastes like home Mexican food and very good service !! Salsa with the chips is the bomb read more

Great food and really reasonable prices. Family owned and operated. I drove from Orange County and it was worth the drive. Plan on going again soon. read more

Small hole in the wall Mexican spot in pasadena. It's quick and easy. They have outdoor seating and bring you free chips and salsa which is always a plus! Considering pasadena doesn't have the greatest Mexican food this is a really good option! I enjoyed my enchiladas verdes de pollo. Portion size was good and it was tasty. read more

El Metate Cafe - Verde enchiladas de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Their shrimp cocktails had very big shrimp inside. Their food good and fresh. No fishy smell. Will definitely go back.

This is a wonderful no frills lunch spot with delicious food and a very kind staff. We sat outside on a very pleasant day and it was great! The food is delicious, it comes out quick, and the chips and salsa were great as well. Homemade corn chips and salsa, can't complain! Make sure to ask for the spicy sauce - very smoky, not super spicy, extra delicious. The birria is awesome! The sauce was amazing, and their chorizo is one of the best I've had. Highly recommend this place for lunch! read more

Love coming here for lunch. The staff is so friendly and helpful. They really take care of you. Love the food as well - I order off their daily specials a lot. The Birria plate being a favorite of sorts. The fresca drinks are back after taking a bit of a hiatus during covid. The spinach pineapple is my personal favorite. Don't always take advantage but the happy hour specials are super cheap. Tough to find a better deal in Pasadena. That plus it's amazing how much the place has upgrades through the years as they seemingly are always upgrading the facilities while still keeping a nice homely vibe. read more

Wanted to find some quick (non fast food) Mexican food to grab for the usual weekly lunch with the gf. Food was fresh & tasty here so happy I ended chose this place. ITEM'S ORDERED: Burrito Vegeteriano Chili Relleno & Cheese Enchilada (w/ rice & beans) TASTE: Burrito Vegeteriano is the usual bean & cheese burrito but with added lettuce & tomato. I enjoyed this very much, it was fresh, nice size, well flavored (not too salty) & worked well with the red sauce. They gave an option of wet or dry burrito, & I chose dry. These are a little more "runny" of a bean than whole so the burrito didn't hold together as much as other ones I've had. Chili Relleno & Cheese Enchilada (w/ rice & beans) was a well made combo plate. This was listed as one of the specials. Chili Relleno was executed well & does not come off hot, but does get gradually hotter (in a nice way) as you continue to eat. The Cheese Enchilada is just as it sounds, & decent as well. They give you complimentary chips & salsa which is always a win. Chips were good (not overl salty) & I'm pretty sure they make them fresh. Salsa had adequate seasoning but was not really hot. SERVICE, LOCATION & PARKING: The cashier who is also the one who brought us the food as very friendly. Much appreciated especially since it was kinda a lunch rush & she was working hard. They are located basically at the corner of Mentor Ave & Colorado. I quickly found parking right in front & there were several other spots around as well. Quite sure they don't have a parking lot. Also, be careful since this is a one way street, going toward Colorado. I'm very much open to coming here again. All the food was good & also, prices were very fair. read more

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Definitely recommend as a pit stop! My family really enjoyed our meal - we got burritos, fajita plate, and tacos. Great service and nice people. & very reasonable price-to-food ratio! They also give you chips n salsa. read more

I have been to El Metate several times over the past year with my 14 year old daughter and their food is always delicious. Our last visit was on Tuesday Jan 3, 2023. I ordered the beef fajitas with the ranchera sauce off the specials for the day menu. My kid ordered the chicken mole enchiladas from the regular menu. My burrito was absolutely delicious. The ranchera sauce they put over the burrito with the green bell peppers and onion slices was delicious. That was the best wet burrito I have had in a very long time. The chips and salsas they brought to the table were delicious as always. You could tell that the Pico de Gallo and Molcajete sauces were freshly made. Most sauces at Mexican restaurants are very Americanized and bland. Not these. You can taste the cilantro, lime, and all the other fresh ingredients in the sauces. You can also tell the the chips are made fresh in house every day. My kid loved her mole enchiladas. I have ordered them in the past and they are delicious. The bill for the two items, including two drinks, was $34.00. Very good for the quality and quantity of the food. I was born in Mexico and El Metate reminds me of one those great little restaurants that you would find on the side street in a Mexican city. A little family owned gem. When I taste the food at El Metate, you can tell that Mexicans prepared the food. Do not expect the ambience here to be like at El Cholo or a El Portal. Its a very small place. You order at the register and the person that took. your order also brings out the food. The staff here is always very nice. If you want good authentic inexpensive Mexican food I would recommend El Metate. If you want good Americanized Mexican food, then you might not like El Metate. read more

this is the best mexican food i've had in all my years of living in LA. staff is incredible and friendly and service is truly 10/10.

From the moment you walk in, it feels you are walking into a little restaurant in Mexico. EXCELLENT customer service. From the sweet lady who cooked our food, to the waitress and waiter, all were so friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The FOOD was SO delicious!!! Would highly recommended. read more

Freshly made, quality Mexican food. Small dining area with a TV - but more of a "to go" place. Great place to grab dinner before you go to a show at the Ice House. Pretty big menu with a lot of choices. read more

We were strolling past this place with my mom following and appointment at a nearby spa. Wow am I glad we did, This place is awesome for its ambiance, price, service, and food! We were highly appreciative of the dedicated crew there, they brought out warm tortilla chips and tantalizingly spicy salsa. 10/10 highly recommend and can't wait to come back. read more

El Metate Cafe - Chip and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

To mix things up, we decided to try a local Mexican restaurant we hadn't yet been to in the area. It is a cute little hole-in-the-wall place with seven or so tables inside and a couple tables outside. You order your food at the front and they bring it to you. We selected a table and they brought us chips and salsa. The salsa was watery but had chunks of tomatoes and onions. It was a bit too spicy for me, but I'm kind of a wimp. I ordered the super tostada with chicken, whereas my partner ordered the carne al molcajete. A short while later the food arrived. My tostada was in a medium-size crunchy tostada shell and included thin strips of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, beans, sour cream, and guacamole. Overall it tasted good and the flavors worked well together, but I do have some critiques. The chicken had nice grilled flavor, but I think I would have preferred either shredded chicken or larger chunks of meat. I also wish the tostada had more beans, cheese, and tomatoes since I feel like I was mostly tasting the other ingredients. It would have been nice if it was a tad larger as well, but I still got two meals out of it. I also was given a tiny cup of salsa on the side to add to my tostada, but again it was too spicy for me, so sadly I didn't use it. I tried a bite of the beef in my partner's dish and it was very flavorful and tender. Even though he chose it randomly from the menu, I think he made a solid choice. Based on what I've read about this place, it seems to be a family-run spot and it makes me feel good to support local small businesses. I may come back another time to try something different like the burritos or plates. read more

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Decent food and good service. A reasonable place to eat in downtown Pasadena with a little more than the typical Tex Mex fare.

I got the asada burrito. It was whatevers. I don't really like burritos that are loaded with both beans and rice. But without being bias about that I still don't think the burrito was all that. It didn't taste amazing and there wasn't that much on the plate either. It came with a few leaves of lettuce. There are unlimited tortilla chips and dip though so that was a definite plus. It comes with a free side of salsa and everything after costs 50 cents but the sauces on the side are unlimited so you can use that to dip. Overall I would give this place a 3.5 Food - 3 Ambiance - 3 Unlimited chips - 4 read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been meaning to try El Metate for years now and it wasn't until just recently that we did. Located just a block away from Lake, this place seems to have been around forever. Walked in to a fairly empty restaurant (most people that dine here order take out) but was pleasantly greeted by the cashier. Quickly browsed the menu and settled on the El Metate burrito since I was in the mood for a beef burrito. The wife ended up ordering their grilled chicken salad. Within a few minutes of sitting down, the waiter brought over chips and some salsa. I love when restaurants make the effort to keep their chips warm or freshly fry them for patrons as they come in. The salsa that was brought out was also tasty. A great start as we waited for our food to be brought out. A few minutes later, my burrito was brought out. My only request was to have the beans served on the side which they did and loved how extra slices of avocados were placed on top. The filling which consisted of chunks of beef and sautéed onions and peppers were tasty. However, my only complaint was that the tortilla was a bit soggy. Not sure how long the burrito was sitting before it was brought out but that did affect the overall taste. The grilled chicken salad was huge and was pretty good. Will definitely be back to try other items in the near future. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This place is like a little mom and pop shop in a hidden street in Pasadena. When I came to pick up my phone order, it was pretty hot inside. (Good thing I was not dining in). Unfortunately, the cook was not wearing gloves. The menu can be confusing as a lot of the terms were not purely in english so it was a little hard to get what I want. There was also a little language barrier when placing the order over the phone. I ended up getting the pollo chipotle plate. I didn't know what to expect. It came with rice, beans, chips, lettuce, tortilla, and chicken doused with sauce. I definitely had better mexican plates as the one I got seemed a little plain and generic. The salsa was also unflavorful, probably good for people who can'y handle too much spice. I honestly would prefer Chipotle over this. read more

El Metate Cafe - Pollo Chipotle Plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

A hidden gem in Pasadena. A family run restaurant, serves traditional Mexican dishes with flavorful meats & sauces. When i crave for Mexican food, i will always come to El Metate! read more

Absolutely delicious! All the food was fresh and the staff was super friendly! Highly recommend! read more

El Metate Cafe - Tampiqueña - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is my first time trying Mexican food. It was a nice experience. I ordered a chicken meal from the special menu. The sauce on the chicken wrapped in tacos kind of reminded me of Japanese curry. The rice is different from the Chinese rice food I usually eat. The corn chips they gave us were tasty. The cashier's service was good. My order included a drink, but I'm not familiar with Mexican drinks, so the cashier had me try the rice water with cinnamon and a fruit drink. I finally chose the rice water. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great food and service the seafood is on point shrimp tostadas #1 for me check them out

This place is your classic Angelino Mexican place. Cheap but always great quality. Friendly service. Worth the trip. No parking. read more

El Metate Cafe - Carne asada platter - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was under the weather with a cold and decided to order caldo de pollo. It hit the spot when fighting a cold. The flavors come alive with each bite. I took the food to go. Each component of the order was packaged carefully. The soup in its own container, chips and tortilla in their own, and then a container for rice, onion, cilantro, and lime. My only regret is not ordering the albóndigas as I love meatball soup. Guess that gives me a reason to return. read more

El Metate Cafe - Caldo de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Carne asada torta was not finished. Ate half and threw it away. Too much beans. Meat was tough and not chopped up. Difficult to eat. Tomato slices were really thick. Everything tasted unbalanced. Beans, tomato and avocado overpowered any meaty flavor. At least don't get the Carne asada torta. Chips and salsa are good. Tacos so far are good. read more

The place is a hidden gem on a side street along busy Colorado Blvd. I was hungry and I wanted fast food but not from a corporate restaurant. They have all the popular goodies but I settled for a bean & cheese burrito which came with a tiny salad and complimentary chips and salsa. The burrito was very big and had a perfect flavor, some restaurants can mess up a simple dish but not this hole in the wall. read more

El Metate Cafe - Sidewalk tables - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cute mom and pop restaurant with delicious food! My friend got the Chile relleno plate and I got the chicken enchilada plate and we both really enjoyed our food. The food came out fast and hot. The mom and pop are really cute and you can see the mom making all the food in the kitchen. I really liked their complimentary chips and salsa. The service is great too! Parking is tough since it's Pasadena, but we were able to find street parking during lunch time. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more