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    El Tranvia Restaurant

    4.3 (206 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 8:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    El Tranvia Restaurant Photos

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    EL TRANVIA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tranvia Restaurant

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    All fat I took out
    Jahyra C.

    Ordered carne en su jugo all fat just few pieces of meat , staff was very friendly but would not recommend this dish

    Barbacoa
    Wayne B.

    We arrived later in the afternoon for lunch. Such a delicious place! As soon as we sat, they brought complementary chips for the table. The guacamole was absolutely on-point! Menu is only in Spanish language, heads up! A little slice of real Mexican restaurant deliciousness in the middle of sunny Coachella!

    Friday through Sunday
    Marilyn A.

    Dropped in at 11:45pm, they were kind enough to still serve us since they close at 12am. $1 tacos is unheard of ANYWHERE, so glad we found this little gem in the heart of Coachella. I had tacos de lengua and my wife had tacos de carne asada, both were amazing! Oscar is running a fabulous place that is very budget friendly with authentic Mexican food.

    Quesabirrias

    Server was great! Food tastes amazing. Atmosphere is awesome and a nice escape from the outside heat. Will eat here again. Prices great too!

    Salsas
    Tyo J.

    I highly recommend this spot for tacos. The tortillas are hand made and they have a large variety of salsas. The servers are patient and friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming.

    good food come with a empty stomach because they will fill you up awesome prices good aesthetics ... ceiling was leaking though that's my only con

    Entrance
    Brigette G.

    The hubby and I have driven by this place many times and decided to have dinner. It's a big restaurant. You walk in and everyone greets you. It was pretty early, so there were plenty of places to sit. The waitress was super nice! I didn't get her name, but she was friendly, attentive and very informative about their specials. They have a salsa bar and complimentary chips. Great prices on the drinks and the chavelas were amazing! Cute decor inside very old school Mexico, I'm sure it gets Poppin after dark. They have a stage in there, I believe for karaoke or a band. We ordered the chilies güeritos as an appetizer and the mix fajitas. Wow talk about a lot of food! Great portions! The chilies 10/10! I believe they were seven on the plate. They garnish it with onions slices of oranges, cilantro it was so delicious! The fajitas are a huge shareable portion. Very flavorful! 10/10! The best part are the homemade flour tortillas! Bomb! perfectly made my husband loved them! I will definitely be back. Our waitress was so sweet and he even brought me and my husband a balloon each lol Great place in Coachella! Can't wait to come back and try other things

    Costillas con nopales
    Stacey O.

    Food was very good! Service was great! Ambiance was nice very cute spot. I will be going back really enjoyed it.

    Birra Tacos with consume
    Joshua B.

    Food was top notch as always. Service there is generally decent, but this night the particular waitress lacked knowledge on most of the food's ingredients or how they were prepared (basic waiter/host information) nor made any effort to find out. Also, and yes I realize it's in Coachella and it's a Mexican restaurant, but learning English at a more fluent level should be made, everyone in there with two exceptions were white folks who love the food, know your cliental and adapt, just a good service strategy. Place is fairly clean though the bathroom should be hit more, there's always "that guy or gal" that blow it up and leave it a mess. I've been here several times with the family and each time the food is on point. Tonight we had the Burria taco special, breaded shrimp tacos and the ceviche with avocado, again on point. On the weekends they have $1 street taco nights outside on the patio, choice of various meats and again great food. Does get busy from 8pm till 12am, night life folks, so come a little sooner from 6pm-8pm. This place should be a "must go" if you live hear or just visiting!

    Patio Carnitas michocana (I forgot the correct spelling)

    We stopped here for lunch after a hike in Mecca area. Best homemade tortillas we have ever had. Chile relleno, Carnitas michocana, guacamole all delicious. Even the sides of rice and beans were phenomenal. Highly recommend El Tranvia!

    Camarones Zarandeados

    Best authentic Mexican cuisine in all the Coachella Valley. The service is always great. There is plenty of room inside the restaurant and their outdoor patio is cozy. The camarones zarandeados are a must! You can order as an appetizer or as a full entree (which is the one ordered). This place is family owned and they always make you feel welcomed.

    Melisa Y.

    Wonderful flavor and spice profile. Chile relleno (Not on the menu, but they can make it by request) is the best tasting chile relleno I have ever had! (And it's what I order everywhere). The different salsas that you can serve yourself at the salsa buffet are full of flavor and each very different. And the quesobirria is so tasty, served warm with consume, and absolutely delicious. Someone in this kitchen has a very keen palette and is choosing the ingredients ratios very accurately. I'm so impressed. And nothing on the menu is in English, and the waiter didn't speak any English, but was super nice and we figured things out and I'm very happy to have found this gem! Yummy!

    Chicken Mole

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

    The shrimp cocktail is delicious. I highly recommend it. I've tried different plates of food and it always tastes good.

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    5 months ago

    Muy buena comida, recomendado toda la familia pasó un lindo y agradable momento muy complacida

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    Are the chips and salsa made fresh?

    Yes!!! SALSAS ARE THE BOMB!!!!

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    Jalisco Restaurant

    Jalisco Restaurant

    3.8
    (212 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $

    The Real Deal: Like Sunday at Tio's…read more If you're looking for a "fusion" taco with micro-greens and a side of existential dread, keep driving. But if you want a meal that feels like a warm hug from a relative who's slightly disappointed you haven't visited more often, welcome to Jalisco Restaurant in Coachella. The Atmosphere: Family Values & Smoke Walking into Jalisco isn't like entering a business; it's like walking into Tio JP's backyard. That nostalgic aroma of hard work and seasoned grills immediately greets you. It's a throwback to being a kid, watching your tios hover over the fire, treating every flip of the meat like a sacred ritual. There's no "new-age hype" here--just the perfected craft of a family that knows exactly what they're doing. The Heavy Hitters: Tripas & Cabeza Whether you're a "seasoned veteran" of Mexican street food or a nervous newbie, you have to commit to the Tripas and Cabeza. The Texture: The Tripas are cleaned and cooked to that elusive, crispy-yet-tender perfection. The Vessel: Whether you tuck them into a taco or go big with a burrito, it's a masterclass in traditional cooking. The GOAT (Literally): The Birria Let's get one thing straight: most places are out here serving "beef seasoned with birria spices" and calling it a day. Don't be fooled. This is the real deal. We're talking authentic goat meat, slow-cooked using the De La Torre family recipe straight from Jalisco. It's rich, it's tender, and it carries the weight of generations. It's the kind of flavor you can't replicate with a "modern twist." The Refreshment: Homemade Chavelas You're going to need something to wash down that Menudo or those wet burritos. Their homemade Chavela recipe is the MVP here. For the Modelo Negro fans: It adds a dark, savory depth. For the Michelob Ultra drinkers: It gives that crisp finish a spicy, citrus kick. The Verdict Jalisco Restaurant is one of the valley's originals for a reason. It's honest food for people who respect the process. In a world of trendy "reimagined" Mexican food, Jalisco reminds us that the original recipes never needed fixing in the first place. Go for the food, stay because you feel like family.

    Fun little place in old town Coachella. Wonderful older area with great architecture and small…read moreshops. Appears to be a popular locals place as there were several workers sitting down for lunch. Certainly not a picture perfect place but that was just fine. The pass thru window had charming signage above the window with all the meats and combinations explained in English and Spanish. Very helpful for us gringos. And wow! They have a very good assortment of meats. Hard working waitresses kept busy ! Cold modelo started the meal perfectly. Chili relleno plate and birria burrito soon followed. Rice was nice and fresh. Beans very puréed and not quite as good as I would expect. Entrees were so-so. With plenty of Mexican restaurants around we will keep trying them out! But I suspect this place will be just fine.

    Photos
    Jalisco Restaurant
    Tacos de birria, consomé
    Tacos de birria, consomé
    Jalisco Restaurant

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    Casa Mendoza

    Casa Mendoza

    4.0
    (942 reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    SHORT ANSWER: Just an update, but Casa Mendoza seems to be just getting better. Some new staff but…read morefood quality and people here are very welcoming. LOCATION: In Old Town La Quinta, OTLQ easy to find, tons of parking but at times it gets busy so you may have to walk a bit. FACILITY: very traditional inside and out, clean, and lots of space between tables. MENU: rather massive, we usually order the same things so all the other options makes my head hurt so we just go with what we know. FOOD PREP: excellent, always looks the same which is a good things. FOOD QUALITY: some of the best in the valley. LIBATIONS: lots of choices and not too expensive, wish they had a locals city of LQ discount like some of the other options in OTLQ.. WAITSTAFF: very nice, everyone. OVERALL VALUE: if you order the right things, it is a great value but you can go nuts and spend a lot, tourist dollars spend well, upselling happens for those who want it and deserve it! TIP: Sitting outside is great most all year, we don't go out when it is crazy hot, but have dined outside in 100+ temps, we prefer the front outdoor space.

    *Mi Casa es Su Casa*…read more My buddy had a small casual bday get-together with his family and invited me to join the celebration. I saw all the favorable reviews on Yelp and was looking forward to my first visit at Casa Mendoza. Very chill & lively family owned Mexican joint in Old Town LQ. The place was kinda busy @6:30pm on Hump Night ~~ always a great sign when I see this. Felt more like a Sunday Evening. It took an hour to receive our meals. Ordered @6:45 arrived @7:45pm. Good thing the Chimichanga & Gauc apps arrived pretty quickly. The Gauc was Excellente. All their food was very good. But all our meals arrived cold/lukewarm. Took forever to receive our food and we knew for a fact it's because all our plates sat a while until we were served. The actual plates weren't even warm and the sizzling fajitas had sizzled out and lost its dazzle. Because it was still 95 degrees when dinner was finally served, our lukewarm meals were doable on a hot night. Everyone did enjoy their meals tho. I was very pleased with my Mahi Mahi in Garlic Butter Sauce. The refried beans were outstanding. The rice very good...and I made tacos with the 3 corn tortillas. But would have enjoyed it even more had all the food been a little warmer. I stuck with H2O but all margarita drinkers said their drinks were good and hit the spot on a warm night. The service in general was also inconsistent for our small party of 8. The Birthday Boy was a little frustrated and got up a few times from his throne seeking assistance -- such as missing tortillas for meals, water refills, extra napkins. We even had to wait longer than anticipated for them to acknowledge the bday boy with a celebratory bday song & sombrero...and the fried ice cream, which didn't include a candle. Tho we all enjoyed ourselves and time together...a 2 hour dinner at a Mexican joint on a Wednesday night wasn't what we anticipated. Especially with one restless 7 year old ;-) But everyone working at Casa Mendoza is very friendly with great attitudes. Hostess team, waiters, servers & runners too. So that made up for the spotty service, just a little bit. Since I'm closer to the other Casa Mendoza in Palm Desert, I'd go there in the future with my wife, and order the exact same thing. But hope for much better service and warmer food.

    Photos
    Bar Area
    Bar Area
    Friday lunch, outside, single comb  $12.99
    Friday lunch, outside, single comb $12.99
    100 outside misters outside.. cheers

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    100 outside misters outside.. cheers

    El Tranvia Restaurant - mexican - Updated August 2026

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