Lares is my favorite Mexican restaurant, especially because they have the best chicken molé enchiladas. In temperate weather I like sitting outdoors on the pleasant, quieter patio. read more

Back again for another visit, this time for dinner. This place is extremely loud both upstairs and downstairs. We decided to sit upstairs and I think the wood floors contribute to the sound bouncing around. There is also a guy walking around playing the guitar and singing, which was nice. I had the shrimp fajitas again and I guess I didn't remember last time but they include potatoes, which seems a little strange. I would've preferred rice. They were good and like I said last time not the best or the worst I've ever had. My stunning date had a chicken enchilada, and I took a little taste and it was very, very good . Chips and salsa were excellent as was the service. Parking in this area is a challenge and we found a spot on the street a few few blocks away. read more

Rounded down from 3.5 stars. Came here with a sizable group and we were seated out in the patio. It was a pretty warm day so it would've been nice to have some fans out there. For the most part, service was quick except for the two shrimp dishes...it took quite some time for them to come out and the server said something about needing more time to defrost them?!? Nonetheless, the food was good and our local friends come here quite a bit so that's a good sign. read more

Been here a few times now and always came back becuase of the food, service and vibe. We even bring people here when they are craving some good Mexican food. Unfortunately, the last couple visits were disappointing. Service staff felt a little blunt and borderline rude when taking our order. We got bowls of broken chips (likely the end of the basket) that took a while to get new ones. The food was very salty and they seemed to no longer take modifications to plates to make them vegetarian. Overall experience wasn't great which sucked, because I came here with my family and expectation that my meal and experience would be great like before and it wasn't. read more

I got the tamales plate that was delicious although I was in search of tamales with the husk. This one was topped with a red sauce and cheese. The rice and beans were good too. The service was excellent and this specific day they had live music. The ambiance was inviting and fun. There are two levels to sit. I really enjoyed it. read more

Lares Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

I stopped by Lares at 4 PM with a few friends. A quick tip: the upstairs area doesn't open until 5 PM, which is a bummer because it is much nicer and brighter than downstairs. Still, we had a great time thanks to the fantastic service. I ordered the vegetable enchiladas, and they easily substituted the rice (which has chicken broth) with potatoes. The food was pretty good overall, though the enchilada sauce wasn't my favorite. We'll definitely be back--we'll just timing it a bit later next time! read more

Lares Restaurant - Vegetable Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great neighborhood mainstay for classic Mexican food. There's plenty of space (upstairs and downstairs) and they have a full bar.

Had lunch at Lares and really enjoyed it. I ordered the verde chicken cheese enchiladas with rice and beans, and everything was just good from start to finish. The chicken was seasoned perfectly, the verde sauce had great flavor, and the melted cheese brought everything together. The rice and beans were solid sides and completed the plate well. Their salsas definitely have some spice to them, but the flavor backs it up--it's not just heat for no reason. Overall, great meal and a spot I'll definitely be coming back to. read more

Lares Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Have been here a few times now and it never disappoints! The food is always delicious, and is very homey in the best way. All of the servers are so nice and helpful whenever I've had questions about the menu. And I love how cute the interior of the restaurant always is! The lights on the first floor and the gallery walls on the second floor give the restaurant a very romantic vibe read more

See all

Solid spot, upstairs was louder and downstairs has live music. It was pretty packed when we went, but a table opened up after 15-20 minutes. Good vegetarian enchiladas. Prices are reasonable. Street parking. Overall a solid spot. read more

Lares Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Authentic Mexican cuisine. Prices are reasonable for the portion sizes, quality is great. Staff is friendly and service is excellent. They have a wide variety of Mexican dishes they even offer miso on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I had a small caldo de gallina this was so good! The Chiles Rellenos were also great however I wasn't a big fan of the rice could be better. read more

Lares Restaurant - Chile Chiles Rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

We live close to El Cholo, and don't exactly love it. Everyone said we needed to try Lares for that same classic Mexican vibe. We came at 5:30 on a Friday, and really wanted to sit at the bar. We were pleasantly surprised to find they were busy, but had an upstairs bar. We ordered skinny margaritas and they were great! The chips and salsa were wonderful. The salsa is served warm, and it's a very good salsa. We got the albondigas soup, and it was just okay. It was really lacking in rich broth flavor. We had to add salt. We also got the verdes enchiladas and chicken fajitas. Both were good, but I feel like they were lacking that deep rich umami/salty component that comes with those traditional cooking styles. Our bartender was great. Super friendly. Super on top of everything. We will 100% be back. This is hands down far better than El Cholo. read more

Great Food, (Carne Asada Burrito, Chicken Verde Enchiladas). Made my young son a plate that is not on the menu. Friendly staff. read more

Lares Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The BEST Steak & Eggs in Los Angeles! I get medium rare & over easy with a side of ranchero sauce. This is by far my favorite breakfast (if served with Mexican hot chocolate) or brunch (if served with blended peach margarita) Honorable mention for the shrimp enchilada. White sauce, sweet shrimp sooo delicious read more

Decent, not great local Mexican restaurant. Charming atmosphere (but loud) and attentive service but the food was so so and overpriced: $58 for a plate of steak fajitas, guacamole appetizer and a lone margarita. Lots of chips, lots of salsa (not very spicy), but four small tortillas with the fajitas and a small drink that was gone in minutes. We'll try it again but today was not a revelation. read more

Good service nice Family atmosphere. But I found the food all very bland and flavorless. There's way too much great Mexican food in Los Angeles to eat here.. read more

Our favorite Mexican restaurant in the city of LA! Family owned and as legit as it gets. I have been going here for 30 plus yrs now. Don't underestimate the breakfast! The pancakes, sausage, and eggs are fantastic! read more

See all

Overall a pretty solid Mexican restaurant in the quieter part of Santa Monica. However it is overly expensive and not as good as Don Antonio's down the street but still it was a pleasant experience. I am giving it a 4/5 due to the price and taste comparison to other sit down Mexican restaurants around Los Angeles. They don't have parking so it will be metered street parking or neighborhood parking. We found a metered spot near the McDonald's a block away. They have two floors, downstairs is the bar and where most of the tables are and upstairs is usually reserved for parties. There was a work or family meeting upstairs the day we dined. Our server was polite, although it took quite some time for him to come over and take our order and then also bring the check after we had finished. They have a very large menu filled with all the classics that you would expect. Being our first time we wanted to try a few different items. We started with a cup of the Albondigas and it was pretty good, although not my favorite that I have had recently. It tasted more like a vegetable soup versus the traditional Albondigas flavor. Next we got a Fish Taco à la cart and it was actually pretty good. Not like a traditional fish taco that you would get in San Diego sadly, but the fish had some great taste and overall I enjoyed it. For our entrées, we ordered the Carne Asada and the Chicken Flautas. The Carne Asada was good, although the cut had a ton of fat on it so that part I did not enjoy. The Flautas were crispy but overall pretty small. It's not a bad experience, but I would rather go to Don Antonio's, Gilbert's, or El Cholo over Lares. read more

Love love love Lares. This is my go to mexican spot on the west side! As a creature of habit, I always get the mole enchiladas. One day I will try something new here, but it is hard to beat the mole. The refried beans where phenomenal as well, but the rice is quite typical. My friends have tried the chicken fajitas and breakfast omletters. All delicious! Chips and salsa are brought out to snack on before you meal too. Street parking was easy. The front of the restaurant is unassuming, but once inside there is beautiful decor and an upstairs section. The waiters are attentive and service is quick. read more

Lares Restaurant - Mole Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

First off I'm a regular customer and came with a large party. I asked to split the bill in 2 prior to ordering and they refused and said they absolutely cannot do that even though they made us share our table with a large party downstairs because the upstairs was closed. The Hispanic man in charge was all confused when bringing plates to our tables, could not remember who ordered the salad. After realizing that maybe he could have split the bill he offered but it was too late so he tried to compensate by being overly nice which came out as fake, you think he would be kind to his own people should come naturally but it did not, apparently he needs to treat all customers equally, not returning here for their salty food, no thanks read more

Made a order to go ordered the chicken wet burrito no flavor and hardly any chicken and the chips were not fresh. The server PEPE had a very bad attitude they don't even accept Apple Pay get with the times! Will never return again $23.00 for a nasty burrito what a rip off! The burritos are not even on the menu his excuse was it's a special what's so special about a burrito! That's an excuse to overcharge a burrito. read more

no idea how this place has good reviews. Food was awful. I feel like its hard to mess up Mexican food, but here we are. We ordered margaritas with no salt and there was not only salt on the rims, but also a ton in the glass for some reason (could see it on the bottom). Didn't eat my meal or drink my margarita. When the bartender was taking our order he was visibly annoyed that my daughter changed her mind on the drink she wanted. Full theatrics...sighing, rolling eyes..towards a kid. And on top of it, they double charge us for the margaritas so had to ask for them to remove that. They also charged us for tortillas because we ordered flour and they brought us corn. Tortillas aside, food was awful. Maybe if you were somewhere in the mid-west it would be considered good, but c'mon, we're in Southern CA. Would give them 1 star, but the kids liked their bean burritos. read more

Service was great all around, we dealt with 3-4 wait staff and all were super helpful and friendly. Sunday night and the place was dead but the food came out quick. The best part is the fresh hot chips brought to the table. I think I went through 2 bowls. The salsa is decent. We ordered some beans to dip and they were so dry and bland. I asked for taquitos but was brought crunchy tacos. Not a big deal, pretty much the same thing. The chicken was dry and bland, but it was hot. The shell was fried well. And lots of cheese on top. The side of rice and beans however were also very bland and dry. At least the beer was cold read more

We were craving some Mexican food so we found this restaurant on yelp and it was a great choice! The kids ordered mole enchiladas and they finished everything! My husband ordered mole the pollo and he was very pleased with it and kept complimenting it. I ordered a carne asada quesadilla with rice and beans and it was very delicious; it had enough flavor! Not only was the food delicious but the whole environment and staff was amazing. The decor made it very appealing and they even had live music. The staff were always attentive and quick when we asked for anything. They made us feel very welcome! read more

Great food great people お友達にメキシカンを食べたいと言ったらココへ連れてきてくれました〜 ロサンゼルスにいた時食べてた味 美味い〜 とても満足な食事でしター 大好きなチリリエノが食べられた。 とてもカジュアル read more

Lares Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

Only star is for decent food, zero stars for customer service. My parents have dined at Lares for over 30 years and while food here is pretty good, the shabby treatment we received recently by a Lares manager (as smug and rude can be) was last straw. When customers are treated this poorly there is no food good enough to want to return. Our family and friends will not be back :( read more

Oh Lares, you can never disappoint me. Excellent service and lovely interior decoration. We always make sure to come here every so often and every special occasion. Every dish is on point at reasonable price in Santa Monica. It's a historical staple spot where you can come and look at the architecture and is the favorite spot among the locals. They got 2 full wood-finished bars both down and up stairs. As we sit down the freshest best of the best tortilla chips and salsa are served right away even on the busiest day. It is a must to get the house margarita on the rocks with salt rim. My go-to dish here is the dos tamale that I get it 90% of the time. My table also got the chicken chipotle con papas, the 7 mares, the meatball soup and the filet mignon (we dived in so quick, I didn't get a picture of). This place is magical and deserve a big recognition. read more

See all

Literally so surprised by these reviews. We give it one star because the staff was truly very nice and attentive, hence why we didn't complain and left quickly and quietly. For starters the salsa had no flavor, then the guacamole had no flavor (we had to add lemon, salt, pepper), had a feeling the food would be bland too and contemplated leaving but we figured it can't get any worse. It got worse, the carne asada literally had no marinade or flavor or sauce (had to ask for A-1 sauce and drench it). My hubby's carnitas dish was also not good-he immediately asked for a to go box and bill- simply not to be rude and walk out leaving full plates on table - we paid and left quick. Staff and service truly great but food was seriously way too bland, which is NEVER the case at a Mexican restaurant. read more

Sadly everything was unpleasant. Even the music was too loud and not good! No one at our table liked their food. Guacamole was generous but had no taste. My shrimp dish was swimming in butter and sauce and the rice was soggy and inedible. The taco meat tasted odd. Then I went home and saw it had a low Yelp review. I should have looked first! read more

Excellent food and good service. We all had enchiladas, vegetables and cheese enchiladas, tacos and taquitos with guacamole. Everything was good. Decor is like stepping into a nice place in old Mexico. Give it a try. You will be surprised. read more

Best Mexican I've ever had -- ever. Laid-back, enjoyable atmosphere and accommodating. If you're vegan, the veggie burritos -- no cheese -- are out of this world. Love this place. read more

The 2 stars are for great service very welcoming and friendly but the food oh dear! ....was not very great. The beef burrito in red sauce, the flavor of red sauce e was more like marinara sauce if that makes sense and the beef fajitas was too oily for me and meat not very tender. It just did not taste authentic Mexican cuisine. The place looks a lil dirty. I'm sure it's a good place to have margaritas but the food can use some major improvement and place can use some major cleaning. read more

Lares Restaurant - Beef fajitas. Looks good but not meat not tender and too oily . - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

By far my favorite Mexican food restaurant! The only thing better then them is my Moms food. The service is always the best! The staff has always been friendly, kind and knowledgeable. The seating area is a great size with inside seating available as well as outside. The food is delicious! Their Fideo reminds me of my Abuelita's which was my favorite. The atmosphere is always wonderful. read more

See all

Best margaritas!!! Amazing food. Amazing service. Great prices! A must visit. It has been in this location for a very, very long time for a very, very good reason. read more

Yes the mole enchiladas are all that and then some. The food came out quickly, it was hot and delicious, and I ate all of it. I was brought there by a Mexican from Mexico City and he knows food. Not sure what's up with the less than good reviews, but the food was amazing. read more

Excellent Mexican food. Strong margaritas. Great atmosphere. I love the enchiladas and the tortilla soup.

This place is my childhood and some of the best food in Los Angeles. The staff make you feel like family and its always a great time with the mariachi band! Best chilequiles in the city!! Try the mole and margaritas! Truky a gem on the westside. read more

I ordered their birria which was pretty good, I was more a fan of their tacos, chips and salsa. The ambience is really what makes me rate this place a 5 start restaurant. The service is great, beautiful ambience, amazing drinks, and on the weekends they have live music! What more could you possibly ask for? read more

See all

Great place for a Mexican Breakfast! After a nice long beach walk my friend have come here to sip margaritas and order breakfast. Martha is always a great server with a smile! She remembered us from last month and already knew we wanted margaritas! Yay! Today I tried their MACUCA, which is a recipe from the owner's Mother's. This is made with 2 eggs, in a special secret sauce with bacon, potatoes, and beans. It arrived piping hot with a spoon. This was sooooooooooooooooo tasty!!!!! This is the only found here at Lares, thanks to the owner's Mother's homemade concoction. My friend ordered the fish tacos and enjoyed hers too! Thank you Lares!!! read more

See all

A great choice for way above average Mexican favorites. Love their Juevos Mexicanos or breakfast burrito in the morning, and fish tacos and Margaritas anytime. Wonderful, friendly service and fair prices. read more