What a fun atmosphere. The servers are energetic, friendly and entertaining. Large restaurant with outside dining also. Fun place. Great selection of food choices and huge portions. The enchiladas and fajitas are divine. My friends love the margaritas. I did not partake but they loved it and said it was perfectly balanced. A full bar and a happy hour so it gets crowded during peak hours. In old town Torrance so take a walk around town when you're finished as you'll want to walk off your dinner as it does not disappoint. Very fun place! read more

Food tasty , service is ok Need translation for food name Especially first timer . Server was good read more

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Second time coming here and I'm not disappointed! Food was really tasty! People are vey friendly and kind! Place is very clean and nice plus you have plenty of parking in front of and street! read more

Madre - Chicken taco w green salsa. Spicy - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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I wrote a review on Resy already but I had to put one here, the food was so good!! and ambiance just perfect. We went on literally the most perfect day, breezy, sunny and not too busy. Our table was in a corner but was comfortable as well, the decor is so beautiful and our waiter did well! She was kind and patient I wish I got her name but thanks to her a bunch(I hope I tipped well enough). Just like to note the cafe de la olla is amazing I've had that style of coffee before but never that good 10/10 omg. Also the mariachi sang so beautifully they came in towards the end and got to hear a bit before leaving. For sure will be back read more

Madre - Mole Negro Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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Honestly the food and drinks were amazing! The service however near the end left much to desire. When we arrived the host greeted us and asked if we wanted to eat inside or outside. We asked for the inside. We were handed menus and the waiter arrived shortly. We saw that they had happy hour from 3-6 pm. And the items were the same on the menu. When it came time to pay we were charged the regular price and the only thing the server said was that it was only honored at the bar and patio for cinco de mayo. I kindly asked to speak to the manager and he did come out shortly. He told us that because of the holiday they were not honoring the happy hour, only at the bar, which would be okay had someone told us. He actually was the one who seated us and I explained that he did not tell us this rule when we came in, the waiter did not tell us this rule while we were looking at the menus, and no where on the menus did it specify that the happy hour had exceptions on certain days. The manager while apologetic did not offer any solution which was incredibly disappointing. The price was not the issue it's the principle that no one told us about this exception to happy hour. Would love to come again, but will definitely be specifying where I want to be seated as they make no exceptions... read more

Madre - Happy hour on menu - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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First time coming in to this place. The vibes were great, Music was not too loud and they were playing good songs. I sat down at the bar and enjoyed some drinks at the bar. The bartender Jorge was great and gave me a little walkthrough of the menu since they didn't have my usual drinks. First time trying the Ocho and it didn't disappoint. I had to leave but I would definitely be going back to try more drinks and their food. Thanks Jorge for the hospitality! Keep up the great work! read more

Madre - Ocho tequila - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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I love this restaurant! I've been for happy hour, dinner & brunch & was so happy with everything each time. They have good drinks & great food. read more

Mezcal heaven! Great place to go for lunch, happy hour, or dinner. It's in the heart of old Torrance where you could also walk around and shop! Been here a few times but this trip- we came for their happy hour. Good food but very little portions for the price. You may be better off ordering from the dinner menu. Service was good. The bartender was nice and attentive. read more

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I've been here several times now and it's our go-to spot for sit-down Mexican food, especially mole in Torrance. You can make reservations easily on Yelp. They have a great happy hour from 3-6 PM and $5 Taco Tuesdays. It's a casual spot great for groups, dates and celebrations. I feel like it used to have a trendier dim-lit vibe inside in the past but now it's brighter and more of a family-friendly casual feel. They have an outdoor patio as well. Sometimes they have a live mariachi band playing inside which gives the space a nice lively ambience. Drinks: They have a variety of mezcal, cocktails, frozes, beers, etc. I usually get their passionfruit margarita. I've tried a froze before too and it was refreshing and delicious. For food, my favorite entree here is their mole negro with chicken. The mole sauce is so smoky and delicious! The chicken is moist and it also comes with a little cup of rice. Presentation looks a little crazy because it's a bunch of black sauce all over your plate but the flavor is on point! Portions are very generous. I also like their guacamole and chips as well as their tres leches cake which is so moist and delicious! I've tried their elote and I didn't find it impressive. I was hoping for more flavor but it was just cheesy and one-dimensional. It would be nice if they added some paprika, cilantro, and more lime to give it some spice and zing. Their tacos are pretty good too--I liked their carne asada taco, fish taco and potato taco but I would skip the carnitas taco next time. Service is pretty good and quick. No complaints there. Located in Old Torrance. Parking: free in underground garage. Entrance on Cabrillo Ave. read more

This restaurant is Amazing! Beautiful inside, and loved the live music when I visited on my birthday weekend. It's not traditional Mexican food, it's Oaxaca. The "focus is mole, and mezcal", I had the Taste of Oaxaca. I wish I had more, and next time I'll try their empanadas and Queso Fundido. The waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu, and she gave recommendations. I'll be back soon! read more

Very loud. The live mariache music is nice, but not so great if you want to have a conversation with anyone you're dining with. I had the molcajete ($66); the menu states it'll serve 2-3, but it was just enough for two in my case. The meat was good quality, but I thought the flavor was a bit lacking compared to molcajetes I've had elsewhere. The food wasn't exceptional, especially at the price point, but I suppose you may be paying for the experience over the food here. read more

Madre - Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

This morning, my husband wanted to take me here to have brunch. Parking was not the best due to an antique event in the area however as we arrived a seating host who was very polite, immediately came to greet us and take us to a table with menus in hand. A female employee who was at the front turned away from us while she was on a computer of some sort, raised her voice at the host and said "20 minute wait!" We were not even 5 feet from her and he looked embarrassed and apologized and began to say it was going to be a 20 minute wait and she raised her voice again saying "20 minute wait!" My husband responded calmly, "yes we heard you." And she turned around and smiled, with a nervous laugh and said thanks. I was already uncomfortable and was gonna leave after that but decided to wait. During the ten minutes we waited, they welcomed another group and a couple in. They never came to check for us or even ask us for a name or number. We left and decided to eat at the Red Car. I will never attempt to eat here ever again. I would recommend treating your customers with respect and kindness. Super disappointed to be treated this way. read more

The food is delicious and the staff make you feel very comfortable like you are at your madres house he he. I always wanted to try branzino and they had it on the menu so I ordered it. It was such a generous piece, actually a whole fish! The seasoning was perfect and even though I typically don't like spicy, the kick it had was just enough to set it off. The waitress even told us if we weren't satisfied to let her know and she would remake anything for us, which she did remake one item! The ambience was this beautiful peaceful escape into Mexican culture and true cuisine. The interior of this restaurant is beautiful! read more

If you are a tequila lover, this is your place to we've come here four times in the past 3 weeks. I'm not a tequila drinker but I love their squash blossoms. I will come back on the account of their squash blossoms. I feel that these are the best on the menu. I've tried their enchiladas, their taste of Oaxaca, their guacamole that is so very tasty, the hubby had their aguachiles Rojo (he said they were okay), and I always drink their El Chapo y Kate (vodka; I'm a vodka drinker). I tried their Bloody Mary (it's Michelada mix) not too great. Service is great even when they are packed. The place is so pretty. You're lucky if you get to hear the mariachi. Price is reasonable. This is more for drinks and pics unless you love Mole and tequila. Chicken chile rellenos were so NOT me! But you may like them. The food was great but a lot of it just wasn't for me. The pina coladas had a funky taste. I'll definitely come back for the squash blossoms, Guacamole and El Chapo y Kate but that's about it. read more

Madre's has a great weekend and happy hour vibe. It has a nice patio area and is very open. I wish it hadn't been so open at lunch when I went there because it was really cold. I eventually got over it when my drink arrived. I ordered the Cadillac Margarita with a sugar rim, and it was delish. It definitely had an unexpected kick to it with a little spice. When I looked at the menu at first I was a little overwhelmed because the names are in Spanish and I didn't know what the items were. The ingredients were listed in English, but that still didn't tell me what it was. I ended up asking my very nice waitress if they had what I wanted. They allowed me to get my enchiladas prepared like I wanted. My only complaint was the squash. I quickly looked at the menu when she showed me where the item was that I wanted, and I passed over the squash. I like squash but not in my enchiladas. They didn't have any flavor so it didn't add anything to the enchilada for me. I definitely could have done without them. I unfortunately can't have guacamole or cilantro, and the chiles were far and in between in my enchiladas. I think they would have been superb if you can have all those ingredients. I did enjoy them though. The verde sauce, cheese, and crema was a nice addition, and the chicken was melt in my mouth tender and moist. Not dry at all. I would definitely recommend Madre. It's very accommodating for large parties as well. It's the perfect place to meet after work for happy hour. They also have a nice lunch menu with great prices. read more

Madre - Verde Chicken Enchiladas and a Cadillac Margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

I went here for the first time with my mom, wife, kids, and grandson. The place is nice, the food was decent. Not what you get in your average Mexican type restaurant. My problem was that when I got my bill, unbeknownst to me they had already included a 20% tip to the bill. So after paying my bill I tipped the waitress another 20%. So I need up tipping $100 on a $263 bill. I've never been a fan of automatically including a tip to the bill. I'm even less of a fan of this practice now. From now on I will no longer go to any place that does this. I learned a very valuable lesson, ALWAYS go through every item on your bill to make sure this doesn't happen to you. I'd of given them a 4 star rating but gave them 2 stars because of this tipping issue that cost me $50 extra. read more

Madre - They automatically included a 20% tip to the bill without telling me. So they were tipped twice. Not cool! - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Madre is a flawless five‑star album--expertly produced, beautifully performed, and endlessly replayable. A true legend in the steakhouse genre. read more

Date night! Yall tried Oaxacan food? We decided to check out Madre in old town Torrance, and instantly the ambiance was welcoming with the mood lighting, candles and the live band playing. They had some good options to choose from so we tried what they are known for, their mole; the verde had a subtle flavor paired with the branzino, it was mediocre, and the negro had a very strong flavor, definitely an acquired taste. What we really enjoyed were the beef flautas, carne asada and the churros! Overall, the place is nice, some good food options and the service seemed a bit disorganized but friendly nonetheless. It's a 3/5 for me Tip: parking garage underground read more

Honestly, this is a great place for drinks with friends.. not to eat. Every time I've ordered from here the food has always been bland with watery salsa. We were told the wait list is 30min.. however it ended up being 15min. Seated at a dirty table where green salsa ended up all over my wrist and the menu. Stars are for the waitress as she was professional. The amount of time we spent in there we saw the waitress 3x and we could not find her to request the check. Tables around us were asked for refills etc we were not and therefore we did not ask. Again, it's a good time to be with friends, listen to music and live band and laugh. I just like the environment but will not order food in the future. read more

Madre - Nasty Chicken Tacos & watery salsa. Requested no onions and they arrived in abundance. - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Parking is difficult, parked across the street and walked a little ways over. Just came for drinks and dessert, was much louder than what I envisioned and sitting at the higher chairs near the bar didn't quite feel as comfortable. Servers were very friendly, a little busy, but that was great. Unfortunately, it being noisy and not great for conversation. Churros were quite good! Had an interesting novel sauce. Would prioritize seating, it was quite busy, believe it was a Friday night at like 830 or 9pm read more

The Good: The food overall was very good. My carne asada tacos were very tasty and had a slight kick which was nice. The Por Favor draft beer was also very good. Furthermore, the service was pretty good as well. The Not So Good: Automatic 20% gratuity sneakily added onto bill, where there was another open tip line to tip on top of the already generated tip. My problem with this is twofold - 1. Not sure why we were auto charged 20% gratuity when there was 4 of us + 2 kids. That is not a large group of people. 2. Trying to get unsuspecting victims to tip on top of another tip is so tacky. Also, just a heads up for parents - they only have one booster seat in the entire restaurant so keep that in mind and prep accordingly. They have more high chairs, however. Overall, I'd be down to go back because, once again, the food and overall experience was pleasant. That said, the bill rubbed me the wrong way. This is coming from someone who does typically tip min 20% regardless. read more

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Here again enjoying the band on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth's Service is excellent. Food was great as always. read more

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Celebrated my friend's birthday, the ambiance was nice, the service was average, the food was good but to my opinion a bit pricey. Overall we had a good time celebrating our friend. We received the bill and noticed that the tax charges didn't add up, as far as we know Torrance charges 10.25% tax on food. I called the restaurant to ask what tax percentage they charge and the manager was not able to tell me, she mention that they maybe charging taxes on the tip amount, but that didn't make sense either. I'm attaching the bill maybe someone can figure it out. I don't care to pay a few more dollars but I'm curious to know what the extra charge is for. read more

Madre - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Not sure if we went on an off day, but we did not have the best experience. Service was lagging, and unfortunately the food did not meet the hype we thought it would. read more

Great happy hour spot!! Came with a couple of coworkers after work and wasn't very busy around 430 on a Tuesday. We only ordered from their happy hour menu, we shared the chips with salsa and guacamole, elote, mole enchilada, and 3 tacos. Their salsas are spicy but I love the variety. Everything was good! The carne asada and barbacoa tacos had a good kick to them. Everything paired well with a nice cold Pacifico. I would come back again when in the area! Our server was also very nice and attentive as well. We enjoyed our time in one their outdoor patio areas, but there is also indoor seating. read more

Food is delicious, big portions, we also loved the salsas and chips . Margaritas are creative and good Dog friendly was a plus for our party read more

First time here and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Lots of options, I went with the chicken fajitas and a pineapple marg....on the rocks suggested by my waitress. The customer service was great, the food came out sizzling and they give you quite a bit! The margarita was also delicious and I ended up with a LOT of food left over. Enough for two meals. I will definitely be back and would highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

Last minute brunch scheduled for a group of 7 at this Oaxacan restaurant. Free parking beneath the building. (There is construction in the garage stairwells, but there's an elevator.) Although I arrived before the rest of the group, I was seated quickly. Staff was very friendly and accommodating when 3 members of our group were tardy as we snacked on salsa and guacamole. I was tempted to get a cocktail, but it was NYE and I was saving up for the evening's festivities. I opted for the Cafe de Olla. Delish. Inspired the group to try and everyone ordered one and enjoyed. Huevos Divorciados-two over medium eggs, chorizo, salsa madre, salsa verde, avocado, queso fresco, black bean paste. Hearty breakfast. Tres Leches Cake-chantily cream, lemon zest, strawberries, soaked in rum. I've had better in LA. It was a great spot for our group to gather and our brunch lasted much longer than we expected because of the atmosphere. Staff kept the food and drinks coming. read more

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Food was AMAZING! service was so fast , so kind, and very attentive. we had appetizers within 5-7 minutes of ordering them, and our entrees within 10! will definitely be back. very beautiful restaurant as well. read more

Madre - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Ive been here twice: Once for happy hour and the other for brunch. For Happy Hour tried the barbacoa taco, Gorditas, Fish Taco and Sangria. The barbacoa taco was delicious and so was the green sauce that came with it. The Fish taco was also tasty and crispy. The Gorditas were pretty good but ridiculously small. They are literally bite size and not much filling. For 8 dollars its definitely over priced. The Sangria was a bit too sweet for my taste but the flavor was spot on. I suggest you order from the regular menu instead as you end up paying the same price since the happy hour menu items are so small. The Service was better the first time versus the second time. The food was not brought out at the same time and wrong items were brought to our table. We got to see each other eat since we agreed eating cold food was not pleasant. The outdoor seating needs to be cleaned there was dried food on our table when we were sat. Id give this place another shot because of the convenient location and free parking. So of the food items were tasty but the portions are small. read more

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Very nice night last Friday. Food was delicious. I had costillias in salsa roja. I was there with the family. The service was great, always ready for us. The night was even better with the presence of Mariachi. Madre seems a perfect place for a date or family time. Oh... the cocktail was the cherry on the cake! read more

The barbacoa plate was huge!!!! Tons and tons of meat and very well worth it. Had a great flavor and was very tender. read more

Madre - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

This is the prettiest dining experience in Old Torrance. The dining room is elegant and upscale, like something you'd find in West Hollywood or LA proper. The patio is also gorgeous. This Madre location is definitely a great place to take guests and seems less crammed than the LA Palms location. They have a lot of Oaxacan dishes, many dishes and with ingredients I hadn't heard of and looked up on my phone while I was dining, as I am not familiar with Oaxacan food other than some basic dishes. We ordered a tlayuda and the mole combination. I definitely recommend the mole as it comes with three kinds of mole on one plate and they were all delicious! The menu has the most extensive Mezcal selection and if that's not enough for you the bottom of the Mezcal menu says to 'ask for even more selections'! Parking is easy as it's in the underground parking garage. read more

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The only thing that I didn't like was our lady server. She was more like a screamer and it was very harsh. She has a very irritating and unmodulated voice. Considering thee crowd and noise,I don't think raising voice to a higher note is necessary. I have also noticed that the staff aren't happy. I didn't get the vibe of friendliness and sincerity. Ok. That's the negative side. The good part is the food. We came here in a big group and it was also a Friday night,good thing,we made a reservation. Ambience is good but the drinks are mediocre. We also tried their bar. Again,they're not friendly. Going back!? Perhaps and hoping to get a better service overall. read more

Food is actually very good service is horrible ( specially a lady with short hair , she is terrible )ambiance is nice they have life music you can go with families or friends for drinks . read more

This is a pretty good "fancy" Mexican place. A lot of large groups. Reservations are definitely recommended. I've tried a number of things here. The guacamole is a must get. Mole here is pretty good. I ordered the Taste of Oaxaca and it was pretty good, though could have probably fed 4-5 people easily. read more

Came here for drinks with a group of 5 to celebrate a birthday. We sat in the bar section and Sam served us. He took the time to answer any questions we had about the menu and also went above and beyond in explaining the different mezcals. Felt truly taken care of and also learned so much! The plus were the cocktails, which were so balanced and delicious. Highly recommend visiting and maybe you'll get lucky to have Sam as your server. read more

Tasty oxacan food, excellent service! This place was happening, and they were still able to seat us right away. They had live music at the time, and the singer was incredible. We ordered the carne asada plate. All the food was excellent. The steak had great flavor. The beans were yummy. This was my first time trying nopales, or cactus, and it was surprisingly good. The corn tortillas were hand made and taste oh so good. The cocktails were too sweet. The chicharrones were way too hard. I could not even bite them, and I like crispy. The tres leches cake was bomb! It was so tasty! It was not too sweet. It was just right. I docked a star for the overly sweet drinks and the too hard chicharrones. I would definitely return to try more oxacan food, and I would give their cocktails another try. read more

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If the carnitas taco from the madre on national in palms was the best carnitas taco I ever had the carnitas taco I had at the madre in Torrance was the second best carnitas taco I ever had . The flavor was identical as the one I had from the location in palms however it was not served at the same temperature nor was it as juicy . Still an amazing taco . Just explaining why specifically the national location's taco gets the number one spot . I also ordered the chapo y kate cocktail which is basically a cucumber maragirita ($15) . Super refreshing and tasty . I also loved the presentation . Cassie my server was super friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant offerings . The host who was working today was also lovely . This location although may not 100 percent match the quality factor by only again a slight amount ( if I give the location on national 100 / 100 I would give this place a 94 /100) ... this location is hands down the better location in terms of ambience . This place of huge and the courtyard and outdoor seating is very cute . Apparently there is also live music on the weekends including a mariachi band on Sunday during brunch if that's your thing . Oh and there's free convenient parking underneath the commercial complex that this restaurant is located . Highly recommend. read more

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We were there for Día De Las Madres. Nice crowd that day. Food was outstanding as were the drinks. Service was excellent read more

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