My wife and I went out for our anniversary tonight since we got someone to watch the kids. We chose this place in Pasadena where my wife has gone before and thought I would really like it. Food review will be in the pictures. We shared two large plates and one appetizer. Overall, really good. The service was great. Omar, our server, was really informative about the food and the portions. Glen(assuming owner/manager), came over to talk to us and wished us a happy anniversary. We gave him our history about how my wife and I met at work and how we used to work down street many years ago. So it was nice to come back to the area. The interior decor and mood was perfect. Not to crowded on a Tuesday but still enough people. read more

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Very disappointing experience at this location. Three moms met for lunch with a newborn, my 5-month-old, and a 4-year-old. I had been raving to my friends about the food and amazing service at the Manhattan Beach location, so I was excited for them to try it. We were initially told our best option was outside, despite it being nearly 100 degrees. When I asked to sit inside, the manager focused more on the obstacles than finding a solution. We were eventually offered two separate tables, which we accepted just so we could stay. Our server was slow and not particularly friendly, and the service overall was mediocre. The food was delicious, but unfortunately the experience and hospitality were nowhere near what I've experienced in Manhattan Beach. Very disappointing, especially after recommending it so highly. read more

My family and I stopped by Mercado for Happy Hour last week. It was my mom's second time going to the Happy Hour that same week. She really loved the guacamole, the pork tacos, and the fish tacos. We also ordered the ceviche, but the standouts were definitely the tacos and the guacamole. Highly recommend the happy hour and grabbing a seat outdoors or inside to watch any games going on! The service was fantastic - they took our order and almost immediately delivered the food after. They also checked in multiple times with us - if the food didn't come out right after, they went to go check on it for us. Great place - we'll be back! read more

This restaurant continues to deliver consistent quality of some excellent meals. The Choriqueso, which I had always scoffed at, is excellent. The chips are probably the best homemade chips (alongside those from La Cabanita), and the meals are executed perfectly. Chicken mole enchiladas, Dos gringos tacos, carnitas platter, homemade tortillas. And the flan is probably the best I have had in a restaurant. It's not heavy, but manages to be rich and light at the same time. It's a favorite spot and if I'm there at happy hour, the nachos are non-negotiable. Service is friendly and efficient. It's a little loud, but it suits the ambiance. 5 stars because One can always count on a solidly delicious meal. read more

The service was great. At the time they had an off the menu plate which we decided to get. The fish was well seasoned and good. The supporting foods guac, rice and sauces helped add to the experience. It's a little on the louder side but it's dealable. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

The service was attentive and friendly throughout the meal, and the restaurant itself was nice. My only minor complaint is that the dining room is really dark. Mole Chicken Enchiladas 9/10 - Easily the best mole enchiladas I've ever had. The mole sauce had a rich chocolatey sweetness that paired perfectly with the savory chicken. Every bite felt well-balanced, and the combination of the enchiladas, beans, and mole came together beautifully. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Enchiladas de Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My first time and it was lovely! We sat outside on a Sunday evening for dinner with a party of 6. Gianni was our server and he was very kind, helpful, patient and accommodating. The chicken enchiladas were delicious, light and the green sauce was YUM!!! The guacamole was amazing. The queso was really good, very tasty. They told us they didn't have any churros BUT they did have churro ice cream so it happened to be around the time of preparing them so they served us churros anyways!!! Gianni was soooo nice. Bathroom was clean and large. Parking is a lot... around the streets or in the parking lot in the back. read more

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First time visiting Mercado. Everything from appetizers (shrimp tacos on Jicama tortillas) to entree's (Mahi Mahi) and Dos Gringas (Pastor tacos with squash & cilantro lime rice) to Chef Jose's Flan was incredible. Customer service is top-notch. All servers know the menu front-to-back and are helpful with selections. GM Glenn paid a visit to our table to welcome us as first-timers and give us a little history of the restaurant. Will definitely be back. read more

My husband and I came here for a nice brunch/lunch on a Saturday. There's street parking only (1hr limit except Sundays) but luckily the service here is pretty quick. We ordered the choriqueso appetizer to share which came with crispy tortilla chips. The chips were well made and the choriqueso had a very mushroom forward flavor, but we didn't taste any chorizo. He got the chile relleno which was quite fluffy and stuffed with a good amount of cheese along with a salsa verde. He really liked the flavors of his dish. I ordered the enchiladas suizas, but instead of a suizas sauce it was a verde sauce with crema on top stuffed with a good amount of chicken. They were just fine, and the cilantro lime rice had a lard/earthy flavor but not cilantro or lime. I was expecting to have a fresh flavor to add to the overall dish. They also have an agua of the day to sample, we went with the piña celery, which surprisingly goes well together and has a nice green fresh flavor. The restaurant overall is pretty basic, and doesn't have any specific individuality to indicate that it's a Mexican restaurant, and the decor is a little dated. The focus is primarily the bar. The staff were really friendly and had great suggestions as well. Overall it's a nice place. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Always a Five Star experience here. You have to love how they consistently offer creative specials. Of course the food is always fresh and great tasting. Today our server suggested a beef rib special (bar b cued). Wow. So amazing a tasty. I do hope that this becomes a staple! To me Mercado is such a Pasadena treasure and a fantastic place to get " upscale " Mexican dishes and smooth cocktails. read more

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My friend and I came here to have dinner. We got the guac, tacos, and carnitas plate. The guac was great and the chips were freshly made! However, the carnitas were overly salty luckily the cauliflower , salsa, and guac helped lessen the salty taste. The food overall was ok. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Tried out a new Mexican restaurant/bar today for Brunch. Has indoor and patio area for seating, we chose inside as it was so hot outside. The host was friendly and sat us right away. We tried an appetizer, Chorizo/Mushroom Queso. Was tasty but did not taste a chorizo but added the red sauce that comes with it for a kick. We tried the Enchiladas Suizas and the Chile Relleno. Both dishes were big portions but would say the Enchiladas were not creamy or traditional suiza sauce but more of green sauce enchiladas with a little cream on top. Tried their home made corn and flour tortillas. I recommend the corn more. The Chile Relleno was amazing, a lot of cheese inside but also surprised it had a green sauce instead of a red sauce on top. I wanted to try their cheviche verde but did not have that available today as well as their steak tacos. Liked some of the decor inside but did not like some of the dry eraser menu items written on the windows/glass, took a little of the high end feel of the restaurant. The food was amazing and will try other items another day but might just order for pick up. read more

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I was in Pasadena for an event and was looking for something to eat close to my hotel and I stumbled upon this restaurant. We sat at the bar, the restaurant wasn't busy at the time we went in. So it was nice and quiet and we had good service. The bar is small and cute, they do have seating outside and inside. It's not a super big place. I liked how attentive the bartender was. The food was delicious, my mom cleaned her whole plate and said it was the best chile relleno she's ever had. I enjoyed my enchiladas and my margaritas. It is a more high end place with some traditional Mexican cuisine and style. I loved the flavors, I loved how they press fresh fruits to make their cocktails. The bartender did say they have happy hour Friday evening if we wanted to come back. I would've loved to, maybe next time we come into town we'll stop in. Thank you for having great food, and service. read more

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Nice date night spot! We came here to use our credit card dining credit and were pleasantly surprised by the ambiance. The restaurant offers a cozy mix of indoor booth seating and an outdoor patio, complete with overhead heat lamps that kept it cozy on the rainy evening that we went. We ordered the following: - Guacamole & Chips - 5/5 - Dos Gringas Tacos (al pastor, oaxaca cheese, red onions, cilantro, salsa) - 4.5/5 - Pescado Tacos (white fish, mexican slaw, pico, lime crema) - 4/5 - Calabacitas (zucchini, onions, tomatoes, grilled sweet corn) - 3.5/5 - Enchiladas de Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño - 3/5 The guacamole was really well done - it was fresh and thoughtfully prepared with cilantro, red onion, tomatoes, and pine nuts. We enjoyed the tacos as well. The zucchini was decent but wasn't anything special. I wasn't really a fan of the mole enchiladas. The shredded chicken was a bit dry and the mole lacked the deep, complex, nutty richness that I am used to. Though if I didn't just go to Oaxaca last year, I probably wouldn't know the difference. Overall, charming spot. As it's a bit pricey, I would probably only come back for their happy hour next time which runs Mon-Thur 4-6:30pm and Fri-Sun 4-6pm. read more

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First time here. Wasn't sure what to order as many dishes have mixed reviews on the app. I had the camerones al jillo. It was pretty tasty... but the highlight of that dish wA the ciabatta bread I have never tasted ciabatta like that. It was a piece of heaven. The person I was with had the enchiladas and he said they were great as well. Got a watermelon margarita, was not impressed at all. Our server was great. Parking was around the back and I do t know the area well so I was quite confused but it worked out. Paid $11 for 3hrs. Would return. read more

This place has good food and great drinks. We've been here before as we waited for our sugar fish table and their bar service was great. This time we decided to eat a full meal here, and we were pleasantly surprised with their options. They offered a pre fix menu with chips and guac, tacos and dessert, so one of us ordered the filet mignon and the other ordered from their main menu a Chile relleno. The guac appetizer was very small and you can't customize it, the taco meat was tasty and well seasoned. The chile relleno sat in a bed of green salsa with corn an other vegetables which was different and it gave this dish a different taste. Will definitely come back and try other options from their main menu. read more

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Food is really well made. I was in a rush and ordered the tacos de pescado and had some guac & chips. The tacos were so flavorful, a generous amount fish with the sauce & slaw having just the right amount of crunch and creaminess. Flour tortilla is also quite thin making it quite a light but satisfying meal. Other restaurants often smother the fish in heavy sauce but Mercado strikes the balance just right. Their chips & guac were amazing! Both were freshly made (chips were still warm). Price is reasonable for the quality you get. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Tacos de Pescado - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Stopped at this beautiful spot from a recommendation. Theres street parking. I had the grapefruit margarita which was good, very refreshing... as you can see in the picture I devoured the tropical ceviche before taking the picture. I highly recommend it. Fish tacos were light and had the right amount of crisp. The shrimp were in a delicious buttery sauce. I wasn't the biggest fan of the rice. It came with a what I describes the succotash vegetable melody.. The bread that came with it was divine. I think it was a focaccia crispy on the top lighting area on the inside with maybe a garlic butter finish. Service was fast and efficient. I don't come out to Pasadena often but I hear there's another location closer to my home.. I'll have to check that one out too. read more

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Everytime I come we at least get the pulpo dish & mushroom choruses! Definitely my favorite menu items. On this occcasion we got the plater and added the pulpo and this can definitely feed at least 4 -5people. The menu states it's for 2-3 but honestly it can feed much more. Totally worth it! read more

Mercado - Pasadena - platter - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I loved Mercado! We had a group of 20 last minute for a lunch meeting, and they were not only able to accommodate, but also provided the best service! We had a fixed menu (because of our party size) that included appetizer, entree, and dessert. The guac, chips, and salsa was great, but the fish tacos I had were amazing!! A little spicy, a ton of flavor. We had flan and tres leche for dessert. Absolutely delicious and I look forward to trying more menu items on another trip. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

A little pricey, but it's well worth it! Came here with baby and my parents on a saturday and was surprising to find that they weren't all that busy. Their patio is nestled in a small little mall complex, and therefore is a bit more quiet and relaxing than the bustling Lake Ave in Pasadena. We went on a perfect weather day, and most people opted to sit outside instead of inside the store. We sat inside since we had a sleeping baby in a stroller, and was surprised to find there are a few others doing the same with a stroller also! Plenty of space for all of us too. Between the 3 adults, we had ordered 2 main dishes and 1 ceviche to share. It was the perfect amount of food and I'm glad we weren't overzealous and ordered 3 mains as it would've been too much. We got a mole enchilada, ceviche tropical, and the carnitas chilaquiles. everything tasted amazing and it was the perfect dish to introduce my parents to the unique mole flavor. staff members were very friendly and super accommodating, glad we ventured out to Mercado! read more

I ordered the enchiladas and elote. The enchiladas and corn were ok, not anything mind blowing. The flavors were a bit light and could've used a bit more seasoning. The corn was a bit overcooked as the kernels were a bit difficult to chew and weren't juicy. They are a bit overpriced and if you're looking to splurge on mediocre food, I would say this is the place to. Service on the other hand, was excellent. The servers were kind and attentive. The restaurant had a lounge/night bar vibe to it. There is indoor and outdoor seating. You can find paid street parking, park in a paid lot for $5, or if you drive a little further up you can find free street parking. I don't think I would come back here for overpriced Mexican food. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Elote - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Delicious Mexican restaurant in Pasadena! We went here aiming for a quick light lunch, eyeing the lunch prie fixe menu 3 courses at a good price of $24. You may wonder why such a low rating? Unwritten enforcement of minimum spend. We got the lunch prie fixe with the chips with salsa and guacamole, carnitas sandwich, and churros ice cream and a side of calabacitas (zucchini, grilled vegetables). The chips is double baked / fried and incredibly crispy, with good guacamole and decent salsa. The carnitas sandwich is okay - the carnitas is on the sweeter side and a little dry but the overall ingredients combined made the sandwich satisfying. The churros ice cream is mostly the flavor and is quite true to the real deal. The grilled vegetables were good. It was too much food for what we aim when we have dinner in 3 hours for the sake of trying as many places as we can and support as many local businesses while at it. I took 3 stars off because we placed the prie fixe order telling the server we will share the 3 course which he went ahead to put the order to the kitchen. 10 minutes later maybe the manager came to the table and said we can't do that and we were forced to order an additional item to serve us. He made wild claims saying California burrito or a bowl is pretty small - no, one of these is like a meal for most people. I have a feeling he'd rather sacrifice a good tip to extract and pinch out as much money from customers by enforcing a minimum order requirement? Additional time and unnecessary money and food wasted for something that was not written. I understand if the prie fixe or menu mention this rule, but it felt out of the blue. read more

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We had an amazing dinner with our daughter. Melissa was our waitress and she was very nice and efficient and professional. Location is great and we love sitting outside in the patio. Food was absolutely delicious & fresh my had the filet mignon taco omg it melts in your mouth and I had swordfish tacos and my husband had shrimp tacos read more

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Great bar to hang out while waiting for a table at Uovo. Bartender was friendly. Chips & Salsa guac yum! Drinks were good. Great atmosphere. Chill vibes. read more

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The service and servers were top tier. Our server was friendly and checked up on us frequently. The food was brought out timely. No complaints on the service. The ambiance was cozy and modern. We really appreciated the art work. It made of ammunition shells. Definitely, go take a look on your way to the bathroom. The bathroom wallpaper is gorgeous. Then, we get to the food/drinks. This is where I would say the 3 stars comes from. We went for happy hour and ordered the carnitas tacos, green ceviche, and the gueritas, we had the pomegranate margaritas. The carnitas tacos had a thicker tortilla and were a bit salty. I asked for something spicy, and received the Brava salsa. It is not spicy. I would say it's a sweeter Chipotle flavor. Then, they brought a hanero salsa, but it has a very noticeable dairy flavor that was not to my liking. The green ceviche is not ceviche. It is agauchiles. The gueritas were really good, so if I were to return I would have those again. Drinks were decent. Flan was very sweet and it's paired with a sauce that reminds me of rompope. read more

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This is a must try off of lake in Pasadena. Reliably good food every time I have been here. Chips and salsa with WARM chips. A to die for pork tomahawk. Amazing happy hour and I highly recommend the dos gringos. Every detail of that dish is made with thought and precision down to the proportions given and the wonderful crisp on the tortilla. Amazing deal! Be careful when ordering sparkling water because they'll bring you an overpriced bottle of sparkling water instead of just their fountain soda water without asking for clarification. I've made that mistake a couple times. Otherwise, I highly recommend Mercado; you can't really go wrong. read more

The food was yummy! Our server was kind & attentive & we sat outside & they had the misters going so it was very comfortable. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Dos Gringas Entree, Tinga Tostada, chips & Guacamole, Elote - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

The evening started out well seated promptly and the waitress was attentive. The food was agreeable nothing to write home about. The drinks were decent. We ordered dessert, flan and churros. The flan was missing texture (eggs) and the churros were raw inside. When we made note on this our waitress sent the manager over. I would have given Mercado 4 stars but the manager was completely patronizing. He insulted our intelligence by telling us thats the way churros are made. Not sure what world he lives in, but no churros are served uncooked runny dough inside. Another thing the ambiance dia de los muertos doesn't make sense why is it called Merado. read more

We ate with friends at Mercado in Pasadena and overall had a great experience. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, making it a nice place to catch up and enjoy a meal together. The food was flavorful, well prepared, and enjoyable for everyone at the table. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the seating. I specifically asked for a booth, and there were two empty booths available, but the hostess told us they were reserved for parties of six. A short while later, I noticed one of those booths was seated with only three people, which was a bit disappointing. I really care about where I sit when dining out, and that part of the experience mattered to me. Aside from that, everything else was solid Good food, good company, and a pleasant vibe. With a bit more consistency around seating, this could easily be a 5-star experience for me. read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Catching up with friends - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We came here many times for their happy hour. Nowadays, it's rare for places to have happy hour during the weekend. We came for happy hour. We ordered the scallop, and the nachos with carnitas. I enjoyed the skinny margaritas. While browsing the menu, the server told us the dinner menu. The steak sounds really good so we decided to have an early dinner. Wonderful place to dine for a Sunday late. afternoon. read more

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This was our 2nd time here, and would come back again and again. The Chef was greeting tables and the staff was constantly checking in. The food was delicious read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Taco de Papa - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Mercado Pasadena can trace its direct lineage to Yxta (eesh tah) DTLA. And by extension, the original ancestors would be the owner's grandparents who established "El Arco Iris", the rainbow, in Highland Park. So three generations have been in the honorable restaurant business. Nice front, covered, outdoor dining patio. Inside is dark, intimate with options of semi enclosed booths, open tables, bar seating. Friendly service. 1) Dos Gringas: Two slow-cooked natural pork al pastor dressed with oaxaca cheese, red onions, cilantro, Yxta salsa brava which is mild, dark red chile salsa, avocado salsa, calabacitas/Mexican zucchini. Opted for tortillas de harina/flour and also an order of powdered Queso Cotija for a more funky, aged dairy flavour. Unfortunately, these tacos were not particularly full of shaved, roasted pork meat quantity. The red salsa marinade was very mild, bland tasting perhaps to cater to a mostly non-Mexican clientele. The plating was pretty perhaps to disguise the paltry amount of pork or to look chefly à la haute cuisine. I miss the street tacos' direct, bold flavours that include stronger vinegar, more piquant red chiles, garlic, maybe even a squirt of Worcestershire sauce to add a fruity, fermented sweetness. At $17, it was a stretch. 2) The much vaunted Chef José's Carnitas does live up to its name. Pork shoulder slow roasted in its own fat like the French Confit. Part of it is lush, fatty meat, other parts are firm and meaty. Only problem is that it was so over salted that I did a double take when I put some in my tortilla to take the first bite to discover its sharp, harsh salinity. I took this salt brick meat home to incorporate it into Carnitas fried rice so that the rice and fresh herbs would absorb and lessen the saltiness. At $35, the cook should more closely monitor the cooking process and taste test the final product to ensure edibility. 1-2a) Smoky Yuzu was an interesting collaboration of Mexican and Japanese ingredients. Yuzu/Japanese citrus and Mezcal from Oaxaca, México created a lime, lemon background for the mesquite-like smoke, and caramelized Agave-like sweetness of the Mezcal. May have a pinch of salt to enliven the flavours much like putting salt on watermelon. $17 was worth the price of admission. Had a roller coaster ride of too bland for the first course and too hyper salty in the second. Amiable service fortunately saved it from being a 2 star experience. 3- stars read more

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Ordered lunch today via Doordash. The red sauce that came with the Carnitas had way, way, way too much salt in it. So much so that I think somebody in the kitchen made a terrible mistake with the salt. I stupidly poured it over the carnitas without tasting it. It ruined the carnitas and made them totally inedible. The tortilla chips were also inedible because the cooking oil/lard was completely rancid. I could smell it the minute I opened the bag. Presumably the grease hadn't been changed in a long, long time. On the plus side, the corn tortillas were excellent and the calabacitas quite good. I'm a return customer so I did have a baseline here. Not going to eat their food anymore unless I'm in restaurant and can deal with a problem in real time. read more

Pretty busy for a Tuesday night. Got seated at a "high top" along the back wall that that was very difficult to maneuver in and out of. Not a great start. And sadly, I wasn't wowed by anything here--the Fish Tacos were good but not great, the tuna ceviche was tasty but weirdly more like a poke plate than a traditional ceviche, and the al pastor tacos had mayonnaise on them. Not good, sorry. read more

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First time eating here and wow! The food was great! I order Dos Gringas, the tacos had great taste. The food presentation was great and the ambient was also good, very clean. The service was great too, no complain. Edit: What the heck! 3 percent surcharge? I don't support locations like this. read more

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Parking wasn't the easiest but manageable. The hostess status quickly, the server was very courteous and helpful with suggestions. The drinks were pretty good as so was the food. We were sat on the outside patio as they were fairly busy, it was a bit noisy as we were streetside. I would definitely skip this location. read more

The food & service are always really good! Normally I write long reviews with my experience but you know what? Just try this one for yourself! I will say most recently I had the Huevos Divorciados for brunch and they were delicious! My mom had a breakfast burrito & my brother had the pancakes. They both loved what they got & everything came out hot! read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Huevos Divorciados - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Love their fish tacos and the best guacamole ever! Their ceviche verde is on point! Also best blackberry lime mojito mocktails around! read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Horrible service and literally the to go container for the ice cream. Looks like a sample not what I should have gotten since I paid for it read more

Mercado - Pasadena - Horrible Service . Went for lunch had the prefix lunch special. The to go ice cream It literally looks like a sample - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California