My good friend Lisa has already written a very thorough review of Los Angeles cabs in general which basically summarizes why they suck so hard, so I'm not going to go into detail here about what Metro Cab is not. Instead, let me just tell you why they rock: 1. They always have van cabs, which never used to matter because four people can easily fit in the back of a normal-sized cab, but apparently there's been some sort of crack-down on cab companies lately and now they refuse to take five people, or they ask beforehand if you're going to tip them big (like you're going to tell them no...). Van cabs eliminate this struggle and, as an added bonus, everyone gets a seatbelt! 2. They drive quickly, but not so fast you're pressed up against the seat with your eyes closed praying for it to end. The last time I rode with a Yellowcab driver, he was crossing himself as he tore through LA post-bar-closing traffic. Umm, if gets to that point, JUST SLOW DOWN. We're not in that big a hurry. Metrocab drivers, in contrast, are speedy, but not in an actual Hey-do-you-know-where-I-could-score-some-speed way. 3. The drivers are super friendly, and they speak English. Which makes sitting shotgun and having to make small talk with the driver a hell of a lot more tolerable than when its some grumpy chain-smoker who yells at you because he can't understand the address you're giving him. Our last Metrocab driver dropped us off and cautioned us to watch our drinks and not to talk to strange dudes. 4. They know where they're going. Last night I hopped into my Metrocab and hesitatingly told the driver the name of the place we were going to, which was not exactly nearby or well-known. To my surprise not only did he know exactly where it was but he ASKED US how we would prefer to get there (seriously, there should be an additional star for this. I have had so many bad experiences in the past); he also called up another acquaintance of his and asked if traffic was clear on our chosen route. In the future, I will be calling Metro Cab for any and all excursions. read more

What's the plural of Prius? Pri-uh-i? I heard this obnoxious honking the other day and turned to see a line of about 20 Prius neatly labeled in green "Metro Cab" parading through Santa Monica with their new cars. So, the new cabs I wrote about in an earlier review were delivered! Nice to see these guys go green. read more

Great cab company - I use these guys every week to go to the airport (for the flat rate of $28). 1. Always arrive at least 5 minutes before the time I requested. 2. Clean cars - don't smell smokey (which I hate). 3. Nice drivers who don't talk on the phone constantly (another pet peeve). My only (very minor gripe) is that they don't seem to have a computer system which is able to match my phone number with my name/address. As such, every time I call, I have to give them my details. Not a biggie, just slightly annoying. Still, great cab company overall and definitely won't prevent me from using them. read more

I used this cab company for the first time last week and was extremely happy with the service! I don't usually use cabs in LA, since I have a car, so I'm not sure how this company compares with others, but overall, they were fantastic! The guy on the phone wasn't super friendly (not rude or anything, just kind of blah), so I was a little worried at first. Then, I had a sudden change of schedule and actually needed to be picked up immediately, so I called them back and they sent a cab right away without a problem. The cab driver was very nice and tried his best to get me there as quickly as possible. The cab was clean (a Prius too!) as well, which I always appreciate. The fare was about $15 for only about 3.5 miles, but there was a little bit of traffic... this is definitely more expensive than the cabs I took in Rhode Island, but I'm not sure if other cabs in LA are the same? In any case, I was less worried about price for this trip and I just wanted someone reliable, which they were! Lastly, when I got home later that night, I found a message on our machine letting me know the cab was there (I must've just stepped out the door when they called) and also wishing me good luck with my surgery (I was going to the hospital), which was really nice! All in all, they were very reliable and I would use them again! Thank you metro cab! read more

"Serving Santa Monica and Surrounding areas" - my @$$! I made a reservation online for a trip from my apartment in West LA to LAX this Friday. Just got a call saying that we're outside the coverage area. They apparently only serve Culver City and LAX. Guess what mofos? My apartment is 1 mile from the Santa Monica city border! If you're going to be so strict about, please say so on your website!!! **I have edited this review to exclude my reference to the Nazi party. It has recently been brought to my attention that this analogy is inappropriate since Nazis were never associated with REFUSING to pick people up. Actually, it was quite the opposite. My apologies! read more

The dispatcher we made our appointment with was terrific, efficient. We had an appointment to be picked up at 5:45 a.m. She later called to confirm, too. The morning we were leaving: at ten mins late, I called and they said the driver was on his way. When the driver arrived -- 20 mins. late -- he immediately began making excuses that lasted the trip to the airport. His first excuse was that we had cancelled the appt. which, of course, I said I did not. He changed his tactic -- you didn't answer when they called, so they assumed it was cancelled. I have an iPhone -- which I had in my hand and on the entire time we were waiting for him, and there were no registered calls. He gave every excuse he could pull out his hat -- they mostly work out of Santa Monica, and he was headed west when he got the call that the "cancelled" appt. was back on, there was traffic, etc. Yes, it's L.A. but this is on SURFACE streets, before 6 a.m. We could not have gotten out of that cab fast enough. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend them to ANYONE. He also complained we should have gotten a van. There were three of us and we had ONLY carry on luggage (which I described to the dispatcher). Now, this could be one horrible driver (his personality was very ill-suited to this business), but this was our experience and it stunk. read more

Reserved a cab to get to the airport way too early in morning - around 4am... not only was the driver there right on time, he was friendly and eager to get me to the airport in plenty of time to make my flight. It was the perfect beginning to a great vacation. Even better the fare from Culver City was around fifteen bucks... less than Super Shuttle... and a lot more fun. I would definitely use Metro Cab again. read more

Called for a cab on a Saturday night, an hour in advance, they took the address, said they'd pick me up. Got an automated call saying they were near, went outside ... no cab arrived. I called from the street and the dispatcher said he was two minutes away. I waited 5 more minutes, called back, said he was 2 blocks away but the street was blocked. By then I was standing in the street, and could see the street wasn't blocked off. Dispatcher said they'd call me right back. They didn't. When I called and got a 3rd dispatcher, they said MetroCab doesn't pickup at Venice. WTF? Did I mention Venice when I gave my address? Yes, yes I did. Called Independent Cab and they were there in 10 minutes. read more

I really like the idea of these guys. The prices are good and they're doing their bit for the environment, right? My wife and I used them for a ride from Westwood to LAX, scheduled about 12 hours in advance. Five minutes after the time they were scheduled to arrive, I rang their office to make certain they hadn't forgotten us. Thankfully, even at 4.50am, they did pick up the phone and I was told that the car would be there soon. It did arrive ten minutes afterward and from there on the experience was pleasant. Thankfully my wife is a stickler for always having a two hour time buffer, otherwise we might have stressed harder and/or missed our flight. I don't think I'll use this company again simply because I expect a cab company to be punctual. I'd understand a little tardiness at rush hour times, but there was none anywhere on the west side at 4.45am on that day. This is just speculation, but I have the feeling that someone did drop the ball and forget us. read more

11 blocks, $10 ride. The driver should warn passengers prior to entering that there is a $10 minimum on credit card payments. There is no signage on the outside of the taxis and the only mention of this is in small print on the passenger side of the dashboard (which is virtually impossible to see if you are sitting in the back seat. It is no wonder services like Uber and Lyft are making traditional taxi services obsolete. Metro Cab drivers are impolite, don't have the passenger's best interests in mind (unlike Uber and Lyft), and the rates are absurdly high. read more

Their cab drivers really need to learn how to drive. I was on the 405 this morning and cab number 120 came right across three lanes and cut me off, I had to slam on my brakes just to avoid rearending him. When I changed lanes to get out from behind him and go around, he sped up aggressively to try and stop my lane change. Nice driving, tough guy! read more

There's one airport in Santa Monica, and there's one "terminal" at the airport (Atlantic Aviation), yet twice in a row Metro Cab drivers have not shown up on time (gave them 30-60 min notice), and when I've called the dispatcher to ask WTF, I get the "oh, he can't find the airport terminal...where are you again?". And somebody should tell them you don't have to stop at green lights. If you have another taxi option, use it. read more

I'll change this to 3-4 stars WHEN YOU UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE! I'm in WEST LA and when you click the link to estimate rate, there's NOTHING that tells you there's NO PICKUP in West LA. ONLY SM and CULVER CITY. So I made a reservation and within minutes someone called me to say "Outside of our Area." Fair enough but don't waste my time. Good job getting back to me ASAP though. But save us all a lot of time and update the WEBSITE! PS. Ha! I just checked my email and my reservation is "confirmed, see you tomorrow!" Ridiculous. read more

I called a taxi to pick me and my daughter up on 09/09. They did arrive fast but the taxi driver ripped us off. I was coming from Mix Ave Hamden to union station New haven. It is a 5.5 mile ride. The driver decided to go onto 91 which lately has been under construction. I was charged 39.00. I paid the man and went on our trip. When we came back another company was at train station. So I took that home the trip cost 21.70. So when I realized the price difference I called metro taxi to complain I was ripped off. I was hung up on twice. This is not the way to do business. It is the second time this company did this with ripping me off. I'm done I have to now find new cab company read more

I always call Metro. There isn't a more reliable, clean, cost efficient and personable cab company in Los Angeles. My friends and I go out two or three times a week, and we always call Metro. Their cab drivers are always five minutes early to take us out, and return quickly when we're ready to go home. The cabs are clean and most of their cars are new. One of the best parts is, they keep their cabs stocked with water bottles for the end of the night. I have never had a bad experience, and would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would have. I needed a cab to go to the airport. I made a reservation the night before for pick up at 6 AM. I specifically told the operator that I was traveling with children and requested that the driver contact us when he/she arrived so that I could come down with the kids. I was told this would be 'no problem." I also specifically told her that if my cell does not pick up, she could call the landline. I gave both numbers. Again, I was told, "no problem." At 6:01 I saw a missed call on my cell ( no call on the landline). I called and the metrocab operator picked up and told me that the driver was "on his way and we should wait out in front." I asked if he was there already and she said he is "on his way." I asked her to call when he arrived, and she said, "you need to wait outside." I asked, "is he out there already?" She replied, "you need to wait outside," and then she hung up on me. By now it was 6:03. I gathered up the children and the luggage and we went downstairs (we live in an apartment, not a house so it takes time and several loads). It was 6:08 when we got down and all of our luggage in the lobby. I left the children in the lobby (it was quite cold outside and they were tired) and went out to look for the cab. No cab. I called and was told that the driver waited for me for 6 minutes and then left. Mind you, I never, ever got a call on my landline, was not told in advance to wait outside at the designated hour, nor did I get any call at all except the missed one at 6:01 where I was told he was "on his way." They told me it would take 20 minutes to get another cab to my place. At this point, I would not give them my business. I had never used Uber and was hesitant to experiment on a trip to the airport, but now I had no choice. In five minutes, I downloaded the app, got a $20 for trying their service and I ordered a large vehicle (the premium size). Within another 5 minutes an Uber driver was at our house. He loaded the car for us. The car was clean and beautiful and he got us to the airport, by now, a half an hour later than planned, thanks to Metrocab. Uber was great! I will never use any cab again. With my credit, the ride, in a premium vehicle with excellent service, cost me $17.50. Even without the credit, it would have been cheaper than the cab ride. Thanks to Uber, the experience became good. If it were not for Uber, I would have been incredibly stressed. I felt terribly let down by Metrocab, but now i am grateful it happened because I was introduced to how great Uber is and will never, ever use a cab again. read more

Props to Metro Cab--they have the best drivers who know every back way, alley, nook and cranny to get you from Santa Monica to LAX in less than an hour during afternoon traffic! These guys rock! read more

Found them on Yelp Friday, 11/20, the morning of my surgery and I called them an hour before I needed them. They were waiting for me and called me at 8 on the nose. It was the one thing I didn't have to stress about before my foot surgery today. Efficient and professional. Highly recommended! read more

I usually leave my car at the airport when I go but due to a long trip, it worked out cheaper to do a cab. Got a call right on time saying the cab was out front. Car was clean. Driver was very friendly. Trip to airport was a breeze & the fare was reasonable. Will definitely use again! read more

OK, I have to say that it deserves 5 starts since you actually receive great service by the driver. Agree with the 3 points that Matthew J. made. Love the low price! Unfortunately, they're not authorized to pick up passengers from the airport - wish I could have a round trip with them! read more

I used this Taxi service when I was visiting Santa Monica, CA. & I was very pleased with them! I called the night before to make reservations to go to LAX Airport. The guy I spoke with on the phone was very friendly, cheerful & polite, easy to understand. The taxi showed up exactly on time & the driver named 'Freddie' was very nice & we made pleasant conversation on the way to the airport. I asked for the flat rate to LAX from Santa Monica which was $28.00 & I also gave a tip. read more

Metro cab is a shake-down! I called to arrange a cab the night before needing to go to the airport for a 7am flight. Since it was an early ride, there would be no traffic, so I expected to pay meter prices. They didn't ask where I was going. The cab was 15 minutes late - I had to call twice. Once I got in the taxi, the driver said it was a $45 flat rate to LAX. $45 from basically Lincoln and the 10! Usually, flat rates for this route are less than $35. Since he was late, I didn't have time to make other arrangements. Despite arguing with the driver over the rate most of the way to the airport, he insisted on the flat rate over the meter (which was only $28!) He wrote the number of the police department on my receipt - I'd rather alert everyone on Yelp to not take this cab company! read more

This is the best cab company on the westside and they go above and beyond for their customers. Case in point - I took one of their cabs from Santa Monica to Venice on Saturday night. I accidentally left my scarf in the back seat. I called the dispatch line, they called the driver, he found my scarf, AND DROVE IT BACK TO ME IN VENICE. It was without a doubt the best cab experience and I couldnt believe they took the time on a busy night to return my item to me. I will ALWAYS use them when I need a cab. They are so nice!!! And priced great too. read more

I wanted to like this guys after my reliable cab company was purchased and stopped doing rides from Venice to LAX. I fly to LAX every Monday morning, and schedule my cab the day before. First time: 10 minutes late Second time: 5 minutes late Third time (this morning): At 5 minutes after the pickup time, I called to see how far away the driver was (as I was waiting downstairs)... Was told that the cab was still 10 minutes away. When I expressed my discontent with having a cab show up 15 minutes later than I had expected, got a "sorry, it's my fault" from the dispatcher, with absolutely no tone of "sorry" in his voice. When I asked if there was anything they could do was told, "I've already said sorry and kissed your ass, I'm more than happy to tell the cab not to come." Great to see a business that cares about customer service and actually showing up on time. Venice Taxi will have my business in the future. read more

I called to book a taxi from my home to the airport. The man on the phone was very rude to me. He had an attitude when I asked him if I could use a coupon that I saw online. Too bad, because I really wanted to use this company, I think that using alternative fuels is a great idea. Why not retrain your staff to be more friendly?! read more

I used their service twice (both times, they were on time for a pick to LAX) but when I called again to schedule a cab ride to the airport they suddenly claimed they don't pick up outside of Santa Monica. I find that somewhat stupid considering (a) I've used them before and they never expressed any issue with the pick up location before, and (b) I'm literally two block from the Santa Monica border. What a dumb way to lose a customer. read more

Called many hours in advance for a cab at 8pm. Come 8:05pm no car. I call, am put on hold and eventually transferred to a voice mail. I call back: "car's on its way". Etc. Long story short, over the course of the next 40 minutes I have called 6 times, been transferred to the voice mail twice, kept on hold for over 5 minutes twice, and just plain lied to the rest of the times. Their mantra? "trust me". Yeah, right. I ended up calling Bell cabs and they arrived within 10 minutes, at the same moment as Metro, though Metro was at that point 40 minutes late. The Bell guy told us Metro actually wasn't even allowed to pick us up, in LA as we were. Never once did anyone at Metro tell us this. And I had a whole lot of communications with these scam artists - plenty of opportunity. I suspect all the glowing reviews here of friendly service, etc. are plants. There are plenty of other reviews posted here that detail the same sort of treatment as mine. The dispatcher never actually swore at me but that's mostly because I was kinda loud; he didn't really have a chance. I've little doubt he could have, it was that sort of exchange. Really absurd. As proof, note the diametric opposite of the reviews here: lots that say not-punctual, rude, no-show, etc. And then there are a bunch that say 5-stars, friendly, punctual -- a single company isn't going to be that diametrically opposite in service. Things should like kinda sorta similar in the reviews ... unless they've been padded. I suspect this company is fleshing out their ratings. There is just no way this company should be ranking 4.5 stars given the numerous people reporting experiences just like mine. I recommend giving these folks a *wide* berth. p.s. We made our flight -- only just.... and no thanks to Metro. read more

I don't know why some of the previous comments are so high. My experience with Metro Cab Co was really bad. The attitude of the reservation operator was rude, as was mentioned repeatedly by some of the previous posts. I am wondering why he hasn't been fired. The service was really awful. read more

Operator is rude and the only service Santa Monica. They used to pickup from West LA, but no more. Had decent experience with them when I used them. read more

So tempted to call and give this company a piece of my mind. I witnessed Cab license plate 79610c1 not once not twice but THREE times exhibit reckless impatient driving. You are liable for the life you are transporting I hope you know! What a joke. This is why taxi companies are going under! Learn to drive. It's your ONLY JOB! read more

I booked a trip from Santa Monica to LAX online for a friend who was visiting from out of the country. Their website advertises $29 flat rate. However, you always have to fight with the drivers to get this rate and they always take advantage of people from out of town. This driver demanded $35 plus tip from my friend. Better to use Uber or Lyft. read more

The dive cut me off 3 times and then spit at me. I guess this is how you say hello in their country. I would never take a Santa Monica Metro cab, Drivers are obviously not nice, called their office and it was about the same, the guy practically spit on me. read more

Hands down the most pleasant cab experience of my life! I had to catch a flight out of LAX at an ungodly hour, so rather than risk my life in a sleepy friend's car, I scheduled a ride with Metro Cab. When the driver arrived (ON TIME!) he noticed that I was struggling with my bag and rather than glare at me from his car (as most drivers do) he came sprinting down the driveway to help me. I was greeted with a friendly "Good Morning!! How are you?!" he then grabbed my bag, complimented my cat (bonus points) and we were off. Cvetah (the driver) was extremely nice and easy to talk to. I don't generally enjoy conversations with strangers at 4am (or ever, if I'm being honest), but this was truly an exception. By the time we arrived at the airport I was in a great mood and surprisingly awake. Cvetah carried my bag as close to the airport door as he could and wished me well. I've since used Metro Cab on a few occasions and have not been disappointed. Always on time or early, friendly and helpful. (So far. Fingers crossed that I didn't just jinx myself) In my experience, the dispatchers are also really friendly and helpful. read more

Booked a cab online to LAX to get the promotional $29 rate. Driver was on time, friendly, professional, and safe. Would definitely use this company again! read more

We had a rehearsal dinner last Friday night and needed to get guests from one hotel to another location. I did not know where to turn,so I contacted Metro Cab and talked to Alvina about my problem. She was wonderful. She knew what to do and helped set it up so the guests could just call and go without them being charged. Everyone of my guest commented how helpful,friendly, and courteous all of the cabbies were. I highly recommend this company and especially Alvina.. They all helped make our dinner something that will be remembered read more

Unsafe drivers. I was nearly struck by one of their careless drivers when I was bringing my pregnant fiancee back from a Dr.'s appointment. The driver was wreckless in his choice of maneuvers when crossing an intersection, and caused the entire flow of traffic to be endangered. After that, he tried to hurry away. read more

Sponsors of the Santa Monica Sustainable Quality Awards -- thats one great reason to give Metro Cab a shot. When I did, they were on time, and got me where I needed to go. Really, isn't that the idea? read more

We had a unpleasant experience with Metro Cab Co. I wish I had gotten a receipt or a cab number, but by the time we had realized what had happened it was too late. There were four of us and the bill came to a little over $15. Our guest in the front seat decided to pay the bill, unknown to us in the back, giving the driver cash, I was not aware of this while talking to our other guest in the back. Then when I got out of the back door, after he took the money in the front, I asked him through the window what the charge was, he told me it was $15 and he held out his hand. I proceeded to pay him an additional $20, $5 for tip. We didn't notice it until we got to our door and I mentioned paying the driver, to which I found out we DOUBLE paid. The cab driver was clearly aware of what he was doing, thinking he could get away with it and sure enough he did. I found it strange that he sped off like he did, now I know why. They may have cool Prius's, but definitely not cool drivers. read more

Had a great experience for a first time customer. Requested service earlier this week at 6am and they were on time waiting! Cabbie dressed professionally and accommodating. Clean car with portable TV! Accepted coupon I mentioned online and that I also mentioned it when I made the reservation - so do that and best if you print. Cabbie did not have it on his system but honored the $29 flat rate coupon to LAX!! Hope they maintain this great service. read more

Don't even attempt to use this company!! I reserved a cab to the airport well in advance. I received a confirmation sheet. When I called to reconfirm they said they had no record of my reservation. I gave them confirmation number, name, address, etc. Still NOTHING. The rep I talked to, BIANCA, gave no help or advice whatsoever. I then asked to speak to a manager. No manager was on duty at that hour. At this point, because we needed to get to the airport, I was about to re-reserve, but then I realized, she hadn't even apologized for the mistake her company had made. I decided better to start fresh, with a professional company, that can actually live up to their reputation. I only gave them one star because I had to give them something to post this! If you are in Santa Monica, go with Taxi Taxi - (310) 444-4444, they're great and always on time or there is always UBER. read more