Absolutely lovely place! We highly recommend this restaurant. Mercado is everything you want a…read moreCalifornia Mexican restaurant to be -- warm, vibrant, and seriously delicious. Fresh guac, salsa, amazing drink selection, and dishes that feel both authentic and elevated. We loved the guac, the tacos, and the enchiladas. We also loved their chocolate ice cream as an added bonus. Flavors are bright and perfectly balanced. We look forward to trying their other selections next time. Sterling, our server was all smiles from the time we walked in. Service was so friendly and attentive, and he continued to check in on us all throughout. He had the most lovely demeanor. He truly, was very kind, polite and knowledgeable. Glenn and the rest of the stuff were also incredibly welcoming. We appreciated the attention as first time customers. A Pasadena favorite for a reason -- we'll be back!

This place is always the best. The staff is so friendly. I…read morealso want to shout out the manager because I love to see when they support their staff. Every time we come we see him serving or wiping down tables and greeting customers. Tonight we got the branzino and it was a 10/10. Shout out to Prita who was our server tonight.

My husband and I went for lunch during the week. Our server was very friendly but once he took our…read moredrink order we could not get his attention again. I ordered a rose pinot wine from the "Whites" section and apparently they did not have that wine so instead of letting me know he brought a pinot noir. It was impossible to get our server's attention so that I could ask about why I was brought that wine and to order a sauvignon blanc which was finally served just before our food arrived. Our meal was tasty and we enjoyed it. However, trying to get the bill to pay was another long wait. I was not happy with the service and so I gave the server a 15% tip. I received my bank statement yesterday and the restaurant added an additional $4 without my approval. For me service is an important part of dining and because it was mediocre I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon.

This Mexican restaurant is off E Colorado Blvd…read more My family decided to eat here, as we entered I was blown away with the authentic Mexican decorations, this restaurant is huge! It's super clean & their restrooms, highly organized, and attention to details. This restaurant is very friendly, war, chic, classy, and elegant! We were first greeted by Giovanny M. He took us to our table and gave us our menu, he ask if we had any questions . Which we did and he answered them all beautifully! Anayas has breakfast, Ensaladas "Salads" , appetizers,Sopes, Taco plates, Los Dorados, Flatus, Taquitos, Quesadillas, Burritos, enchiladas, chefs specials, Platots especiales, dulces alegrais "Desserts ",sides, drinks, tequila, premium tequila, mezcal, whiskey, gins, vodka, rums, cognac, dessert cocktails, white wine & rose, reds, sparkling, sweets, drag beer, Mexican beer, soft drinks, agua frescas. Before we order Giovanny gave us Chips and green salad, delicious! We ordered : pollo quesadillas 2 salmon negro, 1 pollo negro, 2 cokes, 2 ice teas, and 1 Doz XX Lager. Everything was super delicious, mouthwatering! Giovanny was so very sweet always making sure if we need anything & would go the extra Mile on getting us our refills on our drinks without asking! Their price points are spot on especially for the quality & quantity of food you get! Giovanny M. Was so super sweet, kind , caring, he is very knowledgeable, very genuine, super sincere & down to earth! Giovanny M. Has this super positive energy about himself that really radiates! He is your rarest Diamond! His shine can never fade! Please treasure him greatly!! I would love to Thank Giovanny M. For terrific, fantastic and memorable visit! I would also like to thank the Manger for also helping too! Thank you so much Anayas for our wonderful visit ! I'll tell all my Family & Friends to visit here !

We have been coming to Cabrera's for a number of years. I was surprised to recently find I had…read morenever posted a review. We discovered Cabrera's during the almost 2 year time span when our then go-to for Mexican, La Fiesta Grande in So. Pasadena, closed and their new location on Glenarm/Marengo opened. We tried a multitude of Pasadena places, including Mijares, Casa del Rey, Margaritas and El Torito (gringo!). Cabrera's was our fave, with a better location for us vs. La Fiesta. Their menu extended beyond the "ordinary", and I liked their plating/presentation. A slice of cucumber or orange adds a lot to a mound of shredded lettuce garnish. Mind you, our family fave for +40 years is still El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights, but that's quite a shlep. Cabrera's has also been around awhile (40 years) and now has 3 locations--Arcadia (the original), Pasadena and Duarte. All are owned/co-owned by 2 families, one named Cabrera. The Pasadena location is near the corner of Lake and Orange Grove, next to popular breakfast spot The Reyn, with which it shares a rear parking lot. All locations have a full bar. I have ordered off the regular menu, breakfast menu and Happy Hour bar menu. The breakfast menu is mostly offered on weekends when they open at 10 am, but you can ask for it weekdays at 11 am opening. My fave dish is the chilaquiles. As stated before, their all-day menu has some unique items, but I stick with the more gringo choices. Their chile rellenos used to be quite large, with the poblano chile clearly visible. They're a bit smaller and more generic now, but still fine. We order it as a 2 or 3-item combo or a la carte. Note their complimentary chips and salsa comes with 2 salsas, one red and one dark green (smoky and quite spicy). Lately we have been coming here for their Tuesday or Wednesday specials. Tuesdays is of course Taco Tuesday, and I love their crispy beef tacos. They have a special avocado salsa on Tuesdays. Every Wednesday, a certain dish is 50% off for the entire month if you order a soft drink, a great value. The most recent specials were fish tacos and steak or chicken fajitas, both delish. As AARP members, we usually arrive at 11 am opening. Inevitably either Christian and/or Guillermo, scions of the 2 founding families, are on duty then (Christian is the Pasadena manager)--shout outs to both of them! We are very comfy and happy with our newish go-to for Mexican food.

Went to this restaurant last night around 7PM. Only two…read morestaff helping customers, no usual waitresses. One waiter, i.e. helper, spoke no English and the other, very young, waiter barely spoke English. Both were dressed in street clothes. It was Tuesday and the availability of types of meat was very limited, we were told. We waited 15 minutes for help. While waiting, something was burning in the kitchen.....not a good sign. When we arrived there was a customer waiting by the door for takeout. After we were helped eventually, the customer who was waiting when we arrived returned with his takeout, and as it was appeared that the food and order was wrong. The customer was very unhappy. With no utensil, napkins, or food we waited patiently until it became apparent it was not good service and customers were not happy. Previously this was a nice restaurant, but now it is a very unpleasant experience. We left and went to another restaurant and were served immediately.

The food was excellent and the pricing was great. The ambiance is pretty good. It's simple but very…read morehispanic, decor and clean. My chile relleno was out of this world, and i'm very picky about that. I will definitely be going back. Our service was pretty good.She was pretty busy, so I'll give her that much.But it could have been a little better, but not bad.

hit and miss!…read more sometimes great. enchiladas on point. very good. sometimes asada on nachos is nauseating!!! order nachos with asada will be almost great sometimes. then sometimes it comes with nassty pieces of rubberery fatttt clusters!! was perfect for 3 orders straight, then i got an order that was nasty!! bunch of fat clusters, damnnnnnnn i love this place, wtf first 5 scooos of my asada pollo nachos was beef fat gross clusters that i had to remove from my mouth without throwing up. was trash gross horrific don't put fattt clusters on the nachos. thats a snack fusion that doesn't need rubbery fat attached to meet or full on fatt clusters. 22 dollars for chips beens and salsa with hit and miss asada. fatttt clusters not cool. please, i beg u, pay more attention to nachos. i was loving them till the last order saturday aug 8th was trash. i really liked the 1s b4 but damn, the 1 on saturday evening was fatyyyy on my snackyyy no bueno literally turns a good thing into trash. u must be consistent nacchhoosss. please. i had a gross experience on what i usually get. so gross, trying to get over it! please b more careful so i can remove this unfortunate review!!! fat on nachos not acceptable. we stopped ordering from don pillo because they always use nasty asada pieces and started ordering from u because asada was good. i couldn't eat the first three scoops of last asada nachos than threw it in the trash. nauseating was my last 5 bites. i hope this becomes constructive criticism because we are neighbors. best regards

Pro Tip: this restaurant does a pop up at Adam's Pack Station on select Friday nights. Check their…read moreinstagram for dates, but there's nothing better than fresh Mexican food, live music, and beautiful canyon vibes. I ordered an asada burrito (with guacamole) and Aqua Fresca. They absolutely hit the spot and I very much enjoyed the fresh avocado, though it was an expensive extra. My only regret was not ordering the flan, which looked extremely delicious. Next time! The food was prepared fast and the folks were extremely friendly.

Was in Pasadena and looking for an early lunch and stumbled upon Madrid Maiz. Small inside seating…read morewith a decent sized patio for seating. Ordered a chicken burrito, arrachera specialty taco, and a mango aqua freaca. Staff was nice, it was clean and it was quiet in arrival but guests started coming quickly for the lunch rush. Burrito was huge! Toasted nicely with a good amount of chicken and a lot of rice but it was delicious. Would definitely get it again but I'd try a different protein. Arrachera taco was definitely a special treat! The blue corn tortilla held perfectly and the meat had just the right texture. I wouldn't get this all the time as it's pricey, but worth it if you're looking to treat yourself. Mango Fresca was right up my alley. It's not too sweet with a little pulp, I'd definitely get this again. Would definitely recommend, I'll be coming back.

We been coming to Mijares for some years now. Came occasionally on Sundays. But in the last 2 years…read morewe here every Sunday. Food is good order of the menu, I've had the brunch is too. Just don't eat too much. Staff is great always greet us and attend to us. Place gets good on Sundays with the regulars or the Sunday crowd.

Authentic, Delicious, and Welcome. What more does one need? Well, it is even more perfect with…read morefriends and that is how I ended up here. The chicken enchiladas with rice and beans were so fresh. Plentiful plates. The chicken was juicy and without even little bones that sometimes end up there at other places. Shared the fried ice cream as I just couldn't pass up trying it. Happy that I did. The indoor seating is far more than it looks on the outside. We only had to wait a few minutes to be seated on a Friday night. There is limited outdoor seating from what I could see. The decor is just right for the place. The vibe is causal and we were not hurried, even on a very busy night.

Stopped by yesterday for the Que Chulas Plantas Plant Bingo event being held on the patio. I had…read moreso much fun doing plant bingo, it was fast paced and fun! The patio area is spacious and well shaded but the sun does move and it can get a little hot outside so they do recommend bringing a fan to cool off. I brought a fan but there was a nice breeze so I ended up not needing my fan! To drink I decided to try the seltzer. I taste tested the jaimaica seltzer and the passion fruit seltzer, both were delicious! It was hard to choose but I went with the passion fruit. It was refreshing and helped keep me cool during bingo. A food truck called Amor & Limon parks on the sidewalk right in front and they have delicious food if you get hungry!

An amazing brewery that offers lots of options for IPAs, seltzers, ale, and non-alcoholic drinks;…read morefor those who want to hang out and vibe but don't necessarily drink alcohol! My group of friends and I went during the World Cup craziness. We had just come from another bar after the game had concluded and with an hour left before closing the hospitality was still as great as ever! I can imagine how crazy busy they might have been before we arrived but I'm glad the quality of service we received was good. I didn't know what to try and the sweet lady at the register gave me some great recommendations. I went with a seltzer and it was amazing (especially coming from another bar I wanted something light haha & no I was not driving). I will definitely be returning and with a group of friends again because the space is very nice and the vibes were great! Perfect spot for game days or an outing with some buddies. As for parking, it's located in the busy area of Pasadena and centered around a residential area expect to park far or in a parking structure; that means walking! Although, that's not a deal breaker as the area offers plenty to do and all within walking distance.

Had the chef special - Chili En Norgada. BEST mexican food dish I've ever had. Absolutely…read moreamazingly good. Shared a bite with 3 family members and they totally agreed.

I am with a large group (8-13 people) that meets at El Portal twice monthly. The food is always…read moredelicious and we have the same waitress, Beatrice, who is so friendly and capable and takes good care of us every time. All the staff is very accommodating.

Love this place!! Our server, Genesis, was so attentive and…read morechecked in on us frequently. The staff always greets us with a warm smile and the best vibes. We come here for taco Tuesdays. Love that they have the salsa bar out so we can dress up our tacos however we want. If you can, come in for the happy hour asada fries basically my usual when I come here. 12/10 obvi coming again ‍

Lively atmosphere with great service!…read more Looking for pretty drinks? Loved the margarita flight with bits of fresh fruits and purées. The sizing was perfect for trying the different types of margaritas and it is so beautifully presented. The food is reasonably priced. There were many choices available on the combo plate. I enjoyed the enchilada de mole, potato (sweet potato) taquito and chile relleno. Will be back for Happy Hour and Margarita Monday for sure!

Went here with a party of 5 and was immediately seated on a Wednesday night at 630. The decor is…read morecute, semi dimly lit with a good amount of seating available. We ordered family style and was really happy that we got to try so many things! Ceviche de pescado Lomo saltado Arroz con pollo** Bistec con tallarin verde *** Aji de gallina Everything was delicious but the best bite had to be the bistec con tallarin verde. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the sauce was seasoned well, and the steak was medium rare and so tender. They have quite an extensive menu so I will definitely be back some time to get my favorites and try some more of their food!

Amazing food and service! I would definitely go back…read moreAmbiance was perfect for the occasion