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    El Caporal

    4.3 (257 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Seafood, Burgers
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Order El Caporal Takeout or Delivery

    El Caporal Photos

    Business Info

    EL CAPORAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Caporal

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    Joey R.

    I stopped here today for lunch and I am ordering the combo plate with a beef hard shell taco and a cheese enchilada and rice and beans and a ice tea This place has plenty of parking in the rear besides street parking. They have plenty of seating inside Everyone I spoke with recommended this place. They have a large selection of items on their menu. I recommend this place to others

    Shrimp tacos
    Craig M.

    Si si si, this place is so quaint and inviting. The service was great, kind attentive and genuine. The Shrimp tacos I had were fresh and delicious. I cannot recommend this place more.

    Quesa- Birria Taco with a side rice and beans

    Stopped by after my hike at Mt. Wilson and found an absolute hidden gem. From the moment I walked in, it felt like I stepped straight into my Tía's house for Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and the staff make you feel like you're part of the family. The quesabirria tacos were amazing! They're so rich,flavorful, and so fresh it felt like they handled everything start to finish that same day. The agua de tamarindo was perfect refreshing, balanced, and not overly sweet. My family ordered machaca, beef tacos, and a shrimp cocktail and they all agreed the food had true authentic Mexican flavors. You can truly taste Puebla, Mexico right here in SoCal. Next time I'm in the area I'm stopping by, I'm going straight for the mole! Puebla style mole is straight fire!

    Franky T.

    I'm never one to leave reviews and this has nothing to do with the service but more so the food and amount paid for it. I don't think $16 for a salad like this is acceptable. Therefore I'm leaving this review in hopes that they either fix their pricing or food quality. Pricing there was a bit much however I don't complain cause it is what it is. I paid almost $45 for a salad, torta and coke. Don't know if it has to do with location or anything but just thought I'd leave this review.

    Birria Plate/ Caldo de Res

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Everything on their menu is amazing. My favorite are the chilaquiles, reminds me of how my mother makes them.

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    3 years ago

    Machaca and shrimp tacos are amazing here. Carnitas are also very good. Best Mexican place in this area.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Always get great breakfast burritos here...great way to start a Saturday morning and get the weekend going!

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    9 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great tasting food. Got a michelada an birria plate after a long hike. That hit the spot.

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Super good food, 6 of us were in town for a soccer game and everything was so good.the flan is a must.

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Stunningly overpriced. The serving sizes are small and the prices are high. Skip it. Food is okay.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    food is soooo good awesome service good price there shrimps al coporal and a la diabla are to die for

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food and service! We ordered a lot of food for a big party and they were very nice and understanding!!

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    3 years ago

    Great food definitely coming back. Great service and give chips on the side for snacking

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    6 years ago

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    Page 2 of 7

    El Caporal Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Caporal

    Is the menudo available during the week or on weekends only?

    Weekends only

    Is there happy hour?

    I am sorry we don't serve alcohol

    Is bell peppers the only ingredient you guys have for an omelette?

    No we have onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cheese, sukini, mushrooms that would be a veggie omelette and then we have bacon, sauges, and ham. What happened on Sunday was a misunderstanding when the waitress told you we didn't have any mushrooms she… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Fishwives - Sampler platter - called "the fish"

    Fishwives

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    2.4 mi
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    After eons of marinating in my bookmarks, I FINALLY made it here--and my taste buds threw a party…read more No regrets, no refunds needed. The seafood sampler was so fresh, it practically waved at me. Shrimp was a touch dry (like it had been on a diet it didn't sign up for), but everything else? Chef's kiss, no notes. The fish taco batter? Absolute perfection--crispy, golden, and dangerously addictive. Next time, I'm going full caveman and ordering the fish and chips. Service? Solid. Waitstaff hovered with the perfect blend of "I got you" and "I won't breathe down your neck." The spot itself? Tiny and hidden like a speakeasy for seafood lovers. Parking? Just ditch your car in the garage and take a lovely stroll--good for the soul, and it builds up appetite for round two. Totally worth it.

    Hidden gem and I'm so glad I found it! The ambiance is good with nice music playing loud enough to…read morecatch a vibe and low enough to hold a conversation with your party. It's tiny and cozy inside. They have a bar seating area as well as tables. There's a tv at the bar which is viewable no matter where you sit. Everyone was very welcoming and nice. We ordered the oysters (chefs choice - a dozen), clams and grilled octopus. Everything was delicious. The raw oysters come with condiments to add flavor to the oysters and the grilled octopus came with a side salad. I look forward to dining here again and trying some other menu options.

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    Pez Coastal Kitchen - Pear and vanilla ice cream with hazelnut crunch - yum!

    Pez Coastal Kitchen

    4.5(379 reviews)
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    Went for Dine LA lunch and really enjoyed the experience and getting to try all these dishes…read more Service was very friendly and food came out pretty fast. The restaurant has a nice, natural light filled space, and though it was busy, it wasn't too loud. It worked out well to go with two people so we could try almost all the options... - Scallop aguachile, avocado, salsa macha verde: Came with two shells, each with a little scallop, avocado, zucchini, radish, cilantro. Nice and refreshing to start. - Strawberry and vanilla French toast fingers, pistachio marzipan: A very generous portion of French toast with strawberry jam and pistachio sauce. Nice and crunchy crust. It was an interesting contrast to the aguachile first course! - Crab cake eggs benny: Two poached eggs on crab cakes. This was good, nothing unexpected, though I was getting pretty full at this point. - Summer berries, Scottish shortbread, white chocolate mousseline: This was the only dish we were disappointed by. The shortbread was pretty bland and the texture was lacking crispness. - Profiteroles, vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, hot fudge sauce: Simple dessert but put together well. We both also ordered Purple reign cocktails, which went well with brunch. Overall it ended up being quite a bit of food and a good value for two.

    Stopped by Pez on a Friday for their last day of the dineLA series and was pleasantly surprised by…read morethe whole meal! I got the shrimp starter, fish main, and berries and shortbread dessert. I was pretty hesitant about the starter so I'm not a big fan of shrimp head but it was very very good - not at all shrimpy and perfectly balanced. For the trout, I was obsessed with the tomatoes, sauce, and the SQUASH BLOSSOM - literally dreaming of that squash blossom. Trout was great as well and the skin was indeed very crispy just as described. The only downer was the dessert and kingfish ceviche that we added on as extra. For the dessert, the shortbread was too dry and flaky and the ceviche was too fishy for my taste. Overall though, very beautiful vibes and great dinner as a whole! Parking: lots of paid structures in old town - haven't found a free hack just yet rip

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    Bodegon No 69 - TIRADITO A LA CREMA

    Bodegon No 69

    4.4(674 reviews)
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    We came here to try the Dine LA dinner menu. The greeter was welcoming and quickly seated us at the…read morewindow seat with a street view, very cozy. We ordered our drinks. I had the sangria and my girlfriend tried the mojito passion. Both drinks are refreshing. For appetizers, I tried the mussels with corn and onions. It's good. For entree, I tried the Lomo Saltado. The sautee beef has onions and tomatoes. The flavor is good and goes well with the rice. Dessert is not included in the Dine LA menu, but we wanted to try a Peruvian ice cream. The Lucum ice cream tastes good, it's buttery and has caramel and maple syrup flavor. It's a special Peruvian fruit. It's a good wrap for our dinner. We will like to come back to try more dishes.

    We visited this restaurant at the beginning of Dine LA for lunch ($35)…read more When we arrived, the door was locked and had to be let in by the staff though there were at least 5 other parties dining there. I thought that was a bit odd, but I guess it was to detract from unwelcomed guests (i.e. homless people)? Anyhow, we were seated right away and sat by the window which was nice! We were given the menus, but I had to specifically ask for the DineLA menu which I also thought was a bit odd since it seemed like they wanted us to order off their regular menu. Perhaps this was just an oversight. For starters, we ordered 1 of each that was offered: Ceviche Carretillero - Refreshing and brought me back to time spent in Peru! I preferred this option Salpicon - This was also refreshing and reminded me of chicken salad mix in a bowl though not sure I would order it without it being a part of a prix fixe. For the main course, we ordered: Saltado Salad - This had minimal protein and was not so satisfying when compared to a traditional lomo saltado, but the protein that was there was yummy. Aji Gallina - I really was excited to see this on their menu since I love this dish so much and don't see it offered too often at Peruvian restaurants. Though the sauce was good, the chicken was VERY dry and hard to chew (overcooked) so it took a while to finish this. In lieu of desserts, they offered Maracuya (passion fruit) and Chicha Morada (purple corn) juices which were yummy but the star of the show was their sangria which was delicious especially on a hot day. My only complaint about the sangria was that we were charged for 3 carafes when we only got 2. Once we identified this, we brought it up and just went ahead and enjoyed the 3rd one since we had already settled the bill. That being said, always double check your receipt!

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    Alpaka greeters!

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    Seafood Ceviche (Marinated well super rich and not raw leading to melt in mouth seafood)

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    Lobster-Guys

    Lobster-Guys

    4.4(250 reviews)
    4.0 mi
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    I had visited their sister restaurant Lobster and Beer numerous times during my studies at UCLA and…read morewas happy to find out this place opened up. I ordered a Connecticut style crab roll. The food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. The crab roll was packed full of crab meat inside the toasted bun. I love whatever sauce they put on top + the lemon which made the crab meat ridiculously refreshing. The side of salad helped me feel better about eating healthy too and was a nice textural break from the crab roll. Overall, the crab roll tastes relatively similar to what I had at Lobster and Beer. It was very satisfying and I can't wait to come back for the lobster roll. Until I find out they switched to a poke shop instead. What a loss.

    Another 5-star update to my previous two reviews. Guys, it's my birthday! I'm part of their reward…read moreprogram, and received a $5 off coupon. Perfect timing, as I was craving to come back! I got my usual Cali Truffle Roll (which was delicious, as always) and also got a side of lobster bisque soup. The store associate says that it gets made fresh daily, and that there's chunks of lobster in the bisque, so I had to give it a try. Guys. It's worth making a trip for! This is the BEST lobster bisque I've had (and I used to live in east coast!). You can truly taste the freshness and yes, there were chunks of lobster in it! They also have a clam chowder which I need to try again. Whatever you come here for, get a side of soup to complete your meal :)

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    Lobster-Guys
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    Star Leaf

    Star Leaf

    4.4(964 reviews)
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    Fine dining
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    Atina And Connor best waiters. Super kind and helpful when it came to ordering. Really enjoyed the…read morefood

    Star Leaf, in Pasadena, is a wonderful Thai restaurant that has a unique and attractive menu. The…read morefact that they were participating in Dine LA was a trigger, to make another visit there for lunch. I tried to invoke the dinner menu, but they were not willing. Not a problem, the lunch menu was equally enticing. A 2-course offering for $25. I started with the Thai Prawn Ceviche. This course was wonderfully balanced, not too acidic, also a nice touch of sweetness and plump flavorful prawns. For the main, my selection was the Beef Truffle Wok-Seared Noodles. I was delighted that they were round noodles and they arrived at my table stirred in a dark sauce with sliced beef pieces on top. A small porcelain decanter was also supplied, containing the truffle oil. I poured it over my noodles. The beef was tender, moist and could be cut with the usual provided table knife. The whole dish was a winner, from start to finish. Service here, as expected, was well executed. Need to be aware of the parking though. There is a public garage around the corner that is advertised for this establishment and a few others. Problem is, that Star Leaf validates only for 1-hour, while their neighbors do so, for 2-hours. I addressed this issue with the manager at my last visit and this time too. The answer I got was not convincing to suggest that they care, or will do something about it, anytime soon. Oh well.

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    Boston Lobster - fried noodle with seafood

    Boston Lobster

    4.3(1.9k reviews)
    7.9 mi
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    OMG! If you're craving some REALLY good lobster and want to get your money's worth, Boston Lobster…read moreis definitely worth trying! I came here with a friend, just the two of us, and the portions were HUGE. We ordered a lobster that was around 3-4 pounds, and the lobster is priced per pound. I believe we had the Boston Lobster House Special, and we added the noodles for about $10 extra. Let me tell you and it did NOT disappoint. The lobster was incredibly fresh, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely mouthwatering. The noodles soaked up all that flavor from the lobster and seasoning, and everything together was just delicious. I kept wanting to eat even though I was already getting full! It is a little pricey, especially depending on the size of the lobster you choose, but they give you A LOT of food. There were only two of us, and we each had enough food left over to take home and have another full meal. Honestly, the amount we ordered could have easily fed four people. We also had the shrimp fried rice, which was delicious, and even the lemon iced tea was really good. I wanted to try more things, but there was absolutely no way, we already had so much food! This is definitely more of a family-style dining experience. In my opinion, this isn't your typical quick Chinese food spot or chain restaurant. The quality, freshness, portions, and overall experience put Boston Lobster on another level. I also loved the atmosphere. We sat near the live seafood tanks, so you can actually see the lobsters and other seafood in the tanks, which added to the experience. They also have their own private parking lot with two-hour parking, which is a huge plus. We didn't have reservations and were able to get seated, but I could definitely see this place getting crowded, so reservations may be helpful during busier times. For me, Boston Lobster is easily FIVE STARS. If you're in the Rosemead area looking for delicious Asian seafood and some seriously good lobster, I definitely recommend it. Just make sure you come HUNGRY!

    First time going to Boston Lobster with the fam, and it was a hit! We went during lunch, and I…read morethink this was the first time I've ever seen this place without a line, so I was definitely happy to skip the wait. The service was really great and fast. They kept switching out our plates whenever they got filled with empty shells, so we always had a clean plate. The inside was also pretty nice, and you can see all the fish and lobsters in the tanks. Overall, it was a great experience! Definitely on the pricier side, but we had a good time and the food and service made it worth it. Food was everything we expected! We got: Steamed turbo fish 10/10 - it was really flavorful and the ginger and onions on top was an amazing touch. Clams w basil - was very good and fresh. We couldn't stop eating it 10/10 House special lobster - was fire!! It was very easy to take out the shell and it was so tasty. Would definitely recommend! 100/10 French beef - not the star of the show but still was really flavorful! 9/10 Sour soup - it was a good soup and tasted like all the other sour soup nothing too special :) 8/10 Ong choy - we needed some vegetable on the table and steamed ong choy w garlic was really good and refreshing. 10/10 Fried rice - matched w everything we were eating 9/10

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    Dining area with pretty cherry blossoms tree painted on wall...

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    Newport Seafood Restaurant - Beef Loc Lac

    Newport Seafood Restaurant

    4.1(3.8k reviews)
    6.0 mi
    $$

    I've eaten here countless times with friends and family over the years. I can't believe I haven't…read morereviewed you guys! Always consistent in service and quality. They are known for: Special Lobster (A+) Beef Loc Lac (A) Clams with spicy sauce (A+) Chinese broccoli (B+) - depends on how thick or thin it is Pea shoots with garlic (A) Eggplant (A) Yang Chow fried rice (A) Reservations are highly recommended either by calling or thru Yelp. There are private rooms in the back on request if you have a larger party and seafood is always fresh as they have an aquarium with lobsters, crab, geoduck, and fish. The decor is charming with vintage trinkets along the side of the wall. There is a waiting area by the lobby and restrooms in the back of the restaurant. Since it gets so crowded and busy the restrooms could be tended better. Parking is available on the street otherwise you have to valet on the lot.

    The dishes here are easily 3 large servings and the food is meaty, tasty and filling. Either plan…read moreon taking home lots of leftovers, or order 1 dish for every 2 or even 3 diners. The 4 of us especially liked the white fish with basil and the shrimp with snow peas. The rice noodles with seafood and the kung pao were also good. That said, we like our food spicier, so we asked for chili oil and limes. Some dishes did have vegetables, but when I go again I'll order a vegetable dish. Service was stellar - personal, but never intrusive. I liked that we were seated immediately and still given time for our late guests to arrive. Food arrived quickly once we ordered. They were gracious about splitting the tab afterwards, but could easily have asked whether we wanted separate checks since we were 3 unrelated sets of adults that arrived separately. So, what could have been better? The chafing spoons were too small and too few, leaving us to pull the chafing plate to the edge of the lazy Susan and scrape. My dinner plate was too small, so I made a bit of a mess while eating. The main room is noisy, even with some empty tables, Next time I'll ask for a table in the quiet section (to the right when coming in the main door.) I've driven past Newport Seafood many times and not gone in because the parking lot was already full, and it's not my style to park elsewhere and walk over. However, on Monday at 5 PM, we found ample parking. All that said, Newport Seafood seemed at its best when serving special meals to large families all around us. I will think of them next time we celebrate a special family occasion.

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    El Caporal - mexican - Updated September 2026

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