The location in Irvine has been gone for years, and we were waxing nostalgic, so we made an evening of hanging out in CdM. We sat outside and started off our evening with beer and Margaritas, followed by guacamole, more beer and margaritas. Ahhhhhhhhhh! That hit the spot! Now we're ready to order! I decided on the Blue Corn Chicken Enchiladas, and hubby ordered the Filet Mignon Tacos. My enchiladas arrived hot...too hot to dive into immediately, so of course, I finished off my margarita. Hubby said his filet was cooked perfectly, but he needed more spice, so he asked for Cholula and that seemed to help. My enchiladas were delicious. I was worried the chicken would be dry, but nope! Perfection! There wasn't an empty table to be found. Service was fantastic. Staff was super friendly. read more

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The food was really good honestly ! HOWEVER. The service was genuinely so bad. Not friendly, not attentive and that sadly ruined the experience. Won't be back. read more

El Cholo - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

We're old fans from El Cholo Irvine...we used to go often and loved the food and excellent service. This is our first time to visit this location and first time to try El Cholo again in many years. The service at El Cholo today was excellent...we waited to get in at 1130am when they opened (Sunday) and Silvia was an excellent server. The ambiance at this time was quiet and very nice. We sat on the patio but we saw they have excellent tables inside and a very peaceful and quiet atmosphere at this time for brunch. The food is where we have the issue. We ordered everything so we could try a variety of dishes...I ordered a 'historical plate' which tamale, chili rellenos, enchiladas ( a special chicken con mole that I paid extra for instead of cheese) and we also ordered the chicken taquitos as an appetizer. we ordered a few other items on the side. The food is very bland. even the pico de gallo is bland and without chilis at all. there was no hot sauce to fix the problem and every single item was bland and tasteless...there was no spice anywhere in the cooking. Now some chef's will try to adjust to the local taste. I would think perhaps they might have adjusted a little for older palates but this was so far in that direction as to be unreasonably bland and tasteless. and every single menu item had the problem...no spice in anything...even the Mole was bland. Please take your chef to South of Nick's in Laguna. Taste what a chicken taquito can taste like (better take your owner as well) and taste what a simple cheese enchilada can taste like without being HOT. We spent $68 + $20 for a meal for two. We can expect to be impressed by a meal at El Cholo. You have everything but the food we would come back for. As it stands we would not. read more

the waiter was super nice, service was great. food wise, it was good. Chicken in the enchiladas Suiza was a bit overcooked. steak burrito was delicious! and the seafood fajitas were pretty good. Overall, place was jot busy and i'd consider it underrated! BEASTED!! read more

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We had El Cholo take-out tacos during Covid for our first date back in May of 2020. We finally returned this May, four years later, to try El Cholo in person. The service was quick and friendly. The food was all great. The outside patio is beautiful with plenty of propane heaters to keep you warm at night. We enjoyed complimentary chips and salsa to begin followed by Crabmeat Enchilada, Shrimp Ceviche, and Tortilla Soup. The Tortilla soup was more like tomato soup with chicken, but it was good. All the rest of the food was great, and the prices were fair for the area (compared to Javier's, Las Brisas, etc.). They also give you tiny pecan pralines when you pay. Great spot! read more

Another gorgeous day and a perfect reason to enjoy the outdoor courtyard at El Cholo. Beautiful and welcoming with cushy benches, colorful pillows, lots of umbrellas and beautiful flowers. Service was top notch, anyone out and about stopped to check if I needed anything. Delicious chicken fajitas. They use a variety of veggies not necessarily expected with traditional fajitas and that with seasoning of chicken make them great. They always give you their signature mini cookies with your bill and it's like a kiss at the end. read more

Do not come here, burrito is far from authentic. The food was horrible. No flavor, steak resembles canned dog food, the burrito was full of unnecessary juice. I know real Mexican food and trust me this isn't it.. the customer service is cool for the most part but this place is disgusting. Never again read more

I just went to enchiladas mariscos heaven. Sometimes, you eat something so good that there are no words. read more

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If you come here and don't love it, you don't deserve guacamole. Welcoming atmosphere, with family photos all around it's like walking into a family home. Staff is so friendly and helpful. House margarita is a must have but let's talk food. You know it's going to be good if the chips are served warm and perfectly salted. Chili Con Carne (a dish from the original 1923 menu) was fantastic! Beef so tender and the sauce is tangy delicious. Would take home a bucket of that if I could. Served with house made guac and house made tortillas. I know now why this has been a staple for 100 years. Bonus, all the menu items have dates next to them to show when they were made part of the menu. That's real pride in what you do. Bottomline: Worth every penny. Will be back again soon. read more

El Cholo - Chili Con Carne. Doesn't look like much, but flavor explosion! - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Had to ask three times for menue at the bar ,the i got up and got one at wait station , small guy worked very hard larger guy was very bad , food was ok read more

Service was exceptional here. Chips were ok. The salsa was better. I ordered blue corn enchiladas and they were better than average. The flan dessert was over the top. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. read more

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Very good service. Great ambiance. Great margaritas! Personally, I prefer more authentic flavors. But I maybe in the minority as El Cholo has a significant history of success read more

Service was horrible Drinks from the bar Bartender was eh Food was cold Manager Edwin does not care Server Martin on auto pilot Location is Ambiance Bathrooms have not been cleaned in 5 years they smell so bad read more

Poor service and that was on a quiet night even. So many open tables and had to wait over 30 minutes before we even were given water.

Great service and food. Definitely a go to when we take a trip to the Newport area. Great area to be in and the server was really nice and great at suggesting which plate I should get since everything sounded yummy. Ended up getting the chicken mole enchiladas. It was so good. Don't remember what my husband got but he enjoyed his first time there. read more

El Cholo - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

The food here is DELICIOUS! My family and I came here after the beach and we were feeling super hungry. I really thought this place wasn't going to be authentic Mexican food but it was. Everything was incredible, from the ambiance, the servers, the food, the drinks. I got the carnitas plate with tortillas de harina(5) and a Pacifico beer. What a great paring that was! The carnitas were very tender and juicy. I was able to make myself 4 tacos de carnitas. Stacked with beans, nopales, avocado, and onions. By the end of my meal I was super full. The margaritas were also delicious. La Flaca was a bit stronger in alcohol which is a good thing if you're looking for a slight buzz and the El Cholo was a perfect house margarita, well balanced between the mix and alcohol. At the end the server brought us these small cajeta candy and that was the cherry on top of this place. 5 out of 5 in my book. An absolute must try here in Newport Beach. read more

Wonderful meals and fantastic service by Felipe! The Sonora enchiladas were so delicious! Highly recommend them!

Lots of hype with this restaurant however we have now come twice and the shredded chicken in their tacos is very dry (even with salsa & guacamole). All other items were fine - just not a wow experience. read more

Great food for over 30 years. I have been going there since I was a teenager over 30 years ago.

This review is based on extremely poor telephone service. I've been trying for the past 5 days to call and make a reservation. The phone rings, a machine picks up and recites the history of the restaurant chain. After that it keeps looping "please hold the line a host will be right with you". Repeats 5-6 times and disconnects. Just terrible customer service. First impression is everything. read more

Had previously been to El Cholo in La Habra, but visited the CDM location for the first time last night - expectations exceeded! The restaurant is located right on PCH with the front patio nestled against the street - although you'd never know it! The patio is engulfed by greenery, with resort-like booths adorning the outside edges, a plentiful smattering of heaters, and tables and chairs at its center. We also discovered that it is dog friendly. Our experience was greatly enhanced by our server Angela, who was so welcoming and knowledgeable - I would come back alone to chat with her! She started us off with margaritas (La Flaca for me, Gran Traditional for my BF) which were made strong, and gave us their medium and spicy habanero salsas (in addition to the delicious table salsa) for our chips, which my boyfriend loved. Angela knew the menu inside and out, and even helped my boyfriend decided between the crab meat and mariscos enchiladas (he ended up with the crab meat and plans to try the mariscos next time). The portions were huge and totally hit the spot. Angela definitely called it - we will be back! read more

Visited this restaurant for the first time and loved it: the setting is so great. It feels like LA from 50 years ago. The service is fantastic. Chips and salsa are great. The guacamole is as good as you'd hope for. I did the enchiladas de mariscos which had lobster, scallops, shrimp and a cream sauce that was so good. And the enchiladas de Santa Bárbara had a richer red saucer but had chicken and shrimp and mushrooms. So good. Someone is our party also got the fajitas which were really good. Super hot plate, as you'd imagine. I'm happy to hear that El Cholo is coming to my town in SLC read more

Best mexican food In southern california Food is consistently perfectly prepared. This restaurant has been around for a very long time.And good reason people and food are amazing. read more

Food was good, I enjoyed their margaritas. You can tell their food is freshly made. Great service

Yummy food our server was phenomenal! I loved the coconut margarita. Food was good but of coarse I'm Mexican so I like authentic flavors. I was bummed that seafood wasn't a big option here. I was thinking more like a ceviche or shrimp, fish tacos options. The marisco enchiladas were delicious. read more

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Excellent! Best taco meal ever. It was very busy on a Sunday afternoon but the service was impeccable!

The food was not as flavored as I remember from Sant Monica. Service was good and ambiance was good as well. Tortillas were not hand made, not authentic. read more

We go to El Cholo almost every week. The food is always delicious and the service excellent. This past week was exceptional. We ordered margaritas, albondigas soup, an enchilada plate, and the seafood fajitas. The soup was the best I've ever had with a perfect spice mixture. The seafood includes lobster, scallops, shrimp, and fish cooked to perfection. And of course we ate too many chips and salsa. I'd highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I come here quite often and the food is always amazing. The servers are always so attentive and make sure everyone is taken care of. The restaurant has such a nice and private atmosphere which is amazing because it is right off of PCH. Did you know they are celebrating 100 years? Definitely try them out and even donate to their charity if you can. read more

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Did you know they serve two types of dog chile rellenos? They do. Educate yourself. Pleasurable lunch time visit. Check out the Lunch Special combo where you get wonderful Caesar salad instead of beans and rice. Margaritas and beer always good to put you in the mood, along with table side guacamole. Same quality and hospitality here as in LA flagship. read more

local and great food,menu! the greatest service from knowledgeable staff! Take your family and friends. Pray for leftovers, great for breakfast with an egg on top! read more

I am glad that post pandemic lock downs, the restaurant is doing well. On a Saturday night we had to wait 44 mins for a part of 5 to get seated. We ordered our meals right away since it was 8:30 and we had to kids in our party. Our food didn't arrive until 9:20 and even then the seafood fajita wasn't ready and we had to wait a good 10 minutes for that to arrive. Carnitas were great. Highly recommended. Seafood fajita was also good. Carne asada was so so. It was cooked well done snd a bit tough. The chicken Chimangas were not good at all. Recommend you avoid as it was so doughy. read more

The food is always delicious and served quickly. I love dining in their outdoor terrace.

Amazing food, service, drinks and ambiance! The blended coconut marg is a must, so refreshing. And the seasonal summer corn tamales are delicious. read more

El Cholo - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Great service from Ivan, delicious food, and refreshing margaritas, especially the coconut one.

I came by myself and sat at the bar. The 3 bartenders on duty provided outstanding hospitality. The carne asada was perfectly cooked and the flan was great. read more

Great food, our server was great and so was the busser! Good prices I ordered the chicken mole they were spicy but were filled with flavor and my fiancé ate the Sonora enchiladas 20/10 bomb I also tried the watermelon margarita it was strong definitely coming back read more

El Cholo - Mexican Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Genuine quality Mexican Food- great service especially Daniel and Jose in the bar area! Beautiful outdoor seating. Been enjoying this place since it opened! read more

The outdoor seating is nice on sunny days, I prefer it to eating inside. It's a nice place to go with a larger family group and the nachos are a great sharing option. In my opinion the chicken is better than the beef options for any dish. I haven't tried their margaritas but they make a mean cherry coke. The service is kind and fast. read more

Came in with a party of 4. Our waitress took our order and then disappeared for 40minutes. Other tables who came after us got their food before us. We had to finally ask for our drinks that hadn't come in 40 minutes and ask for someone to call our server. When the food came, it was bland and dry. They forgot to bring our tortillas as well with the fajitas. The fajitas came with tomatoes and veggies as a side instead of rice and beans. Nothing had salt on it or any flavor. The kids couldn't even chew the meat in their taquitos. The bathrooms were also dirty. This place is just yuck! read more