Came here before an ice house comedy show on a Friday night. The service was quick and the food was excellent - I ordered the green chicken enchiladas. Would highly recommend! read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Fantastic! This hidden gem tucked away exceeds my expectations ~ absolutely authentic delicious Mexican food (cooked to perfection), excellent prices, kindest staff and most wonderful service you could ever ask for. My husband and I frequent regularly as do most of their regular customers, for good reasons! You get it all here at El Metate....I just wish they were open on Sundays, but hey, give them the rest they need to be on 24/7, which they always are! read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant! And as a Mexican myself I have searched high and low for a place I can go to get comfort food that actually tastes, smells, sounds and looks like so many of the dishes I grew up eating. My favorite here is the super burrito mojado and the enchiladas verdes they are DELICIOUS. The salsa verde is so refreshing and spicy. I've had multiple items here both to eat in and to go. Eating there means you'll get fresh salsa roja and warm lightly salted tortilla chips. They also have aguas frescas that they change up frequently and they don't ice them down! They have about ten different specials that change frequently as well and they just remodeled the back bathroom area which adds to the already homie and authentic Mexican atmosphere. They're family owned and worth the try even if parking is a bit limited in that area. read more

A+ service. Very delicious margaritas!! They have a salsa bar and every salsa is good. Peanut and chipotle salsa, very good read more

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Came here on a whim and was desperately craving Mexican food. They were so nice and the food was so fantastic. It has a mom and pop feel to it. The margaritas are amazing and soo affordable. I will definitely be coming back here for sure! I found my new favorite spots read more

Ate here couple times and love it. .their shrimp burrito w chipotle sauce is delish, and they have very good sized portion of ceviche and it's very fresh, and I love ceviche..huge portion for the price and super fresh. After confirming the food is legit, got them to cater my daughter's 1st birthday this past Sunday. Over 80 people, and everyone loved their food. Super happy I went w them. Super nice owners/family that runs it. Def looking forward to many more meals here! read more

There is a large selection on the menu, probably around 40 items. They even had a molcajete on the menu, but unfortunately I wasn't hungry enough to order it. I settled on the enchiladas with rice, which was excellent. It was a little spicy, but not too hot. I especially liked the rice, which was light and fluffy. The cashier was friendly and provided good customer service. The only negative is the parking. It's hard to find a spot on the street. There is a small lot behind the restaurant, but it might be for the Ice House. Not sure. Fortunately, I live close enough to walk. I'm giving my vote to El Metate as the best Mexican fast food in Pasadena. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is a great local family Mexican joint. Fresh salsa bar and friendly service. It's right next door to the Ice House so also great for a quick bite when you are in the area for a show read more

Been coming here for over 10 years. Love there carne asada plate. Very authentic, it's very welcoming excellent service. It's a good location read more

Love this place family operated great food Chipotle burrito our favorite service excellent highly recommend this place. read more

I love this place. It is very small, and run by the sweetest people. The food is delicious and service is so fast. I often order dinner to go to take home for the family and have a $5 margarita and some chips and salsa while I wait. Highly recommend this place for lunch, dinner, whatever. Customer Service is great, food wonderful, and the prices are good. read more

Would give this place a 4.5 overall. Very casual setting where you order at the register and then they bring the food to the table. The service was a little slow - we had ordered a beer and it was forgotten. That being said, the chicken mole and the shrimp burrito specials were both hits. For the price point, you get a nice amount of food that does not disappoint in flavor. The mole was rich but not overly heavy, balancing those coffee and chocolate notes nicely. The shrimp burrito wasn't skimping on the shrimp and the sauce that covered it was creamy but also not too heavy. The sides of rice and beans were not overcooked or dry and paired nicely with the entrees. In terms of the rest of the menu, I appreciated the diversity in options they offered and the fact that there are specials. While the restaurant's setting appears casual, the quality of food is that of a sit down dinner restaurant. read more

El Metate Cafe - Shrimp burrito - special - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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You're really not going to get an actual authentic Mexican meal in pasadena unless you come to El Metate. The staff is very nice, the food is even better. The micheladas aren't bad either . Come give el Metate a try, I'll buy you a beer if I'm there! read more

El Metate is my new favorite Mexican food restaurant in Pasadena and San Gabriel area! The super burrito is my favorite and is plenty for one person. The staff are always super nice and welcoming which I appreciate so much. Two thumbs up for El Metate read more

Such a great establishment with great people and let me mention the great food they have Authentic Mexican dishes in every way possible. read more

El Metate Cafe - Chorizo and eggs bombdotcom - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

New to the area I wanted authentic Mexican food and I found it. I had the green chicken enchiladas and it was very tasty. Customer service was fantastic. I will be returning. read more

tl;dr: No cerveza or margaritas, reasonably good selection of family-style Mexican classics... **** LA Weekly calls it one of Pasadena's 10 Best; I don't know about that because there are so many good places to visit in Pasadena depending on one's mood, but when it comes to an authentic family style hitw-Mexican I'm definitely a fan. This place has been here seemingly forever, even when it was a tiny little spot near the Ice House (I thought it was even smaller before). We've only tried them recently though always knowing about it in the back of our minds... Sort of atypical because it's got a pretty clean interior that hasn't been abused by many years of cheap gringo food traffic. Actually, I got a really good plate of Lengua en Salsa Verde, with tender and tasty slices of beef tongue, not just chopped up taco meat. The plate comes with the obligatory rice and refried beans that isn't half bad plus an attempt at putting something green on the same plate resembling a salad. I've ordered this plate the last two visits so it has definitely left a good impression... The Menudo is also pretty good, you get a generous portion of actual tripe along with a nice selection of condiments consisting of chopped onions and cilantro, Mexican oregano and chili spices, and fresh sliced limes. The hominy is conspicuously missing from their version of this classic dish which has a mild heartwarming kick of spiciness to it... Their menu is also replete with familiar items like tacos as well, their's are not bad at all. As I've alluded to, their lengua isn't all bits and pieces like in so many typical taqueria tacos but in chunks where the taste and texture is still recognizable. They have a salsa bar that where you can dress your taco and other food as well... You can't get a margarita here, you can't even get a cerveza this is not that kind of place, it's a family place. The Agua Fresca is not half bad as a beverage choice but you can have a Mex Coke or a Jarritos along with your meal too. Perhaps the lack of alcohol keeps everyone's disposition even as I found the service to be friendly and polite... Street parking is tricky but mostly not too bad as long as you're aware of the aggressive rent-a-cops that overzealously issue parking tickets in the area... read more

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Not so much....Lousy. Ordered the mátate special molcajete. Hardly any carne asada. A bunch of dry chicken. Nope not doing that place again. read more

If I could give them a ZERO I would. I have eaten , well almost eaten, here twice. If you are a woman, or have a woman in your party Do NOT GO HERE!! The food is decent, flavorful and feels authentic but the service....the service is some of the worst I have ever experienced. Not just one anomaly bad day, but when given a second chance, it got worse and then they tried to blame me for their ineptitude!!!! I hate to say this, but everything points to the level of service being based on the server being sexist. This restaurant is designed where you go to the counter and order and they bring it to your table. On our first visit the fella and I ordered 4 dishes and one drink each. The woman who cooks the food doesn't have much English so her son takes the order. He is friendly and warned that one of the dishes take 30 minutes. We were fine with that. They brought chips and salsa and didn't bring the drinks until they brought 3 of the dishes (one for me, Carne Asada plate two for the boyfriend ( shrimp diablo and agua chille, including the one that "takes 30 minutes" but my fish tacos were missing) 30 minutes is a looong time to wait for drinks eating salsa and chips but now that I had food I was willing to wait for the tacos. Turns out the forgot them, after everything was finished he realized they had forgotten them and rushed them out... there was only one other person there so no blaming busy. The food was good so we decided to give them a second chance.. My mistake. We delt with the same man. he took my boyfriend's order first (same shrimp Diabo and agua chilies...he warned it would take 30 minutes he then took his drink order. I ordered the Carne asada plate and a glass of wine. I though t it was odd that he didnt ask flour or corn tortillas so I volunteered flour and said we'd like some butter. Just like before, chips and salsa right away, no drinks. The fella was getting irritated so I go up but it seems they were washing a wine glass I got my drink, no michelada for the boyfriend. His orders came out. The female cook looked perplexed when I pushed them both towards the bboyfriend and I said, "I ordered the steak." Now the boyfriends drink came out, without beer. Seems they were out of bottled beer. I suggested they had the same beer on tap, they laughed and agreed to add the tap. Still no meal for me. Two other people came in and ordered to go. Cook came out again and pointed at me. He came and asked. when we told him we ordered the carne asada plate he said he was sorry he hadnt heard. They rushed my meal out (boyfriend was done with his) I took one bite and the waiter came over and asked for the credit card to add it to the check....Now I was pissed. Then he told me that I had never ordered it and only "thought I did in my head" boyfriend said no, he heard me order, we said forget it were leaving. The waiter sneered when I told him I had never had such horrible service and he replied that he was sorry I was having a bad day, than snickered. I explained to him that I would make sure everyone knew what type of service they offered. HORRIBLE SERVICE Condescending machismo....we spent over $50 both times and I have never felt so spoken down to in my life. DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

The owner has a bad temper and she is rude the food is not that good I will never comeback to this place with my family.

My only complaint with El Metate is that I am now craving the street tacos and cannot get them in Utah! I tried the pollo, the carnitas, and the asada and all three were amazing! read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

El Metate - More like El legiti-Metate. [Cue Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive tune] First I was afraid.. I was petrified.. Didn't know what to order - something grilled or fried? I spent a few more moments deciding: "something light or something strong..?" I stuck with strong.. Asada Burrito? BRING IT ON! Boy it was packed! - I stuffed my face! All those juicy flavors, meat was flyin' all over the place! I started munchin' on the chips Perfect crunch, was quite crispy The server came, I asked for seconds I had no shame 'cuz they were free I wanted more - walked to the door The salsa bar - WOW! Not just one or two, but FOUR! Such diverse flavors in the salsa, couldn't make up my mind My stomach grumbled Drank all the salsas till I was high Oh me Oh my - My appetite! I'm so over-stuffed now - I can barely walk a line I've still got half my dish Haven't even started on their fish But I'll survive - I will survive!! YAY-YAY! Okay - so that wasn't really all that informative. I ordered the Carne Asada burrito and it was a behemoth. There was Mexican rice and beans to go with the humongous burrito. The meat was juicy, even borderline succulent. The textures in the burrito married well together and was pleasant to eat, so the daunting task of eating the whole stankin' burrito was made .. less daunting. Loved the food, loved the portions. (8.5/10) VERDICT: Basically - the food was great. Very generous portions. Homemade salsas in many flavors and aromas. Loved the fact that the chips were bottomless - SO GOOD! The servers were very VERY nice and I had a really good time there. I'll always find a reason to come back.. especially since Euro Pane is around the block. read more

As far as local Mexican food goes, this is pretty right on. It's especially good at lunch. Not that the food is any different or any better, but for the prices it makes for a really tasty lunch time getaway. It's not much to look at, the decor is typical mini mall even though it's not in a mall. The service however more than makes up for any lack of ambience and comfortable seating. The staff, who are also usually the owners, are sweet and accommodating. I've tried a few menu items, and all are good but I generally opt for their version of garlic shrimp. While it's not as good as El Nido across town, it's also a lot closer to my house and it's good on it's own terms. Nice local place, help keep them in business. If you come at night, you can pop on into The Ice House for some comedy. Oh, and by the way, parking is difficult so be prepared. Food - B+ Ambience - C+ Service - A- Value - A- read more

I stumbled in here one nite at my break from "comedy" traffic school. It was a pleasant surprise since I'd never heard of this place and my office is pretty close. Staff was friendly and helped me choose something. I said what's should I order and they told me, El Metate Burrito! That girls was not wrong, I've had this thing 6 times now and never disappointed. Chips and salsa are great if you are eating in. I've run into friends here more than once, telling me that others think is good too.wife likes hot soups so chicken or albondigo soup are both really good. Fish taco was solid. I'll be eating here often now.price is right too, huge burrito is $6.99! Good lunch or dinner spot with no frills just good food. read more

El Metate Cafe - El Metate Buritto - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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One of my "go to" places when I want Mexican counter-service. I will sometimes go for breakfast, although as other people notice their hours can be hit and miss. Their burritos and tacos are FANTASTIC. But I have to say the best thing about the place is their rice. I usually judge a Mexican restaurant based on their rice, because really, I'm not a big fan of Mexican rice in general, so if it makes me want to eat it, that's a very good sign. Oh, and they make their own horchata, jamaica, tamarindo, and if you're really lucky, watermelon juice. Yes please!!!! Plus, they're always super, super nice. Kind of like walking into your neighbor's kitchen and being served a really good home cooked meal. Nothing fancy, but damn is it good! read more

El Metate is a family run place, the service is always friendly. I've been here a few times for lunch and it is always good. The menu is huge! Came for Ceviche, shrimp cocktail, and fish tacos for Good Friday and it was so delicious. The fish was fresh and we enjoyed everything we ordered. I really like that the fish tacos were grilled. Mango agua fresca A++ Salsa bar A++ Prices A++ Yumz! read more

This place has great mango salad it's my fav. Good lunch spot. Quick and decent. The staff is friendly and they have a good outdoor seating area. read more

I had come here a while back and remembered enjoying the food. THE AMBIANCE: Medium sized restaurant with table seating. Air flows easily inside because there are two open entrances. You order at the counter where you are introduced to some aguas frescas (drink concoctions made from fresh fruit/flowers/rice). The walls have an interesting brush stroke pattern that reminded me of peacock colors. Small one-stall bathroom in the back of the restaurant. THE FOOD: I tried the enchiladas en salsa verde (asada or chicken), which are normally called enchiladas suizas. They are enchiladas in tomatillo (green sauce) with melted cheese and sour cream. Enchiladas suizas is my favorite Mexican dish so when I see it on the menu I usually order it. I requested one chicken and one cheese enchilada. The portion is generous with two enchiladas, beans, red rice, and some salad in the middle. The plate was good but so far no restaurant has been able to beat the enchiladas suizas from 'La Parilla' close to Downtown LA. I also tried the horchata. You could taste the grains a bit. THE TIPS: Located on Mentor and does not stand out on the street but it is close to the Ice House (stand up comedy). Credit cards accepted, $5 minimum. read more

Oh my gosh! El Metate is a hidden gem for Mexican food in Pasadena. I came here with the boyfriend cuz he was craving a burrito. I was a bit skeptical when we walked in on a Tuesday night. It was a hole in the wall place. There was a family of 5 and one other person eating there. The menu was quite good for such a place. The daily specials were written on paper above the salsa bar. We ordered at the counter. The lady was really nice and friendly. My boyfriend got the #2 burrito - it was huge. The burrito was the size of the plate it was served on. They do not skimp on the meat. I ordered the asada soft tacos - 2 tacos served with rice and beans. The asada was well marinated and flavorful. Again, they packed on the asada on the tacos. I was pretty full after eating the two tacos and I'm a girl that can eat. You really get bang for your buck here. Paid $17 for the burrito, the asada tacos plate and two drinks. Definately a place to go for good Mexican food. I coming back to try the other menu items. read more

Fantastic hidden gem on a side street in Pasadena. Food is very tasty and service is awesome. I've tried a few things on the menu and they have yet to disappoint. Don't sleep on this lil spot! read more

Extremely disappointed. Hubby and I were craving Mexican food and decided to try this place based on the yelp reviews. Hubby ordered the lengua tacos and I ordered the Chile Relleno combo ( it was not on the menu - that should have raised some red flags.) The salsa was flavorless including the spicy one. Both our entrees were lacking flavor (lacking basic salt and pepper). Hubby said his tacos were good ( he had to add salt and pepper to his food). My relleno was burnt on the bottom and bland-even the rice and beans were bland. How does a Mexican place not know how to make appetizing rice and beans? I didn't finish it. Maybe the chef is pregnant or was having a bad day. I gave 2 stars due to friendly service. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Owners are super nice and they have delicious food. We go there 3-4 times a month easy! Great meats, ceviche and drinks! Great spot if you like to support a local family owned business. read more

We've been here twice. Both times have been wonderful. The carnitas nachos are amazing! The shrimp fajitas were very good. Service is good and it's not crowded on weekday evenings. read more

Only come here if you'll be near a bathroom within 5 minutes of leaving. I am NOT exaggerating! Both Fiancé and I got sick about 5 minutes after leaving the restaurant. We had different meals with only the beans in common. Also, the rice was so hard, I couldn't eat most of it. It was either old rice or not properly cooked. Disgusting!! Such a horrible experience. I will never go back. Do yourselves a favor and take your business elsewhere. read more

El Metate Cafe - Enchiladas de pollo with horrible hard rice and beans that'll get you sick!!! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I had some tacos de lengua, and the meet was overcooked anyone that knows about this particular dish knows that the meat needs to be soft and moist and it was extremely salty, I can tell that they were trying to compensate the overcook meet by letting it soak in it on fat or lard. Then I moved on to they're salsa bar hey were watery tasteless salsa that I have ever tasted I would not recommend this place specially if your person that watches your trans fats. My total spending for three small tacos and a large drinks $11 Good Mexican food does not taste like this. read more

A good, cheap, hole in the wall Mexican food spot. The food is colorful, full of flavor and portions are generous. The horchata is served from a big plastic container and not a soda fountain so it passes my test for being a legit Mexican food restaurant. The place is small and gets packed during lunch so you may not find a seat. Outdoor seating consists of two small tables. Service is quick and no nonsense. Complaints are few and far between. The chips sometimes taste a little stale and the chairs all read "Blue" on the back. Did they get those from another restaurant or something? It's easy to pass up this tiny gem with all that's going on around it, but of your a fan of Mexican food, be sure to swing by. tl;dr - My kind of Mexican - no frills, kind of heavy, does not pretend to be healthy. read more

Chicken taco salad. Good presentation good flavor good ingredients. Fresh drinks and great salsa bar. Crab meat enchiladas read more

El Metate Cafe - Crab meat enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Though we walked in not knowing that they only had 5 more minutes before closing, they stayed late and served us. They offed us 4 different salas, all were VERY good. We shared carne asada nachos (meat was very juicy), beef flautas (tortilla was perfect, crunchy on the outside and then oh-so-chewy in the inside). I ordered chicken tamale (light and fresh) and chicken tostada (so-so). My boyfriend order carne asada tacos. Overall, really good experience. Parking sucks though. read more

El Metate is a small restaurant sandwiched between other stores (ie Noir and the Ice House to the right and Europane, president thai II across the street to its left) and positioned on a one way street. Keep your eyes peeled and your appetite large. Their portions are huge for the reasonable amount of money you end up paying. The lovely cashier was extremely helpful and courteous in taking my order. The salsa bar looked fresh and spicy so I opted out on taking a couple of samples. I placed an order of enchiladas suizas (green sauce) accompanied by a portion of rice and refried beans. The meal also came w/a side of chips to dive into their selection of salsas. While the portions were generous and the prices came correct, the flavors weren't there, under developed and lacking thereof. Had the chicken been simmered longer in its spices and the chiles roasted for the sauces, my entree would've made for a kick-ass dish. The tortillas still tasted "raw." Points on service, fresh aguas and prices/portions. I will be coming back again after having noticed several orders being delivered to neighboring tables. Note: the house burrito is said to be insanely good, if you can stomach this three pound baby. read more

I've been here twice since it's just around the corner from work and ordered the chicken quesadilla both times. It comes pretty artfully arranged with pico de gallo & sour cream, I'll grab a photo next time I go in. They actually put shredded chicken in your quesadilla, just enough so that you have chicken in every bite unlike some place that put in 5 tiny scraps. Salsa was off yesterday, I went some who not only is actually Mexican but whose parents used to run a food truck, she told me that salsa tastes like that went it's gone slightly bad; bitter and weird. Still for $6, a way better value than La Fiesta Grande. read more