The place is a hidden gem on a side street along busy Colorado Blvd. I was hungry and I wanted fast food but not from a corporate restaurant. They have all the popular goodies but I settled for a bean & cheese burrito which came with a tiny salad and complimentary chips and salsa. The burrito was very big and had a perfect flavor, some restaurants can mess up a simple dish but not this hole in the wall. read more

El Metate Cafe - Sidewalk tables - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Called in a take out order today since it is cloudy and it's the first sign of light Southern Californian rain. I ordered caldo de pollo ( chicken soup) which had potatoes, carrots , onion , celery and of course chicken . The chicken drumstick and chicken breast are served on bone ( for flavor)and are tender ; the dish comes with fluffy Spanish rice . I always add onion , cilantro, lime and their chipotle salsa ( it's included). This soup is perfect for this weather . I also order chicken taquitos a la cart with guacamole, it comes with two . It was appetizing. The Restaraunt has street parking ( 2hrs) . The parking is shared with local business. They do however have parking in the back for pick up . I always enjoy this place ! If your near by come in this family owned restaurant, they are alway nice and welcoming . read more

El Metate Cafe - Caldo de pollo ( chicken soup) - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Went in to try their wet burrito and it did not disappoint! The sauce makes it. The service is friendly and there's parking in the back. Will definitely be back again! read more

Carne asada torta was not finished. Ate half and threw it away. Too much beans. Meat was tough and not chopped up. Difficult to eat. Tomato slices were really thick. Everything tasted unbalanced. Beans, tomato and avocado overpowered any meaty flavor. At least don't get the Carne asada torta. Chips and salsa are good. Tacos so far are good. read more

Cute mom and pop restaurant with delicious food! My friend got the Chile relleno plate and I got the chicken enchilada plate and we both really enjoyed our food. The food came out fast and hot. The mom and pop are really cute and you can see the mom making all the food in the kitchen. I really liked their complimentary chips and salsa. The service is great too! Parking is tough since it's Pasadena, but we were able to find street parking during lunch time. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The employees are super super nice! Place is clean! And the food wow! Just stopped in for a quick bite. They also served us this delicious fire roasted chili salsa with some chips. The tacos had lots of flavor without being salty like some other taco places. Yes definitely come here. read more

El Metate Cafe - Tacos lAl pastor, carnitas, and 2 asada - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great food and service the seafood is on point shrimp tostadas #1 for me check them out

A hole in the wall type of place. By far the best Mexican restaurant I've been to! Employees are nice & provide fast service. Food & drinks are really good. Inexpensive little restaurant. Will highly recommend. read more

El Metate Cafe - Huarache & enchilada de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food was good, my kids actually ate everything.. If you're looking for something quick & simple and don't want to pay an arm and a leg for Mexican food this place does the job. Customer service was also great, everyone was kind and welcoming. read more

This place is really good. Great bang for your buck at this place. Their wet burritos are to die for. read more

This place is such a hidden gem! Located on a side street, we made our way over and it was FANTASTIC! Absolutely delicious food. Everything came out piping hot, the chips were made fresh, the salsa was seasoned perfectly. Not to mention, their happy hour prices on drinks are unbelievable. The service was excellent too, everyone couldn't have been any nicer! We came here 3 times on our 3 day trip and are so sad to have had to leave them. Definitely going to go back on our next trip! read more

El Metate Cafe - Mangorita (mango margarita with chamoy) - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Mari was so sweet. The restaurant was very house warming blended. I felt like at home. We were very happy for a delicious dinner! Molcajeté was fantastico. read more

Delicious. I love their chips and orange salsa. Had their pozole. The aroma filled the room and the taste was phenomenal.

Amazing food and even more amazing people. Simply unbelievable - a must try. ¡Me gusta El Metate! read more

Great service, even more delicious food. The only authentic Mexican joint I trust in the Pasadena Playhouse area (trust me, I've been looking). Love the ambiance as well! read more

If you are looking for good Mexican food, this is not the place. I order a Shrimp Burrito, yet I received a can bean burrito. I brought my entire family, and unfortunately everything was equally bad. I am not a local, this why I ended up here. But I want to save the money, time, and bad moment to someone. =( read more

I ordered online. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. Really really good flavor. Authentic Mexican food. I ordered the Green enchiladas that comes with a complement of rice and beans. Wow!! The flavor was on point! Not spicy but they added green, red and mild salsa on the side! The cheese was so gooey and perfect. I also ordered a shrimp tostada, it was very good great lemon citrus taste. The tostada was a bit different with carrot and a bit of romaine salad on it! I was impressed. I loved it! I cannot wait to try other items on the menu. read more

The best mom and pop Mexican restaurant to exist in Pasadena. Right on the corner of Lake and Mentor, it's easy to miss on a quiet one way street. But they have been serving up some of the best traditional Mexican food in Pasadena for at least 20 years now. Grateful to have them back open during the pandemic, and making it a point to support them for as long as I can. Favorites: Cheese enchiladas, Quesadillas con carne, tacos lenguas y asadas. Flan. Horchata. In short....Ew. Don't go to Chipotle. Go up the street on Mentor and get a solid El Metate burrito in your life. read more

This place is fantastic! I ordered the pork enchiladas, and they're some of the best I've had in Los Angeles! My girlfriend had an excellent bean and cheese burrito, and the chips and salsa are so fresh and good! We cleaned our plates, which we usually never do! Staff is very nice and friendly. Atmosphere is very chill and street parking was free and easy! Hidden gem and highly recommend!!! read more

Are you serious I ordered a shrimp tostada and this is what I get ? A shit load of tomato and onion barely any traces of shrimp . So disappointed will never go back. read more

El Metate Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We stumbled upon this place when we had a bit of time to kill in Pasadena and were very pleasantly surprised. It's a great little spot: no frills, quick and friendly service, delicious food, and very affordable. read more

Oh this Shrimp Cocktail has just got to be the best I have ever had. The shrimp are giant and fresh and the fresh salsa is amazing. I highly recommend this quaint little Mexican Restaurant read more

El Metate Cafe - Shrimp cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was having a crappy start to my day but then after coming here & getting a breakfast burrito I immediately started to feel better. Reminds us how food can make us so happy & give us the energy & fuel we need. I got a breakfast burrito a la Mexicana (rice, beans, cheese, some onion, tomato & jalapeño) it was cooked to perfection. Look at that the egg scrambled like real scrambled, not like how they do it at other places in big old chunks, & the flavor was on point. The cooking here reminds me of my family's cooking. If you want traditional Mexican food come here. I also love coming here for Camarones a la diabla, as the sauce is so tasty & cooked to the spice level I like, just tell them how spicy you want it. read more

El Metate Cafe - Inside breakfast burrito a la Mexicana - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Love this place! Authentic food with authentic meats (lengua, cabeza, etc) along with more classic cuts! Family owned and family styled homey service Comes with warm chips and best salsa Great portions and value My go to Mexican restaurant in Pasadena read more

I've been to El Metate a few times and I'm addicted to their taco salad. It's fresh, made to order and very flavorful. You can get it with Chicken or Carne Asada. Meat is tender and cut into good size pieces. The flavor and different textures on my plate is just phenomenal. It's like tostada bowl, but way better. Huge portion size too and shareable. Best of all, its inexpensive and good value ($8). The small restaurant is located next to the Ice House on Mentor Ave. Nice casual atmosphere and cozy seating, including a few sidewalk tables. Place is always busy during lunch hours. Luckily for me I've been able to find a seat the last few visits. Menu offers a lot of traditional Mexican dishes plus seafood mariscos (shrimp, fish) and cocktails. Fresh juices are made daily and watermelon-mint agua fresca is refreshing. The staff is very pleasant and food is brought to your table, including complimentary chips and salsa. Though parking is street option only, I never have a problem finding spot a few yards from place. Definitely hidden gem in Pasadena and I'm looking forward to my next trip to try something else. read more

El Metate Cafe - Complimentary chips - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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They say that your stomach is the size of your fist. The El Metate burrito is so big that it's the size of both of my fists. If you have the stomach to down their large 40oz horchata and a side order of their delicious shrimp tostadas, then - well - you leave feeling like a cow. The best thing is that everything here is cheap. For all that food, I spent like $12. This is a small, family owned restaurant and the food tastes authentic. Their carne asada is thin, but really flavorful. I love their shrimp tostadas, which are only $2.50. There's a considerable amount of shrimp, it's flavorful, and there's a good citrus flavor. Their horchata is freshly made and I like to get it when I'm here. Keep an eye out for their daily specials...they have unique items like "garlic shrimp and scallops". Their specials are different every day. I love this small, family owned business. I look forward to coming back to trying more items. Parking isn't bad. You can usually find some if you are willing to walk a few blocks. read more

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I'm so sad that I've passed by this place countless times over the past several years, and never actually tried it until now. First of all, I'd like to acknowledge and appreciate the amazing service we had, especially from our server, Hugo. All of the staff were nice, but Hugo really went above and beyond to explain the dishes we were curious about (as it was our first time there). He was very knowledgeable, kind, and helpful! In terms of the food, all I can say is wow, just WOW. My boyfriend ordered the Shrimp burrito with Chipotle sauce (which was on a special menu), while I had a Carne Asada wet burrito (with red sauce). Both of them were so good, and honestly, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. The shrimp burrito was loaded with shrimp (they did not disappoint!), and the sauce was slightly spicy and very delicious. The Carne Asada meat was some of the best I've ever tried, and the sauce.. I had to stop myself from licking up the entire plate. We were also given free chips and salsa, which was also super my. I'm definitely coming back to try literally everything else on the menu, because I can't see how it any of it would taste bad. I wish I could somehow give this place 6 stars (5 stars for exceptional food and 1 extra star for Hugo, the homie!!) read more

Yay! I'm a fan. woke up one morning and was desperately craving a real Mexican breakfast and being new to Pasadena, I had to yelp a good place. Saw some pictures of carne asada and eggs, served with rice and beans and knew I had to have this. I didn't see it on the menu but told them what I wanted and they gladly obliged. The meat was cooked just right, and if my breakfast wasn't perfect enough, it was served with tortillas, chips, guacamole, and salsa. On my second visit here, I came in with a cold. I had decided to go here because I was in need of caldo de pollo (chicken and vegetable soup). It always makes me feel better. served with rice, cilantro, and diced onion, this soup is perfect for when you're feeling under the weather or the weather is cold. The restaurant itself is very clean and cute and is run by a very friendly man and woman, not sure if they're married couple or not, but they're super awesome, helpful, and polite. With the combination of food tasting like it's homemade and the very kind treatment, I feel more like I'm visiting friends and family as opposed to just eating at another Mexican eatery. Both times I've been, there hasn't been enough business, please support these guys! read more

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El Metate is BACK! It seems like they were close for years not months. They have reopened for take out and delivery and they do have a couple of tables out front. El Metate has become my "go to" choice for excellent Mexican food. Even though I am often on a low carb routine, I find that they will accommodate my requests. My first and favorite is the Carnitas. Served on a salad with the excellent guacamole and sour cream. During our recent visit my friends had one of their burritos and praised it readily. The other friend had the cheese enchiladas. Both the red and the green are excellent. There house made salsas are all VERY GOOD. Other worthy option include their soup, tacos and really everything is great. El Metate is family owned and operated and the quality speaks for itself. They are located on Mentor just North of Colorado Avenue. Best to approach from the North on Mentor off Union or Lake. Welcome back El Metate! read more

Very good food, off the radar a little. Really glad I saw the good reviews or I may not have found this place. It's just a 50 yards off of Colorado Blvd, but you would never notice it as you drive by. I had a taco de pescado, and a tostada de cameron. It was under $10 with tax and tip. Taco was excellent. Grilled, not fried. Tostada was good. Tasty shrimp but not as much as I would have liked. Tortillas were excellent. Salsa was great, and chips were good. Service was okay. I'll be back again, but there are a few other Mexican restaurants I like better. read more

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I love this place! It is very unassuming and low key but the food is amazing. It really is the best Mexican I have had in Pasadena without going to a very high-end restaurant. Not sure if the people who work there are the owners, it seems like they are because they are extremely nice and attentive. read more

Loved this place...... customer service eaaay up there.... dtaft beers .... Modello...yummy... All the grub the bomb ! Shrimp cocktail huge...yummy ! El Mocajete... (sp) with shrimp totally awesome ! Carne asad chicken, poblano chiles, the cheese ...oh my goodness...huge portions. I would have given a 5 if the inside dining etc.... was a little nicer. read more

This is a small family run Mexican joint just North of Colorado Blvd. (right near the Ice House). Place your order at the register and they bring the food out to you (including chips & salsa!). Menu is quite large - good variety of options to choose from. Portion sizes are large and good value for the money in my opinion. Make sure to check out their specials - number of good options and includes a drink too. I like supporting small family run businesses like this one. Definitely will be back. read more

This place has been on the "to try" list for a bit. Ordered rice and beans and a side of guac to go. These are a few staples to judge a good Mexican restaurant btw. Beans - not bad. Not too dry and good taste 3/5 Rice - dry.. had a burnt taste to it..the worst! 1/5 .. perhaps a bad run Guacamole - it was runny with a ton of onions and tomatoes... like a bit of avocado with my pico de gallo. 1/5 See photos.. Might try again.a non lunch hour and different plate. Clean inside with sitting area and salsa bar. read more

El Metate Cafe - Side of guacamole.. not good...avocado was an afterthought - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I am mad at myself for walking by this place so many times without trying it!!! I've been missing out on amazing food. Im going for the third day in a row today bc I can't get enough. SO GOOD!!!!!!! I love their tacos and tamales and their FLAN is to die for. Everything is great here. New fave place in the neighborhood. read more

Maybe after another visit, I would increase my ratings.... Or maybe I shouldn't have read the glowing reviews beforehand... Chips were good, and salsa was fresh but taste not to my liking. The green salsa at the bar was the saving grace for my chips. Pork tamale was really tasty with good spices. But the chicken tamale had peas and tiny carrots and whole kernel corn inside - and almost no taste...seemed like a frozen pot pie Midwest version of Mexican food. Strange and unusual, but not in a good way. read more

The Yelp reviews didn't let us down - this is tasty, generous, authentic, and affordable Mexican food; definitely will be one of our go-tos. We came on a weekday night, ordered quickly and found a nice table (open seating). Although a casual, even slightly hole-in-the-wall feel, it was clean and had purposeful and tasteful decor. Our food came out fairly quickly - fish tacos and a taco salad. My taco salad was one of the best I've ever had (and trust me, I've had a lot of taco salads), and my husband's fish tacos were also solid. The chicken on my taco salad was in particular very impressive - tender, lean chicken strips that were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The veggies/lettuce were also quite fresh and crispy, and then dressing was very light and by no means overpowering, which is good as most places tend to annoyingly lather on the dressing. One star docked as the TV was on very loud (granted, there was a major sportsy thing happening), and the seating wasn't exactly the most comfortable (this could've been just our table). read more

Metate will open up again Tuesday, June 2 . We are so happy to see them back. The best Mexican food in the area and very authentic. Not only is the food delicious, there are many choices on the menu. We are always greeted and treated very nice too. Our favorites chilaquiles and the mole enchiladas. They always have homemade fruit water. Y read more

Delicious food, big portions, charming interior, awesome prices. Will be making this a staple in my local routine. read more

El Metate Cafe - Super burrito & grilled fish taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've bit the bullet, and survived! ;) Located right next to Ice House Comedy Club on Mentor Ave., (or in my case, Saturday Traffic School) I've decided to pop in here for my one hour lunch. Parking: 2 Hour Street Parking (no meters) on Mentor Ave., or they have a $5 parking structure across from them. I've parked in the structure since I was there for traffic school. Usually, I'm not a fan of Mexican food because my sensitive stomach doesn't agree with it. However, I took the chance, and it was delicious! The Setup: You order at the counter, and take your drink and number place card to the dining room, and sit wherever you like. Afterwards, they will bring you your complimentary chips and salsa, utensils, and your meal out to you. They also have a salsa bar on the right side by the cashier stand, along with napkins and utensils for to go items. The menu board is above the cashier stand - Large and visible. They also have to-go menus if you can't read that far up as well as a Specials Menu taped above the salsa bar. With so many, yummy (and underunderwhelming) choices, I went with their Specials Menu: #2. $11.99: Two Taquitos & 1 Enchilada (filling of your choice) + Drink (Your choice). Served with a side of salad, rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream drizzled over the two taquitos. For my two taquitos, I went with beef. The shells were lightly fried, and easy to bite into. The beef filling was hearty, and seasoned nicely. Drizzled over with sour cream, and dipped into the guacamole, delicious, and I would order their beef taquitos again. The chicken enchilada served with red mole was also tasty! The red mole wasn't spicy (thank gawd), and it had a sweet taste to it, yum! The chicken enchilada filling was also hearty, but would have liked it to be a bit bigger (like the same size of the taquitos at least). The salad and beans were pretty good - fresh and generous. The rice however, sucked! It was hard and lumpy. Luckily, I've mixed it with the beans and guacamole to help soften it up. The complimentary chips and salsa were great! The chips were generous, housemade and non greasy. The salsa wasn't hot either, and rather refreshing! Drink: I was slightly bummed that they ran out of horchata, but the Coconut Juice I got instead - LOVE IT!!! A MUST GET!!! Sweet and refreshing! Kept me awake through the last 4 hours of traffic school, yes! Service/Decor: Fast, friendly, and efficient service. Their dining area is cooling, spacious, and they also got seating outside if you prefer. Though, if you need to pee, you need to ask them to unlock the restrooms since they want to keep outsiders from using it. Otherwise, I would definitely come back here again. The food is fresh, light and filling. I made it through traffic school with no tummy ache, and so that itself, is worth five stars! :D read more

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