Came in during the week for a late lunch for some tacos…read more Parking is available on both sides of the restaurant and also street parking. Walked in and greeted. Order is placed at the front counter and once ordered a number is given so server can bring it right to you. Ordered 6 Tacos $6.75 Tacos de Carne Asada with queso $ 5.25 Small Horchata salsa Bar available + fountain drinks Inside is nice and fresh with plenty of seating options for small or large groups ( No booths)

The food and food value used to be good. The food taste is ok but extremely overpriced. A carne…read moreasada taco was $5.85. A chile relleno ( à la cart $10.00. , a steak quesadilla $23.00. A small side of guacamole was laughable. They served it in the container for salsas. Save your money and go elsewhere. There are other choices out there. Or pay a little more and go to Salsa and Beer down the street. Counter service food. No thank you.

Top notch hole in the wall Mexican food…read more The burrito was huge and the carne asada was full of flavor and super tender. Baja fish tacos were also delicious. Staff was friendly and food came out pretty quick. Just an excellent experience all around and will definitely be back

The fish tacos are really good but I've had their burrito and quesadillas and they're very mid…read more Unfortunately, the Mexican food I've had wasn't good. They burnt my quesadillas, I live far so I didn't bother going back.

My wife and I were (once again) in the mood for a breakfast burrito while we were in the van Nuys…read morearea this morning. I was put in charge to find a place close. I stumbled upon Monarca on Yelp and we decided to try it out! We arrive and are nicely greeted by one of the employees at the counter. The inside was clean and well kept which we love. My wife and I ordered 2 breakfast burritos and the green chilaquiles. She got the Deluxe burrito and I got the chorizo. We bring them home and open up the bag and these things are MASSIVE! In the best way! We begin taking bites and are both amazed. Me a little bit more. I really really enjoyed this burrito. Maybe because it has rice instead of potatoes, I'm not sure, but it was delicious. My wife also really enjoyed hers; she gave it a 7.5 out of 10. I give my burrito a 9/10. Our chilaquiles were a whole other story and flavor profile. The carne asada that came with it was life changing. Whatever seasoning they used on tha carne asada is perfect. My wife was deeply impressed. The sauce, the chips, the eggs, beans and rice were all very very good as well. All complimented each other very well. If you're ever in the van Nuys area, please stop here for breakfast, you won't regret it!

The food was excellent! The Torta Chilanga was delicious, and we also really enjoyed the sopes and…read morethe mojarra. The service was friendly and communicative, keeping us updated on the preparation time since most dishes are made to order. The restaurant is small but clean and cozy, making it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal. We'll definitely be coming back!

Food was good, the service was okay but it was busy not bad at all, going to try one more to ensure…read moreit was not because it was too many people

Highly recommend it, they have great service and some of the best Mexican food I've had in my life.read more

I had an appointment earlier and decided to meet up a friend…read morefor dinner. They mentioned this place which is fine as I've alway enjoyed each visit. Plus we were meeting early which also happy hour was still happening. I think it's from 3-6. Even at 5 in the afternoon, there was no parking in the lot. And the residential parking was pretty much packed. As I had my little pup with me, we needed a table outside. It's been a while since I was seated outside. Usually it's been in the bar area. They have a back gate at the patio but it was locked. First off, the place was packed. It's been a while since it's been like that. Or maybe I've only been coming during happy hour. Also, it's somewhat seems to be a thing where you have to ask for the happy hour menus. Anyways, their items are pretty decent for prices. Drinks specials and some of the food items are worth it. We alway get a pitcher of beer for the table to share. Food wise, a couple of the ceviche. Either fish or shrimp and that's served with a tostada chip. For 12.00, it's pretty decent in size and quite tasty. Between the fish or shrimp, I prefer shrimp better. Also, two street tacos for 5.00 with many choices of protein. Lastly, the loaded fried nachos for 12.00. Let's say when they mean loaded, it was loaded. That too comes with your choice of protein which I went with the al pastor. The food was great. Reasonable price and well portioned. Plus the chips and bean dip to start off. They also accommodate some salsas with chips which is nice. Before it would alway be the bean dips and you would have to ask for the salsa. If you want fresh guacamole, they have someone that will prepare it table side to your liking. This visit, there was also the mariachi band walking around asking people if that wanted any requests. The service was great, the staffs all are amazing and friendly. Some familiar faces which is nice.

Very good service! All the plates…read more We had was very good ! And was very clean ! Definitely recommend this place !

I've been here twice so far and see myself regularly coming. Great authentic Mexican food. The food…read morecomes out pretty fast and servers are attentive. Highly recommend!

We wanted to socialize our foster dog so we came here due to the large patio area. The World Cup…read morewas playing so we called ahead to make sure it won't be too long a wait and to confirm that our dog is okay outside. We've been to the other three salsa and beers: large portions and chips and bean dip for the table. It wasn't too loud and other parties seem to have a good time. We got carnitas, enchiladas and shared a tropical margarita.

I'm usually not the biggest fan of Mexican food because it can be pretty heavy, but I really…read moreenjoyed this place. First, I have to mention Yvette. She provided outstanding service from start to finish. She was friendly, attentive, and constantly checked on us to make sure our drinks were full and that we had everything we needed. The food was excellent. I'm especially picky about guacamole because most restaurants don't season it enough, but this was one of the best I've had. I still think Chipotle has my favorite guacamole, but this was a very close second. It was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of salt. The chips were also great--light, crispy, and not overly thick. For my entrée, I ordered the chicken and shrimp fajitas. Both were cooked perfectly, well-seasoned, and served with just the right amount of grilled onions and peppers. I also really liked the flour tortillas. They were soft, fresh, and the perfect complement to the fajitas. We also ordered the carne asada skirt steak, and it was outstanding. It had a great smoky char on the outside, was packed with flavor, and was cooked perfectly. The only downside is the parking, but that's really not the restaurant's fault. The area is just extremely busy, so finding a spot can take a little patience. Overall, this is my favorite Mexican restaurant I've tried so far. Great food, excellent service, and definitely worth the trip.

My friend and I had reservations for 7 pm for a Saturday night. Once we arrived, we were seated…read moreimmediately but to a super tiny table, so I asked the waiter if we can sit at one of the empty booths which he said wasn't available, which I thought was a bit odd since it was open. Anyways, once we were seated we got fresh tortilla chips and a red salsa which was delicious and on the house. My friend and I both wanted to tacos so we got two taco plates. I got the ribeye taco plate and she got the chicken tinga taco plate. We also each got the watermelon hibiscus margarita. The margaritas were the highlight of the night. They were well made and delicious. I could definitely drink a couple of them. In regards to the food, I enjoyed my tacos but my only complaint is if I'm being charged $20 for ribeye tacos, there should be way more meat in each taco. I feel like they skimmed on the meat, which I didn't appreciate, especially at that price point. Other than that, service was prompt and the interior was pretty. I would definitely come back for those margaritas. I believe they have weekday happy hour, so I might check that out for a more affordable experience.

I've been coming to El Taco Llama since I was 15 years old (I'm 31 now), so this place holds a lot…read moreof nostalgia for me. Over the last 4 years, I honestly felt like the quality across most locations had really gone downhill -- the meat didn't taste the same, the passion in the food wasn't there, and the employees often seemed rude or just completely over it. I stopped going altogether for about a year. Recently, I moved near this location and decided to give it one more shot... and I'm SO glad I did. This location brought back the early 2012 Taco Llama vibes. The food tasted fresh, the meat quality was on point, and everything felt like it was made with care. The employees were genuinely kind, quick, and efficient -- which already stood out. But what really impressed me was even the cook. At most locations, the cooks look angry or like they can't wait to clock out. The cook here, along with the short woman working with him, looked like a solid team. They were focused, calm, and actually seemed like they cared about what they were doing. You could feel the difference. Yes, $14 for a burrito is on the higher side -- I won't lie. But honestly? It was worth every dollar. The flavor, the nostalgia, the whole experience hit. I've been to over 6 different locations, and this is the ONLY one that truly brought back the original Taco Llama feel for me. 10/10. Highly recommend this location.

This is one of my all-time favorite taco places to go today and I have been for many years. I…read morealways get the Al Pastor tacos, and the guy always hooks me up with extra cheese and sour cream. It's a beautiful presentation is delicious. Drizzle a little green sauce on it and it's fantastic.! the staff is awesome very kind and I just love the vibe at this place! Dedicated customer!