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    El Sombrero

    4.4 (518 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    El Sombrero Photos

    Business Info

    EL SOMBRERO ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Sombrero

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    Another classic spot!!
    Peter I.

    Another MB classic with our (and everyone's) friend Jose Luis at the door. The staff is flawless and the food ever better. Everyone has their favorites and it was the first place I tried carnitas. Had it today and again perfect. This is how restaurants should be run. Nice to see you my friend. Also great people watching!!!!

    $12 total for one taco one Enchiladas Ala Carta
    Joy D.

    Woah kinda expensive $50 lunch. I had 1 taco and 1 enchilada (no beans or rice). My daughter had the fajita plate and it doesn't come out sizzling on a skillet... The food is good not great. Friendly service and great location. Obviously paying for location. Nice outdoor seating in the summer.

    Elizabeth F.

    Yum!!!!! This was such a yummy treat. Located in a busy street in Manhattan Beach. We walked up at around 1 on Saturday evening and were seated immediately. They stayed busy throughout our visit however I never did see a line. The place is small with a small porch out front. I ordered the Schwarzenegger tacos which were amazing!!! Would love to order again. Their salsa is spicy but so so good! 100% recommend!

    Vegetarian burrito ($16)
    Claryssr B.

    Quick recap: - Food: Mediocre - Portion size: Average to large - Service: Good - Environment: Casual mexican - $: Average - Perks: Some outdoors table More details: A bit disappointed by the price/quality ratio. The food is mediocre - not good, not bad, but prices should be lower accordingly. It is definitely more a quantity than a quality place. Staff is nice though. Overall? Would quality this place as a "Mexican diner"

    Viking Burrito - Carne Asada Burrito
    Olivia P.

    The staff is so friendly and the food comes out hot and fast! Just how I like it. Complimentary salsa and homemade chips. I got the guacamole and it's very creamy and smooth. Tasty but don't expect chunks. Viking burrito: 8.5/10 Super solid wet burrito! For starters it was freaking massive and full of all the good stuff. Plenty of meat and fillings, and I loved the green salsa! My only qualm was the carne asada was a bit tough but still fairly good. I would highly recommend coming here for a good wet burrito!

    Krystle T.

    Went on a beach walk with coworkers sunday morning and decided on lunch at Wl Sombrero. small restaurant but there was space on the patio as well as inside. we did get there around noon with a party of 13 and were seated immediately. we split between 2 tables but totally fine with that. service was great the servers were very attentive and good came out fast. very tasty, and awesome prices. would def visit again.

    Austin D.

    The chips and salsa are good, I just wish they gave more so I didn't have to ask several times. The shrimp cocktail was amazing and probably one of the best I've had. They give lots of large shrimp and avocado throughout rather than just on top of the glass. Very refreshing to eat on a hot day. I definitely will go back for this. The tamale and taco I had were good as well, but nothing special. Service was good. Restaurant is small with some inside seating and a small patio that I sat at and enjoyed.

    Birria, rice and beans
    Denice L.

    Ended up here because the other spot had an hour wait and we are so glad it did. The spot is small and gives you a home feel. My spouse loves Mexican and stated that, it was the best burrito ever eaten. So I know it was delicious. We will come back when we return to Manhattan Beach.

    Christian C.

    I had a great time at El Sombrero. Getting seated was fast and easy and they quickly bring you chips and salsa, which is good as I've noticed some restaurants have actually stopped serving free chips and salsa. I had a mango margarita and it was delicious. I started to order another one but I was already full. For food I had the two shrimp tacos with the rice and beans. Everything was very flavorful and I really enjoyed it. The staff were attentive and would come around often to ask if we needed anything. Overall solid spot!

    Chorizo breakfast burrito
    Christine C.

    Great place for breakfast. Who knew??? Service was excellent-- I mean, honestly, really excellent. The woman was friendly and attentive and our coffee cups never ran empty. The portions are big and everything was tasty. Usually a chorizo burrito leaves your plate soaked in grease, but not here. Sign of higher quality ingredients. The coffee had a slight cinnamon taste which was a nice surprise, too. Prices are competitive and the booths are big and comfy. We'll definitely be back!

    Carne Asada plate
    Daniel S.

    This is as good of Mexican food as I've had in this part of town. The food was delicious, we went Carne Asada plate and Cerviche appetizer with flan for dessert. The service was very kind. This is a good place to stop for food. The ambiance was that of Cinco de Mayo even though it was just your average Sunday. Nice place. Lastly split the plates because they're huge! Gracias Sombrero!

    Grilled shrimp tacos!

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    4 months ago

    Burritos are amazing and reasonable in price too. Great service and I'd totally come back here

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    10 months ago

    This place is so good! Don't sleep on the Schwarzenegger tacos. Limited seating but very quick service!

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    1 year ago

    One of the best wet burritos I've had in a while. The carne asada was perfectly cooked, if you want authentic Mexican food go here.

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    Page 1 of 13

    El Sombrero Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Sombrero

    Are there any vegan options or modifications available?

    Yes. I had posted this as a tip a few years ago. "Vegetarian burrito can be made vegan by omitting the cheese and guacamole (made with milk). Get sliced avocado, instead."

    Is there happy hour?

    No there is not.

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    Mercado Manhattan Beach - Surf & Turf Feature

    Mercado Manhattan Beach

    4.2(503 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Lol I have a biz client with Mercado surname. One in the…read moreworld so far I've met. What does Mercado even mean? Oh yeah a market. Aside from that. Been here twice already with my utmost fav best looking dreamy and very genius person in the whole universe Babe :) ;-D And each time has been great! Customer service here is always attentive and fast and friendly. Food is delicious too. Atmosphere is aight lol. We dig the outdoors more. I'm not a fan of the inside/indoor art on the walls ha. Wish they can be a much better interior design where it's not kind of cringe unattractive ha. They need my help with that lol. There are plenty of better mexican interior designs that I can totally show them up in here. Ja for reals though. Like tulum attractive would be more ideal. It would be mucho mas mejor! Ja

    We went to Mercado in Manhattan Beach to celebrate a birthday and it was honestly one of the most…read moredisappointing dining experiences we've had in a long time. What makes it worse is that this is not our first time with Mercado. We've been fans since the original location near The Grove and have been coming to this South Bay location for a while. We used to order takeout and dined in regularly and in the past the experience was much better. Unfortunately, that is clearly no longer the case. The service was atrocious from start to finish. We waited far too long for everything, including drinks. A single Tecate took about 30 minutes to arrive, which set the tone for the rest of the night. Nobody checked on us, nobody seemed attentive and we spent way too much of the evening just sitting there waiting. The food was equally bad. The carnitas nachos came out cold. The steak taco was rubbery. The fish tacos were incredibly dry. The birthday fajitas were also dry and underwhelming. For a place at this price point, there is really no excuse for food coming out like this. The overall atmosphere also felt off. What used to feel lively and welcoming now felt neglected and poorly managed. It was especially frustrating because this was supposed to be a birthday dinner and instead it turned into a long, overpriced, disappointing experience. It genuinely breaks my heart to write this because we have a long history with Mercado, but after this visit, we're done. There are too many better options in the South Bay to spend this kind of money on bad food, bad service and an overall miserable experience.

    Photos
    Mercado Manhattan Beach - Seating

    Seating

    Mercado Manhattan Beach - Pulpo al pastor

    Pulpo al pastor

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    Esperanza Cocina de la Playa - Instagram: @eat_saw_telle
 
 Tacos de Halibut Frito

    Esperanza Cocina de la Playa

    4.4(997 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    Went in for a Sunday brunch and not only the were the dishes incredible, the service was absolutely…read moreimpeccable. Devin took great care of us the entire time.

    I wish I had 5 more stars because I would give my experience a 10!…read more The honest truth..... I loved my first experience at Esperanza so much so that I took my fiancé for dinner. The second experience was not great. It was an extremely busy night, and the service was not what I expected. I told the waiter I was displeased. He apologized; however, I was disappointed and we left. After I left, I received a message from my server, Ben, asking for an opportunity to to make it right and inviting me back. Two months later, I took him up on the offer. He booked my reservation right away. Upon arriving at the restaurant with my Mom, we were seated right away and given such good treatment, we felt like celebrities. And the food, AMAZING! The churros for dessert - Chef's kiss. What makes this stand out for me is that Ben went so far above and beyond to make sure that I had a good experience. His apology was sincere enough, but he didn't stop there. A lot of people are not willing to go the extra mile like he did that day. I am very grateful and appreciative, and I do not take it for granted. The food at Esperanza speaks for itself, but the SERVICE 100/10! No notes. Thank you Ben.

    Photos
    Esperanza Cocina de la Playa - Bryan Thee bartender

    Bryan Thee bartender

    Esperanza Cocina de la Playa - Relleno de Langosta y Camaron

    Relleno de Langosta y Camaron

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    Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila - Ceviche Tres Maneras

    Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila

    4.5(2.4k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Had an amazing dinner at Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila this past sunday. Peter took great care of us…read morefrom start to finish and made the whole experience feel welcoming and personal. We ordered the filet fajitas, mole blanco chicken enchiladas (must try!!), and fried ice cream for dessert everything was absolutely delicious. One thing we really appreciated was that Peter kindly split the enchiladas onto two plates for us without us even having to ask! It was such a thoughtful touch and made the meal feel even more special. The food, service, and atmosphere were all top notch. We'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend asking for Peter if you visit!

    Palmilla Cocina is definitely up there as one of the best Mexican restaurants I've dined at (says a…read morelot as from I'm LA) especially just upon stumbling. From the hand shaken fresh margaritas, I got the pineapple Serrano cilantro, to the complimentary fresh tortilla with honey butter and salsas, + the ocean breeze from the Pier, it's hard to complain. To share my table of 2 ordered the: * La asada con salsa (cooked medium) - comes with a side - we chose the corn - and rice and beans 10/10. I could drink the chimichurri sauce it came with and the meat was tender and cooked to perfection * mole blanco enchiladas - chicken Machacha, queso, chipotle pepitas, arroz de tomatillo and frijoles Nevro . 9.5/10 and I fear I will never want to have mole any other way. I also got a complimentary dessert of choice for my birthday. I opted for the fried ice cream (horchata flavored) which was divine and the perfect sweet treat to end the meal. The ambiance is lively, I recommend to sit outdoors as several other restaurants have live music and great to people watch. Huge compliments to the chef and to our incredible waiter, Peter, who was attentive and provided the best recommendations. Would definitely come back to explore more of the menu.

    Photos
    Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila - Wall lighting

    Wall lighting

    Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila - Short rib taquitos

    Short rib taquitos

    Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila - La Rosa Smoky margarita

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    Manhattan Beach Post - Pecan sticky bun

    Manhattan Beach Post

    4.3(4k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    The first thing I noticed about Manhattan Beach Post was the plants. Not because there were a few…read moreplants. Lots of restaurants have a few plants. These plants appeared to have union representation. They're everywhere. Hanging from things. Growing out of things. Quietly observing your meal. The whole place feels like someone built a really nice restaurant and then let nature move in as a long term tenant. The room hums. Not loudly. Not aggressively. Just enough. Glasses clink. People lean into conversations. Servers weave through the room carrying plates that look heavy enough to alter their center of gravity. Nobody seems rushed. Everybody seems busy. It's a difficult balance. The biscuits arrived first. Now, I'd heard about the biscuits. People talk about these biscuits the way fishermen talk about the one that got away. Slightly dramatic. A little emotional. Hard to verify. Turns out the stories were true. Warm bacon cheddar biscuits with maple butter. I took one bite and immediately understood why people order a second round. The outside has just enough structure to remind you it's baked. The inside is soft enough to make you wonder whether butter has secretly become a building material. We ordered another. Not because we needed another. Because apparently that's what happens here. The creamy polenta showed up next and felt like the culinary equivalent of a weighted blanket. Comforting. Smooth. Relaxed. The sort of dish that encourages you to slow down and stop checking your phone. The duck was one of my favorites. Lightly fried with crisp skin and tender meat, resting on white Italian beans and rosemary. It felt like something a French chef would cook after spending a weekend in the countryside and becoming briefly inspired by fresh air. At some point you stop evaluating food and simply nod in agreement with it. This was one of those moments. Dessert was equally dangerous. The olive oil cake arrived with strawberries and disappeared much faster than logic suggested it should. The cheesecake somehow managed to be rich and light at the same time, which feels like it should violate a law of physics somewhere. Service deserves its own mention. The whole team operates like a group project where everyone actually did their part. Plates appeared when they should. Water glasses mysteriously refilled themselves. Questions were answered without anyone making you feel like you should already know the answer. The chef's French influence shows up everywhere, but not in a showy way. Nothing feels complicated for the sake of being complicated. Everything feels like somebody spent a lot of time thinking about it so you wouldn't have to. By the end of the meal, I realized Manhattan Beach Post had done something difficult. It felt special without feeling serious. You can dress up. You can come casually. You can celebrate something important or absolutely nothing at all. Just order the biscuits. The plants already know you're going to.

    Good experience at this restaurant in Manhattan beach. Modern take on Southern and general American…read morecuisine. Food was great, but not mind-blowing in my opinion. Some dishes could've been executed better. Going down the list of dishes I had here: - Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits: These were more like scones rather than biscuits. Crunchy with good bacon and cheddar flavor. - Japanese Hamachi Crudo: Unique and I liked the citrusy flavor and creamy texture. However, 3 small slices of fish for $26 was overpriced. - Leafy Greens & Radicchio: Solid and crispy salad with a nice tangy dressing. The cheese also added a lot of sharp flavor which was nice. - Skirt Steak: Good flavor and char, but a bit tough. Also some dry pieces. - Chilean Sea Bass: Lemon orzo risotto was creamy and delicious. The sea bass itself was okay, nothing special. It felt overpowered by the risotto. The fish was moist and flaky though. - 20 Oz Prime Beef Ribeye: Quality was subpar relative to price. Portion size was solid by the steak itself was inconsistent. Some of the pieces were rarer while others were more well-done even though we asked for medium rare. There were also some dry pieces which I did not like. Flavor was good though. - Strawberry and Olive Oil Cake: Was confused since there was just a thin layer of cake, but realized the title also referred to the mousse. I would title it 'Strawberry Mousse with Olive Oil Cake" to make it less confusing. Regardless, this was a delicious dessert! Love the fruity strawberry and savory pistachio flavors as well as the smooth textures. - S'mores sundae: Got this on the house for my aunt's birthday. A generous portion but the components were a bit too sweet for my liking. I visited this restaurant for a birthday that I organized and my experience was overall good. Reservation was made easy using OpenTable and I could also mention it was for a birthday occasion. The ambiance was gorgeous with good mood lighting. Good for group and 1 on 1 dining. Parking is metered or street parking. Overall, I probably wouldn't come out of my way to dine here again, but my experience wasn't bad just not significant enough to put in my rotation. Would come back if someone treated me here though.

    Photos
    Manhattan Beach Post - Interior

    Interior

    Manhattan Beach Post - Raspberry cream cheese coffee cake

    Raspberry cream cheese coffee cake

    Manhattan Beach Post - MB Post Biscuit Eggs Benedict, lobster avocado toast and blood and smoke

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    MB Post Biscuit Eggs Benedict, lobster avocado toast and blood and smoke

    El Sombrero - mexican - Updated June 2026

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