I love coming here coming down from LAX back into the South Bay! The horchata is very yummy. I normally go with the shrimp fajitas. Which is always delicious. The times I've been they have been accommodating to allergies but it seems like the staff has different answers to things. We once asked if there was any dairy in the guacamole and we were told no. The next time we went we were told yes! Overall a great spot for a nice quick family dinner read more

The food was very delicious and the service was great. I best on the patio enjoying the Manhattan Beach breeze. I have found my new favorite Mexican restaurant. read more

El Sombrero - Two chicken tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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.

Overall enjoyed this place. Started with chips and salsa. Absolutely loved it. For the main, I had a taco plate with both fish and shrimp. Over-all good but was not a huge fan of the pink sauce. Would love to check-out there wet burritos next time! The place itself was not anything fancy. Just an old school Mexican restaurant. Outside seating was nice for people watching but will likely request inside seating next time. Prices were fair. Nothing nuts (especially for the location). Service is where this place shines. The staff was amazing. Everyone has a smile on their face and was quick to provide top-tier service. The service along would bring me back. read more

LOVE EL SOMBRERO!!! THIS IS HOME FR FR. love my GOATs! service amazing and warm- always coming back for a big mexican breakfast to cure my hangovers! read more

Made my first visit here for lunch last week with my wife and one of my daughters. My wife and I also had our dog with us so needed a pet friendly place and El Sombrero was perfect. I ordered the Viking Burrito that had Carne Asada, beans, rice, sour cream, and guacamole inside. It came topped with melted cheese and a tasty green tomatillo sauce. Everything about it was good and it'd size will fill you up. My wife also order a burrito but hers had carnitas inside. My daughter ordered the Enchiladas Suizas, and both said their food was good. We were also provided chips and salsa when we were first seated. The salsa was good and the staff refilled both when we asked for more Finally the staff were excellent. Everyone from our server/waitress on down were courteous, helpful, and all were as helpful as can be. If the people that helped us moved on to another restaurant I would start going there just because their service was so good. read more

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We came in from out of town looking for authentic Mexican food. So happy we found this place. Great service and food! read more

El Sombrero - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Best place - nicest staff. Hope this place stays forever. It's a South Bay staple. Highly recommend and feel free to bring the kids read more

Poor execution with everything. Was looking forward to trying this place out but was INCREDIBLY disappointed in my order. I ordered both chicken and carne asada tacos to-go. Now, first. Inside of the restaurant was beautiful, clean, and a vibe. However, upon opening my to-go order, it was sloppy, lazy, and SOGGY. The meat was flavorless; the asada was chewy, the chicken was tough and dry. They put the sauce on the tacos making them even more soggy that the corn tortillas (which you only get one) became unmanageable. They weren't heated, either. The rice was undercooked and bland. The beans were okay AT BEST. I spent over $100 for this meal and somehow, I feel like if I would have spent $50 on tacobell, I would have been much more satisfied. For as much as I paid and what little effort was put into this is astonishing. I would suggest to whoever is putting together the to-go orders/cooks--put sauce, onions, and cilantro ON THE SIDE. If you're going to charge so much, get smaller corn tortillas and double up. Heat up the tortillas so they wont fall apart. Hopefully, they were just having a bump in the road and that not all of their food is like this. I wish good things for this place, but I would not recommend this if people what I ordered.... read more

El Sombrero - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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El Sombrero is a smashing good time. The cocktails are delicious, the food is scrumptious, and the service was absolutely amazing. It's on the smaller side, but there is ample seating and outdoor options as well! There is a bug variety of menu items to choose from. I enjoyed the cheese and chicken enchiladas! read more

El Sombrero - Mango margarita, michelada, strawberry margarita - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

We spent a couple of nights in Manhattan Beach with the family, and El Sombrero was one of the restaurants we tried during our stay in the city. We called in our order, and drove to the restaurant to pick up our food. They are located in a very busy part of Manhattan Beach. Took me about 10 minutes to find a parking spot, but fortunately I found a metered parking spot close to the restaurant. The staff was busy helping the many customers in their small restaurant. Took awhile before a staff member could help us. The food was packed up well, and everything we ordered was correct. Pretty impressive because we ordered a lot of food for the seven of us. It was a mixed reaction for all of us. 4 in our group were happy with their food. 3 of us thought the food was just okay. I was one of the folks who thought the food was just A-okay. My order was the Wet Carnitas Burrito. The burrito was not very "Wet". There was not much sauce on top of that burrito. Maybe there was not much sauce because it was a takeout order? I don't know, but it sure could have used more sauce on top of it. I found the burrito to be dry with not enough sauce. The flavor of the carnitas was okay, but I've tasted better from many other Mexican restaurants. The Chips were large, but they were stale. Perhaps if we had eaten the food at El Sombrero, then my order would have been better. May have to try them again the next time we are in Manhattan Beach. read more

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This place was wonderful. It had great service, good food, and reasonably-priced. I particularly liked the ceviche, which came filled with tangy shrimp. I ordered 3 tacos for my main meal. I like the choices and the variety of flavor that I got. I got fish, Al pastor, carne asada. Parking is hard to find at Manhattan beach area. But you can find parking and then walk to the restaurant. The staff were very friendly. We had 4 kids with us and they all had a wonderful time. There were lots of options for kids. We were fortunate that the place was not packed. So we had an adult table and a kids table. I highly recommend this place when you're in the area. read more

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5 stars on food 5 stars on value 5 stars on service!! We get their shredded beef tacos. The BEST!!! The shells are crunchy and soft at the same time. Hard to describe. The shredded beef is moist and full of flavor. Topped with fresh tomatoes lettuce and cheese. But the service is always great too. Rosario was our server last week. She is Phenomenal!!! Rigo was our server last night, and he was equally good!! Going to el Sombrero has become a weekly tradition for us!! read more

El Sombrero - Shredded beef hard shell tacos Reg. Crunchy Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

I highly recommend this place because the customer hospitality service is first class treatment with beyond excellent authentic food and you will return again read more

Kindest service, been coming here for years and the family who owns it is the sweetest. Best Mexican food in all of the South Bay. Always cooked perfectly and seasoned authentically. Best restaurant ever!! read more

Love coming to this place while I'm at Manhattan Beach. The food is authentic, non pretentious and affordable. Highly recommend trying the beef bowl, burrito, and Chile relleno. read more

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I came here with a friend for taco Tuesday around 7pm. We didn't have reservations, but we're seated within 5 minutes. The tacos were delicious and so reasonable @ $2.75 each for taco Tuesday (not advertised on menu, but we asked our server). Chips & salsa were complimentary and we found the service to be very attentive. The ambiance was great. Just what you would imagine at a Mexican spot by the beach. Very chill & relaxed, nothing fancy but great food that hits the spot. I would definitely go back! read more

This place is casual and fantastic... dropped in for lunch today - had the Chile Verde Burrito (substituted chicken) - delicious! Massive portions - took half home for dinner, my friend had tacos - ate 2 and then got a 3rd. Chips and salsa also hit the spot. Service was fantastic - even at busy lunch hour... so much better than Pancho's. parking at Metlox underground is easy at lunch (park before 11:30 on summer weekends). $$ Cost: Cheap vs. nearby alternatives... read more

Very friendly staff who welcomed us right away. The food was delicious. They were attentive the whole time. We will be back

Awesome Mexican spot in the heart of Manhattan Beach. Had a vegetarian breakfast burrito, and it was delicious. Generous portions for about $15. Chips and salsa are served when you're seated, which I enjoyed. Recommend trying a wet burrito. Service was friendly and attentive. Check it out and hope you enjoy! read more

The only issue here is the lack of parking (free or paid), but that is true of nearly every beach town. I mean, there is parking; it's hard to find an empty spot, though! Manhattan Beach didn't keep up with growth. If you do not mind a little bit of a stroll, you could park at the parking structure to the north. But it's been so long since I've been to this location of El Sombrero that I forgot how far the walk is. It might be too far for a disabled or frail person that has a difficult time walking. But for a healthy person that's wearing comfortable shoes, it should not be a problem. The food is fantastic. The prices are reasonable. The square footage of the restaurant is quite minimal. But again, that's because of the location. There's no avoiding that right next to the strand in Manhattan Beach. I haven't been to this location in a long time because I'm a large person and I feel crowded here. I don't like having to squeeze between the backs or corners of two occupied chairs to get to my table. That might not be an accurate representation of the floor plan, as I haven't been there in a long time, but that's how it feels to me as a 225-lb, 5'7" obese person, which isn't their fault. Also, I'm very sensitive to environments where I can hear the conversations that of a lot of people talking at once. And this place is very loud and echoey. So we usually go to the Artesia Blvd. location: more room for me to walk inside the restaurant & more parking. read more

This place is fantastic! I love the food! This restaurant is like no others. It is the only restaurant that the manager goes around by table and makes sure everything is good! This place truly is fantastic! Also, the salsa is fantastic! read more

Randomly decided to spend a day in Manhattan Beach before my flight home and my friend was starving for tacos. we looked up taco places nearby and decided to go to El Sombrero, because it gave more of a "homey" authentic feel compared to some of the other restaurants on the strip. I was already full so I decided to just sit with her and eat the free chips and salsa but I was tempted by the shrimp taco so I just ordered one and I don't regret it. It made me wish I wasn't so full from my previous meal. my friend said her tacos were a 10 out of 10 and the service was great too. read more

El Sombrero - Shrimp Taco - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Food hittin, service hittin, ambiance on point. Authentic dishes packed with spices and flavor. We were all hyped with this spot and loved our servers too. The vibe is very much family friendly and family owned. Stepping inside there's many colorful paintings and beautiful aromas drifting from the nearby kitchen. Definitely will be back. Stay eatin!! read more

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Delicious food, nice little Mexican spot in the heart of the city. Nothing fancy at all, you know exactly what to expect.

Overall good experience but was quite disappointed with the added "grilled vegetables" lol when that is an optional add on for a burrito I for 1. Expect it to be in the burrito and 2. Expect them to be actually grilled. I was really hoping for some delicious fajita style veggies!!! And I asked for the sauce on the side and they forgot but it's okay. The rest of my table really enjoyed their food. read more

El Sombrero - Veggie burrito with added grilled vegetables a bit disappointed - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Yo pedí machaca. Pero al fin no pudo comerlo porque estaba todo quemado. Llame al la servidora para enseñarle el platillo. Al fin no cobraron. El Sombrero deben de tener Vergüenzade servir comida así!! I I ordered Machaca. I could not finish the meal, because the Machaca was all burnt. I brought this situation to the attention of the waitress who offered to bring me something else, but I really didn't want anything else she did offer not to charge so we weren't charged for the food. I did tell the waitress that you guys should be ashamed of serving anybody burnt food like this. She said she was bringing this to the attention of her manager, and took the plate back to the kitchen to demonstrate to the cooks what they were serving. They need to hire people that can cook and not just burn food. They din't even response after this post. read more

Their Mexican food is really good and so is the service. I have been to this restaurant a few times and I have never been disappointed. You can eat indoors or outside on their sidewalk patio. Be aware they do not provide a parking lot so you will have to locate paid on street parking. read more

I like their burritos. They are on a busy street and there are a lot of people walking and driving by, which does detract from the ambiance, but I like their burritos enough to still go there. The guy who works there who I talked to was a nice guy. read more

Randomly decided to stop by for food, the workers were very friendly however... they brought us our check pretty much right after we got our food. She did tell us "whenever we're ready" but it was a little rude and I felt rushed. There were plenty of tables available and no one waiting to be seated. Complimentary chips with salsa was served and water refills came quickly. The wet chicken burrito was delicious! It had plenty of cheese and chicken, although I did wish it had a little more guac on top. It was super rich and not dry at all. I put some of the salsa on this towards the end because it was so heavy lol Good experience except for the awkwardness of the check coming so soon, and how they immediately started clearing our table! My friend was finished first and the guy pointed at my plate and asked if I was done... so I said yes because he was already grabbing my friend's cups Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I would be willing to give this place another shot read more

Stopped in to grab some guacamole and a margarita to go. I was served within 5 minutes. Great service! Fun music & atmosphere. I sat outside in the sun and enjoyed my yummy snack. Thank you!! read more

El Sombrero - Outside Area - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

So 5 stars right off the bat because what I have and the way it was pulled off was a foodie's dream! The restaurant ambience is quaint and conservative local Mexican cafe .BUT the dish was stellar!!! It was the best most unique Mexican dish I've ever had from a place with that type of feel. The flavors and quality hit a solid home run ! I had the mango margarita which came as they suggested. It was perfectly flavored with so much mango flavor it had to be real purée used to make it. 10 outta 10 must get . Now for the entree . I went in not so hungry- looking for maybe a taco or 2 but when I read the description for the Schwarzenegger taco I knew that was for me. It was so perfect- flavors temperature at time of service, quality of the ingredients! I highly recommend to any foodie in the area, just go try this! And if you are just looking for a chill little low key affordable cafe close to the Manhattan Beach- this is your spot. Super nice folks and they were open late serving dinner. read more

El Sombrero - Sw - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Food was great and everyone was very attentive. Ambiance is great and the owner Jose Luis is very kind and welcoming. Highly recommend this place. Will be coming back regularly. read more

Eh, kinda yuck! Surprised by these reviews. Everything was very mediocre and maybe even touristy. Got the Viking wet burrito that was lived on here and oy! Drenched in this green sauce and altogether really blah flavor wise. The tacos were also really unmemorable, and nothing tasted fresh or soft or crunchy. Kinda annoyed that we spent our last LA meal on this, but at least exploring Manhattan Beach is fun. read more

El Sombrero - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

This review is only in regard to the service we received today. I've been coming here with my family for over a decade now. We've always appreciated the friendly and helpful staff. However, today there was a new (to us) server named Ana. We were absolutely appalled by her terrible service and treatment. If a manager or owner sees this review, can you please reach out to me to discuss? read more

Great food slow service. We needed to get some legit Mexican while in the LA area so we found this place in Manhattan Beach. It's a small joint in the middle of a pretty nice area. The spicy guacamole was excellent - smooth texture and full of flavor. Spicy means Jalapeños! The one complaint I have is the kitchen seemed quite slow. Lots of waitstaff waiting around and delivering chips and salsa. The chips portions were relatively small - maybe they were freshly made - but we probably had 6 baskets of chips between the 4 of us. When the food finally did arrive, it definitely hit the spot. My dinner was very good as I had an asada taco, Chile relleno, and a pork tamale. Oh and for an added bonus (for me anyway), they have ORANGE BANG! I wish they had this stuff on the east coast but unfortunately, it's nowhere to be found. read more

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We went out in search of last minute tamales for Christmas Eve and we succeeded! They were busy even on Christmas Eve. Tables inside and outside were available to eat in. The staff was very friendly We ordered carry-out. We got 3 chicken and 3 pork, then saw a sign to try their chipotle mole do we asked for some too. When the food came out they said Merry Christmas and they included an extra dessert for us. They made our tamales enchilada style with mole and cheese on top. Yum! Plenty of tortillas chips and salsa along with a delicious tasting cheese dip. The bonus was the light flan. They lost a star cause the tamales were slightly dryer than I would have liked even with the mole. I put the cheese dip on it and that was great on it so it worked out fine. Minor complaint. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

El Sombrero - Christmas Eve Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

The food is very good. I think they should use less ice in the drinks. You're only allowed one refill. Ask for easy ice or no ice in your drinks. read more

Overall very good. Mixed bag though. The regular tacos were excellent but the Al pastor was nothing special. Nice location. Hitting them up on taco Tuesday is the way to go. read more

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Their cover image of their shrimp taco is what brought me in; I had to try it. The staff bring out complimentary chips and salsa. I've had bland salsa from other places, but theirs isn't. I loved that the salsa had a spice to it. I recommend trying their mango lemonade. The tacos were good as I expected. Only thing I didn't like was the choice of shell, but that was completely on me; it slipped my mind to ask for a different shell. My friend ordered the tacos al pastor. He gave his a 7/10. His reasons were the overload of sauce made the meal very messy, the meat was seasoned well, the combination of the meat and green sauce killed each of their individual flavors, and that the other tacos have more potential to be better. Great prices, especially for the location. The outdoor eating area is cute and the service was great. We will definitely return. read more

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