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    Macho Cafe

    3.8 (303 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Macho Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    MACHO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Macho Cafe

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    Eleni Blue M.

    The service was quick and with a very friendly cashier. There were 2 of us and we had the fish tacos and some hard shell beef tacos. Both were good. They have a mini salsa bar. Some agua frescas are offered with free refills. I would return to this establishment. They have albóndiga soup and cocido as well.

    Beef Taquitos.
    Cindy S.

    The FISH TACOS here are excellent! I been in search of a great fish taco spot ever since Ricky's Fish Tacos ceased its operation in 2022. Ricky's was in my opinion the BEST in LA for fish tacos (at least for my palate). Macho cafe does an AWESOME fish taco and it is one of their best sellers. What makes a good fish taco to me? Crispy PERFECT tempura like batter that's non-greasy or soggy in taste. White fish that is tender and moist NOT fishy. Great salsas (verde/spicy or mild red) that are balanced with natural roasted ingredients and not too much dried seasonings that not bland. Topped off with right amount of crema, cabbage and pico de gallo. This spot nailed it. My other favorite places for fish tacos are : TACO NAZO and TACO ENSENADA. However, MACHO CAFE is even better! While I miss Ricky's Fish Tacos, this place Macho Cafe is up there. The higher end restaurants in LA that have fish tacos serve better fish quality but their salsas sux, so I prefer Mexican family restaurant hole-in-the-walls for this street taco humble item. Seriously you can't go wrong with anything on their menu, we tried a few items and they were so good! Macho's Cafe has been around since 1979 and the restaurant definitely needs an update, but remember you're there for the food not the ambiance, lol. Easy street parking or a few parking spaces in front of restaurant. Cash and Card accepted.

    mí
    Erik G.

    What We Ordered: -4 Fish Tacos @ $2.49 Each Another day, another recommendation from my friend Cindy S.! She recently found Macho Cafe in San Gabriel, looking for a new favorite fish taco spot after her old one closed. The tacos are a great value at $2.49 each, and you can order them a la carte. The fish tacos are perfectly battered and fried - crispy and not soggy. They have a good balance of cabbage, sour cream, and pico de gallo. We both gave them two thumbs up! They have a self-serve salsa bar, which is nice to see in the post-COVID world. We loved trying the different salsas, especially the pickled carrots, onions, and jalapeños. Macho Cafe will definitely be in our fish taco rotation from now on. We'll be back soon!

    Fish taco and side of carrot and onions in vinegar
    Gabby A.

    Best fish tacos in this area!! The fish was so tasty and nicely breaded! The cabbage was nice and finely chopped.. I hate when the cabbage strips are to chunky! The sour cream and special sauce they used was made correctly and did not overpower all of the flavors of the tacos! Honestly can't wait to go again and enjoy some More.. it's definitely a mom and pop shop it's small inside but there's a lot of seating .. inside and outside... the gentleman at the register was very nice and also let me Know they have breakfast deals in the morning And provided me with a flyer.. great place! Definitely send it and try some fish tacos

    Exterior
    Penny P.

    What's up: My aunt works nearby and she likes grabbing the fish tacos from here every so often. Since she recommended them, I decided to grab some too! Parking: Small parking area right up front. There's also street parking. Environment: My aunt called them ahead of time to place an order. After a short drive, we came by and picked them up; payment was made upon pickup. What was ordered: - Fish Taco (hot, crunchy, and tasty. The fish is pretty big and yummy with the hot salsa) Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. Food was yummy and they were quick. Cash is best since there is a transaction fee to use credit cards.

    The potato taco. Lots of lettuce but there was a good amount of potato in there too.
    Gary W.

    I was getting my car windows Tinted across the street and decided to try their fish tacos. It's a pretty good deal at $2.49 each. They were decent. The pros were that they were a good size and had good flavor. My main con was that they maybe put a little too much crema. Something unique they do is adding a green salsa on top. It's not spicy but adds some unique flavor to a fish taco. I also tried a papa(potato) taco and thought it was pretty good too. The restaurant itself isn't in the best condition and could use a face-lift but the food is decent. There seemed to be a steady stream of customers as I sat and ate at 1030am on a Thursday so that must be a good sign. Would I come here again? Perhaps if I was craving a fish taco and was getting my car washed across the street.

    Chile rellenos burrito
    Alex M.

    This place has been one of my favorite places for fish tacos! Was craving flautas and a chile rellenos burrito and this satisfied the cravings! The burrito was huge and flavorful. I really liked it! The flautas were pretty good! The plate came with rice and beans along with some lettuce and sour cream :) service is always kind and attentive whenever I order in or over the phone. The restaurant is a small place with a few tables and it can get pretty crowded.

    Mark M.

    No need to drive to taco nazo anymore. These are just as good. I always have them add extra cream. Excellent food servers, always fresh food. Great prices... 5 stars from me

    Cute Pomeranian owned by a patron
    Linda C.

    It's an unassuming little Mexican restaurant across from the car wash and another Mexican eatery. The fish taco I had was a little disappointing; the fish seemed a little burnt. They tried to compensate with lots of crema. However, I also got the carne asada burrito and though it had more rice and beans than I would have liked, it was tasty and filling. The ambience was warm--sociallg and temperature-wise. I think they were just using fans. I saw some people come out with a whole fish that looked good, and another gent had some type of soup that seemed tasty. Perhaps those are more of their specialty.

    Menu and food
    Carlos Albert L.

    I was craving constillas de puerco and by my surprise they are super delicious. I can do without the nopales but either way leaves a watering taste. The green chilly they use is the bomb. With enough spice to satisfy and not over due it. I'll be back to try other dishes. The staff is friendly

    Steak tacos

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    3 years ago

    Great service. Great food. People who work there are very friendly. You can order in advanced and they are pretty quick.

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    6 years ago

    My go-to spot for great Mexican food in San Gabriel. They are affordable and the food is always good.

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    Been coming here at least 30 years all I can say is when ever I go it's sooo good I wish I could eat there daily

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    Secret Tacos

    Secret Tacos

    4.2
    (125 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Pulled up to this taco stand and it was already packed, which is always a good sign. I actually was…read morewaiting for a table nearby, but you can't miss the giant spinning al pastor right up front. So I went straight for the al pastor first. What I liked right away is that they don't chop it down into tiny bits. You actually get slices of al pastor that are chewy, tender, and full of flavor. They top it with a good piece of pineapple too, which balances everything out. The condiments were fresh, and you can load up however you like. At around $3 a taco, I was full after four and honestly felt like it was worth it. Simple, busy, and straight to the point. Out in the street, the place opens up with a casual but flaming setup. Definitely a solid late night stop and you can't miss it if you're just driving up San Gabriel Blvd heading home.

    While my husband was ordering, a LARGE flying cockroach literally flew onto his neck and then…read moredropped to the floor. We both heard it flying first, and he looked extremely uncomfortable and disturbed. I kept saying there were roaches, but the woman taking our order didn't acknowledge it at all. After ordering, we looked around more carefully and noticed several adult roaches around the truck. We even heard another girl on the other side scream because a roach flew at her too. On top of that, the food quality wasn't worth the price. We ordered 3 burritos and 4 tacos, and the total came out to almost $50. When we got home, 2 out of the 3 burritos were wrapped so poorly that they completely unraveled while eating. One of the people I ordered for got so frustrated they stopped eating altogether. Sadly, between the hygiene concerns, lack of response from staff, declining food quality, and high prices, I would never return.

    Photos
    Secret Tacos
    :D
    :D
    Secret Tacos

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    Cesar’s Mexican Food

    Cesar’s Mexican Food

    4.4
    (53 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    I just found another of my favorite mexican restaurant in San Gabriel…read more The place is small but cozy, the service is ok since only one person is serving but she is nice and respectful but the food, OMG it is soo good . I usually dont eat the chips before the food but this ones are soo good that we finished soon, they made it right there so they are hot and a little spicy but not much. The plates are big, you can even share or take home if you dont finish but the taste is good, we love it. I have tried garlic shrimps, enchiladas suizas, torta de pastor y sopes and really like everything. The only thing you need to be patient because they made the food when you order, but in the meantime, you can play lotería since they have the cards on the tables

    Parking in the back Takes credit care with $1 fee…read more It's a one man show, only one guy working, cooking, bussing, and dealing the cash. So the service is slow. But the food is pretty good taste Monday special- pupusa- revuelta and frijoles and cheese ($1.75) Wet burrito with pastor- large portions. Green sauce is super good. Choose your meat and al pastor meat is decent Enchiladas and with Chile relleno ($17.99)- Chile relleno was very good. They use a large pepper, and cooked well enough so the pepper is soft. The green and red sauce is really good. Pupusa- really good. Soft exterior but has a little texture.

    Photos
    Cesar’s Mexican Food
    Trucha Fry fish yummy
    Trucha Fry fish yummy
    Corner restaurant.  Small parking lot in back.

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    Corner restaurant. Small parking lot in back.
    Lunas Bar and Grill

    Lunas Bar and Grill

    3.8
    (585 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    My friend took me here on a spontaneous girls lunch and it was soo yummy. I got the taco bowl & a…read morelychee...something martini. I went simple with the taco bowl bc i wasn't sure what I wanted and wasn't really "hungy" but the taco bowl was soo good I think I devoured it in under 5 minutes lol. They really hook you up too. I was struggling to finish the last bite. Atmosphere was very cozy and the owner is super friendly. I always passed by this place back when I would go Pokémon Going at the church but never knew what was going on inside so I was pleasantly surprised when my friend took me here. Highly recommend and absolutely will be back.

    Horrible experience and rudeness from the server !! Bald Hispanic man in his 50's…read more Went to try it for the first time on Monday during lunch time. My mom ordered the pozole verde and rajas con crema. Everything was going good until the server very rudely came and asked my mom to stop feeding my 9 month old baby because he was making noise and that "he had other guests and it was a bother" . We were both left in shock and it took us a second to process what he had just said. We had only taken a few bites of our food and we were commenting that it was good but this man's rudeness left us speechless. There was only 2 tables seated aside from us one gentleman and a group of 3 gentlemen on the other other table. I walked up to them and apologized if my baby was disturbing them and they all said no that he was not at all and they had kids and knew that the baby's were baby's. We felt extremely uncomfortable and discriminated by this man that I just asked for the check and left without even getting thru half of our food. This is such a Disappointment because they are suppose to be a family restaurant which I would assume is okay with children at their establishment but I guess not. There should be a sign at the door that says NO CHILDREN ALLOWED specially the ones that make any sort of noise. Management I expect a response from you! This is not okay!

    Photos
    Pink room in the back
    Pink room in the back
    Lunas Bar and Grill
    Cocktails menu as of Jan. 2023

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    Cocktails menu as of Jan. 2023
    Chanos Drive In

    Chanos Drive In

    3.9
    (344 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Since moving to El Monte I often go through San Gabriel I kept seeing CHANO's . I googled to see…read morereviews. Today I actually passed in a rare morning so there's so many things to choose from. Being of Mexican descent I couldn't decide so I settled for breakfast burrito no meat which was substituted with potatoes. And when he mentioned cafe de la olla I thought yes with milk. Took me back to New Mexico as a child. when we were on vacation having caficito, brewed with cinnamon stick. Burrito was even better with red salsa. I'll go back for lunch or dinner

    Chano's Drive-In is a well-known spot in San Gabriel, offering homemade tortillas and various…read moreOaxacan specialties. Some of their most popular dishes include Asada Burritos, Super Fries, and Tlayudas. I recently attended an event at my son's school where Chanos was a vendor. It was my first time seeing them there, and I was glad to see them, as they've replaced other vendors in the past. I had already eaten, but who can resist a burrito?! My son was getting hungry, so I ordered an Asada Burrito for us to share. It was pretty good; the tortilla was excellent. I wasn't a fan of their rice and beans, but the asada was not bad. They had a few salsas to try. They used those tiny salsa containers, which everyone knows. Restaurants use them to prevent over-indulgence, but it takes a while to get enough salsa because they're so small. I understand it's a cost-saving measure. They were also serving Churros ($3), and I got two. They were okay, a bit doughy in the middle, making me think they were undercooked. The guys working the booth were super friendly and attentive. I appreciate them! Realistically, the burrito was a 3/5, but with the good service and their community support, I'm rounding it up to a 4. Until next time, Chanos! Gracias!

    Photos
    Outdoor sitting
    Outdoor sitting
    Beef Hard Taco combo
    Beef Hard Taco combo
    Two Churros

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    Two Churros

    Macho Cafe - mexican - Updated June 2026

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