The food is delicious and the staff make you feel very comfortable like you are at your madres house he he. I always wanted to try branzino and they had it on the menu so I ordered it. It was such a generous piece, actually a whole fish! The seasoning was perfect and even though I typically don't like spicy, the kick it had was just enough to set it off. The waitress even told us if we weren't satisfied to let her know and she would remake anything for us, which she did remake one item! The ambience was this beautiful peaceful escape into Mexican culture and true cuisine. The interior of this restaurant is beautiful! read more

Date night! Yall tried Oaxacan food? We decided to check out Madre in old town Torrance, and instantly the ambiance was welcoming with the mood lighting, candles and the live band playing. They had some good options to choose from so we tried what they are known for, their mole; the verde had a subtle flavor paired with the branzino, it was mediocre, and the negro had a very strong flavor, definitely an acquired taste. What we really enjoyed were the beef flautas, carne asada and the churros! Overall, the place is nice, some good food options and the service seemed a bit disorganized but friendly nonetheless. It's a 3/5 for me Tip: parking garage underground read more

Honestly, this is a great place for drinks with friends.. not to eat. Every time I've ordered from here the food has always been bland with watery salsa. We were told the wait list is 30min.. however it ended up being 15min. Seated at a dirty table where green salsa ended up all over my wrist and the menu. Stars are for the waitress as she was professional. The amount of time we spent in there we saw the waitress 3x and we could not find her to request the check. Tables around us were asked for refills etc we were not and therefore we did not ask. Again, it's a good time to be with friends, listen to music and live band and laugh. I just like the environment but will not order food in the future. read more

Madre - Nasty Chicken Tacos & watery salsa. Requested no onions and they arrived in abundance. - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

If you are a tequila lover, this is your place to we've come here four times in the past 3 weeks. I'm not a tequila drinker but I love their squash blossoms. I will come back on the account of their squash blossoms. I feel that these are the best on the menu. I've tried their enchiladas, their taste of Oaxaca, their guacamole that is so very tasty, the hubby had their aguachiles Rojo (he said they were okay), and I always drink their El Chapo y Kate (vodka; I'm a vodka drinker). I tried their Bloody Mary (it's Michelada mix) not too great. Service is great even when they are packed. The place is so pretty. You're lucky if you get to hear the mariachi. Price is reasonable. This is more for drinks and pics unless you love Mole and tequila. Chicken chile rellenos were so NOT me! But you may like them. The food was great but a lot of it just wasn't for me. The pina coladas had a funky taste. I'll definitely come back for the squash blossoms, Guacamole and El Chapo y Kate but that's about it. read more

I really wanted to like this place but I was dissapointed SEVERAL TIMES. I ordered delivery a few times and the either the meat was burnt or non existent.. uploading pictures and you be the judge- $7 tacos by the way!!!! read more

Madre - Tripa Taco - where's the meat?... $7, this is a joke. - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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The Good: The food overall was very good. My carne asada tacos were very tasty and had a slight kick which was nice. The Por Favor draft beer was also very good. Furthermore, the service was pretty good as well. The Not So Good: Automatic 20% gratuity sneakily added onto bill, where there was another open tip line to tip on top of the already generated tip. My problem with this is twofold - 1. Not sure why we were auto charged 20% gratuity when there was 4 of us + 2 kids. That is not a large group of people. 2. Trying to get unsuspecting victims to tip on top of another tip is so tacky. Also, just a heads up for parents - they only have one booster seat in the entire restaurant so keep that in mind and prep accordingly. They have more high chairs, however. Overall, I'd be down to go back because, once again, the food and overall experience was pleasant. That said, the bill rubbed me the wrong way. This is coming from someone who does typically tip min 20% regardless. read more

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I went here for the first time with my mom, wife, kids, and grandson. The place is nice, the food was decent. Not what you get in your average Mexican type restaurant. My problem was that when I got my bill, unbeknownst to me they had already included a 20% tip to the bill. So after paying my bill I tipped the waitress another 20%. So I need up tipping $100 on a $263 bill. I've never been a fan of automatically including a tip to the bill. I'm even less of a fan of this practice now. From now on I will no longer go to any place that does this. I learned a very valuable lesson, ALWAYS go through every item on your bill to make sure this doesn't happen to you. I'd of given them a 4 star rating but gave them 2 stars because of this tipping issue that cost me $50 extra. read more

Madre - They automatically included a 20% tip to the bill without telling me. So they were tipped twice. Not cool! - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Excellent service & great food. I've been to Madre a few times & although every server has been good, our server Erick was great. He was so kind and on point. Very patient with my family's complicated orders too lol. Can't wait to be back. read more

Madre's has a great weekend and happy hour vibe. It has a nice patio area and is very open. I wish it hadn't been so open at lunch when I went there because it was really cold. I eventually got over it when my drink arrived. I ordered the Cadillac Margarita with a sugar rim, and it was delish. It definitely had an unexpected kick to it with a little spice. When I looked at the menu at first I was a little overwhelmed because the names are in Spanish and I didn't know what the items were. The ingredients were listed in English, but that still didn't tell me what it was. I ended up asking my very nice waitress if they had what I wanted. They allowed me to get my enchiladas prepared like I wanted. My only complaint was the squash. I quickly looked at the menu when she showed me where the item was that I wanted, and I passed over the squash. I like squash but not in my enchiladas. They didn't have any flavor so it didn't add anything to the enchilada for me. I definitely could have done without them. I unfortunately can't have guacamole or cilantro, and the chiles were far and in between in my enchiladas. I think they would have been superb if you can have all those ingredients. I did enjoy them though. The verde sauce, cheese, and crema was a nice addition, and the chicken was melt in my mouth tender and moist. Not dry at all. I would definitely recommend Madre. It's very accommodating for large parties as well. It's the perfect place to meet after work for happy hour. They also have a nice lunch menu with great prices. read more

Madre - Verde Chicken Enchiladas and a Cadillac Margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Last minute brunch scheduled for a group of 7 at this Oaxacan restaurant. Free parking beneath the building. (There is construction in the garage stairwells, but there's an elevator.) Although I arrived before the rest of the group, I was seated quickly. Staff was very friendly and accommodating when 3 members of our group were tardy as we snacked on salsa and guacamole. I was tempted to get a cocktail, but it was NYE and I was saving up for the evening's festivities. I opted for the Cafe de Olla. Delish. Inspired the group to try and everyone ordered one and enjoyed. Huevos Divorciados-two over medium eggs, chorizo, salsa madre, salsa verde, avocado, queso fresco, black bean paste. Hearty breakfast. Tres Leches Cake-chantily cream, lemon zest, strawberries, soaked in rum. I've had better in LA. It was a great spot for our group to gather and our brunch lasted much longer than we expected because of the atmosphere. Staff kept the food and drinks coming. read more

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Parking is difficult, parked across the street and walked a little ways over. Just came for drinks and dessert, was much louder than what I envisioned and sitting at the higher chairs near the bar didn't quite feel as comfortable. Servers were very friendly, a little busy, but that was great. Unfortunately, it being noisy and not great for conversation. Churros were quite good! Had an interesting novel sauce. Would prioritize seating, it was quite busy, believe it was a Friday night at like 830 or 9pm read more

Ive been here twice: Once for happy hour and the other for brunch. For Happy Hour tried the barbacoa taco, Gorditas, Fish Taco and Sangria. The barbacoa taco was delicious and so was the green sauce that came with it. The Fish taco was also tasty and crispy. The Gorditas were pretty good but ridiculously small. They are literally bite size and not much filling. For 8 dollars its definitely over priced. The Sangria was a bit too sweet for my taste but the flavor was spot on. I suggest you order from the regular menu instead as you end up paying the same price since the happy hour menu items are so small. The Service was better the first time versus the second time. The food was not brought out at the same time and wrong items were brought to our table. We got to see each other eat since we agreed eating cold food was not pleasant. The outdoor seating needs to be cleaned there was dried food on our table when we were sat. Id give this place another shot because of the convenient location and free parking. So of the food items were tasty but the portions are small. read more

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Celebrated my friend's birthday, the ambiance was nice, the service was average, the food was good but to my opinion a bit pricey. Overall we had a good time celebrating our friend. We received the bill and noticed that the tax charges didn't add up, as far as we know Torrance charges 10.25% tax on food. I called the restaurant to ask what tax percentage they charge and the manager was not able to tell me, she mention that they maybe charging taxes on the tip amount, but that didn't make sense either. I'm attaching the bill maybe someone can figure it out. I don't care to pay a few more dollars but I'm curious to know what the extra charge is for. read more

Madre - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Here again enjoying the band on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth's Service is excellent. Food was great as always. read more

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This is the prettiest dining experience in Old Torrance. The dining room is elegant and upscale, like something you'd find in West Hollywood or LA proper. The patio is also gorgeous. This Madre location is definitely a great place to take guests and seems less crammed than the LA Palms location. They have a lot of Oaxacan dishes, many dishes and with ingredients I hadn't heard of and looked up on my phone while I was dining, as I am not familiar with Oaxacan food other than some basic dishes. We ordered a tlayuda and the mole combination. I definitely recommend the mole as it comes with three kinds of mole on one plate and they were all delicious! The menu has the most extensive Mezcal selection and if that's not enough for you the bottom of the Mezcal menu says to 'ask for even more selections'! Parking is easy as it's in the underground parking garage. read more

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Great happy hour spot!! Came with a couple of coworkers after work and wasn't very busy around 430 on a Tuesday. We only ordered from their happy hour menu, we shared the chips with salsa and guacamole, elote, mole enchilada, and 3 tacos. Their salsas are spicy but I love the variety. Everything was good! The carne asada and barbacoa tacos had a good kick to them. Everything paired well with a nice cold Pacifico. I would come back again when in the area! Our server was also very nice and attentive as well. We enjoyed our time in one their outdoor patio areas, but there is also indoor seating. read more

This morning, my husband wanted to take me here to have brunch. Parking was not the best due to an antique event in the area however as we arrived a seating host who was very polite, immediately came to greet us and take us to a table with menus in hand. A female employee who was at the front turned away from us while she was on a computer of some sort, raised her voice at the host and said "20 minute wait!" We were not even 5 feet from her and he looked embarrassed and apologized and began to say it was going to be a 20 minute wait and she raised her voice again saying "20 minute wait!" My husband responded calmly, "yes we heard you." And she turned around and smiled, with a nervous laugh and said thanks. I was already uncomfortable and was gonna leave after that but decided to wait. During the ten minutes we waited, they welcomed another group and a couple in. They never came to check for us or even ask us for a name or number. We left and decided to eat at the Red Car. I will never attempt to eat here ever again. I would recommend treating your customers with respect and kindness. Super disappointed to be treated this way. read more

The only thing that I didn't like was our lady server. She was more like a screamer and it was very harsh. She has a very irritating and unmodulated voice. Considering thee crowd and noise,I don't think raising voice to a higher note is necessary. I have also noticed that the staff aren't happy. I didn't get the vibe of friendliness and sincerity. Ok. That's the negative side. The good part is the food. We came here in a big group and it was also a Friday night,good thing,we made a reservation. Ambience is good but the drinks are mediocre. We also tried their bar. Again,they're not friendly. Going back!? Perhaps and hoping to get a better service overall. read more

Food is delicious, big portions, we also loved the salsas and chips . Margaritas are creative and good Dog friendly was a plus for our party read more

First time here and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Lots of options, I went with the chicken fajitas and a pineapple marg....on the rocks suggested by my waitress. The customer service was great, the food came out sizzling and they give you quite a bit! The margarita was also delicious and I ended up with a LOT of food left over. Enough for two meals. I will definitely be back and would highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

Tasty oxacan food, excellent service! This place was happening, and they were still able to seat us right away. They had live music at the time, and the singer was incredible. We ordered the carne asada plate. All the food was excellent. The steak had great flavor. The beans were yummy. This was my first time trying nopales, or cactus, and it was surprisingly good. The corn tortillas were hand made and taste oh so good. The cocktails were too sweet. The chicharrones were way too hard. I could not even bite them, and I like crispy. The tres leches cake was bomb! It was so tasty! It was not too sweet. It was just right. I docked a star for the overly sweet drinks and the too hard chicharrones. I would definitely return to try more oxacan food, and I would give their cocktails another try. read more

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If the carnitas taco from the madre on national in palms was the best carnitas taco I ever had the carnitas taco I had at the madre in Torrance was the second best carnitas taco I ever had . The flavor was identical as the one I had from the location in palms however it was not served at the same temperature nor was it as juicy . Still an amazing taco . Just explaining why specifically the national location's taco gets the number one spot . I also ordered the chapo y kate cocktail which is basically a cucumber maragirita ($15) . Super refreshing and tasty . I also loved the presentation . Cassie my server was super friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant offerings . The host who was working today was also lovely . This location although may not 100 percent match the quality factor by only again a slight amount ( if I give the location on national 100 / 100 I would give this place a 94 /100) ... this location is hands down the better location in terms of ambience . This place of huge and the courtyard and outdoor seating is very cute . Apparently there is also live music on the weekends including a mariachi band on Sunday during brunch if that's your thing . Oh and there's free convenient parking underneath the commercial complex that this restaurant is located . Highly recommend. read more

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Very nice night last Friday. Food was delicious. I had costillias in salsa roja. I was there with the family. The service was great, always ready for us. The night was even better with the presence of Mariachi. Madre seems a perfect place for a date or family time. Oh... the cocktail was the cherry on the cake! read more

Madre is a flawless five‑star album--expertly produced, beautifully performed, and endlessly replayable. A true legend in the steakhouse genre. read more

The barbacoa plate was huge!!!! Tons and tons of meat and very well worth it. Had a great flavor and was very tender. read more

Madre - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

My family took me out to eat for my birthday, and the menu featured a dish called "La Canasta," which is listed as being suitable for two or three people. We have previously visited other restaurants that offer a "molcajete"--a dish known for coming with a generous amount of food--but here at Madres, the "La Canasta" platter left a lot to be desired. Aside from being expensive, it contained only a tiny piece of *tasajo* and a tiny piece of *cecina*--very little food in general. There wasn't even a steak included. Furthermore, they brought everything out at different times--for instance, the food arrived first, followed by the tortillas 10 minutes later. By that time, the food was already cold. The service was very poor, and it was very expensive! The Mexican restaurant right next door is much better! read more

Food was AMAZING! service was so fast , so kind, and very attentive. we had appetizers within 5-7 minutes of ordering them, and our entrees within 10! will definitely be back. very beautiful restaurant as well. read more

Madre - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

This is a pretty good "fancy" Mexican place. A lot of large groups. Reservations are definitely recommended. I've tried a number of things here. The guacamole is a must get. Mole here is pretty good. I ordered the Taste of Oaxaca and it was pretty good, though could have probably fed 4-5 people easily. read more

Came here for drinks with a group of 5 to celebrate a birthday. We sat in the bar section and Sam served us. He took the time to answer any questions we had about the menu and also went above and beyond in explaining the different mezcals. Felt truly taken care of and also learned so much! The plus were the cocktails, which were so balanced and delicious. Highly recommend visiting and maybe you'll get lucky to have Sam as your server. read more

I ordered steak taco and tortilla soup with their nachos witch comes with different dipping sauce overall experience was good and food taste decent and delicious read more

Honestly the food and drinks were amazing! The service however near the end left much to desire. When we arrived the host greeted us and asked if we wanted to eat inside or outside. We asked for the inside. We were handed menus and the waiter arrived shortly. We saw that they had happy hour from 3-6 pm. And the items were the same on the menu. When it came time to pay we were charged the regular price and the only thing the server said was that it was only honored at the bar and patio for cinco de mayo. I kindly asked to speak to the manager and he did come out shortly. He told us that because of the holiday they were not honoring the happy hour, only at the bar, which would be okay had someone told us. He actually was the one who seated us and I explained that he did not tell us this rule when we came in, the waiter did not tell us this rule while we were looking at the menus, and no where on the menus did it specify that the happy hour had exceptions on certain days. The manager while apologetic did not offer any solution which was incredibly disappointing. The price was not the issue it's the principle that no one told us about this exception to happy hour. Would love to come again, but will definitely be specifying where I want to be seated as they make no exceptions... read more

Madre - Happy hour on menu - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

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We were there for Día De Las Madres. Nice crowd that day. Food was outstanding as were the drinks. Service was excellent read more

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Short version: ambience is nice, food is good, mezcal selection is extensive This is one of those restaurants that I've been to a lot but have never gotten around to reviewing them. Years ago the food was super inventive and the mezcal list the biggest anywhere outside Mexico. After having dinner there last night. I have to ask what's going on? They had live music so that was nice, just super loud. The food was so so, very salty and one person in our group the food was partially cold, like it had been sitting there. They also didn't serve all the food at the same time. I get it, they were busy and we had 4 people. It takes the food runner 2 trips to take it all out, but why did the last person have to wait almost 10 minutes longer? Poor overall from the kitchen. I had to track the server down since we were missing 2 sets of utensils. He didn't even check before our food arrived. The server also insisted there wasn't another more extensive mezcal list, even though I know there is because 1. The regular mezcal list says there is 2. I've seen that list before. If you go see the bar you know there is a lot of mezcal on their bigger list. Maybe he couldn't hear me? The music is loud, if that bothers you might want to sit outside or in the bar area. In closing what happened? The food could have been so much better. The service could have been better. This restaurant used to be one of my favorites because their cooking was so unique. The bar is still nice it seems like. They have 4 restaurants now, maybe they are stretched too thin? Anyways, they need to work on a lot of areas. read more

Madre - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

Delicious Oaxaca Cuisine! Our favorite dish was the Taste of Oaxaca plate...absolutely delicious mixture of bold, flavorful authentic favorites. We had the elote as an appetizer which was a perfect start to our dinner. Their happy hour menu has a great selection of cocktails, tacos, and nibbles! The interior ambiance is vibrant with a laid back vibe. Massive bar and outdoor patio to enjoy when the weather's nice. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. There is a parking garage located nearby, and plenty of metered street parking. read more

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The food was so delicious. Writing about the food I had at Madre is making me think about planning a visit to madre soon. The Service was excellent they were attentive and helpful. The ambiance was great I mean they had a Mariachi playing ! We will be making a trip to Madre soon. read more

Madre - Mother's Day Extravaganza! - Mexican Near Me - Torrance, California

I came here with a few friends and we really didn't have the best experience. We came here on a night they were playing live music and we were seated a bit too close to the stage -- it was SO LOUD we could not even have a conversation. At first I thought they would bring chips and salsa but it wasn't free, which is honestly kind of cheap. The server made a snide comment about how we can't expect things for free, which was rude. I wasn't expecting anything for free, but most Mexican restaurants give you free chips. We waited for like half an hour before we got our food. I ordered the tlayuda and it was literally moldy in a few spots. My friends got the taste of oaxaca, which was overall good, but we noticed some of the meat was really undercooked. The drinks were good and the alcohol was probably the only thing that made this experience bearable. We wanted dessert but they were out of the only ones we wanted. Then the manager came over and told us there was a 90 minute timeline for our table and we couldn't hang out there anymore. There were literally empty tables in other parts of the restaurant. Also, the table next to us was a big group who had been there since before we sat down, and they were extremely drunk, loud, and rowdy! It really felt like they just didn't like us and want us there. After everything we went through, the worst part was when I got home I had the most explosive, nuclear diarrhea. Definitely something bad in that food. Will not return!!!!!! read more

A hollow imitation of Mexican cuisine, wrapped in the arrogance and price tag of a Michelin-star establishment. Despite the restaurant's nearly vacant state upon our arrival, service was sluggish and inattentive. When the food finally reached our table, the portions were meager, poorly executed, and devoid of quality. Seeking to address these glaring issues, we requested to speak with the manager--an unfortunate misstep. Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, he swiftly launched into a self-righteous tirade, dismissing our concerns outright. Unmoved by his defensive justifications, I asked for the check, eager to end the ordeal. His response? Seething indignation as I sent him back to whatever corner he emerged from. While waiting at the entrance for my wife, who had taken our child to the restroom, she--having worked in the service industry--offered him a few parting suggestions. His fragile ego, unable to withstand even the slightest critique, propelled him to his feet, fury etched in every movement as he marched toward her. It was at that moment that I had to intervene, ensuring his unchecked rage did not escalate further. Only after his own staff intervened to subdue him were we finally free to leave. By his demeanor, I strongly suspect he was the restaurant's owner--a man entirely devoid of respect for his employees, his establishment, and his own responsibilities. Lesson learned: I should have stayed in Orange County. P.S. Mind your step. The restaurant parking lot is littered with dead rats. read more

Food was clean and good Service was fair but could be better Ambiance is the best thing they have with the live music. Overall 4 stars! My table of 10 all got different plates of food! All our food was good. No complaints on this food here, however the server couldn't hear me while ordering and they are a little short staffed. That's all. But overall good place for after my nephews graduation. read more

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Honestly the food was mediocre. Not the authentic Mexican food I was looking for but again I knew it was going to be more white Mexican food so I don't know why I came here for lunch. All the meat were very dry and chewy... They only had 1 server for the whole restaurant during Friday lunch hour, and we were waiting outside to be seated for a bit. Then once we sat down, took forever to get our orders in. Ambiance is pretty, above average dining atmosphere. Good for dates, but I wouldn't recommend here for food. read more

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A great spot for Oaxacan cuisine, my wife and I have been by a couple times now for brunch and dinner. While we haven't delved through too much of the menu just yet, we can certainly vouch for the fresh & balanced ceviche de pescado, Madre's enchiladas, barbacoa de borrego, and brightly flavorful enchiladas oaxaquenas de camaron. Drinks have been consistently well-executed with favorites including an excellent Cadillac margarita, Al Chile!, La Mil Amores, and Chido Wey! Seating is plentiful both indoors and outdoors and service is overall decent with room for improvement. read more