Miguel R.

In order to honor Cinco De Mayo, with festivities that were okay for me, I went to Mandala Cantina for Latino beats and Loteria--- otherwise known as Mexican Bingo, which kind of takes the red, white and green flavor of the game. But quick understanding the term suffices. As I entered Mandala Cantina, I knew that I had stepped inside a vibe of Latin frenzy and buck--- it was replete with a sophisticated backyard boggie energy. Or in other words, the carne asada barbecue had adopted an elegant, glamorous and modern Talum motif that hit with bright mellow lights, beige beauty all around and a good time fueled by tequila shots and cocktails. I was sat at the bar, but I was warned that my sit would be bellow the regular bar line. So I sat alone, and I could look up at everyone else sat from by de-elevated sit. I was ok, I had arrived late, I was by myself with no reservation and on a whim, so I took my corner seat and did my best to forget that I sat below everyone's eye level. The party vibe was strong and palpable all across the bar. In fact, I have been to very few bars where the move was to sit, yet, the music and crowd almost demanded that we acted like we were on a club, but sitting down. More clearly, I wanted to move and dance but since there was no space, and we were playing Mexican bingo, we were implicitly required to sit and dance. For those who did not, the party still pulsed. There was this huge Cantaro (Mexican clay cup or vase) with six straws. So like a fishbowl drink that is commong in Tiki or Island theme bars, but in a large Mexican mug. This guy was moving it around while he was filmed in a way where he showed the drink for six like Mufasa showed Simba to the residents of Pride rock. So I am basically saying that all the people in the bar and crowd found a way to honor the old school hits of Reggaton and Banda that dominated the airwaves of the spot. I could not help but beat my head back and forth when Oye Mi Canto played and the lasers of the spot moved around wildly. In short, it was an experience that can be described as lit. The experience of game play was also electric. As soon as you entered, you were asked to pick a card from a large stack. You were also required to get some frijolitos-- small beans, that did not jump. I put all my beans into my card and removed them as my cards were called. I came close to winning, and maybe I did, but it was hard to focus amidst the noise and bop, so maybe I did win and did not register that one of my cards had been called so its frijolito remain on top of that square. Regardless, of the lack of victory I expeirenced I was still very happen I went here to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with appropriate festivities. After I soon sat, some tacos were placed in front of me. They were for my neigbor. I was honest and made them aware that they were not for me. After all a Mexico Hero-- Benito Juariez reminds us that respeto a lo ajeno es la paz. Or in other ways, respecting what is not yours equals peace.

Christina M.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. I'm honestly disappointed with how disorganized Mandala was during the Mexico game on July 5, 2026. I've tried multiple times to call and speak to a manager about what happened, but after receiving no response, here I am leaving a Yelp review. This wasn't my first time at Mandala, but it will very likely be my last. I made my reservation the same day Mexico won and reservations opened. I reserved a table for 8 people at 3:45 PM, which was the maximum party size available. I arrived around my reservation time, definitely before 4:00 PM, and security directed me to wait in the line designated for guests with reservations. By around 4:30 PM, the reservation line had barely moved, yet I watched other people walk up, give their names, and be let inside. At the same time, I could clearly see two reserved tables for eight sitting completely empty.I finally asked one of the waitresses, "I reserved for 8 people, and I see those two tables are empty. May I ask what the hold up is?" She asked for my name, looked up my reservation, confirmed it was there, and then told me, "It was canceled." I asked, "What was the reason? I've been here." She replied, "You never checked in before 4:00 PM." Which in fact I did, and security even confirmed that I had arrived before 4:00 PM. Despite that, no one was willing to honor my reservation. At that point I told her, "Only three people from my party of eight are here. Can we just get a table for the three of us?" She spoke with another waitress, and they came back saying it would be standing room only. I asked, "Why?" Again, they referred me back to my supposedly canceled reservation. By now I was beyond frustrated. While they spent another five minutes trying to "figure something out," I continued watching people walk up, give their names, and immediately be seated. Meanwhile, the two reserved tables for eight were still sitting empty. Then I was told, "The best we can do is standing room at the bar, or you can stand anywhere in the restaurant with one of the cocktail tables, but there's a $100 minimum per person." That requirement was never advertised or mentioned when I made my reservation. I reminded her, "This isn't my first time here." She simply replied, "Or you can stand at the bar. No minimum." At that point, it was so close to game time that I just wanted to get inside. We were never greeted--menus were simply placed in front of us. And throughout all of this, those two reserved tables for eight remained empty. The biggest lie I heard all afternoon was, "We're at capacity." I must have heard that at least 10 times. If Mandala was truly at capacity, how were people continuously walking in without reservations and being seated? Why were guests with confirmed reservations turned away while empty reserved tables sat untouched? Thankfully, the game was delayed until 6:00 PM, which gave us enough time to leave and take our business elsewhere. This was poor planning, poor communication, misleading reservation practices, and some of the worst customer service I've experienced. I wasted my time, my gas, and what should have been an exciting afternoon watching the Mexico game with family and friends. I expected much better from a place I'd enjoyed before. Instead, I left feeling ignored, frustrated, and completely disappointed. I rest my case.

Christine V.

Brunch, but make it a full-blown R&B sing-along! We came to the Sunday R&B brunch at Mandala Cantina to celebrate a friend's birthday after seeing a few posts on IG and I'm so glad we decided to check it out. The vibe is the perfect mix of day club energy and brunch. Fun, lively, and just the right amount of hype for a Sunday afternoon. I haven't stepped foot in a club in ages, but this felt like the grown-up version of that energy and it made the whole experience even more fun. Service was fantastic from the start. Our server was incredibly sweet and set us up with the perfect table outside where we could catch both the indoor and the outdoor brunch crowd. Prime people-watching and great energy all around. Now for the food. We ordered the Mandala Wood Brunch Platter to share along with two bowls of the pozole. The platter is a great option for the table, but the pozole absolutely stole the show--perfectly cooked, rich, and packed with flavor. I also asked for both their spicy salsa and green salsa and we happily devoured both. We also went with the mimosa package which came with pineapple, lychee, and guava juices. Such a fun twist on the typical brunch lineup and honestly so delicious. Between the music, the great service, and the lively atmosphere, this is easily one of the most fun brunch experiences I've had in a long time. Safe to say this is officially going into our Sunday brunch rotation!

Donisha B.

So I wanted something that was a good experience for my little sister who just turned 21. The experience was bitter sweet to for us. So the Sunday we went was an r&b brunch. Are table to eat was incredibly small; no where to really put my handbag, the concept of a brunch the day club is really cool, but you have to pay a pretty steep price for it. I think it's a cool experience for a celebration but not just a random day. The food & drinks were expensive but good $14 dollars for 2 tacos is kind of wild. A bottle of champagne and 3 mini fruit purées was about 50 dollars which I think was probably to best deal out of it all. The vibes is kind of cool but it felt money grabbish. Like when you go somewhere and that take a small initiative and then charge you like triple. But with summer coming up I would kind of like to come back with all my girlfriends and experience the day club.

Iiahnna M.

The food was even better than I expected, and the drinks were absolutely delicious! Our server, Mauricio, was incredibly kind, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of throughout our visit. The ambiance, especially with the music, created the perfect vibe for our girly pop brunch. The only small suggestion I have would be to upgrade the seating. The metal chairs weren't the most comfortable, and they felt a bit slippery, which made it hard to fully relax while enjoying our meal. Other than that, everything was wonderful. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun brunch spot, and I can't wait to come back!

Jessie A.

Came here for Loteria night. It's a cool concept and the ambiance was different and amazing. Staff were friendly and on top of things. The down side, it was insanely loud in there. I came to play Loteria, chat with my friend, have some drinks and have fun but i was literally screaming every word to her. If i was dancing the volume would have made sense but i wasn't. Also food was subpar. We got guacamole with steak and at first glance i thought my friend ordered chicharron. It was so dry and crunchy like it had been in an air fryer to long. all that i could deal with if i could have heard my friend. If not for the volume of the music i would have come back.

Good food and drinks ‼‼‼‼ Recommend coming to this spot for brunch. I love the people and food.

Crystal D.

This was my first time here and I actually came for Lotería Night which was a lot of fun. Mandala is not a very large restaurant but it's open and clean and has a fun vibe to it. Most of the tables are high tops with hard stools (not comfy) but there are some lower tables. They seem to only be occupied by parties over 4 people. If you have back issues or anything that would be impacted by a small hard stools, request a table. The service was friendly and we had no trouble getting anyone's attention despite how busy it was. My party ordered their special guacamole with ribeye chicharrón which was really good. The chicharrón was crispy and charred and the guacamole was super creamy. The chips it came with were crunchy and thick which I like. We also had the Al pastor tacos which were pretty good. I appreciate that it wasn't greasy and that the salsa had a nice kick. Lastly we ordered the corn (I forgot what it was called). For me it was okay but I also don't eat a lot of corn in general. However my friend really liked it. The highlight was the Black Paloma. It was so sexy and delicious. I did also enjoy the Japanese old fashioned. (Photos are awful because it was dark - sorry!) There is street parking and a structure nearby.

Genie L.

Cute location, fun atmosphere, beautiful decor, friendly staff, good food and drinks! We came on a Sunday brunch and it was a vibe. Live DJ playing 90s R&B jams, which is always a good time. It's very busy so make sure you have a reservation. Do note that it's a 2-hour max, so make sure your party is all present prior to being seated. Denise provided great service and was super friendly. The drinks are excellent. Loved the jamaica margarita and passion fruit spritz. Shout out to Denise for offering to go lighter on the sweetness of the drinks. Guacamole with chicharones and tortilla chips were my fave. The empanada is delicious as well. Carne asada steak was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The rice was good and the beans were creamy. For dessert, we got the tiramisu which was good and the flan which was creamy and not eggy, which I prefer. I'm a fan of Mandala and will definitely be coming back.

Trini M.

Husband and I stopped by yesterday night, kind of early-ish. We started here but went to scope it out from the outside first, then to every spot in the surrounding area. We just wanted to sit at the bar, have a few drinks and maybe an appetizer. Everything was full everywhere else, so we mosied over to this first spot again being the only place to have available bar setting. The interior was very nice. We were immediately helped by the bartender. Unfortunately I didn't catch his name. He had wavy hair, shaved sides, and glasses. He was phenomenal! The drinks he prepped for us were SO good. We hung out there for a while and enjoyed the ambience and music.

Alishia L.

The food and service was amazing. But the only down fall is if you reserve a table for 2 it's small. Barley enough room for your drinks. If you order food and drink it's very crowded. But other then that Sunday brunch is a total vibe for 40+. Staff needs to smile more. Ashley was amazing. She's smiles and has a positive attitude and glowing aura. If you decide to go to club Beos make sure you have reservations there as well. Because the security will kick you out of a seat event if no one is there. I want told you could stand and hold your stuff. They are not even nice about it. Not very happy. . Mr. Martinez is rude af. He said I don't need your money. Very rude to LGBT . We would of moved when the people who reserved the table would of come. But they got to be rude about moving This is a disgrace towards LGBTQ people who are paying for drinks. Never again. Rather pay little more and go to long Beach.

Lucho V.

Came in this past weekend and the place was lively. Great music and positive vibes. We didn't eat but we did enjoy mimosas and margaritas. Perfectly balanced margaritas made with high quality tequila. So worth it. Super friendly and attentive staff. We were surprised the manager Mauricio recognized us from our prior visit. We felt special and appreciated. My wife and I really enjoyed our experience. Can't wait to come back.