My friend and I felt like being extreme tourists last week in Santa Monica. We headed to the pier, walked around and went for a spin on the Ferris wheel. We got pretty hungry so we decided to eat at MariaSol because duh. Mexican food is everything. So we were asked whether we wanted beach or ocean view seating and also whether we preferred indoor or outdoor seating. We opted for ocean view because we're deep intellects who prefer staring off into miles and miles of blue ocean waves. Also, It was a nice day out, so we also chose to sit outside on the back patio. There was live music on the pier which made the experience much more enjoyable. The menu had a good variety of items and if you stuck to the basics, it was reasonably priced. I got the carnitas plate which was about $12. My friend got the shrimp enchiladas and I believe it was around the same price. The chips are salsa was good but nothing to write home about. It was a thin liquidy salsa and I was craving something chunky so I asked for pico instead. Additional charge! Around $2.00... The food arrived shortly after. The carnitas was very tender and tasted great as did the rice and beans. There was a cup of some sauce on the side that tasted how I imagine diesel would taste. Yuck. Also, the plate came with pico de gallo. Wish our waiter would have told me because I could have avoided ordering the nearly $2 side of it! The meal ended with complimentary Mexican wedding cookies. They were warm, soft and crumbly. The best Mexican wedding cookies we've ever had. We were tempted to buy some but they were a little pricey. We ended up making our own later that night and decided ours were crap. Side note: pigeons on the back patio. I was not about that pigeon life at all. My friend found it entertaining but I didn't. They would just land right on your table! A few times I saw a waiter come out with a spray bottle to drive them away, but that never stopped them. I would definitely refrain from outdoor seating if you don't want pigeons near you or your food. 3 stars: for the view, the tasty carnitas, the speedy service, friendly staff and those TO DIE FOR cookies. I would come back just for those but nothing else. read more

Maria Sol - MariaSol is located at the end of the pier. It's the larger building on the right. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This place is terrible. I should have hastened the reviews but luckily the ocean almost made up for the terrible food (it was cold) and lacked flavor. I got the Baja Tacos and they had one small piece each with a huge pile of cabbage on them. My friend got the chicken fajitas and they also lacked what's that called? FLAVOR. Now, let's talk service. Took quite awhile for the server to come to our table and although he was pleasant, the first rule is get drinks on the table ASAP. Ad I was writing this review, the manager stopped by the table I explained to her that I was disappointed with our experience. I shared it with her because from a prime real estate location she should know the service was terrible and my food was cold. She was very surprised to hear that and was very friendly. She comped my meal which is not what I had wanted but I am thrilled that I ahead at least had the opportunity to share my distaste with the overall experience. This place could be great but the food lacked flavor. They need a new cook. read more

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Had appetizers and drinks! Great staff, fun atmosphere and good food! Guacamole was made right in front of us! Had s very pleasant lady take a complimentary photo of us! Moises was the best waiter ever! We've had. 4 trips to Santa Monica in the past year and it's a must to come me here! read more

I didn't like the food at all. The location is great, nice view to the ocean but unfortunately their food is nasty. I ordered shrimp in tomato sauce, it looked like soup and waitress suggest me to add ketchup in there? Well we all have different food preferences but that's was kind of accurate. My husband ordered tacos which literally looked like a wet cat food ( I don't have pictures unfortunately ). The drinks were good. I got some strawberry cocktail with tequila and he got beer. But other then that and the view.. Throw $50 away. read more

This is the worst Mexican food I've ever had. The beans are from a can being Hispanic I can taste the difference from fresh beans and beans from a can. The chille relleno plate was horrible full of cheese so much cheese I could not eat it at all. It was the most disgusting plate of food I've ever had. The service was worst our server was horrible he had no manners and he got mad ever time we asked for something. I ordered a glass of the Cabernet and it had a taste I could not describe so bad. I got so sick I threw up. Being on the Santa Monica Pier this restaurant should be top of the line. read more

Maria Sol - The worst Mexican food I've ever ate! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Wonderful ambience and service! Medium margarita was so big and delicious! Mexican bowl was flavorful and more than enough. read more

Maria Sol - Kids loved it too! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Always happy when I can get a margarita bigger than my head and drink it on a dock overlooking the beach. Who can complain? Also awesome that they make their guacamole fresh at table-side if you order it. They will also customize it (ie. extra onions and tomatoes with jalapeño on the side). As a guac lover, this actually blew my mind. read more

Maria Sol - Mega macho margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We had Ignacio as our server and was absolutely wonderful. Very attentive and courteous. The food was alright, nothing spectacular. read more

As mediocre as it gets and not even a little better. Mediocre service with waiters who rush you, mediocre food that is mostly bland. They have a great location by the water so the view is their asset but not worth the return and I definitely will not visit again. I'd rather not have a view as I eat considering the thousands of choices in Mexican cuisine there are to choose from in the LA area. Overall: avoid. read more

Service is great! Food is great! Prices... Ehhhh, could be better, but I understand that its at the Santa Monica pier so it'll cost an arm and a leg to rent space there. The sangria comes in a ginormous glass! (See pic) took a pic with dad and they came around and gave us a free postcard sized photo and we bought two others (one for him to take home and the other for me) :) I liked it and will come back again. They have an outdoor patio and a bar. I'll see you there! :) read more

Maria Sol - White sangria. Delicious and comes with a view! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Excellent food in a festive location at the end of the Santa Monica Pier! This is a wonderful place for the sunset and festive get-togethers with friends and family, whether local or visiting. Our server, Trisha, was the heart of a crew that got our order to us in good time, refilled sodas, put up and took down sun umbrellas, lit heat lamps as it got chilly, shooed errant pigeons away...we had a grand time. The only caveat was the beverage pricing -- asking for jalapeño-infused spirits to be added to your Mega Margarita practically doubles the price. It would have helped our decisionmaking to know that. read more

Maria Sol - Beware the alcohol pricing. All we did was ask for the jalapeño-infused spirits as a flavoring. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food was decent. The menu had a bunch of options so it was kind of a bummer. Next time I would just go in for drinks and an appetizer. The front patio is amazing with beautiful views. The back.... not so much. I wish we would have went some where else but oh well. read more

Typical Mexican food, wasn't amazed by it. Atmosphere was the biggest factor for our staying. Had Sangria and frozen drinks. Well made and good deal. Server was efficient and courteous but not overly friendly. read more

Maria Sol - Mariasol at the end of the pier - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Had lunch here on Saturday with the family. Even though we came at 1:30pm there was still a 30 minute wait. They seated us within the quoted wait though and as far as scenery while you wait you can't beat this place! The interior of the restaurant is decorated with different decorative fish. There are tv's scattered around the place to keep up with the games. We ordered the table side guacamole and nachos for appetizers. Both were good though the guac needed some extra salt. For entrees we had Carne Asada, Veggie Fajitas, and a Kids Meal. Everyone liked their food and we all left very full. Prices were a bit steep but considering your on the Pier you have to expect that. We'd definitely go back. read more

Maria Sol - Table side guac! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The selling point of Mariasol is the view of the Santa Monica Pier. That's about it. The largest margarita is $30. You can mix flavors. It's bigger than the size of my head, and I am told frequently I have a big head. Plenty of people were ordering that so I assume that is what they're known for The service was nice but terrifically slow. It took us nearly 30 minutes to get our chips and salsa. Even then, the chips were hard and stale. Getting refills and the salsa also took another 10 minutes. There's also a sweet old couple that goes around to tables and sing songs in Spanish to people. read more

Maria Sol - Chips and salsa holder - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food here was not great. It lacked flavor, and the chips were stale. It does have a great location and view, though. The steps behind the restaurant would be a great place to picnic. read more

Maria Sol - Chicken Enchi Ladas De Mole - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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It's at the end of the pier and we were seated at the patio facing the ocean in the afternoon. There's some artist singing indie pop at the pier. The whole ambiance was just great! I'd definitely come again later. We only ordered drink. My sis's watermelon margarita is fruity and refreshing, my jalapeno margarita is ok, not really spicy, but still good. They have free chips and home made salsa. As a salsa lover, theirs is ok, I'd like it to be a bit less watery but I guess it's fine. Saw lots of people ordering the avacado thing, like a salad, it looks good and they make it next to you, gonna try it next time when I'm there. read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

A beautiful view, wonderful compnay and our waiter Moises was amazing!!! A charming man who made our lunch enjoyable! Drinks were delicious and food was even better! read more

Maria Sol - Perfect way to start my spring break!!! Ask for Moises U. Best waiter and a charming personality! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came on a Friday with my girlfriend & this restaurant was so amazing ! We got a great view of the Santa Monica pier & the ocean from our table. We ordered ceviche and guacamole along with some great drinks ! Highly recommended if you are visiting the Pier . Ask for Ignacio he was awesome ! read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food is terrible and expensive. All you pay for is the view or being on the water. For so many Hispanics working here the is whitewashed!! read more

If I could rate this restaurant with 0 stars I would. The service was terrible; the food mediocre; after getting my order wrong. I do not recommend eating here... they need to put a better restaurant here. read more

Wonderful food, great atmosphere. Moises U. is a great waiter with a friendly and engaging personality. He is Really funny and made the best guacamole at our table! read more

Maria Sol - Fresh made Guacamole at your table!!!!!! So good - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I'm being generous with a 2 star review. The food was the same as any Mexican stand you try, the drinks were made poorly, and the lobster cost $200+ wow? Ummm No, There is not even a good view to be had here. You would think there should be something special at the end of Santa Monica pier. Don't be disappointed and stop here, instead have a look at the views and go somewhere else you can enjoy.. Sorry for the harsh review, but after the drinks I had was poorly made it just enhanced all the other issues that I saw there. You guys have on of the most amazing spots ever at that location. You should upgrade and make it a special high class place that no one will forget. Then sell the lobster for $300, I wouldn't mind paying because I would be there for the experience. (Just a thought) read more

That's a great place go and have dinner. I came into this establishment and immediately greeted with a smile. The host took, Fernando, took extra care of me and placed me in a great location outside where I can had clear view of the fun and hear live music. My server, Andrew, gave me the run down of the menu and gave me great recommendations! I went with the tacos yum yum yum!!! Three types of meats! I check in on yelp and got this guacamole dip thing that was huge!! This place is awesome! I highly recommend this restaurant to all my friends and family! Two thumb up !!! Great job team. Happy holidays yall Vinnieboi out! read more

Wow what a disappointment. I would've thought being on the end of the pier was such an exclusive location it would be hard not to have decent food. However, I was surprised. I should've checked yelp first. The drinks poured light and the food is pedestrian and put together at the last minute. There's no marination, seasoning, or taste of any kind. Very disappointing. read more

Maria Sol - Red Snapper - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Location great and when we were there Sunday night the sunset was beautiful, and the singer on the boardwalk was singing music Boomers could relate to. We had a cocktail outdoors as well as the table top guacamole,which was delicious and we all had more chips that we wanted because of the guac. Hats off to Sidney, our server, who was friendly, attentive, helpful and mixed up the guac. We'll probably go back when we next visit the pier, but the highligts were the guacamole and Sidney. read more

LISTEN UP GF PEOPLE!! If you have a Celiac or gluten free eater in your party, this is your happy zone! Seriously. Anytime I am in CA I try like hell to get there. Amazing views. At the end of historic Santa Monica Pier. Great margaritas and bloody Mary's. Almost everything is without gluten. Safe chips, great salsa. You can walk the beach after and dig your toes in the warm sand. Moises was a fantastic server. Made this Celiac feel like royalty. Bring EVERYONE. Do not miss it. read more

This is the best Tex-Mex I've had outside of Texas!! The fajitas were excellent. The salsa was great but some may find it a little too spicy. Great place to eat in the Santa Monica Pier. read more

We had a great evening at Marisol. The location at the tip of the Santa Monica Pier can't be beat. The architecture is so unique and the interior design is fun with a palatial flair. I had a simple enchilada and chili relleno combo with beans and rice. It was tasty and the portion was huge. Definitely could have been a meal for two. I didn't go for the fancy margarita, although they had quite a few options and did push for the upsell. Our waiter was fabulous, though, with his thick, demure accent and flattering banter. We had quite a few laughs. This place is pricey, no doubt, but that's to be expected - at the end of a carnival like pier over a gorgeous beach in an outrageously expensive town? Yeah, tourist trap of the most obvious kind. My advice - order simple, share a meal, get a plain-jane cocktail. You really can't beat the view! read more

Maria Sol - Fun and festive interior at Marisol. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Wow, i'm not at all surprised by the stars given to this place. Santa Monica is great and it's nice to have a restaurant to come to at the end of the pier. I assumed that since its by the water Mariasol would be seafood based. Wrong. It's obviously not. Mexican in fact. The place is pretty festive and that day it would have been nice to eat outside but its still a little chilly. My family and I ate inside where there was no one. As soon as we were seated we ordered our drinks and we were served some pretty crunchy corn chips with salsa. While waiting for our food to be ordered, lots of people began to arrive. A lady asked us for a picture that she said would be made into a postcard that was complimentary. When we received the postcard, our picture was so small and the rest of the postcard advertised the restaurant. Then they tried to sell our picture for $10 - $15 in a cardboard frame. What a rip off. Especially since I saw her printing her photo off cheap photo paper. My parents weren't pleased about that nor we're we happy about how we looked in the photo. The wait was long, yelpers. Our chips were finished and when we received more they failed to give us more salsa even after we asked. And, we noticed that tables around us were receiving their food before us but we arrived first. The waiter even had the nerve to give us excuses as to its lateness. The food - the same. Nothing special. The flautas were crunchy and served with rice & beans. The chicken quesadilla was filling and extremely greasy. You would see this nice crunchy tortilla but underneath it was soaked all the way with grease. The price - not worth it. Each meal was about $11- 15 each. It makes sense because of the tourism and the fact that its the only relatively nice restaurant along the pier. Two stars only because we got a free postcard and yummy corn chips Enjoy. read more

Maria Sol - Interior of Mariasol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Maaaaan Try to sit in the section with Leo! He'll tell you all the SPOTS for the eeekeend... club bar etc! He had our drinks and food ready! Thanks Leo! read more

Today we found a jewel at the end of the Santa Monica Pier over looking the pacific ocean. Mariasol's Cocina Mexicana Restaurant was no doubt the destination to meet our hungry needs. The moment we arrived the warm service was refreshing. We were seated within 5 minutes. The place was pumping with energy. The atmosphere was filled with scented homemade dishes flowing out of the kitchen. The homemade chips and salsa were a delicious starter. We enjoyed the grilled fish tacos, seafood enchiladas and homemade taquitos. The margaritas were on point. Every sip of my margarita quenched my thirst and every bite of my grilled fish tacos took me back to Cabo San Lucas. A must try. You won't be disappointed. The ocean views were breath taking and spectacular. read more

I took my cousin here when he was visiting from Italy on August 26, 2012. The hostess was very friendly and we were able to select the table we wanted. I ordered an Ice tea and my cousin got a Banana Margarita. He said the Margarita was very good but very sweet. We ordered their Guacamole as an appetizer. He ordered something with Shrimp that he said was good but the shrimp were tough and he had a hard time getting the tails off of them. I ordered the beef crunchy tacos that were ok, but I was thinking the crunchy tacos at Taco Bell tasted better. The beef was really stringy and when I bit into the taco they were so moist a stream of water came out the other side. I cannot tell you how the Guacamole tasted because they never brought it and we had to take it off the bill when the bill came. I will go back again for drinks without food because of the location but I am not expecting anything spectacular if I order any food. read more

Not only is the location and the view beautiful but the service was amazing! Moises was our server and was exceptional! The food and drinks were great! Table side guacamole is a must so fresh and delicious. And the mega Margarita hit the spot! Thank you Moises for making our experience great! read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

A truly fun restaurant! I don't know if you can beat the location at the end of the Santa Monica pier or the wonderful staff. We sat outside and were able to watch the water as we ate! I ordered the Mexican bowl and it was delicious! Highly recommend here for drinks as well, while a little pricy, they have great tropical beach front drinks from Mango Daiquiris to Tropical Mojitos! Definitely worth a lunch visit! read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I loved this place. Staff was great, the free salsa was amazing, small but good selection of beers on tap. I am still amazed at how good the tortillas were (not something I usually rave about). The fajitas were delicious--so good that I passed up dessert to make sure I finished all the onions and peppers on the skillet. I will definitely return in my next trip to Santa Monica. read more

Amazing food, drinks, and atmosphere! Highly recommend this restaurant right on the pier. Make sure to order the table side guacamole with a mega margarita!! Ask for Alejando H he gives the best service! read more

Sidney was so gracious to find my large service dog a nook on the deck so we could enjoy dinner and sunset. The Cadillac Margarita is as big as my head and delicious! We got carnita and carne asada tacos, and were drooling when our neighbor's fajita plates were delivered. The tables are close together, so shower and prepare to be friendly. How can you not be with that view, a table side guac, and servers like Sidney. Go here! read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We decided to try Mariasol because it is the only option for sit-down dining on the pier. Mariasol is one of the priciest/worst Mexican restaurants I've been to. The menus are dirty and old which should've been a sign of our food to come. I ordered a cheese enchilada meal which came with decried beans and Mexican rice. I've lived in California my whole life and would like to think I know a decent Mexican food when I find it. If the crusty chips that they offer you before the meal wasn't bad enough, the beans and rice that hey scraped off of the bottom of the barrel just might be. I wouldn't be so salty about the dining experience but the fact that they charge so much for such low quality food leaves a bad taste in your mouth...literally. Looking back on my decisions, I should've just eaten a funnel cake and called it quits. If you're debating on visiting Mariasol just eat from one of the places in the middle of the pier or take the extra time to find a better restaurant. read more

Usually raw fish is something that most people are wary of but I always dive right in and I have yet to regret it! I dared to order the Ahi Poke Tostada - this meal was huge and delicious as well as oddly refreshing! I didn't finish it because, yuge. Also, we were about to walk around the Getty Villa and walking would have been impossible if I finished the meal. We sat inside on a windy and cold mid-morning, which also granted us reprieve from the vicious scavenger birds outside. That fish was meant for me, not the birds! read more

Maria Sol - Mexican Near Me - Santa Monica, California