Came in during the week for a late lunch for some tacos…read more Parking is available on both sides of the restaurant and also street parking. Walked in and greeted. Order is placed at the front counter and once ordered a number is given so server can bring it right to you. Ordered 6 Tacos $6.75 Tacos de Carne Asada with queso $ 5.25 Small Horchata salsa Bar available + fountain drinks Inside is nice and fresh with plenty of seating options for small or large groups ( No booths)

Local place that you'll miss if you're driving by too quickly. Same owners as Melody's close by…read more Parking is a bit challenging as their lot is shared with an auto mechanic shop. I found the wait staff to be a bit short-tempered and absent-minded. The molé was decent, sweet, with a little smokiness. The plate was big enough to share or take leftovers home. Comes with a basket of chips and salsa you get yourself at a salsa bar. Ordering is at the counter, then you take a number to your table. Soft drinks are self serve. They don't have Coke Zero, only Diet Coke. The flan was pretty good. They ask if you want it topped with a caramel sauce and/or whipped cream. Again, I had to go to the counter and ask for it (even though I had paid for it). In fact, I had to go back to the counter several times. My drink cup was forgotten. My flan was as forgotten. Since no one came by to check on our party of five- I had to go to the counter to get to-go boxes and bags. It's close by to work, so I might come by another time. Or I might just go to Melody's because their staff seems to be nicer...

Top notch hole in the wall Mexican food…read more The burrito was huge and the carne asada was full of flavor and super tender. Baja fish tacos were also delicious. Staff was friendly and food came out pretty quick. Just an excellent experience all around and will definitely be back

The fish tacos are really good but I've had their burrito and quesadillas and they're very mid…read more Unfortunately, the Mexican food I've had wasn't good. They burnt my quesadillas, I live far so I didn't bother going back.

My wife and I were (once again) in the mood for a breakfast burrito while we were in the van Nuys…read morearea this morning. I was put in charge to find a place close. I stumbled upon Monarca on Yelp and we decided to try it out! We arrive and are nicely greeted by one of the employees at the counter. The inside was clean and well kept which we love. My wife and I ordered 2 breakfast burritos and the green chilaquiles. She got the Deluxe burrito and I got the chorizo. We bring them home and open up the bag and these things are MASSIVE! In the best way! We begin taking bites and are both amazed. Me a little bit more. I really really enjoyed this burrito. Maybe because it has rice instead of potatoes, I'm not sure, but it was delicious. My wife also really enjoyed hers; she gave it a 7.5 out of 10. I give my burrito a 9/10. Our chilaquiles were a whole other story and flavor profile. The carne asada that came with it was life changing. Whatever seasoning they used on tha carne asada is perfect. My wife was deeply impressed. The sauce, the chips, the eggs, beans and rice were all very very good as well. All complimented each other very well. If you're ever in the van Nuys area, please stop here for breakfast, you won't regret it!

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Pretty solid place to have decent burrito with restaurant setting instead of food truck. Carne asada was decent come with chip and salsa which is a plus. Parking is easy and food came out fast.

Solid Mexican eatery in a very nondescript building in Northridge, Tierra Caliente brings a lot of…read morefire with some tasty food and beverages. Don't let the exterior of the building deter you from checking out this hidden gem. Once you enter, you are greeted by an incredibly friendly staff and some authentic Mexican decor. The menu is stacked with a lot of traditional staples. The food overall is simply tasty and the portion sizes are large. Prices are very reasonable for the amount and quality of food and drink. A special note is the chile relleno, any burrito, and the molcajete, which is filled with incredible chicken, steak, shrimp, cactus, cheese, and wonderfully-spiced vegetables that is perfect to share. The spices and flavor are on point and delicious. Fun atmosphere is perfect for couples and families, and a bar with a big screen TV has the latest live sporting events for those patrons. Plenty of parking in a retail lot and the restrooms are clean and well-stocked. Tierra Caliente is bringing the very best of Mexican cuisine in the area and Northridge is at the epicenter of this fire. Check them out!

If you blink, you'll miss it--this place is literally a crack-in-the-wall, but don't let that fool…read moreyou. It's spotlessly clean, nicely decorated, and has such a welcoming vibe. The staff? Genuinely friendly and made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. They start you off with complimentary chips, salsa, AND a bean dip--and I'll be honest, I'm usually not a bean dip person, but this one actually won me over. So good! I ordered the Chipotle Scramble with Hash Browns and wow--those hash browns were perfectly fried, crispy on the outside, tender inside. Absolute perfection. My husband got the Burrito De La Casa and couldn't stop raving about it. Fresh ingredients, great flavor, and no unnecessary fillers--just honest, delicious food. Do yourself a favor: slow down, find this spot, and eat here.

I had an appointment earlier and decided to meet up a friend…read morefor dinner. They mentioned this place which is fine as I've alway enjoyed each visit. Plus we were meeting early which also happy hour was still happening. I think it's from 3-6. Even at 5 in the afternoon, there was no parking in the lot. And the residential parking was pretty much packed. As I had my little pup with me, we needed a table outside. It's been a while since I was seated outside. Usually it's been in the bar area. They have a back gate at the patio but it was locked. First off, the place was packed. It's been a while since it's been like that. Or maybe I've only been coming during happy hour. Also, it's somewhat seems to be a thing where you have to ask for the happy hour menus. Anyways, their items are pretty decent for prices. Drinks specials and some of the food items are worth it. We alway get a pitcher of beer for the table to share. Food wise, a couple of the ceviche. Either fish or shrimp and that's served with a tostada chip. For 12.00, it's pretty decent in size and quite tasty. Between the fish or shrimp, I prefer shrimp better. Also, two street tacos for 5.00 with many choices of protein. Lastly, the loaded fried nachos for 12.00. Let's say when they mean loaded, it was loaded. That too comes with your choice of protein which I went with the al pastor. The food was great. Reasonable price and well portioned. Plus the chips and bean dip to start off. They also accommodate some salsas with chips which is nice. Before it would alway be the bean dips and you would have to ask for the salsa. If you want fresh guacamole, they have someone that will prepare it table side to your liking. This visit, there was also the mariachi band walking around asking people if that wanted any requests. The service was great, the staffs all are amazing and friendly. Some familiar faces which is nice.

Very good service! All the plates…read more We had was very good ! And was very clean ! Definitely recommend this place !

Salsa & Beer is a Valley staple, and for good reason! The food is consistently delicious and…read moreflavorful and the portions are literally humongous. One meal can easily be split between multiple people. My favorites are the green enchiladas and the spicy chipotle burrito, and the rice and beans are just as flavorful and delicious as the main entrees. Upon being seated, you are served a spicy and cheesy bean dip with fresh chips, and there is a salsa bar inside where you can fill up on your choice of salsas. I sat in the outside patio area in my most recent visit, and while the quality of the food didn't change, the service was not the greatest; my table and a couple of other tables had a difficult time flagging anyone down for refills, to go containers, or the bill. There's also a pretty big price difference between paying with card and paying with cash; multiple menu items were at least 3-4 dollars more if you plan to pay with card. Still, the food is good and if you're craving some hearty and comforting Mexican food, S&B is a good option.

Second time trying the food a few points otherwise the STAR would be higher …read more This place is in desperate need of refresh! The tables and chairs ( specifically outside ) are awful and gross . The menus need replacing the laminate is peeling off. The food portion though it was plentiful I do feel like the salsa's that were provided were most hot. You have patrons who can't have hot/spicy. Lastly for a sit down RR if you paid by card they charge extra like for real that is insane .

Met some friends who live in the area and highly recommended this place. We were soo satisfied with…read moretheir friendly service and amazing food! We started with a round of Ahi Tuna Toatadas and I had to have a second order! The tostadas are completely covered with the most deliciously marinated Ahi Tuna and are completely mouth watering! We also started with their Watermelon Hibiscus Margarita and regular Margaritas. Perfect for sitting on the pet friendly patio. We also tried their Oaxacan Old Fashioned that came smoked, always a treat. We had their Chopped Salad with Salmon, the most amazing Shrimp Fajitas, Suizias Chicken Enchiladas and their Carne Asada Plate. ALL were top notch and cooked/seasoned to perfection!

I been here several times as I live in the area. I always make my reservation on line with the…read morecomment section to be seated outside. It's been many many times where it's an issue. The outside is closed or they're cleaning to close. Mind you I come 90 min -ahead usually. Today I came in for a reservation at 8pm and they did not have my table ready. I ended up getting seated inside. Customer service hasn't really been that great here, but it's a very convenient location for me. The manager did speak to me staying he will address it.

I've been coming to El Taco Llama since I was 15 years old (I'm 31 now), so this place holds a lot…read moreof nostalgia for me. Over the last 4 years, I honestly felt like the quality across most locations had really gone downhill -- the meat didn't taste the same, the passion in the food wasn't there, and the employees often seemed rude or just completely over it. I stopped going altogether for about a year. Recently, I moved near this location and decided to give it one more shot... and I'm SO glad I did. This location brought back the early 2012 Taco Llama vibes. The food tasted fresh, the meat quality was on point, and everything felt like it was made with care. The employees were genuinely kind, quick, and efficient -- which already stood out. But what really impressed me was even the cook. At most locations, the cooks look angry or like they can't wait to clock out. The cook here, along with the short woman working with him, looked like a solid team. They were focused, calm, and actually seemed like they cared about what they were doing. You could feel the difference. Yes, $14 for a burrito is on the higher side -- I won't lie. But honestly? It was worth every dollar. The flavor, the nostalgia, the whole experience hit. I've been to over 6 different locations, and this is the ONLY one that truly brought back the original Taco Llama feel for me. 10/10. Highly recommend this location.

I ordered from this place that's super close to me. My hubby was craving an asada burrito wet. I…read moresaid ok so we ordered two asada wet burritos one with beans one without. Plus we ordered a few a pastor tacos, chips and guacamole. My burrito was full of rice very little meat plus the wet sauce on top was bland and it tasted like a wannabe enchilada sauce, terrible! The tacos were ok and let me say if you order chips and guacamole, we'll be ready to have tons of chips and very little guacamole! They give you two small little things that are super small but charge so I don't recommend it for the price. What I thought was very tasty non greasy was the tortilla chips and horchata. For that I give them one star. Honestly $70 for two burritos a couple tacos and two horchatas was way too much because it wasn't good!! For Sure Not Going back!