We stopped by for a an early dinner before watching the Scotland World Cup game. A friend that was…read morewith us has been here plenty of times so it was her recommendation and it was down the street from where we were watching the game. The restaurant has a little parking lot out front with maybe 10 spots the most. Or else it's either metered parking on Lincoln Blvd or street parking in the residential area. We were about to out money in the meter when one of the staff that was getting ready for work mentioned us to park in the lot as there was some spots. Thanks for the lookout. Inside, a cute restaurant. There's a fun bougainvillea style tree that anchor the entrance. A beautiful focal point. Hostess desk is right when you enter but as it was early, there was no one there and they had plenty of tables. We were informed that the patio wouldn't be available as it had been reserved for a private party. Mexican restaurant but with a cool modern twist. The bar area has high back chairs and plenty of television scattered. A nice place to watch the games as well. All the staffs were amazing and very friendly. Chips and salsas were brought out to start off. Menu had a pretty big selection of everything as well as the drinks. The fancy cocktails had a good selections to choose from as well as full bar if there's something you're craving. I haven't had a pina colada's in so long that it sounded quite tasty. And yes it was good. Food, a mixture of everything was ordered. The birria soup which came with tortillas, and a side of onions and cilantro. The birria quesadilla meal with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and shredded lettuce. Lastly the two taco meal with shrimp and steak and that came with beans of choice and rice. The food was delicious. I've never had birria as a soup. Tend to either get it in tacos or ramen but it was delicious. Meat was tender and very tasty. Also, the quesadillas, another amazing dish. The food was great. Service was excellent and all the staff were amazing and very friendly. Chips and salsas were great which is alway a plus. Can't believe I haven't been here before even though I've driven by it loads of time. As it was a first time here, it was definitely worth it. Oh, there was nice big bowl of lollipop on the way out. Highly recommended.

I've been a patron since day one and have also been to many of the other locations over the years!…read moreBut no more. I brought a bunch of friends to go have breakfast today and they were not open, it was 10:45. There were no hours of operation on the door, we couldn't see any staff through the window and since it's a holiday weekend we thought they may not be open! We decided to go have a quick meal next door at Tartine and in less than 1 hr (actually 45 minutes) we returned to find our cars being towed! The tow trucks had already hauled 1 car away and lucky for us we were able to pay the two drivers there so they wouldn't tow them away. In total it costs us over $600. I would have never parked there had we not intended to eat there and I can't believe the restaurant would call tow truck for our cars being in their lot for a very short time 1/2 hr after being open and the lot was empty. I am never going back and now the restaurant has 4 others who will never go back! Honestly having cars in the parking lot would be good since it's mostly empty. I hope it was worth having the empty spots and losing 5 patrons!! Good choice!

always good :) everything…read more nice quality tortilla chips before your meal i love plantain black beans with little rice pyramid nice ambience of the restaurant grateful for outdoor seating kind warm employees

I'll start by saying simply get your butt over here. Though…read morethey also offer the standard Mexican fare, the Star of this show is the Oaxaca cuisine. The molé based dishes are excellent. Portions are generous. Staff is friendly and helpful with suggestions and I felt very welcomed. There atmosphere is "traditional" Mexican restaurant style for Southern California. This place is a "go!"

Where to start with this fantastic Mexican food restaurant!…read more Customer Service is exceptional. The wait times are appropriate, they are attentive, and they genuinely look like they are happy to be there. It's an honest family run business. Food is exceptional and authentic. Their portion size is extremely generous. They never skimp you on protein. Margaritas and the nachos are my favs! Having a parking lot is a nice touch. 5 stars all the way! *****

Bad experience at Mexican restaurant Server unpleasant…read more Difficult to get order Long wait to be served

May 25, 2026 | Santa Monica | A friend, and I wanted to try a new place and decided on Lula Cocina…read moreMexicana! Fish Tacos & Shrimp Taco | The Spicy chipotle lime shrimp & Crispy fried Baja fish were tasty! I ordered the taco plate; 2 tacos of your choice with rice and beans! Beans & Rice | I enjoyed the beans and rice, quite flavorful! I particularly loved the Spanish rice! Yum! Chips & Salsa | I can always appreciate chips and salsa! The salsa was interesting, different flavor from what I'm used to. Hibiscus Agua Fresca | Housemade, delicious, and refreshing, loved it! Decor | Lively, colorful & cultural! The eye- catching, colorful murals on the wall, the vibrant flowers on some tables, the colorful lacy paper decorations hanging from the ceiling... It's an incredibly upbeat vibe! There is color everywhere! Customer Service | Friendly, helpful with the menu & attentive! Seating | Inside & an Outside patio! We sat on the inside, because I love the large open windows, which looked out onto Main Street! Overall | It's always fun trying a new place and I'm glad we did!

Amazing food and service! Came here with my family for a quick bite and ended up relaxing and…read morehanging out for a while. Lots of options for food and drink, but Jonesy helped us pick out everything we wanted. Our kids are picky eaters so we had a lot of questions, but he patiently answered everything. I have plenty of allergies too. Thankfully Jonesy helped me navigate the menu and now I have a new favorite place for tacos!

Five Stars for many reasons, not for elegance, trendy or food presentation, but for:…read more Excellent service by Lillia or Lili, who worked hard by herself as she mentioned the other server was not there. Food was very tasty and delicious. We both ordered from the Traditional Favorites: 1 enchilada, rice and beans and 1 chile relleno, rice and beans. Generous portions, reasonably priced. The enchilada sauce was one of the best! Happy Hour: Tues-Friday 3-6. We arrived on a Tuesday after 3pm, so it wasn't crowded. I ordered their House Margarita, $6 (during HH) and asked for Spicy, and it was spicy good and strong! Atmosphere: Cozy! nothing fancy. This family restaurant has been here since 1962! Front area is sit down full service and then there is a back bar area. Very OLD SCHOOL. There is a very small parking lot in the back, but don't bother. You need to look for metered street parking on Pico or around the residential areas. Read the parking signs carefully to avoid getting a parking ticket. I will definitely return!

I have been going to La Talpa for decades because the food and service are consistently good. My…read morefriend and I arrived at their back patio with Shmoo on Sunday night. The patio was dark and deserted and quiet. I went into the bar to ask if they could turn the lights on. The wait staff were very attentive and served our food and drinks quickly. They also did not disappear after the food was served. They even brought water for Shmoo. My friend had the fish and I had the tostada. Our food was hotttt and delicious. The portions were LARGE. The guacamole was so tasty. I cannot recommend this place enough. Despite the prices keep going up up up I keep coming back here. You get what you pay for at La Talpa.

Ambiance is so cute! Very good burger and great service :)…read more Easy to make reservations! Take my moneyyyyyy!!!

Came here on a Monday evening for girls night out and had a fantastic time. The interior of…read moreHermanito is really cute they have different sections within the restaurant that gave each area a cozy intimate vibe. Our server was absolutely delightful, she was friendly, helpful and attentive. We kicked off the night with a fancy margarita which was both stunning and delicious. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and they all came out at a decent pace. They didn't make us feel too rushed to finish a dish before the next arrived. The food presentation was beautiful and everything tasted good. I do wish the charred octopus was more charred but at least it was soft and not chewy! The ladies also wished there was more goat cheese with the Achiote cauliflower. There wasn't anything that particularly stood out taste wise but I think we all enjoyed the queso chorizo fundido the most! I'd definitely recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a nice restaurant with delicious drinks and tasty fusion Mexican food!

I used to go to the Culver City location, but I have to say the Santa Monica one is superior! The…read moreCulver City did not offer refills on chips, but the people working at the Santa Monica location were more than happy to assist us with a refill. Everybody working there was super kind, and the restaurant was very clean and beautiful. I always get their queso and guacamole and it's always delicious. I got a cowboy cup one time and I loved it, but I recently got the Trinity taco and it was so good. I've never had anything bad from here. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles and I can't wait to go again

Came here for dinner in the evening hours, both times the restaurant was kind of empty on a Friday…read morenight, but it made it an easy, quick, casual dinner. I think two tacos each plus a side dish to share is probably perfect for a meal. Food: Chicken: I like this one. The chicken is very moist. The taco itself has a lot of wet things in it so it's prone to dripping. Brisket tacos: I prefer Tijuana Panther over Vaquero, but both are excellent. Trinity: Egg, bacon, potatoes, and cheese is perfection. Chips and __: salsa is good choice, guac is better, queso is amazing. Ask for the fried potatoes instead of chips especially with the queso. Free refills on the chips though. They have an app now and their own rewards program. Sign up, scan your QR code, collect some points, and come back for freebies in the future. Indoor table choices and outdoor patio space. Lots of seating. Keep it casual, keep it easy, and I'll keep coming back.

Stopped by this happening place before watching a movie down the block and was not disappointed…read more Good service, the drinks were tasty (I had a Michelada). Ordered the Plato mixto and it was very good. We ordered a side of mole to try and it was good. Definitely want to come back and try a molcajete

Convenient location with a lot of other businesses around and street parking. They have good deals…read morefor happy hour and daily specials. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciate a business that remembers you when you come back and they engage in friendly conversations. Food was delicious. I had the carne asada plate and it was a good amount of meat and the rice and beans were good too. My sister was craving pozole but they sold out when we went on a Sunday for lunch, so she opted for the Caldo de Res instead. She liked the soup but thought the meat was a little on the tough side. But overall, we had a good time and thought everything was flavorful. Ambiance is fun, it has a bar in front and there is also more seating at the back for larger groups as well.