Sept. 24, 2026. Not pleased! Many years ago there was no competition. El Cholo was formerly known as making the “best margaritas” in LA because of their in-house margarita mix, a traditional family recipe, and along with their delicious simple food menu. Sadly, the excellent quality standards the restaurant formerly maintained is no longer relevant. Additionally, the service is substandard. Unfortunately, the servers are clueless and, therefore, operate the restaurant with unnecessary chaos. The vibe is “no bueno.” I made a special trip and visited the restaurant on Thursday, 9/24/2026, on a special day, my birthday. I was looking forward to an early dinner. ⚠️ First warning, when I pulled up to the valet, I noticed there was maybe five customers’ cars or less. My first warning! ⚠️ Second warning, the main dining room was closed. Meals were only being served in the bar area. OK, no problem with that, but that means there are not enough customers to be served in the main dining room most likely due to the lack of business. ⚠️ Third warning, approximately only five tables of customers in the large bar area were being served. Also, there was literally only one (1) customer sitting at the bar, which could easily accommodate 10-15 customers. ⚠️ Fourth warning, my most eagerly anticipated El Cholo margarita was the “worst.” Yes, the absolute worst margarita. They used a low grade tequila and the El Cholo margarita mix was not the same traditional family recipe. ⚠️ Fifth warning, the food was OK, nothing to brag about. However, it was served in a timely manner, again, most likeky due to the lack of business. ⚠️ Fifth warning, I accidently dropped a personal item on the floor under the table. When I retrieved it, I noticed that the floor was extremely dirty with food, dirt, etc. It was obvious that the floor had not been cleaned in days and/or weeks. Too many warnings! ⚠️ I truly hope that the current owners, and operating managers, read and seriously take into consideration my review. Like the saying goes, “It takes years to earn a customer’s business and a minute to lose it.”

Love the uniqueness of this restaurant! The staff were all very friendly and made us feel welcome. Food and the drinks were delicious. I live kind of far from here, but will definitely come back when I’m in the area. I would recommend coming here if you haven’t tried it already ❤️

I went to El Cholo (Original Location) for lunch on a Friday afternoon and had a really good experience.

There was no wait, which I loved. We were seated right away and they easily accommodated our group of five. The restaurant has a nice, traditional feel — classic LA Mexican restaurant vibes, comfortable and welcoming.

They started us off with fresh chips and salsa. The chips were warm and crisp, and the salsa had good flavor. Simple but done right.

I ended up ordering the cheese enchiladas and a Caesar salad. The enchiladas were cheesy, flavorful, and filling without being too heavy. The Caesar salad was fresh and a good balance to the meal. Even though I ordered that, I was definitely eyeing the Crab Taquitos and the Mariscos Enchiladas for next time — they sounded really good, especially for pescatarian options.

The prices felt reasonable for Los Angeles, especially for a sit-down lunch. Service was friendly and accommodating the entire time — attentive but not hovering.

Valet was available for $5.50 on a Friday afternoon, which made it easy and stress-free. But I don’t know why we had to Valet because the lot was empty.

Overall, it was just a smooth, easy lunch: good food, no wait, fair pricing, and a traditional atmosphere. I’d definitely go back, and next time I might try one of the seafood dishes I was tempted by.