El Cartel

first day in la was really craving tacos. this place was so good. street tacos and quesabirria taco was amazing.

Mark

My favorite tacos aren't fried tortillas. They're similar in style and delicious to the tacos I've had in San Diego. Mexican kebabs are highly recommended. I ordered three in total! The waiter at the front desk provided excellent service. The boss should probably give him a raise. Next time I'm in Los Angeles, I'll definitely come back to this restaurant. Mexican burritos are rich in fillings

AJ

I made a stop here before a show at El Rey and got the BBQ short rib nachos. Although the BBQ short rib wasn’t my favorite the nachos were still really good. The chips and toppings were fresh and the meat was tender. As far as I can tell the rest of the food here is pretty good too. 4.5/5.

tania bueno

Came in based on good reviews and did not dissapoint!!! Had the emoanada de chorizo and burria tacos!! Soooo good!!! Will def be back!!

Natalie M

Absolutely love it here 🤍 I’m usually the person that sticks to eating one item, so I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE their loaded fries 😍 They have tacos, burritos, loaded fries, empanadas, nachos, tostada salads, bowls and quesadillas. Restaurant is small but CLEAN and very nice atmosphere ✨ I’m big on customer service and I would give them an extra 5 stars if I could 🤍 And their churros with nutella are 🔥🔥🔥🔥

D Rojas

Carne asada burrito, birria torta, and carne asada bowl... super delicious! Highly recommend! I don't know how they prep the carne asada but it's very flavorful. And the birria is very good as well.

Rogerio Ventura

Great food, well seasoned and fresh ingredients. Had the El Cartel burritos and the shrimp salad, great cost benefit. Staff is polite and the shop is very chill, even if a bit small. Overall, highly recommend, especially if you have around half an hour to eat in location.

Haileigh Tomlinson

Have always passed by this place and finally went in. Plenty of vegetarian options which is a plus(: The person taking our order was so nice and the food was quick and fresh! Also extremely affordable prices!

Ink Song

so good every time. one of the biggest reasons i’m not moving away from this neighborhood!!! detailed requests are always thoroughly executed 👍 highly recommended

Lindsay Steinbach

We stopped for lunch after visiting the La Brea Tar Pits, our son had a quesadilla and my husband and I both had street tacos and shared the jalapeño poppers. Everything was fresh, delicious and ready in a flash! The staff were friendly.

Justin Schwartz

Was craving nachos and decided to stop by El Cartel after having lived in the neighborhood for the past two years. What a great decision. I can't comment on parking, as I live within walking distance, but it's next to El Rey, so it might be tricky. I ordered the carne asada nachos. A few other reviews say the prices are a little high, but I disagree. I got a lot of fresh, quality food for the price. The nachos come with thick tortilla chips, cheese sauce, sour cream, guacamole, meat, beans, shredded cheese, and a little bit of pico de gallo. The salsa bar is also filled with great options. The staff here are awesome. They were kind, patient, informative, and the food was ready quickly. Now that I know this place is great, it will be my go-to for Mexican food.

Been coming here once in a blue moon since about 2018 and it's always good. Love the salsas which is probably my favorite thing about Mexican food. The meats are really well made and flavorful. The dining area is pretty small and no restroom but I wouldn't demerit them for this at all.

It was a perfect break from visiting the La Brea Tar Pits to walk several blocks down to this small restaurant! We had many menu choices, great service, and the ability to eat outside in the shade.

We got the fries with asada, Cali burrito with asada, three tacos and it was delicious! The el pastor taco I got had pineapple diced up in it, I love when it’s served with pineapples. The fries were boom too and had jalapeño on it that hit the spot. Definitely a good spot I’ll be saving on my map if I’m ever back town.

Great menu, lots of options of everything. Food is and tastes fresh! Try the empanadas, you won't be disappointed!

Absolutely fantastic tacos and quesadillas... And I'm sure the rest is amazing as well. Everything was super fresh and my wife even said she doesn't choose to eat Mexican generally but would come here any day. The Quesa tacos are off the charts and we're so tasty that we didn't even miss having sour cream!

Gabriel De Haro

Great menu, lots of options of everything. Food is and tastes fresh! Try the empanadas, you won't be disappointed!

Nicole Harward

The tacos were good. Don’t like to get insulted by the chef/waiter.

Aaron Burdick

We got the fries with asada, Cali burrito with asada, three tacos and it was delicious! The el pastor taco I got had pineapple diced up in it, I love when it’s served with pineapples. The fries were boom too and had jalapeño on it that hit the spot. Definitely a good spot I’ll be saving on my map if I’m ever back town.

Scott Henke

This was a really nice restaurant with a very pleasant staff. We asked her what’s good and she confidently said the El Pastore! Incredibly fast service, and ample indoor and outdoor seating we will definitely come here again.

Debbie Schneider

It was a perfect break from visiting the La Brea Tar Pits to walk several blocks down to this small restaurant! We had many menu choices, great service, and the ability to eat outside in the shade.

IMAC 199-008

Absolutely fantastic tacos and quesadillas... And I'm sure the rest is amazing as well. Everything was super fresh and my wife even said she doesn't choose to eat Mexican generally but would come here any day. The Quesa tacos are off the charts and we're so tasty that we didn't even miss having sour cream!

username

Been coming here once in a blue moon since about 2018 and it's always good. Love the salsas which is probably my favorite thing about Mexican food. The meats are really well made and flavorful. The dining area is pretty small and no restroom but I wouldn't demerit them for this at all.

Staff was helpful when taking our order the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because there wasn't any agua fresca but will definitely come back for more. All the food coming out looked delicious!

This place was recommended to my mother by a coworker so we decided to try it. The staff was very friendly and quick with our order. The food was very fresh but somewhat pedestrian in flavor. The only sauces available at the time were their hottest sauces (Habanero Cream and Chile De Árbol) but my mother and I are not heat seekers, we would have liked to have tried their avocado cilantro or salsa verde but made do with a sweet and sour sauce (pretty unique sauce for this type of food). The star of meal was the Banana Nutella Empanada, it was fresh, flaky and delicious! YMMV depending on your threshold for spice, if you like your food hot and saucy this place might be a Five Star for you. Would consider coming back for the quality of the food and welcoming staff.

Jen Herrera

Staff was helpful when taking our order the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because there wasn't any agua fresca but will definitely come back for more. All the food coming out looked delicious!

Jordan Angulo

This place was recommended to my mother by a coworker so we decided to try it. The staff was very friendly and quick with our order. The food was very fresh but somewhat pedestrian in flavor. The only sauces available at the time were their hottest sauces (Habanero Cream and Chile De Árbol) but my mother and I are not heat seekers, we would have liked to have tried their avocado cilantro or salsa verde but made do with a sweet and sour sauce (pretty unique sauce for this type of food). The star of meal was the Banana Nutella Empanada, it was fresh, flaky and delicious! YMMV depending on your threshold for spice, if you like your food hot and saucy this place might be a Five Star for you. Would consider coming back for the quality of the food and welcoming staff.

food was mediocre. tacos were okay but beans and rice were very bland and rice seemed to be old. if you are starving and wish to satisfy a craving for tacos look elsewhere.

Hawah S

food was mediocre. tacos were okay but beans and rice were very bland and rice seemed to be old. if you are starving and wish to satisfy a craving for tacos look elsewhere.

Used my remaining money to order chicken and cheese, but ended up with onions and a hint of chicken. Don't even think of coming here if you don't have extra money for tips (I always tip previously except for my latest visit) cause they'll mess up your order.