3.5 stars for me. This is more of a Mexican wrestler themed cocktail bar that happens to serve Mexican food. I had thought this would be THE place in my hood to go for fabulous Mexican fare...it's actually a spot to go for unique cocktails. If you like tequila you're in luck because their list is fairly impressive. Chips and salsa were good, no complaints there and while the food was good the portions were teeny tiny! I guess they use really small plates to fit on the itty bitty tables. Don't expect to come here and have a feast instead enjoy drinks and have a little nosh. Love the atmosphere. I think the Yelp pictures posted doing a great job of letting you know what to expect inside.
Review Source:This is my favorite Mexican place in LA, but there is a way to do it right.
Always attend happy hour (5-7), the prices are reasonable and the chicken tacos special is great. Â The margs are super good, not too sweet, enough tequila etc. Â I live close so I always walk, which makes the whole experience smoother.
It does get busy at night so you must make a reservation if you plan to go after 7pm.
El Carmen was recommended to me by a friend, and it was great!
The atmosphere was nice. It has a very small, cantina feel and the design is cool. My only setback was how loud it is inside, but hey, it's a tequila bar so what can you expect?
The chips and salsa were awesome, just enough everything in them. Not too salty and not too bland. Just right. I had the chicken enchiladas with the spicy red sauce and they were perfect. The portions were small, but not too small. I was full when I left and definitely satisfied with the service.
My waitress was kind of strange. Not strange in a mean way, but didn't give off a very helpful vibe. We were helped by everyone BUT her. She was a sweet girl, but didn't seem to really care. To her credit, she was the only waitress it seemed, but there were four tables of two people on a Monday night so it wasn't exactly slammed.
I didn't try any of the Tequilas because I wasn't in the mood for a drink, but the Tequila menu they offer is something like 6 pages, ranging anywhere from $6 all the way up to $850 per shot! Definitely looking forward to trying some of the out next time.
This would be a nice place for a casual first date. Easy-going, laid back atmosphere and pretty chill in general.
Fun, hip place to meet and have a drink -- especialmente if you like tequila! A nice fruit-infused margarita will set ya back $10. I liked my pomegranate one, and the blood-orange apparently was a winner, too. Â They do serve food here but that wasn't in game-plan. Still, I was a bit surprised to see baskets of tortilla chips on the bar after we had already moseyed to a booth. Â
The decor is awesome, with tons of Lobby Cards all plastered against each other to create a cool movie wall of fun. Comfy booths and music was loud -- but not so loud that conversation would be challenged. I definitely look forward to returning to this neighborhood gem -- and yes, perhaps even trying una comida!
I really love this place, mostly for the ambiance. The curved ceiling, the dark red glow, it's lively and full of chatter, the velvet paintings of luchadores... something about it just feels scandalous. I only had a few drinks and chips/salsa/guac. The bartenders were awesome and I ended up having a really great night out. Next time I'll have to try the food!
Review Source:**SPICY MARGARITAS, PLEASE.**
Best place to PRE-GAME with a group of friends before the real havoc begins.
PARKING
========
Valet for $7.
It's next door to NEXT DOOR restaurant. Get it. :/
AMBIANCE
=========
Great vibe.
Vintage Mexican movie posters.
Vibrant Latin-American colors.
Oil paintings of masked Mexican wrestlers.
Jukebox.
Loud.
Dark.
Friendly bartenders with neck tattoos.
DRINKS (didn't try the food)
======
The bar has more than 100 tequilas and a small menu of tacos, nachos, and guacamole.
SPICY MARGARITA ($10)
Shit, this was an awesome drink.
Jalapeño spicy in all the good places.
Drank two of these.
OVERALL
========
Colorful vibe and people made this an ideal spot for PRE-GAMING.
RECOMMEND.
FOUR stars!? Â Shocking. Â I think I'm being generous with three. Â To me, the best Mexican food (to date) in the LA area is, by far, Los Toros in Chatsworth; great atmosphere, AMAZING food, great prices, etc. Â That's the "big dog".. this place? Â The "yippie" Chihuahua/poser. Â Â
Anyway...
Met some friends for dinner around 8:30... jammed. Â We waited about 40 minutes along the bar, which is fine; their drinks were good, my beer was icy cold (which kept the stars at 'three'). Â The bartenders were good and attentive. Â
We finally got seated in the back corner, almost shoulder to shoulder with the table next to us, hearing every word of their conversation. Â Upon sitting down, the hostess (who was nice) asked us, almost embarrassed, "How long are you going to be here because we have reservations coming in later." Â We said, dunno... about an hour. Â We got the "Eh... okay." Â So, clearly, we were now on the clock to eat and get the eff out - apparently. Â
I ordered the three chicken enchilada platter and my friend got the taco platter. Â The other friend just had another margarita and asked for water.
When the food arrived, I laughed. Â IT'S TINY. Â My plate was 'maybe' nine inches wide, five inches across. Â No joke, the enchiladas are 1/4 (!!!!) the size of any other enchilada in town. Â We were laughing, "Really!?" Â The scoop of rice that came with it was literally 'maybe' half a measuring cup - if that. Â My friend's tacos were "street taco" size. Â Remember the "Taco Bell" scene in "Demolition Man"? Â Check it out at the 1:10 mark for something along the lines of what you get at El Carmen;
<a href="/redir?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxFiDoOgRTpk&s=f7ea35ea8289864b6ea479c7e1eee5b4a7dab356c404837ebe469ada901f9d9c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/…</a>
The waitress was really nice but she kept forgetting to bring drinks and water, when requested three times. Â
This is supposed to be a fun "hole in the wall" but staple of a hole in the wall are;
- Relaxed atmosphere (we were rushed from the second we sat down)
- Comfortable seated (we were shoehorned in)
- Good portion size per dollar (high prices, TINY portions)
If they're going to charge these prices, they have to up the portions big time. Â They have the "platters" (which is a laughable term) listed under 'Antijitos" which means little cravings in Spanish... which, ironically, is accurate since you'll still be craving food after you order.
It's funny they have a "Lucha Libre" motif, as well... where you think you're going to get a hearty Mexican meal. Â It's more like "No Mucho".
Definitely pass on this place if you actually want to eat. Â It might be worth a bar trip though. Â There are just way too many other GOOD choices on 3rd.
I went here last night for a friend's birthday party. It was a pretty large party, and the waitress was more than accommodating with all of our complicating orders. The food was pretty great too, and not too expensive.
I'd say the best part about the place is it's location and decor inside. Right next to Doughboy (amazing pancakes) and (Little Door and Little Next Door) it's easy to bar hop. And the inside makes you feel like you are on an elegant Lucha Libre ship. (You'll know what I mean when you get there)
Definitely worth a visit!
Dined here Sunday night with my partner. We both had nachos! Ordered the chicken and carne asada styles. I then asked for a side of carne asada because it's the BEST I've ever had!!!! Period!!! Nothing compares.
The tequila drinks were killer and chocolate molten cake with Mexican influence was stellar!
Lisa was our server and was awesome.
Nice place to go for a date (when it's not crazy busy). The ambiance is super romantic and nice escape from typical LA scenery.
The portions here are really really small. Â My co-workers ordered tacos and it was like $10 for two tiny tiny tacos.
They're guacamole is really really good though, as are their nachos. Â If you're hungry pretty much the only thing worth ordering for your money here is the nachos and guac.
I did have some drinks that were pretty stiff. Â This just seems like overall a place you come to drink and not so much eat. Â Their tequila & mezcal section is legit.
Excellent Happy Hour, great prices on drinks and food. I drive all the time from the Westside to El Carmen's for their happy hour. I love everything about this place. Parking is hard but what do you expect for the area. I highly recommend going early for the parking and also to get a seat at the bar.
Review Source:Drinks were good. Enchiladas and guac were amazing. Music was dope. Crowd was mixed.
The wait SUCKED! They told us half an hour for a table for 3, and 2 drinks later(per head) at the bar we finally got seated to a couple's table in which the amount of food we'd ordered from starving and getting drunk waiting wouldn't even fit on the table!! The wait really killed our night... We would have gone somewhere else but really felt like Mexican and had each driven our cars to El Carmen and we didn't want to leave our cars there. Ugh. The wait sucks. So much. Bummer.
I'd come back, but only for happy hour margaritas ($5, house or skinny). The happy hour food items were small portioned and tasted average, and the regular menu has a limited selection. Also, I'd sit at the bar next time, since it has more of a bar-feel, anyway.
As others have said, this place is small and dark.
Tacos are ok, nothing crazy. Â There is no reason to go here on a nice Sunday... but its perfect for a date night or something else that requires absolute darkness.
We were a group of 8, and waitress forgot my order. Â Took another 30 minutes to make a couple tacos in an empty restaurant, but she comped it and took some drinks off. Â Well done.
Won't be back other than for drinks or if I feel like sitting in a dark room and eating tacos.
Ok, so I came back to El Carmen after I heard that there was a new manager. I was pleasantly surprised by the new staff. Our waitress "Carly" was very friendly. I'm definitely coming back and the food was pretty good as always. Don't forget to order the spicy margarita or cilantro margarita.
Review Source:This place is more of a bar than a restaurant (I got carded at the door which has not happened in a very, very long time). Â They offer an extensive and impressive drink menu - pages upon pages of drink options, and only a couple of pages for food. Â I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy their food was! Â I had the fish tacos and my friend had the Elote (corn on the cob) which looked awesome. Â Their spicy guacamole also did not disappoint - all the chips disappeared very quickly! Â
The place is very dark inside and the music was loud, which made any real conversation amongst the group challenging, but the overall vibe of the place was cool, very casual and fun. Â
The service was excellent - our waitstaff was very attentive with keeping drinks flowing and plates cleared. Â
Parking is valet - El Carmen has their own valet for $6 directly in front of the restaurant, and there is also the 3rd St public valet which is $7.
So I recently moved to the area and was invited out for Happy Hour at this local bar. Thought I go ahead and check it out since it's close and I can always make time for Happy Hour.
So the bar itself is just the way I like it. Dim lighting, good vibe with the guest there and exceptional service. Being my first time, the bartender (Which I forgot her name, but never her face), pretty much caught me up on the drinks and the menus. I went with one the of the Margarita drinks. Definitely hit the spot, one after the other. She made them perfect every time, not to mention my other drinks. She continuously checked on me, made sure I was happy with each drink. Just really added the feel of being welcomed as a newbie.
The appetizers are pretty amazing. (I'm sorry I don't have the names due to my alcohol consumption) but whatever you choose, you'll be happy,lol. If not, I'll buy you a drink. I've been twice so far and was also just as satisfied as the first. This will definitely be one of my local spots. Cool for dates too :-)
It was packed I Â will give it that but we waited 1 hour for a table while I brought 8 people to this place. We stood at the bar They kept telling me my name was next on the list. There was an empty table with no one in it for 30 mins but they still wouldn't seat us. I asked for the manager but he refused to talk to us. Bye El Carmen never again.
If I could have given this a zero I would have
Thames Good
Came here with friends and this place seemed classier than the other bars around the area. Maybe because they also serve food.
My friends got a few Cazadores shots and the bartender was really nice and friendly. I'm not too sure about the prices.
The atmosphere is very Spanish themed. Music isn't too loud and your able to hear each other.
Overall, nice place. I would like to try their food next time.
El Carmen is a great place for happy hour, which lasts until 7pm. This review is only for their happy hour menu, although I would like to come back to try their regular menu and cocktails.
We ordered rounds of their margaritas for $5 each! They definitely didn't hold back on the tequila, so we got our money's worth. The chips, salsa and guacamole were delicious; however, the salsa and guacamole could both use a little more flavor. I ordered the taco combination for $6 - 2 soft tacos (I ordered the pollo, but they have papas and carnitas to choose from as well), which comes with a scoop of rice and refried black beans. If you're a heavy eater then this meal will not fill you up at all. The quesadillas were plain cheese, but came with a side of guacamole and sour cream...not bad for $5. My friends said the ceviche wasn't bad, but the nachos were awesome. The nacho don't come with a protein, but you can add it on for an additional cost.
The place a bit on the small size and it's very dim inside. I can't wait to come back to try their spicy margarita, guava margarita, and pineapple tequila shot. My friend got a free pineapple shot from the bartender since he was being rude to her. Nice way to make it up to her. The pineapple tequila shot was said to be smooth and delicious.
The only complaint I have about this place is the valet service, which technically isn't the restaurant's fault. When I got to the restaurant there wasn't a valet attendant in sight for almost 10 minutes. Finally the valet guy helped us with our car. Retrieving our cars was even worse. It was really busy and it was madness on 3rd street. The valet guy brought the lady ahead of us the wrong car twice! I gave my ticket first, but ended up getting my car last. I highly recommend that they fix their valet service to make it more "user-friendly." Valet is $6
Lively bar with reasonably priced drinks.
I just dropped in here for like 10 minutes while I was waiting for a table at the Little Next Door because they are right next to each other.
It was very lively and happening on a Thursday night around 7:30PM. Â The Bar area was packed and the bouncer working the door was super friendly and nice (which is rare!) Â I want to come back here and try their food next time.
El Carmen ... I have been driving and walking by you for nearly 2 years now. Finally went on a Friday night with the hubs and another couple. Parking was annoying so we ended up just doing valet which I always hate but sadly expect. 7pm ressy and had to wait just a few mins to be seated. Not too bad considering it was a Friday night and this place has very limited seating. Â While the room has a darker, sexy type vibe and you definitely have to speak up to be heard, I really liked the atmosphere. Perfect for a Friday night or happy hour. I had a skinny marg to start, yummy! Â Husband ordered a Cilantro Ginger marg and was really happy with it too. Then, chips and salsa and guac. Loved the salsa! Â Great kick to it. I was indifferent about the guacamole...nothing special, nearly bland actually. We ordered the following:
- I ordered the tequila shrimp. The waitress described this as her favorite item on the menu. Really?? Â It was just okay, definitely not great and I would not consider ordering it again. 5 simple shrimps with a spicy type aioli on the side. No beans or rice, just shrimp.
- My friend ordered the cheese enchiladas and a potato taco. She totally cleaned her plate and she liked it a lot. I think the potato taco was her fav (she's a vegetarian!)
- Husband got the chicken enchiladas with the red sauce and a steak taco. He described them as "just okay, good, nothing special."
Our service was actually really good so thumbs up to our waitress because it was crowded and loud but she was very attentive. I can definitely see this being a great place for singles to mingle on the weekends or happy hour with friends. Will I be back? Possibly. But I think I would rather eat at Plancha just down the street for a better steak and shrimp taco!
El Carmen is excellent. The logical layout, the cheekily tactful decor, the rose-tinged lighting, the mid-city hipster ambiance combine to produce a wonderful milieu in the never-ending ravine of restaurants on 3rd.
Once drenched in the crimson cool of the bar/restaurant's interior, you notice the elongated orientation of the space, lined with lucha libre posters and mid-20th century mexican pop culture regalia (Cantinflas, etc). Lined with luces de navidad, the decor is perfectly encapsulating of their kitsch, but devoid of tackiness. It's a delicate balance, and the designers at El Carmen executed a proper vision.
The menu is thorough - pages upon pages of tequilas; anejos y blancos y oros y just-give-me-another-shot. . .and mezcal - very true to their American-Mexican roots, and a great segue for the simple yet pure food menu. With only flautas, tacos, enchiladas (spicy mole!), quesadillas & nachos, the narrow range allows for them to walk yet another narrow path: that of preserving authentic tastes while accommodating American palates.
The food really is very impressive - the carnitas are succulent & moist, the asada is salty savory, the hongos are pure and vegan-friendly delicious. The pricing is more than fair as well - $3.25 per a la carte taco or $10 for a combinacion (two tacos, frijoles y arroz).
With a very fine selection of music from both sides of the border - cumbias complement electro-disco & some electro-rock - and a deceptively spacey dance area, the vibe is consistently upbeat. A live DJ is in the house on most nights to renew the audio flavor, and the service is consistent.
Also worth noting: one of the best salsas I've had in Los Angeles, and that's saying quite a bit. Sweeter than most with a spicy kick, be sure to save some pre-appetite for your basket of chips, because you'll be wanting more & more of this tasty accompaniment.
A great experience in every regard. Pure five stars, and also one of my new favorite spots in Los Angeles. Well done, El Carmen.
Put your Nacho libre masks on and be ready to attack your margaritas!
For an upscale, dive bar-like restaurant, this establishment is rockin it. The eats aren't sensationally out of this world but one can definitely enjoy and not regret holding it down.
It's a great place to just have a social with friends/ coworkers/ and maybe a few close cousins but be warned, you're going to have to compete with the noise in the dive.
There is a down side. The hostess had serious issues. I don't know if she was power trippin' or if someone threw a drink at her earlier, or just a plain snob (she looked rather dry, so I'm going with the latter), she wouldn't seat us even though we made a reservation, there was a table available and all the members of our party had arrived.
But regardless of rude beginnings, there's always happiness at the bottom of the glass as you plow down the corn (you will become an addict) and empty your glass(es) of margaritas.
Just make sure you're with good company, the place is way to tiny to hold any drama :).
Happy Hour, and go see the bartender named KARINA... shes super hot and needs to be tipped religiously with large bills only, hehehe.
Went with a friend to hit up this amazing happy hour.... they have delicious potato, chicken or carnitas tacos with rice and beans (i got the potato ones). Â I also got the guac which tastes super fresh.
i started with a regular margarita with a little salt, but my friend got the skinny. I am not a huge fan of the skinny margaritas, but it was definitely fresher tasting with less syrup (duh skinny, lol).
then i got the SPICY MARGARITA which was absolutely amazingly delicious!!! It has jalapenos in it, and the taste was just divine... not just hot slap ya momma in the face, but you could taste the jalapenos.
then we ended with these apple things. they were like apple egg rolls in caramel with vanilla ice cream = BOMBTASTIC!!!
You should totally go!!!
El Carmen,
You are dark, sexy, and the vibe that you set is intimate and cozy. However, your bartender is way too slow! Â It took her 15 minutes to greet us and we were sitting at the bar! After greeting us, she leaves to deliver a few tabs and helped a couple of others that came after us and then finally we were able to get our pineapple tequila shots!
It was my first time having a pineapple tequila shot. I like the light hint of pineapple sweetness. I also got the mint margarita. I was pretty good and quite strong. Â I noticed they serve tacos and other Mexican dishes but didn't get to order any since it was a little late. Not sure how parking in this area is but we found a spot literally in front of entrance. Most likely will be back if I'm in the mood for tequila.