I have to say, I enjoyed every single bite of the meal ate here. The fiesta platter is out of this world. Enjoyed a few Cadillac margaritas. You can't beat the envious and decor. The customer service is tip top. Located in Downtown Pasadena. It's a great place for families and groups. Considering the quality, the price is reasonable. Ideal for those who want a nice family lunch or dinner. There was also plenty of room for bigger groups. Servers are also great and always efficient, happy and polite. Can't wait to return and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for somewhere to eat some great Mexican cuisine. Highly recommend!

We were enjoying our Saturday activities in Pasadena and tried El Cholo for lunch. A super busy day, but the service was speedy and professional, and the food was delicious! Was starving after all that walking so I ate it all, & that's unusual. Delicious Margaritas too. Really enjoyed being out on the balcony on a breezy sunny day, it was very pleasant. Will go again.

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for everything that El Cholo did to ensure the success of my recent event. My father passed away, and we had his reception here. The entire experience was wonderful, the food was very good, and the team went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly. The manager on duty that day, Erika, was exceptionally helpful and attentive. It truly made a difference in the overall experience.

A Los Angeles area institution, El Cholo has an array of different Mexican dishes and executes beautifully. We made a reservation here for a Tuesday night for a family birthday (12 of us) and we were seated quickly, as the restaurant was pretty quiet. I'm not sure if they were short staffed, but it took a while for the server to come and take our drink orders, then it took a while to get our drinks. We had to flag him down so we can put in our food orders. It also took a long time for our food to come out, but it was definitely worth it. The chicken mole enchiladas I had were so good, and the mole had such a distinct flavor, I really enjoyed it. I would definitely come here again, but maybe sit in the bar area or on a weekend.

Sometimes the restaurants that could be called Los Angeles institutions are more-easily forgotten. When you think about where to go for a special occasion, sometimes the names that you read in the food news or from food websites are what you think of first. But this time, I'm glad we thought a little bit further about the kind of atmosphere we wanted as well as the kind of food. We could not have been happier with our choice of El Cholo Pasadena this week. And my first comment is a big compliment on the exciting menu they present! It is so much fun to see the dates when classic dishes, were introduced, leading up to the present day offerings. Some dishes go back 100 years to the first days of this wonderful restaurant. We had such a nice birthday lunch. My Pork Chile Verde was absolutely delicious and such a nice sized portion that I got to take a good amount home. (I'll be making it a regular takeout item.). My companions had the blue corn enchilada plate, which also got a rave review, and the taco and enchilada combination plate, which was also enjoyed. The restaurant surprised us with a complimentary birthday flan, which was so kind of them. The service was impeccable, and the restaurant is beautifully decorated for the holidays. We really thought the ambience was so perfect. Drinks included their yummy Cadillac margarita and I had a draft Stella Artois beer. Somehow it was the best beer I had tasted in a very long time, served in a tall elegant Pilsner glass. This restaurant has so much class! We intend to come back again soon. Free parking for 90 minutes in the underground lot.

Lunch in Pasadena, California... Our friend, Rose, had a great suggestion to meet for lunch at El Cholo Cafe - Pasadena. There are several locations. This one at Paso Colorado had colorful, cool decor! (For those of us like me who don't know the Spanish word, "cholo", it's kind of like a gangster.) Rose gave excellent directions for the parking. It's in a validated, covered structure... Then, it was a bit of a walk to another building and taking an escalator upstairs. Note: After validation, we paid just $1.50 for parking. We don't eat Mexican cuisine too often in Hawaii, so it was fascinating to watch "tableside guacamole" being made right next to us! It was fresh and customizable! (Less spicy for me... Hot sauce on the side... thank you!) I ordered the shrimp tacos, but unfortunately, they were spicy, in my opinion. I took a bite and passed them to Rose. I really enjoyed the fresh, crunchy chips and guacamole! Thank you, Rose, for letting us taste the seasonal sweet green corn tamales! That was very educational!