Quite possibly the worst Mexican food I have ever had. I ordered the mushroom and fish tacos, both of which were completely lacking in flavor. My toddler had the kids chicken taco plate and was served over charred fatty pieces of chicken on store bought corn tortillas and bland beans, which he refused to eat. The "nachos" are a complete travesty - burnt beans and cheese on stale chips. I had such high hopes, but left feeling super disappointed and wish I could get my money back!
Susan K.
Best taco I've ever had and I've had tacos in the S.F. Bay Area Mexican taquerias, LA, multiple places in Mexico. Jose recommended the beef birria and the fish. While both were really good, it was the birria I would go back for. Amazing and affordable eats in an expensive town. My husband had the carnitas bowl and was very happy with that too. Chips were gratis (I think!) and beers were cold. Good service and very nice people working there.
Eugene L.
Easy to miss this little gem tucked in an inside corner of the Palisades Village shopping district, a collection of high end boutiques and eateries in Pacific Palisades. Que Padre was just the spot we were looking for a meal that was not going to set us back too much for dinner. We aimed for the tacos and if they weren't the best we've had, they are right up there. And the taco chips were made on the spot were a nice intro for what was to come. We had the shrimp, fish, carnitas and carne asada tacos and they did not disappoint. Although I'd say they could have had a little less garnish which for some of the fillings took away from the filling flavours, maybe for others it is welcome. The shrimp was piled on and it was not baby shrimp either. They used small prawns which if the same quantity was used for a ceviche, would cost double elsewhere the taco cost at Que Padre. Similarly the meats were loaded generously with good size chunks of carnitas. And the fish taco, the most expensive of those we had at $9 each, was well worth it. A whole cod fillet was grilled to perfection, again something that would cost much more if served up as part of an entre´ elsewhere. Great value and taste. Patronize this place!
Josh Bechtler-Levin
As a San Diegan, my bar is high for Mexican food, and Que Padre nails
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Steve H.
Depends on the day.... went twice in two days...Went there for the first time two days ago - We had amazing food and great service. The name of the cook on duty was Antonio - he prepared the food with an amazing skill and taste.. By far some of the best street tacos I have ever had before. Caleb was the name of the server, who was attentive and made us some amazing drinks. SO very happy with our new find we wanted to go back.... The first visit was an amazing experience- value, taste, and service was perfect.Excited by our new find, we decided to share the experience with our daughter (whom we were visiting for the weekend) - we decided to go back the next evening on a Friday night, expecting a similar experience. Different chef, different wait team, less clients - The food did not taste the same and the service was subpar. A real disappointment. The second night our cook was Jose, and the we could barely understand the servers, who were also more concerned with talking with each other than helping the three of us - we had to interrupt them to ask for each step of the dinner process. The food was wet, cold, and not fully cooked the second evening, and the drinks were not the same as the evening prior during our first visit.To sum up the visits - the quality of the food and service depends on which team you get... Thursday night was fantastic- Friday night was something I will not return for.... Before you go, check to see if Antonio is cooking and Caleb is serving and you will get an excellent meal!
Tatiana N.
I came here for tacos. We shared about five tacos when the two of us were mild to moderately hungry. We tried the fish taco, the chicken taco, the Bierria, and the veggie taco. The chicken was the best, I would give out a four stars, but the fish, that day and rest were average. The slaw on the beef birria was offputting, as was the way that it was cooked with the cheese. The veggies did have good flavor though. The fish was in a creamy chipotle sauce that was just OK. I appreciate it have the fish was in a flour taco, however, at everything else was in the corn taco. Service was slow on a Friday afternoon. Nice outside ambiance. There is no bathroom.
Burke L.
The food was awful, the service was incredibly slow, they over charged mistaking us for another table.
G T-S
We tried their fish tacos, chicken tacos, and freshly made guacamole. All were delicious. They also have really good cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chips, Chips and Guacamole, Guacamole V, Fish Taco
Viola Vio
Good cafe.I would recommend this place for eating outside. Pleasant atmosphere around, the feeling that you are in a small cozy European town.The tacos were incredibly delicious.Polite staff. Suitable for visiting with children. Clean, tasty, not overpriced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Desiree J.
***Google Maps had the location wrong, it's actually next to Blue Ribbon Sushi. Stumbled into Que Padre after a beach day. So glad we did. Reegan was the most welcoming, kind person you could ever find. If he's not the owner, he surely cares like the owner. This restaurant is very small but they've done really well with the space. Probably 6-7 outdoor tables, a couple indoors, and a small area for kitchen bar seating inside. The food here is fantastic. We started w the plantains bc they're not on every menu and are always so good but these plantains were fried to perfection. The walnuts on top were such a fascinating and welcomed addition. They complement the flavor so well.We both had burritos, one was the carnitas (I was so intrigued by Mexican Coke braised beef) and the other was the beef birria. Both were absolutely delicious with such fresh ingredients. My husband said this is the first time he's ever loved corn in a burrito. Even the chips that came with the burrito were dressed, including a lime zest. They really put so much care into their food here. It's amazing.
SO delicious. got an al pastor and a carne asada taco. looked great, tasted even better.staff was nice and quick with my to go order will be back ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brooke M.
Marquice, Jose and Sianne were amazing! They took care of us and showered us with the best service. Food was fresh and we weren't rushed out of our table. Ambiance was casual and friendly! Thank you for taking care of us!!
Brian G.
Been on yelp for a few years and this is the first time I feel compelled to leave a review. From my experience, the price and quality of food do not match here AT ALL. The ambiance and staff are the best parts of this place. A group of friends and I stopped here for an early dinner after being out in the mountains for nearly 12 hours. This was our first full meal. The staff and service were great. Our waitress and waiter were friendly and tentative.Yet the food I ordered was extremely disappointing. I knew I gambled on Mexican food in the Palisades. I ordered the asada burrito and esquite. The esquite was ok, can't really mess that up. The burrito was the most bland I have ever eaten and for $16+. I couldn't tell whether I was tasting rice, bean or the meat. The steak was so overcooked it looked like the black beans. I took a bite and immediately lost my excitement to eat. I ended up going to a taco truck down the street.
Alexis H.
The food isn't great considering the price and location. Tacos were cold and just very basic. The service is ok. Nothing particularly special. Ambiance is the only saving grace. The scenery is beautiful other than that...if you're looking for amazing tacos I would skip this place.
AJ D.
Cool little spot I'd say the tacos are decent not great. The fish taco was really good. I've tried it twice and my opinion was their corn tortillas could be a lot better. Guacamole was pretty underwhelming as well. Hopefully they can switch it up (tortilla factory corn tortillas taste way better). Fish tacos would get again!
Quite possibly the worst Mexican food I have ever had. I ordered the mushroom and fish tacos, both of which were completely lacking in flavor. My toddler had the kids chicken taco plate and was served over charred fatty pieces of chicken on store bought corn tortillas and bland beans, which he refused to eat. The "nachos" are a complete travesty - burnt beans and cheese on stale chips. I had such high hopes, but left feeling super disappointed and wish I could get my money back!
Best taco I've ever had and I've had tacos in the S.F. Bay Area Mexican taquerias, LA, multiple places in Mexico. Jose recommended the beef birria and the fish. While both were really good, it was the birria I would go back for. Amazing and affordable eats in an expensive town. My husband had the carnitas bowl and was very happy with that too. Chips were gratis (I think!) and beers were cold. Good service and very nice people working there.
Easy to miss this little gem tucked in an inside corner of the Palisades Village shopping district, a collection of high end boutiques and eateries in Pacific Palisades. Que Padre was just the spot we were looking for a meal that was not going to set us back too much for dinner. We aimed for the tacos and if they weren't the best we've had, they are right up there. And the taco chips were made on the spot were a nice intro for what was to come. We had the shrimp, fish, carnitas and carne asada tacos and they did not disappoint. Although I'd say they could have had a little less garnish which for some of the fillings took away from the filling flavours, maybe for others it is welcome. The shrimp was piled on and it was not baby shrimp either. They used small prawns which if the same quantity was used for a ceviche, would cost double elsewhere the taco cost at Que Padre. Similarly the meats were loaded generously with good size chunks of carnitas. And the fish taco, the most expensive of those we had at $9 each, was well worth it. A whole cod fillet was grilled to perfection, again something that would cost much more if served up as part of an entre´ elsewhere. Great value and taste. Patronize this place!
As a San Diegan, my bar is high for Mexican food, and Que Padre nails
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Depends on the day.... went twice in two days...Went there for the first time two days ago - We had amazing food and great service. The name of the cook on duty was Antonio - he prepared the food with an amazing skill and taste.. By far some of the best street tacos I have ever had before. Caleb was the name of the server, who was attentive and made us some amazing drinks. SO very happy with our new find we wanted to go back.... The first visit was an amazing experience- value, taste, and service was perfect.Excited by our new find, we decided to share the experience with our daughter (whom we were visiting for the weekend) - we decided to go back the next evening on a Friday night, expecting a similar experience. Different chef, different wait team, less clients - The food did not taste the same and the service was subpar. A real disappointment. The second night our cook was Jose, and the we could barely understand the servers, who were also more concerned with talking with each other than helping the three of us - we had to interrupt them to ask for each step of the dinner process. The food was wet, cold, and not fully cooked the second evening, and the drinks were not the same as the evening prior during our first visit.To sum up the visits - the quality of the food and service depends on which team you get... Thursday night was fantastic- Friday night was something I will not return for.... Before you go, check to see if Antonio is cooking and Caleb is serving and you will get an excellent meal!
I came here for tacos. We shared about five tacos when the two of us were mild to moderately hungry. We tried the fish taco, the chicken taco, the Bierria, and the veggie taco. The chicken was the best, I would give out a four stars, but the fish, that day and rest were average. The slaw on the beef birria was offputting, as was the way that it was cooked with the cheese. The veggies did have good flavor though. The fish was in a creamy chipotle sauce that was just OK. I appreciate it have the fish was in a flour taco, however, at everything else was in the corn taco. Service was slow on a Friday afternoon. Nice outside ambiance. There is no bathroom.
The food was awful, the service was incredibly slow, they over charged mistaking us for another table.
We tried their fish tacos, chicken tacos, and freshly made guacamole. All were delicious. They also have really good cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chips, Chips and Guacamole, Guacamole V, Fish Taco
Good cafe.I would recommend this place for eating outside. Pleasant atmosphere around, the feeling that you are in a small cozy European town.The tacos were incredibly delicious.Polite staff. Suitable for visiting with children. Clean, tasty, not overpriced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
***Google Maps had the location wrong, it's actually next to Blue Ribbon Sushi. Stumbled into Que Padre after a beach day. So glad we did. Reegan was the most welcoming, kind person you could ever find. If he's not the owner, he surely cares like the owner. This restaurant is very small but they've done really well with the space. Probably 6-7 outdoor tables, a couple indoors, and a small area for kitchen bar seating inside. The food here is fantastic. We started w the plantains bc they're not on every menu and are always so good but these plantains were fried to perfection. The walnuts on top were such a fascinating and welcomed addition. They complement the flavor so well.We both had burritos, one was the carnitas (I was so intrigued by Mexican Coke braised beef) and the other was the beef birria. Both were absolutely delicious with such fresh ingredients. My husband said this is the first time he's ever loved corn in a burrito. Even the chips that came with the burrito were dressed, including a lime zest. They really put so much care into their food here. It's amazing.
Restaurantji Recommends
SO delicious. got an al pastor and a carne asada taco. looked great, tasted even better.staff was nice and quick with my to go order will be back ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marquice, Jose and Sianne were amazing! They took care of us and showered us with the best service. Food was fresh and we weren't rushed out of our table. Ambiance was casual and friendly! Thank you for taking care of us!!
Been on yelp for a few years and this is the first time I feel compelled to leave a review. From my experience, the price and quality of food do not match here AT ALL. The ambiance and staff are the best parts of this place. A group of friends and I stopped here for an early dinner after being out in the mountains for nearly 12 hours. This was our first full meal. The staff and service were great. Our waitress and waiter were friendly and tentative.Yet the food I ordered was extremely disappointing. I knew I gambled on Mexican food in the Palisades. I ordered the asada burrito and esquite. The esquite was ok, can't really mess that up. The burrito was the most bland I have ever eaten and for $16+. I couldn't tell whether I was tasting rice, bean or the meat. The steak was so overcooked it looked like the black beans. I took a bite and immediately lost my excitement to eat. I ended up going to a taco truck down the street.
The food isn't great considering the price and location. Tacos were cold and just very basic. The service is ok. Nothing particularly special. Ambiance is the only saving grace. The scenery is beautiful other than that...if you're looking for amazing tacos I would skip this place.
Cool little spot I'd say the tacos are decent not great. The fish taco was really good. I've tried it twice and my opinion was their corn tortillas could be a lot better. Guacamole was pretty underwhelming as well. Hopefully they can switch it up (tortilla factory corn tortillas taste way better). Fish tacos would get again!