I hosted a surprise birthday brunch for my husband at El Trocadero and it went fantastic... The food and ambience was great! Angelica and her team provided wonderful and thoughtful service...and the cake was delicious (thanks Minerva!). Angelica went over and above to make this day so special. Thank you!
Dayana S.
seems like the waiters dont really enjoy working at this place, after serving us they didnt check up on us, we had to be asking another waiter for condiments and refills, i can't imagine on the busy days how awful will be to come to this place, we were there for noon and it wasnt busy, not recommended
Matthew P.
I'm sorry for leaving a 2 star. The only redeeming quality is the wait staff who was friendly and attentive. The food... not so good. I ordered the half chicken which was listed as grilled on the menu but it was BOILED first! Imagine eating boiled chicken which is later grilled and served? My brother had the gorditas and chicken tortilla soup, the pork was tasteless and so was the soup. The refried beans tasted like they came out of the can and the salsa was watered down and was not good. I could have given it a one star but like I said, the wait staff was nice. Perhaps they should find a real chef to redo their menu. It would probably turn this place around. Sadly I won't be returning.
Vic S
We showed up at 11:00 am on a Sunday. The place was empty. I ordered the menudo. It was terrible, it tasted straight from a can. It was only broth. This place is an absolute no if you want good Mexican food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Baktar
Came here with friends. We were seated immediately and staff was attentive from the start. We all order drinks. Mine was very watered down and could barely taste the alcohol. My friend had a margarita but it had no flavor and no taste of alcohol. My enchiladas were obviously over cooked and microwaved. My friends wet burrito had no flavor. The salsa for our chips had no flavor. The restaurant has so much potential if only there was a bit more care with the quality of our food and drinks. Using fresh ingredients will go a very long way. People will continue to eat here due to its location but I doubt many return. A shame for now. I will be back in 6 months and hopefully things change.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Vic S.
We showed up at 11:00 am on a Sunday. The place was empty. I ordered the menudo. It was terrible, it tasted straight from a can. It was only broth. This place is an absolute no if you want good Mexican food.
Dj Barney
Came for Sundays brunch, bad experience, I had to be reminding the waiter for refill on my drinks, then she said they ran out of coffee which we had to ask another waiter and they brought it over with no problem, I do not
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Ben G.
Came to this place yesterday for St. Patrick's Day and I can define it in one , CONFUSION . Seems like the place is not ready for a crowd that even at 2pm , when then it's really not much crowded , the place is a mess . The bartender refused to take our order , maybe because we were seating by the bar area, on those little tables , she said we have to wait for our server , whom we can't find . Then few seconds later , as I turned around , she started taking alcohol orders. She looked confused too! Can't blame her. Then finally this guy( forgot his name ) came and pretty much the only one who cares . Our food came , to be fair it was good . The place has so much potential, probably just needed a new manager or something . And by the way when we ask for our check , and guess what , it's like a gas station, you pay cash then it's lower than paying with a credit card , LOL . Well, we got out quick after eating and went to check other places . One more thing , The green drinks , was just green, nothing special.
Art T.
Great happy hour food and drinks at a family-run restaurant and bar. Stop complaining about how everything is a chain if you don't support family-run restaurants.
Kristal G.
A pretty nice place for happy hour. i didn't really see steak, and it seemed like more of a typical mexican restaurant. i liked this place overall. there was ample seating, the service was quick and friendly, the drinks were very strong, and there was a new happy hour menu that had just rolled out. we got the typical chips and salsa while we waited, and ordered some palomas, regular margaritas, and a couple cadillac margaritas which were extra strong. we also ordered the carne asada fries, which, though can't be compared to the carne asada fries in san diego, were surprisingly good, and tasted better than it looked once we added the salsa. it could have used some pico de gallo, but overall, was good for the price. the only oddities i found was that it was nearly empty, which was confusing for a thursday happy hour. there were maybe two tables with two or three people seated when we arrived, and by 8:30 p.m., we were literally the only ones left besides the staff, and they closed at 9. the other issue was that the bathroom wasn't very well-ventilated, and seemed like it could have been a converted closet as opposed to a restroom. this was problematic because instead of having those 3/4 doors that would otherwise allow some airflow, it was a full wooden door, as if you were in a closet, and it was a bit disarming. otherwise, a pretty good experience. i'm hoping that more people discover it because it's a charming place, but just seems like it hasn't been discovered yet.
I went here for dinner one night and it was pretty empty. The service was good. The food was good. It was also inexpensive for a sit down restaurant.
Love Live L.
Great food!!! Love the chicken quesadilla! Service is awesome & ambience is fun with music that makes you move!
Jay R.
First time here and my wife and I really enjoyed the food and the great service we received from Ira. We started off with a drink that had pineapple juice and jalapeno in it and was rimmed with Tajin. Spicy, tasty, and a nice change of pace to drink while we ate the free chips and salsa while waiting for our entrees. My wife and I both chose the mesquite grilled carne asada and asked for a side of chimichurri with it. The meat was great and cooked perfectly as ordered and the chimichurri really threw it over the top. Almost everything on the menu sounded great and was hard to make a decision but very happy with what we ordered. I see some negative reviews on here. But our experience was great from start to finish
Claudia Mariscal
Used to be good, nice portions and quality side dishes. Last visit we got significantly less meat and the side dishes were horrible. Water down beans, rice with no veggies and smaller enchilada and Chile relleno. Paid prime prices which I’m willing to do for quality, but for the price, I expect them to be better than Las Delicias which is a casual restaurant. With the horrible changes they made, I rather go to Las delicias, better food quality for half the price. Ordered the tampiquena and walked out hungry, and I’m only a 110 pound female. We want the old Trocadero back. 3 stars for good service and the meat still has Mesquite flavor.
Robert Macias
New owners - the focus is no longer on the food. The chili relleno's appeared store bought, and the "Mexican margarita's", were more like Chili's. We've been going there since they opened, and unless things change, no mas.
I hosted a surprise birthday brunch for my husband at El Trocadero and it went fantastic... The food and ambience was great! Angelica and her team provided wonderful and thoughtful service...and the cake was delicious (thanks Minerva!). Angelica went over and above to make this day so special. Thank you!
seems like the waiters dont really enjoy working at this place, after serving us they didnt check up on us, we had to be asking another waiter for condiments and refills, i can't imagine on the busy days how awful will be to come to this place, we were there for noon and it wasnt busy, not recommended
I'm sorry for leaving a 2 star. The only redeeming quality is the wait staff who was friendly and attentive. The food... not so good. I ordered the half chicken which was listed as grilled on the menu but it was BOILED first! Imagine eating boiled chicken which is later grilled and served? My brother had the gorditas and chicken tortilla soup, the pork was tasteless and so was the soup. The refried beans tasted like they came out of the can and the salsa was watered down and was not good. I could have given it a one star but like I said, the wait staff was nice. Perhaps they should find a real chef to redo their menu. It would probably turn this place around. Sadly I won't be returning.
We showed up at 11:00 am on a Sunday. The place was empty. I ordered the menudo. It was terrible, it tasted straight from a can. It was only broth. This place is an absolute no if you want good Mexican food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Came here with friends. We were seated immediately and staff was attentive from the start. We all order drinks. Mine was very watered down and could barely taste the alcohol. My friend had a margarita but it had no flavor and no taste of alcohol. My enchiladas were obviously over cooked and microwaved. My friends wet burrito had no flavor. The salsa for our chips had no flavor. The restaurant has so much potential if only there was a bit more care with the quality of our food and drinks. Using fresh ingredients will go a very long way. People will continue to eat here due to its location but I doubt many return. A shame for now. I will be back in 6 months and hopefully things change.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
We showed up at 11:00 am on a Sunday. The place was empty. I ordered the menudo. It was terrible, it tasted straight from a can. It was only broth. This place is an absolute no if you want good Mexican food.
Came for Sundays brunch, bad experience, I had to be reminding the waiter for refill on my drinks, then she said they ran out of coffee which we had to ask another waiter and they brought it over with no problem, I do not
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Came to this place yesterday for St. Patrick's Day and I can define it in one , CONFUSION . Seems like the place is not ready for a crowd that even at 2pm , when then it's really not much crowded , the place is a mess . The bartender refused to take our order , maybe because we were seating by the bar area, on those little tables , she said we have to wait for our server , whom we can't find . Then few seconds later , as I turned around , she started taking alcohol orders. She looked confused too! Can't blame her. Then finally this guy( forgot his name ) came and pretty much the only one who cares . Our food came , to be fair it was good . The place has so much potential, probably just needed a new manager or something . And by the way when we ask for our check , and guess what , it's like a gas station, you pay cash then it's lower than paying with a credit card , LOL . Well, we got out quick after eating and went to check other places . One more thing , The green drinks , was just green, nothing special.
Great happy hour food and drinks at a family-run restaurant and bar. Stop complaining about how everything is a chain if you don't support family-run restaurants.
A pretty nice place for happy hour. i didn't really see steak, and it seemed like more of a typical mexican restaurant. i liked this place overall. there was ample seating, the service was quick and friendly, the drinks were very strong, and there was a new happy hour menu that had just rolled out. we got the typical chips and salsa while we waited, and ordered some palomas, regular margaritas, and a couple cadillac margaritas which were extra strong. we also ordered the carne asada fries, which, though can't be compared to the carne asada fries in san diego, were surprisingly good, and tasted better than it looked once we added the salsa. it could have used some pico de gallo, but overall, was good for the price. the only oddities i found was that it was nearly empty, which was confusing for a thursday happy hour. there were maybe two tables with two or three people seated when we arrived, and by 8:30 p.m., we were literally the only ones left besides the staff, and they closed at 9. the other issue was that the bathroom wasn't very well-ventilated, and seemed like it could have been a converted closet as opposed to a restroom. this was problematic because instead of having those 3/4 doors that would otherwise allow some airflow, it was a full wooden door, as if you were in a closet, and it was a bit disarming. otherwise, a pretty good experience. i'm hoping that more people discover it because it's a charming place, but just seems like it hasn't been discovered yet.
Restaurantji Recommends
I went here for dinner one night and it was pretty empty. The service was good. The food was good. It was also inexpensive for a sit down restaurant.
Great food!!! Love the chicken quesadilla! Service is awesome & ambience is fun with music that makes you move!
First time here and my wife and I really enjoyed the food and the great service we received from Ira. We started off with a drink that had pineapple juice and jalapeno in it and was rimmed with Tajin. Spicy, tasty, and a nice change of pace to drink while we ate the free chips and salsa while waiting for our entrees. My wife and I both chose the mesquite grilled carne asada and asked for a side of chimichurri with it. The meat was great and cooked perfectly as ordered and the chimichurri really threw it over the top. Almost everything on the menu sounded great and was hard to make a decision but very happy with what we ordered. I see some negative reviews on here. But our experience was great from start to finish
Used to be good, nice portions and quality side dishes. Last visit we got significantly less meat and the side dishes were horrible. Water down beans, rice with no veggies and smaller enchilada and Chile relleno. Paid prime prices which I’m willing to do for quality, but for the price, I expect them to be better than Las Delicias which is a casual restaurant. With the horrible changes they made, I rather go to Las delicias, better food quality for half the price. Ordered the tampiquena and walked out hungry, and I’m only a 110 pound female. We want the old Trocadero back. 3 stars for good service and the meat still has Mesquite flavor.
New owners - the focus is no longer on the food. The chili relleno's appeared store bought, and the "Mexican margarita's", were more like Chili's. We've been going there since they opened, and unless things change, no mas.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3