Lares Restaurant

Reviews

• DL

  David Lamothe

  Aug 26, 2026
  5.0
  Have a great environment the food is arsenic really delicious. Customer service is right there
• NT

  Norbert Torma

  Aug 21, 2026
  1.0
  I’ve been dying for a good Mexican dinner, so naturally I had very high hopes for this place. Turns out, the food had other plans. The service wasn’t great, but credit where it’s due — it was still better than the food. The chicken in the enchiladas tasted like it had been cooked sometime last week and patiently waiting for its big moment. The sauce on the burritos was wonderfully bitter — old, burnt, or perhaps a little bit of both. Hard to say. Needless to say, I no longer crave Mexican food. So, I guess that’s one problem they’ve successfully solved. 🌮👏
• CC

  Cristina C

  Aug 6, 2026
  2.0
  Bland, bland, bland. Example: potato taco is just mashed boiled potato in a tortilla. Zero seasoning. Spanish rice also had no flavor. Host was rude at the start saying my husband couldn't wear a tank top inside... in a beach city on a hot summer day... but we were "allowed" this one time. I don't see a dress code listed anywhere. Very unwelcoming from the start, I'm never coming back. Also, they were out of guacamole!!
• BB

  Brandon Bowers

  Aug 1, 2026
  5.0
  Great food, friendly staff and live music on Friday nights!
• FG

  Frank Gonzales

  Jul 9, 2026
  5.0
  Went to a birthday dinner here last night, and I'm glad I got to go. And, I'm grateful everyone agreed on Lares. Let's start with their attentiveness. There are so many people to help out, and the service was fast. I am a total chips snob, and I couldn't contain myself from pigging out on their chips. I have very little shame about eating at Mexican restaurants, and the servers were kind enough to keep those bowls of goodness coming. What better accouterment to have accompany chips than their guacamole? Probably the best guacamole in Santa Monica (and I've had a lot of guacamole). BTW, I appreciate it when restaurants make everything in the back and don't subject us to tableside BS. For my main, I had the chicken with mole sauce. And, of course, it was great! I love mole with anything and everything, and it's good to know I can come here when I need my fix. The BEST part is it's not crazy and unreasonably expensive. Everything was well worth the price, and we all had a great time. Continued success!