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Abuelitas Mexican Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
137 S Topanga Canyon BlvdTopanga, CA 90401
(310) 455-8788
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
100 reviews for Abuelitas Mexican Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"my favorite mexican place and it's by a cute creek." In 16 reviews -
"There is art on the walls from local artists." In 3 reviews -
"The outdoor seating is amazing and the food's good too." In 4 reviews
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100 reviews in English
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Review from ADRIANNA L.
Woodland Hills, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
No "Meato burrito"
Found this place in Topanga Canyon. It has an adorable atmosphere.
Food was okay. I doubt that I would be back here again solely for the eats.
Try it, love it, Yelp it... -
Review from gleana m.
Woodland Hills, CA
5/14/2012
I was here for Mother's Day (accompanied by my teenage son and husband) and had the misfortune of having an idiot waiter. He handed out flowers for the Moms to 3 of the 5 tables in the room and of course, I wasn't one of them and now I'm writing this bad review. How insensitive! Do you think the other 2 tables of Mom's weren't going to notice?!
Such a disappointment considering I've wanted to go here for a long time. There is something "off" about the service. They either fawn all over you or ignore you--service needs to be consistent throughout.
Yes, this restaurant is in a beautiful setting. The bus boys worked hard to make us comfortable (re-fills on water, salsa, chips, clean-ups, etc.) but the vibe from the rest of the staff wasn't doing it for me. Won't be back. -
Review from A M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/26/2012
I always enjoy my time at Abuelita's. I love their fajitas (especially the Tofu fajitas, since I'm a vegetarian, and they're super vegetarian friendly!).
Unfortunately, last night (Saturday evening at around 6:30pm), I had a really bad experience. I walked in with my little sister, and after being ignored for a few minutes by the host - an older, bald gentleman with graying hair and I think a slight beard - he turned around and gave us the worst attitude, which included rolling his eyes, because we made him wait for a few seconds before answering when he asked us where we wanted to sit. He literally rolled. his. eyes. No joke. Really, did this guy think I was a teenager and he had a right to treat me like a kid?
Really unprofessional and also hurtful. I was offended, so we just walked out and ended up at the Canyon Bistro, which is way pricier but I feel that I always get really good service there. Too bad Abuelita's has such rude service, because I normally really love that place - good food and a pretty location. They need to do something about training some of their staff. -
Review from Veronica S.
Huntington Beach, CA
5/21/2012
I was looking forward to try this place for a while. My fiance and I finally stopped by on a Saturday around 2 pm. The place had customers, but it was not that busy so my first impression was not that great as we waited to be seated over 20 minutes, it took about 10 minutes just to have someone acknowledge we were there waiting along with 2 other couples that walked in after us. Once seated, the waiter only came over 3 times. Once to take our order, bring our drinks and food and then the check. It took forever to get his attention to get salsa which btw... it never came. The food was good, no complains there, prices are decent too. Customer Service was awful though, not sure if I will go back again.
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Review from Moon D.
Los Angeles, CA
5/7/2012
Yes, I'm a fan of Abuelitas. If you come to Topanga, please leave your hang-ups, negative vibes, inner city - urban expectations and general uptight feelings before you enter Topanga Canyon (it worked for Neil Young, Jim Morrison, Joni, Linda) at either PCH or Ventura Blvd.
There's a full bar (rare in Topanga) and a great kitchen. Chill, enjoy, eat and drink (responsibly). -
Review from tommy g.
WOODLAND HLS, CA
5/21/2012
This place is good and very relaxing... I don't know what half of you expect but this isn't your typical Hollywood Beverly Hills joint.... Yea the service is a little slow but so what its a nice ambiance and the food is good too.... I will go back
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Review from Anna G.
Topanga Canyon, CA
5/21/2012
We live in Topanga and dined at Abuelitas regularly. About a year ago, something happened. The service was very slow and the food did not justify the wait. However, I am very pleased to report that things have improved---significantly. A month or so ago we decided to try it again. We prefer to support local businesses when we can. We are so glad we did. The service is good with Sean and Kevin moving around and breakneck speed, always offering assistance. And the food is very good. Not just good. It has been very, very good. The last few visits have been delightful and we will continue to support what has been a local favorite for years.
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Review from Helen W.
Topanga Canyon, CA
5/5/2012
This place is such a disappointment, as it is the only Mexican restaurant for miles. Beautiful outdoor setting; inside not so much. The food can range from poor to possibly average, but mostly tending towards the badly cooked. Every element gives you the feeling the cook is learning on the job and not paying attention.
And the wait staff--all the way from the greeter to the bus boy--should be doing something else for a living, since they clearly are not involved in their jobs.
The bar has been a mess for several years now, with schmoozing more important than service--wrong drinks, slow service, and bad attitude.
Between the bad parking, poor food, and incompetent service, I can only manage a once a year excursion, hoping it has gotten better. Sadly, I think they are going in the wrong direction. -
Review from Michelle B.
Van Nuys, CA
2/20/2012
I had been told about this place by someone somewhere, and so had been dying to try it ... on the actual place, it really is a little 'hole in the wall' however in the summer, I would say the outside area would be fabulous to sit out and enjoy a drink or two. It was too cold at this time of year, but you learn by your mistakes!
As for the food, I was really disappointed :(
I sent the lentil soup back, as it was absolutely tasteless; it was like dishwater with beans in it. Really disappointed.
The chili relleno (Spelling?!!!) was actually quite good, and I ate it, but the service took FOREVER, and it wasn't even busy ... the margaritas were OK, nothing more than that ...
I was disappointed in the experience to be honest, and can say that there have to be many more fun places to have that outdoor experience with fun margaritas and good food.
The wait staff were lovely, really friendly, but would I go back for some great food and drinks ....... probably not :( -
Review from Peggy M.
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CA
3/13/2012
2 stars is really because of the atmosphere! The food was horrible! We ordered our food and drinks at the same time, the appetizer of guacamole (which was good!) came and no drinks ... We were almost done with our app. When they finally brought our ice teas! I ordered the mole chicken and my boyfriend the burrito with mole... It was NOT MOLE SAUCE!! It was just a very salty red sauce, the rice was very "wet" and lacked flavor as well as the refried beans ... It sucks because I really used to like this place but it seems as if they don't care.. Also out waitress never refilled our drinks! Very disappointing and we will not be returning!!
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Review from Ezra C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/15/2012
Abuelitas has a great atmosphere and its outdoor seating area near the creek is a nice place to have a drink with some chips and salsa. The food is just average and a little overpriced.
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Review from em m.
Los Angeles, CA
1/23/2012
The food here is gross. My fiancé and I came here yesterday after his 5 hour hike and me not haven eaten anything all day and got here because nothing else was open at the time. We enter to a bar where no one is at the host pedestal and come to find out the woman singing at the top of her lungs trying to sing opera at the bar is the host. She returns, seats us , we order a chicken salad and chicken enchilada. If you had blindfolded me I would have not been able to tell you what I was eating. It was soooooo gross. By the look of it people must come here just to drink, the food is a no no!
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Review from Lizzy W.
Winnetka, CA
4/9/2012
Yummy food, very decent prices and a nice atmosphere. I didn't have the friendliest waiter hence only 3 stars.
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Review from Dennis H.
Hidden Hills, CA
2/20/2012
My wife and I have eaten here several times and on each occasion we kept hoping the food, service would improve.
This past Saturday, there were 3 of us who came for a fairly early dinner.
The entire place seems beat up and dirty.
Restaurant area was almost totally empty, but the service staff were terrible. Drinks were just ok and the food was mediocre at best.
Great place for unwashed locals or those just wishing to drink and drink, but, it is not the 60's anymore !.
Too many choices these days for your patronage..
Last time that I would squander my time and money here.! -
Review from Caty v.
Tarzana, CA
1/1/2012
No sooner do you get into the door and you feel like you are already imposing. No one cared enough to greet you or guide you to a table or the bar. The food isn't good enough to withstand the poor D- service. Seems as though anyone working there was called in last minute and didn't give a crap about doing any business!!!
I've been there twice and thats enough to know you are not welcome there... not the dining experience I am looking for. -
Review from Myrna S.
Elmwood Park, IL
11/4/2011
Service was exceeding slow, when the barman finally came around to take our orders (what, no waitstaff, the one guy has to do it all himself?) he was nice enough, and apologized for forgetting about us back there. The guacamole & chips was very good, however I was REALLY hungry by the time the food arrived, which should have made it at least seem to taste better....
Unfortunately...
The carne asada was really very poorly done. The rice, no flavor, the beans, no flavor at all! I mean, how can you de-flavor refried beans? They come out of the can tasting better than that wallpaper paste on my plate. And the meat, really dry and tough. Like deer jerky instead of steak. I being the trooper that I am, salted everything liberally and chewed my way through. Remember, I was starving by that point.
Other folks we met at the Inn where we were staying, had the same experience (and the same dish). They sent their's back though, and ordered something else.
I think its more of a bar than a restaurant -
Review from Tim F.
Manhattan Beach, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Upstairs service is slow but worth the wait. There's no place like the beauty that is Topanga.
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Review from Tanya S.
Topanga, CA
10/18/2011
One word -
Yummy!!!!!
Try to guacamole! Great atmosphere, incredible artwork on display and great service! -
Review from Nina D.
Topanga Canyon, CA
1/12/2012
If you want to go to a hidden palce in the canyon and breath the fresh air...well here you are!!! The food is okay..the drinks okay..but the ambiance with the right person....well, amazzzing!! and if you want to come here on a fri/sat night just to feel "the canyon" seen..well you picked the right spot..come, watch, the food is okay, but you wont be going home without an experience...
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Review from Marisa M.
Granada Hills, CA
4/23/2011
This is a very scary place!!
It reminded me of a scary movie! The whole drive up there made it seem that we were not in California anymore, but some small town. When we pulled into the parking, we noticed that it was a little empty. We went inside and we asked to be seated in the patio...BIG MISTAKE
We sat by the creek and as we looked around........THERE WAS 5 BIG HAIRY CENTIPEDES AROUND OUR TABLE!!!!
That is really gross! At least warn us!! It felt really dirty there and really creepy, so we decided to sit inside.
We sat inside, but it still felt creepy and dirty..the food was nothing close to authentic Mexican food, it was exactly like Acapulco chain restaurants.
Complete fail (n) -
Review from Melanya T.
Glendale, CA
7/27/2011
The first time I came here, I fell in love with the decor place. The whole restaurant setup is beautiful and the location is amazing. You're surrounded by lush nature and cute outdoor furniture. After my first visit, I left feeling good because the whole vibe of the place is really cool but the food is really bad.
I went there again recently and had the same experience. This place has so much potential, they really should get a better chef because it's such a shame that such a cute restaurant has such crappy tasting food. -
Review from Anna B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2012
Loved it!!! Great food and drinks with very nice staff. Our waiter was great and the location a welcomed refuge for frazzled Los Angelenos. Had the Mole burrito, and it was great! Can't wait to go back.
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Review from Maggie H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
**DISCLAIMER** I've visited Abuelitas several times in the past 5 or 6 years and don't recall any service-related issues in the past so this review may only speak to the problems present during my most recent visit.
After a glorious winter hike through Topanga Park, three of us decided to enjoy a cocktail and a meal at Abuelitas on a Sunday afternoon. We arrived around 2pm and were immediately informed of an estimated wait of 10 minutes, due to crowds and that the "kitchen was backed up". We were invited to sit at the bar for a drink while we waited, and after 5 minutes the hostess offered to bring us menus in case we would prefer to eat at the bar. This was not palatable due to the size of our table and the cold air we felt whenever the door opened to the patio, so we opted to wait and ordered sangria and a margarita, which were both tasty.
Approximately 20 minutes later, without any communication in the meantime, we were finally seated in the main dining room which was half-full and given menus. It took an additional TWENTY MINUTES for the waiter to come over and check in with us. Our chips basket was empty, as were our drinks, and so we ordered our meal, another round of drinks and some water. Literally a HALF HOUR went by with no service! We caught the waiter's attention and asked him if we could please have at least our drinks, at which point he offered a half-sincere apology and mumbled something about getting our drinks "as soon as they were up". I looked at him and asked "Water too?" He immediately went and got three glasses of water and said that he had delegated the task and clearly it had not been done (nevermind that it's HIS TABLE and he is responsible for checking in with us).
The drinks arrived next and he offered us another insincere apology, not even making eye contact with us as he did so. (Poor form in my mind) Finally, a full HOUR & 15 MINUTES after we were seated, our food arrived. We were thankful to see it was hot, although mine was overdone (I ordered skewers of fish with vegetables; the fish was dry, the shrimp were mealy and overcooked, the tomatoes and onions were mushy, as if the food sat on the counter under a heat lamp for too long). We ate our food, asking TWICE for a fork (one table setting was missing one) and when we were ready to leave (and boy were we ready!) it took us another 20 minutes to flag him down for the check. In the meantime, we heard plenty of other tables ask to have their order taken.
I consider myself fairly understanding when it comes to restaurants having a bad day; however if there is no communication about this in a timely manner, it comes off seeming like they just don't care. It may be a while before I decide to subject myself to Abuelitas again because of this experience. -
Review from Tony A.
Redondo Beach, CA
3/29/2011
This is THE hang-out place in Topanga for those who wanna get buzzed at the bar, or for families and couples who want a quiet Mexican meal. It has pretty paintings, a quaint wooden room at the back, and a great patio in the woods. But the food is mostly mediocre and some of the bar folkl have a real problem smiling....having said that, it is pretty much the most fun place to be in Topanga after dark, especially when there are bands playing on Fridays and Saturdays (on those nights I would give it 4-5 stars).
The margaritas are pretty good, but the wine selection is not. If you are on a date, you might prefer Froggys up the road....
still, it is nice being in the woods when you've been sitting on the 405!
PS The steak fajitas are pretty tasty.
PPS It IS worth coming here for the GREAT location....frogs chirping in the creek 'n' all....so perhaps you can forgive if the service is a little hippie-esque? I certainly can!! -
Review from Fawn W.
Agoura Hills, CA
10/24/2011
Margaritas are the best. Absolutely love them here. The food is really good too but I really go for the margaritas...
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Review from Ed K.
Brentwood, CA
11/14/2011
I have been to this place last year several times just to get drunk basically so I was always kind of fond of this place and liked it a lot. Until I came in past sunday with my girlfriend.
we ordered some margaritas, which were very very good. I guess thats the only thing that's keeping that place alive.
besides the margaritas we asked the bartender to bring us some more salsa, after she promised to do so we waited another 10 minutes and asked another guy who brought us the first salsa and chips. he didn't bring us the salsa either.
I dont know who the owner of this place is and if he even cares that his customers are treated this way. I am not going there anymore thats for sure. just out of principle. -
Review from Rebecca F.
Los Angeles, CA
11/13/2011
I love this place! I don't know what everyone is talking about re: bad food??? We went last weekend on a Saturday night. I went with my husband and mom and we all loved our food! And the margaritas are top notch! The staff is all super friendly -- ok, maybe they are a little slow. But in Topanga Canyon, nobody is really in a hurry anyway! We just kicked back and ate and had our drinks and then around 10 PM, got to hear some nice live music. The place started to get packed around 11 PM with mostly locals listening to the music and dancing -- overall, a great place!!!
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Review from Michael S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/4/2010
I didn't experience the horrible service that other reviewers did. In fact, I found the staff quite attentive; I was seated and my order taken immediately, and the wait for the food itself was not unreasonable.
I ordered an enchilada and a taco combo plate. It arrived hot, but the food was completely bland. Very little flavor in the enchilada sauce, rice was undercooked (crunchy), and the "taco" was just meat piled on top of the thickest corn tortilla I've ever been served. It was more like a flatbread, and it was essentially raw, turning into cornmeal in my mouth.
All in all, not the worst service experience I've ever had, but certainly one of the worst "Mexican" food experiences this side of Taco Bell. -
Review from D G.
Los Angeles, CA
9/6/2010
Best to avoid this place.
The food is not deadly. It's not swimming in grease or likely to give you Abuelita's Revenge, but to call it just "ordinary" is way too kind. It's that all-too-common, bland, warmed over American-Mexican food you'd expect to only find in northern Ohio;
- Insipid fat grain "Spanish" rice,
- Bland (and lukewarm) refritos,
- Raw tasting corn tortillas,
- Pitiful, half-hearted sauces
- Thawed, prepack cuts of meat
- Smart and Final synthetic rubber jack cheese melted onto everything at the last minute....which is still another 10-15 minutes before the server brings it to the table.
The service, however, plummets far below ordinary into a range of oblivion that would be contemptible even for a soup kitchen servicing white collar criminals. 1hr15 to receive food that was cold for a party of six that was the FIRST group seated upon their 4pm opening. I don't really care if the greenhorn pretending to wait our table is capable of understanding how frequently she slighted the group, but the lack of hustle after it was brought to her attention just sank the ship. The worst part is I'm sure it's not JUST her fault. Top-down negligence ....The whole joint seems like it's just waiting for sundown when packs of rich, leather-faced hippies swarm in like vampires to an orphanage to get sloppy on margaritas and corona. At that point the food's purpose becomes clear; to soak up booze. -
Review from Danny m.
Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2011
I like this place, and I'dve given them three stars if i didn't feel that they were a tad too gourmetish. the quac is excellent, and the location in the canyon is great. Food wise, when it comes to mexican, I'm a purist, and i can go to a lot of dive/ hole in the wall places that can do a bit better.
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Review from Craig R.
1/26/2010
There aren't too many places in L.A. where you can sip a Corona next to a babbling creek, in a rustic, sycamore-shaded canyon with nary a hint of urban life within miles. Abuelitas distinguishes itself by having one of the best locals in the city with the most uninspired food.
I have dined here for lunch and dinner and the food is average at best and overpriced. Although the service is always very nice...they take FOREVER to refresh your drinks and check on you!
Great place for drinks after a hike but not recommended to impress a date. -
Review from Amanda S.
Northridge, CA
12/7/2009 11 photos
I've been meaning to try this place for like 3 years now, haha. Well, i finally got around to it. One of my good friends swears by this place and her and her boyfriend come here on a weekly basis. Well, in the past i used to absolutely despise Mexican Food and even the thought of it would make me feel sick (that's basically why it took me 3 years to finally getting around to trying this place out.) However, those days of hatred are behind me, and i've actually come to like [some] Mexican food now! I know, i'm pretty proud of myself too. :)
I can see where some of the other reviews are coming from. And all i have to say in response to them is HELLO, it's Topanga Canyon. Not Studio City. Aka, the service isn't going to be kissing your ass and catering to your every need. It's very chill, laid back, and you'd never know that the people who work here, work here, if they weren't wearing aprons around their waist. That's just the way it is, so get over it.
Haha, now that i got that out of my system, let's talk about the food, shall we? We decided to split a salad and an order of nachos. When looking at the menu, the Avocado Citrus Salad sounded pretty good, but when we got it, it was literally like a fruit salad on top of some spinach, haha. While it was still pretty delicious and fresh, it was just not exactly what we were expecting. The nachos, on the other hand, were seriously the best nachos i've everrrrr had. Oh my god, they were so good. The chips tasted SO fresh, and so did everything else they piled on these babies. It was absolutely delicious.
Aside from the food, the atmosphere of this place is so relaxing. You really do feel like you're eating at someones grandma's house, haha. The back deck is very nicely decorated an surrounddeddd by lots of trees and homemade wind chimes :). I could have easily sat in the back for hoursssss.
I have a feeling i'll be coming back here very soon (and often) just to get my nacho fix and enjoy the view. Muy bien, Abuelitas. A+.Listed in: Valleylicious
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Review from Louie M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/17/2011
This was my second time at this eatery, and this time it bombed like Hiroshima!
I was there to celebrate my good friend's bday and was sadly disappointed.
She and I had been there a month ago and it was perfect, with the exception of the typical grocery store "deli" guacamole.
I had forgotten how bad it was the first time, so I ordered it again, only to quickly remember the awful and "bad" tomatoes after taste that accompanied it.
We ordered the empanadas and that was just as disappointing, if not, regrettable. They were bland, tasteless and regretfully mediocre.
I ordered the "camarones negros" and this was the dish that sealed the nails on the coffin.
I don't even know where to begin with this smelly, gross and bland mess.
The black beans soon followed the line of destruction along with the lightly warm rice That could have used a fist full of salt.
Bday girl ordered the salmon which wasn't as disappointing as my dish, but nevertheless, bad for what she expected.
Place is OK as far as "little hidden creek" restaurant goes.
Overall, this will be the last time we visit this joint. -
Review from Erik R.
Chatsworth, CA
6/24/2010
Ok, used to love this place, but not so much anymore. You don't go here for the food....or the service. You go here to feel like you got out of LA for an hour or two and listen to the frogs croak over a few margaritas. Thats it.
Our last visit was awful, the service was disturbingly sloooooowww!! 10 minutes to get chips and salsa, 15 minutes for the server to come our table, finally, and ask "so....are you ready?". Like we've been holding her up! Of course we're ready, we've been sitting here the past 15 minutes wondering if you were ever gonna be ready. Anyways, I swear it was just her working the entire restaurant, or at least it seemed that way. So she took our order and the food came eventually and blah, blah, blah.
So, here is the real reason I will never drive my family all the way from Chatsworth, across the valley and up the hill, to dine their again. Towards the end of our meal our daughter was scampering around the patio and was completely intrigued by something for sure. As I zoned in on what was so captivating to her, I noticed she was looking at three RATS who were making a meal of the leftovers on the floor of the table that used to sit next to us. GROSS!
Now, I have worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years and run all sorts of different concepts so I am usually more understanding than most patrons. But RATS! no way!
My wife says "we're outside, it's in the canyon" etc.....but I know those suckers get inside. I know how hard it is to keep that "A" up on the front door, so don't try to tell me that rats stick to only outdoor feeding if they know they can get a free meal.
Can I prove anything? Nothing other than what I saw outside, but I will say that I don't trust Abuelitas anymore. So sorry, guess we'll stick to Sol y Luna or Las Fuentes until we can find another unique spot to sip margaritas.
**Note to GM or Owner: Call Ecolab and have them do a better job of servicing your patio** -
Review from Jason C.
Los Angeles, CA
8/8/2007 3 photos
What's the first thing you do after five margaritas? Three margaritas. Yes, my last visit to this lush Topanga hideaway was another success except when my friend disappeared and we thought maybe she decided to "take a nap" in a ditch somewhere. Good times. (She actually grabbed a cab without a word and poof! Hiccup.) Anywho, the patio is the place to park even if you have to wait. That's what the bar is for, correct? The menu is typical Mexican fare and most likely you won't write about it in your journal. It's good. It's not journal worthy good. This place is all about sitting outside next to the creek with friends, the trees and the knowledge if you wish to remain lost for a while, you're in the right part of the world.
Cheers to the staff. -
Review from Susie D.
Inglewood, CA
8/22/2010
I went to visit this place yesterday... It Totally Sucks!
The Service Sucks! Long wait in our food! The Waitrees we had "Raquel" was totally Rude and didn't have a personality at all! She Never came to check on our table. She even threw a straw at my friends drink. The food was cold.
My Cadallic Margarita was Great! The was the only thing I found food about this place. -
Review from Jamie V.
8/23/2009
Made the drive from the Valley to check this place out. Must explore more Mexican restaurants! Arrive at restaurant. Stand in front for (5) minutes before we get noticed by staff. As we get seated, we both notice what looks to be a bunch of under age Topanga hippy kids drinking at the bar. Interesting. No sign of any managers at this place. Just a bunch of teens doing what ever they want to.
We order drinks and food from waitress wearing tights, ugg boots, and rivets in face. OK, what ever. I'm not here to judge. "Here's some stale chips for you guys to munch on". Thanks.
Like (20) minutes goes by and we get a salad and drinks. Watered down margarita. No tequila as far as I can tell. Eat salad, drink drinks. No one clears table. As Huell Howser would say "Time has passed". Still no entrees. I figure we have been here close to an hour now.
Ask waitress what's up, she says food is coming! Sure. (15) minutes later we call it. Done. We hand the waitress some cash for the salad and margarita and head back to the Valley. They know who the locals are around here. We both really got the vibe that these people could care less about their customers that are not locals.Listed in: You are dead to me!
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Review from Tigran C.
West Hills, CA
7/2/2011
Found this place my chance driving down Topanga to get to the beach. The location and staff were great. The chips and salsa that came complimentary were great also but it ends there. I got the citrus avocado salad and it was really bad. My GF got the mahi mahi fish tacos and they smelled so damn fishy it was inedible. Altogether I wouldn't recommend this place at all.
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Review from Natalie G.
San Anselmo, CA
2/28/2007
If you go here expecting amazing food --- you will be sorely disappointed. If you come here expecting somewhat high prices for mediocre at best food but with a lovely atmosphere then go ahead. First things first --- there were tons of open tables outside to accommodate 2 people (by that I mean --- just two people..) yet we waited upwards of 20 minutes. Secondly artificially colored tortilla chips (especially in a place like Topanga Canyon) is a no go...they should never be a go..and the "salsa" was like a bland blended marinara sauce --- classy. When we got our food I was expecting some magic and all I got was this lousy meal...
Tamales de Mole with shredded chicken: The mole was decent-ish, the chicken was bland and shredded (at least it wasn't dry) --- but I can't say as much for the actual tamale (which ontop of being dry was also flavorless). A shrug..a serious freakin shrug.
Tinga Chimichanga: Shredded chicken..again..the tortilla didn't taste fried but was instead light and crispy so that was nice but it was served with a "chipotle sauce"..if that was chipotle then apparently I was wrong in thinking it chipotles had flavor.
When we were served hot sauce to help enhance our meal one of the bottles was given to us sans screw on top.
Parking is crap. The food is not worth my time or money. The bathroom was lovely though. I would go back for a drink and I would pick out the non-scary chips to eat with my "salsa" just for the atmosphere (creekside). -
Review from blackbird e.
Santa Monica, CA
7/25/2007
The outdoor seating is amazing and the food's good too. If you're anything like me, the inmersion de haba is the holy grail of antojitos: refried beans covered with cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos. It's a hell of a dip, folks. And my ass thanks the Lord above it's not any closer to home. Next time I'd like to try their empanadas. Going whole hog (oink) on the TexMexish options, I followed with their fajitas de pollo and was not disappointed.
They have a pretty full vegetarian menu, for those of you so inclined. http://www.abuelitastopa...
Although we had similar slow service issues, it didn't bother us as we were having a date night and didn't mind the slow pace. The beautiful stars and atmosphere were perfectly engaging.
