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El Coyote Mexican Cafe
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
7312 Beverly BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90036
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
(323) 939-2255
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
633 reviews for El Coyote Mexican Cafe
Review Highlights
"Love their atmosphere and great Scratch margaritas."
(in 30 reviews)
"I LOVE their green corn tamales & their guacamole."
(in 16 reviews)
"Ostrich tacos and Arroz con Pollo are my faves."
(in 13 reviews)
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633 reviews in English
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Review from Jorge O.
2/1/2012
This place was ok. The food was ok, nothing too amazing. I had combo #5 and my girl had an Ostrich burrito. It wasn't that the food wasn't good, it just was ok, something that I could get anywhere.
Now, the reason why this gets 3 stars is because the ambiance. There is a great feeling with this place, so it gets 3 stars, but the food is not amazing. The drinks are good, so if you're in the mood for a good cocktail, you'll be delighted. -
Review from Rudy B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2012
The food is horribly bland and ridiculously overpriced. The margaritas are just OK. It seems like the management all the way down to the waiters don't care anymore. El Coyote used to be a decent place to meet and eat - but that was back in the early 90s. No more...
The last straw for me was when I brought my visiting parents to El Coyote so they could experience "delicious" Mexican cuisine. I was humiliated at how bad the food and service were. The attitude from the snotty hag of a manager topped it off. My folks were trying to hide it but I could tell they were not enjoying the food or the restaurant at all. This was unusual for the parental units cuz they love great food & drink and trying new places. Ugh. Never again. What happened to you El Coyote?! -
Review from Kole M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/21/2012
I ate here Jan 14th. The atmosphere is neat. Our salsa came out scalding hot. It was literally too hot to eat and I had to wait for it to cool down. We got a decent chunky guacamole but nothing special. Tried to get horchata and the waitress looked at me like I was batshit crazy. Food selection was decent. Drinks were prompt. Chip refills required us to put the basket all the way at the edge of the table and very obviously look around for someone to come give us more.
When the food arrived, the plates were extremely hot for reasons I can't quite figure out. We didn't order seared food that required hot plates nor was the place so busy that things needed to sit under a heat lamp. I ordered the fish tacos. Definitely sub-par here. I didn't even finish them. I'm not even that picky about fish tacos normally- I will eat a Baja Fresh fish taco and be happy about it. Not so with this place. They were extremely bland.
Really, the only saving grace here was the atmosphere. If you want mexican, there are plenty of taco trucks around the city serving up far better fare than El Coyote.
To sum it all up:
Pros: atmosphere. valet parking. awesome refried beans.
Cons: worst salsa ever. below average food. inattentive staff. NO HORCHATA (yeah you read that right. I asked for it and the waitress told me "No. None of THAT sort of thing here.") -
Review from Jen T.
2/9/2012
Okay so I've been driving past this place for the last 3 years and never tried the place because I read so many mixed yelp reviews. But this past friday we finally decided to try this place because we had to catch a quick dinner since we were headed to the movies at the grove. We drove up and were expected a long wait due to the friday night crowds but we were seated right away. Score. The service was pretty quick we were given our drinks and chips and salsa. The reviews said that the food was overpriced but I thought it was pretty normal compared to other chain restaurants. I ordered a two taco combo which was only $9 or so. The dish came with my tacos, rice, beans and guacamole. Overall I really happy with the place. I think the only downfall is that they charge $3.50 for valet parking and you can't park in the neighborhoods in the area so your only option is to find street meter parking or do valet. So that's where they get you.
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Review from Elizabeth W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2012
The best reason to come here: the house margaritas. The food is rather mediocre but you don't come for the food, you come for the ambience and fun...the prices are low. There always seems to be a table free, even if it's crowded (and it usually is).
Crazy sad (not fun) fact: Sharon Tate had her last meal here before she was murdered by the Manson clan! (yes, it's true). -
Review from Dean D.
Burbank, CA
1/27/2012
Their food sucks, its generic bland unfulfilling Mexican food. Service is super super slow and they support Prop 8. Lame.
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Review from Mariakay C.
Los Angeles, CA
12/23/2011
OK I will admit I have always hated this place. I don't like their drinks (but I don't really drink alcohol anyway) and I always thought their food was sort of gross.
However, last night, the place won me over for a couple of reasons:
I went with a group that goes weekly, and they are a ROWDY, loud group that always sits in the same section. Their usual waitress wears Christmas lights on her skirt around the holidays which is worth seeing at least once. The place LOVES this group and the entire night felt like a lovefest which was kind of cool. It's also very Christmassy inside which was fun warm and festive!
The rice and beans are some of the best I've ever had - very salty if you're in the mood for that flavor. Carne Asada (which I split with a friend) was fatty, but pretty tasty.
Let me warn you though: If you want a quiet dinner don't go there on Thursday nights! -
Review from Audrey L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
I. Love. This place.
As a native Texan, I constantly crave the taste of Good Mexican food, so I'm always on the lookout for a great Mexican restaurant in LA. Sadly, there is no TexMex here, so sometimes there are cravings that go unfulfilled (queso, namely ).
That said, El Coyote rules. The valet is cheap, and finding meter street parking hasn't been a problem the times I've visited.
There seems to always be a free table, no matter what time you come. The place is a maze of varying sizes of rooms, and it feels like they keep multiplying every time I come back.
The chips are tasty and they keep them coming. The margaritas are good and a sneaky kind of strong.
Then, the enchiladas. I don't even know what to say besides: the enchiladas verdes are easily the best I've had since I left Texas.
All in all the chill atmosphere, easy-ish parking, and incredibly affordable good-tasting meals keep this place pretty high on my rotation. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that the last few times I went, my servers tended to disappear. One time we were seated in a hard-to-see corner booth, and we didn't get to order for over 45 minutes. Luckily, we weren't in a rush, but just be aware if it's busy, you may need to wave your arms around to get somebody's attention. -
Review from Tricia R.
Park La Brea, CA
12/10/2011
I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. El Coyote has been a family tradition since my grandmother frequented their original location on First Street.
Their food is now some of the worst mexican in Los Angeles. Wouldn't meet the standards required in prison. They don't even make their own guacamole anymore. So raunchy, I don't think I can ever come back. It was shocking that they would send plates out like that.
Still can't beat the prices on drinks, but now that I'm a teetotoler, it just doesn't matter anymore. Can't smoke on the patio anymore, either.
This is a case for Kitchen Nightmares.
So so sad. I really hope they turn it around. -
Review from Kim S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/22/2012
Had dinner here with my friend because she loves his place. The food is ok. I have had better Mexican food.
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Review from Matt H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/23/2012
Dear El Coyote,
I keep going back, and you keep letting me down. The service seems to be getting worse, slower. Our server would disappear for 20 min at a time. Last night the chips tasted like the plastic bag back I'm sure they came in, the guacamole tasted like mixture of nothing and green food dye and I asked 3 times for a side of sour cream which never came, but I was charged for it. El Coyote is always hit or miss on food and service, but seems to more of a consistent "miss" at this point. Dinner for 2 with 1 drink each = $60 bucks, should be pretty damn good Mexican for that price. Time to kick it up a notch El Coyote. -
Review from Tia M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/24/2011
I believe the ethos of good writing dictates that you put your biases right up front when writing any document - so here goes: I drove all the way from DTLA to El Compadre's West Hollywood only to find that they were closed for construction. Desperate and confused, we were hard-pressed to find an alternative suitable for those tasty carnitas and addictive flaming margaritas. I was lost. Do we go to the Griddle, Counter, try something new with Short Order, drive down Melrose and see what happens? My dining companion recommended El Coyote because they are just short drive down La Brea.
So- - - we walk in and to the left I notice a very kitschy Christmas display. There is so much stuff its hard for your eyes to focus on just one little ornament or decoration. Colorful and cute, but perhaps a bit much. Inside the restaurant is a bit dark with more decorations and Mexican art pieces.
Chips and salsa are huge at a Mexican restaurant. The chips were good. We were served two salsas - one warm and the other cool. The warm salsa reminded me of tomato sauce that should be served with al dente penne pasta. The cool salsa (the very nice waitress called it picante salsa but it wasn't very spicy) was better but I didn't fall in love with it either.
The carnitas plate, at about $11, was a deal - but it lacked the salty, crunchy roasted flavor I love about El Compadre's version. Rice and beans. And a little gauc and pico de gallo on the side. The shredded beef tacos were ok. I didn't eat the shell.
For me, the food lacked the necessary flavor. There wasn't really a wow factor to any of the items I tried. The patron margarita was ok but it was a bit bland as well. Fortunately the sweet and sour didn't over-power the drink, but it still wasn't quite what I was looking for. -
Review from Kate V.
Studio City, Los Angeles, CA
1/7/2012
Very good food and drinks for a good price
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Review from larry r.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
This place has been here forever. Love their atmosphere and great Scratch margaritas. The food is good but some differ about that. But, not about this place being an Iconic LA restaurant. If you have more than 2 margaritas don't expect to do much but sleep afterwards.
4 stars for being one-of-a-kind! -
Review from Karolina K.
Mid-City West, Los Angeles, CA
11/8/2011
Oh my - worst Mexican ever. Bland bland bland.
Service was good- I have a feeling they bring out an endless supply of salsa and nachos to compensate for the very tasteless food.
Really wanted to like this place, because it's just round the block from me - but sadly I wont be going back. -
Review from Allison M.
Culver City, CA
11/10/2011
I love this place for it's food & nostalgia. It's been here forever, and the inside looks like a scene from a 70's Mexican movie. All the waitresses are dressed in formal Mexican dresses that are bright and colorful.
I would recommed the chicken enchiladas and tostada, they are delicious!
Margaritas are great too.
I've been coming here for years and always have a fun time! The people watching is really cool inside too! -
Review from Vanna C.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
10/25/2011
We only came here because Canter's was closed. We drove around trying to find a place to fill our stomachs and decided that the bright signs of El Coyote looked somewhat promising. Parking was tricky, so we ended up going valet. We were given a booth in a corner and had little to no leg and arm room. We ordered the nacho appetizers which basically was tortilla chips with sparse shredded cheese on top. I don't even really remember what I ordered, I believe it was one of the combo plates - taco and enchilada. No wow factor about it.
The service was ... blah, drinks weren't refilled, napkins weren't provided, and plates weren't cleared.
We don't go to LA often but I'm sure there are much better Mexican restaurants options out there. -
Review from Sarah S.
West Hollywood, CA
11/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I realized earlier this week when I came, that I've been coming here for 22 years. Still looks exactly the same! Food's the same too. It's really more of an experience than a place to go for good mexican food. They do have the BEST green corn tamales though and I enjoy the scratch margaritas & good prices. I try to stick with vegetarian dishes green corn tamales & chile rellenos here because the meat, especially steak, tends to be overcooked and tough.
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 5 stars -
Review from Michael, S.
Los Angeles, CA
9/20/2011
Possibly the worst Mexican food ever.
Why?
1)No lime juice in their Michelada. Rose's? Are you serious? No limes??
2) You can often judge a Mexican place by it's salsa and the table salsa here tastes like bad marinara.
3) We have chips, we have salsa, and we have eggs, but sorry, we don't do chilaquiles.
4) Yep, those chiles are from a can. Probably a big one with a generic label.
This place is a disaster unless you're really into cheap margaritas made with crappy mix and cos play. Disgusting. -
Review from Justin B.
Santee, CA
9/23/2011
This place is NASTY! The salsa tastes like watery death and the margaritas are no different. The staff is far from friendly and the service is sub-par. The ingredients are obviously fresh from a can and do nothing to arouse the palate. It boggles my mind how it's managed to stay open as long as it has, but I suppose they manage to squeak by due to their low prices and nostalgia factor.
For my money, I'd keep driving. There are plenty of Mexican options here in LA and there's nothing special about this one. -
Review from Tiffany B.
Long Beach, CA
12/28/2011
This is THE WORST MEXICAN FOOD EVER!!!!!!! My friend and I went there with a huge need for Mexican food and delicious salsa. Unfortunately, we left there with a huge need for Mexican food and delicious salsa. When the salsa was served, it was steaming hot... I mean literally steaming, and tasted bitter and gross. My burrito tasted like lard and bland rice, my sauce on my friends enchilada tasted tike glycerine sludge, I'm not kidding when I tell you this food was almost inedible, our server on the other hand was quite pleasant...
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Review from Ryan S.
Beverly Hills, CA
12/28/2011
This place is SO authentic!
The food is amazing and the atmosphere is so vintage old Hollywood it's not even funny. The service is so nice and the food comes so fast. I love the skinny girl margarita and the nachos. This place is a sure win. I would give 5 stars but it is a bit dirty. It is kind of like a Mexican Benhinana - old Hollywood good food but aging place. -
Review from Steve C.
Mid Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA
12/13/2011
Okay, I've been here a million times and it's a struggle to keep it down to 2-3 times a month. The margaritas are the BEST in town (think twice before you have a third drink or you might have to sleep it off). The food, not so much, but the poppers are good and then I stick with 3-4 favorites that are decent. Contrary to some other reviews, I think the prices are very reasonable. Just keep you food expectations low and you'll love the place, too.
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Review from Sherry V.
11/29/2011
Strawberry Margaritas were DE-LICIOUS. Service was good. The decor around the restaurant was eclectic and fun. The food was okay- I ordered the chicken fajitas. The rice was tasty and chicken was surprisingly not dry. I just am in shock how much my bill w/ tax and tip came out to though. $27 and that was w/ 15% tip. Just doesn't seem to be worth it to me. A $20 dollar meal seems more appropriate. I guess it's still a nice place to drop by to have yummy margaritas with your friends.
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Review from Sharr K.
7/4/2011
I don't know what it is about this place that I keep coming back. Maybe I don't speak up to my friends when I should or is it that the place looks happenin' just by the overflow of crowds at night. Yet I always get suckered into going there and leave the place kinda feelin' empty (emotionally).
It's always at the spur of the moment when we go. We always have to wait inside that little cove in the front. I find myself looking at the displaycase behind the bench, prob the most interesting thing worth looking there. We sat at the bar while waiting a couple of times. Busy, busy, busy....always packed. The restaurant layout is crazy too it's like a maze walking in there. There's an outside patio (but it's inside), there's a left wing and a right wing that goes all the way to the back and then there's a bar in the front. The waitresses are always wearing traditional mariachi dresses, pretty festive I like looking at them.
I usually order the carnitas combo with corn tortilla. I would say the food is average and not too crazy about their salsa. For some reason we keep munching on them, prob out of boredom and it's just there. My friend ordered ostrich once and he said it was good.
They only valet there unless you can find parking two blocks away. The atmosphere is prob the best and obviously food is not the main attraction here.Listed in: Date Spots, In and around WeHo...
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Review from Brian T.
Phoenix, AZ
6/30/2011
This is the absolute worst Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. Even when Mexican food wasn't great elsewhere, I would have never described it as BLAND! These were simple tacos with virtually no spices that I could taste. The salsa was not up to par and it was hot--as in heated. I've had better Mexican food at taco stands outside of bars in Phoenix.
Service was below average. The food took a bit too long, we had to ask for refills and we had to ask for our check three times.
No working lock on the men's bathroom stall and no paper towels. -
Review from Renee V.
Los Angeles, CA
6/24/2011
In the words of Sid P, "El-Suck-ote!" It sucks here! Really it does. If you have any palate for GOOD food you will not subject yourself to the inferior food served here.
Do not be deceived by the hype. This place is not delicious in any way shape, or form.
THE ONLY THING I WILL GIVE THIS PLACE IS THE DRINKS. They have decent drinks...probably to get you drunk enough to swallow their slop.
I wasted $50 on the food here. Just kicking myself for wasting that money on such disgusting food. Will never go back. -
Review from Kimberly F.
Los Angeles, CA
9/6/2011
This restaurant is one of my LA faves. Love the fact that it has been around for 80 years...I prefer historic LA haunts as opposed to new & shiny douche bag hang outs.
Service is great. The servers are always friendly & attentive, sometimes going the extra mile. The margaritas really pack a punch, after 2 I'm usually feeling a bit fuzzy on the inside! :-)
The food is good but not the best. Their salsa is hit or miss...some days tastes better than others (I prefer El Compadre's).
Overall it's great for the atmosphere, history & drinks! -
Review from Sid P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/20/2011
El Suck-ote.
Enough said. -
Review from meli g.
Studio City, CA
9/18/2011
El Coyote is one of my all-time favorite eating establishments. Despite the tricky parking, you most likely have to valet. Everything is wonderful about El Coyote: the small, kitschy casita makes it feel intimate as the seats are always full, making for a fun, party-like atmosphere. The prices are affordable and the servings are HUGE! The shredded chicken in the Tostada is one of my favorite dishes and the guacamole is smooth but totally satisfying. Never had a problem with the service either, they're great. Margie, the owner does a great job with her staff, this place is top notch!
And it goes to show since the place is always crowded and been around for 80 years. Ole! :) -
Review from Georgia P.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2012
This place is a quick Mexican food fix. If your craving tacos or burritos this is a okay place to eat. It's always super packed in here, typically you wait 10-15 mins for a table. If you sit in the far left corner of the restaurant you will have a Hispanic woman, who is middle aged( right next to the bathrooms) who hates white people. I've heard her use the word gringos to her coworkers several times. This waitress is a bitter, middle aged woman who has a lot of transference on white people. The owner is really nice, and was apologetic to us. Really unprofessional staff here. I've sat in other parts of this place and most of the servers are really burned out and super tired, but the food is a quick Mexican fix. Honestly there is more authentic Mexican out here, don't waste your money on poor service! I gave them several times to redeem there poor service, and still after several times i have eaten here, they are always cranky.
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Review from Tiffany W.
Irvine, CA
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food here is not great. In fact, last time I went, I ordered a bean and cheese burrito and it was cold. Where's my melting cheese?! And every time I go here, the food gets worse.
With that being said, you shouldn't really go here to eat. You go to drink and hang out with friends. Food comes into play once the margaritas start flowing. And they're good! Snack on the chips and salsa and hopefully by the time you get your meal you'll be too drunk too care how it tastes. Think of the food as an alcohol sponge.
Put things in perspective, and you'll enjoy El Coyote. :) -
Review from Anthony P.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2011
I live near this restaurant and have driven by it many times. Last night I decided to come here and see what the deal is. The ambiance is relaxing and casual. There's a lot of decor and the place has character. The service isn't anything special, my waitress wasn't all that friendly and she made us feel a little rushed. As for the food (the most important part), well, it's nothing special. The food is 3 stars at best. Not bad, but definitely not great. So, will I come back again? Probably not. I'd rather goto El Compadre on Sunset which has better ambiance, food and service. El Coyote is reasonably priced though, so I suppose that's a plus.
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Review from Andy T.
Miami, FL
10/27/2011
This used to be my "go to" mexican place in LA. It had good margaritas , good food, and a good vibe. NOW, it's just simply SHIT.
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Review from Emi O.
Long Beach, CA
11/21/2011
Love this place. It's my go to place whenever I have a craving for Mexican food. They have great parking space. I love sitting in their outdoor space. They have a full bar with great margaritas! The staff is friendly, the women wear these nice traditional dresses. I recommend the Enchilda Howard. It's so yums!
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Review from Rhonda S.
Studio City, CA
6/30/2011
I went here for the first time last weekend with girlfriends. Though it was a Friday night and pretty crowded, we were seated in about 20 minutes. We were greeted immediately by our waiter who took our drink orders and we had our food within 15 minutes.
The food is to DIE for! This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever been to. I ordered the chile relleno and cheese enchilada combo, with carnitas added. Everything was seasoned to perfection, including the beans.
Beware of the margaritas. They are delicious and pack a mean punch! ;) -
Review from Ryan A.
Pasadena, CA
10/11/2011
Food was horrible attempt. Server made three mistakes on our orders. When we finally got out meals, they were cold. I approached the manager, who ignored me and didn't even apologize. I wouldn't go here. You'll get better service and food at hole-in-the-wall spots around LA.
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Review from Josefina M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was ok
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Review from John N.
Fountain Valley, CA
4/13/2011
So because some twat on the hills made this place famous to non locals, it's crowded with little kids wanting to catch a glimpse of the plastic piece and the ....
Averaging out the drinks with the disgusting mess they call food, the dude guesses this is 3 star joint. Margaritas will knock you on ur ass and leave u wondering who stole your rug, which ties the room together while the food will keep u out of trouble with the cops.
Now we're the bowling alley. -
Review from Jose A.
6/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
went with a group of 7 for my sisters bday. Unfortunately they dont take reservations, but when we arrived it was only about a 10 minute wait for a table. It fell on a monday which was cool since we noticed it was margarita monday when we went. The margaritas are usually around $9 but on Monday they are only $4.50.
The service was good and friendly. I had the carnitas plate which ended up being rather large and tasty. My brother had a cesar salad which he said was surprisingly good for a mexican joint. Everyone else also enjoyed their food.
So for 7 people, 5 of which had 2 margaritas each, the total came to around ~$120. For only $20 a person we got a huge plate of food and a couple margaritas that gave a nice buzz. We all had a nice time and would enjoy coming back.
Hasta la proxima El Coyote...
