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Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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This place is YUMMY! Great place to dine-in. Very laid back and the servers were attentive and relentlessly refilling your drinks, chips and salsa. Inside, plenty of nostalgic images and cool decorations.
The food are well cooked and according to our taste buds, they were prepared with fresh ingredients. Well portioned so I suggest to take it easy with the fresh chips and salsa. The Chicken Tortilla Soup was WOW! On par with Pancho's in Manhattan beach. The papaya salad and carne asada plate made our tummy very happy.
Good place to hang-out with friends, family and kiddos.
Parking was somewhat difficult but it's alright.
Highly recommend!
Loved Loved this mexican joint! It had a great feel and the food was amazing. The Sweet mash potato tacos were something I will crave for a long time... really YUMMY! The margaritas were made the RIGHT WAY and went down to fast! :)
Service was impeccable... salsa was good and everyone's food was superb. A definite MUST! Too bad I live too far to visit this place more often!
I DO AGREE with them HAVING the BEST MARGARITAS!!! And sitting outside is alot of fun
oh and do not forget to KISS THE FISH!
I've been coming here for years with friends (mostly just my friend Alison after a beach day) to get margaritas...
luckily after a few drinks, the food is better. It's just not the best mexican food ever. That's the truth. It's fine and I still continue to go back, but I'm not amazed everytime I'm there.
Go for happy hour to get cheaper margaritas and some 1/2 price apps. If you want better mexican food... travel north on PCH for a few miles to Teresa's at El Segundo Blvd. in El Segundo. I've reviewed them too on here. They've got a great happy hour too and pitchers are $14 and fill 4 glasses! That's pretty cheap and you don't have to sit at the bar to get deals (like you do at most restaurants and at the Riviera... whew... almost forgot I was supposed to be reviewing the Riv.)
Cheers to margaritas and mediocre food. Hey, they do have Starbursts in the dish when you walk in. That brings it up from 4 to 4.5.
Hands down, this is one of my favorite restaurants on the planet. I have tried a number of things on the menu and ALL have been delicious. Regardless of the entree, it all starts with fresh chips and salsa. Yum. Next comes the blended Margarita (with salt). Best Margi around!
I could stop here and be completely content and happy but it gets even better!! My favorite at the moment is the chicken burrito. It is pretty much two meals in one. It has all the necessities...grilled chicken, guacamole, black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese and red sauce. All it takes is one bite of this sucker and you will obsessed with this place.
This is hands down some of the best (decently priced) mexican food I've yet to find.
I can go healthy *shocking I know* with their blue corn cactus salad which is to die for...or go all out hog wild starting with their sampler (the tacquitos are my personal fav)....regardless you won't be let down.
Margaritas here are pretty killer.
Just come prepared for a bit of a wait
Really good carne asada anything. Good fish tacos. good margaritas, actually, this is probably the only place i ever had them but they're still very good. A for food, D+ for decor and paint colors
Healthy Mexican food. Big portions. Fair prices.
Fun and funky decor. Surfboards, photos, trinkets from Mexico and Hawaii.
Christmas lights and dangling mobiles from the ceiling with the boards.
Margarita by the pitcher!!!! Perfect place to bike ride to from Manhattan Beach for dinner, stuff my face, and then head home without feeling like a fat ass.
I was visiting from out of town and had no idea where to go for decent Mexican food. I was considering heading to El Torito because it overlooked the Ocean, but was concerned about going to a chain restaurant when I knew there had to be better options in the area. Thanks to fellow Yelpers, my husband and I had a great dinner at Riviera. The margarita's were OK, not the best as claimed, they were watered down and small. The location was not as beautiful as the ocean, but the food was super and I really enjoyed the live music outside. The restaurant is small and I was surprised to encounter a wait on a Monday night, but overall we had a very enjoyable experience.
i went there for happy hour and took some friends with me, we were all fascinated with their famous margaritas!!! we had a good time.
the staff was wonderful and very attentive.
our food was delicious!!!!!
Had lunch here on a gorgeous perfect beach Friday afternoon. I love the outdoor seating area even though I clearly didn't get the memo that it would be full of Mommies and Babies with their f**king strollers blocking every single walkway for me, the other patrons, and the waitstaff. Argh! Nonetheless the staff was very friendly and accommodating. They even came out and put an extra umbrella over our table - came out and jammed it into the flowerbed - to provide extra shade. The food came out quick... i only got a beef taco which was good, but then I even got to try to try the lobster quesadilla. Now that my friends was delicious... full of lobster meat and cheese and served with a huge helping of sour cream, guac, and yummy mango salsa. I recommend that for myself next time! They have their own parking lot and the prices are reasonable. Must return.
In a word: phenomenal. Riviera is usually my first stop once I get off the plane from SF. Every out of town guest that comes home with me eats at least once per trip at Riviera because it embodies everything that is wonderful about Southern California: friendly people, delicious food and gorgeous surroundings.
The food is my ideal Mexican fare: light yet tasty, generous with the cheese and avocado. Riviera also holds the remarkable distinction of concocting my favorite non-cheese dish. How are "favorite" and "non-cheese" in the same sentence, you ask? Enter the mashed potato taco, the ultimate in portable comfort food.
My second favorite menu item has to be the margarita whose equal I have yet to find in the Northern half of the state. Careful how many you have though; I find it difficult to get up from the bar stool after just a half of one.
Finally, these have to be the friendliest servers on the face of the earth (not bad looking either). When I'm not going table to table looking at the surfing photos (which tends to creep out other diners) I'm usually chatting with one of the staff, who look like they just came from a surfing themed toothpaste commercial (and I'm not complaining). Never had to ask for anything here; San Francisco restaurants should take a cue.
Nice service, fun place....probably a good place to drink a few too many margaritas. But, my fish in the fish tacos was overcooked and dry. Probably a healthy thing to eat but that's about it.
There are two reasons I trek down from the marina to this place: First, the Lobster Quesadilla; Second, the Baja Fish Tacos. That GD Lobster Quesadilla is probably the best I've ever had... it's stuffed with lobster, melted, flavorful cheese, and comes with a mango salsa, guac, and sour cream. You must try this for yourself.
Tacky decor but delicious food! This place has a lot of character with its colorful decorations and nick knacks but the food and service speaks for it self. Our group of 6 came to Riviera after moving all morning and we were all famished. The service was very attentive and their bus boys were eager to refill our drinks and or chips and salsa. Our waitress was very pleasant and had a smile from ear to ear.
We started off with cervezas and their garlic mashed potato tacos. I was weary when we ordered it but when they came out I couldn't get enough! Crispy shell outside and soft warm mashed potato on the inside served with their tomatillo salsa....so good!
I ended up ordering their three item combo with two crispy carnitas tacos and one ground been enchilada. Everything was very tasty and was served piping hot. Everyone in my party was completely satisfied with their food and it was obvious we were all hungry because we stopped talking and our plates were cleaned off!
I've walked past this restaurant for 4 years on my way to Coffee Bean every morning.
Yesterday i finally stopped in, late afternoon, for some nachos.
I do like Tex-Mex, but I was seriously underwhelmed by the food. I had a choice of refried or black beans, and I went with the healthier version of black beans. But the beans were on the bottom, and they were whole. The entire first layer on the plate was the black beans. The next layer was colored chips....those red and green and blue things, all full of dye or food coloring or whatever it is. I can live without the extra additives in my food, please.
OK, next layer was the melted cheese, but it was pale yellow cheese without much flavor.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
There was a scoop of tasty guac on the top, that was the highlight of the meal.
The peppers were cold, in a bowl on the side.
Overall this was my least fave plate of nachos in recent memory. Just did not have much taste, and was a real mess to eat cuz of the whole beans on the bottom.
Nachos were 7 bucks, and my Coors draft was 3 bucks. Ample for the money, but not good enough to bring me back a second time.
My plan was to try a couple more dishes at this place before writing my review, because there are interesting selections on the menu......like shrimp tacos dinner (13.50, not cheap). And there are some lobster dishes too, and I love lobster. I hear their fish tacos are good, also.
But dangit, I don't think I can bring myself to go back a second time after the disappointing nachos. Cuz if I don't like a simple dish like their nachos, I don't think I am gonna like the fancier stuff either.
I did award 3 stars, which is really 2 and a half. One star is for the quirky decor (see my photos) which I really liked. Another star for awesome service.....prompt, attentive, & friendly.
With Mexican food, just like with pizza, it seems everyone has different taste. Riviera Grill is very popular, always crowded, and has been voted best Mexican food in local reader polls. So what's to some people's liking simply does not work for others......is my opinion. Different strokes for different folks.
Such is life.
This place has some amazing food, but I can see why some people don't give it 4 or 5 stars. If you have only been there once, there is a chance you didn't get one of the 5 star items. The fish tacos are top notch. I'm also a big fan of the carnitas and lobster taquitos. If you catch them on the special menu, the crab quesadillas and lobster enchiladas are also outstanding.
I wasn't real impressed with the burritos and chimichangas. Both are heavy on rice and lacking meat.
Some other intangibles that earned them 4 stars for me are the service, drinks(try to find a better jack and coke), patio and the chips and salsa while you're waiting to be seated.
Okay so the inside looks like Diego Riviera and Freida Kahlo decorated but I loved it and the character that this restaurant had! My newbie 21 year old wanted to stop and have a drink on the way home from LAX so we decided to make a pit stop in Redondo Beach. Kiddo had the banana margarita, sister had a virgin margarita (non-drinker and driver) and I had a margarita on the rocks. They were awesome and strong-just like the men I like! I proceeded to polish off the chips and salsa so I wasn't really hungry but Kiddo had Siesta Mares soup and my sister had crab enchiladas. I tried the soup and it was really good! Full of seafood and flavor! It was a pleasant way to start my So. CA weekend with the family and I would definetly come back when I am driving from LAX.
delicious food. generous portions. reasonably price margaritas. no complaints.
Every time I've been recently, the food is really average and the service is slow.
My wife and I have been here a bunch of times over the years. We usually don't make reservations, we just go, have a drink at the bar while we wait for our table...
Upside, food is good, not great, but good... especially for the money. The service has always been wonderful, the staff is great!
Downside, parking isn't the greatest... either on the street (if you can find a spot) or in the parking lot that has about 8 spaces near the entrance... the decor is atrocious... it's like Willy Wonka decorated it... and not in a good way. There's a full bar, but I think margaritas deserve to be served in a margarita glass, or something of the same volume... I ordered a margarita rocks/salt and it came to me in a tiny rocks glass...
So, bottom line, foods good, it's worth it... despite the drawbacks.
I'll keep on going.
I'm leaving my rating the same, but just wanted to let readers know I was contacted by someone who represents himself as the owner/manager/somehow related to management of the restaurant. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
This is from Steve O. and was emailed to me in two separate personal messages on February 2, 2009:
"Since your critique of our restaurant in March of last year I have pondered over and over again whether I should have responded or not to your complete unfairness. I have read your comments on other establishments with interest since then and I have come to realize that you are unprofessionally harsh.As a family owned reataurant we try extremely hard to keep our quality of service and food as high as possible overseeing all aspects of the restaurant. I know very well of the incident that you are speaking about in regard to a "roach" that you thought you observed walking across a booth. If you had inquired you would have discovered that at the time we had a swarm of black beetles (or stink bugs as they are sometimes called) in our flower beds on our patio. In fact, the exterminator informed us that because of the weather at the time the entire south bay had a huge problem as was evident in our yard at our house. That is what you saw!!
To continue.... Children such as yourself should not have so much power as to hurt hard working men and women who have tremendous responsibility not only to their customers but to their employees. Perhaps you feel you could own a restaurant and do it better?? You whine about service, menu etc. No one should have to endure your unfair scrutiny. You need to get a life and do something constructive instead of being in the business of hurting others.These are difficult economic times... we all do our best. The day you own a restaurant is the day that you can BEGIN to have the expertise to critique one!!"
My response to him:
"Hi Steve,
Thank you for your attention to my review. It's good to know that you are perusing honest opinions about your restaurant in order to learn about what your customers are thinking. Most restaurant owners/managers usually respond to reviews such as these inquiring about the situation and wanting to know how to better improve their business to serve their customers. Obviously, that's not something that you wish to do.
Some concerns I have are:
1) It's odd that you waited 11 months to respond to my review.
2) You're telling me what I saw when you weren't even there, nor did you ask me to describe in detail what it was I saw.
3) I changed my review from 5 stars to 3 stars. Most of my review was positive and complimented the food. In fact, I had returned to the restaurant after someone took me there because I thought it was good! You have other reviews on there that are 3 or less, so I'm just wondering if you've contacted those reviewers as well in the same fashion. I will ask them to find out.
4) These are difficult economic times, but that review was written almost a year ago, when the state of the economy was definitely not where it is now.
5) Furthermore, what confuses me more is your statement about, "The day you own a restaurant is the day that you can BEGIN to have the expertise to critique one!!" Well, I don't think the thousand of other Yelpers on here own restaurants, so this entire site must be a sham.
I did want to let you know that I'll be posting your response on an update to my review. I again want to let you know that I do appreciate you taking the time to read my review, it's just unfortunate that you choose to attack my review, rather than ask me in more detail what was wrong or to even point out the fact that most of the review was positive.
I wish you well in the business and hope that you're more open to receiving information and critiques in person than you are through the Internet.
Regards,
Ming-Jou C."
UPDATE: Went there for dinner, and saw a roach walking along the edge of the booth. Gross. Since I'm… Read more »
I like their grilled fish tacos. I think it's decent. Nice white meat fish pieces are thick and not falling apart. Their service is good and people are friendly.
I went back there for lunch a couple of days ago, and had the same grilled fish tacos. But this time it was a bit soggy...and it was not like how I remembered, hmmm... I guess I could give another try sometime...
I like their outdoor table setting and margaritas, of course. :)
"Great margaritas, quality ingredients, friendly staff, occasional live music, beachy ambience"
As most people point out, this isn't what you'd call "traditional" Mexican fare, whatever that means. But if you're looking for some Tex-Mex style food that's tasty and on the healthier side, you've arrived.
I'm a big margarita fan and theirs are almost always the best I get from any local restaurant, but I think it depends on who makes them as sometimes they're either really strong or weak. A pitcher of Cadillac will run you around $27 or so, but they're worth it.
I've had a myriad of dishes here, but I pretty much go for the margs and the grilled fish tacos. I suggest corn tortillas, but that's a personal selection. These are the best grilled fish tacos in the area.
Certain nights of the week they have live entertainment out on the patio. We like going on Monday nights to listen to Paul play live. He's a Dave Matthews-ish acoustic guitar player with a good voice and some nice originals.
This is one of my favorite local joints.
Grilled mahi taco is their best dish. You get a huge piece of fish with fresh salsa and black beans - I get it everytime I go.
I'll probably need another visit here to get a feel for what Riviera is all about, but the first visit was good.
The chips and salsa are a nice touch in the waiting area, but I would probably stay away from the "communal" salsa after seeing a kid stick his finger in it. Eewww.
I tried the shrimp stuffed into a green pepper. Something you don't always see on the menu, so I decided to give it a try. The shrimp had a nice fresh texture and the heat of the pepper is a good combination.
Seeing what other were eating, this place is worth another visit. What is surprising is for a cramped small space, you don't feel confined in the outdoor patio.
Service was OK, but they seemed a little short on staff the day I went.
Busy place, drink specials, and great Margaritas (i suggest a pitcher or two and a DD for the trip home). The fish tacos and black beans are great! Sometimes there is live music (a guy and his guitar go through his entire repertoire 2 times an hour) If you can tolerate a few lame songs, but a guy trying his best, some great food, drinks and sometimes a crowd, this is the place..
Top reasons I like Riviera and will be back again and again: good cadillac margaritas at a fair price, good food at a fair price, fun atmosphere and friendly service. For me, this place does exactly what a good restaurant should do. They provide good food at fair prices with good service...and they have a nice funky atmosphere! (feels like a Mexican restaurant you'd find in Austin, Texas) It's no wonder this place is often packed with loyal customers such as myself. I did not go a full 5 stars because while the food is very good, I would not call it excellent. Overall, the Riviera is one of the true standout restaurants in Redondo Beach and it is well worth a visit if you live in the area.
The food is always excellent here. It isn't traditional Mexican food but it is clean and tasty. The appetizer combo is fuckin' tizight! Mini tacos with mashed potatoes! What! Love it! They have great fish everything and a really great chimichurri salad. There used to be a waiter there, short man, big smile. He was probably the best waiter in the South Bay. I have not seen him lately though, I wish you luck sir.
*ATMOSPHERE: It's a family-friendly Mexican restaurant. They have lots of beach/surfing pictures and memorabilla, a fish tank, and a casual atmosphere. You know the feel- like a Red Robin or Chilis or Rubios. There is space inside and outside and a long bar (though no 'standing room' in the bar really). They have a seating area inside and out to sit at while you wait for your table and they always bring chips and salsa to you there! Nice way to start the night and not just stand around awkwardly.
* FOOD & DRINK: My oh my, this is where they shine. My boyfriend & I get the same thing every time: Corona Beach Fish Tacos!!! Actually, I'll get one of the Corona Beach ones (the beer battered kind) and one of the grilled fish ones just to keep it from getting to heavy.
I also always get a margarita- house margarita, on the rocks. Strong and never overly sweet with that feeling on your teeth like you just had a sugary lemonade!
You can get beans, rice, or 'salad' on the side. I totally recommend the salad as one of your choices. It is not lettuce salad, but instead this crunchy, tangy, light salad with cabbage and such. Trust me- try it instead of just the regular bean & rice choice sometime.
* NOTE: There is parking in the front but the most space is the full lot behind the restaurant. Free too!
yep, their lobster quesadillas are awesome! Stuffed full of tender lobster chunks with three kinds of cheese, served with a mango/papaya salad and guacamole. My friend orders it every single time she comes here. I think I may do the same whenever I'm in town!
Great during the day to sit on their patio. They have a live acoustic guitarist playing Jack Johnson-type ditties. Very relaxing and great to have lunch and margies on the rocks.
I think I've been to this restaurant 3-4 times now so I feel ready to finally write this review. The first time I went there I had some tropical chicken salad with fruit and it was ok, the second time I went there I only had blended frozen margaritas out on the patio, the third time my dish wasn't stand out so all I recall was how good the tropical iced tea was. This last time I had the veggie burrito (wet/with cheese) I gorged myself on the chips and salsa so I was only able to eat a fraction of my burrito but I liked the cheese on top and that the wet sauce was actually 3 different sauces. Nice touch!
My overall opinion of this place is that it's too chaotic. The decor is wacky and a bit much for me, it's loud, there are kids all over the place and the food is just average and a bit overpriced. HOWEVER, the staff is on point and always right there when you run out of salsa or ice tea. I guess for me it's a good go to spot for margaritas, chips and salsa, but I'd rather dine elsewhere.
Decent Mexican food. VERY GOOD grilled fish tacos, but everything else was just OK. The service was decent--don't come here expecting amazing Mexican food. But if you're in the area and are craving some fish tacos and beers, this place will work.
When you think Mexican food, you think 1) greasy 2) cheesy and 3) messy. This place didn't have any of that. The restaurant tried keeping the food "light," but just ended up wrapping a huge, flavorless burrito. The carne asada in the burrito was charred and chewy. I ended up filling up on chips and salsa the entire night.
There's the option of sitting inside or outside on the patio. If you like smelling a bit oily after your meal, sitting inside would do just that. I prefer outside. The heat lamps spaced throughout keeps the customers warm and the quasi-Christmas like decoration mocks a fiesta. Cheesy. But I'd rather not smell after my meal, thank you.
However, they don't lie when they say they've got the best margaritas in town. Margarita with an extra shot of JD on the side.
One star for the margaritas and one star for service.
After having been by this place a million times, we decided to go tonight because Casa Pulido was closed. I heard good things about it so we tried it. After switching from a table to a booth, it took our server forever to come to the table. I had to ask somebody else to get her so we could order. The drinks came pretty quick, but the food took forever! The Riviera famous margarita was good. Came with a little shot of cranberry colored tequila on the side. I ordered the chicken and spinach enchiladas and while they were good I felt there was very little spinach in them and hard to taste. Since I love spinach I would've liked to have seen alot more. The mexican rice was ok, nothing I couldn't make myself from a box of rice a roni. I do however love the salsa. I would go back to try the fish tacos that I heard were good, but definitely not around 6:30-7pm. It was very loud and a little hard to talk. Maybe more like a 4-5pm dinner would be better. It looks very busy in there with all the decor, next time I'll take a better look. We did have these little decorations on the window of our booth. Very cute and unique.
UPDATE: In reply to Min-Jou... I wanted to say ...This is local place and honestly in the south bay I find few places with this small town feel AND AMAZINGLY delicious food in a warm and VERY CLEAN environment.....if you come here you get the feel you are in a small beach town in northern CA...regardless of where you are from or who you know...if you frequent the RIV a few times you will know the patrons and employees and the owner's family will stop by and say hello.... I think your honesty is always valued on Yelp..but I think that the fact that someone contacted you should not be seen as an attack but to me it shows you how much they care about their business and your opinion... and all of our opinions....I HAVE never heard one complaint about this place not being clean... it is very clean...I think Chef Ramsey would be PROUD...I think that in this hard economic times our yelp reviews are VERY important and of course valued...and I want to encourage local families to support these family owned jewels...and be sure to look closely at bad reviews for BIAS..as in this case this lady may list her address in the local city of Torrance but her reviews go from Santa Monica to Orange County...and it is the ONLY really OFF review on this page...of, again, a favorite local place!!!
I love the Riv. ....and like the others...I LOVE the grilled fish tacos....LOVE...we go as much as possible and I have NEVER in 9+ years (since the Williams family took over) had bad service!!! I think that's AMAZING!!! Plus, it is one of the ONLY places in the south bay that is a truly local, cool, family destination. Its gret food, great to mix and mingle with friends...OH AND THE BEST PART....you can bring kids of all ages here...its nice and loud and fun...and no one ever stares at your toddler talking too loud.....well, at lest at dinner!! My only regret....I have not EVER been here without kids (well in recent years)...looks kinda fun at the bar too! AND the decor is awesome....it's beachy and unique... if we could watch the sun set over the ocean well then it would be the PERFECT place.... C'mon open a second location in the harbor area!!!
I always try to hit up Riviera when I'm back in the South Bay. Some of the best margaritas around, and like Jeff said below, the food is much healthier and higher quality than other Mexican Restaurants. Great beach atmosphere and friendly staff. The wait can be a little long, especially on the weekends. The chicken enchiladas are bomb.
Cute little cantina style restaurant in the Torrance Riviera area...
Supposedly awarded "Best Margaritas in the South Bay" a few years back, but I don't know what organization did the awarding. They do have awesome fresh tortilla chips. Large space with patio dining, cute for a group dinner.
I always get the Grilled Chicken and Papaya Salad. It has a great light dressing. But everyone else swears by the lobster quesadillas.
I am huge fan of Riviera! Not your traditional "south of the border" cuisine --- much healthier with higher quality of meat, pork and poultry products (no mystery meat). Cocktails, wine, and beer are reasonably priced -- the chips and salsa are above average and I absolutely love the chicken and spinach enchiladas! The atmosphere is excellent -- family friendly with some singles and beach bums sprinkled in for good measure. It's close to the beach as well so an after dinner stroll is a nice walk off a heavy meal! Give it a try -- you'll be glad you did!
I definitley don't go here for authentic south of the border cuisine. I go here because I know that the meat they serve is the best and not some scary substance or C graded cheap meat. I come b/c I know that the quality of the food they serve will always be superb. I come for the tasty margaritas! I come for the Carne Asada and their Fish Tacos. I come for the patio atmosphere on a nice day and the tunes of the guitarist playing. Not to mention that the service is always great from the busboys, servers, hostesses, and management. But trust me, this ain't authentic so if you're looking for that specifically then this is the wrong place for you. BUT its still tasty and you come for the overall experience.
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Tex-Mex
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Mexican
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