La Serenata

I have only had great dining here. From Marta greeting us at the door to Marco's Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding. If I'm very hungry I will start with an appetizer (panuchos or plantain empanadas), they are filling. When it comes to the main dish, I always order one that includes a sauce. They have the most incredible tasting sauces. I tend to favor the Ribeye ala Martin or the Camarones Yucatan. The decor is charming, the service is hospitable and the food delicious. And many times, star-gazing...many come here. Pros: Consistency. Cons: None for me. more

Horrible place. Really fishy fish. Oh and Expensive and slow. 2 small tijuana tacos will run you over 13 dollars. The manager thinks that this is some kind of gourmet restaurant, but it lives off the fame of the original-which is better, but not fantastic. The staff has major attitude as well. Crappy just crappy. Go to East LA or San Diego if you want real Mexican. Pros: Hahahaha Cons: Everything more

We asked for mexican beers sorry we are out, mexican seabass, ( not in season ) so what do you sell in a mexican restaurant? ordered cadillac margaritas that took 10 minutes to get to our table and tasted like lemonade, our waitress maria made a mistake in taking our orders, we got our food and our entrees were cold. my sugestion DO NOT GO HERE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY,,, Pros: NOTHING Cons: SERVICE,FOOD,ETC....... more

My boyfriend and I went here hoping to find something remotely similar to Tex-Mex ( I know, that was dumb). It all started off on the wrong foot when we parked in a space at the back under a sign that read ""Customer parking."" A valet told us we were in a valet spot - though no sign was present. We argued, lost, and eventually moved our car ( to the Westside Pavilion garage.. it's free). When we got inside, there were mostly older folks everywhere. The place was definitely busy, as there was a wait. We asked to sit on the patio since it was a lovely 70 degree evening, and the hostess looked at us like we had just asked if we might urinate on the floor. She then said we could sit outside but there's no alcohol out there. That's okay, we just wanted the food. She said she would bring us menus. So I sat out there for 10 minutes while my boyfriend moved the car. When he joined me, we still had no menus, no water, no chips, no nothing. We literally had to ask for everything the rest of the night. My boyfriend ordered steak tacos - which were actually decent. However, they were smallish but cost 16 bucks for 3 with a side of rice and beans. The trouble was my order: pork tostadas. It was literally INEDIBLE. Underneath a mound of bag shredded lettuce was a crispy tortilla somewhere, with chunks of dry, rubbery ""pork"" dumped on top. There was literally no seasoning, no salsa, no dressing, nothing remotely liquid to tie the dry, bland dish together. It was the worst excuse for Mexican food I've ever had in my life - and I've had a lot. We asked to speak to a manager. After we watched him go to the wrong table, we asked again. Finally he came over and I could tell he didn't want to hear it. I said, ""I can't eat this. This is horrible. The pork tastes like it was microwaved, and..."" he interrupts me. He argues with me, telling me that its not. ""Well that's what it tastes like. This is the worst Mexican food I've ever had"" I tell him. And again, he argues, saying, ""Well, we've been on the Food Network and blah blah blah, but okay, I'll take it off your tab."" I'm sorry, but that's not how you manage a business! A sane, normal, smart manager would do everything he could to make me happy - perhaps offer something else, and apologize for the poor food. He sealed the deal that we would never go there again - and here I am, writing a bad review on City Search. If you like to be respected as a paying customer and you also have taste buds, don't go here. If you are an old lady who likes to eat beef tongue while being treated like a second-class citizen, then be my guest. I've had bad experiences before, but this was THE WORST. DON'T GO HERE!!!! Pros: A patio. Cons: Poor service, bland food, inept management.... more

WE WENT THERE FOR LUNCH, AND GOT SEATED AT A BOOTH OUR SERVER WAS THIS BOLD GUY SERVER/OWNER? HE HAD TOTAL DISREGARD FOR US HE WAS TOO BUSY TALKING TO A FEMALE WAITRESS, WE ORDERED SOME MARGARITAS THAT TOOK 15 MINUTES TO GET TO OUR TABLE AND HE TOOK LONGER TO TAKE OUR ORDER, THE ENCHILADAS SUIZAS ARRIVED COLD, AND WERE AT THEIR BEST MEDIOCRE, WE THEN CALLED THE WAITER/OWNER NAMED MARCOS? TO EXPRESSED OUR DESSAPOINTMENT JUST ACTED LIKE IT WAS OUR FAULT. WE WILL NEVER GO BACK!! Cons: RUDE OWNER more

I'd been to this place years ago and had the fondest memories of the different gourmet spin on Mexican food; had loved the little tuft of spoon corn bread that they had served. Oh the disappointment! Upon my return, my husband and I were greeted [if you want to call it that] by a rude woman who seated us almost begrudgingly. The food was barren and tasteless and the ""service"" was non-existent! Gone was my little tuft of tastiness too. Oh well, we'll NEVER go back! more

SCOMBROID POISON*NG!!! Don't go to this restaurant unless you have an EpiPen handy. I have no food allergies and was eating the ahi tuna salad with some other UCLA doctors, and within 30 minutes of finishing the meal I've had a million other times at different restaurants, I went into anaphylaxis. I had to go to my own ER and get an injection of epi because I couldn't breathe even after 50mg benadryl. Needless to say, this will be reported to the CA health dept to be investigated. Don't assume you have a new food allergy, it may be scombroid from poorly prepared fish resulting in anaphylaxis. Pros: are there pros to a shot in the butt? well, I got to miss work, so that's a pro. Cons: could have died more

I tried this place because it was reasonably-priced and rated well in Zagat. It's right next to Westside Pavilion, so you can park there. If you like seafood and Mexican food, I would recommend giving this place a try. They combine Mexican with seafood in a creative way, with delicious results. I especially enjoyed their tasty seafood empanadas and seafood tacos. The only down side is that the portions are on the small side for the price. more

La Serenata Gourmet is the best mexican food in LA .i went last friday amd let me tell you this place look really good now [the last time a was there was last july] it looks better , the new boots are really cozy and the redecoration it make it look more classy.so we get there and order a fish quesadilla and i get a passion fruit mojito [ thats was soo good] and my wife a margarita [as good as always ] them we order fish [me with abocado sause and my wife with chipotle sause ] and was excelent !!! for dessert we share a mexican key lime pie and it was really goo too.the service was good all the time .the only downside probably was that was too busy [but friday night must be everywhere ].im looking fordwaqrd to come back very soon. Pros: great food and drinks more

Among my three favorites restaurants, period. Whether you start with the light and fluffy quesadillas, a soup or other traditional goody, you will be delighted. This is Mexican cuisine at its best. The shrimp Yucatan fired pleasure neurons I never thought I had. The shrimp are Large, the sauce is slightly sweet, yet tangy, a touch of spice, herbs and other secrets the chef must have been given by the elders. Sauces are a speciality here. The cilantro sauce, the mole and other sauces over fish/shrimp amazed me [I haven't had them all, I'm sticking with the shrimp Yucatan for a while). The staff is friendly, hard working and all requests are honored. Service is generally very good, you have time to eat and enjoy your dinner with a pitcher of delicious house margarita. I also love the chips and salsa: chips are served with a little grated cheese and the salsa is addictive. Great experience, excellent value, you will be satisfied and return many times. Pros: Delightful food more

This is my favorite Mexican in LA and the only place where I eat every week. The fresh fish and the homemade sauces are out of this world. My favorite is the grilled halibut with avocado sauce. This delight plus rice and beans for $15 - what a pleasure! The homemade quesadillas, which look like little corn huts, are unlike any other ones I have tried. The one to try is the poblano peppers and fresh herbs quesadilla. The service and staff are very friendly and the place is cozy. I recommended the restaurant to a colleague of mine and she ended up going twice on her first weekend there; now she is also a regular. This is a must -try! Pros: amazing fresh food, reasonable prices, friendly staff Cons: having to wait when I forgot to make a reservation more

This is a family run establishment. I frequent it many times with my mom, she's 87, and the food is consistently excellent. Sometimes Mexican food can upset the elderly, but she has never complained about her meals there. This is Mexico City cuisine, a proper sit down meal. I've eaten there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Burritos (fish or chicken ), one my mainstays, are around $10, served on a plate with a clear sauce which is delicious in its own right, but always compliments the food. They serve the best chile rellano I've ever had, bar none. The menu is wide and varied. Enchiladas are fabulous. Fish plates excellent. Incredibly smooth and tasty beans. I have not sampled the entire menu, but all that I've had is top notch. The service is always attentive, and the atmosphere is always warm, gracious and friendly. Their deserts are the great ending to a great meal, and the tres leche (three milk) cake is a knockout. Pros: Food, friendly greetings. Cons: Parking, but it's West Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Blue Bus Nos. 7 or 4. Get their scheduels first. more

For the past several years this has been our favorite spot for weekend brunch. The mocajete lovers and chilequile with mole can't be beat and their pancakes are terrific too. Brought friends for dinner last week and all our meals were excellent --shrimp with yucatan sauce, shrimp in garlic, fish tacos, great margaritas. This is unpretentious robustly flavored food and I've always found the staff to be friendly and eager to please. more

Just had another poor experience at Le Serenata. The first time they forgot half of our entrees. The waiter did not seem to care. This time they put meat in our vegetarian entree. After seeing it they merely commented ""oh that is just chicken"". Not only did they neglect to apologize, but they also left the meat filled entree on our bill. It shocks me that this place remains open considering the terrible attitudes exhibited by their staff.\r \r Pros: honestly cannot think of one Cons: atrocious service, who knows what makes it on the plate more

I agree about uneven service. I'm fairly sure it's a family run business which is why the hostess can get away with some rudeness. I've been there a lot and had great service most of the time though. The food is very good, but don't expect typical Mexican fare. I'm rarely ever disappointed with the food. The atmosphere ranges depending on whatever type of crowd happens to be there. If there is a loud group or a few tables with a bunch of kids, this will dominate. They have two rooms, so sometimes there's a variety of different atmospheres, but don't expect it to be quiet. Prices are reasonable for good seafood. Dinner for two can range from a bargain to moderately expensive depending on what's ordered. Pros: Great fish with unique sauces. Not your run of the mill mexican fare. Cons: Ambience, occaisional service problems more

Just went to lunch there based on other reviews. Service in mediocre (I missed the nasty hostess as there was no one there but the bartender to greet my group). Salsa not bad but the food was ordinary. Rice isn't flavored w/saffron, it's pale and uninteresting. Overpriced for what it is, slow service. Nice decorations and it was clean and I have to say the beans were excellent ""del olla"" beans (not refried). Portions meagre. I won't go again and none of my companions were impressed either. more

La Serenata is simply the best Mexican food I've found outside of Mexico. The other reviewers who posted negative reviews are either one of two possible types of people: 1) They are used to ground beef tacos and the typical gringo slop Mexican food served at the majority of Mexican restaurants. 2) They are loyal La Serenata customers who love the food and are greedily attempting to keep other people from patronizing one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles! I've eaten Mexican food at the best Mexican restaurants all over the Southwest and Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. The food served at La Serenata tops them all. The service is impeccable. They have fabulous soups, delicious entrees (don't miss the fish), incredible sauces (however I didn't care for the burgundy sauce on fish). This is NOT a restaurant for kids. Leave them home. Pros: Incredible Food, Excellent Service, Valet Parking more

The food has always been fantastic here, and the service has always been slow, inattentive, and sometimes just plain rude. The hostess is the rudest person ever and I cannot imagine why she's in customer service (or how she keeps her job--she's been there forever and a day). But the food is the best Mexican in LA for sit-down meals. Pros: authentic, delicious, reasonable Cons: awful service, rude, slow service more

We waited at the bar for 20 min. I asked the waiter and the manager, if we could order some drinks. They said, in a bit. 20 min later, still no drinks! by then, our table was ready. Another 20 min went by, no one even came to our table!!! In frustration, we left. But this is what really is priceless...on our way out, the manager called out to us and said, ""thanks for coming!"" she knew that we had not been served AT ALL, and didn't even apologize! When we confronted her and told her that we didn't even have a drink order taken after 40 min of waiting, she said, ""oh, well, thanks for coming."" Her and the hostess were doing NOTHING. The management failed to pick up the slack and then didn't even bother to apologize! Bad reviews about their Santa Monica location apparently applies here too! Pros: Decent food, inexpensive Cons: Rude staff, Valet takes forever more

As a native New Yorker, I have found the mexican food here in California to be amazing in general...truly authentic. But after dining at La Serenata di Garibaldi on West Pico...I was completely blown away! Food was fresh & flavorful, maragaritas outstanding, nice ambience, service top-notch and the price very reasonable! Dollar for dollar the BEST dining experience I've had in LA so far!! Pros: Inexpensive, Delicious, valet parking more