Ensenada Restaurant & Bar

A simple low key, great tasting, slow but worth the wait kind of restaurant. This was the only place open late on fourth of July which I gave an extra star for. The décor is nothing fancy which is fine when your hungry. They have a great variety of food. They serve breakfast all day and their prices are OK for the portions they serve. I got the sinaloense breakfast which contains scrambled eggs, with shredded beef an enchilada with beans. My husband had the sopes platter which tasted great and our friend had nachos. The bean dip and chips was a great treat while waiting for our food. It looked like it was the staff was short handed but they still handled the place very well. Overall a great place to be at when everything else is too busy. Enjoy the bean dip!

Eh, It’s really not that great as far as mexican food goes, but it is right next door to where I live, so 2 stars out of convenience.
I actually saw that they serve Costco Kirkland brand whiskey.
I am all about being frugal, but you are not going to get a large following by buying your alcohol in efficient bulk guys.

Service was verrrryyyy slow. The food was average, nothing exceptional. When we wanted the check at the end we tried getting the attention of the waiters working the other section since the waiter for the outside seating was nowhere to be found, and they took AT LEAST another 20 minutes to get to us. There weren’t many people in the restaurant either. Probably wouldn’t come here another time.

Iv been coming here since 2010. It has gotta way better since then. They have a full bar now and the food and drinks are delish!
It’s also a plus that I live so close that I can walk or get delivery!

My mom and I ate lunch here today. The waiters were very cheerful and nice! I got a strawberry margarita, loved it. My mother ordered the «Mojarra Frita» and she said it was delicious, that her meal tasted homemade. I ordered the cheese enchiladas with green sauce, and the rice and beans were also on point. Since its not very far away from where we live and the service was amazing we are definitely coming back!

Relaxed environment, décor looks to be handed down from an Asian restaurant in Westminster covered with burlap, service was sparse but decent.
Chips and salsa were good, would have been nice to have a refill as we waited for our food…
The food… aye aye aye.
WORST veggie quesadilla I’ve ever consumed. And that says a lot… how can you go wrong with a quesadilla?! Oh, by barely putting any cheese in it and adding CELERY.
WTF?!
The taco salad Jerm had was interesting to say the least… He got it without meat, and it’s almost like that confused the «chef».
Pretty pricey for such crappy food and service.
We originally were supposed to go to Wurstkuche, but the line was too long and the show we were going to at the DnO had already started.
Safe to say, I’ll never come back here again.

This restaurant has sort of a dive feel to it; certainly it’s a casual dining spot.
We weren’t acknowledged when we walked in so we just seated ourselves, which seemed to be fine. Chips and salsa, as well as a bean dip, were brought to the table. Good but nothing special. It was a small basket and the three of us consumed the chips in a short time. In a good Mexican restaurant that basket would quickly be replaced but it sat on the table empty for the remainder of our stay.
I ordered a pork tamale plate (2 tamales came with rice and beans) along with a horchata to drink. The horchata was excellent with just the right amount of cinnamon. The tamales were okay but a bit bland; I was glad they gave me plenty of sour cream to give them some flavor. I was wishing they’d given me a bit more guacamole than the tiny spoonful on my plate.
It was an average Mexican meal; I couldn’t really say it was great nor could I say it was bad.

Wow, these reviews are so all over the place. Let me give you a real synopsis: ENSENADA IS NOT A HIGH CLASS JOINT. If you know this, and you are just down to get your grub on and get crazy on $ 3 glasses of sangria (Thursday night happy hour woooooo!) then you will LOVE Ensenada.
I was burdened with choosing a restaurant for a dinner reunion with some friends from college, and naturally I was stressing out about picking «the right place» DTLA is full of great, cheap places to eat… that all close at 6 or don’t have alcohol. That, or insanely upscale douchey lounge-​bars where a «mixologist» will make you a lemongrass-​infused cocktail for $ 12. No way. I want to get drunk with an abundance of Mexican food, and I want it cheap. Ensenada definitely fits the bill. The outdoor seating is nice and ambient (we only got hit up for change maybe 6 times! that’s spring street for you, though). It’s not as «cheap» as cheap Mexican food typically goes in L. A, but for crying out loud, it’s a sit-​down restaurant with a decent happy hour. With drinks, our bill averaged about $ 18/​person
If you’re not a pretentious douche, then don’t listen to pretentious douche opinions on Unilocal.Ensenada is def not a place for pretentious douchebags.

I’ve had better Mexican food and micheladas. Not horrible, but not that great. Micheladas tasted weird… like they were made with bloody mary mix. I ordered the combination fajitas. Eh… I will say that the oysters were fresh and they give you fideo soup and chips and salsa along with deeeelicious beans for dipping. It was just OK, so I will likely not return.

I really wanted to like this place more than 3 stars but unfortunately some of the comments were spot on. Salsa was just okay and carne asada was bland. Service at lunch was very good though and the price was definitely right. Wanted to give more because gratis soup and chips were good and I liked the way they dressed-​up the tacos. A little but and this could be a 4.

Stay away! This place should never ever be a consideration.
The Gorbals Popup brunch thing closed early (Memorial Day weekend) because it was slow… We continue to walk down Spring St. and run into this place, my friend says, let’s try this place and I say, fine, why not… When it comes to Mexican food, there are a lot of reasons to not give in to sloth, this place is one of them.
I should have left when I noticed the clientele (no one discerning) but we ordered. My friend got the enchiladas and I ordered the carnitas burrito with egg. The chips came out greasy and the salsa was bland. We’re in LA, if you’re a Mexican place, you should know how to make salsa, it’s like crawling before you learn to walk.
His enchiladas came and he said they were «okay.» Translates into, I’m not going say anything because it’s my fault we’re here…
My plate was a crime against humanity. The fries were a greasy, overcooked mess that looked like someone poured grease onto them after they were taken out, and not the clean kind of grease… My burrito was bland enough to not even consider giving it to the homeless nearby. Too much iceberg lettuce and the carnitas was just a diced, old, unseasoned porkchop they probably had in the refrigerator.
It was so awful, I made my friend pay for the whole thing. I should have made him give me more money for all the pain and suffering I’ve endured.
Ensenada Restaurant and Bar, not even once– do not go here, stay far away.
To those who have given this place 5 stars, you are either not a real person or you are lacking any critical facility and should move back to the suburbs. And to Katy B., if this place reminds you of home, tell us where home is, so we can avoid it like we avoid Bromosa (Hermosa) on Saturday nights. 5 stars? Really? Gross. Giving this place 5 stars is like giving a spoiled, fat asian kid nuclear weapons (that’s a dig at you, Kim Jong-​un, I know you read Unilocal you fatty).

I seriously love Ensenada. It feels like home. And by that I mean it feels like all of the great Mexican restaurants I went to growing up. There’s nothing fancy about it and that’s just the way I like it. They serve you chips with salsa and a bean dip (bonus!) and a cup of soup before your meal. I generally stick with the fajitas (delicious) but my boyfriend gets more authentic dishes and always ends up licking his plate.
The service has never been bad for us. I’ll admit that perhaps they aren’t always the most attentive but we’ve never waited long for menus or drinks or food. I think I’m always so at ease here that I’m not bothered by waiting a few minutes for the check.
Also worth noting is that some evenings (not sure which) they have a guy who sings and plays the keyboard. It’s kind of silly but I love it and he’s super nice.
They have an outside patio that’s a good size and you can bring your dog which is always an added perk.
Don’t come here expecting some gourmet fusion Mexican food. It’s just down and dirty, feels-​like-​home Mexican food.

Came here with a co-​worker for lunch… Ensenada is just far enough away from the office that you can speak freely without the chance of being overheard. My coworker, a vegetarian, raved about Ensenada’s «soyrizo,» and deemed it a must-​eat spot.
I went with a combo plate of enchilada and taco, both chicken (I wasn’t feeling adventurous enough to do the soyrizo!). The chips that came out were super crisp, and the salsa was good and spicy. The meal, however, was pretty underwhelming… and dare I say bland? I’d gone for the verde sauce, and wasn’t wowed… honestly I think I get more flavor out of the canned stuff from the market.
The service was great — we were in and out with enough time to hit coffee bean on the way back to the office — so no fault there. In all, I’ve experienced better food and won’t be hurrying back!

I’m not one for writing many reviews but I just thought I should warn future patrons of this establishment to not waste your time or money here.
I felt so compelled to write due to my horrendous experience last night.
Came on St. Patty’s day with my boyfriend (who warned me not to have expectations for this restaurant as he has been disappointed multiple times in the past here). We arrived looking for just something to fill my belly that was near an Irish Pub we could go to afterwards. Little did we know, our already very low expectations of this joint would not even be met.
It took about 10 minutes after we sat down to get our menus, then when the waitress finally came by 15 minutes later to take our order she had a «hurry up do you know what you want kind of rude attitude» and when my boyfriend needed more time, she took our drink orders and 20 minutes later our drinks arrived. I ordered a Cadillac margarita which tasted mostly of margarita sour mix even though this drink was a good $ 10. Chips, salsa, and bean dip came out which was sadly the best part of our meal. Hence the name Ensenada, my boyfriend and I ordered seafood dishes. I ordered the Camarones Al Mojo de Ajo, a garlic shrimp dish with rice and mashed potatoes and my boyfriend ordered Filete de Pescado, a fish fillet dish in a la diabla sauce.
About 30 minutes later, our food arrived and by this time, we had eaten all our complimentary chips and no one had even come by to ask if we wanted water or another drink. Even though I asked the waitress for two waters after the food arrived, she never came back with them.
Our food were plates of sad pants. There were about 6 tiny shrimp that came with my dish drenched in butter with about 3 green bell pepper slices and about 3 tablespoons of rice and a small scoop of potato salad. The shrimp was not deveined and last time I checked, mashed potatoes and potato salad is not the same. Even though my food was pretty depressing, I felt even worse for my boyfriend who got the same tiny serving of food except that his fish fillets were covered in KETCHUP… yes, you read right. Ketchup. We could’ve done better eating Trader Joe’s frozen fish sticks at home or the nearby taco shack.
It was quite a disappointing experience even though my boyfriend had warned me. Of the 4 times he’s been here in the past, he acknowledged this was THE WORST.
Aside from the horrible service, the food is not worth the money. Not to mention, after we got home from dinner, I had food poisoning.
It’s really a shame that this restaurant that boasts 25 years of being in business should stay another 25 more. There must be more deserving dedicated people who know about food in the area to buy out and close this place down.
We are never coming back. Ever.

Obnoxious dumb collegiate types are ALWAYS outside this bar on any given night. On a weekend you can just FORGET it. My boyfriend has asked me several times to go there to find out what the fuss was about.
I always said no.
I just had a hunch.
This weekend I found out just how right my hunch was.
My roommate, his girlfriend and his daughter were in the mood for food but didn’t want to walk far. As this is right around the corner from home base (or really not even that far… btw please don’t stalk me) we figured it was worth the try.
Oh god. Why?!
The menu is pretty sizable but it’s not really in any sort of real order… and a majority of it is in Spanish. Which, given that it’s a Mexican Restaurant and all that jazz is good right?
The staff didn’t speak much English. Again, not terrible as it gives you the opportunity to practice. Sadly there was more than just a language barrier– the staff just outright doesn’t listen to you.
«We need a beer list please”= staff gets us a stack of napkins
«I want cheese enchiladas with mole”=staff gets me chicken enchiladas with mole
My roommate got some sort of fish cocktail type thing which was as gross looking as it sounds even if I have the name wrong. It was some sort of shrimp cocktail thing and came in a big wine glass or whatever. Didn’t need to try it to know how gross it was.
So how about those cheese. erm… chicken enchiladas… they were essentially inedible. The mole sauce was dreadful. It was pasty and entirely too sweet. I didn’t even want to give them to a hobo. It is now the second place downtown that I have had that kind of disgust at. So sooo unfortunate.
Patrons that go here as I said are obnoxious. If you like frat houses with low level fashion’d hipster kids, you’re in heaven.
Sadly my boyfriend missed out on this weekends experience but ended up there briefly after working a shoot later that night. His experience was limited to one drink at the bar (as I was not about to spend a bunch more time here after having a miserable dining experience earlier) and he met one member of staff behind the bar that was quite nice. Said bartender talked about how terrible the staff had been to them as well so apparently it doesn’t just happen to patrons.
At the end of the night it was unanimous–
If there’s obnoxious drunks outside ALL the time, don’t count on them to tell you where there’s good food. God I love being right sometimes… except with stuff like this.

I’ve always avoided coming here. It just reminds me of the typical California Mexican joint. Kind of like El Torito but ghettoer.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Mama K was in the hospital with a broken ankle. It might not sound like a big deal to you but Mama K is now 71 years young. She’s never been in a hospital nor has ever needed anyone to do anything for her. She is one of the craziest and most independent woman I’ve ever known. So, to be laid out in bed for 6 weeks, is not something this woman takes lightly. We have your typical mother daughter relationship. She hates me. I hate her. But in the end, we somehow are always there for one another.
After a weekend of running to the hospital 2, 3 times a day, all I wanted to do was have some soup. Ensenada being steps away seemed like a good idea at the time. I love a good Pozole. But, not this one. This one was the worst I’ve ever had. Half grease, half flavorless broth. Way too much maize which made it taste grainy and disgusting. No additions. Just tasteless broth and 3 chunks of on the bone meat fat. Ugh. made my love for Pozole disappear like a smelly vagina. The taste lingers in a bad, bad way.
Not only that, I waited and waited and waited for this soup, to go. More than a half an hour, forced to listen to some hippie singing Elton John love songs along with his keyboard.
OMG… I’d rather eat Mama K’s hospital food than this shit.

Food was good but i think good food is just as important as good service. service was bad no hello when we enter on a slow Tuesday night no one said if we can sit our selves so we just decided to sit. bartender seemed rude to let us order happy hour beer at 6:54 (mind you after sitting for 5 minutes without even a hello)
Train staff in great customer service I will be back but definitely disappointed.

At work we’ve had lunch catered by this place. Probably the worst Mexican food I’ve had in LA. Everything is bland and flavorless, and they seem to use the cheapest ingredients possible. The only exception was the carnitas, which was nice and moist, and at least edible.
Do yourself a favor and skip this disappointment of a restaurant.

+ Big portions? — Yes
+ Variety? — Yes
+ Awesome staff? — Yes
+ Indoor & Outdoor seating + Music? — Yes
Great place for some mexi grub. They serve fideo on Wed, Sat & Sun which automatically made me fall in love (plus it is some of the best I’ve ever had) My beau and I were able to split a carne asada plate with a appetizer. Complimentary chips are served to you as well with salsa and bean dip. Perhaps this place is a hit or miss for some people? I have yet to try their menudo but based on the other reviews I will be back. For the location and the price, I can’t complain… like others said, it’s not gourmet just a diner style mexican type of food.

I’ve been looking for a decent CHIMICHANGA for years (most around here are disappointing), but I think I finally found it! It was really exquisitely prepared, my only complaint was that it was a bit on the small side. But I think it’s because I ordered a chimichanga-​quesadilla combo, so I may have gotten a mini-​version … next time I’ll order the chimichanga plate instead. For those that are wondering, a chimichanga is like a deep-​fried burrito. If Paula Deen were Mexican, it’s exactly what she would cook every day!
The flan was really good too, not mushy like the typical one, but more on the firm side, sorta like a soft cheesecake. Chips & salsa were more than decent, as was the guacamole.
Overall, this is an above-​average Mexican joint with decent portions, not elegant, but fine for casual dining. Was here on Art Walk night with a birthday celebration group, and this place is right in the heart of the action. I took the Red Line metro here, so can’t comment on parking. Recommended.