El Portal

El portal is the best. I always think their food is the freshest and their service is second to none. You can go elsewhere and maybe get good food too but this is the whole package. Great service, great food, and just a great experience. I always choose El portal because I want to support a good pasadena family business! Thanks for the great experience!

If you want authentic Mexican food then you will be disappointed by how Americanized their dishes are prepared. This place seem to cater towards non-​Mexican diners who think that burritos and nachos are typical foods served in Mexico. Personally I would rather go to King taco and get my fix of Mexican food cravings for a lot less money. Perhaps this place is busy and popular for being in the heart of Pasadena. Unfortunately, someone like myself who is Asian has eaten better Mexican food. This place is great if you would like to dine with your dogs or enjoy outdoor patio dining.

I’m a fan of this place for one reason and one reason only … THEIR MARGARITAS!!! Some of the best margaritas in the area. Such great flavor and at a great price (an entire pitcher for $ 25) … and they aren’t weak either #score.
I also like that there is rarely a wait here. The outside dining area is pleasant on summer evenings, and they sometimes have guitar players (who might sing you a HBD song if you’re lucky).
Food is decent. I had the fajitas once and a burrito on my second visit. Fajitas were definitely better of the two, but neither were bad. I have to say if you’re going just for the food this place isn’t «Ah» worthy … but if you want some ambiance and a nice margarita, give it a shot. Peach is my favorite flavor, followed by strawberry: D
Stay Cheerful ;)

Beautiful décor, mango margaritas were awesome (and I usually pass on the margaritas at Mexican restaurants). I highly recommend the shrimp tostada salad, black beans, rice, and spinach and shrimp enchilada with the green sauce. The live music made this restaurant even more special. Very classy atmosphere. This restaurant is across the street from the Pasadena Playhouse.

First time here!!! I came in with my brother and my friend. We got seated pretty fast and the hostess was very nice!
We got a table that was kind of in the dark and asked to get moved. The waitress Emilse was very nice and moved us to a table where there was more light!!! The food was great! And my favorite part was the margaritas! We got skinny margaritas and they were delicious. I would recommend this place!!! Ps their uniforms are so cute!!! I felt like home

We had a casual dinner for 15 this Saturday after our son’s graduation. It was delicious. Table and setting were perfect. Service impeccable. And definitely order the margaritas by the pitcher! Cadillac and peach!

The food and drinks were great and they took really good care of us even though we showed up with a party of 9 on a busy weekend night. The great food and extra great service were highly appreciated!

I’ve always been a fan of this place for the GENUINE authentic food. But this last time I went man the portions were smaller and the waitress wasn’t the best we had to ask her like 5 times to bring us water and another 7 times for my moms salsa. The food is BOMB service ehh okay

I really liked the staff a lot here. Especially the singers/​guitar players. I requested «bésame mucho» and they totally played along with it and flirted with me lol. It was all for show and laughs but kudos to them haha. As for the food, decent Mexican cuisine. I enjoyed my meal and also really liked the house margarita.

Not friendly at All, place had a weird vibe and a rabbit on the wall with horns. Weird

Came here for the first time on Cinco de Mayo ! I was actually missing my favorite Mexican restaurant that recently closed :(.
First of all, I love the location and very clean. The atmosphere is really cool and the food is really good ! I had the spicy cheese quesadilla and the pineapple margarita. It was a little pricier than the average Mexican restaurant but really good. Service is fast and friendly.

Came here with a large group for a birthday party and we were seated in our own room across from the main restaurant which was pretty cool. Outdoor seating available too. Service was good.
Margaritas were fantastic, from what I remember… but a little pricey, and the food was ok. I got the salmon plate which was pretty healthy, but the salmon piece was a little small for the price. Most of the dishes seemed a little overpriced as well, for the quality. Bacon wrapped jumbo shrimps were a great idea, but a little overcooked and dry.

Top notch Mexican, up and down the menu.
Made a bee line to El Portal for a long-​delayed California Mexican pilgrimage. Agreed with the waitress’ suggestion to concentrate on the Yucatan menu; got the Yucatan trio for me and the enchiladas de mole for the family. Both winners, particularly the mole sauce, which offered layers of sesame-​bitter chocolate sophistication without the veneer of excess spice that could hide it.
Surprises included the black beans, which were so good that my bean-​hating Asian family shoveled them down happily. Perhaps the only way they could be improved would be to replace the olive oil with lard, but these are modern times, no?

This place wasn’t good and the service wasn’t great. I would not recommend this place… Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Great rice, I absolutely love the addition of corn and peas. The cheese enchiladas with ranchera sauce was absolutely delicious. Our waiter was nice but he forgot our tortillas and water. The mango Margarita was good but needed to be blended more. We were 6 minutes over at the parking lot and we still had to pay $ 1 after spending over $ 50 at the restaurant.
Will definitely come back for the great cheese enchiladas with the ranchera sauce and margarita but maybe not blended and hopefully better service.

Tucked away in the back of a small plaza. If you spot Takuya or Yahaira’s, keep walking until you’re in the very back. They seem to have a larger indoor area to the left, plenty of outdoor seating and then apparently took over a smaller space that used to be an ice cream shop on the right.
Super friendly staff. Water always filled, free chips (served warm!) with delicious salsa.
The combinations seemed like a pretty solid deal — rice, beans, choice of enchiladas/​tamales/​chile relleno/​etc.
I ordered a combo with a chicken enchilada and chicken tamal for $ 10.50. Overall, the enchilada was good. Beans and rice were pretty standard. The tamale wasn’t great and not sure I’d ever order that again.
It wasn’t the most authentic, but it’ll serve as a good alternative to chipotle in the area.

4 stars…
Our old joint closed (and they didn’t call us first?!?) so we needed a new spot for tequila and corn overdose… just a few steps away we landed here!
We stared with a pitcher of the nectar of life that is margaritas… and things began to look rosy all around! The salsa leaves s bit to be desired, but that will help my waistline as I won’t consume massive amounts of chips.
I ordered the carnitas, a dish by which I judge all south of the border establishments, and this one passed the test! It was served with beans, rice, and guac… all were tasty when shoveled with warm and fresh corn tortillas… My wife ordered a combo and she enjoyed the chicken enchilada and the relleno.
Ambiance is «Roosters gone wild» meets bario, and prices are a smudge above expectation…
This joint makes the list, and has officially become our go-​to Mexican restaurant in the area.

In the mood for Mexican food at an awesome sit-​down restaurant with great atmosphere and food? Here’s another one of Pasadena’s best kept secrets. El Portal is located on one-​way Green Street with their own huge adjoining parking lot (first hour free). Inside, an old-​school restaurant (of the El Coyote variety) awaits. Look for, and say hi to, the owner — Abel Ramirez — he’s the consummate host.
I’ve had lunch at El Portal many times, and recently hosted a courthouse party for 50 — it was a hit. Highest recommendations if you are planning a party or event: there are two party rooms; both open up to a sunny patio. Pricing is very competitive, but the service goes above and beyond what I have seen elsewhere. At my party, we had a staff of seven (including owner Abel) serving and checking on my guests. The restaurant even crafted and named a signature drink for the event.
The food’s awesome, but it’s all about the never-​ending chips and salsa, isn’t it? Five stars for both. Yum.

El Portal has become our favorite Mexican restaurant! Service has always been friendly and fast, and the food has never disappointed!
My favorite item to get here is the Yucatan trio ($ 16.00). It comes with Cochinita Pibil (oven roasted pork in anchiote spice and lime juice, wrapped in banana leaves, Poc-​Chuc (grilled thin slices of pork), and my favorite, Yucatan style chicken tamale. It comes with pickled onion, rice, black bean soup, and flour/​corn tortillas. At our last visit, I like the Yucatan tamales so much that I just ordered the Yucatan tamale plate ($ 14.50). The masa is one of the best tamale masas I’ve ever had. I think it’s perhaps the banana leaves it’s steamed in that gives it its yummy and delicious flavor.
El Portal is perfect for two or a big group. There’s indoor and outdoor seating available, and the outdoor section is pet-​friendly. El Portal is a definitely good choice for a birthday get together. The staff enthusiastically sings for the birthday celebrant and takes out the birthday sombrero.
There is valet parking available right behind the restaurant on Green Street, but we’ve never had an issue finding cheaper/​free street parking.

1 or 2 star? Hmmmmmmmmmmm
There are days, I want the real deal and head to an authentic Mexican place for some tacos. If not, I’ll be satisfy with Rubios if there’s one around. Not sure where this restaurant fall into.
We were walking on Colorado street and it’s kinda hidden in the back of Arcade Lane. It wasn’t too busy during lunch either. They started us off with some nice tortilla chips and salsa. My two favorite at a Mexican’s place. So 1 extra star for that!
It’s rare for me to dine in for Mexican’s food so I thought the food was kinda pricey compared to what I normally pay. Al pastor is what I usually get but I decided to give shrimps taco a try. 1 shrimp taco for $ 11 is kinda pricey in my opinion! It should at least come with a side of something no? The shrimps were deep fried so it was a bit oily. I did enjoy the veggies that they put in it but other than that, nothing to die for.

Good. Si. Bueno. Yo soy muy guapo. Adiós.