El Coyote Cafe

After living in LA for years, I am so glad I finally made it out to dine at this epic LA Landmark. I found this to be a very enjoyable and special experience. It was my first time here, so Alex provided excellent service and guided me through the menu. I thought the food was delicious, and the interior was very charming as well. I had to wait a bit for my table, but I didn't mind. The steak fajitas and the chips and guacamole are epic! Flavorful, filling, and well-made. Love the chips and salsa they serve at the beginning of the meal as well. :)

El Coyote cafe opened in 1931 and is nearly a 100 years old! It has a lot of history. The decor and the interior transports you to a new realm. It's very lively inside, and staff wear traditional Mexican attire.But that's pretty much all I enjoyed during my visit here during a weekend dinner time, unfortunately. The food was very average. The guacamole, pico, and salsa were very bland. We both got burritos and it didn't taste that flavorful. They sent me "La Cocina" style by mistake too. It was difficult to get our waiter's attention, and the inside of the restaurant is very loud and bustling -- it would not be a great place to catch up with friends nor would it be a good date spot, in my opinion.I will say the margaritas were delicious though. Valet parking was a steep $10. Overall, I'd recommend this place for drinks only. I don't see myself coming back here for the food.

I don't know what it is about this place but the service has gone downhill. I popped in to kill some time as I was early meeting up someone. Mid afternoon on a Friday, got a table in the bar area. It wasn't busy in there as there were only two other tables occupied. Checked in with hostess. It took a long while till someone actually came up to me asking if I was ready. First off, didn't have a menu. So waited for that and then a little while longer to order a drink. And then, had to look for someone to ask for some chips and salsa. There was literally no one anywhere. Finally, took a while for everything. Also, the cocktails for the price is HORRIBLE. Should have remembered from the last time that the margaritas was a waste of 18.00. And almost 10.00 for a pint of beer. I don't know if they were short staff or what but for a Friday, you would thought. It seemed like the waiter was the only one for the entire restaurant taking orders, restaurants and bar area. I did notice a few members were just standing around when I went to the restroom. The service was horrible as well as cocktails. It's not like how it used to be or was it always like this and I just never noticed.

The best mexican food in LA!! Highly recommend the green chile tamale if you love corn. The fajitas with veggies is incredible... the tortilla is amazingly soft. Service here is also great-- we had Donna as our waitress last time and she constantly made sure we were taken care of and brought refills without asking. The ambiance is fun, it's a cute sit down restaurant with a ton of history. Can't wait to come back again

Wow wow wow...this place is amazing. By far the best Mexican food I've had in a really long time. The ambiance is beautiful, however wish they had music playing while I was there. The service was beautiful aswell. Chips and salsa are complementary and you can get extra tortillas without an extra charge. This place was amazing! Can't wait to come back!!

Always fun at El Coyote. They have the best chips ever. I tried the street tacos this time and I'm so happy I did. My husband had the salad that doesn't say Tostada but it's a tostada and delicious.

Pretty and comfortable space that is very accommodating for kids. Extensive menu and decent wait times for food arrival. Everyone enjoyed the food immensely.Definitely a go-to neighborhood Mexican place.

It'd been several years since I'd visited this LA staple. I'd forgotten I'd previously reviewed 13 years ago. I rated average last time but I'm bumping it up to 4 stars now. Visited just before 4 on a Saturday so parking was free and plentiful in the lot. While there were plenty of patrons inside, there was no wait. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. The food was plentiful and tasted hot the spot. I ordered a two-item combo and it came out on two plates! I especially love that they aren't skimpy with chips and salsa. Visited with a picky 9-year-old who loved the rice and highly complimented the crispy fries. Because El Coyote has been around for nearly 100 years it's a great spot for some authentic LA history.

There's a rich history here and famously featured in film/pop culture. Celebrity visits aside, regulars still feel at home here. I observed time and time again staff call on patrons by name and ask if they would be having their usual. It's magic. I cannot say enough how enthusiastic and attentive the service was. The food... make sure you wear comfortable attire because you will eat more than you should! I had a carnitas burrito and my boyfriend had the fish tacos, the portions are generous and every bite was addictive. While you're here have one of their Legendary Margaritas, they do NOT disappoint.

The food is delicious here. The servers are friendly and punctual. Ambience is pleasing. However, it does get a bit noisy, and the carpet is in desperate need of being cleaned. Other than that this is the best Mexican restaurant in town in my opinion.