If you're looking for delicious authentic Mexican food this is the spot. Prices are reasonable, service is great. 10/10 I'm a regular now.

Best Mexican food in SM. I like the taco salad, bean and cheese burrito, the fish tacos are great. Nice staff.

Delicious hole in the wall. Surprisingly fast and cheap for Montana. Extensive menu. Chicken quesadilla was good and came with a side of pico de gallo, guac, and sour cream. The cherry pie had canned cherry pie filling but was delicious and had great crust. I will come back and try the tamales but I get the feeling it's all good. The bakery case looked incredible. Check out was fast, the cashier woman was kind, and the free drink with yelp check in was a cherry on top. Same parking and building as Panda Express. Small shared indoor eating area with tables.

Lots of free parking in pavilions plaza. Located in the same building as Panda Express. $6 minimum to use credit cards or there will be a $1 fee. Taco Tuesday specials 2-7p small street tacos (carnitas $1.59, steak $2.35). Do a Yelp check in and receive a drink. I really like sopes and theirs were pretty good and fast. Food is made in front of you and very quickly. Great options for breakfast, desserts, smoothies, juices, tamales, tacos, burritos etc.

This is typical hole in the wall spot that serves delicious food. The food was made fresh and made with plenty of flavor. I got the chilaquiles verde and it didn't disappoint at all will be back when we are back in town.

I love Horchata so much and hope it never leaves the area. The food here is great, and it's quite cheap for Montana Ave. I love their burgers, fries, sandwiches, etc. The lady who usually works the register is nice and gives great service.

When asked where to find some of the best Mexican food in the entirety of the Greater LA area, Santa Monica has always come up. And being in the area at the time, I stumbled across Horchata right in the heart of the city. Craving something different than my usual mix of food, I decided to check them out. Walking in around 3PM on a Saturday afternoon, the first thing I noticed was the unique layout of the place. As opposed to your typical brick and mortar location, Horchata actually shares a building with Panda Express. But the interesting part was that they face each other on opposite sides from one end to another are are connected via a long and narrow path. After registering this unique building arrangement, I quickly looked at the menu, walked up to the chef, ordered a Philly Cheese Steak ($12.99 before tax), and moved to the counter to pay for it. After about 5 minutes of waiting, my food was ready and I left to give it a try. **Some notes: 1) When at the counter, I noticed a sign saying that Horchata's final day of business will be April 28th 2023 after almost 9 years of serving the Santa Monica community. Though it's sad to see businesses like these go, definitely give them a try before then! I was surprised to see how little reviews they have despite being in this location for 9 years. 2) A side of chips, fruit, or fries comes with the purchase of the Philly Cheese Steak in addition to the sandwich. I personally chose the fruit medley which contained grapes, honeydew, and cantaloupe.** Opening up the box, the quantity was just as I expected: one sandwich cut into two with a side of fruit (about a cup). But all things considered, the size of the sandwich as pretty large and was stuffed with many ingredients such as grilled jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, provolone cheese, and steak. Not only was the sandwich alone big, but the ratio was also quite favorable towards the meat (60% of the sandwich with chunky pieces) followed by the bread (20%); and the onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, and cheese taking up 5% each. The fruits were given in balanced portion too. Taking these into consideration, the quantity was filling for a meal and I left satisfied. But someone with a larger stomach size might not be. And at $13 in the Santa Monica area, the price to portion ratio was pretty good. But know there are a number of places in the area that serve similar sandwiches for $10-11. Now I know that I usually do not frequent Mexican food or food with Mexican influence, so my opinion might deviate from the more experienced connoisseur. But from the bar set, the flavor of the sandwich exceeded my expectations. The bread was not too soft and not too toasted which created a barrier between the moist and dry ingredients and added a crunch to the mix of softer items. Though the bread did not really taste like much, it wasn't bland by any means. The jalapenos were soft and easily chewable. Taste-wise, the flavor of the curbed spice was present, but it was dialed down. I found this to be a nice touch because if the peppers are too hot, the spice could take away from the flavor. Next, the onions were soft as well and held together as strands which retained the sweet caramelized flavor from the cooking process. The flavor of the onions helped to emphasize the savory flavor of the steak as well; talk about a small ingredient with a big impact! The tomatoes were similar to the onions in that they tasted sweet, but they brought some acidity which balanced out the heaviness of the other items. The cheese was layered on, but not too thick which allowed for a light pull. Taste-wise, it just like your typical provolone; buttery with a minor lemony flavor. And for last, the steak was very tasty! Big pieces meant more fatty portions and more retained flavor which then helped connect to the other ingredients. Based on what ingredient was next to it, the flavor profile of the steak seemed to change. This made each bite memorable and not repetitive. The pieces of steak were a tad chewy though which made the sandwich hard to eat at times. There were moments where the steak would come out because the pieces couldn't be separated from the parts still in the bread. And last, all of the fruit was fresh and actually quite sweet which gave incremental breaks from the sandwich. In all, the dish was very balanced which made it overall easy to eat, but some parts of the texture combatted this. Because the service was quick, the quantity given was of a good size, and the taste of the sandwich, I argue Horchata deserves a 4/5. Though easy and simple, those with larger appetites might not leave full. Other than that, the only other thing would be the chewiness of the meat which occasionally required me to use a lot of force to separate the pieces. If in Santa Monica and are looking for a good Mexican-influenced sandwich, give these guys a try before they close their doors at the end of the month! Finish off strong, guys!

Great food for the right price. Get the steak or Al Pastor. The carne asada, +$1, had 2 bites of gristle; don't bother. I don't like burritos in general, but the WET burrito is totally worth it! It's massive & the flavors really come together. I've had the green sauce, & it's not just salsa, but a proper cooked flavorful sauce. The Philly Cheese Steak panini has excellent flavor & comes with fruit or salad. The Tuesday $1.25 mini tacos are still in effect, so try different flavors. They're 2 bites for a large head, with onion & cilantro. The lunch crowd is huge, but moves really fast. The staff are always very friendly & helpful. There is seating in the back of the building, which they share with Panda Express, and free parking in the parking lot & street.

My new favorite Mexican place. One morning I found out I was out of eggs and did not have the time to go to the grocery. I'm new to this area so I decided to try this place. On DoorDash, I chose Huevos Rancheros with flour tortillas. But the cost was well below the $12 threshold for a free delivery bec of my DashPass. So in addition to the Huevos Ranchoes, I ordered Chile Relleno a la carte. Plus a side of Beans-- both for my dinner later. Both orders came with Tortilla Chips and salsa. All of the above were delicious.