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  • Gardens of Taxco

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Gardens of Taxco
Gardens of Taxco

Gardens of Taxco Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://thegardensoftaxco.com/
  • Email: reservations@gardensoftaxco.com
  • Phone: (323) 654-1746
  • Hours of Operation: Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday: 4:30pm - 11:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 4:30pm - 12:00am
  • Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Delivery, Entertainment, Happy Hour, Late Night, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Smoking Area (patio only), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Catering: Have the Gardens of Taxco cater your next event!
    Corporate Luncheons
    Weddings
    Religious Gatherings
    Holiday Parties
    Catering available from 20-2000 guests.
  • Private Party Facilities: The Gardens of Taxco's private room can accommodate your party of 15 to 35 guests for any occasion. Log on to our website for Private Room FAQ.
  • Private Party Contact: Carmen (818) 489-4647
  • Entertainment: Our strolling guitarist, Jaime Pacheco, will transport your party to Mexico City with his boleros and traditional Latin repertoire.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Santa Monica Blvd
  • Public Transit: Closest transit stop is La Jolla Street and Santa Monica Blvd. Restaurant is 1/2 Block from transit stop.
  • Parking: Valet
  • Parking Details: Valet Parking is available for your convenience. $3.00 service charge
A word from Gardens of Taxco
Since 1971, The Gardens of Taxco has built its reputation on consistently providing the best Mexico-City Style Cuisine in Los Angeles. Your unique five course dining experience begins when your menu is presented verbally; combining details about the entrees with colorful signature sayings such as ‘…born in the sauce’ and ‘Not hot, spicy’. The understated decor and festive atmosphere will transport you to a fine home in Mexico City.Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerMexican
Diner Reviews
  • "I went to the restaurant for the first time probably in 1983, and it was a fairly regular destination for 6 or 7 years until I moved from the area. I returned there with family the other night, and the place hadn't changed a bit, and I mean that in a good way! The menu and delicious food were the same, and Jaime the strolling guitar player is still there, and still making people smile. It's not fancy or elegant or trendy, never was, but dining there is magic nonetheless. Prices aren't cheap, but not expensive either. I felt that our meals and drinks were a good value. The menu is recited in a colorful way, and the regulars enjoy saying it along with the server! #likethechickenwasBORRRNinthesauce"
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "I couldn't give it 5 stars overall because, it was my birthday and I made the reservation 3 weeks in advance. We had to wait 30 minutes for our table, which isn't right. It was also uncomfortably hot to the point where we were sweating. It took a very long time to get a waiters attention, but once we were settled in everything was great. The food is fabulous and I love the ambiance."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "After being gone from LA for many years I return to one of my favorite restaurants….The menu was the same (which is good) and the family that owned it is still there. This made for a fun night with friends. We also had children and they loved that the menu was "spoken" to us with a fun rhyme and the same guitar player from years ago was still there singing to the tables:) A must for every return trip!"
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "I've been to Taxco plenty of times and have always been satisfied. The food is always good and plentiful. I always make sure I come with an empty stomach, because the food is very good and you get plenty of it...5 courses worth. Awesome! However, I think this night was an off night. The service was so bad. We were seated, but no one took our drink order. We tried to hail down a waiter to order, but it was as though they were ignoring us. It was a good 15 minutes before someone came and took our drink order. Finally they took our food order. It was still hard to get service, but the food was good. I'll chalk this evening out to a bad/off night for the restaurant. The service is usually good, this night was substandard."
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "It was a good place to eat but the only thing I didn't like there was no menu."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Gardens of Taxco provides an amazing Mexico City-style dining experience that is so much more than just a good meal. The spoken menu, mariachi, numerous courses, and fantastic pitchers of sangria (or whatever you prefer) always make for a memorable and amazing night. I've never been disappointed!"
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "Great customer service and they treat everyone like family. I love going to dinner here!"
    Dined on 10/9/2013
  • "....and at the Gardens of Taxco that is a good thing. I have been dining at the Gardens of Taxco for nearly 40 years and it is always consistently good. The menu, the format, the decor are all virtually unchanged from the 1970's when dining at a Mexican restaurant was a novelty in Los Angeles. Another consistent joy is the strolling musician, Jaime, who has been serenading diners for 41 years with his guitar."
    Dined on 1/4/2014
  • "I found this restaurant on Google. I wanted a place in the Hollywood area that had a fairly early time for a New Year's Eve reservation, as my dad and I had tickets to the Rose Bowl Parade and game the next day. What a wonderful restaurant--great food, ambience, and really fun. The menu that evening was recited by one of the wait-staff with great panache (I think other nights they would have a written menu, but it was a prix-fixe menu that evening). They had a roving guitarist who was AMAZING. I had the pork carnitas, my dad had the carne asado. It was really good food. They do not have a full liquor license, so just beer and wine, but they make a very good wine-based "margarita" drink. I would definitely go back!"
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "On NYE my BF and I waited about and hour and a half to get seated even with a reservation. It was very upsetting how groups arriving after us getting seated faster. This restaurant had very few tables designated for couples. Their objective was to cram as many people as possible to tables and therefore bypassing my boyfriend and I when a small tables opened up. What was supposed to be a pleasant turned very sour in disappointment. Unfortunately it was too late to go to another restaurant. By the time we got seated, they had limited menu items as they had ran out of certain foods. The restaurant was understaffed and definitely unprepared for a big night such as NYE."
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "I celebrated by birthday at Gardens of Taxco and it was an amazing night. I specifically chose the restaurant because it is one of my favorites in LA & several of my friends had not been there so I got to introduce them to it. We had a lot of fun and the staff helped make that happen!"
    Dined on 12/18/2013
  • "Food was great! Best enchiladas I've had in a long time. Appetizers were great too!"
    Dined on 12/20/2013
  • "First off, the food is so good and the service great. It's a unique experience since there is no menu, just options. The courses come out and each one was delicious. I luv the margs, not the usual, but watch out! Each one really packs a punch! Come hungry...there is so much food."
    Dined on 12/17/2013
  • "A great must have Los Angeles experience....a 40 yr. tradition."
    Dined on 12/15/2013
  • "Gardens of Taxco is amazing! Remember to go with a healthy appetite. Each main course comes with chips/salsa, pickled veggies, two amazing appetizers, abondigas soup & dessert served with sweet wine! Perfect place for a foodie as every single item served is absolutely delicious. The servers are kind and animated!"
    Dined on 12/14/2013
  • "The food is fantastic and it's a fun place to have a group dinner. It's not fancy in any way except the price.It's a little pricey but you do get 4 courses, so I understand. But we do go there for special occasions otherwise we'd go more ofter. It's right in the neighborhood."
    Dined on 12/10/2013
  • "Go hungry, because the size of this meal is no joke. Definitely a big meal for the value. Been coming here for years and it never disappoints! Fun, friendly, family atmosphere. If you're on a diet, this is not the place for you."
    Dined on 12/5/2013
  • "Fun throw back to the old days.. bid red booths with the. Us idioms walking around singing and diners singing along!! Fun.. Margaritas are good if you like the only two they serve... sangria is good and they have beer!!! Menu is not for the reading. the staff tells you all about it...e five course meals.. do you want chicken. Fish meat port or what and you discuss.. there way or the highway. with that said friendly and they try to work within hour needs.. If you want Plain American Mexican do not go however.. If you do go fun and so. Inch food... Del,idiots.. Give a try and have fun"
    Dined on 11/29/2013
  • "I cannot recommend this restaurant. They are so lacking in so many areas. No menus...you have to tell the waiter what you want to eat and he tells you what they have. Every time we tried to order something, they did not have it. No hard liquor only beer and wine. Weird margaritas made with fruit juice and wine. You could not order an appetizer or an entree separately. You had to order a full dinner. Once we had started eating, we realized that we had no idea what anything cost. Service was very slow. Never again."
    Dined on 11/29/2013
  • "The hostess had our reservation in her hand on a printed paper from OpenTable when we arrived right on time. Unfortunately, she said she forgot to add us to the list. So, we waited 45 minuets to be seated. Things got worse from there. The three appetizers took 2 hours to bring. So long that when the entrees arrived, we had them boxed up to go. When I mentioned to the food server that food was taking a very long time, he blamed for for not asking that the food come out faster. Save your time and money and go somewhere else. This place is way too expensive for poor, slow service."
    Dined on 11/23/2013
  • "You can't beat their early bird special and their delicious margaritas."
    Dined on 11/22/2013
  • "I first brought my fiancé here last yr for his birthday- it has since become our to to spot for special occasions. We celebrate our birthdays and anniversary here. The food is delicious, the ambience is romantic and it's truly unique. The margaritas are delish and the musician walking around that sings songs reminds me of the restaurants my parents talked about when they we going and in love. I truly recommend this place. Just be sure you book a reservation and arrive early or else you do have to wait at least 20mins for your table."
    Dined on 10/19/2013
  • "There are no menus, the choices are basically yelled to you at table side with no options to modify. I asked for healthy options, as I was told on the phone that they had "many healthy choices", but there are really none. The service was poor. We never had full drinks. The patrons around us were verbally complaining as well. There are so many great restaurants in this area, I hate that we wasted one of our nights eating here."
    Dined on 10/16/2013
  • "Love the food love the atmosphere everyone there nice and courtesious. We definitely come back and highly recommend this place."
    Dined on 9/29/2013
  • "The food is always so delicious & the service is flawless. Every time I go, it is a treat and it love to take new people to experience it."
    Dined on 9/27/2013
  • "Took some friends how hadn't been there. Showed up early to enjoy the refreshing margaritas. Our favorite musician was there the servers greeted us like family, provided excellent service and we had some laugh's. My friend who is no slouch in the kitchen loved it so much he invited us over the next day to sample his version of the Taxco margarita. Let's just say he gets an "A" for effort. Over all another memorable evening with great food and company at the Gardens of Taxco."
    Dined on 9/14/2013
  • "I love the vintage look of this restaurant. Dark leather booths, dim lighting, old school decor. The waiters were great and listening to them recite the food menu was an experience in and of itself. We got a 5 course meal for a reasonable price. The entertainment was fun. We joined in on the singing while he played guitar. The tequila-less guava margaritas were remarkably good. I think they used white wine in them. I would definitely go back!"
    Dined on 9/9/2013
  • "I went back after not going to this Mexican restaurant in over 20 years and I had a great time. the food was very good, the service was great and the ambiance was FUN! This is not snooty dinning--it's a jovial night out that is an extremely good value. If you haven't been in awhile--give it a try."
    Dined on 9/6/2013
  • "My party of 9 were smashed into a booth. My chicken was dry.My friend had the beef kabob and it was dry. No one ever wished me a Happy Birthday though you were told it was a 60th birthday party. I had a great time because of my friends but I was disappointed."
    Dined on 9/2/2013
  • "Gardens of Taxco is one of my favorite places to have an intimate dinner with friends or family. Just let your waiter be your guide it's pretty much pre fixe dining in a cozy cave like atmosphere. Your several courses are recited by your waiter and they are very accommodating, so n if you would like to change up sauces or meats or even go meatless they find a way to make it work. I love it. The food and the sauces are so different than standard street Mexican food! Definitely worth checking out."
    Dined on 7/10/2013
  • "Hands down the best Mexican dinning experience I have ever had! I grew up in So Cal and have eaten at countless Mexican restaurants, this one blows them all out of the water! No question about it! 5 stars across the board! I was beyond impressed with every aspect of this place, from the food to the drinks to the service, wow! I could go on and on. It's a must try!"
    Dined on 8/12/2013
  • "Their six course dinner menu is a real gem, the service is fantistic, and the value is tops! This is a great place for authentic Mexican food, not the stuff you get in the chain restaurants. Come hungry."
    Dined on 8/11/2013
  • "Just an excellent experience and you have to love their unique margaritas."
    Dined on 8/9/2013
  • "The title says it all-outstanding Mexican experience!!"
    Dined on 8/2/2013
  • "This is the worse Mexican food I ever had not to mention they say they don't have menus. Our food total was $68.00 HOW RIDICULOUS !!!!!!!!! I can say if the food were good price wouldn't matter."
    Dined on 7/21/2013
  • "First time coming here, loved the food & great service"
    Dined on 7/14/2013
  • "Restaurant is amazing. Food is great. Been going there for years."
    Dined on 7/18/2013
  • "Excellent food and service.....traditional Mexico City style cuisine.....the best!!!!!"
    Dined on 7/12/2013
  • "This wonderful place was the chosen location of my birthday celebration with my family. And boy did i choose correctly! We arrived early on a Saturday evening, so the restaurant wasn't crowded at all. Although they couldn't initially find our reservation from OpenTable, they seated almost immediately (definitely glad I made my reservation early and thus the restaurant was not crowded). From then on the meal was exceptional. The wait staff was great, the service fantastic and the food delicioso!!! Muy bueno Gardens!!"
    Dined on 6/10/2013
  • "The title says it. You feel like you're in Mexico City when you're inside. The guitar/singer was just perfect as he sang intimately to our table. My only complaint was the waiter being a tad abrupt and non-existent at times. All in all a fantastic, casual dining experience."
    Dined on 5/25/2013
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Los Angeles / Orange County Winners
  • Mexican
Learn more ›