Socalo
Located within Santa Monica’s Gateway Hotel, Socalo is a beachy, California canteen and Mexican pub from award-winning chef/owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken.
Socalo serves conscientiously-sourced, seasonal SoCal Mexican fare with quick counter service during the day while dinner shifts to full-service dining alongside cocktails featuring small-batch spirits, craft beers on tap and Mexican wines.
Support Socalo during COVID-19
Offers
Taco Tuesday
Multiple dates available
Tue 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Join us on the outdoor patios and enjoy $3.50 tacos, $5 beer, and $8-$10 cocktails and wines from Mexico all day, every Tuesday. Taco Tuesday menu is available from 11:30am to 8pm for dine-in only. BAJA FISH TACO // BIRRIA TACO // CHICKEN TACO DORADO // CHICHARRÓN STREET TACO // JACKFRUIT TINGA TACO // SOCAL DOBLADITA // IMPOSSIBLE CHORIZO TACO Vegetarian, vegan, and no wheat options!
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Innovative and delicious food, beautifully presented, but choices for a real dinner are a bit limited. We loved being outdoors and were lucky to have a private little corner, but because this (new for Covid-19) seating area is in a partially enclosed hotel driveway it is subject to noise from cars, though in our corner not from other diners.
Always fantastic. Went for Taco Tuesday for some great deals on great food. Service is always great. Love the Jackfruit tacos, as well as the impossible chorizo. The Salsa Macha is to die for
Came here with my friend from out of town - delish food and very happy with it. We got their corn, roasted cauliflower and their duck carnitas. The dark carnitas definitely exceeded my expectations...crispy skin, moist duck leg inside and very tasty beans/veggie bed it was on top of. Good place to get some tasty Cali-Mexican cuisine - would be glad to suggest this place to friends!!!
The food is always great at any of Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken's restaurants. But Socalo has some excelent new items like the Lamb birria! And at all of their Mexican restaurants they have absolutely the best tortilla chips and salsas in the world! :)
Hidden gem! Food was great. Their outdoor patio was lovely.
Great food!
Reserved indoor dining, was sat outside in the very back of a empty restaurant. Simple mexican food, way too expensive. Service was bad for an empty restaurant. Staff started putting chairs on tables at 9:30pm, made me feel as if they wanted us to leave. Will not return.
Delicious food and great atmosphere, will definitely be returning.
lovely casual restaurant with yummy food and good service.
lamb tacos are exceptional
Loved the personal touch of name and butcher paper. And service was fantastic.
The service was so very welcoming! The food AND drinks were both made with love. Plus, Taco Tuesday provides a good deal!
Good food with lively, interesting flavors and a care for sustainability.
excellent food, great service, awesome michaelada and salsa
Food and drinks here are always superb! Wonderful staff. Both take out and dine in have always been outstanding.
Really great service, good heaters for cold nights, delicious food, and tasty margaritas
Great experience. Food was delicious. Nice atmosphere. Staff very friendly and attentive. Will be returning.
It is always such a welcoming place it feels good to be there everybody is caring and thoughtful wonderful atmosphere
Socalo was great as usual! Great food, great service, great everything! Go!
Great service, generous portions at affordable prices. Food was delicious! Def would recommend them!
Beautiful restaurant, lovely staff and great service , the food was very good. Would go back again. Excellent.
Good experience , great Ambiente. Great outdoor experience. The only thing was that they forgot our second drinks order and some food or at least it took too long.
Would definitely go again.
Food is not bad but quite pricey for what you get. But they have an inventive menu with good options to try.
Great food and cocktails, enjoyed the DineLA menu on this visit and will go back for more. The Vampiro steak and shrimp tacos were amazing! I also loved the unique salsas. I did feel that dining solo I was not given the service larger parties received, thought I was forgotten about a couple of times, but I know we're all adjusting to a new eating norm! In any event, I do recommend, and I will be back.
Absolutely a joyous evening. So wonderful to see friends, eat outside in the fabulous patio and eat such incredible food
Date with my husband had such a wonderful experience... at first we were put by an exit sign at a tall table was freezing recommend wearing warm clothes. We asked to be moved finally got a table in the back with a Heater but still chilly. Got drinks things strayed on an upslope... ordered guacamole with chips, ceviche & shrimp, lamb, steak tacos / chicken enchiladas so good! Our waiter Ricardo was AMAZING 🤩 HE WAS so accommodating to food restrictions & vino suggestions. When we go back will request having Ricardo really made our night!!!
It was a good experience overall. Staff was friendly and helpful .Food was good.
Incredible modern Mexican. Small portions but just means you can try more items. Everything was outstanding fresh and locally sourced. Border grill but better! Wonderfully attentive servers. Loved it all, including patio built for Covid compliance.
We went out for our first date night since quarantine. The food was excellent the service was fantastic we really lucked out and were able to sit at the front of the restaurant outside. They had an additional outdoor area but it was quite loud and we were grateful we weren’t in that section.
We had the duck and margaritas for dinner. The duck was incredibly crispy the chorizo beans and sauce were fantastic! The margaritas were spot on. Can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.
Check out Yelp for my review! We’ll be coming back!!!!
I didn't realize the restaurant replaced the Denny's or iHop that was on the corner. Much better option. The food was great, the drinks we're great, it was my first time dinning out in a while and I felt so safe and can't wait to go back. Love it at night, it was quiet and the heat lamps were on so it wasn't cold. The lamb birria tacos and the brussel sprouts 10/10 would recommend.
Excellent food and service!
Great food and they did a very nice job making the outdoor seating as nice and as big as possible.
Service was outstanding. Food was great!
Delicious food, nice spacing between tables, friendly service.
Absolutely amazing good. Incredible service. Beautiful outdoor dining space.
thought the food was delicious. As a vegetarian, there were many choices. Servers were all very attentive and Covid precautions were in evidence. Sat outside with a heater. Was very nice.
We had made a reservation here due to all the great reviews and I’m definitely glad we did!
service was really great. food awesome as ever. traffic noise was unavoidable.
SOCALO is the best. Food is great! Service is attentive but not rushed. They've created a comfortable safe space outdoors (I hope they keep it after we can eat inside). Mary Sue and Susan have created an interesting menu based on Mexican ingredients and style. We'll be back.
FAQs
You can order delivery directly from Socalo using the Order Online button. Socalo also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 451-1655.
Socalo is rated 4.7 stars by 227 OpenTable diners.
Socalo does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://www.toasttab.com/socalo/giftcards.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.