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Blue Plate Taco, Santa Monica, CA

Blue Plate Taco

4.5
4.5
895 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican
Blue Plate Taco is a coastal Baja-meets-Santa Monica destination on Ocean Ave. We are dedicates to creating all our food from scratch including the agua frescas and margaritas from the bar, the tortillas are made by hand fresh all day, and our salsas are made daily. The entire menu is fresh, light and delicious.

We hold most of our tables for walk-ins so if you don't see any reservations, don't fret! We'll get you seated after a short wait while you're admiring the Pacific and taking in the famous Santa Monica pier.

Reservations are limited to 90 minutes, we hold reservations for 10 minutes.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 16 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, American
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch & Dinner Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (310) 458-2985
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Owned/operated by
    Women
  • Executive chef
    Jonathan Juarez
  • Catering
    We have menu options for all of your catering needs. We can provide food and staff for your parties.
  • Private party facilities
    We have a large patio that can accommodate up to 60 people and we are available for private parties.
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Monica
  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Parking details
    Street parking, lots and valet available after 5pm
  • Public transit
    There is bus stop across the street within the same block.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 895 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Westside

    Mexican

895 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    vip
    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 29, 2023

    Overall2Food3Service3Ambience1
    When our group of 4 went on Nov 28th, it was not a pleasant experience or worth the cost. The inside of their restaurant was closed due to a kitchen renovation, but there was nothing mentioned on their site or on the booking platform when reserving a table. Everyone was seated outside, food and drinks were served from a food truck, you were charged $5 for water because that’s all they had (still or sparkling). We spent $55 per person with 20% tip for a mediocre meal and experience. Our margaritas were served in a plastic solo cup, chips were served in a small food truck plate so we had to keep asking for more chips. And they had a limited menu of 5 options. If we were aware of the above situation due to renovation, we never would’ve drove an hour to meet with some friends for a nice dinner who we haven’t seen for the experience we had. Oh, and the cesar salad that was ordered by my vegan girlfriend, never came out so she just ate rice and beans because that’s the only vegan options that were available on that limited menu. She would’ve mentioned it to the server, but she was not around and we were all pretty much finished our meals. A waste of money. Will not return.

    Is this helpful?

  2. happydiner

    Minneapolis

    10 reviews

    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 28, 2023

    Overall3Food4Service4Ambience3
    We arrived to find out that the kitchen is being remodeled this week and that they were serving from a very limited menu out of a food truck parked next to hastily arranged outdoor seating (at the edge of the street!). The day manager heard my questions and immediately came over to assist. She apologized profusely for the fact that their webpage had not been updated to let customers know about the remodeling project. I was on the website on Monday 11/27 when I made the reservation - NO MENTION of any change to their offerings. Because the manager was so gracious and we didn't want to walk anymore, we took a table and were served by a very friendly and helpful waiter. The food was delicious and we enjoyed conversation with our friends. The project is scheduled for completion by Sat, Dec 2nd, so we just happened to get caught in the middle. Based on very limited experience with their food, we would try them again.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Mary

    New Orleans

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 19, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Delicious and incredible food and drinks :). Loved the vibe here!!

    Is this helpful?

  4. BrianS

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Great Margaritas and Fajitas and service. Thanks a lot

    Is this helpful?

  5. StevenG

    Los Angeles

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Great shrimp- great margarita great company Love this place

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 4, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Good food, staff friendly and efficient, thank you

    Is this helpful?

  7. Sandi

    Los Angeles

    38 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on November 4, 2023

    Overall2Food2Service4Ambience1
    I thought this restaurant was mediocre at best. Food came out in 2 seconds, so I got the feeling everything was just already cooked ages ago and sitting around and just spooned on the plate. Food was kind of tasteless. Our server was very good. Noise level was awful. Bottom line is I won’t be going back. I frequently go to Blue Plate Oysterette and absolutely love that place. No comparison whatsoever to the taco joint!!

    Is this helpful?

  8. MaryW

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 31, 2023

    Overall4Food4Service4Ambience3
    Lunch was great, service was friendly, and food was quick and yummy. We were able to get a table during lunch, which was nice, but most of the tables were out in the sun, which was not ideal.  also one alcohol drink is as much as your plate. Lunch was great, service was friendly, and food was quick and yummy.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Rita

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 22, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    I've been to this restaurant twice, and had a great experience both times. Yummy food and drinks, and the location is great!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Greg

    Los Angeles

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on October 21, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service4Ambience5
    Tacos were great. Service was friendly; they just brought the appetizer too late so it didn't come until after we got the tacos. (They took it off the bill when we sent it back.) Drinks were solid. We really like this place.

    Is this helpful?

  11. Diner

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 2023

    Overall4Food5Service5Ambience4
    Our second time dining here, the food is amazing!

    Is this helpful?

  12. JaNayHonest

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 18, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    I absolutely LOVE blue plate taco! My favorite taco spot in Santa Monica

    Is this helpful?

  13. HRich

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 17, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Everything we tried was fabulous! Excellent apps and entrees.

    Is this helpful?

  14. liveforfood

    Philadelphia

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Good food with a great location. Love their guacamole:-)

    Is this helpful?

  15. Nagman1679

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 14, 2023

    Overall5Food4Service5Ambience5
    The Food was delicious and great service was received from the restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  16. Dave

    Los Angeles

    16 reviews

    2.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on October 14, 2023

    Overall2Food1Service4Ambience4
    Good location. Service is good Food is very poor quality I ordered chicken Tacos Tortillas were stale Chicken was dry and leathery.

    Is this helpful?

  17. foodieV

    Los Angeles

    67 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    67 reviews

    Dined on October 13, 2023

    Overall4Food5Service5Ambience4
    For a restaurant located in a heavily touristy area, the food here is very consistent and good. We had excellent shrimp fajitas which I have to say had a good portion of shrimp and not the usual piling on of peppers and onions and very little of the main ingredient that many Mexican restaurants do. It's quite noisy though and with music so depending on where you are seated, an intimate conversation may be best had somewhere else. Can't beat the location and outdoor ambience though. It has a fun vibe.

    Is this helpful?

  18. OpenTable Diner

    Cincinnati

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    I go to Blue Plate Taco at least once a month, and I always have a great time. The staff, the food, the drinks and the atmosphere are always on point!

    Is this helpful?

  19. Michelle

    Los Angeles

    27 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2023

    Overall4Food4Service5Ambience5
    Lovely evening with food food and great service. Brisket tacos were a favorite Ali g with the streak Fijiatas

    Is this helpful?

  20. JoeM

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2023

    Overall3Food3Service2Ambience4
    The food was fine but not as good as advertised. One hostess made us feel Awful and pressured us to move to a worse table. Also our waitress never offered us chips and salsa or any other appetizer (to buy) and also never asked us if we wanted dessert. We were so rushed and felt undervalued. I Guess they wanted our table back asap

    Is this helpful?

  21. JeffreyI

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 5, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Took a couple of coworkers here for lunch. The food quality is very good, I didn't hear a single negative comment about anything. We got guacamole and it was freshly made and very good. We each ordered a taco platter. It was a perfect amount of food for me, they each had enough leftovers to eat the next day. It's a bit pricey, but you can see the ocean and people-watch, so the value is good.

    Is this helpful?

  22. SharonP

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 27, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Nice experience and great food. Love the outdoors looking at the sunset

    Is this helpful?

  23. Thomas

    Los Angeles

    11 reviews

    3.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on September 25, 2023

    Overall3Food3Service4Ambience3
    Very limited (almost only mini tacos) menu, and so-so- quality. Good location right on Ocean Ave but, there are 10 other restaurants within a 5-minute walk that are far better with the same location.

    Is this helpful?

  24. MichaelJ

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 25, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Excellent food and great service. Would recommend if you want to eat brilliant food over looking the sea and beach with the sunset

    Is this helpful?

  25. Celeste

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 24, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Our consistently favorite spot in Santa Monica. NEVERE disappoints. Delicious margaritas, elote, and carne asada.

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  26. IzzyD

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 16, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    This place has Great food, friendly service, and a nice ambiance

    Is this helpful?

  27. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 11, 2023

    Overall1Food1Service1Ambience3
    Service was very slow and inattentive. Had to ask 3 times for the cheque and flag down the waiter every time we wanted a fresh drink etc. The food was really inconsistent 3 of the same Tacos on a plate 2 VeRY spicy and 1 mild. Otherwise a bit meh - not authentic Mexican. Ambience was fine, in the beech area. Value for money was ok, but not given the quality. I guess based on its location it’s a place people only go once so they don’t care if the food is meh and service poor.

    1 person found this helpful

  28. ReynaldoS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 8, 2023

    Overall5Food4Service5Ambience5
    Food was good, authentic, and fairly priced. Scenery was nice as the sun sets in front of the restaurant. Attendants were very polite and accommodating. Location is near Santa Monica boardwalk.

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  29. carlw

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    Overall3Food4Service2Ambience3
    Food was good, waitress was very pleasant. However, I didn’t see much of her. The speaker playing the music was too loud. Besides that overall good experience.

    Is this helpful?

  30. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Such a fun place. Really good food and great service. Perfect spot to people watch.

    Is this helpful?

  31. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 31, 2023

    Overall3Food2Service3Ambience5
    It was overpriced and my fish tacos were very fishy. Food was mediocre but views, vibe and obeisance was A+

    Is this helpful?

  32. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 30, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Fun and festive venue with excellent food and friendly service!

    Is this helpful?

  33. RAinSF

    San Francisco

    240 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    240 reviews

    Dined on August 24, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Great meal last night. Service was great. Sat outside. Chips/salsa were delish. We had the 3 steak tacos in lettuce. The lettuce kept its shape and wasn't wimpy. Very good. We also had a caesar salad with salmon on top. Wonderful. Great flavors. We had tasty margs and ended the night with a flavorful tres leches cake. We'll definitely return!

    Is this helpful?

  34. Markw

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on August 23, 2023

    Overall3Food2Service3Ambience2
    Very touristy. Nice staff. They were pricing steak tacos at market price. Seriously only have seen that on fish or lobster before. Mexican style menu. No chips and salsa on the table. And no refried beans. Probably not going back.

    Is this helpful?

  35. Kathy

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 16, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    The staff here are really warm and welcoming, the food is perfect and the price is reasonable.

    Is this helpful?

  36. ErikaL

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 15, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    Mi kiddos and I really enjoyed this restaurant, it was excellent 👌

    Is this helpful?

  37. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 11, 2023

    Overall5Food5Service5Ambience5
    The food and service were amazing!!!! Loved the outdoor space.

    Is this helpful?

  38. OpenTable Diner

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 3, 2023

    Overall2Food1Service3Ambience4
    All started very well until the server was slammed. She never checked with us how our food was. She forgot little fixes like water and napkins. We didn’t have a chance to let her know that the steak quesadilla was tough to chew. She did well during order taking and she totally forgot about us. She did not come to our table not even once. The host and hostess were doing a great job turning tables although I rather have my server bring my check then the host.

    1 person found this helpful

  39. Mmhmmmm

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 29, 2023

    Overall3Food4Service2Ambience3
    All was ok except for the service. Servers were all nice enough but our female server was inattentive and totally unprofessional. At the end of a subpar service when the check came, she literally looked over the shoulder of the person paying and commented on the tip. He was about to tip her 20% but made a mistake on the machine. As he was about to correct it she made a comment. So freaking unprofessional and just left a really bad impression. He took off a few percentages. Also, chairs were pretty uncomfortable and noise level was to the point you definitely had to raise your voice for anyone at the table to hear anything. Otherwise, food was decent although beer was warm.

    2 people found this helpful

  40. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 27, 2023

    Overall2Food2Service3Ambience2
    The outdoor patio is on the sidewalk, right on the road. Not terrible but not amazing.

    1 person found this helpful

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
    • Contactless payment available
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
    • Staff is vaccinated

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Blue Plate Taco using the Order Online button. Blue Plate Taco also offers delivery in partnership with Postmates. Blue Plate Taco also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 458-2985.

Blue Plate Taco is rated 4.5 stars by 895 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 16 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Blue Plate Taco

1515 Ocean Ave. Suite A, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Broadway
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Monica
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch & Dinner Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Latin American, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking, lots and valet available after 5pm
  • Public transit
    There is bus stop across the street within the same block.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Owned/operated by
    Women
  • Executive chef
    Jonathan Juarez
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (310) 458-2985
  • Catering
    We have menu options for all of your catering needs. We can provide food and staff for your parties.
  • Private party facilities
    We have a large patio that can accommodate up to 60 people and we are available for private parties.
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