RED O Cantina - Santa Monica

Name: RED O Cantina - Santa Monica
Address: 1541 Ocean Avenue Suite 120, Santa Monica, CA, United States, 90401
Telephone: (310) 458-1600
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.3

4.3 (861)

$30 and under

Contemporary Mexican

1541 Ocean Avenue, Suite 120, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 6 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

What better location to enjoy award-winning cuisine and expertly crafted cocktails, than sitting directly across from the legendary Santa Monica pier? This vibrant city-meets-the-ocean destination is a local favorite. With a beautifully appointed interior and an intimate back patio, RED O Cantina is an oasis of elegance, comfort and beauty. Our culinary team and waitstaff work hand-in-hand to deliver an unforgettable dining experience to each and every one of our guests.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary Mexican, Seafood, Steak
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(310) 458-1600
Website
http://www.redorestaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Javier Raymundo
Private party facilities
Genuine hospitality marks every function held in RED O Cantina. Our dedicated event director welcomes groups of 10 to 300 guests and will give personal attention to every detail of your event, from special entertainment requests to audiovisual needs. For more information, please contact:TanyaT@redorestaurant.com310.458-1600

Location
1541 Ocean Avenue, Suite 120, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Neighborhood
Santa Monica
Cross street
Colorado
Parking details
Valet is available in front of the restaurant for a nominal charge. Parking is also available nearby at the Santa Monica public parking structures.
Public transit
RED O Cantina is walking distance from Santa Monica Big Blue Bus stops and the Expo LRT stop at Downtown Santa Monica (at 4th/Colorado).
Entertainment
Live entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Weekend Brunch with Bottomless Cocktails
Multiple dates available
Enjoy all your favorites at our weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Don't miss $25 bottomless brunch cocktails including Mimosas, Bloody Mary's and Sangria. With Mexican specialties like Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles, to satisfying your sweet tooth with Buttermilk Pancakes, we've got something the whole family will enjoy. A la carte from 11am - 3pm.

What 861 people are saying

RED O Cantina - Santa Monica reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.3

4.3 based on recent ratings

4.1Food
4.2Service
4.4Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

861 Reviews

S
Sanaz VIP
Orange County14 reviews
1.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 1
Food was terrible at Red O Santa Monica I had high hopes for Red O Santa Monica, especially given the great experiences I’ve had as a regular at their Newport Beach location. Unfortunately, this visit was a complete letdown. The food was beyond terrible. The short rib enchiladas were painfully dry on the inside, and the sauce was so bitter it was nearly inedible. The taco was overwhelmingly spicy and the avocado inside was gray and stale—clearly not fresh and looked like it had been sitting out for days. I ordered a shrimp ceviche with mild spice, but what I got was a flavorless, dry dish with no dressing, not even a squeeze of lime. The only saving grace was the service, which was polite and attentive. But no level of good service could make up for how bad the food was. Honestly, I could’ve gotten better tacos from a street taco truck at a fraction of the price. This was a total waste of money and time, and I won’t be returning. If you’re looking for the Red O quality you may know from other locations—this isn’t it
Is this helpful?
R
Robert VIP
Los Angeles9 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Red O dropped one of my favorite menu items, the Goat Cheese Tamales so was disappointed by that, but the Branzino (Pescado Frito) was amazing as always. Slightly disappointed that Red O Santa Monica has become a very touristy restaurant. It used to be this wonderful high end Mexican Cantina, the bar was busy with customers and it was a hopping spot. We were there on a Friday night and no was in the bar and the place felt a bit stale. Still love the Red O, but miss the pre-Pandemic vibe.
Is this helpful?
M
Matthew
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The margarita flight alone is worth going to Red O!
Is this helpful?
H
Howard
Los Angeles1 review
3.0
Dined on April 20, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
The food wasn’t bad but we never had a server assigned to our table. We were promptly seated when we arrived but had to flag down servers for the next hour whenever we needed anything. We won’t be back anytime soon.
Is this helpful?
B
Bishoi VIP
New York City1 review
2.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Food took more then hour and was mediocre at best.
Is this helpful?
s
steve VIP
Los Angeles19 reviews
1.0
Dined on January 15, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Second time I made a reservation and they were closed when we arrived
RED O Cantina - Santa MonicaResponded on February 10, 2025
Thanks for the review, steve! We're truly sorry to hear that your recent visit to RED O Cantina - Santa Monica didn't go as planned. We understand how frustrating it must have been to arrive and find the restaurant closed. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we appreciate your patience. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future and provide you with the quality experience that RED O Cantina - Santa Monica is known for. Best regards, The Management Team
Is this helpful?
s
steve VIP
Los Angeles19 reviews
1.0
Dined on January 14, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
I made a reservation on OpenTable. Arrived at the designated time and they were closed
Is this helpful?
K
Kim
Los Angeles15 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 31, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Had made a reservation thru OpenTable for a group of 6. When we got there, on time they were not ready for us. The host made us wait about 15 minutes. My husband had to go speak with them or we might have waited longer. Once we got seated the service was okay. The staff were friendly. Overall, I was disappointed because it didn’t compare to the Red O I had been to several times in Newport Beach,
Is this helpful?
S
Steve
Los Angeles8 reviews
2.0
Dined on December 30, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
We had reservations for 8:15pm but we got there a little early, at 8:00pm and I checked in with the young lady. She said, "you'll have to wait until 8:15pm to check in, please come back then. I came back in right at 8:15pm and she said we would have to wait a while until some of the tables cleared out. There were quite a few groups waiting to be seated looking frustrated. We were finally seated at 8:29pm. The food was good but they were clearly understaffed. There were vacant tables yet many people waiting to be seated. Once we were seated the food was served promptly and was good. Most items on the menu is spicy.
Is this helpful?
A
Alvaro
Los Angeles7 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 29, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
The food was pretty good, but the service really missed the mark. Our waitress barely came by, and when we asked for salsa (twice!), it never showed up. Nobody refilled our water, and I ended up getting up to grab napkins from the bar because she never came back to our table. The restaurant didn’t even seem that busy, so I’d understand if there were delays, but what really got me was watching a table that sat down after us get their drinks and food almost 20 minutes before we did. It just felt like our waitress was either really slow or forgot about us. Definitely frustrating. Also, a note to the RED O staff: the upside-down water glasses on the table aren’t very clean. Using the same rag to wipe down seats and then tables is super unsanitary—it’s a quick way to make someone sick. Please change that!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

RED O Cantina - Santa Monica offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 458-1600.

RED O Cantina - Santa Monica is rated 4.3 stars by 861 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 6 times today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for RED O Cantina - Santa Monica

1541 Ocean Avenue, Suite 120, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Additional information

Cross street
Colorado
Neighborhood
Santa Monica
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary Mexican, Seafood, Steak
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Valet is available in front of the restaurant for a nominal charge. Parking is also available nearby at the Santa Monica public parking structures.
Public transit
RED O Cantina is walking distance from Santa Monica Big Blue Bus stops and the Expo LRT stop at Downtown Santa Monica (at 4th/Colorado).
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Javier Raymundo
Entertainment
Live entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.redorestaurant.com/
Phone number
(310) 458-1600
Private party facilities
Genuine hospitality marks every function held in RED O Cantina. Our dedicated event director welcomes groups of 10 to 300 guests and will give personal attention to every detail of your event, from special entertainment requests to audiovisual needs. For more information, please contact:TanyaT@redorestaurant.com310.458-1600

RED O Cantina - Santa Monica

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Weekend Brunch with Bottomless Cocktails

Menu

What 861 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does RED O Cantina - Santa Monica offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is RED O Cantina - Santa Monica restaurant rated?

Is RED O Cantina - Santa Monica currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information