RED O CANTINA

Ate here on 4 July 2025. Was very busy, but we had booked a table. The food came relatively fast. Everything was well presented and appetising. The chicken fajitas were steaming hot and the chicken was moist. Had a lovely margarita too.

Great experience. Came for happy hour. $15 half dozen oysters can't be beat! Absolutely delicious. Great and friendly service. Huge, warm chips and salsa. Definitely stop by before or after hitting the pier!

Food was OK, not the best. Had tacos which didn’t have lots of flavor. the place itself is nice and service is great, close to the pier. They were kind to give us a cake cause it was my friends’ birthday.

Right on the ocean and a delicious Mexican restaurant! The service was attentive and food was fast and fresh. The carne asada was outstanding, ceviche was on point, taquitos were crispy and fully stuffed with chicken, and the fish tacos were light and flavorful. Chips and salsa made a great starter!

Red O Cantina in Santa Monica offers a vibrant dining experience just steps from the iconic pier. The ambiance combines coastal charm with upscale design, featuring hand-painted murals and a cozy patio perfect for people-watching.  The menu showcases elevated Mexican cuisine with standout dishes like the Lobster Tacos and Pork Belly Sopes. Cocktail enthusiasts will appreciate the extensive tequila selection and creative drinks like the Baja Mangonada.   Service is attentive and friendly, with staff members like Nikki and Niko enhancing the overall experience. Whether you’re stopping by for happy hour, brunch, or dinner, Red O Cantina delivers a memorable meal in a prime Santa Monica location.

I had the pleasure of dining at Red O Restaurant in Santa Monica, and it was an unforgettable culinary experience! This vibrant and stylish restaurant serves up creative, farm-to-table Mexican cuisine that will leave you craving more. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm hospitality and a lively atmosphere. The decor is sleek and modern, with bold colors and eclectic touches that add to the festive vibe. But the real star of the show was the food. Oh, the food! We started with the Grilled Corn with Cotija Cheese, which was smoky, savory, and utterly addictive. For my entree, I ordered tablita , The steak was tender and juicy, and the fresh cilantro and onion added a nice brightness to the dish. The service was also top-notch, with friendly, attentive servers who knew their stuff. Our server made excellent recommendations and ensured our glasses were always full. Overall, I would highly recommend Red O Restaurant to anyone seeking a flavorful and festive dining experience in Santa Monica. With its creative cuisine, lively atmosphere, and exceptional service, this restaurant is a must-visit destination.

The service was outstanding. The location and atmosphere are fantastic. The food reads delicious on the menu and looks delicious on the plate, was extremely disappointing to eat. I ordered vegetarian items, so perhaps their meat dishes are better executed, but I don’t recommend the vegetarian dishes. Bland and dry.

Food was so good and prices so well. Server was super nice and helpful. And it has a great view

Location + good service + delicious food = amazing experience! Santa Monica has the best restaurants....

Amazing service. Food was delicious. The guy with the camera was super friendly. The restaurant has a nice ambiance.

Vlad took amazing photographs of our Father's Day celebration. Highly recommend coming in to Red O Cantina! Food was amazing, ambience was great, and service was top notch.

RED O Cantina is the best! The service here is incredible -- shout out to both Tanya (the manager) and Emily (bartender) -- who are personable, attentive, kind, and cool. Ask Tanya to make you 'The Tanya' cocktail (mention that you make it for 'Maxwell' and she'll know what you're talking about), it's delicious. I also highly recommend the tacos. You can't go wrong. Ambiance is great too: music isn't too loud, people are chill, plenty of space, and you've got a great view. I love coming here and I'm sure you will too.

Express Lunch - We were walking by trying to figure what to eat for lunch and saw a sign in front of Red O with their express weekday lunch for $16, this included a soft drink so it was a great deal for being in a touristy area. I was also pleased that their portions were decent - I had the lunch taco combo and everything tasted very good. Their outdoor seating had a nice view of the pier but surprised it was so empty. The only down side of my experience was the service. They call it "express" lunch but there was nothing quick about any of it. There was only 3-4 tables with patrons and everything from the drinks to the food to getting the check was super slow. Once they finally dropped off the check,then we had to wait again, after 15 minutes there was nobody in site - we got up to find someone and a group of workers were chit chatting around the host area. There was also an error on the check we had to get fixed which also took 10 minutes so it was a bit frustrating. When we were seated, the person mentioned they were short staffed but i saw 5-6 people working... 2 runners, bartender, manager and at least 2 servers for an almost empty restaurant. If I only had an hour lunch, this isn't the place but if you have a day off and want a slow, leisurely lunch - this place is fine - the food is good! Parking in this area is never easy - you can get 90 min parking for free at the mall or it's a 5 minute walk from the metro stop.

The only thing stopping me from giving this place 5 stars was the photographer walking around pressuring you while you eat to purchase one of their pictures you take. Aside from that experience the food was amazing! We ordered the tomahawk special to share between my girlfriend and I. It was cooked perfectly median to our liking. I would definitely revisit however choose to stay away from the photographers taking pictures in the restaurant cause it feels like a car sales when you're trying to enjoy your food.

This was suppose to be an upscale Mexican restaurant. However, food was mediocre. About the same as El Chico. Margarita was nothing special. They charged us for chips and salsa, no Mexican restaurant does that. Got the carne asada tacos, and the meat was dry. Service was slow and the waitress forgot us a couple of times. Just don't go here when in Santa Monica.

Definitely had high hopes for this place, but I wouldn't try it again. Customer service was non-existent for the girls that worked at the very front. They asked what we were here for so we said "Just two!" and they just stood there and stared at us for a while before telling us (with attitude) that there are two food spots (one Mexican, one Mediterranean) and we had to pick one. Super awkward. We're out of town so we wouldn't really know that, but that being the first interaction was disappointing. The service had already left a sour taste in my mouth, but let me tell you about the first cocktail. Cucumber Margarita (0/5): terribly sour. We did appreciate the fresh cucumber on top, but the drink itself tasted heavily of syrup and straight lime juice. Santa Monica Sunset Margarita (3.8/5): I did like it! I think the sugar on the rim was nice, and you can substitute for salt or tajin depending on your preference. The coconut and pineapple blend together nicely, but I didn't taste much pomegranate! Vegan Tacos (2.5/5): I'm not vegan, but I know a lot of places that make vegan food taste spectacular! Unfortunately, this place is not one of them. Beer battered portobello mushrooms sound like they would have a crunch on the outside (beer batter) but soft on the inside (mushroom). This kinda just had a soggy texture all throughout. I do think the taste of the vegan tacos was there. The guacamole and whatever was added to the bottom was good! The tacos also come with lots of cabbage & pineapple, and a lime on the side. The plate also comes with white rice (doesn't specify on the menu) but I requested Mexican rice instead. The rice was good. Beans were also okay. Asked for the aioli on the side and it wasn't brought out, so we had to ask again. :( I forgot what tacos my boyfriend ordered, but he didn't like his either. On the bright side, our server was super friendly and we loved her! The restaurant is by the pier and has nice big windows to see outside. The lights at night look really nice as well! Would I visit again? Probably not. But it's in a great location and the ambiance is very pretty.

Amazing experience right by the pier! Whole fish is huge, could definitely split between two. Great food and great margaritas. Vlad is the photographer and he took amazing group photos of us!! So fun :)

Stable Mexican cuisine front of the Santa Monica beach. This place threw us off a little with their interior choices. As we walked it, the decors scream to look like an Indian restaurant. Parts of the dining rooms were closed for the night... We had to wait over 5 minutes to get check-in when we had a reservation on a slow Sunday. The hostess was very slow, looked like they were under staffed. The music was too loud at certain spots and no music at others... Our servers also spilled our sangria on the menu. The food was decent for the price and location. However, nothing was memorable. The grilled plantain was great. Great presentation for the food, good seasoning and cooked well. It was super difficult to find parking.

Great place, friendly staff. Food was a bit pricey but it was delicious. Ambience was great. Love the atmosphere. Big selection of tequila and some mezcal.

Great service and atmosphere, food was amazing . The wife fish ceviche was DELICIOUS. Great flavor and was a decent amount . Will be back soon.

We had the best time here for lunch! I loved the pitcher of margaritas and the service was awesome. Vlad came and took photos and made us feel so comfortable. We will definitely be back

I truly appreciated the delicious food and the exceptional service. It made the experience all the more enjoyable. Thank you for creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere!

If you're seeking an elevated Mexican dining experience with top-tier service and a prime Santa Monica view, RedO Cantina delivers. I'd rate the service a solid 4.5 out of 5 professional, personable, and perfectly paced. Our server struck a perfect balance: friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to offer recommendations without pushing. They checked in at just the right moments, kept our drinks refreshed, and made us feel genuinely cared for--qualities that fellow diners on TripAdvisor also rave about. The photographer was punctual, prepared, and discreet--capturing special moments without ever feeling intrusive. Very great SERVICE!!!

All the good reviews here are right. Excellent service, good food, and we had a great experience.

Very solid option and a stellar blend of quality, flavor, value, and location. Got the wet burrito Xmas style but thought the verde was superior to the rojo. Overall great flavor. Staff is exceptionally friendly and attentive.

Awesome vibes, beach views, great food and drinks. Service is great as well. Came here for 4th of July and place was open

Popped in here for a quick drink with some coworkers. Great ambiance inside and I could see it being a cool late night spot too! Loved my margarita and its cute presentation in a skull glass. I'm a spicy margarita lover and his one had a good kick but wasn't too much. I'd definitely come back to get more drinks and try the food when back in the area! It's super close to the pier and easy to walk to.

As it was a hot day, we popped in for a quick drink after walking the pier at Santa Monica. Located on Ocean very close to the pier, you will find this restaurant across the ocean side. As it was 3pm in afternoon on Sunday the restaurant was fairly empty except for the bar where people were chilling with refreshments. Not a super large bar compared to the restaurant size. The bar has all the staple drinks that you will find at a typical Mexican restaurant. Standard drinks like margaritas cost 17 dollars unless you upgrade the tequila. During the week they have happy hour with diacounted drinks and food. I'd you are thirsty, and you seek a solid drink, worth stopping in.

Great happy hour. Nice bar and lovely patio with views of the ocean. Lots of great happy hour options. I had Oysters that were delicious! Service is really friendly and warm!

I loved this place. Everyone was very sweet and helpful. It's a beautiful restaurant, the decor and overall atmosphere was great. We loved the food and the drinks were to die for. We don't usually come out to Santa Monica but would gladly make the trip to come here.

We went here after a trip to the Santa Monica pier with the rides. It was perfect right at the corner of the pier walk across the street. Very convenient with our kids. Food was also really good, I would say a 7/10. The service was great they were very attentive especially to our kids which is a huge plus for us. It's cute and u can see the beach right out the big doors that slide open and give it an indoor/outdoor feel.

Came here before Kooza. Love the outdoor seating. Got guac, salad, and a fish dish. The rice was very hard/dried out with our fish so they comped it. Not sure what happened there. Aside from that, the food was really good. Excellent customer service. Parking structure RIGHT next door. Would be happy to come back.

Good: Food was good. We ordered ceviche, carne asada quesadilla and tortilla soup (tortilla soup didn't make it out) Bad: service was okay for our first drink and then almost non existent after that. I would have ordered a second drink, but by the time we were asked I was done with my food and we were over it. And we were sitting at the bar!! Our bar tender was friendly. I think they were just understaffed, but our experience was still impacted. I've been here a few times. Never been blown away, so will probably not return.

If I could give 0 stars I would! I ordered the chicken taquitos and they came raw. The meat inside was all pink. I let the waiter know that it was raw. She took it to the back asked what else I would like I told her if we can do the same thing just fully cooked this time. They brought it back to be pink inside again!!! They also said they were going to comp the plate. I don't know if I would come here again. Very disappointed considering I enjoy going to Red O. I really had high hopes

We had amazing time at Red O. They are open late and the food was delicious along with the service.

Love Red O!! They have such a wide variety of items to choose from the menu. I've come here on numerous occassions for brunch, lunch and dinner and all times have been fantastic. My go to is the chicken fajitas and the elote, the elote is sooo flavorful. The guacamole is a hard pass it's very basic and not worth the money. I love the ambience of the restaurant and like that you have a view of the Santa Monca beach. This place is great for families, dinner, lunch, brunch with friends, happy hour. As stated above they have a lot to choose from. 4 stars for sure, they are pretty pricey.

I was so excited to come here being that I've dined at the Newport Beach location so many times and the food at THAT location is great. But the Santa Monica location is completely different ! The service was horrible and our waitress was terrible. The food was not fresh at all and our waitress messed up the entire order but we were too annoyed to even mention anything to her. Long story short I won't be coming back to THIS location it was terrible.

My husband and I stopped in for a quick drink and a churro, and had an amazing time. Vlad took a cute picture of us, Jorge was an excellent bartender, and Carolina the manager let us try her new Dubai Expresso martini which was phenomenal.

Service was great. Manny was awesome and very knowledgeable. The portions are ok. Fajitas are enough for 1. The alcohol needed more alcohol, 3 drinks and didn't feel a Buzz at all. Very good location off PCH. Valet parking $35.00 plus 1.00 if you use your debit card. Overall it's a nice place.

We had reservations for brunch at 11 AM. However, the restaurant was empty so if you're in the area and worried about not being able to get in because you don't have a reservation swing by anyways they had plenty open seating available. We were seated immediately in a place right by the window so that we had a beautiful ocean view. The service was excellent everybody was very kind and checked on us frequently. The place has a nice decor it's very open. We started with drinks a bloody Mary and a Coco Verde. I appreciate that they have mock tails on the menu my coco Verde was excellent. For brunch re-ordered the combo with a chicken, hard taco and a short rib enchilada and then the short rib Benedict. Their food is delicious as far as Mexican food goes. I highly recommend ordering anything with the short rib on the menu. One thing if you do want chips and salsa you'll have to order it. They don't bring it to the table automatically you have to pay for it. I don't mind this as sometimes I eat too many chips and then I'm not hungry for my main dish when it comes which you definitely don't want to happen here because their food is so delectable.

Forgot to take plate pic but the food was good. Just had some wait in between. Did catch a pic of the potato taquitos behind my margarita. They were ok they potatoes were a little over done. The carne asada tacos were really good! Came with rice and beans. Not my first time here & not my last!

Very good food and great location! Service was great and photographer was nice. Very family friendly and great adult drinks!

Came here by accident because I thought it was Sol Agave that's a few blocks down the street. I do like the atmosphere and interior of the restaurant. The service was pretty on point. I don't like that they charge for chips and sals though. I thought the food was pretty tasty, though, on the expensive side. There's underground parking right by the restaurant that charges $15. Just be careful because they charge extra for a larger vehicle. I feel like they are are sneaky with the charges here.

This place is the BOMB!!! Go!! Trust me, just gooooo!! I had my birthday dinner here and I was in awe of everything from the location to the drinks and the food was so tasty. Very expensive depending on what you order but we went more on the expensive side and ordered tomahawk steak with lobster tail and they have a drink cart!!! They bring it by your table and you just get to choose whatever you want, they have drinks on the menu and the server will recommend what they like best... definitely a smooth vibe and it's across the street from the beach and other shops... I can't wait to come back here!

I wish I had take. Pics to share. The restaurant wasn't too busy as it is January 18th and just getting through the LA wildfires but the weather was nice and they have a nice patio seating with a view of the ocean. The hostess/manager was super friendly as was our server. We ordered 2 chicken fajitas plates and they were delicious but we added a chicken nachos for our kids to share afterwards. I did ask for easy onions and I did feel like the veggies were a bit oily for my taste. But...When they brought it out the chicken looked much paler than the fajitas one. I tried it before letting the kids have it and I immediately had to spit it out into my napkin. It had a sour taste and foul smell to it. We notified the waitress and she assured us she will let the chef know. We even asked if they could specifically use the same chicken and grilling style of the fajitas. She came back a few mins later with a new nachos but the chicken was the same and they just had the cheese on the side. She said the chef thought perhaps we didn't like the cheese so he put that on the side. Needless to say, we ended up sending that one back after my hubs tried the chicken and spit it out as well because it just had a weird taste to it. I was hoping it wasn't that they were using a chicken that wasn't fresh. Perhaps it was just a different style of flavoring we weren't fond of. But we sent it back and asked for the check. I wouldn't be able to recommend this place to others based on this experience. But check it out for yourself if you'd like to.

We came here after a show in Santa Monica . Service was not good. To start off we waited a while for someone to come to us . No offer of drinks , no salsa and chips, etc . Just terrible service . Second the price of the food was too high for this cuisine . And if that wasn't enough , the food was very mediocre did not come out hot and was not high quality . Any place that has less than 4 stars usually is a no go . We came here because where we wanted to go was closed . The worst case scenario at a restaurant is expensive low quality food with low quality service . That sums up the experience here

Asss service didn't get our beers for like 40 mins, food was really good, but the wait was crazy like 1.5 hrs for food

Service was amazing and pretty fast some great options for your pallet even if you're not into Mexican food it's a very pretty restaurant one of the nicest ones on the strip. Had a great time. Thank you.

Red-O has phenomenal food, a great ambience with outdoor seating where you can people watch. Not to mention the drinks are delicious as well! The service was quick and friendly! I highly recommend having a date night or a lunch out with family at this restaurant. It does not disappoint!

Came Here as I first timer to celebrate my birthday, I will definitely be back ! I wish they still made the guacamole with pomegranate on top but it was ok nonetheless I like mine with more citrus and salt. 7/10 For my entree I ordered the short rib enchiladas & those were amazing I ordered mine with green sauce although I wish the meat was just a little more tender the flavors did not disappoint 9/10 For cocktails I ordered the "Baja Mangodana" Which is essentially a mango margarita it was pretty but didn't pack a lot of punch 5/10 Lastly they brought me a Tres Leches cake for my birthday that was 100/10 it was so moist & flavorful I couldn't stop eating it All and all I'd definitely visit this chain again the service was quick and our server was attentive It is on the Blvd so it's lots of noise from the beach goers I'd think the Newport location is more quiet.

Really good food. My husband and I had the carne asada enchiladas and the shrimp enchiladas. The chips and salsa were also great. Fresh and salty, just the way i like. It was a Saturday night when we went so it was really busy, for that reason the service was a bit slow, but nothing too bad. The ambiance was nice too, just loud, obviously. Overall we would return for sure.

Sat at the bar to catch up with friend. It was the bartenders first night. She was completely disengaged and lost but we didn't let that ruin our experience. Ordered chips and salsa, ceviche, a quesadilla and also ordered soup that never came. The resident bartender made up for where the new one lacked. The food here is always solid which is one of the reasons we keep coming back...but let's be honest. Mexican restaurants in LA are a dime a dozen so the real reason we come back is ambiance. Nice vibe, not overly pretentious. Def worth checking out if you're in Downtown Santa Monica.

Went here the other day. My favorite food is a tossup between Mexican and Italian, and always looking to try something new. I asked where the chips and salsa and try he busboy said that they charge two dollars for the chips. Never saw that before and decided to get them. In the meantime I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas. The Enchiladas come out and they weren't that bad but lacked flavor and some kick. They were just a little too bland. I'm half way through and they bring the chips and I told them to forget about it. I like them before my meal. They said to just keep them for no charge because they can't bring them back.

Love this place! The food is amazing and clean, great ingredients and tasty, you must try the churros sundae for dessert, the best ever!!

Food are delicious. Definitely we're coming back to ambulance is great. Staff members are very nice

Amazing ambiance, food, and kind photographer. That included a family photo of us, just because. Would come back again.

WORST SERVICE EXPERIENCED YESTERDAY. the hostess was kind enough to seat us by the window and helped us with the menus and water right away. We sat there for the next 28 minutes with zero acknowledgement from anyone!!! Beyond ridiculous. We tried to make eye contact with someone and no one ventured near our table to even get their attention. We eventually just walked up and left. We were really looking forward to enjoying some margaritas and some appetizers. It's a beautiful location and seemed very nice inside. But the service around 3PM on a Wednesday was not impressive.