Tu Madre

I was not as impressed with the food as I’d like to be, but the decor and service was great. I got the chicken bahn mi burrito after I asked for the crispy potato burritos which they no longer made. The burrito tasted mealy and like they had grinded up a bahn mi in a food processor and put it in a tortilla. I couldn’t finish it. Also got chicken tacos which were fine. The water was fantastic. They infuse it with some greens and s flower and it gave it a nice refreshing taste. I would go here again to try a different burrito, but the atmosphere and service was great.

Went here for a birthday happy hour and absolutely loved it! Street tacos are either $1.50 or $2.50 (veggie), and I really enjoyed the Al pastor chicken as well as the brisket. Chicken quesadilla was well cooked and flavorful, served with guac, pico de gallo, and sour cream. The red salsa was excellent, and I preferred it over the green. Guac was fresh and paired well with the reasonably priced HH beers ($6) and cocktails ($10-12). Would definitely be back! Happy Hour is from 3-6pm Monday-Friday!

My family and I went to the location in Santa Monica, and we absolutely LOVED this place! As a family, we try to keep our meals relatively affordable and this was a pretty good option considering the prices of nearby restaurants. I ordered the braised beef bowl and it was fantastic. I also got a mocktail which was delicious, and my parents enjoyed their cocktails a lot. My mom is a vegetarian, and she was very pleased with the amount of vegetarian options. She said she normally doesn’t have such a hard time choosing! They were super nice and we had great service! If we ever come back to Santa Monica, we’re definitely coming back!

Love having a place like Tu Madre show up here on San Vicente. The food is pretty good. Prices are decent for what you get, as well. Seating is a little interesting - some in front on the sidewalk, more tucked in the side and behind the order window.

Tu Madre offers an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere that immediately draws you in. I ordered the carne asada bowl, which was packed with flavor. I especially appreciated the option to customize the spice level to my liking—it made the meal even more enjoyable. Overall, a delicious experience and definitely a spot I’d recommend.

Cute spot. Street parking available, free South of Broadway and pay parking north of Broadway. I ordered Togo and picked 1 each of the 3 street tacos. Beef brisket, chicken and beef kbbq. The beef brisket was by far the most delicious. The street chicken taco was fine, lil dry. The kbbq has perfect heat, reminded me of banh mi. The sizes were perfect. And it came with a little mini bag of wonderfully salted corn chips. My order was ready in minutes. I ordered online, there's a 99 cents added convenience fee for doing so. I would go again to try out the other tacos, but would most def get another beef brisket street taco again.

Tu Madre was a perfect pick for our team dinner. They accommodated a party of nine with zero hassle, seated us quickly, and kept the service smooth and attentive all night. The menu has great variety, the mezcal margaritas were spot-on, and every taco we tried was excellent. Do not skip the truffle guacamole—it’s a must. Ambiance was lively but comfortable, with lounge-y music at just the right volume so we could actually talk. All around, great experience for large groups.

The food was excellent however it should be more clear what contains cilantro, the server did not know it was cilantro in the coleslaw. Note that the tacos are very small, so order a burrito or bowl to get your moneys worth. However, the service is horrific. We got seated at a table without utensils, and had towels thrown on the table. The food came before our drinks, and ordering the second round of drinks took equally long. The server was inattentive, and we had to call on him multiple times, he was clearly stressed, maybe train staff or hire more. There is a 5% extra charge for everyone dining there, why not just include it in the price‽ This was also clearly stated that it is not a "gratuity" (i.e. tip...), well what is it then? Overall the food was so good that we will probably give it another chance, but the service has to be improved.

They have the best service at Tu Madre, and their excellent food and great margaritas at a great price brings us in for happy hour all the time. The only thing I wish to change would be to eliminate the processed Velveeta-type cheese currently used on the nachos and substitute real cheese. I had to avoid all of those chips. Otherwise it's an amazingly portion and the meat part of it is delicious. My friends also enjoyed their tacos. And the guacamole with crispy fresh chips is outstanding. Oh! I almost forgot the wonderful complimentary birthday dessert, just hot from the fryer red velvet churros! - complete with flaming Roman candle. That was an unexpected delight. Parking in the neighborhood is ample. See you again soon!

While the tacos here were yummy (especially the carne asada), and decor is fun, the service is lacking, both in terms of speed and quality. Our server never came back to check on us during our meal, so we didn't get refills on our drinks or the chance to ask for a lime for the tacos. Even though it's within walking distance for me, I'll visit several other taco places before coming back here.

Update: the Tu Madre team immediately reached out and gave me a refund but for just the bowl lol (I also ordered an $8 drink). They did give me an e-gift card to try them again so I appreciated that. Extra star because they did try to make it right! Loved this the first time I came almost 2 years ago but it's been really poor in quality and service the last 3 times I visited. Maybe it was because it was early in the day and they didn't have a lot of staff, but my crispy fish bowl just didn't taste the same (a lot mustier, ew) and I kept having to go to the counter to ask for things even though they sat me at a table.

Food, service, and ambiance is great! My new favorite spot, great plant based variety, grilled chicken bowl, good price for portion! Our bartender Emilio has a great eye for drinks not only the taste of the drinks but the art work he created within drinks was not only elegant but cool asf

Fried chicken taco is so delicious. So flavorful.. good combo of sweet and spicy. It's a fancy taco though, like $10. Their breakfast burrito is my fave... although this time it lacked more cheese. They give free chips and salsa. Would love to come back for happy hour sometime. Ambiance is so cute. Street parking or park on lot structure on 4th street or 2nd street. Service was quick.

My boyfriend and I decided to fuel up at Tu Madre before catching The Cirque de Soleil Kooza show about 15mins away, and let me just say--it was a showstopper in its own right! We stuck to the happy hour menu (because who doesn't love a good deal?) and feasted on the Jackfruit Carnitas tacos, Eggplant Chorizo tacos, street corn, and their VKBBQ burrito. First off, those tacos? Bursting with flavor! The Jackfruit Carnitas had a smoky-sweet vibe, while the Eggplant Chorizo brought the spice game up a notch. At happy hour prices, these were a total steal. My only tiny critique? A smidge less salt would've kept me from guzzling water like I was prepping for a marathon. The street corn, though--chef's kiss! Sweet, savory, and perfectly charred, it worked as a delightful palate cleanser between bites. Honestly, I could've ordered an extra plate or two. Now, let's talk about the VKBBQ burrito. WOW. The flavors were next-level delicious, and sharing it with my partner meant I could enjoy every bite without overstuffing myself. (Two burritos would've been way too much for me, but sharing one was just right!). As a vegetarian, it's hard to find a good burrito that just isn't rice, beans, and cheese. This was one of the best I've ever had. Much better than Kogi Trucks tofu burrito! And shoutout to the complimentary chips and dips! That green sauce? My new obsession. Service was great, we were seated right away (it does help that we came on a Wednesday!) and ordered right away. I did have to get their attention a few times for water and the check - even though the restaurant was not as busy. If only Tu Madre had a closer location, I'd be there weekly! But with happy hour only Monday through Friday and LA traffic as relentless as ever, I'll just have to plan my visits carefully. Still, it's worth braving the congestion for these tasty tacos and burritos. 10/10, would return for another pre-show dinner!

Tu Madre is my go-to spot! Great tacos, fun atmosphere, and the perfect place to catch up with friends before a night out. Whether inside or on the patio, it's always a good time. Highly recommend!

The food is really good, tacos are on point. Guac was great and street corn as well. Was bothered with having to ask to wipe down the tables twice, having to grab utensils from another table, and the menus have salsa and food stains all over them. We switched to sitting at counters at the bar because our table was wobbly, and that also needed to be wiped down, plus all the bottles that are used heavy for drinks need to be wiped down, and the walls have food all over them. It felt gross being in there, like if I'm going to sit down to get tacos I'd rather not come here because yukkkk and go to a taco truck. I'm just completely appalled by the lack of cleanliness. Outside, no one was sitting because it was cold, but a bunch of dried food on the tables from the nights before. This place needs a deep cleaning ASAP.

If you want some Mexican food and also plant based they have this and a lot of options on their menu! The service and ambiance was fun! It was a very casual place with great dance music. Wonderful place for a first date. We ordered the potato taquitos which was so delicious, the guacamole, kkbbq vegan bowl, vegan fried chicken bowl. You can share these bowls with another person, the portions were so enormous! We both ordered half kale and rice for our bowls instead of just rice which is an option if you don't want to eat a lot of rice. I recommend this. I didn't give them 4 stars because the service got slow at the end and we had to wait then chase someone for the bill. Also the guacamole tasted like something was bad in it most likely the tomatoes. My friend ordered her bowl with no hot peppers and not spicy which wasn't the case at all so she couldn't eat her all of her bowl. Her nose was running the entire time it was way too spicy for her. Everything else we ordered was delicious. Overall it is a very fun place and very friendly service.

Had a great second date at Tu Madre. The support staff was perfectly attentive, kept the food going at a good pace and really helped keep the magic of the moment. Highly recommend for your future dates. Mil gracias a Lucio who helped add the final touch with the delicious red velvet churros.

Tu Madre is an aesthetic LA spot to get fusion tacos. Out of the 3 tacos I got here, the vegan one was the best?! *shocked face* Surprised that they had so many vegan options so bring your herbivore homies. Although we didn't dine in, the interior gave off Tulum vibes and looked like an exciting first date spot or a place to drink / snack with your gal pals. My tacos came with some nice and crispy tortilla chips. Mmm. brisket taco: 3.5/5 nothing special chicken al pastor taco: 3/5 just ok?? forgettable mushroom taco: 5/5 whoa whoa shredded, savory, saucy mushroom with the fresh mint, thai basil, and pickled fresno chili packed in a corn tortilla?! incredible. Tons of places to get tacos at in LA but I'd def go here again for the flavorful and fire vegan tacos (9 options.. Nine!!) And so my hunt for unique and delicious tacos continues..

Went thrifting in the area on a Saturday morning and ended up here for a quick bite to eat. Walking in, it's a super cute interior with a neon sign that says "make tacos, not war". We were sat very quickly (probably cause it was still earlier - 11am ish) and they gave us chips and salsa to start which is always a plus. My friend and I each ordered two tacos. I got the crispy fish taco and beef brisket taco. Both were delicious, but I would recommend the fish taco out of the two. Texture was lovely and it paired so well with the slightly sweet mango salsa. The pickled onions added acidity to cut through the sweetness. Exactly what I wanted from a crispy fish taco. Note about the bathroom - the floors were extremely slippery when I went in with no sign to indicate why. And it smelled like the back of the kitchen for some reason. Aside from that, this is a super cute place! The tacos were tasty and it's great for pictures.

Perfect place for a date night or dinner with friends. They have a great selection of food. We selected a variety of tacos, because they all sounded so good. My favorites were their unique options, their Chicken Bahn Mi and Crispy Shrimp. The restaurant has a fun vibe, and is a lot bigger than it looks. The service was amazing. We will definitely be back again to try other items on the menu.

I'm visiting from Houston and came here to eat an early dinner with a friend. The ambiance was excellent, though they've got some seriously wobbly chairs. Parking was atrocious but I believe that's the Californian way. We were in luck and came during Happy Hour. The tacos were only $1.50 each, which is a huge difference in what we were seeing elsewhere so close to the beach. I had the two chicken options and my friend had the beef and the jackfruit. Both chicken options were good but not that special. My friend really liked the meat taco and the jackfruit was just okay. All four tacos were super tiny but really fresh ingredients. Chips and dip were just your standard fare. Nothing was very spicy. Service was good as well. Overall, I would recommend based off of the freshness, locality to the beach (we were able to walk there), and 100% the price point during happy hour.

Had dinner with my husband and son on Cinco de Mayo. We wanted to have some margaritas so we came here (we were in the area). We didn't have reservations but the friendly hostess told us she can seat us in thirty minutes so we waited. The food was ok, the steak burrito my son ordered he loved it. The steak bowl was big but lacked flavor. Wish they had more delicious sauces on it. I ordered tacos, again it was ok. The roasted cauliflower was amazing so was potato taquitos. The margaritas were not the best I had but was drinkable. Overall an ok place to have food and drinks. Customer service was great. Ambiance was great.

The tacos are really unique and tasty, more filling-focused as the tortillas don't seem handmade. The vegan-options are plentiful and include things like fried avocado, eggplant soyrizo, jackfruit carnitas, vegan fried chicken, and vegan KBBQ. The special tacos are between $7.50-$9 each, a bit steep, but I appreciate that they don't mark up the vegan options. There are some non-vegan street tacos which are smaller portions for a lot less, I think around $2.50 each. The vibe is swanky and full of plants. The restrooms are pretty and clean. The patio in the back is cute, but was reserved for a party during our visit. Service is pretty good. Not extraordinary, but pretty good.

We came here to kick off my little brother's birthday celebration weekend, and it was our first time trying this restaurant. The food was delicious, and the drinks were great as well. However, one of the male servers was a bit rude when we arrived and again when we were paying. On the bright side, one of the female servers was incredibly sweet and attentive to all the customers, which made the experience much better.

We visited Tu Madre because it was incredibly close to the hotel we are staying at. We made 2 mistakes in my opinion. The first was eating outside. The patio was lovely, but it was a bit chilly and it felt like the staff forgot about us sometimes. The second was ordering nachos before our burritos. It was filling. All in all, we had a good time. If we ever find ourselves in Santa Monica again, we may be back.

Our group of three walked to Tu Madre for dinner. I had read and heard about the delicious food and healthier offerings. Surprisingly we were immediately seated and given menus, chips and salsa, and mint infused water. We all shared our meals, birria nachos, crispy potato burrito, and carne asada bowl. The food was freshly prepared, delicious and generous portions. Our favorite was the bowl, full of kale, black beans, rice, carne asada and red onions. Their salsas were also good, my fave was the green tomatillo. I enjoyed a Nojito, non alcoholic take on a mojito which was tart and refreshing. My daughter had the Jamaica drink and it was very good. We ordered the red velvet churros, but I'm a purist and didn't care for them, but if you like red believe and cream cheese frosting then you'd love these. The service was friendly and prompt, the music was a tad too loud which made it hard to hold a conversation. The only critique is the food should be brought all at once, rather each plate at different intervals. With all that said, I would make the trek to SM to enjoy a delicious meal at Tu Madre!!

Lots of variety on the menu & great vegan options. Street parking was easy to find, granted we visited on a Sunday evening

My friend and I came during lunch time and it was very lovely and such a good time. Took awhile to get service I had to find someone but once they realized, they were top tier. We got the cucumber margarita pitcher - super refreshing. The pitcher was more like a large dispenser it was HUGE. I loved that they garnished the pitcher and the water pitcher with fresh flowers. So pretty. They gave complimentary chips and 2 salsas. And I got the braised beef burrito. Wow, 10/10. I loved the smaller bits of corn, it had a nice sweet element to the super tender beef. I also got spinach flour tortilla, which they ask you upon ordering! Travis took great care of us, thank you for everything! We'll be back!

I've been coming to Tu Madre for years (mostly the Westwood & Los Feliz locations) & this was my first time visiting the Santa Monica Tu Madre. Everyone here is incredibly friendly, warm, and attentive. I always have such a wonderful experience, and the Santa Monica team made us feel so welcomed! The vibes are great as always and the food is incredible. The vegan options continue to amaze me, and I feel like they're constantly adding plant-based options to the menu.

This is a great happy hour spot! I sat in the cute back patio, and I ordered the Nachos with carne asada. It was a large plate, loaded with carne asada, cheese, beans, pico de gallo, etc. I also tried a chicken taco, which was good as well. I will be back for another happy hour.

Excellent food and service. Lucio, was fantastic. The tacos and happy hour prices were perfect for an after work wine down.

Tu Madre was super accommodating to a large party we had. The reservation system is very complicated though. We tried to email since their website says parties greater than 10 should email to book, but they didn't get back to us and there is no option to speak to a live person if you call this location. We ended up going without a reservation since 2 people couldn't make it (making us a party of 10). There was a bit of miscommunication and we initially thought we'd be a party of 8, but we told them when we got there we'd be a party of 10 and they helped rearrange the tables. We really appreciate the staff here helping us with that! I ordered the breakfast burrito with honey sriracha fried chicken. It was very good! I'm not a huge fan of breakfast burritos with tons of scrambled eggs, so this one was a bit eggy for me. But they have tons of non traditional burrito options and I really want to come again to try them out. The chips and green salsa were amazing! They also give red salsa, but most of us preferred the green. Some of the highlights that others really enjoyed were the beef brisket street tacos, the carne asada burrito, and the bowls (they were really good portion sizes, I unfortunately didn't get any pictures). The Tu Madre Horchata was a favorite, but people commented it was pretty strong. They ended up asking for more horchata to dilute the alcohol, but Tu Madre was super accommodating with that as well. Another favorite for the drinks was the margarita flight. The restaurant was lively and we took some cute pictures out on the patio. I would love to come again and recommend checking it out!

Went out yesterday for some girl time and tacos. I ordered the ahi tacos. Service was good, price was okay. It's definitely a cute spot.

I was so excited to check out Tu Madre because it looked fabulous on pictures. The dogs were with us so we sat at the patio. The restaurant is just as expected - vibrant, pink, and fun. Service was good, but food was disappointing. + Ahi tuna taco 2/5: This taco was so difficult to eat. I was unable to lift up the tostada without the tuna and avocado chunks falling off so I opted for a fork. The tuna also didn't taste very fresh. + Problem child 4/5: Tasty cocktail that's garnished with a very large sprig of greens. I took out the sprig. Tbh, not too impressed.

Taco Tuesday is a fantastic deal! Tacos are flavorful and filling when paired with the complimentary chips. I love that the carafes of water include orchids, lovely aesthetic and very friendly service.

The vegan options here are amazing! Best soyrizo I've ever had. Lucio was our waiter and he was ultra friendly and helpful.

After a nice workout, I decided to stop by Tu Madre and try out their delicious looking menu! We decided to sit outside in the front of the restaurant which... may have been the wrong decision. It's a beautiful location but I think next time I return I will either sit inside or behind the restaurant in the patio area. The reason why this experience was only 3 stars is because it took very long to order, receive our food/ drinks and to pay. Do not get me wrong the food and drinks were 10/10! You can't beat $2 street tacos and their michiladas are to die for! But maybe our next service experience will be much better next time around.

Super CUTE spot with a great ambiance in Santa Monica, California margarita flight is a must the flavors and presentation are great. We had great services as soon as we walked in, no need for reservations just make sure to find parking with a meter outside I would add enough for about 2-3 hours. The food was very tasteful starting with chips/salsa complementary with infused cucumber mint water. I wanted street tacos and tried the Rotisserie Chicken Street Taco and the Chipotle Tomatillo Chicken is very good! I was disappointed they didn't have Carne Asada for the street tacos I know it's street tacos but if you wanted tacos and you only get one no sides and the same for the burrito I was hoping more for rice and beans I'm so used to that being a combo at places but it was okay. My boyfriend had the pastrami burrito which was a wow never had that before he enjoyed it. Kids had carne Asada nachos and there was plenty to share.

Love and crave our Taco Tuesdays at Tu Madre. We came in for Happy Hour and sat at the bar. College Hoops on TV and a bunch of margaritas flying from the bar. We ordered a bowl of Guacamole and Chips to start, and the size of the portion was huge. Fresh and delicious. Street tacos were outstanding, especially the chipotle chicken and the braised, pulled Korean BBQ beef. We also had a Korean BBQ quesadilla (with braised cubes of beef, different from the street taco) and I love the way they finish the edges with crispy cheese. Service was friendly and excellent. Great happy hour meal; will be back for more soon.

Avoid going to this restaurant. very bad Service. very expensive for the amount of food they give you. Don't be full by the $2.50 each taco. Unless that's the only kind of taco you like to eat . Other tacos are $8-10 each I am petit and I don't eat much, But Tacos are sample size. You won't be full unless you have 4 of them plus chips and salsa. That means $32 plus text and tip - $40 for 4 sample size taco. That's outrages I can go to a nice restaurant and have a great yummy fish plate with sides for $26 -$30. Avoid this restaurant unless you are going for a drink.

We came here on a Sunday afternoon and was seated right away. The menu had a lot of options, both meat and an extensive plant based menu as well. We ordered a few of the different plant based items. The tacos are small, so you can get several and try a few. Overall the food was good and service was really friendly. They were not the best plant based tacos I've ever had, but still tasty and worth trying.

The food was great! I had the pastrami bowl- which was amazing. My cousin had some vegan and veg tacos that she loved and her friend had a carne asada burrito that she loved! The drinks were ok... we had 2 margaritas flights and they were just alright. I had their version of a French 75 and it wasn't good. Tasted like just juice. Didn't feel like it had any alcohol in it. Was not a fan of that! Our server was also hardly around to check if we needed anything... The place is beautiful and the vibe is right. And their vegan and veg options are amazing. Almost 5 stars...

Upon leaving this review, their team was thoughtful and thorough and gave me gift cards to resolve my dilemma. Additionally, I have now had my typical order multiple times and never been disappointed. Their breakfast burrito is standard and their late night ordering is perfect.

This place is a hidden gem! We come here everytime we're in Santa Monica. The vegan options are the best! The happy hour is pretty rad too. The atmosphere is nice inside. The servers are always so nice and helpful. Can't wait to go back soon.

The happy hour here is incredible!!! The tacos are just $1 and actually quite good! There is plenty of meat, they don't skimp, and the flavors are good too. Chipotle Tomatillo Chicken taco: 9/10 I got the chicken taco and it was super juicy. I was pretty shocked with how juicy it was. Beef brisket taco: 8.5/10 I like beef a lot and this one was tender and juicy. The flavors were a bit more subtle and it didn't knock me away like the chicken did. Potato Taquitos: 7/10 Honestly compared to the tacos these taquitos are a rip off haha. They're a lot more expensive and not that good. I liked the chipotle sauce but the taquito itself was way too thick. It was a big bite of mushy potato... not very good. These need to be smaller to have a better proportion of the potato inside to the crispy outside. The sauce saved it from also being bland. I would skip this. My partner got the Korean BBQ taco, and it was a bit too sweet he said. I would happily come back for their happy hour! We didn't even get to the drinks!

Boyfriend and I wanted to go on a date night in Santa Monica and Tu Madre seemed like a great place for dinner. The inside was stunning and we were seated right away on a busy Friday night which was great, however it took quite awhile for our server to come to our table once we were seated. We ordered a margarita flight and our food hoping the drinks would come our first but they all ended up coming at the same time. There also seemed to be a miscommunication about how many marg flights we wanted and what type of tequila, however they kindly took one back once we explained we had only ordered one. However they failed to ask which one we wanted to keep and took the blanco one, which I had ordered. They accidentally kept the mezcal flight on our table and took the blanco one, and as someone who doesn't like Smokey tequila I wasn't the biggest fan. The marg flavors were alright but the Smokey taste was overpowering. The presentation however was super cute and fun. For food I got the crispy fish burrito which had a ton of flavor. It was good but the mixture of flavors was slightly overpowering to me. My boyfriend got two of each of the street tacos, our fav being the k bbq one. The Al pastor chicken ones were great too. Their complimentary chips were pretty good, I liked the red salsa best. They were also good about filling our water glasses when they got low which we appreciated. However our server never checked on us which was a bit bizarre and not the best service. Overall it was a good experience. I think it'd be a fun place for a birthday dinner but the prices for the drinks are high comparably to the food, which I felt was really reasonable.

I went here with a group of coworkers for happy hour (or Feliz hour as it's advertised on their menu) and it hits all the checkboxes for an amazing HH spot. Happy hour is until 6 and you mainly need to order anything from their HH by 6pm. The only thing I was disappointed about was that the menu offer a mango chamoy slushy, which we were told by the waitress is not offered at this location as they don't have the machine to make it. Otherwise everything else was amazing. I ordered a $10 margarita that was quite strong. They also had $1 tacos for happy hour, the value of which cannot be beaten! We ordered the potato taquitos to share on the recommendation of our waiter, which was a lot sharable and delicious. This is definitely a solid happy hour place for both food and drinks. Street parking only. I found metered parking just across the street from the restaurant.

Has such a great ambiance! The food options are insane. My bf is vegan so loved the variety of vegan options from a tofu bahn mi bowl, to a vegan chicken The flavors are an innovative take on Mexican food. Lovely experience. Always come when I'm in the area

Chose this place to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in several months, selected for having a veg-friendly food menu, lengthy and inspired tequila cocktail menu, and positive reviews. My dad was checking out their website beforehand and showed me some pics of festive cocktails with sparklers. I told him I'm definitely not ordering one of those. Well guess who accidentally ordered the embarrassing fireworks margarita flight.... Yep. To be fair, it does not say on the menu that your flight will be accompanied by a whole production of flames and shouting. Was it worth it? Yes, it was. Hibiscus, tamarind, blood orange, and passionfruit margs, and I chose to have mine with ilegal mezcal. The surprising favorite was hibiscus (I usually prefer salty or spicy to sweet) which the mezcal complimented nicely. It was a decent amount of alcohol in 4 tasters, and I was good for the night. The menu is pretty extensive and has a vegetarian section clearly laid out. There are honestly a lot of really good sounding veg options. I know that isn't that unusual for LA which I fucking miss. Why is it so hard for other cities to make vegetarian food that tastes good?? Anyway, I ordered two tacos: the V-KBBQ (house-made mushroom bulgogi, kimchi, cilantro) and Eggplant Soyrizo (grilled eggplant, soyrizo, crispy kale, pickled onion, fermented Fresno chili). Both were flavorful and had good texture. My next visit I'll be torn between ordering these again and trying something new. We sat at the bar, but table seating is available in front when you walk in, in back, as well as outside. The place was full when we were leaving around 9, so reservations recommended for later hours, even midweek. I saw recently that they also have a location in Los Feliz. Looking forward to returning to either of these spots.

This place has amazing vegetarian versions of tacos. Went there to celebrate my vegetarian friend. Who loved the food. The service was amazing too.

Tu Madre with a small group might be okay but in large parties, it feels like a bit predatory. We went with a party of 10 and were told there was a minimum spending amount for large parties. It was $50 per person in the party so it was almost impossible to hit that mark with tacos (since everything was $2.50-$8 per taco) so you are basically forced to buy pitchers with itself we a bit overpriced. At the end of the meal, our party was short $70 of the minimum so we ordered a pitcher that served 4 to go and what we got was two medium to go ups. Their justification was it was a concentrated drink and just add ice but when we tried it, it was already watered down. Food: food was okay, I got the carne asada and kbbq taco and my partner got the chicken banh mi bowl. Flavors were okay but it didn't feel very authentic. The kbbq taco didn't taste like kbbq at all, it was more of a sweet teriyaki marinade. My biggest qualm was their chicken banh mi bowl which didn't really make sense. Tastes nothing like a chicken banh mi, and the whole term chicken banh mi bowl makes no sense culturally. I will not be going back.

Located in the midst of newly constructed communities do and apartment buildings, Tu Madré is pleasant and reasonably upscale with semi comfortable booths and nice décor. The service was helpful if a bit inexperienced. The food, although attractive, was a riff on Cali Mex with plenty of avocados and jicama. The tacos were pretty small for the average rice and the tortillas did not appear to be housemade. The principal attraction seemed to be the drinks which took up most of the menu. We saw several diners served with a wooden rack of four cocktails with a sparkler that looked interesting but since we don't drink this was less appealing. I sensed some corporate slickness in the food that suggests that it might be better to eat elsewhere.

I've been to Tu Madre multiple times and I can tell you they have one of the best happy hour menus in Santa Monica. I love the service and always have the best time.

This is a great spot for an after work drink or maybe lunch! We came here for dinner after work on a Thursday and the restaurant was pretty steady. Our drinks didn't come until well after our food was served, which was unfortunate. The food was all pretty good, albeit expensive. I would come back for the fried chicken burrito! It was sweet and spicy and the perfect amount of filling. The ambiance is cute, honestly it had the same vibe as most "trendy" Mexican restaurants in LA, with neon signs, bright colors, and lots of plants.

Really cool restaurant for tacos. Looks beautiful inside with pink lights. They don't have a Taco Tuesday special but every night is taco night. They have street and gourmet tacos to choose from. The street ones are $2.50, but I would I highly recommend their other selections like pastrami. They're not too far from the beach or the promenade. Theo service was excellent as multiple severs rotate to make sure you are taken care of. Can't believe it took me this long to try this gem.

The service and tacos were beyond amazing!! It was a great morning/early afternoon to walk around the pier; of course, after that stirred up an appetite. I can't wait to go back to try more items on their massive menu.