Mercado - Santa Monica

4.5

939 Reviews

$30 and under

Mexican

Innovative
Romantic
Good for special occasions

Mercado in Santa Monica is an inventive mix of food, atmosphere and tradition, reflecting the heart & soul of New Mexican dining. The main dining room is an eclectic fusion of modern design, accented with classic touches, that create the ultimate in intimate upscale dining while remaining accessible and comfortable. The menu, created by Chef Jose Acevedo, exemplifies the cuisine and flavor of he and co-owner Jesse Gomez’s deep Mexican roots, featuring items such as Chef Acevedo's signature Carnitas, created from a recipe handed down through generations. With tortillas made by hand, the finest meats, poultry and seafood, flavorful sauces, carefully crafted ceviches, enchiladas and tacos, produce from the local farmers' market, and everything made from the freshest ingredients, Mercado offers handcrafted cuisine, artful design, warm atmosphere and service that is both friendly and informed to guide each guest through the dining experience. We look forward to having you join us soon!

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican
Hours of operation
Monday - Thursday: 5pm - 10pm, Friday: 5pm - 11pm, Saturday: 4pm - 11pm, Sunday: Brunch 11:00am - 3pm, Dinner 4:00pm - 10pm Happy Hour: Monday - Friday: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Saturday and Sunday: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Phone number
(310) 526-7121
Website
http://www.mercadosantamonica.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Jose Acevedo
Private party facilities
We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion.

Location
1416 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Neighborhood
Santa Monica
Cross street
Santa Monica
Parking details
Parking Structure 5 is closest to the restaurant.
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Market Vegetables$9.00
Chef Jose's hand-picked seasonal vegetables
Elote$9.00
grilled sweet corn, caramelized onions, chile piquin butter, queso cotija
Coliflor al Pastor$9.00
roasted cauliflower, chile morita marinade, pineapple, cilantro
Rajas Poblanas$8.00
poblano strips, sweet corn, spicy queso añejo, cream, corn tortillas

Starters

Guacamole$12.00
hass avocado, serranos, cilantro, red onions, Yxta salsa brava, spicy pepitas, fresh chips
Cahuenga Cucumber Salad$13.00
persian cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, red onions, avocado, spicy queso añejo, spicy pepitas, fried cilantro, serrano-lime dressing
Dip Duo$21.00
guacamole, choriqueso, Yxta salsa brava, fresh chips
Jicama Shrimp Tacos$12.00
crispy shrimp, mexican slaw, chile de arbol aioli, jicama tortilla
Mexican Kale Salad$12.00
kale, arugula, queso fresco, candied pepitas, pears, dried strawberries, cotija pesto bread crumbs, agave-lime vinaigrette
Choriqueso$12.00
melted cotija, parmesan, oaxaca cheese, white wine, house chorizo, poblanos, mushrooms, fresh chips
Dos Gringas$13.00
spit-roasted pastor, oaxaca cheese, red onions, cilantro, Yxta salsa brava, avocado salsa, flour tortillas
Tacos de Arrachera$15.00
skirt steak, salsa brava, avocado, pickled red onions
Tacos de Pescado$15.00
skillet-seared white fish, mexican slaw, pico de gallo, lime crema, chile de árbol aioli
Tostaditas de Ceviche$15.00
citrus-marinated white fish and shrimp, mango, corn, cherry tomatoes, serranos, fresno chilies, avocado, chile de arbol aioli
Tamales$12.00
fresh masa, chef's choice of filling, queso fresco, crema fresca (limited availability)

Entrées

Market Chile Relleno$17.00
Chef Jose's hand-picked vegetables, oaxaca cheese, yellow mole, roasted red chile campana sauce, mexican rice
Enchiladas de Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño$20.00
pulled Mary's free-range chicken, oaxacan mole, mexican rice, queso fresco, crema fresca, red onions, sesame seeds
Carnitas$26.00
Chef Jose's slow-cooked Salmon Creek pork, guacamole, Yxta salsa brava, cauliflower al pastor
Camarones al Ajillo$24.00
mexican sweet shrimp, chile de árbol garlic butter, market vegetables
Carne Asada$28.00
marinated skirt steak, guacamole, cebollita, grilled corn
Pollo en Salsa de Cuatro Chiles$22.00
Jidori airline chicken breast, salsa de cuatro chiles, queso fresco mashed potatoes
Pescado del Día
today's fresh catch
- Mkt

Drinks

Mexican Coke$4.00
Mexican Sprite$4.00
Fanta$4.00
Diet Coke$3.00
Mint Lemonade$4.00
Jamaica$4.00
one refill
Organic Black Iced Tea$4.00
Hot Tea$4.00
chamomile, blueberry hibiscus
Peerless Coffee$4.00
Evian Still$4.00
Badoit Sparkling Water$4.00

Sides

Chips and Two Salsas$3.00
Lela's Mexican Rice$4.00
Cilantro Lime Rice$4.00
Chile Piquín Black Beans$4.00
Roasted Habanero Salsa$1.00
Escabeche$3.00
Chiles Toreados$3.00

What 939 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.5

4.5 based on all time ratings

4.5Food
4.3Service
4.2Ambience
2.6Value

Noise • Energetic

939 Reviews

CC
CapitalCapitol
VIP
Washington DC
65 reviews
5.0
65 reviews
Reviewed on November 17, 2019
1. Overall 5
Best Mexican restaurant in LA. Actually, one of my favorite restaurants of any kind. It's popular so can get loud, but the food is consistently excellent. I especially like their scallops and grilled fish. Guac is wonderful to start. Highly recommend.
Is this helpful?
TM
TempleM
VIP
Los Angeles
20 reviews
1.0
20 reviews
Reviewed on November 11, 2019
1. Overall 1
Wow, very disappointing. High prices, mediocre food. Meh.
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MM
MaggieM
Los Angeles
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Reviewed on September 30, 2019
1. Overall 4
Great food and cocktails. Can be a touch loud and over packed.
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J
Jake
Los Angeles
112 reviews
5.0
112 reviews
Reviewed on August 19, 2019
1. Overall 5
The original restaurant of the chain started in 2012, Mercado continues to deliver with upscale Mexican dishes that use high-quality ingredients such as scallops and fresh fish to transform mexican staples into palate-pleasing items. The tres leches cake and churros ice cream were superb, and the service was top-rate, professional, and intuitive. Will look forward to returning here.
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DH
DavidH
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Reviewed on June 25, 2019
1. Overall 5
This is a nice place with good food. I would recommend it to try.
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F
Fleez
Charlotte
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Reviewed on June 5, 2019
1. Overall 5
Great meal and service. Very authentic, check it out.
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FF
FaithFamilyFood
Los Angeles
36 reviews
4.0
36 reviews
Reviewed on June 2, 2019
1. Overall 4
Quite impressed with the menu and kitchen execution..
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 6, 2019
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
There was hair in my food - they blamed it on me and didn’t take it off of the bill. They did give me another meal though and it was very good.
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A
Andrea
Denver
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 6, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of my new favorite restaurants! I've been back twice in the past month.
1 person found this helpful
FL
FoodLovingFamily
San Francisco
18 reviews
4.0
18 reviews
Dined on January 6, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
A fun and vibrant environment and we loved the food. Carne asada, fish tacos, carnitas tamales & steak tacos all enjoyed. The flan was a great end to the meal. I wish I could recall our server's name, he was very friendly and efficient. We were traveling, but I wish Mercado was closer to home for us. Hope to visit again one day!
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FAQs

Mercado - Santa Monica is rated 4.5 stars by 939 OpenTable diners.

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

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

1416 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401

Additional information

Cross street
Santa Monica
Neighborhood
Santa Monica
Hours of operation
Monday - Thursday: 5pm - 10pm, Friday: 5pm - 11pm, Saturday: 4pm - 11pm, Sunday: Brunch 11:00am - 3pm, Dinner 4:00pm - 10pm Happy Hour: Monday - Friday: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Saturday and Sunday: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Parking Structure 5 is closest to the restaurant.
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Jose Acevedo
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
http://www.mercadosantamonica.com/
Phone number
(310) 526-7121
Private party facilities
We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion.

Mercado - Santa Monica

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Vegetables

Market Vegetables$9.00

Elote$9.00

Coliflor al Pastor$9.00

Rajas Poblanas$8.00

Starters

Guacamole$12.00

Cahuenga Cucumber Salad$13.00

Dip Duo$21.00

Jicama Shrimp Tacos$12.00

Mexican Kale Salad$12.00

Choriqueso$12.00

Dos Gringas$13.00

Tacos de Arrachera$15.00

Tacos de Pescado$15.00

Tostaditas de Ceviche$15.00

Tamales$12.00

Entrées

Market Chile Relleno$17.00

Enchiladas de Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño$20.00

Carnitas$26.00

Camarones al Ajillo$24.00

Carne Asada$28.00

Pollo en Salsa de Cuatro Chiles$22.00

Pescado del Día

Drinks

Mexican Coke$4.00

Mexican Sprite$4.00

Fanta$4.00

Diet Coke$3.00

Mint Lemonade$4.00

Jamaica$4.00

Organic Black Iced Tea$4.00

Hot Tea$4.00

Peerless Coffee$4.00

Evian Still$4.00

Badoit Sparkling Water$4.00

Sides

Chips and Two Salsas$3.00

Lela's Mexican Rice$4.00

Cilantro Lime Rice$4.00

Chile Piquín Black Beans$4.00

Roasted Habanero Salsa$1.00

Escabeche$3.00

Chiles Toreados$3.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Mercado - Santa Monica restaurant rated?

Is Mercado - Santa Monica currently accepting reservations?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information