La Popular - Claremont, California

R M.

I had a fantastic experience at this restaurant. It’s incredible to see how this location, which used to be Rhino Records, has been transformed into such an elegant and inviting space. The decor was beautiful, and the restaurant was clean and well-maintained.
Our waiter was kind and attentive, making the experience even better. The food and cocktails were outstanding. I ordered the al pastor enchiladas, which were absolutely phenomenal, and paired them with the Desert Rose cocktail, which was equally delicious. My friend had the chile relleno and tortilla soup—both of which I got to taste, and they were excellent. Another friend ordered the carne asada tacos, and although I didn’t try them, they looked amazing.
Overall, I would recommend this place!

Craig L.

It was a beautiful day to sit on the patio. The chips, salsa, and guac were delicious. The margarita flight was delicious.

The margaritas went perfectly with my wife's ahi tuna tostadas. I got a combo plate with tacos and enchiladas. The chicken mole enchilada was my favorite, but the al pastor taco was a close second.

Obsqrity E.

La Popular has a pretty awkward parking situation going on, but I think I forgot about that when I entered. It was modern with dark aura to it making it feel intimate and upscale. I loved it. It was Sunday at around noon when we went and were seated immediately. The drinks were superior and food was good but not WOW good. Interesting flavors. The waiter who helped us was so friendly and very serene. Unfortunately, I was unable to get his name. Very nice experience. Overall, I’d do it again.

Kristin

We went as a big group to celebrate a graduation and birthday. Of course the restaurant is beautiful and trendy. But the food was not that good at all, very small portion size and extremely over priced. I got the fajitas and they were so small and very mid. Out of all my girlfriends I don't think one said they would come back. The tequila was good 😂.

Terry M.

Very beautiful restaurant the servers are very nice very attentive. The restrooms are clean. The drinks were good. The food was very basic. I don’t have much good. Anything to say about the food I will definitely not come back was definitely not worth the price. Tacos were extremely small the smallest tacos I’ve ever seen in my life. . Not authentic Mexican food in the very least, but Home might say it might be someone else’s cup of tea. I think the flan was probably the best thing we had. It probably just needed a little bit more caramel on the top or a little bit of the sugar whatever it is they use for the cake, but that was it.

Yvonne G.

Good is great, the staff are all friendly and helpful. My first visit was on a Friday. If you are there towards the end of the week or weekend, happy hour gets REALLY busy. Which is expected, but it took a while to get a drink and then longer to get the bill. I went again on a Monday because the look looked so good, and I'm glad I did. I had the tacos al pastor, and it was delicious. Drinks are fantastic and worth the price for sure.

M H.

We were able to get a table without a reservation for 2 people. Everyone was extremely kind, helpful, but it seems there weren’t enough workers for the amount of clients. We got nachos as an appetizer, but they came out almost at the same time as the main course. We love the variety of salsas with the nachos. There is even a little menu to indicate the kind of salsas. We got the Chile relleno , which was amazing! There was a really delicious sauce, and it was quite unique. I’ve never tasted anything like it. It was a little bit too spicy, but with some rice on the side, it helped diminish the intensity. And drinking a Margarita helped. The happy hour drinks were good: Margarita, only available classic, on the rocks. I would go back, but only when I’m not in a rush and want to sit and enjoy. As the evening went on the music got louder, and it was harder to hear each other speak. The ambience is cool

Dewi A.

Pros: Ambiance is modern, great for groups or a date night. Eclectic cocktail menu. Great list of mezcals that go beyond the typical Espadín.

Cons: Drinks were hit or miss. We ordered the Yucatán Toucan and Perlas, which were both pretty refreshing. Then we ordered the Oaxacan Jellyfish and Carajillo, which were TOO sweet. The Jellyfish was tart as well. Unbalanced.

And my Carajillo was anything but! I have had plenty carajillos across bars all over LA, and this one was by far the worst. Firstly, it tasted like a chocolate milkshake. There was ZERO essence of espresso or coffee whatsoever. When I told the guy who brought us our drinks, he said they don't use espresso, but a cold brew instead. Well, your menu says ESPRESSO, and if you swapped it for cold brew, the cocktail hardly tasted coffee-forward. Disappointed, I swapped this out for a Oaxaca old fashioned, which was decent.

We ordered the ahi tuna tostadas, which were OVERSAUCED. The fried leeks on top were unnecessary and made it difficult and messy to eat.

We also had the pulled chicken blanca enchilladas. Good if a tad oversalted.

We also had the creamy chipotle shrimp tacos, which were fine, but not worth $18.

Service was kind and attentive.

Would we go back? Probably not. The execution of food and drinks did not wow us.