Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Westside
  5. Santa Monica
Chefs/Owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken - Socalo, Santa Monica, CA

Socalo

4.7
4.7
868 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a booking

2 people
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
19:00
Booked 10 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for happy hour
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Vegetarian-friendly
SOCALO is a beachy, California canteen and Mexican pub from award-winning chef/owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. Located within the Gateway Hotel, SOCALO offers seasonal and organic SoCal Mexican fare with cocktails, Mexican wines and craft beers.

SOCALO has been named Eater's Superb Santa Monica Restaurants and Hottest Happy Hours, LA Times' 101 Best Restaurants, Best Tacos and Best Mexican Restaurants in LA by Time Out and Thrillist.

Open for indoor and outdoor dining, and counter service dining prior to 4pm (no reservations necessary nor taken). Takeout and delivery with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available.

For groups of 7 or more, please call 310.451.1655 to discuss accommodations, or visit socalo.com. We offer semi-private spaces, private banquet rooms, long communal tables, and two spacious outdoor patios.

Mary Sue & Susan are the founders of Mundo Hospitality Group, including Border Grill, Pacha Mamas, BBQ Mexicana, SOCALO & Alice B.

Restaurants you may also like

View all

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Californian, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Tue–Sat 11:30 am–4:00 pm Happy Hour Tue 11:30 am–8:30 pm Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (310) 451-1655
  • Website
    http://socalo.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Raul Plascencia
  • Catering
    Breakfast meetings, office lunches, holiday parties and celebrations of all types - we can help with your next event.
  • Private party facilities
    Socalo is a California canteen and Mexican pub from award-winning chef/owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. Located within Santa Monica’s Gateway Hotel, we can accommodate groups of all sizes in our private dining rooms or beautiful outdoor patios.
  • Private party contact
    Brianna Gallardo: (310) 451-1165
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Location
    1920 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404-1909
  • Area
    Santa Monica
  • Cross Street
    20th Street
  • Parking details
    First 90 minutes free parking, with restaurant purchase. Self-parking is available in the underground parking lot at The Gateway Hotel.
  • Public transit
    17th Street / SMC Station - Expo Light Rail Line
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

Featured in

Private dining

Offers

  • Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Wed - Fri - 16:00 - 18:00,Sat - 16:00 - 17:00
    Named best happy hour in Santa Monica! Walk-ins welcome for indoor, outdoor or bar seating. Reservations available 4PM and after. Join us every Wednesday - Friday from 3pm to 6pm and Saturday 3pm to 5pm for happy hour: - $5 tacos - $5 beers - $8 cocktails - $8 to $10 glasses of Mexican wine Dine-in only.
    Happy Hour photo

  • Taco Tuesday

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - 16:00 - 20:15
    Join us all day, every Tuesday for $4 tacos, $5 beer, and $8-$10 cocktails and Mexican wines. Taco Tuesday menu is available from 11:30am to 8:30pm for dine-in only. Tacos include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options!

    Taco Tuesday photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 868 people are saying

Socalo 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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Los Angeles

    Mexican

  • Westside

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Socalo offers a vibrant dining experience with "wonderful food & service," combining fresh and "creatively presented" dishes with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Highlights include Taco Tuesday specials, "phenomenal" tacos, and "delicious" cocktails. The attentive staff and unique menu ensure each visit is a memorable occasion. Highly recommended!
868 Reviews

  1. Tish

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 4 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Friendly, helpful staff and delicious food! What more could you ask for?!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Izak VIP

    Los Angeles17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We welcomed the New Year with Taco Tuesday specials which were original, tasty and fun! Love this place.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Anne

    Sacramento1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food and service was very attentive. I had an early dinner around 5:30 so it wasn’t crowded at all—so quiet and service was great. The special was chicken pozole and it did not disappoint. Followed by the The Gobernador tacos, then a guava empanada for dessert. The tacos had such great flavor along with the jicama slaw—perfect addition. Go to Socalo, you won’t regret it.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Robert VIP

    Los Angeles40 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 15 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We have had dinner here multiple times since they opened. This was the first time we had to send a meal back. My wife ordered the dorado tacos which were overly fried. Everyone has a bad day. I certainly hope they correct the problem and it doesn’t occur too often if at all. However the waiter and manager went out of their way ho make things right. We appreciate the effort.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Geo

    Minneapolis2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ate mostly vegetarian (not necessarily by design) plus an Really Fantastic whole fish dish. Nice design upscale but casual and free parking:)

    Is this helpful?

  6. andrew

    Los Angeles8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great very tasteful would certainly go back

    Is this helpful?

  7. Donna

    Los Angeles8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful Food & Service! Would highly recommend!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Dave

    Yosemite2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and drinks, great service ... and all at reasonable prices too . who could ask for anything more

    Is this helpful?

  9. Stephanie VIP

    Raleigh12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service! The tacos were delicious as were the chips and guacamole.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Anne VIP

    Los Angeles10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the ability to eat outside in a quieter area. Food and service excellent as always.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Socalo offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 451-1655.

Socalo is rated 4.7 stars by 868 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

Booked 10 times today
Google Map for Socalo

1920 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404-1909

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    20th Street
  • Area
    Santa Monica
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Tue–Sat 11:30 am–4:00 pm Happy Hour Tue 11:30 am–8:30 pm Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Sat 3:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Californian, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    First 90 minutes free parking, with restaurant purchase. Self-parking is available in the underground parking lot at The Gateway Hotel.
  • Public transit
    17th Street / SMC Station - Expo Light Rail Line
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Raul Plascencia
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Website
    http://socalo.com/
  • Phone number
    (310) 451-1655
  • Catering
    Breakfast meetings, office lunches, holiday parties and celebrations of all types - we can help with your next event.
  • Private party facilities
    Socalo is a California canteen and Mexican pub from award-winning chef/owners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. Located within Santa Monica’s Gateway Hotel, we can accommodate groups of all sizes in our private dining rooms or beautiful outdoor patios.
  • Private party contact
    Brianna Gallardo: (310) 451-1165

Featured in

Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Delight more diners
  • Restaurant Blog
Join us on
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo