Candela Taco Bar & Lounge

taco wednesdays!

Been a couple of times before always really friendly staff and decent food and beer. Tonight was weird experience cos the waiter was great but on the second round of Stella Artois beers the first came out flat, it tasted like water down bud lite it was so bad. The next one was the same so I returned them both but was told there was nothing wrong with them.
The arrogant bar man clearly doesn’t know his basics, a freshly poured lager should have bubbles and a head not look like flat piss water
Probably using wet fish bowls as glasses doesn’t help the pouring but if someone is unhappy try and rectify rather than charge them for the undrank piss bowls
Waste of time even pointing out they don’t know how to pour decent lager

Food and service was good. Had «taco tour» platter and maestro drink. Ordered red chicken, potato, garlic shrimp and al pastor tacos (can choose 4 from about 12 options) all but potato taco were good. The best taco was the shrimp. Came with beans and rice on side. Platter and 1 drink came to about $ 30. Apparently they have taco weds so maybe better deal if you go on Wednesdays.

Love this place — great food, awesome service — highly recommended — recommendations: gobernador taco, fried fish taco, pastor, dorado de pollo, chile Colorado

Wednesday is the day to go. $ 5 margaritas from 4 – 7 for happy hour and tacos $ 1 all day. Yummy, I am full… Will definitely be coming back. Quick and friendly service.

Came here for Cinco De Mayo, and they had a lot going on! There were drink specials ($ 8 margaritas), a photo booth, coloring station, and a DJ who played some good ‘ol 90’s jams.
We had to wait a while for our table, about 35 minutes for our party of 3 which was expected for the occasion. So while we waited we grabbed some drinks at the bar, took some photos, and hung out. Once we got seated, they gave us their complimentary chips and salsa. We ordered their chips and guacamole too, and their guac was really good and creamy. I ordered 3 different tacos– Carnitas, tacos al pastor con pina (comes with pineapple), and barbacoa. The tacos are a good size and comes loaded with meat so I was pretty full.
All of that with a margarita, I’d say I did Cinco de Mayo right. I’d definitely go back again, especially for their $ 1 taco Wednesdays.
Valet is $ 6 with validation.

My two friends and I had been to Candela taco bar before and really enjoyed it. So, we thought it would be the perfect place to have dinner and a few margaritas for cinco de mayo. Note: I would probably give my first visit here about 4 stars, the food and drinks were great (minus 1 star for the service being a bit slow).
Last night however, almost made me swear to never come back. We arrived last night at about 7:45pm and the restaurant was packed. We gave our name and phone number to the hostess so that she could text us when our table was ready. In the meantime we headed to the back room to listen to music and have a drink at the bar while we waited. The atmosphere in the back room was great. There was a DJ, full bar, festive décor, and a photo booth which I thought was very cute.
We didnt get seated until 930! Yes! It took an hour and a half to seat the three of us! We were seated at a table meant for two, that was against a wall in the back of the room (our waiter had to pull a third chair up). I didnt like the seating arrangement, one of us was basically staring at the wall, but I expected to eat a few tacos and then get back on the dance floor. So I got over it.
The crazy long wait for seating isnt even what ruined the night for us, we knew how packed the place was, so we were understanding. The icing on the cake came later… our waiter came and took our order and brought out chips and salsa. Everything seemed to be going smoothly but after an hour our food still hadn’t come out!!! At this point we were starving. It was even more frustrating that food was being served to all of the tables around us.
I walked back to the front and told the hostess that we hadn’t received food. And her response was that the kitchen was small and all of the orders were backed up. She said said she couldn’t do anything about it, and offered to buy us a drink. When you are starving the last thing you want is a drink.
After waiting another 20 minutes, the waiter came back and said he didn’t know why our food wasn’t coming but we could cancel if we wanted. That was it. We grabbed our purses and left.
I do not like the way this event was handled at all. If you have a small kitchen why even throw a party? I imagine the food orders were backed up before we sat down, why not text us and notify us of a delay?
It could have been expressed from the beginning that there would be a long wait for food… we could’ve gotten food somewhere else and came back later for the party and drinks.
That said, don’t expect to order food if Candela is throwing a party. Come on a slow night and you will be fine. 2 stars because my first experience was much better and I like the food here (when I’m able to eat it).
Now I’m off to have a huge breakfast to make up for the dinner I didn’t have last night.

Where to start— don’t come to this restaurant. First, we walk in and aren’t helped for 12 minutes even though there are 5 workers and one table being helped. This place has one window so you feel as though you are in a camp– you know the kind. Finally we sit down.
We actually found this place through a happy hour app on our iPhones– the information turns out to be a blatant lie and candela’s happy hour ends super early. Their salsa is literally spicy water and they charge $ 3 for any more than the 7 chips and chip dust they call a bowl of chips. I couldn’t handle the environment because i tried to watch a game on the tv but I could barely make out the basketball players on the television because it was so blurry!!!
Okay an edit because I hadn’t finished writing this before we left but their staff has an attitude. The lady did not want to talk to us at all.
Two words: never again.

$ 1 Taco night on Wednesdays. $ 5 Margaritas on Mondays. Any night of the week, this place is worth every penny. Chips and salsa and sauces and food so good you sit back after and rub your stomach with a stupid look on your face.
Very cool back room, and a smoker’s patio. This place is wonderful. Eat here.

If you are having a craving for Mexican food this family owned restaurant is a must try! My friend and I started our dinner with chips and delicious guacamole. I was recommended the Enchiladas Suizas and I have to admit I was very impressed. My friend ordered a burrito bowl and a fish taco. I managed to get a bite of the fish taco and it was very tasty!
With our meals my friend and I both ordered the very berry skinny margarita. Did I mention they have a fantastic drink menu? We finished our meal with churros that were absolutely amazing. Those are a must!
It’s not every day that you find a great Mexican restaurant with wonderful food, drinks, and service.
I’m definitely coming back to try out their well known $ 1 taco Wednesday!

El Cholo was already closed and I needed to order. I’ve been to Candela for a drink, but wasn’t sure about take-​out. This place is great and much closer to me! Stays open to midnight but I placed my order by 11. Excellent crunchy chicken tacos and rice and beans. I was a hit! I would definitely return and place Candela as a great option and not just a «what’s still open» type of place. A very nice option to have in the neighborhood!

Super in love with this place. Great Mexican food and margaritas. Obsessed with their churro and ice cream dessert!

I’ve passed by this location so many times and never acknowledged it, why?. My friend was recommended this place so we decided to check it out during the week. They only offer valet parking, FYI, which I think is $ 7. Anyway, we were greeted by a host at the door. They have two rooms, the entrance, which looks fun and full of people. Then they have another room in the back full of tables that looks like a dance floor. It was crowded in the front and we didn’t want to wait and went to the back room. We were brought chips and salsa which were very tasty. We looked over their menu and everything sounded amazing. Our waiter informed that it was still happy hour and they had a good selection of appetizers and entrees. Happy hour is til 7pm. They also have different flavors of margaritas to chose from, not your ordinary flavors either. Service was great, the food was amazing, and the drinks were tasty and got a good buzzed for an afforable price. Loved this place, need to come back again. Check out @foodgurula

$ 1 tacos on Wednesday (all day) plus happy hour from 4−7pm every day, how can you not love this place?
I’ve come here before with a friend for happy hour and it was delicious. When my friend from SF was in town visiting, I recommended this place. I didn’t even know it was $ 1 taco Wednesday, but I’m glad we ended up there.
We ordered:
HH guacamole — large portion and flavorful
HH shrimp quesadilla– I want to order about 5 of these next time, super good
HH strawberry margarita — great choice
$ 1 zucchini taco — so glad I got this, delicious and on a soft corn tortilla
$ 1 potato and cheese taco — delicious and on a crispy fried tortilla
$ 1 other veggie taco (cactus maybe)? — I like heat, but this one was almost too hot
I wish they had seafood tacos on the menu, even if they were $ 2 instead (typically they are $ 3 – 3.75).
Valet parking is $ 6 after you get a stamp from there. Honestly, it’s worth valeting your car because parking over there sucks. The first time I went I lucked out and found a spot around the corner, but this time I was not so lucky.
All in all, the food is great, fun atmosphere, food comes out quickly and their deals are unbeatable.

My first visit on taco Wednesday was the best! Our server was fast and nice, and even recommended the best deals for the night. The margaritas were nice and strong (LOVE THAT)
And the tacos and taquitos were amazing. Can’t wait to go back. I love you!

Happy Hour Menu!!! Woot woot!!! $ 5 and a handful of delicious choices including tacos, nachos, taquitos, and more. Also– I love the generous portions (except the tacos should come in 3s not 2s).
Not bad at all– definitely a nice quiet place to stop for beer and munchies

Stumbled upon this divey place on a Saturday and wondered why I just didn’t wait out the 45 minute at another venue. We walked in and were greeted by a can’t-be-bothered hostess diligently ignored us. That should have been a sign… but when it rains, when it’s cold, when we’re starved, we Angelenos keep hope alive.
And, then we lose it for it was not a worthy detour. The margaritas (even when the tequila was upgraded) were so waterdowned that I might as well have been sipping on a wine cooler from the 80s. The tacos (while generously proportioned) were so bland that Taco Bell seemed to gourmet in comparison. The loud blaring music AND the football game (with home team rowdies in house) seemed to be overkill for smaller place that lends itself to a homey vibe. Even the trio of salsas seemed straight out of a can. And charging $ 3 for additional chips was just outrageous considering they looked greased up and wordlessly whisked away by a non-​descript, unhappy server. We couldn’t wait to get out of here fast enough. Somehow, the restaurant still gets a four-​star rating, which is why we popped in.
Not by me.
UPDATE: (since Maria the owner replied to my review):
*While I agree an off night was definitely plausible, consumers do leave reviews from any and every experience. We have no way of knowing if it’s an ‘off’ night and whether we should return on an ‘on’ night, mention it in a Unilocal review or just say to ourselves ‘oh well.’ But, your apology is warmly welcomed and appreciated, Maria. Enough for me to upgrade my experience by another star.
*Thank you for clarifying that nothing is technically ‘straight out of a can’. But, the taste was certainly so in my opinion.
*With regards to the noise level as being ‘Loud’, yes, you are right, I should have Unilocaled you first and saved my bucks. See, I made the classic mistake of trusting your web site (not popular opinion or those 53 ‘not recommended’ Unilocal reviews hidden a bit deeper here) and read the vibe as «chic, sexy restaurant» straight from your About Us section. I tried to add a screen grab here to show you the copy, but… moving on.
To me, ‘chic and sexy’ means a venue that is a good place for celebrating with a group or that someone special. You know, the kind of place where a girl would wear her best Gucci stilettos and a sexy low cut top. The kind of place that would attract a mixed but largely young crowd, (mostly creative professionals from the local networks I’m guessing since you’re just a stone’s throw from the mid-​Wilshire) where guys and girls hang when they get off from their entertainment biz jobs with dates in tow. Maybe, it’s the kind of place has loads of sexy appeal with deep ambient lighting (you had it) to set the mood (you did it) and maybe even includes a some comfy seating throughout the lounge for folks like myself who enjoy the shameless art of flirting.
I’ve been to other ‘chic and sexy’ bars around town (which meet most of the attributes I noted above) where I’ve certainly have been able to hold a convo at a decent decibel level. And, none of these venues actually label themselves ‘rowdy’. I get rowdy and football. I don’t get chic and sexy and football. But, thank you for setting the record clear. Lesson learned — I should trust in my fellow Unilocalers over the brand’s own expertly crafted messaging.

This review is for their Happy Hour:
This is one of those places that I’m reluctant to write a review about because it’s a hidden gem and I don’t want the word to get out and then have to fight for a table. Alas, I have to do the right thing and let people know how great Candela’s happy hour is. Their chips and salsa are especially good. Their HH menu has a nice assortment of things but my favorite being the classic margarita on the rocks. The service has always been friendly and fast and their prices are great too. The owner was also very friendly to us and refilled our waters and even gave us some extrs chips for free.

Happy hour margaritas are a win. Food… It’s whatever. Waiter kept interrupting conversation to pick up plates… Can get annoying. No seconds on chip and salsa so you get the feeling they want you out of there immediately if you aren’t eating.

Great neighborhood spot.
Delicious salsas, well done guacamole. Decent quality chips (worth noting).
Taco are great here, but little on the expensive side.
Come on Wednesday and dine in — dollar tacos. Yes!
Their carnitas taco is among the best I have ever had. I love the cactus salad it comes with and they pork is a little crispy so it has a slight chicharron flavor to it with added texture.
Their al pastor was okay, points for big chunks of pineapple, points off for meat quality and cut.
I had some overly chewy pieces, but the flavor was there.
They have mole options which is great, and their seafood options are pretty tasty as well.