Horchata

My housemate recommended this place and it did not disappoint! I asked my housemate to order me a chicken fajita to-​go and it was delicious! I would have preferred corn over flour tortilla but I’m not sure if that was an option. They also gave me a free horchata which was a pleasant surprise. The portions are huge (especially the burritos!!!) and it’s inexpensive, which is rare for Santa Monica. I definitely recommend this place :)

Good not great. Got the B.L.A.T.T. Wrap. Bacon, lettuce, avocado, turkey and tomato. A lot of «L», one piece of «B», skimpy on the «Ts», and they forgot the «A»!!! The main reason I ordered it in the first place. But overall flavor was ok. The staff was pretty awesome, real friendly and cook was quick with the jokes. Would probably go back again and get something different because a lot of the other dishes that they were putting out were looking pretty bomb.

Great service and food. Had the taquitos and they were really good. I don’t know why people are complaining about the «gringo» food and the prices. For the area, it’s a better deal than anything around.

Not generous. They charge for this bits. Their prices are already too high for inorganic food. The chips and salsa do not taste authentic but they do taste like smart and final mass produce. No flavor. Rice is good

Great Mexican food and bakery for sure good and worth checking out. Service was excellent with very friendly staff too!

Delicious, delicious, delicious! I’m ashamed to admit that I had bypassed this place many times before, choosing instead to get the all-​too-​familiar Panda Express, which it shares a building with. Well, I finally decided to see what Horchata had to offer — and I’m glad I did!
I got a wet burrito with chicken, which came with lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, and beans… all of the ingredients that a good burrito should have. The burrito was very tasty and authentic, rivaling some of the amazing Mexican food I’ve eaten in my hometown of San Diego. It was also massive and messy (in the best of ways), so I didn’t even attempt to pick it up and succumbed to eating it with a fork and knife. I love having leftovers to enjoy for the next day and was pleased that this lasted me two meals.
My burrito was also only around $ 7 and some change (+ tip), which is a steal for Montana Ave. restaurants. The service was quick and efficient, but also very friendly. I’ll be back to try some more of their grub, including their baked goods that I’ve been eyeing.

Good place and great price!
The food always looks and taste fresh. Its great for the price!
It is a good option for a «fast food»
but it doesn’t taste like fast food. It’s more like home made Mexican food!

It is hard to find a good Mexican restaurant especially in Santa Monica. I would say that this is great for being in a North of Wilshire location. I work across the street from there occasionally and it used to be just a café and at one point, it was labeled as a French café. However, as I would go there, they would serve more Mexican food than anything. In essence, the other day my friend bought me a Carne Asada Burrito and it was great. I always been wanting to try it and I got a good impression of it. Perhaps I should come here often.

Excellent food and service! A must visit when you’re in Santa Monica! Very nice! Great prices too!

Great place. Chipotle is NOT MEXICAN FOOD! Chipotle sucks in my opinion. They have great find and the food is not prepared on paper. I come here all the time. Love this place

This one is long overdue on my part.
We visit Horchata (formerly known as Lincoln Café) on a weekly basis, as it’s one of the few relatively inexpensive, homey, and fuss-​free dining options available around the Montana area. When you’re trying to catch a break from «truffle-​infused this» or «farm-​to-​table that,» there’s few better ways to indulge than with some honest, unpretentious Mexican food.
In this regard, Horchata definitely delivers.
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— The staff here is fantastic. Everybody knows your name, and after a few visits, they’ll even have your order committed to memory, as well. These are some hardworking, genuinely kind people, and their passion for what they do is evident. Honestly, the lifeless robots at the Panda Express across from Horchata ought to take some cues from their neighbors!
— There’s enough delicious food on both the breakfast and the regular menus to fill your stomach round-​the-​clock.
— Breakfast is served up until 11 AM. Whether it’s hunger or a hangover that you’re dealing with, I recommend going with a breakfast burrito. I devour Horchata’s Steak & Egg Breakfast Burritos (about $ 8 or so each, if you add on some potatoes) on a regular basis. Every bite is full of juicy steak, soft potato and crunchy grilled onion; there’s a nice blend of flavors and textures to enjoy. The burrito itself is pretty large in size, too — so you’ll be well on your way to a food coma if you manage to down one in its entirety.
— If you arrive after breakfast hours, I’d recommend going with Horchata’s Classic Burritos, which are about $ 6.50 each — a solid value in pricey Santa Monica! Served dry, these burritos are filled with onion, beans, rice, and your protein of choice; I tend to go with either the Carne Asada or the Al Pastor. The Al Pastor, in particular, is smoky, slightly spicy, and cooked-​to-​order.
Every burrito order is accompanied by some chips and salsa (naturally), and you have the option to choose between salsa rojo and salsa verde (or both, if you’re like us). I appreciate that Horchata doesn’t skimp on the portion size of the chips, too!
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PRO TIP:
— If you stop by, be sure to ask for a punch card. Every time you order an item that’s worth more than $ 7.25, you’ll get one punch added to your card. Every time you fill in all eight punches on the card, you get one entrée on the house!

It was bound to happen, I saw it coming, I should have known better — I got sick, actually we both got sick from the same burrito.
Food is placed directly on the counter while preparing, not on a plate or paper they place bare menu items directly on the counter surface. Perfect environment for cross contamination; it is a small grill, but there is no excuse. Expand to proper facilities or shut down.
Regardless of latex gloves being worn it is paramount to not create a «dirty» kitchen environment. Go view for yourself, especially if busy, not pretty.
They could learn a thing or two from Panda Express across the aisle.
Latest Inspection Report for Horchata
June 17, 2015 — Routine Inspection Violations
Standard Not Met: Equipment, utensils and linens: storage and use
Standard Not Met: Floors, walls and ceilings: properly built, maintained in good repair and clean
Standard Not Met: Food properly stored; food storage containers identified
Standard Not Met: Food safety certification
Standard Not Met: Adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas, use
Standard Not Met: Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized

I like this little joint.
Granted, it’s located in not-​the-​most-​attractive nor sophisticated cafeteria-​style eatery, but it’s down-​home, yummy, generous, and affordable good food.
We live just a block from it and eat there often!
$ 2.50 will buy you a really amazing and filling beef taco and for about $ 10 we have had steak and eggs for breakfast! Their chicken enchiladas are delicious and needless to say, I like ending my meal there with a horchata drink (which is often included in the price of a meal plate).
It’s a great place to stop in and get nourished!

It shares a space with Panda Express but if you’re choosing between the two it’s a no brainer. Nothing fancy here but good, quick service and tasty food. I had a huge breakfast, fresh juice and coffee for $ 12 and was out of there in 10 minutes. The bakery looked amazing too!

This is one of my favorite places in the ‘North of Montana’ neighborhood. It’s basically a hidden gem but would mostly recommend for locals who haven’t yet discovered it. It’s Mexican at its core, but their bakery turns out some of the better and least expensive bread in Santa Monica (their sourdough in particular is awesome). The juices are great (and cheap!) and everything from Mexican-​style breakfast to tacos are some of the best in that part of the city. Funny how they share a space with Panda Express, always baffles me how people prefer that oily sludge over home-​made bread and quality Mexican. Definitely add it to your hitlist if you live in the area.

This place is a hidden
seems strange to have a Mexican restaurant and bakery in one but it works. The fajitas are awesome and my favorite but I also like pretty much everything else I’ve ordered there. They changed the name of the place a few times but I have been going there over the last 10 years. The staff have been there about just as long or longer and are always really nice.

Poor quality, mexican food, served from an unsanitary kitchen right before your eyes. About the same price as Chipotle — go there, not here.
Don’t believe me? Well walk right up they are ‘preparing’ your food for you right there. Observe how nothing is being cooked, just reheated, nothing is fresh, as they are just reheating poor ingredients in a microwave.
AVOID! But, if you didn’t listen to me then please comeback and rate this useful so that others know I was giving you the straight truth.

They having amazing food here. The cheeseburger is really tasty, they will ask you for a double but that’s too much food. Recently I tried the Philly cheesesteak, that’s also amazing. I used to only go in for their tacos, but everything else is good as well, I still gotta try them for breakfast though

Not only is this a café but also a bakery!
We were lucky enough to find this little gem for my sisters wedding.
Very affordable and delicious!
And the Cake looked amazing! Thank you so much For the wonderful cake! Everyone loved it. I admit I ate about 3 slices during the reception. :)

Nice mom and pop bakery located in the same building as Panda Express.
They also serve Breakfast, Mexican food, & American food. A nice little gem.
By the folks coming in, I can tell they’ve been coming in for a long time. The Cashiers has been calling them out by their firsts names.
Service is friendly and fast.