La Sandia

I see my review must have been spot on because this HUGE corporate restaurant is now closed along with it’s sister restaurant behind it are both CLOSED and will now be a Cheesecake restaurant !!

This place has now closed its doors.
It will be replaced by a Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

Horrendous service. We were ignored for 20 minutes, finally served drinks. Waited 15 minutes more for order to be taken. We then watched as the ladies seated next to us 25 minutes after us were served their food, returned a dish, and received their replacement dish.
I admittedly become impatient very quickly with poor service. But in this case my far more patient girlfriend had to agree.
Can’t review the food. We left before eating anything but average guacamole.

La Sandia is in a great location on the rooftop of the Santa Monica Place mall. My experience was kinda ‘meh’ but I can see the appeal due to location convenience and happy hour pricing.
I went for happy hour and was seated at the bar area. The setup of the bar is really awkward and uncomfortable. The bar height is really low while the seats are high. In addition, the seats can’t scoot close enough to the bar. The result is being hunched over on the edge of the bar stool just to reach your drink or food. After 30 minutes of discomfort, I was done with that.
I was also disappointed in the food and drinks. I ordered the hibiscus margarita. It was 80% ice and lacked sweetness. Wouldn’t order it again. For an appetizer, I had the taquitos. While the sauce was good, the taquitos themselves were not. However, I did enjoy the complimentary chips and salsa, despite the hair I found in the salsa.
Overall, this was not the best experience. However, I’ll probably give them another shot at some point to try a different drink and food choice. And I’ll get a table next time.

SUMMARY: ONE OF THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER HAD
I use to work right across from La Sandia and I am a lover of its sister restaurant, Zengo. One of my good girlfriends was hosting her birthday brunch of 30 at Zengo we were forced to relocate to La Sandia due to their pipes bursting. The weekend brunch set up for La Sandia and Zengo are the same, 40 $/​pp for AYCE /​AYCD off their selected menu and you have a 2 hour time period so we were open to the idea.
As I mentioned before, our party size is about 30, me and my SO were the first to arrive and they weren’t able to seat us until half the party is here. Our party slowly trickled in and we were led to two separate large tables [15 person each table] and we were introduced to our server [yes.SINGULAR and his «helper.”] Before I go any further, there should be a MINIMUM of 2 servers PER table so a total of FOUR for our entire party so I was completely baffled when we were introduced to just one server but we quickly brushed that off because we were ready to order, eat, and get drunk.
Only one of the table was filled so we started ordering our drinks [Mimosa, Bloody Mary, Margarita, Michelada, etc.] and we were still quenching of thirst after patiently waiting for 15 minutes before our server tells us they ran out of majority of the drinks so we were only left with Mimosas and Margaritas but we dealt with it. Our half of the party was starving so we told to put in 3 orders of everything on the menu to get the ball rolling while the other half of the party slowly rolls in. The server realized it was best to bring out the drinks in pitchers so kudos to them but the drinks tasted like they were from the bottom of the well, absolutely disgusting.
Remember how I mentioned our table placed our orders first? Well. all the plates of food passed our table and were placed on the other table and each of us had drools coming out of our mouths as we watched them devour their food. Our patience was quickly growing thin and we flagged down the server to see what was taking so long and he looked at us completely puzzled and replied our dishes should be arriving soon. Mind you, we have been there for about an hour already and we still haven’t eaten anything but their chips and salsas, with calculation. we only had about an hour left to order and eat before we are kicked out. Our small plates finally arrive and everything looked horrendous and tasted cold, they look like they threw anything they could find in the kitchen so pass it off as food. I picked at everything but could barely swallow any of the items.
The birthday girl was not the only upset patron at the restaurant, our entire party was… the manager eventually compensated us by providing our party with Coronas and said we could order anything from the regular menu and they would extend our dining time. My time to dine was shorter than everyone else’s because I had to rush out of there by 2:30pm to get ready for work, I postponed as long as I could but my SO and I left with our stomach unfilled and forking over a total of 80 $ + tips for this completely unpleasant experience.
I don’t know why they were so unprepared and so understaffed to cater to such a large party but they lost about 30 people’s worth of business and it is safe to say I will never dine here ever again. In addition, their menu is very limited and honest to say, it’s pretty shitty, so I would recommend anyone who takes a second to check out their menu to take their business next door to Zengo.

Beautiful restaurant, great food!
My group of friends and I were craving tacos by the beach and found this place in the mall while we were browsing around the shops. The restaurant itself is decorated with elegant artwork and has a very open layout, which I loved.
The starter chips and salsa were amazing. Freshly made and a perfect way to start our dinner. We also got a free table side guacamole from Unilocal check-​in that was a great compliment to the chips! Happy Hour was also going on when we got there, with great deals on little bites like corn on the cob and drinks.
I ended up ordering the chicken taco combination plate and loved the tortillas. The rice that came with it also ended up filling me up, although the amount of black beans overpowered the rest of the plate a bit. Still a pleasant dinner experience though.
Great waitstaff too, such friendly people.

We celebrated Taco Tuesday at La Sandia with taco trio al pastor, carnitas, tinga. Good tacos – but truth be told… really made me miss the real deal in Mexico City! Free table side guacamole with Unilocal check-​in was a definite bonus!
Follow us for more taco madness/​reviews in LA and everywhere:
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As we talked in, it took us about 1 – 2 minutes to get seated. Not a busy night on this Friday evening after all.
The menu looked pretty promising with a variety of mexican food. Besdies the regular fajitas and taco, there was a lite menu section.
The waiter was quick to greet us and we started the order by getting some drinks. We ordered a total of 5 drinks, mainly margaritas and a beer. It tool the bar quite a while to make the drinks, especially the beer.
In the meantime, while waiting for the drinks, we were served chips, salsa and guacamole (guacamole was free since we checked in via Unilocal). Salsa was good and so was the mole. The chips — eh a bit over fried.
Ordered chicken, steak and fish fajitas. Not too good, not too bad. It was OKAY. I would probably not go back, not because it was horrible, there are just better places.
I give the price 3 stars beacuse it lacked the great service and quality of food.
Cheers

Outstanding meal for our table of 8! Our group had ordered guacamole (did not disappoint) and the fundido (melted cheese)! Our server was attentive, and pleasant and we did not need to ask if we needed waters or refills on drinks because he completely anticipated our needs. Food was authentic and hot! We ordered margaritas (try the spicy one!) and food that we thought was five star:
Steak fajitas
The Trio
Carne Asada Tacos (3)
Pork carnitas
Oh and if you are a heat-​seeker, ask for the habanero salsa!!!
This place is a gem and cannot wait to come back!

So their happy hour is Sunday-​Friday 4pm-​Close. Do I need to say more?
This is the place to get your drink on. With $ 5 drinks they made me so happy or so tipsy, same thing whatever! I recommend their Sangria Roja or the Hibiscus margarita, so yummy.
For a light fare, tacos are 5 for $ 10. The Asada & Carnitas were my favorites. Also try their corn on the stick aka Elote, not like the real thing on the street rolling down your block on a shopping cart, but it’s pretty decent. On top of that they give you free chips & salsa! Make sure you end with flan, just cause you have to!

The best thing about La Sandia is their beautiful interior. The interior has a floor plan that is open to the outdoors through archways. The lighting, the furniture, iron and glass work, the architecture are all well thought out. We sat on the patio, which is on a deck in the shopping mall, so the views are what one would expect. The service and the food left much to be desired for those in my party. We were excited to experience some authentic Mexican food, which is plentiful in Southern California, but we did not find it at La Sandia. We regretted that we didn’t hit the taco truck we saw during our walk over!
Don’t forget to check in on Unilocal,you will be rewarded with free guacamole.

Taco Tuesday!
GREAT happy hour!
Free guac (made right in front of you) with Unilocal check-​in and our bartender was soooo nice!

We came here this past week on a Thursday night.
When we arrived, we were told it would be a 15 minute wait for a table. We later found that it was not because there were no tables, but because they were understaffed.
We came with an expired discount. My husband talked to the manager, I think his name was Matthew, and he agreed to give us the discount that we had purchased. Not only that, but he came to our table a couple of times to make sure we were enjoying our meals and were happy with our experience.
Our waiter, I think his name was Brian (tall guy) was stretched pretty thin because he had a number of tables he was covering. He did his best! He kept up with our requests and even took part of our order back when we didn’t know something came with an ingredient we didn’t like.
The food was very good. I had the carnitas tacos. The carnitas was very flavorful. I mixed the house salsa and the habanero salsa which gave me something with a kick. My carnitas were a little fatty, which is what is keeping me from giving 5 stars. Luckily I was able to see that beforehand and cut it off. My hubby had the steak fajitas which he really liked. He shared the peppers with me and they were really good. Rice and beans were a-​okay.
I’m sure we will be back!

Wow… almost 600 reviews but honestly, to me, the food was nothing memorable.
Gourmet Mexican restaurant located on the 3^rd level of Santa Monica Place shopping center. Restaurant was romantic with dimmed lighting and comfortable booths.
Be sure to check-​in to this place on your Unilocal app to get your FREE ORDER of guacamole. They prepare it table-​side with your choice of mild, medium, or spicy. We opted for medium but it wasn’t spicy at all. I can eat a whole bag of hot cheetos without suffering for water and this guacamole had NO SPICE to it at all. Don’t get me wrong, the guac was delicious; mix a little bit of their house salsa to it and it was on point.
For our entrees, I ordered a plate which consist of: chile relleno, beef tamale, and shrimp enchiladas. It comes with rice and refried black beans. The shrimp enchilada was good. The sauce was flavorful. But the tamale… eh… =/​nothing to write home about. I gave my chile relleno to my honey.
His entrée was two chicken enchiladas. Again, it came with rice and beans. He said he enjoyed his dish a lot.
But both of us agreed that although the food was good and service was attentive, we would not be back again. We came, we tried, and that’s it. To us, it will not be a return restaurant to visit.

I never really understood how people got drunk on Tuesdays until I came here for the first time. Holy crap, it’s like a lunch special at a Chinese restaurant except exclusively on Tuesdays. La Sandia is an interesting place that is located at a very domestic area in Santa Monica. I absolutely adore the décor and it makes me feel like I’m actually dining in a Southern/​Central American establishment. Most of the people who come here on Tuesdays aim to get boozed up on low costing alcohol. Personally for myself, I am not a person to drink a lot… however I am actually guilty of doing so while coming here for the first time.
My friend decided to go balls to the walls and order a pitcher of passionfruit margarita. I can’t finish it. Even though it has fresh passion fruit and it is refreshing as it is, I can’t finish it all. The food is great though, it tastes pretty decent without any artificial flavors of corporate America. One key thing to note is that they offer free chips with salsa as a starter while you drink and eat your courses.
There are some pretty interesting and delightful things on the menu but I only have one stomach to try one thing: Shrimp Fajitas. Normally, Fajitas are very fatten and loaded with calories. I am watching my weight at the moment and what helps is that they have «light» menu that is easier on the stomach. I must say, for this fajita dish to be light, it is extremely tasty and delicious.
For an overall experience as a first time guest, I love this place. A true establishment is never judged on the first experience, but I guess the first was already great. Which means that the next one should be even better :)
Rock on, La Sandia. You are awesome.

Somehow, for me Mexican food and fancy don’t really click. I came here for my friends birthday dinner. I got their Iron Skillet Fajita Platter (grilled chicken option). I find that it is a lot more fun making your own taco. Admittedly, it is a bit of work but after a couple messy spoonfuls of rice and beans and guacamole and salsa, it is definitely worth the extra effort. The chicken was very flavorful! It is hard to cook a succulent breast fillet so when I eat one that is nice, juicy and perfectly spiced, consider me a happy camper.
I did not try the tacos, but the friends who did were not jumping up and down their seats eating them. I did, however, try the shrimp enchiladas that my friend had ordered. She loved it but they just didn’t do it for me even a tiny bit. Another friend who had ordered it, didn’t like it much either. I prefer the standard enchiladas smothered in red sauce and cheese. These, I believe, were topped with tomatillo sauce. I thought by the end of our dinner, I was one of the few who actually enjoyed their meal.
The entrees are a bit too pricey but located in Third Street, that is nothing short of expected. But it is not to say their portions are big. Forget about sharing if you have a large appetite. If you come here ravenous or after a good workout, hopefully looking spiffy, not sweaty, you’ll reach your fill. Our server was really friendly and lent a kind ear while I asked him a million questions about their Latin Light fajitas versus the Iron Skillet one. If you do end up trying this place, definitely try the fajitas!

NOTES:
~ Checked in at Unilocal and got a free tableside guacamole!
I came here with a friend of mine who was a Santa Monica local (I’m from the Bay Area) and he highly recommended this place and I have to admit that I am really impressed!
Atmosphere:
Located at a stunning shopping complex which made for a great atmosphere and ideal for people watching. The interior of the restaurant looked really classy as well. The only downside is that we came here for dinner and the outside seating area had absolutely no lighting! As someone who is an avid picture-​taker of food, I was pretty upset about this! Looking at your yummy food is half the experience!
Customer Service:
There have been some other Unilocalers mentioning poor customer service, but I’ve experience nothing of the sort. Our waiter (unfortunately didn’t catch his name) was really nice and friendly and also really attentive, even though it was pretty busy at the time we went.
Food:
I ordered the Pork Carnitas Chef Special, which was really delicious and decently filling too. I had one taste of the habanero salsa and it was HOT! I couldn’t even handle it, and normally I’m pretty good with spicy food. However, it was still really yummy so I’m pretty happy with my meal overall.
The free tableside guacamole we got was the one downside. The flavours were great but I would hardly call is guacamole because it was barely mashed at all, pretty much still whole avocados. I guess I could chalk it up to it being dark outside so it’s hard for the server to see his progress.
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Overall, I would say that La Sandia is just a tad bit pricey so I probably wouldn’t come here unless it was for a special occasion. However, the food was delicious and well worth the occasional treat! I would have loved to try other options and work my way through the menu.

I really enjoy La Sandia. I love that they have a good selection of light calorie options included into the regular menu.
The space is beautiful and it feels like you walked into a plaza with beautiful décor and plants throughout. I enjoy the patio that overlooks the 3^rd street promenade, it makes for good people watching and they have heat lamps in case it gets cold.
The food is quite good and everything that I’ve tried has not disappointed. I always ask for the habanero salsa for that extra kick and love that you can get some free guacamole for checking in.
Happy hour is also really good with half off their margarita pitchers.
Enjoy!

Located on the 3^rd level of the Santa Monica Mall across from the Food Court, La Sandia proved to be a full-​package place to catch dinner with friends or family. Parking garage 8 on 4^th and Colorado will take you directly to the edge of this mall and is free for the first 90 minutes (or 2 hours?) From the moment you are greeted in the front to the moment you step out and leave, you are greeted with world class service and a great dining experience.
The ambiance of the interior is beautiful. Strung lights across the roof of the dining area complete with lush plants and adobe-​style décor created a fantastic and relaxed environment. This place seems more than able to accommodate any-​size party.
I came here on a Friday evening at 6:30pm with a reservation with my friend, Nicholas K. We were greeted and seated promptly and had the pleasure of being served by Steven. Steven was very personable and warm, while providing his honest opinion about our selections. We decided to go with the Cadillac Margaritas. These were mixed perfectly and were delicious! For starters, we went with the tableside guacamole, which was brought out to our table and is mixed with spice levels to our liking. Since we couldn’t decide how spicy we’d like the guacamole, he brought out the hot sauce that we could mix to our preferences. Definitely recommend getting the guac to pair well with their warm and crispy tortilla chips. Their salsa is also pretty great. I’m scared of anything spicy and this salsa had amazing flavor for me.
For my main entrée, I got the Pork Carnitas Chef Specials. To begin with, presentation is RIDICULOUS. The tray was divided and there were so many layers of elements that made it so aesthetically pleasing. I really had to take like 5 minutes just to admire the perfection of the dish. Three sections to the right of the tray housed 2 different types of salsas and a heap of guac. Next to it, there was a small metal bowl of beans (I’m not a beans person, but this was delicious!) Above it was a small cast iron skillet with some of the best pork carnitas I’ve EVER had. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Flavor was AMAZING. This was served with tortillas in a little metal container and the last side of spanish-​style rice.
We finished with the churros, which were also probably the most perfect churros I’ve ever had. And I’ve had my share of churros in Mexico waiting to cross the border on a Sunday evening. Perfectly crispy on the outside, doughy and hot, melt-​in-​your-​mouth on the inside, served with a side of chocolate dipping sauce.
Michael, the manager, is very personable and made sure we had a great experience. It says a lot about a manager that is out on the floor and constantly checking up to see if everyone is enjoying their experiences. Additionally, Steven, our server, was attentive, friendly, and efficient. All I have to say about this place is YES. Definitely check this place out if you get a chance. I know I’ll be back!

FREE SPICY TABLE SIDE GUACAMOLE w/​check in! SCORE!
after hearing great things about la sandia, my friends and i finally found the time to come here for their HAPPY HOUR! HH was all night even on a friday night. just make sure to call in for times. the free table side guacamole was super delicious! i wish it was free bottomless guac! you can tell it was made with fresh ingredients and the spice was on point! the complimentary salsa was not good and it tasted so saucy and watery. but i still ate it anyway since it was free!
happy hour sampler ($ 11) came with a lot of food! it included guacamole, cheese quesadilla, wings, taquitos, and mexican corn! the sampler was a great choice to share with two people. the variety was real nice! my favorites were the mexican corn with the habanero aioli and the achiote wings.
tacos (5 for $ 10) we had the beef barbacoa, chicken tings, carnitas and honestly these tacos sucked! the corn tortilla broke every time i picked it up. i had to eat my tacos with my fork and the toppings were just EH. and these tacos also came out cold. i would not recommend these.
we had 6 people and we ordered two pitchers of margaritas ($ 23 each) the mango margarita was STRONG but it was really good with the fresh limes, lemons, and also chunks of fresh mango. we also had the strawberry margarita and it was just okay. each pitcher was perfect for 5 – 6 people.
overall the food, our server kris, and the outdoor patio with the laker game on was great. la sandia is located on the third floor of santa monica place! try it out for HH and don’t forget to check in!

Nach unserem Spaziergang über das Santa Monica Pier hatte und die Seeluft hungrig gemacht. Bevor wir uns also entspannt zum Shoppen auf die Third Street Promenade begeben konnten, musste estwas zu Essen her. Am nahe des Piers gelegenen Ende der Third Street Promenade befindet sich eine kleine aber feine Mall, bei deren betreten uns ein Schild in die obere Etage lockte. Dort befanden sich verschiedene Restaurants, von denen uns das La Sandia am meisten ansprach. Auf der Karte wurden verschiedene mexikanische Spezialitäten angeboten, genau das Richtige für ein gemütliches Lunch.
(Siehe Foto unten)
Am Tresen direkt am Eingang wurden wir freundlich empfangen und an einen Tisch geleitet. Wir entschieden uns für einen Tisch im Inneren des Lokals. Es gab auch Plätze im Freien. Am Tag unseres Besuchs waren di Wände des Lokals offen und es wehte eine angenehme Brise, wodurch man auch drinnen ein bisschen Freiluft-​Feeling hatte.
Der Innenbereich des Lokals war auch sehr schön eingerichtet. Etwa in der Mitte befand sich eine große Bar aud dunklem Holz. Die Wände waren hell und die Tische und Sitzmöbel ebenfalls aus dunklem Holz. Die Bänke und die sesselartigen Stühle waren sehr bequem. Ideal für die Rast nach dem Pierspaziergang.
Kurz nachdem wir platzgenommen hatten, brachte die uns zugewiesene Kellnerin die Speisekarte und stellte sich kurz vor. Sie ließ uns etwas Zeit, die Karte zu studieren, bevor sie wiederkam um die Bestellung aufzunehmen. Dabei beriet sie uns sehr freundlich und stellte uns auch schon ein Körbchen Nachos und ein Schälchen mit einer würzgen aber nicht zu scharfen Salsa-​Soße hin. Wir hätten zusätzlich noch Guacamole und andere Dips bestellen können. Die Salsa reichte in dem Fall aber völlig aus.
Als Getränke entschieden wir uns beide für die hausgemachte Mango Lemonade, die ausgesprochen lecker war. Die typische, amerikanische Zitronenlimonade wurde hier um Mangosaft und frische Mangostücke ergänzt. Das Ganze wurde in großen Gläsern mit Eiswürfeln serviert. Eine klasse Erfrischung an einem heißen Tag. Wie in vielen Restaurants in den USA galt für die Getränke auch hier: einmal zahlen und so oft man will Nachschub bekommen.
Auch beim Hauptgericht fiel unsere Wahl auf das selbe Gericht: Chicken Enchiladas. Die Wartezeit auf das Essen war angenehm kurz und so dauerte es nicht lange bis zwei große Teller mit jeweils zwei Enchiladas, Reis und Bohnen darauf vor uns standen. Das Hähnchen war sehr gut gegart, zart und saftig. Zusammen mit einer leckeren, tomatigen Soße war es in einen Maisfladen eingerollt und mit Guacamole und Crème Fraiche darüber schmeckte es wunderbar. Auch der Reis und die Bohnen waren sehr schmackhaft und gut gewürzt. Das Gericht hatte von der Würzung her Pfiff, ich würde es aber nicht als scharf bezeichnen.
Die Portionen waren groß und so waren wir am Ende satt und frisch gestärkt für den Einkaufsbummel. Wenn wir noch einmal nach Santa Monica kommen, gehen wir auch gerne wieder hier essen. Netter Service und ein gutes Preis-​Leistungs-​Verhältnis. Daumen hoch für ein sehr gutes, mexikaniches Restaurant.