La Serenata

I was looking for a Mexican restaurant to take my friend near Boyle heights and this popped up. Honestly the food was amazingly tasty. So good and the atmosphere was really laid back. It’s a place to take your time, enjoy really tasty food and take with friends or family. And what I love more then anything was the exploitation of natural flavors. There’s not a lot of salt which is rare in LA. I highly recommend if you don’t worry about $$$ and just want to enjoy good food with close company.

This place is so good. It’s a hole in the wall and you would never expect how good it is. It’s true authentic Mexican food. I always get the chefs special which never fails. I would recommend everyone to try this place.

Great food
The people that say this is not authentic are just WRONG
Food and service and ambience are excellent

Found this place across the street from another place that was absolutely packed, we decided to give it a shot since Unilocal seemed to like this place. The place was nice and the service was amazing, I wish every place had servers like this. The environment was fantastic and I honestly couldn’t wait to Unilocal this place and brag to all of my friends about how good this place is, unfortunately the food wasn’t up to par. It was okay at best, i got the chiles rellenos, and a shredded beef sope. The sope was great but the rest of the meal just wasn’t, the rice was bland and the chiles just weren’t good. Perhaps I should’ve tried something else but unfortunately I just can’t trust the quality of food. Such a shame because everything was so perfect, I’m giving this place three stars but that’s mainly because of the service

Wonderful vibe, nice and quiet with excellent lighting. Bright enough to keep it lively, yet dim enough to create a romantic atmosphere for my girlfriend and I. They would have received 5 stars from me, however they did not have chile rellenos.
I ordered asada tampiqueña and it was divine. The steak melted in my mouth and the enchiladas were smothered in a yummy mole sauce. My girlfriend ordered the beef Flautas and they were slightly above average.
Service, definitely a strong point here. From the moment you sit down the service is a 5 star experience.
I highly recommend this hidden gem in Boyle Heights to anyone looking for an authentic plate of Mexican cuisine and a relaxed vibe. Beer and wine only so the tequila shot will have to be enjoyed elsewhere.

This place does not provide AC or good service at all. We had a party of 20 and had one waiter to our name with no one else in the restaurant. The food is nasty not authentic Mexican food. I have no idea how they got good reviews, I would give it 0 stars if I could. Oh and They ran out of margaritas… really?! Never again. I do not recommend to anyone.

Thermostat @ 77 when we arrived and no margaritas? Not a good start. Service was unacceptable. On the other hand, the food was excellent!

The Chilean Bass was very nice the green rice was good. The flautas, I don’t recommend & didn’t like the beans. Service was friendly, but difficult to get a refill.

3 stars only because the food was delicious and the roaming musical duo harmonized very nicely singing «Si nos dejan» for a small well deserved tip. Mexican restaurants have to be on point when it comes to Margaritas, the Mag was mediocre at best. I ordered a draft beer because the proud digital thermostat displayed 32* that beer was no where near that cold it was gross. I ordered a second beer in a bottle/​can and figured I can’t go wrong with that but I was wrong, the beer was barely tolerable. The menu offers a nice selection of seafood done up Mexican style with a little splash of some le cordon bleu in presentation. Waiter very helpful and knowledgable but way too busy to keep up with 15 or so tables. There was a bus lady that had a terrible attitude, came to clear the table and snatched the dinner plates like we weren’t welcome. The food is not cheap here, some dishes are without price on menu left open to going market rate. I liked my food and I recommend this place if you are cool with all the negatives. I included some pix, like I said food was good.

Food was tasty and more authentic than Americanized Mexican food. Their specials are the way to go, tried the salmon, shrimp enchilada and steak fajita (although it has a different name you have to ask for it). Complimentary soup, black beans with the entrée, probably why price is a bit higher. They have valet in the back, it’s hidden.

Classy service ! Food was delicious. Melts in your mouth. Tortillas handmade fresh !

We came in on a slow nite and were pleasantly surprised. Attentive service, great food and Mexican wine! Yes they carry LA Cetto wines and it was fabulous. Had the camarones in pepian sauce, delish!!! Will be back for sure.

Wow, this place actually surprised me. We loved the food, it was amazing. Their green enchiladas are too die for. Service is excellent! Can’t wait to go back!

A hidden gem located in Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. This restaurant has been here for over 20 years and they have a lot of unique and fresh seafood inspired dishes.
A lot of their dishes you will not find at your average, every day «Mexican» restaurant. I had the Fish Turnovers and Fish Enchiladas. These were some of the best Latin dishes that I’ve had in all of Los Angeles. The flavors were just absolutely amazing! Looking around at other tables, all of the menu items looked delicious! For dessert, I tried the flan. It was very good also.
Service was friendly and attentive. Definitely coming back when I’m in the area.

A Really Good Find in East LA
The tacos are old-​school meat, and cheese which are deep fried to a golden brown, giving them a deep taste and crunchy texture which can’t be beat.
Their carrot soup is to die for.

Conveniently located on 1^st St, across from Mariachi plaza, only minutes from DTLA, is the La Serenada de Garibaldi restaurant. It’s a mouthful to pronounce for a non-​spanish speaker, but the food speaks for itself. I’m not much a fan of Mexican food, but I dig the food here. My coworker loves it here so I had to give it a try. First impression is that the restaurant is elegant and spacious, with Spanish arches and tile, wooden chairs, and nice tablecloth. The services is impeccable, the waitress was very thoughtful and careful in explaining the specials of the days and the menu. Our cups were never empty, and the food was served promptly. I ordered the shrimp enchilada and the shrimp was fresh and al dente. The flavors were just right with the right amount of spice and cheese. The soup which came with the meal was so delicious, I think it was some kind of lima bean soup, but the stock they used was so yummy and full of flavor. Only downside was the parking, there is street parking if you’re lucky, but otherwise you would need to pay for valet parking in the back lot.
This is not your typical taco stand restaurant. It is a nice appointed Mexican eatery for a nice sit down restaurant. With it’s close proximity to DTLA, I think it’s another good option for lunch.

Excellent !!! Beautiful Trios music, stunning cuisine. I am an expert Mexican chef. If you want Mexican cuisine … And I say cuisine this is it. None better in LA… these are the KINGS of our cuisine ! Ignore naysayers let them go to Chevy’s pobrecito pendejo’s !

The only reason I gave it a 4 is because at the time that I went the only alcohol served was wine. Come on every Mexican place needs to have Tequila, bt maybe they now do have a full bar, I will soon go back & correct my self if so.
Yes it is true that mostly non Latins come to this restaurant, bt it says a lot about the place. It tells u the word is out & the food is GOOD! It’s located in Boyle heights, once u walk in the doors you forget where u were because the place looks like you walked into a little paradise in Mexico. The service is equivalent to what it is in the finest dining of Beverly Hills.
The food is delicious & yes it has an authentic Mexican taste. This is not like my mom’s cooking because the dishes are a bit more exotic; yet the menu still keeps the Mexican essence in every bite.
BTW this place is not unreasonable in prices. Actually it is great for what u get.

A nice gem on the eastside, Boyle Heights to be exact. I wouldn’t call this a part of the «gente-​ficacion» that is taking place on this side of town considering that this restaurant has been here for over 20 years according to the waiter that served me.
The first thing that I noticed when I walked through the door was the décor inside. I found it to be very clean looking and classy. The second plus was the impeccable service throughout the duration of my time there. I was immediately greeted by the host who shared with me their specials (both which sounded delicious!). I couldn’t peruse the menu further after he said «Alaskan Salmon enchiladas» and «white wine». I replied, «uh…I want THAT one, please» in Spanish. Being that it was my lunch break, I had to then continue with «para llevar, por favor» as he escorted me to the bar while I waited for my meal. By now, my order was a salmon enchilada combination with arroz y frijoles, of course, and he had suckered me into the manga fresca (Mango which is my favorite fruit).
While waiting at the bar, I was offered beer, but had to decline politely since I was still on the clock. My order did not take long at all and while I sipped the water that they offered me instead, I got to enjoy nice conversation with the workers in between them servicing other patrons.
My order did not take long at all and boy was it a suprise! Along with my combination came the appetizers: the soup, the tortilla chips with salsa, and fresh handmade tortillas. I discovered this when I went back to work and opened up the plastic «to go» bag. The great service did not stop there but continued to my very last step out the door as I was also escorted to the door and a very nice worker opened the door on my way out. Now, that’s what I call «service».
For a $$ sign restaurant, this was excellent service, food, atmosphere, and décor indeed. I’m happy to run into great restaurants like this on the eastside.

I have not been to Garibaldi’s in a long time. However, this gem in Boyle Heights is a great place to come to if you want some authentic Mexican cuisine.
Garibaldi’s has nice fish dishes, so when I heard the salmon special w/​salsa de tomatillo en molcajete ($ 16.95). I said: Si, por favor!!! My business associate is a regular and he ordered off the menu (not pictured).
The salmon was excellent. The filet was moist and nicely seasoned with the tomatillo sauce. The sauce had a nice kick to it. In addition, the homemade tortillas only made the dish that much better: 5 Stars.
The ambiance is OK. Americanized Mexican w/​a little Boyle Heights flair: 3 Stars. The service was also just OK. The waiter was attentive at first. However, I had to ask for water twice: 3 Stars. Interestingly enough, my associate ate a lot of salsa, but hardly touched his water (I am such a whimp! — LOL). The only downside about this place is, the parking is horrible during the lunch rush on weekdays. There is a valet in the rear lot, but it can become filled to the point where you have to find street parking: Good luck!!!
Garibaldi’s hasn’t been open for nearly 30 years for no reason. There is also a second location in West LA. BTW, Serenata means to serenade, and the chef certainly does that by combining fresh seafood w/​his expertise on sauces (reportedly 30 in his repertoire). I wish I still worked in the area so I could come to Garibaldi’s more often. True Mexican seafood presentations in a ocean full of posers!

fabuloso!!!