Tacos Por Favor is a mexican budget eat in Mid City, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
Address: 1408 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90404
La Purepecha hand-presses corn tortillas on Broadway in Santa Monica, a Michoacan-style counter of asada tacos and machaca burritos without the fuss.
Try: Handmade-tortilla tacos
Tip: Tacos on handmade tortillas with cilantro and onions are the order; parking sits right beside the shop.
Gilbert's El Indio has run its family Mexican dining room on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica since 1974, taquitos, shrimp plates and jalapeno margaritas.
Try: Taquitos and combo plates
Tip: It won Santa Monica's 2024 Most Loved Mexican Food award; Sunday closes at 14:00, so go for breakfast burritos.
Benny's Tacos brines its rotisserie chicken for 24 hours in citrus and garlic on Wilshire in Santa Monica, with churros piped full of Bavarian cream.
Try: Rotisserie chicken plates
Tip: The rotisserie chicken plate feeds two; finish with the cream-filled churros even if you think you will not.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Try: Omusubi
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
Sweetfin builds chef-driven poke bowls on Broadway in Santa Monica, an entirely gluten-free kitchen of bamboo rice, kale noodles and citrus ponzu fish.
Try: Poke bowls
Tip: Every bowl base swaps free, so try the kale noodle base; the whole menu is gluten-free by default.
Cha Cha Chicken has smoked jerk chicken under the palms on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1996, a family-run Caribbean shack steps from the beach.
Try: Jerk chicken plates
Tip: It runs one of the most lenient BYOB policies in town; bring a bottle and eat coconut fried chicken outside.
