Mercede’s Grille

Amanda the bartender was the most unprofessional sloppy server I have ever had the displeasure of being served by. She charge us for drinks someone had already paid for and then had the nerve to rush us paying our bill so she could collect her tip before going home. We will never return to this tacky establishment and will warn anyone who asks about this awful place. Don’t waste your money or time here!

Came here for breakfast, food was amazing I had the Look on the Light Side and a cappuccino hubby had eggs Benedict would recommend this place to everyone. Great vibe, service exceptional. We will be back! The patio is s perfect place to come if you have a dog with very friendly to animals and clean.

Hello have you tried their happy hour!!! Yum salmon tacos 6.00 include beans and margarita yum, I’m stuffed!!!

Diamond in the rough on Washington! Equally great for brunch or dinner. Love the Jerk Tofu, Platanos and Avocado Toast. Great for locals and special treat for tourists.

Went here last night for a late dinner. Our server was so delightful. He recommended the mojitos and they are DELISH ! We got to munch on some fried plantains before we ordered which we loved. I forgot the name of the dish that I ordered, but it was a grilled chicken stuffed with goat cheese, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and walnuts with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Sounds delicious, right? Well not so much. I’m pretty sure the mashed potatoes came straight out of a box. They were bland and I didn’t taste any garlic or any seasoning for that matter. The chicken was only OH-​KAY. The stuffing was good but the chicken was overcooked and dry. For the high prices, I was not impressed. I’m not sure if I’d try it again, although the menu did sound yummy. (But so did the dish I ordered). Three stars though for the service and mojitos.

Lovely, warm atmosphere. Interesting and eclectic décor. Had a wonderful breakfast The Politically Correct omelette with goat cheese was excellent. The staff is great. Paula, the hostess, made me feel like she was inviting me into her home for a meal. Can’t wait to get back and try the plantains…

Good service and delicious food. Decent atmosphere. Smallish feel to it. Only one bathroom. Prices are okay also. I recommend it.

Was a great spot for lunch! Came with some family during our visit to California and had wonderful service from friendly people and awesome food! I had the Cuban sandwich which was delicious! Great people watching right on Venice Beach entrance. Very much enjoyed the experience.

Occasionally you find a diamond in the rough! That’s Mercedes!
Inviting atmosphere, mouth watering food and attentive service all at a reasonable price makes Mercedes one of my favorite new lunch spots!
I’ll start by saying the mini chocolate chip muffins they bring you upon arrival were amazing! I ordered the Cuban sandwich that was very large and equally as tasty. To my surprise I also received some perfectly cooked plantains with my sandwich.
Fantastic dining experience! Can’t wait to swing through Venice again soon!

Good food and great service. Cuban food is not always a party, but this place has mixed it with californian flavours and it’s super tasty.
Big portions, apetizers are good enough if you’re not a truck driver. ;)

Delicious food, strong drinks, and amazing service. From the moment we sat down, we were treated like friends by the staff. First they brought us a basket of free yummy mini muffins for the table. So good and so much better than the bread and butter provided at many restaurants. Then they served a fruity watermelon martini that didn’t skimp on the alcohol or the volume. The glass was so full that I had to take a sip before I could pick up the glass. :-)
As we were deciding on our meals, we kept seeing plate after plate of delicious food pass by. So many tasty options. One of the people in our party was having trouble deciding whether or not to get the fish tacos. Our server was kind enough to bring her a sample of the tortilla shells so she could see and taste their authenticity. And then she brought us even more mini muffins! I could have hugged her.
Once our meals arrived, it was difficult not to dive in face first. I ate until my stomach expanded and then I took a few more bites. Totally worth it. Each of us thoroughly enjoyed our choices and the service made the experience memorable. I’ll be back soon!

Came here on Wednesday night for a birthday dinner. They were happy to accommodate about 16 of us, as it wasn’t a super busy night. Since it’s right next to the beach, parking sucks, and this valet guy tried to take two spots of free parking in a residential area, so be aware — valets can be assholes (he legit parked in the middle of two parking spaces so we couldn’t take it). However, if you don’t mind walking, there’s plenty of metered parking 5 – 10 mins away, and it’s free after 6PM.
The moscow mules seemed to be a hit, and they gave us plantain chips with this citrus sauce. I’m not a fan of plantains, but the sauce was delicious! I ordered a Cuban pork sandwich, with fries (you can also get a green salad instead), but the most popular dish of the night was the pork enchiladas. I was pretty happy with my cuban though!
Service was great, but they were in a hurry to remove finished plates. I think this one guy came around 4 times within 10 minutes to ask if we were done, but we were still nibbling. Gets pretty annoying when you’re trying to watch the birthday boy open gifts, and the server keeps cutting in trying to remove a plate when people still want to eat.
It was an overall good experience, but not something to crave for. Probably won’t be back, unless there is another social event taking place here.

AH, Mercedes… such fond, bittersweet memories for me here.
It’s a great Cuban, American casual place to dine located not too far from the beach. Both times that I dined there the restaurant was very busy. The service has always remained great, not compromised despite the busy rush of people. We got our needs met with our orders taken right away and not too much of a wait.
Food is a mediocre, A-​OK, but good portion size for what you’re paying for. I ordered salads both times I dined here. I ordered the Mercede’s Favorite (mixed greens, feta cheese, walnuts, black olives, tomatoes, grilled zucchini & mushrooms topped with marinated red onions $ 11.00) and it was DRENCHED in balsamic vinaigrette. So note: order dressing on the side.
First time I dined there I had the Candied Walnut & Gorgonzola with shrimp (mixed greens, white truffle oil, marinated red onions & sun-​dried tomatoes $ 12.00). Now that was a delicious salad.
We also had the plantain chips with the Cuban garlic citrus (mojo) sauce on the side $ 8.00 –a bit greasy, but delicious.
I highly likely wouldn’t go to this establishment again –only b/​c my date at the time, with the most amazing light, green-​eyes probably takes all his dates here and I much rather explore restaurants where the chances of running into him are slim (#truth).

Love that our waiter — made our drinks to order– wish I got her name, she ROCKS!
patio seating and they allowed our pups on the patio too! 5*****. As you can tell I give star service for places that allow pets, my pups are my children, so if they can’t come, I’m not happy. We ordered an appetizer which was ahi tuna– Yummers! I wish we could have stayed for dinner but was full from lunch. I like that they have happy hour appetizer specials too! Service was great! Hope to be back when I’m visiting Venice!

This place is only getting 3 stars because they have some awesome deals like half off omelettes on weekdays before 9am or salads on weekdays between 12 and 1. Anyways, when our little wash blvd is too bumping with tourists — this place always seems to have indoor seating for brunch. This time we ordered the cubano omelette and the Arizona eggs benedict (they have a pretty long list of options for both). These weren’t anything great. However, at the bar — they make a mean mojito and artichoke dip. Always get these two items at least (and the tacos, the hubby loves those).

The only reason this place didn’t get 5 stars from me is on count of service they were polite but 2 other tables which set down after we did were served their drinks prior to us even when we put are order in first. We only order coffee, now I like a fresh pot of coffee so maybe they were brewing a new pot but hey just let me know waiter! That’s my only complaint & it won’t stop me from returning or referring a friend.
Food was fabulous! after being on vacation for 7 days I wanted something fresh & lite but filling. I got just that with look on the light side only $ 10 (good price point for any of food). My boyfriend enjoyed his Venice Benny as well

Mercede’s is an inconspicuous gem of a place that has been a longtime staple for folks native to the Venice Beach/​MDR area. Tourists likely pass this place up in favor of the Whaler, Cabo Cantina or other establishments that cater to a younger beach crowd. Don’t be fooled by its outer appearance. If you’re looking for a decent American brunch/​Latin fare, then Mercede’s needs to be in your rotation. Walk-​ins are welcome although seating fills up pretty quickly because the place is so small. It was extremely windy, but patio seating is available out front for days when the weather is more accommodating. Like most Venice-​area places, it’s casual (T-​shirts, shorts and flip flop welcomed) and very cozy. So cozy, in fact, that I got through my entire meal and two Mimosas (more on this later) before I realized that one of my favorite Hollywood actors from ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ sat nearby. Typical for LA, though…
American breakfast/​brunch is served until 2 p.m. daily. We arrived literally right before cut-​off at 1:59 p.m. The bartender, who doubled as our server, was nice enough to oblige us. I was craving my usual Belgian waffle, so I chose the chocolate chip and added a side of bacon. He ordered the traditional eggs benedict with the home style potatoes. Both dishes were excellent — and very filling. I think each entrée was around $ 11, so for the price, we got our money’s worth. (I cannot comment on the Cuban selections, but Mercede’s definitely does breakfast right). My waffle was golden, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside just the way I prefer it. And that bacon! Thick, applewood-​smoked slices that reminded me of that darn Blue Ribbon. The eggs benedict and potatoes were cooked perfectly. They didn’t skimp on the Mimosas, either. Forget that one-​to-​one ratio mess. Each one was the ideal blend of Brut Prosecco topped with a splash of fresh OJ. After two, I was feeling great. ;-)
They also have a reasonably-​priced happy hour menu (Monday-​Friday, 4 – 7 p.m.) featuring $ 5 sangrias and mojitos and $ 6 small bites, like steak or salmon tacos and roasted pork enchiladas. Don’t sleep on this place!

I came here for lunch once after hearing that the salads were ½ off during weekday lunches. Discount is for eat-​in only though.
I got the Grilled Vegetable Tostada salad; taste was alright, nothing special; though it was surprisingly filling with the beans and rice. I probably wouldn’t pay full for it.

New to the neighborhood so walked over to check it out. Had a drink at the bar (bartender was nice and attentive, crowd was 40s and friendly) and ordered some food for takeout.
The truffle Parmesan fries with habanero mayo was super tasty. But the arroz con pollo? Terrible. Not even remotely Cuban. No plantains. No yellow rice. It was like Thai and Chinese fusion — peppers, celery, bean sprouts, and some sweetish sauce and a bunch of chicken thrown in top (not tossed in or cooked with the rice).
I’d go back for drinks and fries. But beyond disappointed by this attempt at Cuban food. Hoping it was a mistake. Looks like it vaguely resembles the description for the papaya chicken stir fry. But regardless, it was inedible and a total waste of $ 15. Definitely NOT CUBAN FOOD.

I’ve been here a couple of times with my gf who lives a block away. Their flavored mojitos are better than their regular mojitos and service is hit or miss. I don’t think we’ve ever had any overtly friendly servers or bartenders here; more like folks who are just doing their job.
That said, the Cuban fare is actually good though most of the time we usually just get their truffle fries and gab. The crowd is young and beachy (and bitchy) so not my cup of tea at all.
I’ll only come here if my gf invites me as it’s walking distance away from her and they don’t mind if we tote along her precocious kid who will sit and draw quietly (good kid!) as we drink and gossip.

Very good, the waiters where nice and helpful, the food was very good and the view was awesome.