Lula Cocina Mexicana — Restaurant in Santa Monica

Met a friend for dinner on Wednesday evening (Juneteenth!) at Lula, my favorite neighborhood cantina. The host/manager was most welcoming and greeted many regulars by name. He seated us at a booth in the middle of the festive and colorful dining room. I noticed quite a few updates to the décor since I was in last. Our server Julian took our drink order right away. The house margaritas hit the spot after a long day at the office and were the perfect accompaniment to the warm chips and guacamole. The room was already full early on (due to the holiday?) and the outside patio was buzzing with happy groups of diners/families. We shared an order of the tlacoyos to begin. These are little boats made with black bean and masa with a fava bean puree and a smoky chipotle crema on top. Delicious! I chose the fajitas, which arrived in a dramatic cloud of steam. A very generous serving of tender strips of steak with grilled vegetables, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, jack cheese and sour cream and a choice of warm corn or flour tortillas. My friend had the salmon on a cedar plank, a new addition to the menu. The fish was cooked perfectly. Our service was great throughout, and everyone on the staff worked as a well-coordinated team. Lula is a Main Street gem, in business for over 30 years and still going strong, serving up warm hospitality and delicious Mexican food. We will...

I went last night with my parents, a visiting friend from Austin, my wife and my 115lb Great Dane. I was concerned they would not have a space for us and the dog but the hostess took us to a nice patio in the back, enclosed but with an open ceiling. What struck me most was how warm, friendly and kind all the staff were. Even tho there wasn't really space for 5 at the time, the hostess, without annoyance, summoned a busy waiter and busboy to join two tables and gather chairs. Everyone had smiles on their faces and no one acted bothered , which would be the case in many places. We felt welcomed and we're pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was. My wife had the lobster tacos and she commented how well portioned they were. They did not skimp on the meat. We also had the sopes and guacamole. I will gladly return again as I saw many groups eating that brought their dogs, and the other patrons were also friendly. Good food, good vibes,...

Shady, sneaky waiter

Girlfriend and I went there yesterday for happy hour. We were happy with the food, and drinks like we did the last time we were there

Why I am giving this experience a one star is because of unethical, deceptive practices from our waiter. My girlfriend and I originally ordered two margaritas. A third margarita came out of nowhere meant for my girlfriend. We never asked for the third one and thought it was on the house as we’ve experienced this kind of treatment from other restaurants. When we looked at the bill, we noticed the third margarita was charged. We did not address the situation then and there as we didn’t want to cause a scene.

We are really disappointed with our waiter and his sneaky tactics. My girlfriend and I were respectful and kind and did not cause any problems. We will not be returning. I really hope this does not happen to...