Anepalco Mexican Restaurant

"Anepalco is a posh, modern restaurant showered in greenery and with a stylish covered patio outside. Located next to the Ayres' ALO Hotel, the parking is scattered around the venue. The service is friendly and the ambience is fun, but the food holds back on flavor and portion size. When a restaurant serves upscale versions of delicious street food, it's common for dishes to get refined, as Anepalco does with its dinner menu. Perhaps in this case, the French influence overcasts the Mexican roots, and I was left missing the punch in flavors. One of the better dishes was the Tacos Dorados - which isn't really a taco, but more like a fried shell enchilada. While the name was slightly misleading, the dish was pretty good, served with fresh fish and a pleasant chipotle sauce. The trio, which caters to those that love to have a little bit of everything (me), included a refreshing ceviche, guacamole, and corn. The guacamole was quite muted though they indeed use very fresh avocado. The ceviche similarly included decent bits of fresh seafood - it was refreshing and had a nice herbal and citrus-y base. The corn was well roasted but didn't quite pack the elote punch. To be fair, the "punch" probably would have made the dish much heavier, and it seems the trio was going for more elevated, less decadent. I also sampled one of their drinks, El Diablo, which was mixed with Jamaica syrup and tamarind puree. Tasty and, as with everything else, mild. Not quite the flavor of the devil, but definitely aligned in color - the drink had a nice red glow. Anepalco has the vibes and service down, if they bring the spice, they'd be a home run. Regardless, it's a fun place to do happy hour or a light dinner before a concert or night out. And their brunch sounds promising, so another reason to try again next time."

"We were so lucky to find this place, and enjoy what may have been one of our favorite meals in California ever! Gabby helped us to choose the perfect meals, and was also our cocktail guide! Our hand crafted, organic cocktails were complex and delicious, and they have a great tequila list! I think the standout was the chicken mole! It's hard to find amazing mole, but look no further! Give this place a try, you won't be sorry!"

"I was in debate if I wanted to write this review because the waiter was so sweet! However, the food was not as good as I would hope. The side of beans and rice I had with my meal was an extremely small portion and my beans were salty. The drinks were good and the atmosphere was great as well. But I would say a bit less salt."

"Amazing food. All of the salsas taste great. There’s even something special about their tortillas/tostadas. Portions are nice. I had the duck which is a small size, but fills you up and hits the spot. Drinks are refreshing and pretty strong. Service was very pleasant. I took family that doesn’t speak English and they felt respected."