Anepalco Mexican Restaurant

The last time I was here it was Covid era and we could only sit outside - so glad that's over! This time, we got to sit inside and enjoyed the atmosphere and decor. It is a small but cozy restaurant with a small bar area and outdoor patio. It is connected to the Alo hotel and you can park in the hotel's structure for free. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Service was good overall just a little slow towards the end. We enjoyed the appetizer combo, chips and salsa. The Tacos Dorados were very good. They had a varied and interesting menu, we hope to return soon! Parking: They just have a few spots available in front of the restaurant but they told us we could park in the structure beside the hotel. It is free and very close.

The only thing I liked from this restaurant is the carne asada. The salsas were bad the tostadas worst and they add the tip with out letting you know, I didn’t know they added the tip and ended up paying extra tip, so watch out for that.

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.

Very hospitable. All the food that we tried was really good but all the salsas were just better.

Muy mala comida y nada q ver disen q comida mexicana y en verdad q no tiene nada de mexicana bueno esa fue mi experiencia y aparte muy caro la verdad no lo recomiendo

$10 for a small draft beer of Pacifico. $16 for two avocados worth of guacamole that was blah.

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!