Kalaveras - Mexican restaurant in Montebello - 854 N Garfield Ave, USA

Celebrating my little sister's 22 birthday. We pretty much had everything on the menu because we had the whole family the workers were great host and very patient. The food was really good.

Enjoyed the vibe here. Decor reminds me of Tempo Cantina. Drinks were good, and nachos hit the spot. DJ was setting up, so I didn't get to see the vibes after 8 pm. Would come here again.

My family My friends gather here to celebrate any occasion morning or evening is has worked perfect. Service has always been good & the food & drinks is what I keep coming

Plenty of parking that is shared with the plaza. Peak times can get very busy with long wait times so go early! Outdoor patio is a fun vibe for lunch or dinner. The tables weren’t the cleanest even after the waitress got a rag to wipe it down, maybe because of the cracks in the table itself. And it kept rocking too even when I wedged a napkin under one of the legs- kinda noting especially when you have drinks on there. Groups of people come here to celebrate various occasions so def not a quiet spot if that’s what you’re looking for. They have tables that can accommodate large parties and groups outdoors, not sure how it is indoors. Drinks are great! Who doesn’t love a good Maragarita!? Get a flight to try all the flavors. The chamoy rim is so delicious I wish they had been more heavy handed with that. Service was nice. Our waitress really helped me pick out the dishes that I wanted and was really patient.

Kalaveras is a fairly large, family-owned/operated “chain” of restaurants throughout SoCal; you’ve probably seen one or two in your travels. It’s a “modern Mexican” restaurant in design and food offerings. The food at Kalaveras isn’t bad - in fact, my girlfriend said their Albondigas Soup might be the best she’s ever had. However, it feels like Kalaveras tries too hard to be “fancy” and somewhat froo-froo with their offerings, much in the same way as the Javier’s chain. In our opinion, Mexican food just needs to be freakin’ good - it doesn’t need to get lost in fancy presentation. And that’s kind of the downside to Kalaveras. We ordered the soup, several Asada Tacos, and Taquitos Dorados (some chicken, some potato). The taquitos were okay - but the dye-colored tortilla wraps are off-putting, and my girlfriend says it messes with the taste, which I agree with. My asada tacos were good and the presentation was great (dunno why the photo I took of that isn’t showing up in my images for this review when selecting which to upload - weird), but the marinade used kinda dulled the taste for me. Kalaveras is an upscale, “hip” and “fancy” place - and the prices reflect that, unfortunately. This is kinda a one-and-done situation unless there aren’t any other options nearby and you’re craving Mexican food. Like I said, it’s not BAD - it’s just too fancy for its own good and the higher prices detract from what could be an amazing go-to for Mexican cuisine. Restaurants often trip over themselves when trying to be something they’re not - or shouldn’t be. A great Mexican place should be warm and welcoming, nicely decorated, and the flavor explosion of the food should be the focus, even if it’s a burrito lying on a plate with hot refried beans and rice swamping together into melted goodness. Food over fancy, in our opinion. Kalaveras is trying too hard to be fancy.

Great service and awesome ambiance. Delicious food! Will be coming back ! A little expensive for anyone who cares about a budget

We were in the mood for some margaritas 🍹 drinks were good, order guacamole it was served with pork rinds no food really caught my eye, might try again

Nice ambience and love the wall images of old Latino icons. The service is super friendly. The menu is broad and offers many selections. I attended in a large 11-person party. We all received our food warm and all of us enjoyed our meals, along with the tasty salsa.