BEACH MEX – EL SEGUNDO, CA
One of the great things about writing is that I get to share events in my life, from glamorous to every day experiences. So it’s about time I write about the place that my wife and I seem to end up eating at around town more than any other place, a cute little Mexican restaurant called Beach Mex.
(photo courtesy of Beach Mex)
Beach Mex originated in 2008 by restaurant owners Scot Nicol and Neil Wallace with the concept of bringing the neighborly beach town of El Segundo, a fiesta and fresh place to eat for foodies and families alike. A place you can get a unique bite or traditional Mexican classic.
We always start of with the works… chips & salsa along with pico de gallo & guacamole.
By day during the week, Beach Mex is filled with a mix of those working in El Segundo. From our men in uniform from the local military installations and workers from the Chevron refinery to business executives from all the corporate headquarters found in this little town by the sea. By night and especially on the weekends, it’s filled with the couples and families that make El Segundo the well known family-friendly community it is. They know exactly how to cater to the many walks of life with daily specials to please everyone. Wednesday through Friday, from 4-6pm they feature 2 for 1 Cervezas & Appetizers. Mondays Kids Eat Free; Taco Tuesdays offer $1.50 Tacos and 2 Beers for $5.00; Wally Wednesdays offer $1.00 off their special Wally Tacos; Thursdays are $1.00 off Tortas; Fajita Frenzy Fridays are $1.00 off Fajitas; Saturdays sare their Beer Bucket afternoons with 5 Beers for $10.00 and Sundays are Family Night, with Free Churros to groups of 4 or more. Of course, please check for any changes and more details.
The chicken enchilada soup.
Finding a good local Mexican restaurant is like finding a good neighborhood bar. There’s that simple little something about one, that separates itself aside from the others. Here in Southern California we seem to have just as many local Mexican places to eat as we do places to grab a cocktail, so when you find one that does it for you, you tend to stick with it. Beach Mex has been that place for us since the beginning.
Its hard to tell by this picture, but my shrimp quesadilla is huge… and delicious.
I mentioned that with most Mexican restaurants, they serve traditional fare but Beach Mex also puts their own personal spin on dishes. Starting with their chips & spicy salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole, to chicken enchilada or albondigas (my fav) soup, to fresh salads including their specialty Mahi Mahi or avocado and mango. How about Mexican cheese fries? Crisp fries covered in jack and cheddar cheese, guac and sour cream and your choice of meats. Of course you can grab a taco, quesadilla, burrito, flauta, chimichanga, enchilada, fajitas and more, all with your choice of full flavored meats… shredded chicken or beef, carnitas or al pastor, carne asada and shrimp. You can even order some dishes with fresh white fish or mahi mahi. Some of their special entrees are favorites of mine… the sweet and spicy shrimp and their blackened tiger shrimp.
My wife’s favorite, the vegetarian potato tacos with black beans.
They make my vegetarian wife happy too, with her favorite, the crispy potato tacos, plus potato taquitos, veggie burritos and fajitas. Though their rice is made with chicken stock, she’s holding out one day they’ll make the move to using vegetable stock, then she can enjoy all the beans AND rice to her heart’s desire.
Trust me, this burrito is packed with meat… al pastor and carne asada to be exact.
I’m more than happy with all the ways they use their meat, lol. My personal choice is their taco burrito, half al pastor and half carne asada, lettuce, pico, sour cream and cheese, but “unwrapped” (without a tortilla) and covered in red sauce. That or their Beach Mex “Po-boy” burrito, packed with 12 beer battered shrimp… mmm. They have actually way too many different takes on Mexican food, so another reason you need to check them out first hand.
When I can’t make up my mind, it’s combination time. This time with a shrimp taco, beef enchilada and a chicken taquito.
They also feature a great way to make ordering easier too. As with many restaurants you can place your order online but at Beach Mex you can also place it through their Facebook page. Nifty huh? I personally haven’t tried that, especially considering I’m such the social media junkie. So whomever does, you’ve got to let me know how that goes. We just seem to prefer to walk on in and sit down for a meal. They’ve always had the greatest servers, so it’s hard not to enjoy being there to eat, on top of the tasty food. It goes back to Kimberley, the first server we had there, a smile that wouldn’t quit which really made you enjoy being there, feeling relaxed yet on top of your orders… who now happens to be Mrs. Nicol, with Scot and her having the two most adorable little ones.
Kimberley on the left & Scot in the middle as Beach Mex caters an event (photo courtesy of Beach Mex).
Since then there hasn’t been a server we haven’t been happy with, up to Sherri who happened to serve us the past couple visits; again, attentive, on your order properly and a smile that won’t quit, genuine though, happy to make your stay there a good one. Not the norm these days in other places, but here at Beach Mex, it always seems to be.
Right by the beach at sunset, close as can be to Beach Mex (photo courtesy of Beach Mex).
My wife and I do have a little bias though, but for good reason. You see, we were such a fan early on with Beach Mex, that back in 2011, after coming here for a couple years, we told Scot that we were getting married in Puerto Vallarta. Being a destination wedding was special to us, but when we came back, we were thinking of doing a belated reception for all those that we couldn’t have join us South of the Border. That’s when he brought up keeping with our wedding theme, having Beach Mex cater our party for that authentic Mexican feel. Such a great idea we were sold instantly. Scot & Kimberley personally worked with us on it, which we won’t ever forget. They truly cared to make it a special night for us with their food and they certainly delivered. The reception was held at the then open BriXton – South Bay, thanks to Dennis the owner at the time and what turned out to be a small gathering turned into a large event of almost 150 people. We had members of Guns ‘N Roses, White Lion, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P. and more perform, let alone other rocks stars from Warrant, Cinderella, L.A. Guns and the list goes on show up. All of which along with the rest of our friends, devoured the food. Yes, I used the word devoured, lol. Everyone lined up to try the food laid out buffet style, all of which was as delicious as it is served at the restaurant, and the minute they were done they circled back for more. We literally ran out of food within 20 minutes, it was hilarious. Everyone wouldn’t stop raving about it, and best of all, many have gone to visit Beach Mex now themselves from that wedding reception of ours. That makes us feel really happy, being able to pay back Beach Mex after all of the great meals, atmosphere and fun they’ve given us over the years; knowing how many more now make it a regular stop for a bite to eat too. So next time you’re in the South Bay, just minutes away from LAX looking for a great place to try, make sure you drop by Beach Mex, you’ll be glad you did.
BEACH MEX
409 E. Grand Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245
310-356-6393
www.BeachMex.com www.Facebook.com/BeachMexElSegundo