Aquino's Birreria & Brunch

Absolutely 100% recommend this family owned business. Great customer service we definitely will be stopping by again. We ordered the birria cheeseburger and the queso birria tacos and strawberry horchata. The owner sells special made cups that are so adorable I got one for a family member.Great atmosphere and I had no idea the nice lady and nice gentleman who served our food were the owners!!! If you want authentic Mexican food you gotta try this place. And if you’re here to be concerned about the Chinese decor, stop being negative this is a great family owned establishment.

This place was in the same shopping centre as the laundromat, my boyfriend I split a birria quesadilla while we waited for our clothes. He had a good conversation with the kind people that worked in the front. they didn’t skimp- the quesadilla was huge, and it was delicious.i appreciated that the interior was spacious enough to comfortably fit my 8month old’s stroller. We also kinda loved that you could tell it was a Chinese restaurant in the past, we plan to go back and I would definitely order them off uber eats after a long night.

I so happy I found this place! I had the carne asada super burrito 🌯 and it was delicious! The burrito was a bit more expensive than I pay in San Francisco (though every restaurant in PG seems to be more expensive than the Bay Area🤷). The portions were massive, the meat and rice had excellent flavor, the service was fast and friendly. 5 stars! I will absolutely be back.

Excellent birria bowl. The quesadilla was huge. The street tacos were great. Friendly and fun place to eat.

The food was amazing! I had the jalapeño cheese burrito, and it was the best burrito I’ve ever had. The employee were great and overall my experience was really good

Not a lot of ambience. Amazingly yummy food. Had the chorizo breakfast burrito. Fabulous!

This place was amazing! We got the Crunchwrap and the cheesy jalepeno burrito both were amazing and this place is so cute and with great service!

Really good for price, flavor, and volume. Very delicious, they give you a good amount of salsa too. Birria tacos were delicious and the carne asada fries are something I'll definitely be ordering again. Fs recommend💯

Man this place is legit, the food was TOP NOTCH, the portions are really good and once again the food was just really flavorful AUTHENTIC and perfectly well done. 10/10 will come back again when I visit.

Amazing service from the moment we entered to when we left, burritos were amazing, price was good for value. The venue is pretty cool, too.

Finally an authentic place for Mexican food! You must try this place if your are looking for authenticity. Their quesobirria tacos are delicious. Their hot cheetoh Birria Quesadilla is really good. You must also try their strawberry horchata. I can't wait to see what new dishes they add. I would love to see them make a quesobirria pizza with hot cheetos like I've seen other places do.

Delicious tacos! Quesabirria tacos are so so good. The consome hits perfectly too. I can see why they make ramen soup base from this stuff! I definitely had no shame slurping the remaining consome down. The carne asada tacos were awesome as well. The red hot sauce complemented the tacos wonderfully. Make sure you stop by for some awesome tacos! P.S. I’ve seen some of the comments on the decor and I personally think it adds to the entire ambiance of this place!

Andrew Lopez

Really good for price, flavor, and volume. Very delicious, they give you a good amount of salsa too. Birria tacos were delicious and the carne asada fries are something I'll definitely be ordering again. Fs recommend💯

Anthony Chavez

Man this place is legit, the food was TOP NOTCH, the portions are really good and once again the food was just really flavorful AUTHENTIC and perfectly well done. 10/10 will come back again when I visit.

B0D3GaPrinc3

Amazing service from the moment we entered to when we left, burritos were amazing, price was good for value. The venue is pretty cool, too.

Yosselin Vasquez

Finally an authentic place for Mexican food! You must try this place if your are looking for authenticity. Their quesobirria tacos are delicious. Their hot cheetoh Birria Quesadilla is really good. You must also try their strawberry horchata. I can't wait to see what new dishes they add. I would love to see them make a quesobirria pizza with hot cheetos like I've seen other places do.

Daniel Yoon

Delicious tacos! Quesabirria tacos are so so good. The consome hits perfectly too. I can see why they make ramen soup base from this stuff! I definitely had no shame slurping the remaining consome down. The carne asada tacos were awesome as well. The red hot sauce complemented the tacos wonderfully. Make sure you stop by for some awesome tacos! P.S. I’ve seen some of the comments on the decor and I personally think it adds to the entire ambiance of this place!

I'm not a fan of horchata. But they have this strawberry horchata that I'm now addicted to. My son is now addicted too. I'm not going a week without one of these drinks. And I'm not ordering the 20 oz. I'm ordering the 30 oz and drinking it all. Thanks for creating my favorite drink of 2025. They also have a really good quesobirria taco.

Great food for a good price in Monterey. I tried all the tacos. All the meat, but especially the carne asada, was cooked really well. The birria tasted great. The horchata was good.

I did a pick up of some tacos and a quesadilla and the result is I’ll be back as much as I possibly can. The food was so great.!

Locally owned and delicious! Order here at least twice a month and never had a problem. Delivery is fast and reliable with good food!

The cheesy birria tacos are absolutely delicious and the strawberry horchata is amazing! Definitely give this place a 10 out of 10 and recommend everyone to come try anything from this awesome menu the food is absolutely delicious and the prices are very reasonable.

Ash

Locally owned and delicious! Order here at least twice a month and never had a problem. Delivery is fast and reliable with good food!

Dale Thies

Hey. It's Taco Tuesday! What else would I order, but 4 tacos? Each one delicious. Order was ready on time. Easy pickup. Convenient location.

Jesse Vaughn

The cheesy birria tacos are absolutely delicious and the strawberry horchata is amazing! Definitely give this place a 10 out of 10 and recommend everyone to come try anything from this awesome menu the food is absolutely delicious and the prices are very reasonable.

Naiomi Skiles

I'm not a fan of horchata. But they have this strawberry horchata that I'm now addicted to. My son is now addicted too. I'm not going a week without one of these drinks. And I'm not ordering the 20 oz. I'm ordering the 30 oz and drinking it all. Thanks for creating my favorite drink of 2025. They also have a really good quesobirria taco.

Celeste Magoun

Great food for a good price in Monterey. I tried all the tacos. All the meat, but especially the carne asada, was cooked really well. The birria tasted great. The horchata was good.

David corza

The food was amazing! I had the jalapeño cheese burrito, and it was the best burrito I’ve ever had. The employee were great and overall my experience was really good

Great food, service was nice as well. Very helpful and great suggestions on what to eat. Misunderstood when I asked for order to go and points only are accrued if you order online via the app. Cannot earn points ordering in person. Birria meat was excellent. The tacos were not cooked in the consomé which was different and unexpected but they still tasted good. The consomé itself was also excellent. Highly recommend everyone checks out this place. So far, top birria in Monterey

Tacos were very good. Just didn't like the Chinese food restaurant atmosphere.

The food was delicious, I got a birria burrito and it was spectacular. Flavorful, juicy, big. The only reason this isn't 5/5 is because the atmosphere was super weird. The employees didn't greet us when we walked in, and seemed to not care that we were even there. The place was empty the entire hour we were there. It just feels weird there. Other than that, I'll definitely go back to get a burrito to go

Went with a group of friends for Easter Brunch. This restaurant had a “soft opening” for their Brunch Menu. Walking in this place, it looks like an Asian restaurant, but they definitely serve Mexican dishes. You do have to order up front and they bring your food to you. There was a problem with a couple orders, but they did fix it right away. One of my friends asked for A-1 sauce, but it seemed like they had one bottle for the entire restaurant. They do have high-chairs for the kids and the restrooms were clean. As for the food, I had the breakfast chilaquiles w/ green sauce. Spectacular! I wished they would put more of the sauce on the dish, didn’t have enough sauce to finish it. I definitely would come back to try other dishes. Price: $87 (for 4 people)

Came in on the 4th of July and was pleasantly surprised. The look of the place is like a run down cafeteria but the food however is lovely, I had a birria burrito and the flavour was lovely. It was a very large portion and not a meal that was a clean eat with the dipping sauce. It’s well with a visit for what feels much more like authentic Mexican than the usual American tex mex.

Stan Williams

Went with a group of friends for Easter Brunch. This restaurant had a “soft opening” for their Brunch Menu. Walking in this place, it looks like an Asian restaurant, but they definitely serve Mexican dishes. You do have to order up front and they bring your food to you. There was a problem with a couple orders, but they did fix it right away. One of my friends asked for A-1 sauce, but it seemed like they had one bottle for the entire restaurant. They do have high-chairs for the kids and the restrooms were clean. As for the food, I had the breakfast chilaquiles w/ green sauce. Spectacular! I wished they would put more of the sauce on the dish, didn’t have enough sauce to finish it. I definitely would come back to try other dishes. Price: $87 (for 4 people)

Christopher Edwards

Came in on the 4th of July and was pleasantly surprised. The look of the place is like a run down cafeteria but the food however is lovely, I had a birria burrito and the flavour was lovely. It was a very large portion and not a meal that was a clean eat with the dipping sauce. It’s well with a visit for what feels much more like authentic Mexican than the usual American tex mex.

I've eaten here several times, and generally I enjoy it. I especially enjoy the nachos and tacos. I tried the birria tonight and though a little salty, it was good. The wait for the food tonight was fairly significant (I placed a to go order, and having to wait is unusual).

The Carnitas bowl was very good. Adding grilled jalapenos really enhanced the dish. Carnitas street tacos were also very tasty.

Ms D

I've eaten here several times, and generally I enjoy it. I especially enjoy the nachos and tacos. I tried the birria tonight and though a little salty, it was good. The wait for the food tonight was fairly significant (I placed a to go order, and having to wait is unusual).

Just kinda average. I got carne asada fries and I was underwhelmed. Good portion size, but just kinda meh. My friend’s quesadilla looked good though. Might try that next time instead.

When we arrived the two cashiers were talking and didn't greet us. We said hi to them as we approached the register. They have one screen with the menu on display. Since the cashiers were busy talking, we were trying to read the menu on the screen. My partner asked if they had menus, so they finally gave us a menu. She didn't specify they were different menus so he was looking at a breakfast menu and I was looking at a dinner menu. I would definitely suggest improving their customer service because their service is the only reason I removed two stars. Plus, the restaurant was empty. There was not one single person there. When we were ordering our food, she finally told my partner that he had the "wrong menu." We ordered 3 Quesabirria tacos, ramen noodles, burrito, and a large pineapple water. She said they would bring it to us. Our total was a little less than $65.00. They were so delicious that I went to order more, plus another pineapple water, and I wanted to try the loaded potato. That was around $30.00. My loaded potato was not good at all and drenched in sour cream. The Quesabirria tacos are definitely worth a try if you're in town :) The ramen does not come with the tacos. You have to pay for every taco individually and add the ramen yourself.

Aquino's is clearly located in the bones of a Chinese restaurant past. Conceptually, it's actually pretty fun. But there is no real attempt at integration -- in fact, the whole place feels a little uncomfortable in its own skin, like a hermit crab squatting in a shell that's much too large for it. The walls are white and undecorated except for a few (admittedly cute) murals, contrasting with the array of colorful tablecloths that inhabit the dining hall. I'm willing to chalk this up to a recent move-in, and hopefully morale will improve. But generally I try not to weigh atmosphere too highly in my reviews, so let's discuss the food. I thought it appropriate to try the birria burrito given this is a birrieria, also also ordered a chicken adobo taco. The taco was quite nice; the chicken was well-spiced and moister than I am used to in chicken tacos. But considering the 3.25$ price tag I was expecting a bit more. What I got is closer to the 2.50$ street tacos that one can find almost anywhere. The birria burrito was also enjoyable. I don't claim to be an expert on birria (I've scarcely tried it, really) but the meat was pleasantly succulent and not oily. The burrito itself was somewhat greasy but within reason. However the consommé was shockingly flavorless. I expected a bit of a kick from the bright red soup but felt... nothing. Ultimately, I wouldn't call the food bad or even mediocre -- it was genuinely good! -- but in a place where competition for good Mexican food is so stiff it's hard to say I would directly *recommend* Aquino's. It's the type of place I would stop by if I was driving through and was quickly scanning the map for a place to eat. I do think there is easy room for improvement though. It would feel much more comfortable in a smaller location. There were also some eyerolling Cheetos-based menu items, including a bowl of instant ramen. I guess if the Tik Tok marketing pays off I wouldn't blame them. Simplifying the menu and not trying so hard would go a long way.

Came out to PG to run an errand and saw this and decided to try it out. Was not disappointed with the Cheesy QuesaBirria Tacos. Good flavor and perfectly cooked. The consomé on the other hand was a bit more water-y than I am used to. But that’s just my preference. We also ordered a variety of there Street Tacos. Chicken & Carnitas 0/10. Al Pastor 3/10. I wouldn’t order them again, they lacked flavor and I felt that the meat was dry for the carnitas. The Red Salsa pairs well with the Birria. 3 Stars for Birria and Red Salsa. $25 for 7 tacos. 2 of them being Birria Tacos. Not bad.

Areli Lopez

When we arrived the two cashiers were talking and didn't greet us. We said hi to them as we approached the register. They have one screen with the menu on display. Since the cashiers were busy talking, we were trying to read the menu on the screen. My partner asked if they had menus, so they finally gave us a menu. She didn't specify they were different menus so he was looking at a breakfast menu and I was looking at a dinner menu. I would definitely suggest improving their customer service because their service is the only reason I removed two stars. Plus, the restaurant was empty. There was not one single person there. When we were ordering our food, she finally told my partner that he had the "wrong menu." We ordered 3 Quesabirria tacos, ramen noodles, burrito, and a large pineapple water. She said they would bring it to us. Our total was a little less than $65.00. They were so delicious that I went to order more, plus another pineapple water, and I wanted to try the loaded potato. That was around $30.00. My loaded potato was not good at all and drenched in sour cream. The Quesabirria tacos are definitely worth a try if you're in town :) The ramen does not come with the tacos. You have to pay for every taco individually and add the ramen yourself.

Stefano Corno

Aquino's is clearly located in the bones of a Chinese restaurant past. Conceptually, it's actually pretty fun. But there is no real attempt at integration -- in fact, the whole place feels a little uncomfortable in its own skin, like a hermit crab squatting in a shell that's much too large for it. The walls are white and undecorated except for a few (admittedly cute) murals, contrasting with the array of colorful tablecloths that inhabit the dining hall. I'm willing to chalk this up to a recent move-in, and hopefully morale will improve. But generally I try not to weigh atmosphere too highly in my reviews, so let's discuss the food. I thought it appropriate to try the birria burrito given this is a birrieria, also also ordered a chicken adobo taco. The taco was quite nice; the chicken was well-spiced and moister than I am used to in chicken tacos. But considering the 3.25$ price tag I was expecting a bit more. What I got is closer to the 2.50$ street tacos that one can find almost anywhere. The birria burrito was also enjoyable. I don't claim to be an expert on birria (I've scarcely tried it, really) but the meat was pleasantly succulent and not oily. The burrito itself was somewhat greasy but within reason. However the consommé was shockingly flavorless. I expected a bit of a kick from the bright red soup but felt... nothing. Ultimately, I wouldn't call the food bad or even mediocre -- it was genuinely good! -- but in a place where competition for good Mexican food is so stiff it's hard to say I would directly *recommend* Aquino's. It's the type of place I would stop by if I was driving through and was quickly scanning the map for a place to eat. I do think there is easy room for improvement though. It would feel much more comfortable in a smaller location. There were also some eyerolling Cheetos-based menu items, including a bowl of instant ramen. I guess if the Tik Tok marketing pays off I wouldn't blame them. Simplifying the menu and not trying so hard would go a long way.

Leon Hernandez

Came out to PG to run an errand and saw this and decided to try it out. Was not disappointed with the Cheesy QuesaBirria Tacos. Good flavor and perfectly cooked. The consomé on the other hand was a bit more water-y than I am used to. But that’s just my preference. We also ordered a variety of there Street Tacos. Chicken & Carnitas 0/10. Al Pastor 3/10. I wouldn’t order them again, they lacked flavor and I felt that the meat was dry for the carnitas. The Red Salsa pairs well with the Birria. 3 Stars for Birria and Red Salsa. $25 for 7 tacos. 2 of them being Birria Tacos. Not bad.

My husband and me are visiting his family I’m we originally from Texas he is from this area . I ordered the birria burrito bowl not impressed at all the birria lacked flavor. The bowl don’t come with the consume at all and it was dry the meat. The beans didn’t taste homemade either rather much so tasted like canned beans. My husband got the carne asada burrito he said it was ok but wasn’t to his liking either. We always love to try new things but this was a no go for us.

Food is not seasoned really had no flavor. Would not go back.

Tacos and other food are overpriced. Forced 20% tip added to your bill as you order even before you get seated. Almost $90 shared food for 3 adults and 2 kids. We ordered 5 birria tacos, 2 birria quesadillas, chips and salsa (not refillable) and 4 drinks. They didn't offer waters for drink. Never checked on us if our order was ok. Then posted on the wall to 'kindly clean up your tray, table, etc.' ??? So what was the tip for? Ridiculously expensive! I don't recommend this place! Go to a regular taqueria will probably be cheaper and tastes better.

The staff at front are cold ☹️ They charge you up front and force a tip No free chips and salsa as is customary, no soda fountain so you have to buy bottles with no refills. Over-priced even for the area, especially without the frills you expect for the prices 60 dollars for 6 Quesadilla 2 ramen and 3 sodas? Jesus. Food? Meh. No other costumers, and it's a big place. 😬 Wished I had read the reviews before coming here.🤯 they need to read this feedback and improve the experience for the costumers 😬😎

Marco Andrede

The staff at front are cold ☹️ They charge you up front and force a tip No free chips and salsa as is customary, no soda fountain so you have to buy bottles with no refills. Over-priced even for the area, especially without the frills you expect for the prices 60 dollars for 6 Quesadilla 2 ramen and 3 sodas? Jesus. Food? Meh. No other costumers, and it's a big place. 😬 Wished I had read the reviews before coming here.🤯 they need to read this feedback and improve the experience for the costumers 😬😎

I just hope the tacos I ate did not have a hair like the water. 😥

Horrible customer service. If you as a customer believe a meat is raw , the owner himself will refuse to do anything about it. He made it 100% clear he wasn’t going to help me with any substitutions.

Hands down the worst place to eat in of Monterey county. We had such hopes with all the options. Cashier was very helpful. We didn’t mind the price at the moment because it looked so good on the menu. Sadly we were beyond disappointed. Food has no flavor everything needs salt and spices. Meat was so dry and tough. Check your order before you leave . Extremely shocked at horrible the food was .

I feel bad for people who get duped to spend their hard earned money here. It’s an empty, undecorated room where you aren’t offered even water & have to clean up your own table. The audacity to sell instant noodles with flavorless “birria broth” and no meat for $14+ after tax is beyond me. You’re so much better off getting $2 instant birria ramen at the store.

PLEASE read the reviews. The bad ones are true. The staff at front are cold and rude and clueless. There is no table service. They charge you up front and force a tip even though they don't wait on you or check on you. There isn't enough menus for more than a couple people to look at them at once. There isn't a menu on the wall either. No free chips and salsa as is customary, no soda fountain so you have to buy bottles with no refills. Over-priced even for the area, especially without the frills you expect for the prices. Hopefully they won't last long, we really need a good restaurant in this spot. It is HILARIOUS that the owner wants to take over the Grill at Lover's Point location that just opened up.

HORRIBLE FOOD. The menu and photos online look nothing like the food they serve you. Service sucks and vibe inside is all around off. Please go to Michael’s taqueria instead which is 4-5 doors up from this place.

Plastic (pictured) in one of my birria tacos. Smaller piece of plastic (not pictured, but size of the plastic tags when you cut it off from new clothes) in my friend’s al pastor taco. No plastic in any of the carne asada tacos, yay. We ate all our tacos despite the plastic. Quality was OK, but definitely expected more [quantity or quality] for the price. Agree with another reviewer’s opinion that this is what I expect from a $2.50 street taco. Even if atmosphere was 5 stars, I would still rate this as a 3-star place because of service and food. It wasn’t busy, but the person taking our orders seemed to be very inattentive. And the qty of the tacos were a bit mixed up, but that wasn’t a big deal either. When an employee checked to see if everything was OK, we told him about the pieces of plastic in our tacos. We didn’t ask for a refund; we told him it’s so that whoever made the tacos can keep an eye out for the future. He thanked us and probably made a small apology and gave an unconvincing statement that he would let someone know. He offered no discount and we were not reassured that he cared much about the complaint nor about trying to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. EDIT: Changed to 1 star because of the owner’s response on Google Maps where they insist there is no plastic of this type in this restaurant. So what—my friend and I just performed magic and produced MACROPLASTICS in our mouths? lol, OK, buddy. Also, please read what I wrote. I wrote this is what I expect from a $2.50 spot. I *KNOW* the tacos are priced at $3.50 which is why I expected more. P.S. - I am surprised the owner didn’t reply to the reviewer who provided a picture of hair in their drink. I bet the owner would say their cooks don’t even have hair that same color. 😆

I had a very disappointing experience here. As soon as I walked in, they showed me the menu at the front and made me order before I could even sit down — it felt rushed and unwelcoming. After I sat down, no one brought me my soda. I waited, but eventually had to get up and get it myself. The staff was rude and seemed uninterested in providing any kind of service. To make things worse, the food I received looked nothing like the pictures on their menu or website — not even close. The atmosphere was oddly quiet too, more like a Chinese takeout spot than a lively Mexican restaurant. Overall, it was an uncomfortable and disappointing visit. I won’t be returning.

Minerva Ong

Plastic (pictured) in one of my birria tacos. Smaller piece of plastic (not pictured, but size of the plastic tags when you cut it off from new clothes) in my friend’s al pastor taco. No plastic in any of the carne asada tacos, yay. We ate all our tacos despite the plastic. Quality was OK, but definitely expected more [quantity or quality] for the price. Agree with another reviewer’s opinion that this is what I expect from a $2.50 street taco. Even if atmosphere was 5 stars, I would still rate this as a 3-star place because of service and food. It wasn’t busy, but the person taking our orders seemed to be very inattentive. And the qty of the tacos were a bit mixed up, but that wasn’t a big deal either. When an employee checked to see if everything was OK, we told him about the pieces of plastic in our tacos. We didn’t ask for a refund; we told him it’s so that whoever made the tacos can keep an eye out for the future. He thanked us and probably made a small apology and gave an unconvincing statement that he would let someone know. He offered no discount and we were not reassured that he cared much about the complaint nor about trying to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. EDIT: Changed to 1 star because of the owner’s response on Google Maps where they insist there is no plastic of this type in this restaurant. So what—my friend and I just performed magic and produced MACROPLASTICS in our mouths? lol, OK, buddy. Also, please read what I wrote. I wrote this is what I expect from a $2.50 spot. I *KNOW* the tacos are priced at $3.50 which is why I expected more. P.S. - I am surprised the owner didn’t reply to the reviewer who provided a picture of hair in their drink. I bet the owner would say their cooks don’t even have hair that same color. 😆

Erick

I had a very disappointing experience here. As soon as I walked in, they showed me the menu at the front and made me order before I could even sit down — it felt rushed and unwelcoming. After I sat down, no one brought me my soda. I waited, but eventually had to get up and get it myself. The staff was rude and seemed uninterested in providing any kind of service. To make things worse, the food I received looked nothing like the pictures on their menu or website — not even close. The atmosphere was oddly quiet too, more like a Chinese takeout spot than a lively Mexican restaurant. Overall, it was an uncomfortable and disappointing visit. I won’t be returning.