El Michoacano

Get the governador tacos! Every single bite is amazingly delicious. We kept talking about it and our eyes were rolling in the back of our heads with every bite. I've also gotten the shrimp cocktail several times. That was my go-to before I fell in love with the tacos mentioned above. Oh and their micheladas are bomb

This was an amazing experience and the food was delicious. The service was great- waitress was very helpful and food was quick. I'm looking forward to coming back!

Look, I am going to tell you my opinion in two parts. Food then non-food review. The food was 100% authentic with thick hand made corn tortillas (my choice rather than flour). The chips were warmed and salsa was delicious. I had a molcajete (Mar y tierra) which is a hot basalt bowl containing a menagerie of cheese, meats, and veggies. You have quesadilla, grilled nopal or cactus, green onion, chicken, shrimp, beef and more. I also had huevos rancheros. The egg was mixed and on top of a tasty tostada (hard tortilla base) with beans and rice. I didn't take a picture of this because of my momentum while eating I forgot because I was having such a good meal. We had coffee and canned soda with our meals. Now for the non food part of the review. Seating was quick while IHOP and Dennys was packed on a Sunday around 11am. We found easy parking and service was good. We sat near the kitchen so it was nice placement for giving our order and such. I like the intimacy of it and a neighbor asked to share the tapatio hot sauce the tables are so close. It was a great random find and I have friends who confirm their mexican moms come here for the caldos (soup). I'll have a michelada next time which are huge mugs filled with celery, and other classic ingredients. Go where the people go

The music is too loud but the food was excellent. I might order to go next time. The service was great.

Great authentic and really tasty! Server was super helpful and nice...Thank you! Mike and Ally 🇨🇦 🍁

I ate here with my mom. Really enjoyed the food and the service. We ate here on a Sunday afternoon. They had a mariachi band.

It's lent season...so Fridays I have to go and find my grilled fish 🐟. They have home made tortillas here so that is a BIG plus for me. The fish was cooked well, but the seasoning was a bit too much. On the salty side. The place was packed so we were sat in a corner...waitress forgot about us so we had to get her attention. Food is fresh, would recommend you try it.

Highly recommend this place. Everything I've tried is delicious. Our server was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed.

Love my plate..thanks gilbert owner

Nice quaint place. I would imagine it gets busy over lunch.

jlt_productions

It's lent season...so Fridays I have to go and find my grilled fish 🐟. They have home made tortillas here so that is a BIG plus for me. The fish was cooked well, but the seasoning was a bit too much. On the salty side. The place was packed so we were sat in a corner...waitress forgot about us so we had to get her attention. Food is fresh, would recommend you try it.

Anita Vargas

Love my plate..thanks gilbert owner

Cecilia

Highly recommend this place. Everything I've tried is delicious. Our server was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed.

Charles Dobbs

Nice quaint place. I would imagine it gets busy over lunch.

I went there on a Sunday...it was packed but a couple shared their table with us. We had the enchilada plate and prawn dish...omg...they were delicious...and the best part was a three piece family who came in and played music and sang...going back...loved loved the food and place

This place is literally one of my favorite places in Salinas. The authentic flavors of the food make you feel like you just went to a chill spot in Mexico. I will frequent this restaurant because it matches exactly what I like in this style of food. And best of all, it's affordable.

1/15/24 5pm Order Carne Asada, come with rice & beans, salad and French fries with either flower or corn hand made tortillas. If you're looking for home style cooking, this is one of the best mexican restaurants in monterey county. I have been coming here for approximately 2 years. Service is great most of the time specially with the ladies serve. Today I was served by a young gentleman. A little lacking and making sure I had everything was fine other than that. I recommend highly this restaurant. One thing though, It is sometimes very noisy due to the music box playing to loud Inside the diner.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I drive 30 mins just to get carne en su jugo they are always friendly and they always my order perfect especially Lesley always so helpful and always with a smile. 👍👍👍

You always know the food is gonna be bomb when the salsa is good! Cafe de olla was so good. We all enjoyed the food and the service was great

Excellent food and service. Seating is tight which made it impossible to ignore neighboring tables conversation. Other than that, I highly recommend going to this restaurant for some of the best Mexican food around.

Stopped here to have lunch while driving from SF to SB. I was expecting decent Mexican food, but this place was really excellent. We had fish tacos and a shrimp burrito— the shrimp and fish were both perfectly grilled & the salsas were fantastic. Probably just as well I don’t live close by — I’d eat here every chance I could!

Amazing, delicious molcajete mar y terra! This dish was LEGIT and large enough for 2 to share. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the chicken and steak were moist and delicious, the fried cheese and cactus were perfect. Service was great and the atmosphere was upbeat, clean and fun!! Can't say enough good things!! Worth the stop!!

Amazing little restaurant in Salinas, awesome service, the food is just great, it doesn't matter what you try you will fall in love with the flavor and the atmosphere is so friendly and familiar, they will make you feel like home. The price is actually cheap when it comes to finding food so freshly cooked!!!

I feel like im in Mexico at every visit. Authentic food. Homemade corn tortillas. What more could you ask for?!

Avl Views

Stopped here to have lunch while driving from SF to SB. I was expecting decent Mexican food, but this place was really excellent. We had fish tacos and a shrimp burrito— the shrimp and fish were both perfectly grilled & the salsas were fantastic. Probably just as well I don’t live close by — I’d eat here every chance I could!

Alheli Curry

I feel like im in Mexico at every visit. Authentic food. Homemade corn tortillas. What more could you ask for?!

Carrie Carlson

Amazing, delicious molcajete mar y terra! This dish was LEGIT and large enough for 2 to share. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the chicken and steak were moist and delicious, the fried cheese and cactus were perfect. Service was great and the atmosphere was upbeat, clean and fun!! Can't say enough good things!! Worth the stop!!

alberto Pinzon

Amazing little restaurant in Salinas, awesome service, the food is just great, it doesn't matter what you try you will fall in love with the flavor and the atmosphere is so friendly and familiar, they will make you feel like home. The price is actually cheap when it comes to finding food so freshly cooked!!!

Flaco Jimenez

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I drive 30 mins just to get carne en su jugo they are always friendly and they always my order perfect especially Lesley always so helpful and always with a smile. 👍👍👍

L

I went there on a Sunday...it was packed but a couple shared their table with us. We had the enchilada plate and prawn dish...omg...they were delicious...and the best part was a three piece family who came in and played music and sang...going back...loved loved the food and place

Drew S

This place is literally one of my favorite places in Salinas. The authentic flavors of the food make you feel like you just went to a chill spot in Mexico. I will frequent this restaurant because it matches exactly what I like in this style of food. And best of all, it's affordable.

Delenia Garcia

You always know the food is gonna be bomb when the salsa is good! Cafe de olla was so good. We all enjoyed the food and the service was great

AJ Sandoval

1/15/24 5pm Order Carne Asada, come with rice & beans, salad and French fries with either flower or corn hand made tortillas. If you're looking for home style cooking, this is one of the best mexican restaurants in monterey county. I have been coming here for approximately 2 years. Service is great most of the time specially with the ladies serve. Today I was served by a young gentleman. A little lacking and making sure I had everything was fine other than that. I recommend highly this restaurant. One thing though, It is sometimes very noisy due to the music box playing to loud Inside the diner.

Stephanie Penamante

Excellent food and service. Seating is tight which made it impossible to ignore neighboring tables conversation. Other than that, I highly recommend going to this restaurant for some of the best Mexican food around.

My 1st time eating here. I enjoyed my meal.

The food was fantastic and delicious!!!!!

it was good, lots of dishes to try. evening hours have more of a go out with boys vibe. definitely not a romantic date spot

Solid breakfast, great service.

Food was good service was fast. Bathroom was clean.

Dori

Food was good service was fast. Bathroom was clean.

On recommendation from Honda dealership a couple of years back and never looked back. The molcajete was to die for and has been my favorite ever since. Price is fair as the plate is enough for two persons. If you're lucky enough you can get treated to live music from norteño banda that show up from time to time. Fast and friendly service. Restrooms could use a bit of love but overall it's a great place to eat. Definitely a must when I'm in Salinas.

Arfel Hernandez

On recommendation from Honda dealership a couple of years back and never looked back. The molcajete was to die for and has been my favorite ever since. Price is fair as the plate is enough for two persons. If you're lucky enough you can get treated to live music from norteño banda that show up from time to time. Fast and friendly service. Restrooms could use a bit of love but overall it's a great place to eat. Definitely a must when I'm in Salinas.

David Dorcich

Solid breakfast, great service.

The food was ok. Service was good.

Seemed more like a bar than a restaurant.

The food choices are eh. Great customer service tho. All the workers have always been kind. The food is also eh.

Tortillas handmade. Food is hit or miss, mostly hit. They have a fairly decent molcajete. Music is always too loud.

Food is okay, good portions but bland sometimes. I've eaten here a few times too try different dishes. A little overpriced for average Mexican food. Expect to pay around $30pp. Music can get very very very loud with their jukebox.

Roman Gonzalez

Food is okay, good portions but bland sometimes. I've eaten here a few times too try different dishes. A little overpriced for average Mexican food. Expect to pay around $30pp. Music can get very very very loud with their jukebox.

The carne asada meat was old, charred, greasy, and tough. I threw half of my asada tacos away! No esta bien!

Cashier ignored me and help someone else behind me. Food was wack

The restaurant was so loud, making it impossible to have a conversation with anyone. My dad found plastic in his food. My mom found strange objects in her food.

No mames 18 bucks for oyster qe ne valen

Ordered the Tilapia. It was burnt. Why didn't I ask to exchange it? Because I don't like human spit in my food. Check your dishes before serving customers. This wasn't a borderline dry situation. It was BURNT.

Bad service, plate was broken, I could have ate a piece glass, the tortillas were cold, meat tasted like it was expired waited 15 minutes to get my order placed the tacos were to expensive 4 dollars for a taco, I could have went to a food truck and gotten a taco for 2 dollars or less, I'm sorry but this restaurant was not it for me.

I ordered 10 tacos with everything, they gave me 8 tacos with everything & one taco with just the meat (one tortilla with nothing). While i wash counting my money i heard one of the guys tell the woman attending me "wash dishes" and they laughed about it. I went in and explained the problem and the 4 women working there just laughed at me, when confronting the women simply hide until they called her to the front with me. I don't know what was so funny so I probably caused a scene but like I told them I'm a paying customer. This place is overpriced $38.24 for 10 tacos or should i say 8 tacos plus a plain tortilla and plain taco i didnt ask for. I wouldn't complain if they would've simply acknowledged their wrong doing, not one sorry did i ever receive. The men working there gave me 3 tacos but I'm not gonna eat it nor will I be coming back to this place.

Gabriela

I ordered 10 tacos with everything, they gave me 8 tacos with everything & one taco with just the meat (one tortilla with nothing). While i wash counting my money i heard one of the guys tell the woman attending me "wash dishes" and they laughed about it. I went in and explained the problem and the 4 women working there just laughed at me, when confronting the women simply hide until they called her to the front with me. I don't know what was so funny so I probably caused a scene but like I told them I'm a paying customer. This place is overpriced $38.24 for 10 tacos or should i say 8 tacos plus a plain tortilla and plain taco i didnt ask for. I wouldn't complain if they would've simply acknowledged their wrong doing, not one sorry did i ever receive. The men working there gave me 3 tacos but I'm not gonna eat it nor will I be coming back to this place.

I had call to make an order once the girl answer the phone she was mad informing me that I would call to make order and never get pick up I inform her my husband would always go and pick up the order and she told me that if I would want to order I would need to go in person and order my food to go. First she was mistaking me and at the end she wants to talk to me all nice I hang up on her. My husband went to made a complain in person and talk to her boss made it seem that it was another waitress if they make it seem that people just order and never pick up their food then they shouldn’t even be open or taking orders by phone.

I called for reservations and the person that answered didn’t speak English so she hang up on me that bad for the business so I called again and able to talked to someone that speak English reservation for 8people this incident could loose a potentials customers and also super loud music can’t even have conversation.

dalia mienth Zuniga

I had call to make an order once the girl answer the phone she was mad informing me that I would call to make order and never get pick up I inform her my husband would always go and pick up the order and she told me that if I would want to order I would need to go in person and order my food to go. First she was mistaking me and at the end she wants to talk to me all nice I hang up on her. My husband went to made a complain in person and talk to her boss made it seem that it was another waitress if they make it seem that people just order and never pick up their food then they shouldn’t even be open or taking orders by phone.