Mario Bonita
Mexican · Ventura
About Mario Bonita
At Mario Bonita, we welcome you to our cozy and inviting restaurant located in the heart of Ventura. Our warm and professional service team is dedicated to providing an exceptional dining experience that combines traditional Mexican flavors with a modern twist. Our menu features an extensive selecti...
At Mario Bonita, we welcome you to our cozy and inviting restaurant located in the heart of Ventura. Our warm and professional service team is dedicated to providing an exceptional dining experience that combines traditional Mexican flavors with a modern twist. Our menu features an extensive selection of original dishes, including our signature mole cafe, which has been praised for its bold and complex flavors. Whether you're in the mood for something familiar or adventurous, we have something for everyone. We're proud to serve local specialties and cater to solo diners, families, and groups alike. With fast service, curbside pickup, delivery, and takeout options available, you can enjoy our delicious food at your convenience. Our restaurant is wheelchair accessible from the entrance, parking lot, and restroom, making us a welcoming destination for all. We look forward to serving you soon!
What Customers Say About Mario Bonita
Mario Bonita is a hidden gem known for its authentic Oaxacan cuisine, especially the mole. Customers rave about the flavorful, unique dishes and the cozy atmosphere. Service is attentive, though sometimes slow due to limited staff.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Try the mole dishes, especially the mole cafe with pork, and be prepared for potentially slower service due to the small staff.
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Mario Bonita
Mario Bonita is located in Ventura, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- San Miguel Chapel Site (A 293m) — historic church in California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Feraud General Merchandise Store (A 304m) — building in California, United States of America Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Parks & Gardens
- Eastwood Park (A 307m) — park in Ventura County, California, United States of America
- Plaza Park (A 610m) — historic urban park in Ventura, California
- Promenade Park (A 620m)
- Grant Memorial Park (A 650m) — park in Ventura County, California, United States of America
- Surfers Point Park (A 754m)
- Seaside Park (A 897m) — park in Ventura County, California, United States of America
- Ventura County Fairgrounds (A 897m) — park in the United States of America
Other Points of Interest
- Peirano Market (A 104m) — historic site in Ventura, California
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Mario Bonita
Mario Bonita Ventura Reviews
Absolutely delicious! The perfect way to end a day at the beach. Get the shrimp in tequila sauce. Had to stop myself from licking the plate!
Besides bright, original interior with pictures, photographs, the food is tasty, various and not heavy. Ordered shrimps with mild red sauce - not much on the plate, but every bite is a sensation! And cactus! Really enjoyed thus authentic Mexican food! Thanks Maria Bonita.
Found this place by accident at 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and loved it - will definitely be back! The seating is tables and chairs, no booths, and the service is as fantastic as the food.
Great Mexican cuisine, paintings displayed for sale, cool cruising scene on the street. A great dining experience.
Absolutely delicious! The perfect way to end a day at the beach. Get the shrimp in tequila sauce. Had to stop myself from licking the plate!
Besides bright, original interior with pictures, photographs, the food is tasty, various and not heavy. Ordered shrimps with mild red sauce - not much on the plate, but every bite is a sensation! And cactus! Really enjoyed thus authentic Mexican food! Thanks Maria Bonita.
Found this place by accident at 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and loved it - will definitely be back! The seating is tables and chairs, no booths, and the service is as fantastic as the food.
Great Mexican cuisine, paintings displayed for sale, cool cruising scene on the street. A great dining experience.
Absolutely fantastic! We don't eat meat and ordered the Pescado Maya and this dish was delicious, just a proper entree providing exciting flavors and comfort. We also ordered the stew which was spectacular, very rich and so much depth to it -- you can tell the owner spends time on this one. Excited to come back and try the different mole dishes!
I love this little gem of a restaurant. Yes there's only one person that works there but so what? He is very efficient and all the years that I've been there I've never had any problem.The the moles are absolutely yummy. It's not like your regular Mexican restaurant where there's busy loud craziness. The menu is limited so if you're looking for Mexican food that is more American go somewhere else.
Went for dinner tonight and I will definitely be back. The food was absolutely incredible. We had two Oaxacan dishes, the cafe pork was a wonderful mix of sweet and spicy. The other was fiery--like wonderfully hot. The services was fast, kind, and attentive. The drinks--let's say they were good pours :) I highly recommend.
What a great experience, from the cozy atmosphere, to the original art hanging on the wall. The menu was extensive and filled with traditional Mexican choices. Crispy chips, with a delicious, fresh and spicy salsa greeted us. The chile relleno and chicken taco " The Jalisco" combination plate was tasty, light and healthy. Even the poblano rice and refried beans were delicious. My friend had the chicken enchiladas and she raved about every bite. I plan to return very soon to try one of the shrimp dishes. Highly recommend.
I don't understand why this place isn't always packed. The food here is original and bursting with flavors. I had the mole cafe with pork (the sweet and kind of spicy mole). So good over the green poblano rice....the beans not so much. (Next time I'm ordering double rice, no beans.) The fresh corn tortillas were thick and yummy. And this place supports the arts! Original art lines the walls. Can't wait to go back and try something else.
A local spot that has great ambiance, the chef is the server, and the food is outstanding! I had the mole Oaxaca, and it was the best I have had in many years. My wife had the black bean soup, and it was a meal in itself. The troll that gave this place a one star didn't even eat there.
My girlfriend talked to about this place every...single...time we were eating Mexican food. We finally made it down there together and I totally understand why it was always a topic of conversation. Absolutely phenomenal food and service. The Yucateca changed my life. Will definitely be coming back.
Incredibly good food, intimate atmosphere and great ambiance. I'm a fan of the colorful walls as well as the art displayed on them. They make their own sauces and have a menu full of incredibly good dishes. I'm blown away there is never a wait here.
The mole was one of the best we've ever had. Not too sweet and balanced with the spicy. You could tell they and many others have been hit hard with the parking closures. The owner was the waiter and cook tonight.
The food here is PHENOMENAL. I was visiting Ventura to go to the Channel Islands and I wanted to get my Mexican food fix. I was more than satisfied!! The sauces they use are delicious, unique, and will make you want to come back and try more! They also have tasty sangria. I highly recommend it if you are in the Ventura area!
This place has amazing food! The sauces, which they sell separately, if wanted, are so so good! We loved the Chicken Guadelajara, the sweet mole (almost tasted like a dessert), the chicken enchiladas, the drunk chicken… everything! So yummy!
Absolutely the best mole we've had in years. The housemade tortillas were terrific as was the guacamole and the salsa. This place is a quiet gem!
Cozy little spot, on Main Street. Family oriented and friendly. Food is tasty and home style authentic. Service is on point, and ready to serve you. Francisco is amazing! He was so gracious to accommodate my small wedding reception. We had about 30 people for our party and everyone was very content. The mole cafe was so finger licking good. It was so good to see people from our party cleaning up their plates with the tortillas! Hoping to come back soon.
First time here with my family, and it won't be our last! The mole was delicious. We also had the Pollo borracho. This place is small but mighty!
The mole was one of the best we've ever had. Not too sweet and balanced with the spicy. You could tell they and many others have been hit hard with the parking closures. The owner was the waiter and cook tonight.
Absolutely the best mole we've had in years. The housemade tortillas were terrific as was the guacamole and the salsa. This place is a quiet gem!
This place has amazing food! The sauces, which they sell separately, if wanted, are so so good! We loved the Chicken Guadelajara, the sweet mole (almost tasted like a dessert), the chicken enchiladas, the drunk chicken… everything! So yummy!
First time here with my family, and it won't be our last! The mole was delicious. We also had the Pollo borracho. This place is small but mighty!
The food here is PHENOMENAL. I was visiting Ventura to go to the Channel Islands and I wanted to get my Mexican food fix. I was more than satisfied!! The sauces they use are delicious, unique, and will make you want to come back and try more! They also have tasty sangria. I highly recommend it if you are in the Ventura area!
Had an early dinner here and had the best mole I’ve ever tasted. Their guacamole was so good with their handmade tortillas. What a hidden gem!!
Cozy little spot, on Main Street. Family oriented and friendly. Food is tasty and home style authentic. Service is on point, and ready to serve you. Francisco is amazing! He was so gracious to accommodate my small wedding reception. We had about 30 people for our party and everyone was very content. The mole cafe was so finger licking good. It was so good to see people from our party cleaning up their plates with the tortillas! Hoping to come back soon.
My girlfriend talked to about this place every...single...time we were eating Mexican food. We finally made it down there together and I totally understand why it was always a topic of conversation. Absolutely phenomenal food and service. The Yucateca changed my life. Will definitely be coming back.
I love this little gem of a restaurant. Yes there's only one person that works there but so what? He is very efficient and all the years that I've been there I've never had any problem.The the moles are absolutely yummy. It's not like your regular Mexican restaurant where there's busy loud craziness. The menu is limited so if you're looking for Mexican food that is more American go somewhere else.
Went for dinner tonight and I will definitely be back. The food was absolutely incredible. We had two Oaxacan dishes, the cafe pork was a wonderful mix of sweet and spicy. The other was fiery--like wonderfully hot. The services was fast, kind, and attentive. The drinks--let's say they were good pours :) I highly recommend.
I don't understand why this place isn't always packed. The food here is original and bursting with flavors. I had the mole cafe with pork (the sweet and kind of spicy mole). So good over the green poblano rice....the beans not so much. (Next time I'm ordering double rice, no beans.) The fresh corn tortillas were thick and yummy. And this place supports the arts! Original art lines the walls. Can't wait to go back and try something else.
Absolutely fantastic! We don't eat meat and ordered the Pescado Maya and this dish was delicious, just a proper entree providing exciting flavors and comfort. We also ordered the stew which was spectacular, very rich and so much depth to it -- you can tell the owner spends time on this one. Excited to come back and try the different mole dishes!
What a great experience, from the cozy atmosphere, to the original art hanging on the wall. The menu was extensive and filled with traditional Mexican choices. Crispy chips, with a delicious, fresh and spicy salsa greeted us. The chile relleno and chicken taco " The Jalisco" combination plate was tasty, light and healthy. Even the poblano rice and refried beans were delicious. My friend had the chicken enchiladas and she raved about every bite. I plan to return very soon to try one of the shrimp dishes. Highly recommend.
A local spot that has great ambiance, the chef is the server, and the food is outstanding! I had the mole Oaxaca, and it was the best I have had in many years. My wife had the black bean soup, and it was a meal in itself. The troll that gave this place a one star didn't even eat there.
Gotta say these other reviews made this place sound great but I was pretty disappointed. First off, there was literally one person doing everything in this little place. Brought us menus, drinks, food and he cooked the food and I’m pretty sure he was doing the dishes as well since nobody else was there... The menu was a bit limited for a Mexican joint and he said he could not make margaritas. The food was waay overpriced and nothing to brag about. Home made tortillas and good home made salsa are a nice touch but not enough to make want to revisit this place.
Ordered the carne asada w/grilled onions, date had the mole plate. Whole reason we decided to go here was homemade tortillas, NO homemade tortillas! Tortillas offered were bland and could buy better at grocery store. Lack of care by the cook/server, I could feel he wanted to close the restaurant staring at us from kitchen bc it was raining and we were the only customers that day. Don’t recommend, go to Blue agave nearby or La Parrilla on Ashwood for delicious mole!!
Ordered the carne asada w/grilled onions, date had the mole plate. Whole reason we decided to go here was homemade tortillas, NO homemade tortillas! Tortillas offered were bland and could buy better at grocery store. Lack of care by the cook/server, I could feel he wanted to close the restaurant staring at us from kitchen bc it was raining and we were the only customers that day. Don’t recommend, go to Blue agave nearby or La Parrilla on Ashwood for delicious mole!!
Gotta say these other reviews made this place sound great but I was pretty disappointed. First off, there was literally one person doing everything in this little place. Brought us menus, drinks, food and he cooked the food and I’m pretty sure he was doing the dishes as well since nobody else was there... The menu was a bit limited for a Mexican joint and he said he could not make margaritas. The food was waay overpriced and nothing to brag about. Home made tortillas and good home made salsa are a nice touch but not enough to make want to revisit this place.
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About Mario Bonita
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256 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001
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256 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001
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