Cheap good food. Old school hasn't changed in 50 years. I think our combo plate was $9.99 can't beat the price. Total mom and pop restaurant, which is a novelty. I loved the marinated carrots they served beforehand. read more

The food is amazing. The service is great although they could probably use some extra hands occasionally, because they do get pretty busy at times. No one can beat their prices either!!! They've also got this cool vintage jukebox that plays all the jams that go perfectly with a good meal. I highly recommend 301 Café to anyone looking for authentic Mexican food. My faves are the chili relleno and the shredded beef hardshell tacos. Their rice & beams are bomb too!!! My best friend loves their chile verde plate. Go see & taste for yourself, you won't be disappointed.!!! read more

The 301 speciel on the menu you should try. A little slow but worth it.vibe is good..

They have great selections on their menu. Food is made fresh to order. Their shredded beef taco was amazing. The 301 Special comes with a lot of food. Chile verde was delicious. Amazing customer service. Highly recommended! read more

See all

This an old school Mexican food place. The menu prices seem to be stuck in the 90s. Great value for what you get with large portions. Is it out of this world? No, but you won't be disappointed. The staff is friendly and service can be slow, but it's a little old lady which just adds to the ambiance. read more

Great family owned restaurant. Food was spicy. Wife couldn't handle the salsa, I loved it. Very clean. Great recipes. A hidden treasure. read more

We're here often, and never disappointed. Elva and staff cook for you as if your family. The beer is cold, and the food is hot and full of flavor!! read more

See all

This place is definitely a hole in the wall. Orange County is known for having amazing Mexican food but for some reason many places I visit, I don't enjoy it very much. Until I walked into 301 Cafe this evening... best Mexican food I've ever had. And I have had So. Much. Mexican. Food. The building is low-key on the outside and it doesn't particularly stand out which makes it seem even more special in my opinion! The inside is clean and the ambiance pays homage to Hispanic culture with the color scheme and decor. And the food... wow. I ordered a wet burrito with shredded beef and it *literally* blew my mind. It was fantastic. The beef was flavorful and cooked to perfection (normally I find that many Mexican restaurants overcook and under-season their beef). The enchilada sauce was truly to die for - best I've ever had. Everything about the dish was amazing. Lastly, not that this is at the top of some folks' priority list, but it was so inexpensive! I got the whole burrito (with added sour cream and Pico inside) and a side of chips and salsa (it came with that, no charge) for a little over $8! What a steal! Will definitely be making this place my new spot. read more

301 Cafe - Wet Burrito with Shredded Beef - taken to-go - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Great prices, service, and ambiance. Free chips, salsa, guac, and pickled carrots. Will be back!! read more

301 Cafe - the interior of a diner with neon lights - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Once again I came to 301 for Few Sopes de Asada. Yummy so good with the commentary green salsa w/chips. I'll be back for more. read more

301 Cafe - Sope de asada with chip & green house salsa. Perfect - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

When in Placentia, you would not regret it if you steered yourself to this little hole in the wall. The neighborhood is not so great, the building looks old and tattered, the interior is in dire need of a face lift, but our food was honest to gosh homestyle and tasty. The best of our choices were the tacos, one carnitas and one shredded beef, one was a soft taco, the other crispy respectively. And they were loaded with filling. The chile relleno was done well, made using a pasilla chile with lots of cheese, but I did have issues with the ranchero sauce not tasting completely homemade. I tasted a canned sauce that had been upgraded with mild green chile and onion. I would commit to the green sauce next time. We asked for a taste of their chile verde sauce, and they kindly shared not only sauce, but also some meat. It was bright and wonderful. I would be back for that. The guacamole was not my favorite. I am a purist, love Hass avocados, and lumpiness. This was just way over processed and not Hass which translates to too bland to suit my taste. The server has worked there for well over two decades. Loyalty of staff impresses. She was great and very friendly. And ironically, a friend of mine who lived in Placentia some 50 years ago, knew of the place and the original owner quite well, including a rather lurid past. But that is ancient history and they are now a respectable cafe. read more

See all

This is a go to place for some home cooked, classic Mexican food for a very fair and reasonable price. The place is a classic "don't judge a book by its cover". Being family owned and operated, the speed of service is slower, but worth the wait. Complimentary chips, salsa, and guacamole! Chile verde is a must try but be warned it picks some heat. My favorite part, which may seem odd, is the fact that they hand write your order, with the costs. Then manually tally the total with taxes. Being a millennial who has had to grow in such a fast paced, instant generation; it's relaxing to enjoy a meal with the slower pace and true family heart behind it. read more

The best little hole in the wall, their food is delicious. I would recommend this place to everyone. You will not be disappointed.

Spicy spicy spicy lovers, this is the place to get the best chile verde, chile Colorado or basically any authentic Mexican food outside your Mexican mom's kitchen. read more

I love this place. My friends and I go at least once a month or more. The food never disappoints, the family are gracious, attentive, and welcoming. Everyone else who comes in , seem so glad to be there. My favorite dish is the chili relleno.. read more

Best little mom and pop restaurants I've had in years . Service was fantastic & the shredded beef hard shell tacos are even better . Can't wait to come back read more

Good place for food and reasonably priced. This is definitely our go to place for Mexican food. read more

Food is great, prices very good. Older restaurant, 75+ years old, service is always great.

Came for lunch on Monday. Closed. The signed said open, yelp said open . No notice on the door said close. We call no pick up. Sigh. Call again Tuesday its open. read more

Most legit Chile Verde that you can find in a restaurant. Maybe better than your mothers Husband and wife run the restaurant together. Super nice people. read more

Alma's food is truly the best Mexican food I have ever had. She makes everything from scratch, including her chips, salsa, guacamole and pickled carrots and jalepenos, that come with every meal. The value is unbelievable. My go to is the 301 special. It is $11 and includes a Tostada, Taco, Enchilada, Tamale or Chile Relleno, Beans and Rice! It is a lot of high quality Mexican food for a great price. Alma's beans are amazing! I don't know what she puts in them, but they have unbelievable flavor. They taste a little nutty with a very slight hint of sweetness. I call them "crack beans", because they are addictive! I really don't know how this restaurant has not been featured on countless food TV shows. The 301 Cafe is an absolute hidden gem of Orange County! read more

See all

Behind an old abonded building facade is a wonderful place with authentic Mexican food, cold beer, and great prices! Small, dark place with a jukebox. Service is great in an old school family type of environment. It's just like I'm visiting family sometimes. Gramma says the beans and rice taste just like they're cooked in a big olla! Really Good!! The place is old and small, but it's great if you're looking for authentic mexican! read more

Authentic Mexican food with a great flare. Super friendly, awesome chips and salsa. My favorite is the green pork burrito, wet so yummy and the beans are amazing. read more

My husband's favorite restaurant since he was young. I love their homemade food! Yum yum! read more

See all

The food here is great! The avocado salsa and carrots to start are a nice surprise to normal chips and salsa. I love the beef hard shell taco and cheese enchilada. read more

I'll keep this short. If you are craving excellent Mexican food look no further than 301. I know there are other Mexican restaurants in the Placentia area but I only come to 301. I have never felt so comfortable in a restaurant. I think there are only two people working. A man whom is also the cook and a woman whom is waitressing. They are both very nice. I think they are husband and wife. It takes a little while for the food to come but that's to be expected. But that being said the food is delicious. The sauce on the wet burrito is amazing. The wet burrito is awesome. No crunchy, gristly asada here! 301 is a very nice place to eat. You should try it but if you forget, that's ok. More for me ;) read more

The Restaurant Yelpers Don't Know About! Back in the day, there was no Yelp. Coupons in the Pennysaver and word of mouth were the only ways news of a good restaurant got around. This restaurant is a reflection of those days. The décor, while newer, is the same as it was 40 years ago and is back in style now! This restaurant is living history. Situated in the heart of Old Town Placentia, this is a must stop for any foodie. ~Family Love and No 'tude Here! You will not find people in skinny jeans here. No conversations based off of information obtained via Google, no IPAD ordering system and you most certainly wont find people texting and surfing the net. What will you find? You will find locals, decent food, reasonable prices and a restaurant full of love. Great conversation flows through this establishment and the locals will know you are new. The locals approached us and sparked conversation that resulted in a warm family atmosphere for the two of us. ~A Cool Name and Yelp Cool name huh? 301 Café? It does spark ideas of the various Pho joints with different numbers and Class 302 that all yelpers know about. However, the name is not too clever but originates from simplicity. It does not take a rocket scientist or Google search to figure out where the name came from. And, this restaurant was actually searched for and found on Yelp by my little one. It was her treat for an early birthday dinner for me. She ordered for me. She paid the bill with her $5.42 and I secretly covered the remaining $20. ~Reasonable Prices Yup, 25 bucks for dinner for two with two milks. The most expensive item on the menu was $10.25. I had the Steak Ranchero and milk. She had the Enchilada combo and a milk. The bill came to $20. I also heard the bartender mention $2 draft beer! Take a step back to a different era and experience the 70's in person. Welcome to 301 Café. Put a dollar in the Juke Box, enjoy three songs and have a beer, warm meal and some old time love! 301 Café, Placentia..another reason the OC is the best place to live! read more

See all

Best Mexican food in old town PLACENTIA. Wonderful service. Very clean old school looking.

This place was hard to find but worthy of a try due to the other reviews. Personally I thought the food was mediocre at best. Very oily and fried with every order. The best was probably the hard shell tacos with carne asada. The meat burritos was filled mostly refried beans and very little meat. There were grease or oils flowing everywhere on our plates. I would compare this diner to a low end Mexican version of Denny's with poor service. Maybe the food and service was lacking due to COVID-19 but I would assume that should've kept the meal quality in check still. read more

301 Cafe - the kitchen of a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Fantastic super old-school little Mexican place I randomly found for lunch today. Really great food.

This local gem is like a walk back in time. Located on the corner of Melrose and 301 Santa Fe in Downtown Placentia, the gorgeous mural on the wall lets you know you are in the historic area of Placentia's orange growing and "shipping" area of town. Greeted by the humble and sweet owners, don't be in a rush to enjoy a meal at 301. It's like being in a family kitchen enjoying a family meal. During Covid, I call ahead and order. Pick up your food at the Melrose door for prompt friendly service. I assure you that the delicious food and thrifty prices will be something you will enjoy. Give it a try. read more

See all

Best Mexican food I've ever had. Out of all the Downtown Placentia options, 301 is my favorite.

Very good food great prices. Service is SSSLLLOOOWW. Hole in the wall . The Salsa is not good. We have tried just about everything on the menu. The 301 special is great 1 ground beef tacos 1cheese enchilada 1 bean tostada and choice of a chili rellano or beef tamale with rice and beans $14 . Remember they are SLOW read more

This is a small family run restaurant that has amazing food at extremely reasonable prices. I love ordering tamales here for dinner so with the upcoming holiday season ordering tamales by the dozen looks like a great option. Due to the changing government standards related to Covid, when the restaurant is not open for inside dining, you can call ahead your order, park on Melrose and walk right in and Elva will help you. Humble owners with huge hearts. I highly recommend this restaurant read more

301 Cafe - Tamale Festival!!! - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

This place is pretty good . Extremely old school , looks like husband and wife . This place has some history as well as having been very popular in the day for some illegal activity read more

301 Cafe - Chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

This place doesn't look like much and is definitely overshadowed by El Farolito, but what it lacks in glitz and glam it makes up for in the grub. This is some straight up, no frills Mexican food and you can get a full tummy without hurting your bank account. I should also add, the pitcher of beer is a steal. This is a staple of old town Placentia. Hopefully you all don't bust it up for the rest of us. read more

Gracias!!! for the amazing tamales for our Christmas dinner this year! We also loved the frijoles with our meal. Very authentic like my abuelita! read more

I really can't top Roy B's review! He covered everything perfectly. It's been a few years since it was posted - be sure to check it out. I've had several meals here - every time it's been good - not 5 star gourmet, but food with care and super value. Elva and Family are very accommodating and try their best to make you happy! It's just a cool blast from the past place - a little Yelpventure if you will. Walking in I thought "WTH have i gotten into?" Since then I have heard stories of peoples Grandfather's hanging out there after work. The place kinda grows on you - but you need to be in the right state of mind to enjoy it. Check out the very cool original Ice Boxes and the Juke box. There's a clock that used be stuck at 2:29 all the time - it's been fixed, but I liked the idea that time stopped there! Understand as a family place they can get overwhelmed easily if a crowd comes in - I've seen customers - as well as myself and my brother pitch in a bit. I called in when we went there with several of our neighbors - they all got to experience 301 and all enjoyed, some for the nostalgia and some where blown away by the food to price ratio. Park in a small public lot a few buildings to the west 301. And don't freak out by the dark doorway. Open yourself up to a family run - hole in the wall experience and you'll enjoy it. Anyway, for the overall package - I prefer this place to some of the overhyped and overcrowded places in the area! read more

See all

Please support this business during the COVID-19. Call and order your food. This Mexican restaurant is a definitely mom and pop restaurant. We got a few bean, rice, cheese burritos and some chili verde and bean burritos. They give you chips, salsa, guacamole and pickled carrots. The sodas are cans and the beers are bottles no draft. The owner is so sweet. read more

301 Cafe - They are open for take out during the COVID-19 - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

301 Cafe is Placentia's oldest restaurant and still serves the same excellent, authentic Mexican dishes that late founder Maggie had on the menu decades ago. Prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere evokes a bygone era of the 1930s and 1940s, and it has a long bar on one side and booths and tables on the opposite side. This is a family friendly restaurant. read more