SCW and I stopped into El Cantato while staying in Monterey Bay. This place was a priority for me…read moreas it's all plant based and Mexican. Parking is sparse in front of the restaurant but paid parking is nearby. We entered and wow, the place was busy. Not overwhelming but lots of people in the indoor dining area enjoying their food. The menu is overheard and we decided what we wanted and ordered. The employees were kind and helpful, we probably were the only people that didn't speak Spanish well in the restaurant but that wasn't an issue, SCW got the number 2 combo, I got the mole. Also ordered an appetizer. Seated and waited about 10 minutes and our order came out. Everything was freaking amazing. Such great flavors and so fresh. Even SCW who doesn't necessarily gravitate towards Mexican food made nom nom nom sounds the whole time. The mole was incredible, the best I've ever had. The whole time we were here it was an endless stream of customers, even late lunch hour. SCW was impressed by the contrast stream of people coming in. We even walked around the wharf nearby for a while and drove past again and it was still packed with people. Do yourself a favor and visit El Cantato. I know I will.

This is an amazing Vegan restaurant. I was in the area for the day and found this place. I haven't…read morebeen to many Mexican restaurants with any vegan options let alone a full Vegan menus. It took our party (8 people) a while to decide as we were spoiled with choices. But we had time as it was pretty busy for a Friday around 1. I ended up getting the carne asada nachos and the aqua Fresca that they had that day (mango and watermelon I think). Both were absolutely spectacular. The picture included might not show the best scale but I had 2 others helping me to eat this plate and otherwise I would not have been able to finish it (even as a larger man). The crunchy jalapeños with the chips, beans and guacamole were the perfect balance. As a meat eater, the texture of the faux meat was a touch odd, but the flavor more than made up for it. The staff was helpful and attentive even as they were balancing supporting customers, answer phone orders, and taking regular orders. My wife and will definitely be stopping by here more often!!

My friends made a reservation at this Michelin Star restaurant and it was a 5-star experience…read moreindeed! From the food to the drinks to the overall chic and comfortable ambiance, it was an absolute treat! The service was impeccable for our party of 8. We had various tequila drinks and the chips, salsa, hot sauces (some quite hot!) made for an exceptional start. I ordered the salmon, which was sitting on a bed of cauliflower mashed potatoes and draped with an arugula salad, topped with a mache chili oil drizzle. The taste was as perfect as the presentation! The best salmon I've ever had, indeed. One of the guest had birria tacos served with a split bone marrow! Never saw that combination before! He let me try some and it was delicious! Overall, a perfect setting, a perfect meal and a truly 5-star evening!!

Tried Alejandro's because it's part of the Resy dining network, and we wanted to use our quarterly…read moreAmex Platinum dining credit. If you're an Amex Platinum cardholder looking to burn Resy credits in Monterey, this Mexican restaurant is worth a try -- but manage your expectations. We had a reservation and were seated right away, which was a plus. Started with chips and guac and a couple of drinks, then ordered the chicken enchiladas and the skirt steak and arugula salad, adding shrimp to the salad. The food was fine, the atmosphere was fine, the service was fine -- nothing memorable, nothing bad. The real issue is price. Adding shrimp to a salad cost about $15, and our total with tip came out to around $140 for two people. For that price point in Monterey, I expected more from the food and overall experience. Would I come back? Probably not at full price. But if you have the Amex Platinum and quarterly Resy dining credits to use, it softens the blow enough to make it worth trying once.

We were in the area to check out the aquarium and had a craving for fish tacos…read more We parked a block or two away. Staff was very friendly, we sat in the window and I had the al pastor taco and fish taco. Soooo good, I need to come back. Salsas were tasty too.

Traveling and saw this spot as a recommended Mexican food location. We ordered chips and guac,…read moreenchiladas, and a burrito. For drinks, we ordered the strawberry lemonade and pineapple. Chips and guac were good but tiny portion for what you pay. The enchiladas and burrito were way too salty. And a Mexican place that only does one type of aguas frescas per day? And no horchata? That was a bit disappointing. The pineapple drink tasted like canned pineapple juice. The strawberry lemonade was decent. All in all, would be a good spot with some minor improvements.

Hole in the wall vibes, but the place was popping! Which goes to show that the locals know what's…read moreup. This place was great! We were seated immediately. The food came quickly and was delicious! We tried the mole sampler, and we loved it. Got the torta, which was a big portion for how reasonable the price was! So good and clearly very authentic. Random note, the water was addicting. It was literally just water. But something about it was so good. Crisp!! If you know you know.

I am so happy we got to try a new style of Mexican food. My family and I are from Jalisco and love…read moreall kinds of Mexican food, but Jalisciense food is definitely our favorite. We were on our way home from the 17-Mile Drive and wanted to get dinner before our long drive back. I found Padrino Restaurant on Yelp, and we decided to give it a try. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted and seated. I loved that they provide the table with a pitcher of water, but I do wish it was a little larger. We ordered the kids' food while we looked over the menu. This restaurant is a little more expensive than most Mexican restaurants. A kids' quesadilla was $8 with no sides included. We ordered a side of rice and beans for the kids to share since they were $4 each. My oldest got two fried quesadillas, and my youngest got one regular quesadilla. They don't automatically bring out chips and salsa, but they do offer them. I actually don't mind that because it can feel wasteful to give them to every table when not everyone will eat them. I understand the choice. I ordered the Stuffed Chilaquiles with beef. I loved the flavors. They were definitely different from what I am used to, but still very delicious. The asada was seasoned really well, although don't expect a huge portion of meat. I would give this 4/5 stars. My husband ordered the Enchiladas Rojas with a side of rice and beans (for an extra charge). He did not like the sauce at all because it was more like a dark mole sauce than the red sauce he is used to. I traded plates with him, and I actually liked it. It had a darker flavor than what I am used to, but it was still delicious. I would give this 3/5 stars. My mother-in-law ordered the Green Enchiladas. They were very different--they were more like flautas covered in green sauce. Still good, just not what we expected. I would give them 3/5 stars. I am happy we got to try it, and the service was great. I am just not sure if I would come back again. That may simply be because we are so used to the flavors and style of food we grew up with.

The service was slow and our drinks were left unfilled. The food was ok, it was not hot and it…read morelacked a lot of seasoning. The pricing was not accurate on the menu. We had to show the menu to the server after we received the bill due to getting additional charges that were not published on their menu. I definitely think they're over priced for what they offer, and the quality of the food is not worth spending the money again.

Very good food. Great service…read more Reasonable wait time and they have a parking lot which we didn't know about so we parked a few blocks away. Very happy with our choice of lunch.

Me and my girlfriend love this place! We had one of our first dates here and come back at least…read moreonce a month. All of the employees are super nice and chill; great hospitality. Whatever we need, the employees have taken care of. The owner came to our table recently and said hello; we told him how much we love this place and how much it means to us and he gave me and my gf both complimentary t-shirts. NACHO BIZNESS FOR LIFE We have tried all of the main nachos selections, they're all great! Pro tip: open the flaps on the cardboard trays to lay the nachos out like a big platter

Solidly good. I got the loaded nachos with carne asada. They did not wow me, but they were the…read moreitem I wanted. The carne could have been more seasoned. I found it to be boring for carne asada. All the cheese sauce and extra toppings made up for the lack of beef taste. I felt like I should have ordered the nacho dog combo with some fries. For a buck less I would have been happier, I believe. But my family looked dejected when they walked out of Papa Chano's next door. That place was boring but for the excellent torta preparation. But back to Nacho Bizness. Try it once. Maybe I had a mid experience. But there are a lotta places to eat around there, so, next time I go to Monterey, I will try something else.

amazing burrito, great music, and super nice staff. Would definitely come again, highly recommendread more

the tortillas here are amazing! they are so good homeade and remind me of my grandmas flour…read moretortillas

Service and drinks were great! Poncho the bartender was spot on with drinks and very personable!read more

We loved our efficient server Daniel! The food is consistently great decade after decade. Free…read moreparking is always appreciated. Our group of eight was no problem for the well seasoned team used to Saturday night crowds. We did have a 4:15 PM reservation, which helped us get in and out. Thanks, El Torito!

Best chilequilet ever Even in downtown Salulita MX it comes…read moreno better ! GREAT HORCHATA AS WELL!

I should have read my previous review before dining there last night. I made two mistakes: ordering…read morethe chile relleno burrito, and ordering a glass of lambrusco wine. The burrito was 80 percent rice, with a few bites of chile and virtually none of the advertised Jack cheese, avocado, "special sauce..." Served lukewarm. Definitely not worth $12.99. The wine, while a good pour, was sickly sweet. That said, their service is good, their salsa is excellent, and I've enjoyed previous meals there (including huevos rancheros). Note--next time, order breakfast for dinner or a combo plate. AVOID THE BURRITOS!

I visited Cultura with my greyhound, so we sat outside in the courtyard near the firepit tables…read moreshared with Vin, next door. It was a cool, breezy night, typical when the summer marine layer moves in over Carmel, but the propane heaters kept us toasty. If you prefer dining indoors, the interior bar and dining spaces had an intimate, funky, but very cool vibe. The host and servers were all extremely friendly and helpful. Despite being outside in the courtyard, they were also incredibly attentive, checking frequently to see if we needed anything. Their recommendations were spot on, too. I was wowed by the cocktail menu. I'll have to return to try more of their bar offerings. This trip, I took advantage of Happy Hour to order the blood orange margarita, and I was not disappointed. I ordered the ceviche appetizer. My greyhound thought it smelled as wonderful as I did. He rested his head between my feet in hopes of catching any ceviche dropping from my hands. This was so tasty, he was out of luck on the table droppings. I also had the chicken enchiladas for my entree. It was one of the best enchiladas I've had in a couple of years. My server, Mario, brought me out a small cup of their take on Mexican hot chocolate, made with oat milk, as an aperitif. It was so delicious, I almost wished I'd ordered a full cup as dessert.

Stopped by Cultura for a light dinner takeout order after over overindulging in seafood during the…read moreday. Everything I ordered --Lime/hibiscus agua fresca, guacamole, house made tortilla chips, salsa and smoked mushroom taco, was on point and I enjoyed chatting with Gladys and Mario. Definitely plan to enjoy a full meal here the next time I'm in town.