so good i cried get the cactus burrito and strawberry cheesecake i would eat here every day if i…read morecould

Delicious! Never had vegan Mexican food, but, man! I wish I lived in Monterey! I'd be here all…read morethe time! Service as prompt and friendly. Highly recommend!

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.

We ordered the birria ramen, vegetable nachos, and an asada burrito through DoorDash, and…read moreeverything was delicious! The order arrived quickly, the food was at the appropriate temperature, and the delivery was left in the hotel lobby as requested. Our only complaint -- and it was a pretty frustrating one -- was that no utensils or napkins were included. Since the order was clearly being delivered to a hotel, we obviously didn't have access to our own silverware. This was especially inconvenient considering one of the items was birria ramen -- soup is a little difficult to eat without a spoon! Other than that oversight, the food itself was excellent and we really enjoyed everything we ordered.

My go to Mexican joint to get a good plate of food. The taco oaxaqueño de cesina is my staple. It…read morecomes with a green avocado salsa that is soooo good and a nopal (cactus) fresh salad. Memelitas are great. Tlayuda de asada to die for. Them mole nachos are Always great service. I love this place.

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.

If you're craving the most authentic taste of Mex without paying an arm and a leg please come by…read more Everything from the ambiance to the food as well as the service is amazing. This is for sure our new go to Mexican restaurant! A huge S/o to Ignacio and Claudia

The La Casa del Sazón is located off of Alvarado in Old Monterey. It's a gem hidden from the…read morecrowds. We live part-time in Monterey and have walked past La Casa del Sazón several times saying "we need to try it"...Wow we should have sooner. It's delicious! Getting there is much easier than going to anything on Alvarado. Parking in the area isn't abundant but not a problem.. even so it's worth a short walk. The Food: It's freshly made so it takes a little more time to be served...well worth the wait! The chips and salsa served before the meal were very satisfying. The salsa has a nice kick for lightweight spice eaters. For dinner, I tried the Taco Plate and had two fish tacos with their beans and veggies as the sides. Perfect score 5-stars. Delicious! The seasoning used was just right and everything tasted fresh. They have homemade masa tortillas that are tender with good flavor. We also had the Chicken soup. My wife felt the broth could be more flavorful but I also liked it. It had plenty of chicken and veggies...very hearty. Looking forward to the leftovers as it's a large portion! It's important to note the exceptional service. Emanuel was our server and he couldn't have been more polite, helpful with the menu, and paid court close attention to the shellfish allergy we alerted him to. Lastly, the price is right! The food is not expensive and prices are noticeably less than those just one block away! Bottom Line - Highly recommended

Have been there twice and amazing food and it's halal! The second time I especially went because of…read moremy previous experience and it did not disappoint!

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

Visiting from LA, I honestly didn't expect to find great birria tacos, but Mission 19 Taqueria…read moreproved me wrong. The birria tacos looked amazing in the photos, so I decided to give them a try. My kids loved them and immediately asked for more. What really stood out to me was the tortilla, it had a nice crunch that made the tacos even better. The Salsa Roja was absolutely fire and paired perfectly with the tacos. I would definitely eat here again. My only suggestion would be to have lemons, onions, and cilantro available near the sauce station. That said, if you ask, they'll gladly give you more. The prices are a little on the high side, but I'm assuming that's because of the location. Personally, I don't mind paying extra for quality birria tacos. If you're looking for good birria tacos, I highly recommend giving this place a try.

The inside of the building is not very clean. Where they have a stand of salsas and pico, is very…read moredirty as well. I was not greeted when walking in, and had to take my own order on a self check kiosk. The food came out hot, and the chips were seasoned with a good flavor. The prices are high for the items. $30+ dollars without a drink for one person.

BEST food I have had in a long time! The taco plate was amazing…read more And the service was the best I have had in a long time shout out our server Cheyenne. She Checked in with us frequently, and gave lots of good recommendations definitely recommend popping in!

Great food. Great service. Incredible views of the Monterey Bay…read more My flour tortilla was hot and fresh. The chili was tender and flavorful. My wife loved her chilaquiles. Fantastic spot for breakfast.

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

Has Carnitas Burrito -Excellent -Ful portion, Chunky Pork…read moreChicken Taco - Fresh, but Grilled chicken a little dry. Service was Outstanding.

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.

Eh...we really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, we're not fans and probably won't be…read morereturning. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, exactly what we were looking for. The service was pleasant, although at times it felt a little condescending. They have their own very specific tequila collection, so don't expect to see many familiar brands. That's not necessarily a bad thing. We're always willing to try something new. The margaritas, however, were very tart. Just too much lime juice. We ordered tacos and asked for flour tortillas, only to be surprised when they arrived on corn tortillas. When we asked about it, we were told they simply don't serve flour tortillas. Fair enough, but that would have been helpful to know when we ordered. The good news: the chicken tinga, barbacoa, and carnitas were all excellent. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get past the corn tortillas which fell apart when you tried to eat the tacos. Ended up using a fork. For dessert, we ordered one of our favorites, churros. They arrived warm, but were very dry and tough. A churro should make you happy. These made us wish we'd stopped for dessert somewhere else. There were definitely some bright spots, especially the meats and the cozy atmosphere, but restaurants generally get one first chance to make us want to come back. Unfortunately, this one didn't.