The menu looked so interesting that I asked to keep it at the table after ordering. I read it like a book while waiting for my order, all the time feeling that I may have ordered wrong. The food came and I realized: I'd not ordered wrong, I'd chosen wrong. I'd chosen the wrong restaurant. A Fajita Steak Burrito ($15.50) was wet, enormous, and looked quite beautiful. The flavor profiles though, were not at all to my liking. That's a personal thing, I realize, so my review is based more on the other food that graced my table: A Mexican Shrimp Caesar Salad ($13.95) which, as the menu described it, featured grilled shrimp and a tangy dressing. Rarely do I leave food on my plate but the Mexican Shrimp Caesar deserved to be left. The featured shrimp showed no grill marks or grill flavorings causing me to be wary of the notion that they'd even seen a grill. They were also somewhat tepid leaving me wondering just when they'd been cooked. The dressing, which could've brought the salad portion together, lacked any tangy zest. It was neither a Caesar dressing nor a southwest dressing. It was simply a dressing with an indeterminate flavor profile and it the salad was literally swimming in it. I grudgingly ate the shrimp and picked around what was left of the rest, leaving at least 50% on my plate. When a server removed my plate I remarked that there was far too much dressing and in response? Crickets. The plate was whisked away as though I routinely leave my plate half full. In a town with many taquerias, Cafe Bravo is selling what I'd call expensive Mexican food but this food really didn't deliver. Twenty minutes after paying my bill of more than $35 (for 2) I stopped at a fruit stand beside which stood a taco truck perfuming the air with the scent of carne asada. How I wish I'd saved my money and appetite for just that. read more

Cafe Bravo - Shrimp Caesar Salad ($13.95) looked pretty but enjoyment stopped there - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

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We were looking for somewhere to try in Oakdale and discovered Cafe Bravo. The restaurant appears to be very new and has nice decor. They also have a full-service bar. Our server was amazing and the presentation of the food was lovely! Something you don't find everyday! We tried the Chino Latino Egg Rolls and they were wonderful! So good! I had the Camarones Mexicanos with shrimp and it was delicious. The shrimp and the portion was huge! My son had the combination and he also said it was all excellent. I really enjoyed their salsa which was a little different than what you usually get. Our server said it is house-made. The rice was also a little different, and tasted fabulous! They have a great variety of menu items from various Latin countries. You should try it! read more

Everything we've tried here is absolutely delicious! And my watermelon margarita had such a generous pour, I had to ask them to add soda lol... Must haves are the Chino Latino Egg Rolls, Queso Fundido, Fish Tacos, Lobster tacos (this may have been a special), many more dishes that I can't wait to try! Wonderful food, served by a cheerful wait staff in a timely manner. Cannot ask for more; way to go Cafe Bravo!! read more

Staff is absolutely delightful. They make you feel welcomed every time you come, and the food is some of the best in town. We are always delighted to go there. read more

American Mexican Food that costs like it comes with a beach front view. Unless you're drunk and without sense I wouldn't recommend this experience. Food was mehh too. read more

this place has a 4.2 and needs to be 4.6 or more- best food in Oakdale pretty much next to Redwood Cafe and Bistro... everything is great, even salads and sides. The steaks are perfect and the Mexican food is phenomenal. Bravo Burrito is enough for 3 people... great place and nice atmosphere read more

I recommend cafe bravo's happy hour. The service is friendly, the ambiance is cheerful, and there is a delicious selection of drinks and food. read more

We really enjoy coming to Cafe Bravo to watch the game. The food is excellent and Cody is our favorite server. He is very attentive and polite. read more

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Skin by Tamera recommend this Mexican Restaurant. The food was great and service too. We will definitely be back.

This is one of Oakdale's best places to eat. We have never ever had a bad meal here. I always want everything on the menu. It's so hard to choose! Come hungry! read more

Cafe Bravo - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

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I get into Cafe Bravo about 6 times a year, service has always been good, The menu has a wide variety and this is the only place in Oakdale that I think you can't still get a Tomahawk cut steak. The Latin food is a bit to dolled up for my taste, so I usually do a New York cut steak. Its been perfect every time, refills are free and frequent, I lived in Oakdale about 25 years and ever since I found them I've been coming back, believe they also have a full bar. Ambiance is comfortable and only hard sun in late afternoon but they adjust shades for you if needed. read more

Overpriced burrito but amazing tomahawk steak meal. Service is usually pretty chill and quality. Chips and salsa with tall beers worth the visit. read more

The service is always good, but food is even better. It's a little pricey for Latin/Mexican food but it is worth it.

Our server Jennifer was super unpleasant. You should never feel like you can't ask your server for anything, her attitude and vibe at the table was uncomfortable we wanted to ask to have another server. She forgot things multiple items we asked for, didn't pre bus our table so all the empty glasses and plates just piled up . She never returned to the table to collect our card to pay for the bill until we were getting up to leave. It's an uncomfortable feeling when you feel like your server doesn't want to serve you. We won't be returning anytime soon. Super disappointing . I hope this place isn't going down hill the service is usually good here. read more

One of my favorite places in town! Fair prices. Huge portions. Friendly service. I love going here for celebrations because I know they will never let me down. read more

Definitely surprised with this find in Oakdale! Food is not your typical Hispanic food but for sure a must try. Their bar menu is pretty long and the drinks are really good. Service was great, was checked on more times than I can count lol. read more

This has become one of our favorite restaurants in Oakdale! The food is plentiful, tasty and beautifully presented. Be sure you try a Coconut Margarita! You'll want more than one! read more

Great place to eat. Staff is very freindly and accomodating. Great food for sure:-)

Been here twice and I want to live closer so I can go all the time. It's that good! The Ahi app which is like a dinner size plate is ridiculous, they make it in a sweet and sour sauce and it's next level. My first visit I ordered it, my second visit I ordered again! All the plates I witnessed are huge, the prices are fair for the size plate you get. The bar area has flats for sports and music playing providing a fun atmosphere. Last thing, the watermelon margarita..nuff said! Drop the mic! read more

Good atmosphere. Good drinks. Good food. Good service. Try it! Try the stuffed mushrooms. Not great, but good. read more

This is absolutely the best option in the area from the tomahawk steaks to the filet mignon... even the normal carne Asada plate is so head and shoulders above the rest I can't even enjoy it anywhere else at this point... I don't even live in oakdale and find myself eating here several times a week... the thing I notice first is quality of ingredients and diversity of the menu it should be called a steakhouse because the beef they serve.... dare I say it rivals Ruth's Chris and Morton's for flavor and quality... it's a "Latin grill" with heavy Brazilian influence... another thing to take note of is the attentive wait staff, I have set a stopwatch trying to empty my iced tea, and the longest I have had a glass empty to date is 48 seconds... Best plates Brazilian coconut shrimp appetizer Carne asada plate The chimichuri New York (order that sauce on any steak ) Tomahawk obviously Brazilian bbq chicken quesadilla Mole enchiladas plate (authentic and flavorful) The atmosphere at the bar is always fun and diverse, people laughing and enjoying the fine cuisine... I could go on and on about this place it truly is a gem of the valley and if you never make it out to oakdale you have no clue what you are missing... read more

Cafe Bravo - New York with that chimichuri sauce - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

We have been here about 5 times in the past 2 years. I've had the Cuban sandwich and fish tacos. Both are very good. Our son likes the big bean burrito and salsa. It's sort of dark and very much a bar, and is quite popular on weekends. Staff often get busy and "forget" that you're waiting for them but they've been good once you're seated in their area. read more

Good food and service. It's definitely worth a stop if you're heading to Yosemite and need a break.

This place is the place to be especially on weekends. There is plenty to choose from on the menu. The Chicken Tortilla Soup is amazing!! I recently tried the lemon drop cocktail here and it was honestly okay, nothing to write home about. read more

Not your typical Mexican restaurant. Food was good but a little different than others. I enjoyed the margarita but not the lemon drop read more

Cafe Bravo - Chili Verde with pork stuffed poblano pepper - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

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Great food and atmosphere! Definitely will go back! I would recommend to everyone to try this place out!

I love Cafe Bravo! Always good food, good service and great atmosphere! Definitely a must try when in Oakdale.

Came here the other night and ordered chili verde plate with a chili relleno. Was so good! Tasted how me make at home. Kids really enjoyed there meal . Love that they put paper over the table for the kids to draw on , and us ;) service was excellent. Overall it was a great experience. read more

I chose this place out of convenience, but the reviews made it seem overly perfect, also. With the beer signs in the window, I thought that this was a bar and mis-labeled. It turned out to be a bit bar, a bit restaurant. It was split into the bar, a dining area, and a third area, which seemed to be an add-on or private dining area. It made me think that three siblings couldn't decide how to use their inheritance money and all three got what they wanted and nothing matched, decor and all. Everyone seemed friendly and the first person to talk to me said to sit anywhere I liked. With the few tables, I chose a table for four that was against an interior window, so that I had an indirect view of the outside. Someone else brought the dinner and lunch menus and gave me a quick explanation. A short time later, I was asked for a drink order. After learning that they had Coca-Cola products, I asked for an iced tea. The menu seemed odd--it wasn't Mexican and wasn't really Latino, but it had Mexican, Cuban, and Brazilian (I think) items, plus some random choices. I ended up asking about the Combinaciones--why certain things were in Spanish, I will never know. I ordered an enchilada combo, which came with rice and beans. The server asked if I wanted cheese, then chicken, and finally, we got to the shredded beef. I would have been happy with ground beef, but for the price, it seemed shredded beef made sense. It took a while, though there were several people there. The rice and beans seem to be flattened to take up more space on the plate and the enchilada seemed a reasonable size, but not generous. The taste of everything but the sauce was good. Maybe, they don't sell a lot of enchiladas and they open a can of sauce for them. The salsa that came with the chips was really good, in contrast. I'll wait to find out that it was the opposite and the salsa came from the can. The $12+ and tip seemed too much for a slightly better than mediocre meal with really great service, but it was good to try the place. read more

Cafe Bravo - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

I had a spicy margarita and some Yummy fish tacos with rice and beans. It was all very good and I really liked the green sauce, but I spent 36.80 with with tip for one person that is very pricy for Mexican food in a little town like Oakdale. The service as excellent and Summer made a great margarita. I would definitely come back but probably only for lunch or happy hour. read more

Cafe Bravo - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

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One of the best Fijita plates i've had in a long time. If you have the chance to eat here i definitely recommend the fijitas and the queso dip. read more

Huge burrito. Great salads. Staff is very friendly. Have been here about 10 times. And 2 of the times the food was over done with condiments. Salad was drenched with dressing and the fajitas had way too much seasoning. Was to hard to eat and taste the meat and salad. I do love this place tho and will return read more

Highly recommend! Great food, signature cocktails, staff & atmosphere . These pictures don't do it justice but the food was really good . We had a great night ! Thank you Cafe Bravo! read more

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Wow! Best mexican I have ever had. I got the volcano entree, which was more of a showpiece than meal. It came to the table literally bubbling and has killer flavor. Plus more toppings than I could possibly use with the hot tortillas. I also got the ultimate margarita. I think I will be buzzing for hours. SO got the Mar y Tierra entree, which was incredibly flavorful. It only came w 3 prawns, which was slightly disappointing. The salsa and chips are good too -- the salsa tasted roasted and had excellent heat. read more

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As a food critic, I will rate the experiences here as fairly as possible. Scores are out of a possible 10 stars. 0 being horrible, 10 being the ultimate in this category. AMBIENCE: 5.5 STAFF SERVICE: 8 DRINKS: 8.75 APPETIZERS (IF ORDERED) : 9 DINNER (2 dinners ordered): FILET MIGNON : 5 / PESTO SHRIMP PASTA: 9.5 TABLES AND CHAIRS : TABLES: 6.25 CHAIRS: (4 legged chairs) 3 (very poor lumbar support) OVERALL EXPERIENCE : 9 Even though the steak was not made a filet should be made and the chairs left something to be desired for my back, everything else was terrific. I give this restaurant high marks and recommend it for anyone looking to have a delicious dinner. read more

Amazing food and service. The staff are so attentive and friendly. Felt like family being there. The shrimp tacos are so delicious and the flan is the best I've ever had at a restaurant! A must try! read more

We came for the fajitas but will come back because of the service. Our server Whitney was amazing. She went above and beyond for us and made our whole experience wonderful. read more

Lets keep this simple....What a plus that they serve both Mexican and American food! Its ALWAYS so good and on point! Very consistent and quick for pick up! read more

My husband and I visited for the first time for Valentine's Day and I have to say everything was absolutely exceptional. The service was beyond great, there was always someone checking on you, filling up your drinks and chips, and the server was attentive but not over the top. The food however was the best part. We started with the egg rolls which are to die for and then I had the pollo fundido which was better then I ever expected. The chipotle sauce was great! Overall a very great experience. We will be back. read more

Cafe Bravo - Pollo Fundido - Latin American Near Me - Oakdale, California

Seriously frustrated. We booked the private room for the day after my best friends wedding brunch with around 30 people. We waited a good 20 mins after we arrived before ordering to make sure everyone was ready. Group A ordered. Group B ordered. Group C ordered. Group A got their food first. Group C got their food AFTER group A was done eating. Group B got their food AFTER BOTH groups were done. Now here is the most frustrating part: the bride and groom are in group B. And the only children are in group B. At any other restaurant would make damn sure a child's food is brought out first and foremost. Seriously one egg and one piece of bacon. This is ridiculous and I'm extremely disappointed in the service we received today. read more