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    Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant

    3.5 (151 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    CAFE CAPISTRANO MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Santa Fe enchiladas

    Ordered take out, Sante Fe enchiladas and Pasolini. Service was great and quick! Was super excited to try the Pasole, as you don't find that often on menus. It was very delicious but could have been spicier. The enchiladas were delicious, loaded with meat and sauce was tasty. Did not care for the rice. Would definitely go back to fine in. Casual ambiance.

    Mango shrimp dinner
    Jerry K.

    Everything tasted good and was well prepared. The preparation of the mango shrimp was different from anything I have had before - there were several individual small tacos. The size of my wife's asada was too much for her and a lot went into a doggie bag. The soup was tasty, Our server, Zoe, was super. In my view, the food here is different from the typical Mexican restaurant perhaps that is why it says"California style". We will return.

    Mango Shrimp Appetizer
    Mike B.

    We've driven past this spot on Durant Road many, many times and finally decided to give it a try. We were NOT disappointed. Cafe Capistrano is located in a small strip of storefronts. Don't be discouraged by the full parking lot - there's musical theater next door, and when there's a show going on, the lot is packed. The dining room is nothing fancy but nicely appointed with tables with white table clothes. This restaurant bills itself as California style Mexican cuisine. And that's what you get! The menu is more limited than typical Mexican but all of the staples (burritos, enchiladas, quesadilla, tacos) are on there. Everything is prepared to order; service is efficient and quick. Upon sitting down, we got a basket of chips and 2 bowls of salsa. The salsa was excellent - clearly house made, and the chips warm. A nice touch is one bowl of salsa for each, so you don't have to make a mess dipping across the table. Word of warning - DON'T FILL UP ON THE CHIPS - THERE'S DELICIOUS FOOD COMING!! I opted for the mango shrimp. I ordered the appetizer size, so no accompaniments, but it was right-sized for dinner. The shrimp are served in halved, fried flour tortillas. The tortillas puff up and have a cracker-like consistency. Each half has a couple of plump perfectly cooked shrimp and avocado in an outstanding mango sauce. The sauce has a little heat to it, perfectly counterbalanced by the sweet mango. This was excellent! Amy tried the Mahi Mahi fish tacos. The fish was more of a mashed patty than a mahi filet, but was well seasoned and very flavorful. The tacos were stuffed with cheese , shredded cabbage and pico de gallo, and finished with creamy lime sauce. The lime sauce made these stand out - a little kick to it and a great complement to the rest of the ingredients. The side of smashed beans was excellent as well. Not the same as refried beans, or whole beans - these were a creamy consistency and very tasty. With 3 tacos for the serving, there was one left for me. Since no meal is complete without dessert, we tried the Mexican Wedding Cake. I've seen this on the menus many times, but never tried it. Man, was I missing out! The white cake is soaked in sweetened cream, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with raspberry sauce. The plate is garnished with dollops of a lime sauce atop a white chocolate sauce. The cake was super moist and the taste combo was superb. It's sweet - but really good. One odd thing is that the menu lists ~10 different specials. But only 2 of the specials are available. Ordinarily you would expect to see the daily specials annotated by day. This caused a minor disappointment because one of those specials looked really tasty - but wasn't available. Guess we'll have to go back for that one. Our server, Kameryn, was terrific. She knows the menu, helped us make selections and was enthusiastic and fun. The service was quick without being obtrusive. We spent $38 for two, with a shared dessert and no alcohol. Not inexpensive for Mexican food, but worth the price. With a number of other choices still on the menu to try, we'll be back to this place.

    Smashed Pinto Beans
    Roo F.

    Let me tell you guys a secret about Cafe Capistrano, I have been coming to this restaurant since I was a child. I have fond memories, as a seven year old, eating beef tacos, on flour shell of course, with my family. I was mesmerized by the fountain in the middle of the restaurant. Literally, this memory was enough to keep bringing me back to Cafe Capistrano. HOWEVER, not only do I have great memories as a kid, but I used to come here every Tuesday in high school. My best friends and I would all cram into a car, and speed (not literally please don't report this review) to get a chicken quesadilla with a side of rice and beans. It would cost us all a whopping $5 each ,which was less than $20 total, for an amazing experience and meal. They even served us chips and salsa, except the bag of chips was literally a garbage sized bag. I kid you not that was enough chips to feed me for the next five years. Also, Omar is the nicest server I have ever experienced. He knows our names because of how often we come here, and he has become a good friend to us. It's always a pleasure seeing him and catching up with him. Wow, this review got so sentimental I forgot to even talk about the food. My pictures don't do this justice because I've been using my IPad a lot more recently. Oh, and I ate literally half of my food before I remembered to take a picture. But! The chicken quesadilla is always my go to order. It's extremely huge portion size, it tastes great, and it's served with a Santa Fe sauce. This Santa Fe sauce is literally so addicting I could drink it by the gallon. It's tangy and creamy. That's all that needs to be said. Also, their queso is bomb. I have loved this queso for my whole life, and I will never stop. I love Cafe Capistrano, I always have great food, the portions are big, so just come on down here with your friends, and I guarantee you'll have the best night.

    Burrito, margarita, and blue crab quesadilla (special of the day)
    Jessica B.

    We (sadly) only recently discovered this hidden gem and it has quickly become our new favorite Mexican place. GREAT food, wonderful service (Omar is the best - truly provides service with a smile), reasonable prices and tasty $5 house margaritas. What more can you ask for?! We went back tonight and I got a burrito that was bigger than my head and my boyfriend got the blue crab quesadilla special, which he loved. If you haven't checked them out yet, you really should!!

    a meal in a styrofoam container
    Maplez Mapz D.

    Highly recommend this restaurant for their delicious, large portions and friendly hospitality!

    Complimentary Chips & Salsa

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    6 months ago

    Average, took 49 min to get food when there was only 3 people on the whole restaurant. 15 min to get drinks. Mediocre food

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    1 year ago

    Another great meal at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Always consistent in Food and service. Look forward to our next visit.

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    2 years ago

    Absolutely love this place!! Great food. Great services. Wonderful specials. Reasonable prices!!

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    3 years ago

    Fresh delicious food every time. Great service too. With friendly staff that is anxious to please. Highly recommend.

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    6 years ago

    My favorite Mexican spot in Raleigh. Very fresh ingredients. Unique dishes. Chicken tortilla soup is the best I've had.

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    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Tres leches

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    I don't usually leave reviews, but this was an all-around frustrating experience from start to…read morefinish. Right off the bat, we asked for a highchair and were told it would be brought over. It never came. After waiting, we had to flag down a server walking by, who eventually brought one--only for it to be broken. It then took another 10 minutes before we finally got a functional highchair. Throughout the visit, the staff seemed far more interested in talking amongst themselves than actually paying attention to guests. The overall atmosphere felt disorganized, inattentive, and unprofessional. The worst part came after we left. I realized almost immediately that I had left my wallet behind and called right away. Instead of any sense of urgency or willingness to help, the host who answered was incredibly rude and dismissive. Before I could fully explain the situation, she cut me off and told me to "call back tomorrow." When I tried to quickly describe the wallet--color, contents, anything that might help--she hung up on me mid-sentence. Considering I called almost immediately after leaving and was brushed off so quickly, it raises serious concerns about whether any real effort was made to locate it. I would hope any establishment would take something like that seriously. Between the lack of attention, the disorganization, and the way a simple, time-sensitive situation was handled, this place clearly has serious issues with customer service. I won't be back.

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    Hands down the best tacos I've had in North Carolina. Just wow. The food is phenomenal and comes…read moreout really fast. They've expanded into a bigger space so there's a lot more seating available which is much needed because it's always packed. The line moves quickly and the staff works efficiently. They are pros. If you love tacos, try this place.

    Stopped by Taqueria El Toro last week after a few people had recommended this place. I'll admit my…read moreexpectations may be shaped by having a lot of Tex Mex style food in Texas, but I wanted to give this a try. When you arrive, there is plenty of parking around the building, and entrances in the front and on the right side. Once inside, you'll walk up to counter and place your order. Your then given a order number and it's open seating. Your number will be called out in Spanish when your food is ready and you'll pick it up at the counter. I ordered an al pastor taco which unfortunately was not good. It came out extremely cold and needed a lot of salsa for it to have any flavor. I also ordered a steak burrito which was much better and was served with melted cheese on the top. There were fatty pieces throughout the burrito but this was far better than the taco. Lastly, I ordered a horchata but it tasted like grainy and wasn't great. If I'm in the area again I may give this a try but I'd definitely stick with a burrito so your food is hot.

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    Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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