Good choice for Mexican food in Watsonville. Parking is extremely easy since it's in a major shopping plaza. Easter Sunday we arrived around 2pm and there was no wait. Service was superb! They were very attentive and kind. They were understanding and didn't see irritated that half of our party was running late. I ordered the mango colada. Delicious non-alcoholic drink. It was very refreshing and had a cute presentation too. For food I ordered the tostada de mariscos. It was one tostada but it was absolutely loaded! I had to eat off about half of the toppings before I could pick it up and eat it all together. The generous portion sizes were also true for other items like the chimichanga. It's been here before. Always a good time at Cilantros. read more

Cilantros - Mango colada - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

I was surprised at the sub-par customer service at this place. It was my first time here, and, at first, it seemed like it would be my new favorite place (busy atmosphere, drinks, food)! It obviously is a popular place. My husband and I sat at the bar and ordered drinks and asked for a menu. And then we waited...and waited, and waited.. The worst part was the waiter/bartender had a long ongoing conversation with the couple directly beside us, but completely ignored us the whole time, and didn't ask if we were ready to order--just walked by after every conversation. We had our menus closed on the counter, so I think it was kind of obvious we were ready to order? Also, no conversation at all about menu items and recommendations--zero, which really helps when I am at a new restaurant deciding what to order. Finally, after a long wait, I did what I really (!!!) don't like doing, which is to try to flag down anyone who might notice to take out food order. At that point, I am over. However, that did work after maybe 2 tries. We both agreed the customer service wasn't very good, and there are better places elsewhere. I guess don't try to order food at the bar. The food was good, but nothing special. The salsa is watery. I do prefer a chunkier salsa, especially with chips. The drinks are very good as well as the wine selection, so maybe that is an option. read more

Buddy always raves about this place and we finally decided to try it. Our service was horrible, pretty sure a chimichanga is suppose to be on the cooked side. Mine was basically a wet burrito. Kids burrito was nothing special either when it came to a portion size for the price. But the kid did like the rice. read more

The food was very good the chips and salsa was great. I got the vegetarian burrito the was gigantic but so good. There were a lot of vegetarian options. The service was fast and very attentive. The ambiance was good that they accommodated a big group. I would recommend. read more

Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

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It has completely gone downhill. The portions are literally halved now. You're lucky to get one refill on chips and salsa. I no longer recommend to people visiting since you can get better food at a taco truck. Expensive and no longer worth it in my opinion. However, the waitress and hostess are amazing that's why they get 3 stars. read more

Great food and great service!!! The staff is so friendly!!! It's always clean and feels like home. read more

My wife ordered bacon scrambled. Bacon was raw. Horchata had a weird taste. My breakfast was good. The salsa is a weak so I asked for something more spicy. The waitress brought me some red Chile. It was better. Overall won't be going back. To pricey by the way she charged me a dollar for the salsa. I couldn't believe it. Fifty bucks for breakfast. Never again read more

The food was very good unusually good for a Mexican restaurant the Spanish rice, the tacos, enchiladas, the vegetarian dishes. The chips were warm, guacamole, and salsa were excellent. I server was Diana, and she was prompt, professional, polite, and very welcoming made us feel very special. She also cleared the table made sure our waters were full brought us several bowls of chips. So the food and the service and the pricing was really wonderful. I'm giving them five stars. Ron read more

***UPDATE - in response to the managers private message. Your message contradicts itself in its entirety. We only had 3 plates on the bill, the kids DID NOT eat from ANY plate on the table aside from the free chips. My dad DID NOT choose to accept the tip charge rather said its fine because you were getting combative and changing your story on the spot. If the tip is not mandatory like you stated in your message, then clearly any customer should be asked if they accept it or not PRIOR to being charged. I dont know why you want me to email you guys when clearly in your message you are still being unprofessional and contradicting YOUR OWN statements. Like i mentioned in my original review customer service clearly lacks and you proved it in writing now *** Ive been here several time and each time it seems worse. Today 12/27/25 has been the worst and has put the nail in the coffin for me to never return here! We came in as a party of 4 adults and 2 kids. The kids only ordered drinks and ate chips. The 4 adults ordered plates, 1 plate of shrimp tacos was returned as they were raw. We didn't ask for a replacement plate. I will be honest the food was not good, even my dad who likes this place said the food was bad. The food was bland, the soda was flat, the horchata was extremely watered diwn to the point that it was just water colored white. When we got our bill the tip was automatically added. I saw one of the managers pass by and i asked if the total of your party is counted by who eats, he said no then changed his story and said yes. I told him only 4 of us ate and one plate was returned and not filled due to being raw. He then said that tip was optional (which frankly isnt since he did nothing to rectify the situation) and could be taken off. If that was the case why werent we given the option???!! I will further say that our waitress did not earn a $23/$24 tip. She wasnt attentive to us, we had to wave her down when we needed something, which was only once. And a second time we asked another women for a chip refill because our waitress wasnt even coming by our table. It seems like "regulars" are given top priority here as that was the case with our waitress something we have noticed on previous visits as well! I wouldnt recommend this place, customer service is not an equal thing here, food has substantially gone down hill and this whole tip thing really left a sour taste in our visit! read more

This restaurant has been around since forever They have indoor and outdoor seating available and a full bar I haven't been here in well over 10 years but I was in town and I figured why not come for a drink or 3 lol Salsa and chips remain as good as I remember them Drinks did not disappoint read more

We went on a Father's Day and as expected, it's packed!!!! We see a lot of empty tables though, yet there's a long wait. I don't really understand!! read more

We came to Cilantros to celebrate a special family birthday and everything about the night was amazing, but what truly made it unforgettable was our server Anthony. From the moment we were seated, Anthony went above and beyond in every way. He greeted us with a warm smile, made sure we were all comfortable, and immediately set the tone for a great evening. He walked us through the specials with genuine enthusiasm and helped a few of us decide on dishes we ended up loving. Seriously, the fajitas and the steak enchiladas were out of this world. We have been to Cilantros before and always enjoyed the food, but this visit stood out thanks to the exceptional service. Anthony made the night. His attentiveness, kindness, and knowledge turned a good dinner into a great memory. We will absolutely be back and we will be asking for him again. read more

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No bueno, find somewhere else for Mexican food. Chips are decent. Salsa is pathetic. Not quite sure what it was other than some red liquid with no tomatoes or other salsa ingredients. Margarita was small. Chimi was just ok. Prices were on the higher side. read more

Aaron and Carina always treat us well; they're the best! It's a family-friendly atmosphere and the food is excellent. read more

Cilantros - Cóctel de camarones - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

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on the 7th June 2026 we stop in for dinner. The bill was 32.94$ the restaurant to my card and came back with a bill of 62.00$. talked to the manager! it still has not been corrected. read more

I was feeling seafood + Mexican so hubby and I tried another new (to us) restaurant in Watsonville: Cilantro's. It was great! The restaurant looked updated, it was clean, and modern. We sat at the bar and got great service. The bartender put the Giants game on for us. The salsa was good, the guacamole was chunky (just how I like it), and the chips were warm and slightly puffy. We got my newest obsession: the Coctel de Mariscos (octopus and shrimp served in a chilled tomato broth with diced avocado, cucumber, green onion, and cilantro). It was yummy. It was fresh tasting and loaded with avocado. Everything, from the refried beans to the rice, tasted homemade. My Happy Hour strawberry margarita was only $10! Highly recommend the Cantarito (Reposado, Squirt, lime, OJ, grapefruit juice, and chamoy). I also got a bean and cheese burrito. It's my latest thing: order the bean and cheese. Then you get to really taste the quality of the flour tortilla. How creamy are the beans? Are they seasoned well? Is the cheese melted or not (I like it when it's super cheesy mixed with little chunks of unmelted cheese). Cilantro's had a solid bean and cheese burrito for $10. read more

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Food is wonderful and service can be as well as long as your outside peak times. The octopus-shrimp ceviche is especially delicious

First and last visit this evening. Came in for a very early dinner after hearing about this place. Chips served warm and good, not greasy. They were ruined by an awful, canned salsa. With a name like Cilantro's, one would think fresh cilantro would be a main ingredient throughout - not. Had enchiladas verde...sauce also from a can. Has this place ever heard of making a fresh tomatillo sauce? Apparently not. Also ordered were carne asada tacos, meh, with first bite gristle. Best part of our experience was a spunky server who shared with us she was in training; she was very sweet and brought us good draft beers. Obviously, this is the neighborhood spot and families gather, but just a few fresh touches would greatly improve the experience. read more

Ordered for takeout weekday, mid-afternoon. Was asked if I wanted steak or chicken...thought it was an equal either/or question, but was charged $4 extra each for steak. Steak chimichanga for two was $50!!! Food was only average. Main portion adequate but very skimpy on the rice and beans. Then there was the 5% "takeout" fee. What's that about...no table service or clean up, no waitstaff...just put prepared food in a bag??? Beef taco ala carte was only $7.00 and good. Ordered 45min before pick up time and had to wait additional 10 minutes before ready...restaurant was almost empty, so they weren't busy. Total came to $67.42 for two...for an upcharge, average food, untimely service and a takeout fee. Bummer, used to look forward to it, but won't be back. read more

Don't order pozole to go. A little disappointed for a $20 meal not even a full plate. read more

Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

I genuinely love it here but my god the managers have no clue how to respectfully talk to their staff and not loudly and aggressively micromanage them in front of guests. Came in for a drink and a snack, we sat at the bar, all the girls behind the bar are super sweet and it was obviously busy/shift change. They still took great care of us. The manager, bigger dude with long curly hair, came up and starts loudly telling one of the bartenders to drop what she was doing and do her cash out. She said she had to finish a task, was clearly in the middle of batching a drink, the manager just kept loudly repeating to drop what she was doing and just standing at the bar staring her down. It was so uncomfortable to watch, and the dude was so persistent and loud we couldnt even have a conversation. Then another manager, blonde lady, came up right behind us and is talking super loud over our shoulders at staff, felt like she was yelling in my ear. Really ruined the vibe for someone trying to enjoy a drink on a Sunday afternoon. God bless the girls working, i could NOT deal with that and keep a smile on my face. read more

The customer service was top notch. Very personable and timely. I have been craving this. Thank you.

Today was my first time eating at Cilantros and I was really pleased with the whole experience. We arrived at lunch time on a Sunday, and the wait was around 15-20 minutes. We were in a rush to get somewhere after, so they offered to seat us at a table in the bar area right away, which I really appreciated. The best chips and salsa! I love that the chips come out a little warm. I had the pozole and it had the most tender pieces of pork. It was really delicious. It also came with some fresh, warm tortillas. Our server was quick and very attentive. I look forward to coming back when I'm in Watsonville. read more

Cilantros - Pozole - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Friendly service. Good food. Went to watch a game and had a good time. Even the servers were getting into it.

We ordered 2 of the Family packages for take-out for my birthday this weekend. When we got home, we realized that the fresh handmade tortillas were not included in our order. We live out in Corralitos where cell reception is poor and we noticed that Cilantro's had tried to call us on our drive home, but we couldn't take the call. We saw that they also texted us to let us know of the mistake. They offered to deliver the missing tortillas. We said that we were pretty far and we didn't expect them to come all the way out to us (about 15 minutes). They arrived shortly after and were apologetic and happy to help. They went above and beyond to make our meal a great success. The food was terrific and was made even better with the fresh tortillas. Great value, great food, great service. You guys really took care of us and we'll be happy to come back again and again. Thank you read more

Cilantros was on fire tonight service wise!! Someone asked if I wanted water, and it came out promptly. The chips and salsa arrived like the person said it was. All the workers who helped serve me were nice and efficient. I was impressed! No awkward waiting fri something, it seemed like they just knew what was up. Food is always fresh, and I like the chips and salsa. The serious was phenomenal tonight, and maybe I was just early enough for the rush hour since there were some tables still available. The hibiscus margarita was awesome, I highly recommend if you enjoy sweet drinks. It was like a spiked jamaica with some sparkly water added. I also like the newer paint job, it is less dated. And the bathrooms are clean which I appreciate. read more

Cilantros - Flan - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Great service. Great food. The staff was very friendly. My wife and I went on a busy Friday night. I was surprised how quickly we were seated and served. Maybe the best Mexican food my wife and I have had. Our server, Carmen, very friendly great smile I would give this place six stars if I could. We read a couple of very negative reviews before going , and I'm so glad we didn't listen to them . read more

I went to cilantro's, which I have done a lot with my family over the years however, I've noticed in the last year the portions have gotten smaller and the prices have gone up also the service is not what it used to be. I don't enjoy picking on restaurants, I just figure if you don't like the restaurant don't go, but I had to say something because this used to be a favorite of my family. We would always go to cilantro's when someone came in from out of town which we will no longer be doing. I told my husband tonight that we are not coming here again Unfortunately it's not what it used to be. read more

Good business it's been years since I ate here and they obviously remodeled since then. I recommend the steak fajitas, also ask if you need any additional items with your meal, their chips and salsa is good too. Our waitress was very attentive according to my receipt her name was Judith Anani. Service was great!! The food here taste the same and I'm glad they didn't tamper with the recipe, if it ain't broke don't fix it right! Very considerate and consistent with the food here, plus the portions are great. In conclusion; nothing disappointed me all items were great, thank you! read more

Disappointing, salsa had no flavor, Enchilada was drowning in a small pool of oil, the sope was also very greasy. We understand items are fried, but you can drain accordingly. I Don't understand how a Mexican food restaurant can ruin salsa. Not only did it lack salt, it had no heat whatsoever. Tasted like tomato and onions.. I did see 2 small pieces of cilantro. No chili could be seen or tasted. The beans were dect and the service great. read more

Today Ordered 2 orders and specifically requested NO sour cream on one of the meals. Once home the enchilada had sour cream and the sope, which was on a different container did not but could tell that the sour cream was removed as the top of the container had some sour cream. Very disappointed. read more

Elegant Mexican restaurant. Definitely an upscale experience. Staff is friendly and helpful.

second time coming here and food did not disappoint. the service was amazing and the ambiance was great. definitely recommend coming here.

I had dinner here the other night, it was a great experience. Bartenders we're hustling to keep up with the house so it took about 20 minutes to get drinks. In fact our table was ready before we could get the drinks at the bar! Hard working people and probably a bit understaffed so not a big deal. The table service was very attentive, they automatically added gratuity for our party of 6 but told us about it and circled it on the check so we didn't double tip. I had the enchiladas especiales and they were delicious! I finished the whole plate, even the refried beans that I normally don't care for. I was picking off my wife's plate of combo fajitas and they were super tasty as well. Besides the customary and not so customary margaritas (spicy watermelon) they also had a decent selection of draft beers! read more

Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

The food is wonderful but the prices are outrageous. We had a $15 plate that cost us $45. The food was delicious as always but they have out priced themselves. Service was just ok. No refill on chips or salsa or water. I would rather spend the same price on sushi and walk away filled. read more

Halibut tacos last night! Best dinner ever and would go back again today they were so fantastic Not to be missed! Thank you Anthony for recommending them! read more

I have always had such a pleasant experience coming to cilantros but the last couple of times I have been here have been horrible. I came this past Saturday 7/6 in the afternoon for some food and drinks and I ordered a mojito expecting it to be great like always but it tasted like pure club soda with a hint of lime. I had to return it and ask for water because the last time I was here the same thing happened and the bartender remade it but just made it so much worse and seeing that it was the same two girls working I knew it wasn't going to get any better. Please hire better bartenders or train them better because these two girls do not know how to make drinks. The food was still great but this experience happening multiple times it's not. read more

Fantastic food and plenty of great choices. Kelly, our waitress was most efficient and friendly and fun. we were a group of 7....laughing, talking, had a super fun evening. Fast service on the holiday....we will definitely return. read more

The service was good, but the food isn't worth it. I ordered chicken fajitas. They were disappointing and smothered in an unknown sauce, definitely not authentic. read more

Food was just alright. Service was good. I used to frequent this place when I worked in Watsonville 20 years ago and remember it having more menu options and being a bit better. read more