Great food, great service and great ambiance. Their food is delicious and flavorful. They have a…read morelarge menu with lots of fun stuff to try.

Where do I begin... First off, I'm highly disappointed and feel betrayed by the high reviews of…read morethis restaurant. I felt safe to eat here thinking it was more on the authentic side of Mexican food, but I have to remind myself to look at the reviews closely before deciding on eating at a place. I had ordered 1 Gordita, 1 Burrito Gordo (Asada), and 1 Huarache. The Gordita had probably to be one of the worst Gorditas I ate in my entire life. The tortilla was very hard and dry, practically snapping off when I took a piece off. The next was the meat... very, very dry and quite bland. I don't know how this restaurant cooks their meat, but I'm assuming they overcooked it by the lack of moisture. The cheese inside was also disappointing, not much flavor to it nor had a fresh taste to it. I tried saving the dryness of the Gordita by adding salsa to it, that didn't help at all. The green salsa wasn't spicy (or at least had a kick to it) and didn't really taste like tomatillos, so I tried adding the red salsa to see if it was any different, not really. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't really tell the difference between the two. Now moving onto our next dish, the burrito. I'll keep this one short. Asada was bland, dryer than a dessert, and even with the salsa and sour cream on it, couldn't save my mouth from the dryness I experienced. So if you read this review of mine, thank you, and I totally understand how hard it is to make Mexican food in this area considering a lot of the ingredients needed aren't easy to come by or the cuts of meat, so if you ever feel like eating Mexican remind yourself what can you eat here that you know I'll taste good. Kat signing out :3

heading back up after a weekend in carmel and monterey...stopping by barba azul in seaside...beach…read moreshack restaurant with deep blue painted walls and a mural of an octopus...definitely seafood vibes...outdoor patio or indoor dining available...taking a seat outdoors in the covered patio area...browsing menu and finding various seafood options...mostly all seafood and only non-seafood option are the complimentary chips and salsa which is nice and crispy, carne asada burrito and the chicken tenders from the kids menu...just a warning...placed an order for the seafood stew $19.99...broth was delicious and refreshing...loaded with mussels, shrimp and more...does take some work to crack the crab legs to get the meat and dealing with shells...get ready to get your hands in the seafood...grilled fish tacos $6 each...flavors were good with the guac and fresh tasting...shrimp tacos $6.50 each were little heavier, cheesier and greasier...still deliciously crunchy and flavorful...carne asada burrito $15 had a nice griddled brown tortilla wrap loaded with steak, rice and all the fixings...a good burrito...fish fingers and fries $12 from the kid menu was easy for the child to enjoy....$91.61 total after tax and 18% automatic gratuity for 5 people...the food was excellent for the price...no complaints...

Dropped a star :-(…read more We had our usual trio of tacos, out for the 6 there were 5 that hit the spot and one (my wife's) deep fired fish taco was comfortably on the overcooked side and the fish didn't taste fresh apparently ... To be clear, this is the first thing we have had at BA that hasn't been at least 10 stars so am really hoping its a glitch not a trend... We'll be back to make sure we were correct, its our goto Mexican in the area and that's against stiff competition so fingers crossed

The carnitas were very good not dry very flavorful would highly recommend with rice and beans also…read moregood Salsa is very good with just the right amount of heat not weak at all The steak ranchero also highly recommended Service was excellent If you are visiting from out of town like we were you should check this place out You can either eat there but we took back to our hotel room and they made sure we had everything we needed like tortillas extra salsa napkins I will be visiting again

We went back to Mariscos Puerto Nuevo last night for dinner with couple of close friends, and it…read morewas absolutely outstanding. I honestly can't speak highly enough about this place--it remains a total gem in Seaside.The food was incredible across the board. Between our table, we had everything from their fresh, every dish was packed with flavor and served in massive portions. You can really tell they've been using the same traditional family recipes for a while making it feel comforting and authentic.The service was fast and friendly and the homey, whether you're a local or just passing through the Monterey area, this is a recommended spot if you want high-quality, authentic Mexican seafood that never misses the mark. I had the Nuevo seafood special and it was off the hook good ! We've previously enjoyed breakfast and lunch here before but the dinner last night just turned the dial up to 10 on the happy scale !

In a very Mexican part of town in Seaside near Monterey. I don't live in this area but I knew, as…read morewhen I was driving looking for this storefront, most of the surrounding businesses were all Hispanic based. I kinda had a feeling I was gonna like the digs here. They grill here. Over this massive open charcoal/wood grill. 2 cooks back there, engulfed in a waft of smoke and fire. They must have put a fresh batch of meat on that grill as that grill top was covered every square inch. They only grill 2 meats: chicken on the bone and carne asada. They also grill whole red onions and serrano peppers to go with those char grilled meats. 1/2 Chicken Combo ($15/4*) Upon receiving, it almost looks burnt. But upon tasting no bitter burnt notes just extremely well manufactured char. The chicken is marinated in something. Probably a seasoning salt and maybe a touch of lime. Nothing is spicy or peppery just a salty, charred chicken flavor. I liked it but I think I like El Pollo Locos version a tad more. As that is more slowly rendered where the skin gets crisp and there's more of a buttery nuance in El Pollo Locos version. I hate saying I'm siding with a big corporate but chicken-wise they've got the edge. Now where this place beats any chain are in the sides and details. First the freshly charred onions and serranos that go with most meat orders are damn perfect. Soft and easy to break apart, inherent flavors intensified from the grilling and the char-y notes that you can control cuz you can add as much of the burnt layer or as little. And the rice, beans and salsas here are real Mexican cooking, nothing fast and ready made. Fresh from scratch with ethnic soul. Carne Asada Combo ($27/5*) This is a full pound of freshly grilled Carne Asada (thin and marinaded meat), no rice or beans just warm corn tortillas, salsas, pickled onions and those charred onions and peppers. Upon receiving I felt like a kid who got his first gift from Santa. First they gave me the warm tortilla holder and all the condiments. I could have made a meal with those alone. Then the biggest pile of freshly grilled steak I've ever seen get served to me at one time. The aroma was intoxicating and was superseded by getting a taste. A little heavy handed on the seasoning but damn did that grilled meat flavor hit you like a bat. Slightly smoky with charred hits and THE most juicy and tender carne asada I've ever had. Usually the preparation can yield tough and overcooked meat but not here, there is some wizardry involved. I was putting whole pieces of meat in a rustic cowboy taco and you could still bite through the taco effortlessly. That's some serious mojo they are messin' with. I actually found a combo for the perfect steak taco here. Warm tortilla base; cut up and throw some charred peppers and onions; throw enough carne asada on there to your heart's intent; a few dabs of their tomato salsa with the charred flecks; then finally a generous sprinkling of their pickled red onions to gild the lily. THE BEST carne asada taco I've ever had. And I've had hundreds if not thousands. Trust. We just finished a substantial hike and was on route to a camping weekend. Had enough leftovers that we didn't have to cook on the first night, just heated things in foil over camp fire. They conveniently catered and we relished and feasted. A fiver relationship if I ever heard of one.

We've gotten take-out from this place several times already. It's consistently good! It does take…read moreabout 15-20 minutes to package the food, so you'll want to call it in before. We usually get the Whole Chicken Combo. It is not possible to get only white or dark meat. The chicken is "slick" enough that even the white meat is good. There is some char on the outside and the skin is cooked nicely. It comes with a few tortillas (can pick flour or corn), 2 kinds of salsa (spicy red and chipotle based), and pickled onions. Roasted hot peppers (yes, they have some heat!!) and onions are a nice touch. The whole chicken isn't too large. Sides are Spanish Rice (great flavor, but seemed a bit hard), seasoned whole beans (tender and flavorful). It's enough for a family of 4 with little kids. But you might think about ordering more if you have more adults or older kids. We also got a guacamole (loaded with onions, tomatoes) and chips. Guacamole is fresh and creamy. You'll love it if you like the style with extra stuff added. Chips are thin and oh-so-greasy, in a good way. Kids loved the extra colors. Portion size isn't too big, could probably have ordered an extra one, because you won't want to stop eating them! Overall, a great place to grab a quick dinner. Can't go wrong with this spot!

Excellent service and really delicious food. Served hot and fresh. We were greeted by the owner,…read moreMaria who was very kind and friendly. She gave us some recommendations and we ended up ordering enough food for that night + the next night that we enjoyed at home. The chips and homemade salsas came out first. 3 different types (2 red and 1 green). All 3 were good but they are spicy. We ordered the mulcajete, crunchy quesa birria tacos, enchiladas, and a chille relleno à la carte. The mulcajete came out bubbling hot with tons of beef, chicken breast, shrimp, and all the veggies. My daughter said her enchiladas (1 chicken and 2 cheese) were extraordinary. The birria tacos were on par - she makes the tortilla with a crunch to it. They were wonderful. Everything else was also very delicious. The rice was fluffy and tasty. The beans were a little soupy but tasted great. I like my beans a little more dense and thick. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant. Make sure you introduce yourself to Maria. She's a pleasure to speak with and she serves tasty food!

The service was excellent and extremely friendly…read more We ordered Birria tacos, Veggie Nachos, and Flan. The Birria tacos were stuffed with the cheesiest of cheese! It was the craziest cheese pull I've ever seen! I wish I got a photo. The chips and salsa are made fresh and the nachos were yummy!

Delicious fresh tacos! We weren't looking for a huge meal, just some tasty tacos and we came away…read morefully satisfied. I ordered one fish and one shrimp, my hubby got two steak. The small, comfortable restaurant was light and welcoming, the people warm and delightful. We will return.

I had the fish taco combo and it was delicious. The fish tasted very fresh. Service was quick and…read moreamicable. I found the ambiance relaxing. The beans were a little spicy which I enjoyed but my younger son probably wouldn't. Definitely check it out!

Vacationing with my fam in Moss Landing and searched for breakfast burritos and oh my god!…read more The burritos weren't massively sized which I appreciated, but holy smokes did they pack a flavor punch! We got 4. 2 bacon 1 chorizo and 50/50 bacon/ham. Top 5 breakfast burritos I ever had. They have a green crema salsa that is mild/medium heat that is the most delicious sauce I have ever eaten at a Mexican restaurant. Service was very nice and friendly as well. Place looks like a happening spot for dinner and drinks with a full bar next door. Im definitely coming back. Maybe manana lol

We were in town from Los Angeles and in the mood of Mexican Food. Las Cazuelas Taqueria was down…read morethe street from our hotel. You order at the cashier and take a seat at your table. Their is an Chip bar where you get your chips and sauces. They bring the food out to you. The food portion is great and very tasty. The staff checked up on us a few times very friendly. They have a full bar. Restaurants is very clean and not too small. Plenty of seating.

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!!