The food is absolutely amazing! Truly a Marina hidden gem! Very courteous server that handled the evening crowd efficiently. Located in a older part of town but don't make the mistake of not visiting this establishment. GjA read more

$15.24 for a huge Barbacoa burrito served wet. Cheap, huge, tastes acceptable. The barbacoa was a special only. Eat here to get your money's worth. The decor is old school, charming. 3.5 stars. read more

El Palmar - Wet burrito - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

This place is a hidden gem. Their Taco Tuesday deal of buy 5 get 1 free is great. The carne asada was juicy and pastor had tons of flavor. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Skip the fancy pants places and settle in here for the shrimp, crab, snapper--and hot fresh made-in-house corn tortillas. My daughter liked her margarita as well. Plan on taking your time too; very relaxing space. Quiet. read more

El Palmar - Everything! - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

This place is a hidden treasure! First time here, very quiet atmosphere. The prices are really good for what you get. The portions are wonderful. The food is absolutely delicious. The waitress was pleasant. I will be sure to visit this place again when I come back into town I will make sure I come here again ! Excellent! read more

the food is amazing the place looked very clean inside I went through the drive thru and the cashier lady was very sweet the food taste very nostalgic cozy it actually remind me of my grandmas a bit this food is very delicious mmh I got the tostada's de pollo con arroz and beans and quesadillas de asada 10/10 recommend.Also the green salsa is very yummyy read more

I totally love this place Food - very flavorful, well seasoned, great portions & awesome presentation-worth my dollar$ Service - family-owned very kind, attentive & care for your service. They could use more servers so their not overloaded Ambiance - it's cozy yet does need a furniture upgrade I will recommend this place. read more

Good food. Good prices. Taco Tuesday Special is great! Their homemade tortillas are good also.

Enjoyed yet another delicious meal here. We had friends from England visiting and Steve had asked about finding a good rib eye steak to enjoy. Steve is serious carnivore who has paid a full bounty for some of the more expensive ribeyes in Various parts of California. I suggested he order the 16-18 oz grilled ribeye available here for under $30. It is always perfectly prepared and can be served with garlic mashed, fresh vegetables, and garlic bread Or With Mexican rice, beans, and fresh made corn Tortillas. Of all of the rib eye steaks English Steve has consumed while visiting California over the years (11), the fact that he judges the steak here the best ever was remarkable, although not surprising. All of the food here is delicious...the rib eye steak is remarkable.,Elsa's flan and bread puddings desserts are as good as one can get-anywhere. read more

This place has THE best tacos in the Monterey area- some of my fave ever !! It's definitely a no-frills, simple taqueria but their food is so yummy and the prices are great. The servers are nice and they provide chips and salsa. My favorite thing is the Taco Tuesday deals!!! I think it's like $2 per taco and they're soooo good! read more

I couldn't write the description better myself. Homemade, diamond in the rough. Doesn't look like much from the outside yet rest assured that it is familia. Family owned and managed is farm to table. I trust this establishment to always deliver quality. Therefore, the biggest elephant in the room gets a hat to lead and continue on! Thank you for sharing your tables and meals with me. With appreciation and value. read more

El Palmar - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Taco Tuesday was a hit! For $2 tacos each and a deal for buying 5 tacos to get 1 for free, this meal was a steal! I got 7 tacos for $13 which is a great value!! - Free chips and salsa (8/10) : The salsa was spicy and had a good flavor. The chips were ok but I appreciate them being included in the meal! - Chicken tacos (9/10) : There was a good amount of meat. The chicken was really good. I would ask for extra onion next time and have the salsa be on the side since I like pouring the salsa on myself. - Asada tacos (8/10) : They included a good amount of beef, but since I'm a bit picky about meat and texture it was slightly chewy for me. This is purely a personal preference as I can be super picky about meat. The flavor of the asada and salsa was really good. Again I would ask for extra onion next time and have the salsa be on the side. OVERALL (9/10) for Taco Tuesday : Nowadays it's really hard to find a good meal for a good price. That's why I would definitely come back here for Taco Tuesday. read more

El Palmar - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Good takes a little while but the wait is worth it. Super good flavor and they are really kind.

Two words: Seasoned and Flavorful The food and drinks were DELICIOUS. I had a regular margarita that you could tell was made fresh and with good tequila. It was citrusy and not too sweet! None of that fake syrup stuff! The food portions were great, came piping hot and fresh. The best were the homemade corn tortillas! We were only one of three tables in for lunch on Wednesday. The food does take some time but soooo worth it! read more

El Palmar - Handmade Corn Tortillas Refried Beans Spanish Rice Fajitas Especial El Palmar Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

We decided to give this restaurant a try and it was quite delicious. It's very cozy with darker wooden tones and red decor. It has a welcoming family business vibe. Our waitress was the daughter of the establishment's owners and she was very friendly and helpful. I ordered the carne asada fries and my spouse ordered the fajitas. The portions were very generous and the carne asada itself was cooked and seasoned really well. The prices are very reasonable as well. Definitely worth going by if you are thinking about it. read more

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The service was wonderful! It felt like I was at my tias house and the food was good. Comfort food from my childhood. We came while passing through and we'll definitely be back next time we're in the area read more

Ambiance and food is horrible. Restaurant is very dirty looking and kitchen looks really bad. Food was not good either

I wanted to like this place so bad! It's been in marina for ages and somehow I had just never given it a try. Having a conversation with a coworker and she brought this place up as having one of the best ribeyes she's ever had. Challenge accepted. I ordered the 18 ounce ribeye with rice and beans instead of mashed potatoes and veggies. The flavor was nice but I had asked for medium rare and received more of a medium well to well done. I also cook quite a few steaks at home and this didnt seem to be 18 ounces, more like 10-12 at best and i do understand the weights are prior to cooking. It was edible, but very disappointing. My son ordered the carne asada taco platter and said the flavor just wasn't great and only ate 1 of the three tacos. The tacos were loaded with steak though and the tortillas were good and definitely home made. Maybe we just caught them on an off day. The waitress was super sweet which is the only reason I'm giving 3 stars and not 2. read more

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upon entering you get thrown back into time, this restaurant is a blast from the past. but it's probably the best kept secret of this town. As an LA native this mexican restaurant can compete with any LA Mexican restaurant. After a whole day or traveling and hiking we decided to stop by and grab some food and drinks. we were starving and forgot to take pics so this was the best i could do. The asada tacos had so much flavor would definitely recommend. Also tried the chicken enchiladas and were delicious. I think anything here is good. Would come back again. 10/10 read more

El Palmar - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Great food and service. Went in close to closing and the staff was very friendly. Great food especially the chili verde and tortillas.

Delicious street tacos! I'll definitely be going back, and telling friends about this place. Recommend the carne asada and the al pastor tacos. read more

Diamond in the Rough! Food Amazing food! Authentic Cali-Mex food! Huge portions and really affordable! You will usually be stuffed and even have leftovers to take home. Chips and salsa are fantastic! Nachos with Carne Asada is epic! That appetizer is a meal in its own. Burrito supreme is like a 3 pound burrito, and with Al Pastor meat, wow! Service Good customer service with a mom and pop feel to it! Ambience It's dated, but let me tell you about the food!!! read more

Best Mexican food in Marina! Will be coming back! Came in for a Pozole craving but unfortunately they were out. Ordered the camarones a la diabla, tacos de carne asada, enchiladas, and chile relleno and everything was excellent. The tacos were made of homemade tortillas and is our new taco spot now also. Chile relleno hit the spot and reminded me of my momma's food. We'll be returning for that pozole. read more

After looking for a reasonably priced restaurant that serves seafood, my wife and I decided to give El Palmar a try. We were pleasantly surprised by the food which was outstanding. My wife ordered the crab enchiladas and totally enjoyed them. I had the tilapia a la rancheria and I absolutely loved loved it. The vibe is of a neighborhood family restaurant and was very quiet and calm. The next time we are in the Monterey area we will definitely stop by again read more

Amazing food we had the camarones a la diabla, enchiladas, sopes and flautas and all were amazing. Had great service very friendly. read more

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We love this place. I have had the grilled pork chops twice. So good. Comes with a side order of mash potatoes, fresh vegetables and garlic bread. Definitely recommend. read more

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Great Mexican food with very friendly service! Their fajitas were very flavorful and a generous amount of seasoned steak was definitely the highlight. Their wine margaritas were also very well balanced and I'll be sure to order it again the next time we go. read more

This place doesn't look like much from the outside but the food was excellent and service was muy bien!

I love this place. The food, the ambiance, and the service is top notch. I always stop by here to get a carne asada burrito, and I haven't been disappointed yet. read more

I did taco Tuesday here and it was nice, quiet, and pleasent. I would come back except I was just swinging through for work so the opportunity is low but I will definitely remember, maybe one day, on a drive down the coast with a date? Nosh On Yelpers! This review brought to you by dogedollars. read more

Amazing pastas, shrimp, prawns, chargrilled ribeye and juicy New York steaks with fresh vegetables and homemade mashed potatoes and along with a wide assortment of lovingly-prepared Mexican plates. This place is so much more than just amazing Mexican food. The chef received formal training at a Carmel fine-dining establishment and it shows. A little patience goes a long way, since each dish is prepared fresh. Vegetables are cut and created to order. Again, everything is fresh and not pre-prepared (unlike what you'd find in most other restaurants). You absolutely have to give this place a try, it's truly a hidden gem nestled right off HWY 1 with plenty of free parking. read more

El Palmar - So much more than just amazingly fresh Mexican food! - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Some of the best Mexican food in Marina. Only place that makes hand made corn tortillas. Anything with Asasda is great. Any Shrimp dish is amazing as well read more

I got started with the free tortilla chips and salsa, the salsa had a kick to it and it is the best salsa I ever had. Then I got the beef flautas with rice and beans. The beef was very tender and juicy. The meal was very filling for $11, and I would come here again! read more

El Palmar - Beef Flautas - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

This place is amazing! I had their Carna Asada tacos and OMG their homemade tortillas are the bomb! read more

El Palmar - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

We were in the area for a week house-sitting for a friend and after reading the (mostly very good) reviews, we decided to try this place for dinner. I love Mexican food! Sure, some of the reviews mentioned the longer wait, but that it was worth it. Well, we had to wait about 15 minutes before someone came and took our order. It was another half hour before we got our food. It was not great. My cheese enchiladas were just meh. I felt like they could have used a little more sauce, but the sauce was not that good. My husband got the a different enchilada than he ordered, and although they made it right, it just meant more waiting. The meals were supposed to come with 2 hand-made tortillas, but we got nothing until we asked for them. Again, more waiting. All in all, although the minimal staffing tried their best and was more than polite and accommodating, it was sooooo difficult to be patient. Sometimes, the food is worth the wait. But not this time. read more

I ordered the carne asada burrito supreme and my friend ordered the chili relleyno dinner. Both were awesome!! The margaritas were good as well. This place makes their own homemade tortillas!! read more

El Palmar - Burrito supreme - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Great food with a food selection beyond their daily Mexican menu. Steaks are perfect and the pork chops to die for. We had steak and Lobster one night that was perfect! read more

We moved here from the Bay Area and this is the only place that brings us back to that zone of food appreciation. We literally say out loud "THAT is good," anytime we order something new. Everything we have ordered is perfect and the family that runs this establishment is incredibly sweet. The salsa is *chef's kiss*...we usually get crunchy chicken tacos and a shrimp burrito. We have also ordered the deluxe fajitas and they were huge and lasted 2 meals. Definitely worth checking out in Marina. They know what they're doing! We have never eaten in, usually takeout. The restaurant is typically filled with locals! Thank you, El Palmar! read more

only 1 cook and 1 server on most days Worst wait time and can take hours to get your food if it's busy. Food is just ok and but have had Multiple experience with poor service. left feeling unwelcome every time read more

they usually are good but today they put no love into the food, asada was cut into large pieces instead of small pieces. Go to papa chevos if you want carne asada fries, usually everything is so good here dont cone at night :(( read more

El Palmar - carne asada fries didnt have guacomaloe - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California