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    Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant

    3.5 (317 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant Photos

    ESMERALDA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant

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    Menu 7/15/25
    Ann T.

    Back on rotation, this night didn't disappoint. Food great, service was friendly and food plentiful and yummy. Everyone was happy from grandma to the kiddo!

    Lunch burrito plate and chimichanga plate
    Salie S.

    Good food. Only issue was service was a little slow . The one thing to watch for is the lunch menu prices are "cash" prices and there is nothing telling you that on the "lunch" menu. It cost more for a credit card. It's not a lot of money but it the point you should be aware of the up charge.

    chicken fajita yum
    Alex G.

    a must try for delicious mexican food in the central valley! I've visited several times and we are typically seated quickly. there is a full bar/bar seating as well as the general dining area + patio seating. The staff is kind and service is quick. They offer complimentary chips, whipped refried beans and cabbage. The chips are warm and fresh! We ordered the chicken fajitas and taquitos. Everything was amazing highly recommend

    Burrito Supreme Carnitas Red Sauce
    Jacob G.

    A very special shout out to 2 very kind and hospitable servers here who always take the time to talk to this weary traveler. Vianka and Larissey. I hope I spelled your names right. No matter which one of you is working I can count on kind service and a wonderful conversation about our days. Thanks to you both and also the entire staff that make this place run on a daily basis. This place is always it's consistent when it comes to their food. As you can see, I tend to order the same thing every time. And it is just as good as the first time i've been there. Closest thing to a home cook meal That I can find near a truck stop on the 99. Always look forward to my reset when I'm in Ripon because I can come in and enjoy a nice meal and a drink. Again thank you to the staff and I will see you soon

    Combo (enchilada, tamale, taquitos, rice and beans with lettuce and guac) and tostada

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    8 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    5 months ago

    We waited almost an hour for our food. Service was slow and food was slow. I can understand if their was a reason for it but none was given.

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Don't get the breakfast special. It seems like a deal but tasted like ! Mad I spent $50 on trash.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Always love when a place has vegetarian options. Chalupas were delicious! Highly recommended.

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Good food, good service, and lots of activity. Locals say this is the spot. Everyone knows the bartender. Very friendly.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great!! Good drinks and the food was really good. There were 5 of us and all enjoyed their food!

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    1 year ago

    The food was delicious and the beans was super good, I wish I could rate it 6 stars but the maximum amount of stars is 5

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant

    Do they have dollar tacos (taco Tuesday or a Thursday or any day)?

    Not that I know of

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    Primos Restaurant And Tequila Bar - Fresco Shrimp and Mahi Tacos

    Primos Restaurant And Tequila Bar

    4.2(275 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Excellent food (try the pescado tacos). Chips and salsa -…read moreawesome. Excellent service. The place was spotless. The staff were very friendly. I highly recommend!!

    Someone told me this place was good so I had to try it . The outside and inside is very nice and…read moreclean. Inside it's not your typical taqueria it has a full bar it's also very spacious. The inside is very classy chic with a Mexican twist . I went during the week so it was happy hour . Their happy hour is pretty sweet ! It's from Monday - Friday 4-6 pm, Dine-In Only . They offered $10 drinks and also $10 appetizers. I ended up getting their tacos de papa from their happy hour, which is two tacos, but they are very fulfilling. They're very delicious and I did not see them in the regular menu so if you go during happy hour, it's definitely a must try. I also ordered Jesse's favorite, which is a Chile that looks like a chille relleno, but it's not instead of the egg it has a cream sauce on top and inside it has ground beef . My dad ordered the fajitas which they came with a side of cilantro rice and beans and also all the fixings like guacamole and stuff. Let me tell you the fajitas meal was huge. You could definitely share it with somebody else. I have to say their portions are very generous. For drinks they have beers margaritas my mother had a Chavela, which is beer with lime. I'm not a big tequila fan, but they do have a full bar so I just changed the dirty linen drink for Gin instead of tequila and it was very delicious . The service everyone was really nice and attentive. Overall, we had a great dinner my family and I we had a lot of food and a lot of good laughs. I would definitely come back. I have to say I love their tacos de Papa and for them being on happy hour it's a win-win.

    Photos
    Primos Restaurant And Tequila Bar - Bar at Primos on September 7, 2023

    Bar at Primos on September 7, 2023

    Primos Restaurant And Tequila Bar - Sides that  come with the fajitas

    Sides that come with the fajitas

    Primos Restaurant And Tequila Bar - Corn dip

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    Corn dip

    Las Casuelas - Chicken Soup served with your choice of tortillas

    Las Casuelas

    2.8(118 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    We have been coming here for years and I can't believe I haven't left a review. Just realized that…read more I really like "Claudia's Favorite" which is six spicy beef taquitos. Served with shredded cabbage, radishes and topped with some sour cream. My wife likes their Chicken Soup. Of course we get other dishes there but these 2 are our favorites. Once seated they bring you chips, salsa and a side of refried beans to dip your chips in if you like. The servers are friendly and helpful. This place stays pretty busy also.

    Mexican cuisine is some of the best food in the world. People should be driving from miles around…read moreto come to Las Casuelas. It could be great but nobody seems to give a *%&! If you don't care, I don't care. I'm not eating here anymore. I'd rather make a bologna sandwich at home. Having eaten at Las Casuelas at least a dozen times, I've gotten the full experience. At best, the food here ever so slightly resembles something truly Mexican. The flavors are muted. The mole, for example, tastes like it was made out of box. It lacks complexity. The beans seem to just sit on hold and have the quality of leftovers. This place is more like Chevys than a real Mexican restaurant. If you want to drink beer, eat salsa, chips, and guacamole then this is the place for you. The service is friendly but that doesn't mean the service can be considered good. Frankly, I don't care if they throw the food at me as long as it tastes good! Just because you serve it with a smile doesn't make it taste any better. The focus seems to be on expediting the food out of the kitchen window instead of considering, "Would I serve this to my mother?" The restaurant doesn't appear to have consistent recipes nor the cooks who are trained and willing to live up to any standard. There is no attention to detail. For the most part, ingredients seem to be thrown together in a sloppy and haphazard way. I've always had to remind the servers to make sure my food comes out hot, please don't overcook the food, can you be sure to bring us some salsa??? This final time, I asked for Chicken Milanese which is essentially a pounded out piece of chicken breast. It's fried chicken. I asked them to please refrain from overcooking it. What arrived was a very, very thin peace a chicken that had been fried to a crisp. It was more of a cracker than poultry at that point. All of the juices and fat had been cooked right out of the chicken breast. Tasteless. If the same chicken had not been pounded down to the thickness of a fingernail, then it would have been harder to murder it in the deep fryer. I let the waiter know and he didn't care. My friend asked for soup without vegetables. Guess what? I spent my dinner watching him conduct soup-surgery, removing the vegetables like he was playing that game, Operation, and dripping broth all over the table in the process. People usually go to restaurants to have the cooks prepare the food for them and, unless you're at a Korean BBQ, most costumers expect the food to arrive at the table, "ready-to-eat". Alright, this is the nail in the coffin. They served me a tomato with the tomato pit in it. Do I need to prep the tomatoes now too? All of you can do better, you just don't.

    Photos
    Las Casuelas
    Las Casuelas - Claudia's Favorite - Beef Taquitos

    Claudia's Favorite - Beef Taquitos

    Las Casuelas - Flat chicken taco salad... missing everything but the lettuce.

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    Flat chicken taco salad... missing everything but the lettuce.

    Taqueria Ripon - Homemade tortilla

    Taqueria Ripon

    3.6(160 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $

    After our family photoshoot down the street, we were sure craving some good Mexican food! We…read morewandered in here, and there were a few people sitting down to eat, but it was overall pretty quiet. The littles were asleep in the truck already, so we just ordered 3x carne asada super burritos and a kids quesadilla to go. Service was fast, friendly, and on par with our expectations. The carne asada was way more flavorful and moist than expected, and the burritos were delicious. The kids quesadilla, was just that- plain tortilla and cheese. Two (8 inch?) tortillas and a little bit of cheese melted in the middle. It wasn't much cheese and was surprisingly expensive for what it was, in my opinion. I definitely think this place has some yummy food and the service was good. Overall, I'd recommend Taqueria Ripon if you're in the area.

    I came in with my whole soccer team as a place to eat in between games. We had a soccer tournament…read morenearby and wanted some place to eat for lunch that wasn't burger/pizza/fries. You can customize anything you order here. Kids burrito was ginormous and my son ate most of it. I ordered 3 different tacos (carnitas, al pastor, and carne asada), and they were all decently sized. We also got free chips and there is a salsa bar. Everyone was kind and nice to our group. One of the kids spilled their blue Gatorade and they quickly cleaned it up. I would definitely come back here next time I'm in town for a soccer tournament!

    Photos
    Taqueria Ripon - Self-serve salsa bar

    Self-serve salsa bar

    Taqueria Ripon - Literally no meat

    Literally no meat

    Taqueria Ripon - Front of the restaurant and outdoor seating

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    Front of the restaurant and outdoor seating

    El Jardin

    El Jardin

    3.9(859 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    I read the reviews prior and they brought me here to see for myself …read more The service from walking in the door was prompt and very welcoming. I ordered a chicken torta which in my opinion is now gonna be a go to for me when I'm in Manteca. The chips and salsa were fresh and very good. This is a family friendly restaurant and the decor inside is very nice . If you'd like to have a drink with your meal they have a full bar set up and if I wasn't driving , a margarita would've been a perfect match with my torta ... Definitely a revisit by me will happen and I will pass this on to friends and family that will and are in the area.

    I thought I'd get some lunch to go. Ordered what I wanted…read moreplus the drink. I asked if I can get a couple of slices of Limes or lemons with my burrito that I had ordered at the counter.... The front counter lady said it would have to be an extra cost for a couple of slices of lemons or limes.....I asked her to run that be me again. She said it will coast extra for slices of limes or lemon. She said that Is their rule...it blew my mind That asked for limes for Mexican Food At charge . That was Greed and lacked any customer Satisfaction for 2 slices of lemon or lime. It is common practice that all Mexican Latino restaurants, taquerias, That serve Mexican food will Not charge for 2 slices of lemon or lime Cmon el Jardin you lost a good customer Over charging for lime slices...unbelievable It's the point of them just being greedy . Also on all Honesty el jardin manteca is priced way over the top for average Mexican food. !

    Photos
    El Jardin - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Jardin - Carne asada

    Carne asada

    El Jardin - Specialty seafood burrito. nothing less than a 10, extra crab instead of scallops

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    Specialty seafood burrito. nothing less than a 10, extra crab instead of scallops

    El Mayita Tacos y Birria

    El Mayita Tacos y Birria

    4.3(144 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    Drove out to Manteca to run an errand with my hubby & found this wonderful place on Yelp. We We…read morevisited this restaurant on Yosemite Ave on Saturday around during peak lunch. On our visit they were only taking cash -luckily we had enough on us as the prices were very reasonable & portions huge! My hubby had the gigantic Chili relleno burrito with Carne asada & fresh veggies; i had the Huevos Mexicana with the very savory sauce on top that was not that spicy/perfect for my taste. I was pleasantly surprised with the homemade corn tortillas and homemade chips & salsa that came with our meals. Very clear that this place is frequented by a steady stream of regulars stopping by for take out, or sitting down for Menudo or Birria tacos. Highly recommend this place if you are hungry because of the large filling portions, quality & well prepared food at a small family run business. This location has several tables/indoor seating and was very clean/well maintained.

    Was recommended to try this place out. Placed an order for to go. The restaurant is kind of small…read morebut also has barstool seatings. I ordered the three taco combo plate and you can mix and match the meats. I got all birria and it came with consome as well as rice and beans. The service was nice and quick. The tacos were very filling and the meat was juicy. The consome was really good as well. It did not have a lot of oil like other places. Overall I would for sure come back and try other things on their menu.

    Photos
    El Mayita Tacos y Birria - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Mayita Tacos y Birria - Rice and Beans

    Rice and Beans

    El Mayita Tacos y Birria - Front door

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    Front door

    Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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