Food was incredible. They let us taste the different kind of Birria they have: goat, beef, sheep…read more Their micheladas are amazing, actually taste like a real Michelada. We tried the margarita flight and it was scary good. Everything was full of flavor and the vibes were immaculate. It was my sister's bday and they played Las Mañanitas loud on the speakers which was really fun, and they brought her flan!

WHY I WENT HERE: - dinner…read more- LOVE that they have birria de chivo (goat) in addition to the birria de res (beef) * BONUS - I arrived here during happy hour THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located on the corner of Merritt St and Sanchez St - street parking and parking lot parking available - overflow outdoor waiting area (bench seating protected from sun and rain) available at the front entrance - partially covered patio with awning and outdoor heater lamps available for outdoor seating THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - colorful art murals - industrial ceiling and flooring look - booths and standalone tables available - various Mexican genres of music playing (at least at the time I was there) THE MENU: - la especialidad (birria plates) - birria lovers - red tacos - pa'empezar el dia (breakfast) - el alivio: cerveza, draft beer, micheladas, margs/sangrias, wine, mocktails - pa'compartir (appetizers) - platillos fuertes (main entrees) - del mar (seafood plates) - los fines (weekends) - algo dulce (dessert) - para los peques (kids menu) - algo leve - tacos/quesadillas - burritos - bowls - tortas - sopes/tacos dorados - drinks - sides WHAT I ORDERED: - Quesabirria Tacos - Platanos Fritos THE TASTE: - everything was amazing! fresh, filling, comforting CUSTOMER SERVICE: - accommodating - attentive but not overbearing

Honestly any bad reviews of this place are just people complaining for no reason. Don't listen to…read morethem! The place itself provides a calm, relaxing vibe. I was surprised because I expected a loud environment with music blasting, especially because it was a Sunday night. The server was very nice. I was worried that the food would not meet my expectations but I was wrong! The food was delicious and very generous portions! I got the wet burrito with green sauce. Even though the sauce was more sweet and not spicy at all, it was still very delicious!! The horchata is the best I've ever had!! This place is now one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and definitely will be coming back.

Yum! I was worried when I was the only one there during dinner rush, but I'm so glad I stayed. The…read morechips were thin and crispy, and the red salsa had an oregano-y flavor to it. My carnitas burrito was great. Well seasoned, with a great mix of toppings. The beans were sort of in between refried and whole, which added some great texture. I will be trying it again.

Great food!! Authentic Mexican Food! Their salsas are amazing! Everything there tastes amazing!…read moreHighly recommend!

Needed somewhere to eat came across this gem! This place only had a few people but the line was…read morepretty constant as we sat. It was good service and the food was very flavorful. I will be back. I had a picky person and they loved the soup.

I really love Mexican food, and this place did not dissapoint. Staff were friendly, and really know…read moretheir menu. They explained very clearly what each menu item consisted of. So i tried their beef tacos. They were really packed with lots of beef. The shell was crispy and delicious. The beans on the side were cooked just right. I really like this place, and will definitely go back for more.

Hello there Party People…read more Let me start by saying Happy New Year My Husband and I were wandering in Castroville and ran across Olivia's. We have been craving Mexican food something awful and stopped in. This my Friends is a Diamond in the ruff. Be prepared to use your translation app on your phone because the staff speaks very little English and menus are in Spanish. Don't let that stop you from trying this place because you will be missing out on an authentic Mexican food experience....no Tex-Mex fusion here thank the lord We started with a Pork Quesadilla. It was stuffed to the max with a very tasty marinated pork, but you can get any meat you want. The tortillas are home made and incredible. It was an eye opener to what we loosely call Mexican food in United States....it truely isn't Mexican food and I know that know. I got the Steak Fajitas. It was teaming with veggies and once again the meat was seasoned with the subtle flavors of Mexico. My Husband got the steak enchiladas. This was interesting because the meat was served on the plate outside the enchilada. So the enchilada was just cheese with a nice lime verde sauce. I am a rice person and my husband is a bean person. I mention this because we are very picky and rarely find rice and beans that we like, but this place blow the top off the chart. The beans were flavorful and creamy without feeling like you stuck a spoon of lard in your mouth. The rice had good fluffy texture and nice flavor..very tasty So glad I found this place just proves that taking chances can lead to great experiences.

It is located in a small business lot between a Chinese food place and a bakery, service was fast…read moreand very friendly but they only accept cash. We had the carne asada burrito and the Al pastor tacos. Prices were not too bad and the overall flavor of the food was average, could have been a little more flavorful. Serving size was decent and I was impressed with how fast the food came out, although we were the only ones there.

My wife said they should put on a clinic on how to properly season taco meat! It isn't "fine…read moredining " BUT, some of the tastiest tacos around. We were checking Yelp and found this shop downtown. Hot, tasty, and delicious. Service was great, don't need much here. Tasty!

Okay this is my second review on Franco's Taqueria in Castroville. I recently went in and had tacos…read morede tripa. I love tripas but usually they are a bit too hard and chewy for my liking. These were tender and sooo savory! Plus they come served on homemade corn tortillas. Outstanding! Tonight I went in for their menudo. They were already out so I had the posole. This is authentic Mexican food at its best! Even the hominy in the posole is fresh cooked! Most restaurants and people, myself included, use a canned hominy because it's convenient. Not here! It is the best posole I've ever had period! I will definitely be coming next week at an earlier time to get their menudo. I know this will be hands down the best menudo ever in Monterey County. For all of you who love menudo, it is worth the drive to this beautiful restaurant in Castroville.

This place gets busy on weekends. You order at the front, grab your drinks on the side and go get…read moreyour table. The bar inside looked well stocked. Food can be perceived as expensive but remember you are eating local monterey bay seafood. Clam chowder was huge portion- good enough for 3 people at least. Fish portion was plentiful as well- good enough for 2 people at least. Fresh fish, batter was crisp and well flavoured. Fast service!

Oh no, my beloved seafood combo sliders are no longer offered! Such a bummer, this has been my…read morego-to at Phil's for many years. Don't be fooled by the Sliders' presence on the printed menu or the whiteboard menu or on the Phil's Fish Market website, you will be denied with no explanation for the absence of their deliciousness. This time I tried the battered sole sandwich which was perfectly fried but unfortunately very bland. This dish comes with your choice of slaw or fries on the side: unless you are really into slaw, order the fries as the fish comes with a slaw-adjacent topping. Be advised that this sorta-slaw also contains thinly sliced fresh jalapeños, which I like but might take someone unaware. The Bloody Mary was good, as always. I really wish Phil's would improve the non-alcohol drink ordering process: to purchase a soda requires one order at the same counter as placing food orders. That's fine if you order a soda while ordering your meal however if you decide halfway through that you want to switch from Bloody Marys to a Coke, it's back to the end of the long food line for you.

MUST stop in your way to Monterey area from Santa Cruz / San Jose…read more Authentic Oaxaca , south Mexico, food. We stop twice, in our way in and back to Santa Cruz. Owners, are cooks, and they have Mexican hospitality, in their service. Don't skip the soups, caldo de res, beef soup, Menudo, Sat and Sunday. Menuso, fresh , soft, comforting , flavorful. 7 Mares, seafood soup, spicy level as you like. Big portions, hand made big tortillas. Try the cafe de olla, boiled coffee, Coffee beans from Oaxaca. And the quesillo, world famous , Oaxaca's Cheese. But if you want to have a real experience, have the MOLE. Made on house, authentic Oaxaca's MOLE. I licked the plate, the smell, the color, the flavor, I've never tasted it before here in CA. I can go on. Stop, eat, be happy. Clean. Restrooms available. Charming town, reminds you where your food comes from, and the hard workers that bring us the food our earth produces.

I ate here about six months ago. Since they advertise as comida Oaxaceña autentica (authentic…read moreOaxacan food) I was really looking forward to trying it. Underwhelmed. Nothing different than what the other 2, 655 other Mexican restaurants on the Central coast offer.

Such an unexpected surprise. Great beers fun host and unexpected experiences. I'll stop by again.read more

Love the service which is friendly. This is your local small town dive where the beer is cold and…read morepeople are quick to chat.

This place is nasty honesty there lucky I didn't call the Health Department on them. We found a…read morecockroach on the plate. We told the owner but he didn't believe it.. and I have the video and pictures of The cockroach on the plate.. so yeah I don't recommend anyone going there.

Horrible... I ordered camarones a la diabla and the shrimp was not even clean.. and my hubby's…read moreshrimp ceviche was grey.. I feel bad because it looks family owned.. but if you don't care about the way you cook or the quality of your food, why waste your time.. sorry but it was definitely a disappointment :(