The place was packed packed which was cool but everything else was average to eh. I had a plastic fork and a metal knife which was confusing. Then fold and drinks were over priced and again, average. I will go again because it wasn't the worst. read more

Nothing special. Portiobs are good size but carne asada was so greasy - cooked in so much oil. Not recommended.

I'm going to recommend something, being that I've been successful in the past running restaurants, hire someone who has a young spirit and good attitude, since your attitude sucks then people won't complain so much. The food is good but your higher than thou mighty attitude gives this place a low score. I prefer to order from someone who smiles and asks the usual questions, do you want this or that with your sandwich or taco or burrito, without giving up a smile. Attitude is everything! read more

Chicken enchilada plate was tasteless. The chicken was dry without much flavor. The cheese enchilada is much better. The guacamole was ok but I prefer freshly made. read more

My husband & I go most every weekend. We sit at the bar and have an absolute great time everytime! The food is good, the fish specials Candy (the chef) makes (snapper in red sauce) is to DIE FOR! We beg him to make it everytime, when it is not on special menu. Service is wonderful. Bartenders (Jerry and Pedro) are a lot of fun and so is the crowd, usually. It reminds me cheers! everybody knows your name..or gets to know your name eventually :) read more

The Cadillacs are...if you haven't had one. Why are you reading this. Open your maps if you don't know where this place is, and come drink one with me. Please. The food is good too :) read more

La Playa - Mmmm - Mexican Near Me - Pacifica, California

Great food. Staff has been there forever. Not sure why but since the new owners, not as good. Really like the outdoor patio. My favorite is the chicken enchiladas! read more

This restaurant has the worst service. First I asked if they had gluten free tortillas and was given the hardest "I don't know" with no desire to check with the kitchen. They gave me the complete wrong order and said it would take 15 minutes to make me something that is on the menu. read more

This is one of those places that - coming in as an expatriated San Diegan - I have been looking for since moving up 20 years ago. Excellent ambiance, excellent drinks (strong too!) and above all, the salsa and pico de gallo that you miss having and love going back to. My mother used to say, you can judge a good Mexican place by the enchiladas; an easy dish to make well, so if they can't do them right, how can you trust them with anything else? La Playa does enchiladas right. I'm coming back. read more

Overpriced for very average food. Awful customer service from all 3 employees. Not a smile, a thanks or you're welcome. Or even a goodbye as they all watched us walk out the door. Just go to Taco Bell. read more

Wow. This place was fantastic. The best burrito ever. Big, beautiful, delicious ceviche. Homemade hot sauce. Green, really superb. Then... MEhhh to ewwww.....! We thought we had found utopia... then things suddenly changed. Seems a new owner came along. Then the meat was terrible and on a bun instead of a sourdough roll and flat, like McDonalds. The flank steak was under cooked and tasted sour. Really cheap, artificially colored and tenderized. Even cooking it more couldn't help. That happened twice. It wasn't just a bad night or bad week or month. No one looks happy anymore. Especially me, soooo disappointed. read more

THIS PLACE SUCKS!! The chips were stale the salsa tasted like it came from a jar and the soda was flat. Big portions or not 1/2 an hour after eating hear I was on the can for the rest of the day. Save your money and taste buds and walk a block over to Taco Bell, trust me its better than this place. read more

Y'all need to get some Mariscos in here if your gonna have a place on the coast. Some ceviche, shrimp / fish tacos / aguachile. Pulled up thinking it was gonna be bomb but menu is weak read more

Ok food, terrible service. We waited 45 mins for food that takes 2 mins to throw together, since the place was practically empty. At min 30, we complained that everyone who came after was being served but not us. Still took them 15 mins to bring our food after the complaint while we watched new customers being served. We have been eating here consistently after surfing, but looks like it's time to give another place a chance. read more

No star review! We ate here once and had the fajitas which we liked well enough. But on our second visit, Nov 30, I got a really severe case of food poisoning/norovirus - again we had fajitas which this time were swimming in grease - that should have been a sign. That, and the fact that staff act like they really couldn't give a damn. Now I can't drive by on Highway 1 without feeling nauseous. read more

Iam giving This place 1 star because I believe Iam a decent human being ... As Iam walking into this place, the cashier has a look on him like this guy really hates his job . So as we are ordering he just keeps looking at us like "hello hurry up and order now " hence we literally just picked up the men and started breezing thru it ! . Now to the menu .. I came here thinking they were different from your typical Mexican restaurants ... Nope horrible food & service at a not so decent price ... 1 star .. Highly don't recommend ! read more

I'm just sitting her waiting for my order, it's been 20 minutes. I don't even have my drink yet and I asked for water. A guy just came over and set down a bag of chips with frozen salsa. Literally frozen solid, and walked off. You have got to be kidding me. I don't even care at this point if the food taste like my Abuelita made it. This is the worst place in Pacifica. read more

Best margaritas in Northern California! Get a pitcher on the rocks right off the wunderbar -- $18 and fills 6-8 glasses. Plus, the food kicks a whole lotta ass and chips and salsa are pretty damned good too. read more

This place could be really good, but it is absolutely not at all! HORRIBLE!!!! DON'T BOTHER. AWEFUL FOOD. This place has no love whatsoever - No customer service, bland tasteless canned food, horrible lighting, no positive vibe in what could be a cool beachside taqueria. I swear all they do is open cans of food and just heat it up. Worst Mexican food I've ever had. NOTHING is homemade here. I'm not a fan of Taco Bell, but it is just a few hundred feet away and I'd much rather get food from there any day compared to this palce. The place is set up real awkward. The guy at the front - at the register was rude for no reason. Went there this past Sunday. The guy at front was just a rude dude - he is also the one delivering food to the tables, touching your food and filling the chip baskets, handling money and sneezing into his hand - didn't once see him wash his hands or even wipe his hands on any sort of towel or cloth or anything. He is also the dude that has his back to the register ignoring everyone standing there wanting to place an order. If you want anything to drink, you have to go to the bar and wait in line there in an awkward spot to order any sort of beverage. My husband got the snapper veracruz - ICK -GROSS-OLD- YUCK! It was an old frozen piece of snapper sitting in a half of inch of water in the plate and covered in canned tomatoes, onions and olives. Oh, and the rice and beans were also on the same plate and also just sitting in the pool of water. It was absolutely inedible. This was the second most expensive thing on the menu - $15.99. Told the same guy that took the order, handled the $, sneezed on his hand and gave us chips and salsa that the dish was not good, at all, and that it was sitting is water on the plate. He says..."Oh sorry you don't like it, it is our most famous dish." If they wanted to serve good food and retain customers, he could have addressed the situation, like..., sorry, I see your food is sitting in water, let me talk to the chef. NO! Freaking idiot. Gross. It is so not worth any of your hard earned money or patronage. read more

Good food, good service and good prices. I usually get the grilled fish taco. Very filling. Not sure why this place gets such bad reviews. That being said... don't get the Camarones a la diabla. It will burn a hole in your gut! WAY too hot. We had it to go which was an expensive lesson and one we won't repeat. read more

We no longer live in Pacifica but still come back here; I would trade my first-born to have this place move closer to my house. LOVE this place! Yeah its funky, service can be iffy, they don't do substitutions, the ordering system is a hassle.....but by far they make the BEST shrimp fajitas on the peninsula. Heavenly. Good margaritas too. Just writing about this place now is making me hungry! read more

Hi, La Playa is a great local spot for us. They have more than just Mexican food. On Thursdays is meat night via a great Tex-Mex special of the BEST ribs, a hot link and a foot breaking sized slab of corn bread. However my favorite dish is from the Gringo Menu. La Playa has the best cheese burger in the Bay Area, better than Barney's or any other over priced burger wanna-be spot. Treat yourself to a meal here. It's a locals spot, but without any attitude. And the owners love kids. read more

Father's Day. So so food. Awful, awful service. The guy seemed like he'd rather spit at my young boy and me than rather take our order. What's the difference between the chicken burritto and the asada chicken burritto? It's chicken breast... spit. Guacamole on the side please. Spit. We'd like some water. You'll have to order it at the bar - spit. No chips and salsa. (which he seemed to grugingly hand to others with a good dose of spit). I'd wish we'd gone to Taco Bell. read more

Food was expensive for mediocre Mexican food and service. Chips have always been nasty. Rice had dry rice bits that could've broken my teeth. Garlic shrimp was eh. I've been here a few times due to convenience and the fact they have sports play on monitors otherwise I wouldn't come here. read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Pacifica, California. Excellent grilled chicken burrito supreme, great bean dip, wonderful salad with grilled steak, great Margaritas, and a good chouce of beer on tap. Service for 4 or more is always great but have never tried service for 2 . All this at a reasonable price. Would recommend this to all my friends. Cheers! read more

Classic fish and chips and authentic Mexican food in one stop. A match made in heaven for my family. A great stop on the way to or from the beach. Friendly staff, fresh, quality and affordable cuisine. I will frequent this joint for many years to come. Cool patio seating too, great for those sunny afternoons. Favorite menu items? Fish tacos and chile rellenos!! read more

you couldn't design this place better then it has turned out due to age, salt deterioration and grime all on its own! -do not, and i repeat, DO NOT touch the surfaces of anything in the bathroom. pee before you go there and hold it until you are somewhere else afterward. -do not, and i repeat, DO NOT touch the dog who is running free under the tables eating scraps. he is a fixture of the place and belongs to the owner i think...but stinks to high heaven and will not enhance the taste of your meal or the borderline digestive activity to follow said meal. -do order the fish tacos. -don't bother ordering agua fresca...this is the only taquaria i have been to in california that doesn't have it but does have bottled costco brands of juice water-y stuff. why? -inefficient ordering system....you order and pay for food at one counter and then you wait on line all over again and order and pay for drinks at another counter. so why the three stars after all that complaining? well, the food was pretty ok and the atmosphere was so wacky that i liked it. i know others in my party would have given the place negative stars due to feeling sick after but i felt fine....and the beach is so pretty down there i feel like facing east and laughing hardily at the poor sods who don't live here. read more

There are few times in life when a meal is expertly crafted. This was not one them. I ordered a steak burrito super expecting to receive a quality dish for a premium price. However, instead I received the most poorly wrapped burrito I have experienced. This was akin to the state of New Orleans after being hit by Hurricane Katrina. In other words it was a disaster. There were enormous holes in my and my friend's burritos. It would to be an understatement to say that they exploded in our hands; it was similar to a bursting dam in that rice and beans flowed like a gushing river. I'll admit the meat was adequate even tasty; however, the terrible construction of my burrito ruined the entire experience. Not to mention the poor service. I have renewed appreciation for quality service of my hometown El Super Burrito in that the cashier had me waiting at the counter for over 10 minutes. This paired with the fact that we had to ask for our complementary chips and were faced with a frown. read more

Slow service, terrible food (like other ppl mentioned, I probably ordered something that I shouldn't order). The only good thing about this place is its location. We waited 15 mins for calamari appetizer to go. The breading was greasy and peeled off the calamari. There was a chemical after taste to it. read more

AWFUL no flavor... we had simple dishes huevos rancheros and chorizo con huevos BOTH were really bad. The beans and rice I wouldn't feed to my dog. The chips were VERY oily. Don't bother. read more

It took 45 minutes to get a burrito and once it arrived I tasted it and it was one of the worst I had in my life... If it wasn't enough service was rude. Atrocious read more

So bland. The food... Where do I begin? The nastiest food I've ever tried. 17.95 for Camarones al la Diabla, disappointing and a waste of my money! The sauce was not even spicy and tasted more sweet than anything. And let's not start with the restaurant decor ....... Everything is horrible here! Except the outside of the restaurant read more

We went here on a lark, wanted to explore in Pacifica. I asked for water with our order and he told me to go get it at the bar kind of dismissively. Fair enough. Then literally the next people came in and he brought them water and spent a lot of time checking in on them. So it was unequal and weird. Also he was very dismissive of us when our food took a long time (~20 mins) and we asked what was up. The other staff members (bartender, waitress?) were cordial but he was our main point of contact. read more

We walked in to this establishment at 8:40 pm, and ordered our tacos.... We were told that bc it was SO LATE we would have to get our food to go (they supposedly close at 9 pm). We received our order 5 min later, and started opening the wrappers and were interrupted. "Your order is to go, you can't eat it here" said the woman behind the counter. We waited for our cab and once we were home our tacos were cold and gross. Thanks lady, for ruining our food. We won't be back. read more

If I could I would give negative stars. Awful fish tacos, asked for two and the register guy assumed we wanted four and charged us $17. We put the two unfinished tacos that tasted like fried nothing on the counter and he just said sorry. Awful service, crappy taco decent salsa. You are way better off going to the wooden Taco Bell by the beach. read more

The bean dip is sooo yummo (it's hot and cheesy!) and a pitcher of margaritas is a steal at $20.

The food was good but the service sucks. The guy behind the counter taking orders is slow. There's no table service so have fun waiting in line again at the bar for Soda or water. You might want keep an open tab if you drink more than one soda or beer. I bought 3 sprites for 7 bucks. I spent more time getting drinks for my kids than I did eating. The tables are sticky they only remove the plates and don't wipe them down. I'm def not going here again. My negative experience here made me download YELP read more

The place has been remodeled and accommodates more seating. But forget that...it is all about the food here...big portions of whatever you order. My favorite is the red snapper plate. Very fresh. You can see everyone in the kitchen working hard. No wait service, which is fine. Food comes pretty quick. This place is noisy and crowded on weekends, actually most nights. But isn't that a good sign? I have been frequenting this no nonsense working man's joint for at least 7-8 years now...and it has always been consistent. Now my teenage son and his friends have discovered this is the place to chow down. Yea, it is a little strange having to order drinks separately at the bar...but whatever. This ain't some haughty pretentious fusion restaurant. If you want down home Mexican food with frills, this is your place. read more

Skirt steak burrito or sando all day! This place is epic. Great service and great food!

7$ for a decently large burrito. Terrible service. Waiter forgot about taking our order when I asked him. Food wasn't spectacular but they say hunger is the best spice. read more