So I've heard plenty about this place and wanted to check it out because honestly the places around…read moretown in Novato that are Mexican food just don't really cut it. Don't get me wrong. They're fine, but just not true Mexican food.. I'm really glad that I did and I was not disappointed. The weight staff was on top of everything took our drink orders right away offered appetizers. We ordered the guacamole and I got to tell you the guacamole was to die for it did not taste processed or anything. I probably could've eaten the whole bowl because it was that good and the serving was huge! My husband ordered the chicken enchiladas with a green sauce, which she did offer two other options for sauce and he opted for the green sauce cause he thought it wouldn't be that spicy, but it was a tad bit spicy for him. It comes with a rice and beans your choice of whether you want black beans or pinto beans and of course he chose black beans because he loves black beans. The rice is not your typical side of rice that you normally get at a Mexican restaurant it has so much flavor in it and it was very light and fluffy. I ordered the Carne Asada tacos with pinto beans. And again it was very tasty. I could not finish my second taco just because I was filling up on all the guacamole and a beer before hand so I ended up taking my food home. The flavors in my tacos were so good and it was not dry steak. It was so moist and tender. You could probably cut it with a fork! The flavors were just perfectly matched and not too spicy. We will definitely go back there again and try a few more things off the menu. They are open fairly late so that's a plus. It's definitely a must try place so hope to see you there soon! Before I go, let's talk about the decor. It is so nicely decorated in there. It makes you wanna stay a little bit longer just because it makes it so nice and comfy. They redid the place much to a heritage. Definitely gonna go back!

For a restaurant that's been open for four years, I'm surprised our experience revealed so many…read moreopportunities to smooth out the kinks. The owner, manager, or a staff member might benefit from a walkthrough to experience the restaurant from a patron's point of view. I'm not going to list everything because I'd rather not complain. For instance, the ladies' restroom has no light when you first enter, so it's quite dark. A very loud whine also continued the entire time I was in the restroom, which was extremely unnerving. Upon our arrival, the hostess was efficient but not personable. Perhaps she was overworked, but only a handful of patrons were dining before 5 p.m. The restaurant offers several rooms to choose from. To the left of the huge cow in the reception area sits a lovely bar. A separate room accommodates a large party or meeting, while a spacious indoor dining room and an outdoor patio with a large tree offer additional options. Large paintings and various sizes of statues featuring Día de los Muertos themes are delightful to view--almost like visiting a museum. We chose the covered outdoor patio on a lovely summer early evening with pleasant weather. Only one other table was occupied. Oddly, a random thwack repeatedly came from the canvas wall covering near us, which distracted us as we talked throughout our visit. We could also occasionally hear traffic zooming by, accompanied by loud Latin music or the roar of an engine. I chose the grilled fish tacos with a side salad, all beautifully plated. However, the sauce was watery and leaked considerably from the thick tacos, which appeared to be homemade. The tortillas had a peculiar bitter taste and fell apart as soon as I picked them up. My companion preferred two chicken enchiladas, but the server said the plate comes with three. I thought that was odd since most restaurants serve just two, so he simply conceded his request. The restaurant played loud, upbeat Cuban music, so don't expect soothing music to calmly accompany your meal. As we were leaving, a large gathering of workers was chatting among themselves. I was surprised that neither they nor the hostess acknowledged us or thanked us for visiting.

At Taqueria La Fiesta service was exceptional -- warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly without…read moreever feeling forced. The gentleman greeted us with a smile and made sure I felt comfortable throughout the entire meal. The atmosphere feels less like a restaurant and more like walking into a welcoming family home. The Gentleman working clearly cares about his guests, and that personal touch made the whole experience unforgettable. Highly recommend for anyone looking not only for great food, but also for hospitality that comes straight from the heart.

$18.50 for a chile rellano and enchilada plate to go. Chicken was finely diced scrap meat. Chile…read morerellano coating was cold and hard. Expensive food that was not good.

This is a small but delightful restaurant in the fast, casual ethnic food category. There's a lot…read moreof Mexican food restaurants out there, which are great, but this restaurant specializes in central American food. If you haven't become familiar with it yet, give it a try! Their pupusa and their tamales are delicious. And you don't have to spend a lot of money to get great tasting food. I only spent $11 for example on my recent lunch there and got two items which filled me up sufficiently. I'll definitely be going back to Cocina Antigua on my rounds through Novato

Homemade tortillas, great flavors/seasoning. I've been looking for good tacos in Marin and there…read moreare only a couple of decent spots - this is definitely at the top for me so far!

Maya Palenque has the best fish tacos and micheladas! The tacos are fresh, flavorful, and perfectly…read morecooked, and the michelada is always delicious. Definitely one of my favorite spots.

Large freeway-adjacent Mexican restaurants are a thing I've long noticed, Maya Palenque being one…read moreof several to be found as you traverse north on Highway 101. I've often wondered about such places, fantasizing that they may be great but if Maya Palenque is representative of the genre I've been missing nothing. The dishes here were nice enough in presentation. The place itself is very large and the menu quite extensive. I ordered the Taco Salad with grilled chicken and though there was nothing wrong with it, I'm someone who requires spice with my Mexican food choices. Green and red salsas were delivered to my table and - wow - I've never tasted salsas that had zero spiciness. Now I have. These added exactly nothing to the taste profile making it clear that were I desirous of any spiciness it would have to come from Tapatio or Tabasco. If you're okay with very bland Mexican fare, Maya Palenque is serving it up. My curiosity about large, freeway-adjacent Mexican restaurants has been satisfied and no further exploration of the genre is required.

Best burritos in Novato... so far. Things are changing, all over, as are prices and portions and…read morequality These guys are very friendly, you get a lot of food for your money, and the food is excellent. Native Californian speaking here, with 30 years in San Diego, so... (Btw, no in SoCal puts rice in burritos.)

6/8/26 Carmen's in Novato was awesome! Quesabirría especially was amazing. Same with carnitas wet…read moreburrito super flavorful the salsa had a nice kick to it as as well as the pickled onions. Staff was friendly will definitely be back!!!!

The Padre Macho Burrito can literally feed a family of four!! It comes in an extra long bread loaf…read morepan and fills the entire pan. My husband and I split one with carnitas and we still only ate half. Delicious fillings. The staff was extremely friendly and my take out order was prepared quickly. I ordered once I had arrived there. All the salsas have quite a kick to them. We will be back.

The flavor of this food reminds me of my old neighborhood in Chicago. We dined outside near the…read moredelightful fountain. It was a warm 77 degrees. Quiet. Then a family with an honestly adorably sweet young fella dined sent to us. Very sweet. I ordered 5 street tacos: cabesa, lengua, chorizo, pollo asado, y carnitas. Exquisite. You just have to try your favorite 5 from the list of 12 possible meat choices. Awesome. My companion had the 3 (is that the new usual 2 these days) enchiladas: shredded chicken and carnitas. Excellent. Oh! And the non-alcoholic margarita is the best in the area.

UPDATED REVIEW:…read more What a disappointment! My family placed a lunch order for take out for Mother's Day that did not meet expectations. We knew they would be very busy today so we made sure to place the order early at 11:00. My mom only wanted a cheese enchilada but unfortunately it was about 1/3 of the size of the usual cheese enchiladas that my dad ordered. We did not order a child size enchilada! I called to voice my concerns and the lady that answered the phone was the same frazzled person I had called my order in to. She was clearly very busy and overwhelmed with the volume of Mothers Day orders they were not prepared for. She apologized and did not show any concern to make the order right. I ended up sharing my chicken quesedilla with mom, but have noted that after this experience we wont be going back to Tommy's Salsa anytime soon. Do better Tommy's Salsa by ensuring that all to go orders are properly prepared to meet customer expectations.

Went here because I was craving for fish tacos. The restaurant's decor was cute but the chairs…read morewere a little old. Friendly staff. Good selection of salsas at the salsa bar. Ordered the 2 fish taco plate and horchata. The complimentary chips and bean dip was unexpected and much appreciated. The horchata was perfect. The taco had a lot of fresh slaw but I was disappointed that there was not a lot of fish. Couldn't really taste the fish. Maybe I'll come back for something else as they do have an extensive menu.

We were in town for my wife's birthday and we were looking for a new place to try, Golden Gate…read moreBistro looked promising. It's on, but off, Redwood. The food was good, their pizza was amazing. The staff were very friendly and the service was great. The inside is cool. I definitely recommend giving them a try.

Salmon cooked rare. This dish is usually fully cooked. Given all the parasite dangers with fish,…read morekitchens should fully cook fish unless customer requests otherwise. Don't assume your customer wants rare fish. Now I have to worry if the fish had parasites. Cause the middle was rare, practically raw. I should have caught this when the kitchen took only 5 minutes to cook the thick fish but I caught it at the thick park of the fish which essentially had a raw middle.

Sunday Buffet was phenomenal! 10/10 must try! Stay was friendly and quick! Area is clean and music…read moreis perfect volume to hold conversation but also enjoy what's playing!

Over a week ago, we were driving south to San Francisco through Novato when we decided to have…read moredinner, and Mexican food won the majority vote! We chose to try a new place, and El Rey caught our attention. We arrived around 7:30, and the restaurant wasn't busy since it was a Sunday evening. Looking at the menu, I was drawn to their ceviche. We decided to start with guacamole and chips, share a ceviche, and have a Quesadilla con Carne Asada. The guacamole was fresh and well-made, the ceviche was exceptionally delicious, and the quesadilla was very well prepared and tasty. Our server was very friendly and helpful with our questions, and we even shared a few good laughs. The service was excellent. El Rey has been a local spot in Novato for many years, family-owned and known for serving traditional Mexican dishes in a welcoming setting. It has built a reputation in the community as a reliable place for a hearty meal, and many locals have been coming here for decades. The restaurant is a standalone building in a shopping center and offers a large seating area. They also have an outdoor seating area, which I imagine would be especially nice on a warm evening. As a first-time visitor, I left impressed. The food, service, and relaxed atmosphere made for a very enjoyable stop on our drive. We would definitely come back again the next time we're in Novato.

Great lunch - super affordable and huge portions. Had a…read moresuper chicken quesadilla and a super carne asada quesadilla - both had sour cream and guacamole inside. Still have half of each leftover. Sat outside on the patio and it was a wonderful day out there. Ordering was quick and easy - and received our food very quickly. Great experience!

I'm disappointed with my experience at this restaurant. Unfortunately, several aspects of the meal…read moreand service fell far below my expectations. The server was rude throughout the experience, and at one point spilled juice on me. When I asked for plastic utensils because the utensils provided were dirty, I was met with an attitude rather than a simple, courteous response. The food was also disappointing. The tortilla was soggy rather than crispy, and the birria consommé did not taste authentic or flavorful. The shrimp I ordered with the El Diablo sauce was unexpectedly sweet, which was not what I expected from the dish. As someone who is 100% Mexican and grew up eating Mexican food regularly, I have a good understanding of the flavors and preparation I expect from Mexican cuisine. I'm always willing to give a restaurant a fair chance, but unfortunately, both the food and the service missed the mark during my visit. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback seriously and works on improving both the quality of the food and the way customers are treated.