Had a group dinner at Marinitas a few weeks ago and had a good time. Chips and salsa are free (rare in Marin!) and the food was decent. I had the chicken enchiladas and ordered a side of rice and beans. The enchiladas were hot right out of the oven and was very cheesy! Portions were just right, but I'd recommend ordering a few if you are planning on sharing. Service was fine and I liked the dimmed light atmosphere. Would return to again. read more

Marinitas - Chicken Enchiladas - Latin American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

Why does anyone bother to go the Cantina in Mill Valley? Marinitas has better food, better furnishing and atmosphere, and good service. The Marintas salad is excellent, but a tad too small to be a standalone meal. read more

We always have a great time at Marinitas, whether at the bar for a casual date night and tequila tasting, or with our two young children. Always great margaritas and chips and salsa to start the meal! I like to order the shrimp tacos or the carnitas. Both are consistently on point. Sometimes, I order the vegetarian sampler entree which is fun for a change. read more

Another solid restaurant in San Anselmo. I didn't mind it when it was Ted's a few years ago, but this is an absolute upgrade. Food was great across the table. Of note: the ceviche, the carnitas, and the homemade coarse tortillas. Decent tequila list as well. The service was questionable, especially the hostess who didn't want to seat us because it was at peak time, even though there were half a dozen tables available in the back. Eventually, she came to her senses when the line started building at the front and couldn't help but start seating people. But still, Marinitas along with Ensalata's, Bubbas, and Comforts, it's clear that San Anselmo has the goods. 4 solid stars. read more

Saw review on check please. A fresh take on Mexican food. Very flavorful combination of ingredients. Staff very friendly. This is a good place for families and large groups. Drinks are tasty. read more

Came here with our friends and the two toddlers. We didn't have reservations, but they were able to accommodate us. I don't any of us knew what to expect, although we all had been to ensalatas, their nearby sister restaurant and really loved it. The decor and atmosphere is a little strange, but in a good way. It's like a giant hunting lodge, in the middle of Mexico, maybe owned some rich dude who also must be a scholar since old books line the walls. Anyway, huge dining room and gorgeous bar and fireplace are to the right when you walk in. There are TVs everywhere include two massive screens and the warriors game was on, so I'm loving this spot already. The food seems to be mainly Mexican, but there are traces of Peruvian and Guatemalan maybe. Let's move on to food and drinks. The chips and salsa to start are really wood, nice fresh and warm chips and red and green salsa. My friend and myself got the shrimp tacos, my wife and other buddy mexican chopped salad and steak enchiladas. The shrimp tacos were soooo good! Perfectly cooked shrimp, on homemade corn tortillas and these greens on top that had some sort of light dressing. They only come 2 to a plate, I could have taken down 3 if I hadn't eaten so many damn chips. My buddy said the steak enchiladas were great, and Emily loved her shrimp tacos as well. Finally, hard to screw up a salad but, my wife's salad was very flavorful. The like cilantro dressing was perfect. Also, we got a side of rice and black beans which were both very good. The rice was tinted green from a mix of cilantro and jalapeño I think. Finally, I really loved The deluxe margarita. They've got about 100 tequilas to choose from. I started with the Paloma (tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, club soda) and it was just okay, I'd pass on that. It just wasn't very flavorful, almost neutral. Oh, and our waitress and the staff were on point. Clearing dirty plates quickly, and with two toddlers we didn't have the cleanest table. Also, the waitress did a great job explaining the menu and offering suggestions. read more

We have been Marinitas lovers for years. Although the menu began to seem a bit limited, the execution was always excellent, whether it was the ceviche, the entrees or the perfect margaritas. It felt like a true Marin institution. Until last night. Everything was off, especially the ceviche which is now a tiny portion of fish disguised with a pile of chopped lettuce. C'mon Heidi, do you really think this is going to fly with customers who know their fish? Whoever is piloting the ship better get it back on course fast or you will lose your loyal customers very quickly. read more

First time here and the food we ordered was really tasty. We had 3 of the appetizers (chili relleno, camerones con chipotle and crispy corn polenta) and a flan and it was all really good. Another reviewer said the sauce was runny but not for us.. creamy and tasty. The only downside was that the hostess was pretty rude when we walked in - she seemed super annoyed that we were there and that she had to take us to our table. The look she gave us made me want to run for the door! But we stayed because we wanted to try the place. Not super welcoming, but the rest of the service was good and food was worth it. read more

Came in last week w a large party (w a reservation of course) and had so much fun! Great server. Interesting menu and food to match. We had a variety of drinks, appetizers and dinner and were pleased w everything! The decor is eclectic. The buzz is real. They were efficient friendly and we had a wonderful evening. Server didn't add tip so we went above and beyond. He was a pro. read more

Nothing special at all. Food was bland. Cocktails were weak and boring. Get better food from Taco trucks on side of the road for a lot less. I guess it's slim pickings in this town for ethnic food. read more

I found this local restaurant and I love that they offer margaritas with mescal. Try out their chicken tacos. It's all delicious!!

Went Saturday night with my family. We got a nice booth towards the back. Enjoyed chips and guacamole, Beet and Jicama Salad, and chicken enchiladas. Love the chicken enchiladas. Lots of sauce and cheese. A few glasses of Frank Family Zinfandel that they serve by the glass. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Looking forward to coming back again soon. read more

This place is in a really cute area surrounded by lush trees. We did notice that the patrons are primarily older or people with families. The ambiance was ok. We were bummed out because the place we wanted to try, Lincoln Park Wine Bar, was closed/under construction. As a result, we walked two store fronts over to Marinitas. We started out with caipirinha which was pretty strong but good. The salsa/chips were also ok. One salsa was soooo hot! I am typically one who enjoys spicy food but this salsa was too spicy to really enjoy. I ordered the veggie plate...OH EM GEE. It was so good. Between my friend and I, we licked the entire plate clean!!! This plate would be great for veggie and meat eaters! read more

Omg! Such a cute little place..bloody mary buffet with Sunday brunch. I tried Camarones con chipotle....heavenly!! Also house margarita was great!! read more

This probably should be one star, but I have a problem going there. I hadn't been back to Marinitas in years, and I thought for sure things must have improved. Or at least I hoped they had. I'm not even sure what to make of / or how to describe the service. It would have been non-existent but for the fact that I consistently had to pretty much hunt our server. The tables were literally filthy, the service was about as bad as it gets, and the food was so-so (we ordered a number of plates to share). We were a table of four women - you'd think someone could have figured out how to make money off of us - it wasn't hard - drop pitchers, bring food, take $$. And yet this place thrives.... to each his own I guess. read more

My wife and I go to Marinitas probably once every two weeks. I especially love coming on Fridays as their weekly special is the "Sopa de Mariscos" which is definitely my favorite dish there. The staff is generally friendly and attentive. The GM there (Lauren) is absolutely terrific and cares very much about the customers' experiences. My only ding is that their menu is never updated. It would be nice if they had occasional specials, or change the menu every few months or so. But their menu hasn't changed at all outside of occasionally swapping out one dish for another. read more

Love coming to this place. Tacos are delicious, the servers are friendly, and the bartenders are quick. A bartender named Sawyer was working that night. Excellent drinks and good conversations-key ingredients to a great dining experience. Will definitely be back. read more

Marinitas - Latin American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

So yummy. Fresh. Great flavors. Good dishes for vegans. Really cute interior Lovely service. I'll come again for sure. read more

This place is definitely a notch above average Mexican food. The vegetarian plate was exceptional: every substance in the dish has excellent flavor and all work together as well. It is also nutritionally well balanced. The combination ceviches were very good as well. Pefectly done carnitas and chewy, flavorful tacos rounded up our meals. We are foodies who will travel for good food. We have never been to San Anselmo before. We made the trip. It is well worth it. read more

Disappointing. Food is okay, some days it is just ok but then other days the food is horrible. There are many other Mexican restaurants in Marin that are better than this. We got the guacamole. $11 for a very small tub of salty and runny guacamole. Do not recommend. Food is overpriced. read more

Went there on New Years Day for dinner. Our friend from out of state wanted Mexican-food and most places were closed. I'll start by saying the food was great. But getting a table was unbelievable. What a clueless hostess. First she offered us a table in the bar. We said we'd like to sit in the dining room. So after a five minute wait she offered us a small round table at the kitchen door next to the bar! When we said we'd wait for another table she finally sat us at a four top in the dining room. It wasn't that busy. The back was nearly empty. So why all the hassle? As good as the food was I would think twice about going back. There's too many other choices. read more

Terrible service for the high priced food. There's no reason to go back and I will let everyone know that this place is a ripoff

Outstanding Restaurant in a Prime Location. We dined her recently and really enjoyed the experience: Ambiance = AMAZING Food Quality = VERY GOOD Margaritas = GREAT Service = SPOT ON Will be back again and again! read more

The food was good but the portions are very small and everything is a la carte. It was ridiculously expensive. For example an entree with only 2 small carne asada tacos is $14 and a side order of black beans and green rice is $3.25. We left hungry and and somewhat disappointed. We won't be going back. read more

They never change the menu. Food is boring and fair at best. Good margaritas, although sweet. Great environment, too bad the food isn't up to par. read more

Somehow they get the spice ....just right. Now its not five star in the way that you want to wear a tux and propose there, but the guac is exactly as it should be, the chicken enchiladas were also perfectly seasoned - not dry at all- and very cheesy. Fish tacos grilled not greasy, refreshing and filling. Topped off with a draft Mexican beer. Ahhhh. read more

Only one star because you can't give less. My husband has been wanting to go here ever since he saw it on "Bay Area Check Please". We arrived today at 12:15 and we were seated immediately, the restaurant was attractive. A few tables were occupied and some people were sitting at the bar. Overall it was not busy and it appeared to have sufficient wait staff to handle the four or five occupied tables. That being said it was at least five minutes before some one took our drink order which consisted of two ice teas. Another four or five minutes and our drinks came and our lunch order was taken. The menu is quite sparse and unfortunately nothing appealed to me so I ordered their Marinitas salad-description " little gem lettuce with avocado, pumpkin seeds, quest fresco, with a cilantro and creamy lime vinaigrette( which I ordered on the side). I asked if I could add chicken or shrimp to it and was told no! My husband ordered their daily special which was a type of fish stew which he said was delicious. My salad, what there was of it was delicious - it consisted of about 8 butter lettuce leaves, maybe a dozen pumpkin seeds, less than a Tablespoon of cheese and FOUR 1/2inch cubes of Avocado. Our able was situated so that all wait staff had to pass by our table to get to the other tables. That being said, after we finished our meal it was a good 15 minutes before we were approached and asked if we wanted dessert. My husband ordered the cake with a scoop of ice cream. Another 10 minutes passed before the cake arrived WITHOUT the ice cream. When he mentioned this to the waitperson, she asked if he wanted a scoop on the side, he said yes and it was another 5 minutes before the scoop arrived. In the mean time wait staff were passing our table continually never checking in to see if we were ok! Finally the bill came and it was $52.00 and no alcohol and all I had was a tiny salad! My recommendation would be to check out the limited one page menu online BEFORE coming here to see if there are things on the menu that appeal to you. My husband liked what he had however to spend two and a half hours for a single course lunch in a not very busy restaurant seems a bit much!!!! read more

The service, food and margaritas are consistently good. I've had the veggie enchiladas, fish (and shrimp) tacos, salsa, chips, guacamole, and several varieties of margarita. Everything is a winner. Hard to beat for freshness and preparation. read more

Consistent Mexican in Marin! Amazing service!! Maybe best chips out there: thin, crispy, no grease. Great skinny margarita. Love the booths inside and phenomenal service every time. read more

We had an excellent meal...ceviche trio was tasty & fresh. The tequila flight was interesting & exposed us to a new favorite tequila (Fortaleza Reposado). The Argentinian steak was delicious...perfectly cooked & loved the sauce. Service was very good...happy to see a local spot doing well & improving. read more

The Chef is a master of the culinary arts. I worship the ground he walks on. Had the beat salad and it was absolutely scrumptious. A delightful balance of savory earth. read more

I showed up at 650pm (they close at 830pm) to grab dinner with my husband and immediately saw one hostess and lifted up 2 fingers to note 2 people. As we moved around the curtain she told me to tell the other hostess. (Why ask me how many people when I walk in if you're just going to have me repeat myself?). The 2nd hostess then walks us over and sits us at a 2 top table and After I ask to sit at another table where we had more space (as there was roughly 10+ other tables available that also didn't require us to be squeezed between tables allowed us to be socially distinct) she gets annoyed and says that's a 4-top, I said yes and it appears you have tons of tables available (mind you it's 650 on a Friday night and they close within 1.5 hrs) . She immediately gets frustrated and walks over to the table and slams down the menus and walks away without even talking to us. This was my first impression of the restaurant when I've never gone in. Way to set the mood for us hostess. Giving a 2 star as the waitress was nice and drinks weren't so that half bad. The food took awhile to show up. The guacamole was pretty bland, should have some more spice with it. I then got the enchiladas and we disappointed to taste something that the sauce seemed more liquid versus being a thicker consistency. Overall, this was my first time ever coming here and will have to be my last. I wouldn't recommend anyone to come here. There are enough Mexican restaurants (even one next door) around here and in San Rafael that I'd go to instead. read more

Terrible, tasteless food. Given that this is supposed to be Latin cuisine and one would expect some spice and heat, the food was incredibly bland and definitely not worth the price. read more

Oh man. Not good from start to finish. Hostesses: Not welcoming, didn't smile. Bartenders: Not welcoming, didn't smile, seemed burdened. Conversation on the way to our table: Me: "Miss, (to the hostess) May we have that other table instead?" Hostess: "No, that table is for someone on the wait list." Me: (thinking to myself), "But, I have a reservation,,, doesn't that mean I have priority?" Hostess: "Sorry." Sit down at our not great table... Guy next to me says to me: "Hi, we're drunk and are going to be really loud." Me: Now I really wish I could have had that other table. FOOD: Margherita: meh, odd taste, too, something... Prawn appetizer: good. Tacos: Beef and Fish: Fine-ish. Dessert: I just wanted out of there, didn't give it a try. Waitress: Monica. She was friendly and didn't miss a beat! The ONLY reason I didn't rate Marinitas 1 star. Unfortunately,,, nothing is gonna bring me back here. read more

I was recommended to come here for good Mexican food and happy hour. Let me tell you, they don't make their margaritas with fresh lime juice, but with sweet and sour mix... Do I need to go on? Margaritas are no good. We ordered the carnitas plate which was really tough and chewy, when carnitas should fall apart in your mouth. It's also expensive. I won't be back. Service was good, we had a nice server experience, I'll give them that. But I'd take poor service and quality food, than the opposite. read more

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. The crispy veggie tacos are fantastic. I also love the crispy chicken tacos. The queso fundito is a great appetizer (with guacamole as well). Margaritas fit the bill too. Love that you can often get a comfy booth and everyone who works there is super friendly. read more

It's a regular Friday evening stop for our group of friends, casual vibe, solid food, service can be brisk and chaotic at times (especially at the front desk where they often don't have your reservation, don't look you in the eye, or take command of seating you-this is a recent development), but it's a favorite go to when you don't want to cook after a long week. Festive in a group, but hard to hear as it can be noisy. They also have food to go, and that's a great option too! read more

I've been to Marinitas more than a few times and thought it was time to leave a review. We usually go on a Saturday with friends. This last Saturday was no different. We used Yelp Reservations to book our table for 6:30 and when we got there the place was already packed! I have been digging mezcal and they have two on the menu...but they didn't have a margarita on the menu using mezcal...no problem! the waiter was super friendly and said they could make me whatever I wanted. The margarita was perfect. My husband got the regular margarita and it was mixed very well. Our friend got the mezcal martinit which was also very good. Yum! We ordered tacos this time...fish and carne asada. The fish was really good and had a nice sized piece of fish. The carne asada was a little more tough than I'd like and didn't have much flavor. I won't order that again. I usually get the queso fundido for starter, it's really good here...I recommend that if you have the appetite or someone to share it with :-) read more

A friend (a weekly regular) and I (a second-timer) stopped in on a VERY quiet Friday at 2:30 pm. i wasn't very hungry and really wanted something light (and completely bland, since I hate spicy, hot food.) My friend, however, had missed breakfast and ordered a salad and two chicken tacos. I asked for a cheese quesadilla with chicken and quacamole, from the children's menu. "No." I didn't care about the price; I simply wanted a cheese quesadilla with chicken and quacamole. "The management won't allow me to serve that to you." So I asked for an adult-sized cheese quesadilla with chicken and guacamole. Our server indicated that this was not on the menu. "An interesting fact," I thought. I kindly asked if the kitchen could prepare a cheese quesadilla with chicken and guacamole for me ANYWAY. I was told no. At this point the situation became somewhat absurd. I made one final request for a cheese quesidilla with chicken and quacamole and again was told that i could not have one. So I ordered nothing and asked to see the Manager. She came over to our table and very nicely explained that the Chef had put much thought into the menu "in terms of variety, available fresh and organic ingredients," etc. Now I was getting angry. I was basically being told that the Chef had received a Nobel prize for his menu and that I was stupid and classless to even THINK about ordering something other that what was on the piece of paper in my hand. This was incredibly arrogant on the part of the Manager and I felt pretty small - just like a "child" whom at this point SHOULD have been able to order from the Children's Menu! All I wanted was a cheese quesadilla with chicken and quacamole. Finally the Manager agreed to ask the Chef to side-step his well thought-out, seasonally adjusted, organic and healthy menu to prepare a cheese quesadilla with chicken and quacamole for me. By this time I didn't want to be within a mile of this incredibly pretentious Restaurant, with its robotic Manager and absurdly PC menu, so I declined the offer. Basically, this is the end of the story of my second and LAST visit to Marinitas, but I do have to add two ironic twists and a third interesting fact. One: I ate one of my friend's chicken tacos and it was INCREDIBLE. Two: Our server came over with a huge smile and apologized for the situation. The THIRD part? The Manager didn't have the kindness, decency or good sense to comp EVEN my Diet Coke. Nothing. Nada. Unbelievable! Goodbye Marinitas. read more

Oh Marinitas - I SO wanted to like you more! My recent experience was akin to watching a Saturday Night Live skit. You really want to laugh at it, but it just doesn't quite deliver. It's a shame because Heidi Krahling is one of my favorite chefs. I absolutely love her food at nearby Insalata's. Her Fattoush salad over there is one of my favorite dishes in Marin! Alas, the Carne Asada Tacos I ordered the other night were kind of bland. Don't get me wrong, they were a pair of decent tacos - they just weren't spectacular. And for the $11.95 price tag, I was kind of expecting a nicer presentation and maybe some beans and rice (BTW, those are $6 extra). Let's face it though - I can get tacos of similar quality for a fraction of the price at any decent taqueria. That being said, my fellow diners seemed happy with their selections. The biggest hit at the table was the Mexicana salad (chopped romaine lettuce and cabbage with radish, jicama, green onions, queso fresco, fresh oregano, tortilla chips, almonds and cumin citrus vinaigrette). It's only $9.95 or $12 with chicken. I would totally come back and order that dish (especially if it's anything like Heidi's Fattoush salad). We all enjoyed the margaritas, the chips and salsa, the friendly service, and the over all vibe of the place. At the end of the day, it's a pretty darn lively spot - especially for sleepy San Anselmo. So while I didn't necessarily love Marinita's, the pros outweigh the cons, and I'd be willing to give it another shot. read more