While in the High Desert for business with my partner, we stopped into Montecito Kitchen for lunch. She was craving Mexican food, which I'm always happy with, but I personally wanted something a little lighter and healthier--ideally a good salad. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first. In my experience, salads at Mexican restaurants can sometimes feel like an afterthought: a handful of greens with a few random toppings tossed in. That definitely wasn't the case here. I ordered the Montecito Chicken Salad, and it completely exceeded my expectations. The chicken was served warm (exactly how I like it on a salad) and seasoned perfectly. It wasn't dry or bland like you sometimes get with salad proteins--it was flavorful and clearly prepared with care. The portion size was also generous. Instead of a few tiny pieces scattered around, there was plenty of chicken, making the salad feel like a full and satisfying meal rather than a side dish pretending to be lunch. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. It's the kind of salad that reminds you a simple dish can still be done really well. Another thing that stood out was the service. The older women working there were incredibly kind and welcoming. You could tell they take pride in their work and in the place itself. That kind of genuine hospitality always makes a dining experience better. Music was at a tolerable level and reminded me of my childhood home, my mom played some great music when she cooked, cleaned or just vibed. Sometimes the most unexpected places end up being the best stops. Montecito Kitchen turned a quick lunch break into a really pleasant surprise. Next time I'm back in the area, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again--there are plenty of other dishes on the menu I'd happily come back to try. Great food, warm service, and a salad that actually delivers. Definitely worth the stop. read more

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Birra tacos are now my fav! Consummé was very flavorful. I could detect a little grease, but it made it very authentic tasting. The meat in these tacos was outstanding, with not one speck of gristle.. Homemade and better than my homemade. Perfect little diced onions that were sautéed or cooked with the meat so every bite was delicious. Cilantro & onion in the consummé was ideal. Order at the counter but food is served to your table, usually with a little bowl of chips and salsa. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Birra tacos with consommé. Recommend! - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

Solid little place. The mariscos are great! Chile verde not so much. Kinda watery. Machaca would be better with jalapeños vs bell peppers but still tasty. Chilaquiles are solid. And the tacos are wonderful. The service is usually very friendly! Always smiling and welcoming. read more

Ordered Hard Shell Tacos with ground beef, the ground beef was extra crunchy, like it was cooked a day ago and recooked. Never going back.

We were served in a timely manner! The waitress was very nice and attentive. The food was delicious and very authentic I would highly recommend Montecito Kitchen!! read more

Delicious food and great service. We go here all the time. Prices are average. Margaritas are the bomb!

That was the biggest and best breakfast burrito I've ever had. Service was excellent, cool vibe, and the food was so flavorful. The chorizo burrito I'll dream about. 11/10 read more

Montecito Kitchen - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

This was my first time visiting here since it changed from The Galley fish tacos. I ordered to-go and the cashier was very helpful with my order and super welcoming. I got the taco mentocito which is a taco on a flour tortilla, chopped up carne asada, whole pinto beans, guac, and pico de gallo. It was delicious. I also ordered two tacos pollo, chicken was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Very flavorful. Both dishes were served with radishes and lemon. To-go presentation was great and organized. Will definitely return! read more

4/9/25 @ 7-8pm - This is my second time trying this restaurant. The first time it was bad. I thought, maybe it was a bad night or staff. Well I made the mistake of trying it again and yeah... I have proof - look at the pictures. Ordered 1x chicken crunchy taco and 1x beef crunchy taco. At this point, they must think their customers are dogs because WHOOOO has strong enough teeth to chew this BURNT DRY piece of crappy beef? Like seriously it's embarrassing! And the chicken ‍ tastes like canned chicken. Literally the same texture and taste! Management - I gave you the day and time I visited your establishment. The cook needs to be trained better because this is getting ridiculous. Positive - the cashier has always been nice. I feel bad that she has to be the face of terrible food. Maybe the cashier and the cook should trade places because I'm sure she cares enough about customers and or has enough COMMON SENSE not to put this crap on a plate and serve it to your customers. It's simple - just do better read more

Montecito Kitchen - Chicken out a can. SAME TEXTURE AND FLAVOR! - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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This family owned restaurant serves deliciously seasoned and well portioned meals. The carnitas plate is by far one of the best I've ever had. The birria tacos and plate is amazing with the perfect amount of spice and not greasy. The breakfast burritos (especially the machaca) is ridiculous. They are not skimpy with the shredded beef. I'm one of those that can't stand pieces of inedible fat/gristle on my proteins whether it's beef, chicken or pork. I have never had an issue with this with any of the meals. Especially with the cost of food now and days I appreciate that I'm actually getting edible, high quality proteins with each bite. Each staff member is very polite and always busy whether it's serving meals, cleaning the tables or helping customers at the register. The staff is attentive and friendly. Even though this restaurant is smaller than most restaurants it is not too loud. The restaurant is clean and inviting. read more

My sisters took me there for lunch, and we ordered our food took a while to get our food and it wasn't even busy, This happened today June 10 2026 at 11:00 am after my sisters spent over 70 dollars for lunch, We haven't even got our bill and the lady that waited on us asked us to leave because lunch hour traffic was coming in, Yet there were empty tables all around us. They have just lost 3 Apple Valley Residents who represent 3 families that have lived here 40 plus years, We complied without saying a word, Never again will they see a penny of ours and by the way the food was just average read more

The salsita and chips were so good. The chips were made to order, fresh and warm. The salsita tasted like it was homemade. Very flavorful. The asada and shrimp taco was so good. The combination of shrimp with the asada made it the best taco I've had in a long time. I could tell the beans were made just before I ate them. They were definitely made with love. 10/10 I will be back. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Asada, shrimp taco. - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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We have been looking for Good Consistent Mexican food in the High Desert. This is it. Every time I buy the Carne ASADA Burrito it tastes Great every time. My Mom had the Menudo, and it was so Delicious, it was done before she realised it. This is our go to for Mexican food. It should be yours too. We are so Happy to finally find a Great Mexican Restaurant near us. Clean eating Area, and great service by staff. They know what they are doing Thank you Montecito Kitchen, read more

I have came here multiple times and the food has been above exceptional each time. It's authentic and cooked with love. The service is always amazing and feels like im at home with family. The music, the vibe, and the overall experience here is 10/10. Their salsas here are the best in the high desert. They definitely take pride in their business! read more

I tried it on yesterday and ordered a Wet Chicken Burrito for my husband and 2 Taco Birria's for me. My husband loved his burrito and even found the red sauce I brought him hot (a good hot he said). I was surprised because nothing is usually too hot for him. I loved my tacos. The beef was so super tender and juicy and the dipping sauce was so flavorful. As an afterthought I ordered some onion rings. I don't really like onion rings, but when they're fried with a crunch, I enjoy them and they did them perfectly. They only lost a star because I think they're overpriced for a fast food joint. I paid $35 for the above 4 items. The tacos were $13, I believe and that didn't include any rice or beans, It was just à la cart. read more

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If you want authentic Mexican food, this is the place to come. The food is excellent and delicious. Very good amount service excellent very clean place and affordable.. read more

We go here for the trio fajitas with shrimp, chicken and steak. It's always great. Went in last Tuesday 12/9/25 and I don't know what happened. I said fajitas twice to the server and what I got was not appetizing to the eyes or the mouth. A reheated chicken breast and a steak that looked warmed up laying on a nopal. The nopal and shrimp were good. I'm still going back but was unpleasantly surprised by the food this visit. While they did offer to take it back and make the fajitas, my wife had her food already and I didn't feel like waiting since I hadn't eaten all day and was famished. read more

Sat down and was completely ignored by the Hispanic guy running the front group of four came in after me sat down and took the drinks. Brought them chips and salsa. Continue to ignore me. I was sitting right next to them no food in front of my face no nothing just a new customer ignored. read more

Food was awesome! The freshly made chips and the flavorful salsa were great. The service was also great! Refilling our drinks and providing feedback on food recommendations. The casual seating makes for a great night out for families or couples. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Wet lingua burrito - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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My family came to this store to eat some Spanish food and they didn't fail to give us amazing dishes! It was a pretty small store for customers over 10, but the staff was very accommodating to get us seated. I ordered the shrimp salad, and it was really really good! They were also generous with their portions, so you'll really get full from the meals. I remember my husband getting a breakfast plate, and it was also pretty delicious. Definitely recommend this place if you want some nice lunch or dinner! read more

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Visited today for breakfast/lunch. We stepped in and it was empty. We kinda like it that way. I ordered Chile verde with an egg. Wasn't on the menu, but they made it happen. This lil place is clean and airy. My husband tried the menudo. They provided fresh condiments for the menudo. They asked if we wanted hominy added, which we did. So anyone can have their menudo how ever you are used to it! We enjoyed the food. Server was very sweet and helpful. She made sure we well taken care of. Will return! read more

Montecito Kitchen - Chiliquiles de Mole - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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Very consistent with their food .... Savory and delicious. It's our family to go spot for good quick Mexican food.

The food and service was awesome! We ordered flautas and quesobirra tacos. The flautas were big with a lot of meat inside, great flavor, and the toppings yum! The birra was so packed with flavor, oh man!!! Loved it! We will definitely be back! Alia was our server. She was covering the to go counter and the dine in service. She was attentive and explained our questions thoroughly. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Flautas all rice - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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The food is always delicious. The service is friendly and responsive. This is one of our favorites.

It has been a bit since we have been in after the change from Captains Fish Tacos. Stopped in today Place was busy which is great to see. Mostly Hispanic families enjoying the food and day. Good vibes. Ordered fish and shrimp tacos to go....both battered and grilled. $4.95 each which is about the going rate these days. Place was very clean. Staff were very friendly. Tacos came out in under 10 minutes which was quick. Quality to go containers. Plenty of napkins and utensils included. Now the food.... Opening up both containers the presentation was very good. Food was hot. Tortillas were fresh and tasty. Cabbage on top of all tacos was fresh. Shrimp tacos had a small amount of melted light cheese on the tortilla. Pink Crema on both fish and shrimp tacos has a slight kick to it. Nothing else. Radishes and lemon slices on the side were included. Batter was thicker and heavier than most. Looked cooked but was more like pancake texture. Overwhelmed both fish and shrimp in amount and shear volume. Fish pieces and shrimp were fresh tasting but on the stingy side ..again compared to others I have tried. All tacos tasted good and while different from what I prefer I was only disappointed in the smaller amount of protein in the tacos. Will go back for sure but will ask if they have a white Crema sauce as well as adding a dollop of pico on top (even if extra $). read more

I enjoy the food every time I visit! The ladies are always nice and courteous and keep the restaurant clean. One thing I will suggest, is...preparing the Torta differently. The carne and beans were delicious. My only suggestion is to toast the bread to a decent crisp. Instead of finely chopping the onions, tomatoes and white onion slice them. My Torta bread became soggy too quickly, and my tomato, onion, carne and lettuce fell out while I was eating. When I think of a Torta I expect it to hold together. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Carne Asada Torta. - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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This used to be a place called the galley which was known for fish tacos and carne asada fries. This is more of your standard Mexican cuisine offerings with street tacos and other typical entrees. When we entered the restaurant seemed identical as it was before. The decor, menu, etc was all from the old store with the exception of a neon sign with the new name. Even the specials board seemed unchanced. It took a minute to decide on what to eat because it's just a wall of TVs with text. As we finished ordering we asked for water to drink with the beer and walked to the table. To be clear, the person helping us didn't seem to be the typical person running the front of house, just a sense. Another customer walked up and she handed him the bottle opener, as we finished paying she set it beside the register and I had to actually go and reach for it to be able to use it. (Very sure by law they have to open it before allowing customers to have the bottle.) We ordered guacamole and it had a black section of the avocado as we tried to dip the chips in. The server that had helped us at the register another time for ice water and she said "yes or course" with a smile but it never arrived. She served another table their drink refills and then we never saw her again until she was talking with them later, probably family or friends. Everything had no salt and tasted old. The Street tacos were dry, old meat that was reheated. The salsa was very watery but delicious. The guacamole needed lime, needed acid, needed salt, needed everything with it. I literally mixed it at the table myself with a chip as we continued a long time to wait for food and water. The orange sauce that came with the tacos is the best thing from the whole restaurant. Beer selection is good, pricey for no reason, but exactly the options you want for this cuisine. When another server gave us our plates from the kitchen, finally able to ask for water. The original hostess spent the entire time we were sitting there talking to the table beside us. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

Amazing food! Got the wet Carmen asada burrito with red and green sauce. BF got Burria tacos with consommé. Excellent also! Service is so friendly and those that reviewed that badly they are ten feet away at the counter so that's hard to believe. We will definitely be coming back. read more

The place is small. It was packed when we came so, I took it as a good sign. We dined in. The wait was horrible it was 30 minutes before we got our drinks and chips and salsa. Nothing against the cashier or waitress they just seemed very overwhelmed. They just had no structure. The cashier asked us what we ordered and I heard her shout out ordered to the kitchen which made me feel like they forgot about it. Mind you we are around 40 minutes in. We finally get our food and the food was great, but not worth the wait. I will come back, hopefully the service is better next time. Pricing is decent read more

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The Galley is gone, but we've gained a really good Mexican restaurant in its place! We still ordered fish tacos as well as the quesabirria tacos with consommé. Chips and salsa came quick and the chips were fresh and salsa was good. Our server was super friendly and very attentive. Our tacos came out fast. Both plates looked so good. We shared tacos. I enjoyed the quesabirria tacos the most, maybe because I was comparing the fish tacos to the galley. Fish Tacos were good just had too much cheese and were more soggy than I like for a breaded taco. Flavor was really good tho. The consommé for the quesabirria was so flavorful, probably the best I've ever tasted. Rice and beans were also very good. We look forward to returning to this great little restaurant to try more dishes! read more

Montecito Kitchen - Quesabirria with consommé - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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Just like many others, I walked in here thinking it was still The Galley and was disappointed when I found out it was now Montecito Kitchen... at first. I decided to stay and try their mixed breakfast burrito vs. driving to The Galley location in Victorville. And I'm glad I did - it was great. It's loaded with ham, bacon and sausage so I can see how some people might think it's too salty, but I love salt so it hit the spot for me. So much that I returned the next two Saturdays. On my third visit, I decided to switch it up and order the machaca breakfast burrito. I enjoyed it but it was PACKED with machaca to the point where it was more of a machaca burrito and not a breakfast burrito, which I was more in the mood for. The menu is gigantic, the ladies at the counter are friendly and the food comes out quickly. I'm glad this place opened - it's slim pickins' for good restaurants in the area. I intend to make many more visits to try new items. read more

Montecito Kitchen - mixed breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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This is my favorite Mexican food in the HD, I usually get the beef stew and it's always amazing, I've also had their carne asada burrito and it was also great! I will continue to go here because of the good food and also their great service! read more

Decided to give this place a try for dinner. We used to come to this location for Captain's. Right away, we were greeted with fabulous, friendly, and attentive service. Delicious food as well. The feeling we got here was that you are being taken care of by a family who really wants you to enjoy your dining experience. The food reflects that vibe, and the prices are also good. The camarones a la diabla (spicy shrimp) was fantastic and well balanced. Makes me want to try the other shrimp plates just to see their spin on things! The 3 soft taco plate was super legit, and really got their meats right. Would highly recommend this place. To be honest, I feel like Apple Valley just got a little better with this traditional Mexican food restaurant... with a slightly fancy spin that sticks to its roots! read more

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This is near my home and have been here a few times for their breakfast burritos. The have always been on point. I really enjoy the mixed burrito. It is flavorful and big. The staff are friendly and even though it is small, they have plenty of seating to dine in or to just wait for your order to go. Cute decor. read more

I have been here twice now. Everything is amazing. The prices are reasonable considering how fresh everything is from the tortillas to the sauces everything seems to be from scratch. Amazing. read more

The carnitas burrito here is bomb af. Super flavorful and meat is perfectly juicy and not dry like many other places. For sure the best carnitas I've had at a restaurant, also tried their guyaba agua fresca and it was delicious. Will be back soon to try more items. read more

Montecito Kitchen - Carnitas burrito - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

We drove from Victorville by the mall for the Shrimp Taco salad which we have ordered before. Our only request was iceberg lettuce only because he doesn't like arugula which we have ordered before. The response was as very rude "it's already mix". Their food is good but I would have appreciated a little courteous customer service. We have been coming regularly for a few months. Manners and polite treatment of customers goes a long way. You lost 3 customers today. We will take our business elsewhere. 10.18.2024 @ 3:15pm read more

I've been to this place twice in a week! My new favorite Mexican restaurant. The flavors are insane and authentic. The salsas are sooo good. Clean and beautiful inside. Service is great. PLEASE try it! read more

Montecito Kitchen - Birra and chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Apple Valley, California

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On July 17,2025 me and my husband went to eat here there was this lady name Mary very rude ,bad service it was our first time going to this Restaurant it was a very disappointing Why work there if your rude to customers read more

Delicious food and great service. Very friendly staff. The restaurant is on the small side but that makes it part of its small business charm. My favorite item is the vegetable quesadilla. It is huge so it's a two meal item for me. read more