Dont know where to start, from walking in and the decor. The friendly faces and servers. The authentic food and flavors of all the dishes we tried. This place is legit authentic and DELICIOUS!!! We started with the appetizer sampler beef taquitos, quesadillas, carnita empanadas and Nachos like grandmas house on a sunday! Wifee ordered the margarita also strong and tasty. read more

Okay we tried again, we wanted so much to love this place. HUGE NOPE the food tasted like chemical cleaner, the tequila had a new flavor every time we got a new drink (tequila on ice, not mixed), I wanted to be here with a new happier review, but this place should be avoided AT ALL COSTS!!! read more

Honestly not the best. I was here for lunch yesterday and was not very fond of the sewage-like smell that is around the parking lot and inside the restaurant. I came with a friend, I ordered a wet carne asada burrito, and my friend ordered steak and potatoes. We were greeted with water, chips and salsa. As soon as our plates came out everything looked absolutely delicious. When our forks and knives hit the plates, grabbed a piece of our food and was delivered into our mouths we were very UNSATISFIED. The burrito I got tasted like a pizza and the meat inside looked like small pebbles of nothing. My meal was supposed to come with rice and beans, but they were no where to be found. My friend's steak and potatoes looked appetizing to the eye as well but it lacked flavor and the meat was too chewy. read more

Olamendi's - Wet burrito - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Sometimes you go to a location for more than the food. Sometimes you go for the ambience. That's why I decided to go to Olamendi's. Thank goodness the food was very good, too! Almost every inch of this small but colorful restaurant is decorated -- even the little niches above diners' heads. The chairs are colorful. It was a treat for the eyes. As for food, the chips are the thick and crisp kind, my favorite. They come in a paper bag. Sodas come in a can, unfortunately. The salsa has a kick to it, so use sparingly unless you enjoy that sudden burn. I ordered combo #16, an enchilada and tamale. Always have to get the tamale. Both were good, but the green sauce on top was okay. The beans and rice were very tasty, and I scooped up both with those crispy tortilla chips. The service was excellent -- helpful and friendly. There's both indoor and patio seating. Oh, and even the wall outside in the parking lot was decorated. I posted a photo. read more

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Don't do it. By So California standards this place is bleh. The food was under seasoned, watery sauces, the cream Sauce on one dish was "broken", and the proteins inconsistently cooked. Our party tried tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and a burrito. Three of the four of us didn't even try to finish our plates. Just bleh. The only pro to the place is the location. read more

This is my first ever yelp review and I feel I must write it because it was such a horrible experience. I have been going here since the 80s when I was a child. I was very disappointed the last time I went on April 27th. This lady was extremely rude and I can tell the staff was stressed. The vibe was horrible due to this lady's aggressive attitude. Luckily she didn't end up being our waitress a really lovely woman was but the lady who was older then her was RUDE. Such a shame because I went there on my birthday and every single person was uncomfortable. read more

Had the shredded chicken burrito. It was ok. Was a bit spicy and had peppers in it? Chips were delicious though.

They charge a split plate charge even if you ask them not to split a plate. Pure ripoff. And the soda comes in a can so they can charge for refills. I am imagining that sometimes people come and sit all day - but we were there for dinner. read more

Mom lives in Laguna Niguel and our normal haunts are Javiers, Coyote Grill, Las Brisas, Red O, South of Nicks and El Torito. Red O and South of Nicks are our faves and we have been talking about Olamendis for the longest time and we finally stopped in to celebrate a special occasion on a beautiful afternoon. The location is great (on PCH right across from the beach in Dana Point but that is where its charm stops. The first thing they do is bring you a basket of chips that are so thick and bland that they defy description. Somehow they also managed to get their guacamole to taste just as absent of any culinary quality. There was no salt...no lime...no chili, garlic or seasoning. Then they brought margaritas that tasted so artificial, it took all my courage to finish it. I asked if they could make a more upscale drink with premium tequila and better orange liqueur like Combier or Cointreau. She assured me that they made their own and it was the best. They "salted" the rim with some slimy goo that reminded me of a melted starburst that fell into a Tajin shaker. Olamendis is now my benchmark for the worst margarita I have ever had. HOW DO YOU MESS UP THE TABLE STAKES OF A MEXICAN RESTAURANT SO BADLY? They did...and I had to try and choke them down while looking at their sign claiming they are "world famous". I wont bother telling you any more than the Chile Relleno burrito was a tiny pile of indistiguishable melted things that I could thankfully smother in hot sauce. Finally, flavor! Don't waster your time...there are so many good places. read more

Disappointed. We've been here many times over the years and it has had a steep decline. We've ordered a variety of items and all were very ordinary. The chicken tacos were dripping with grease. The margaritas were $20 each and seemed like they had no alcohol at all. The chips were very thick and bland. The price was higher than it should be and the service is reliably poor. We had a good sized group and we asked for a couple of extra salsas for our food only to find out that they charge for each one. Very nickel and dime for a sit down restaurant. Overall not a great experience and in San Clemente there are several other places that are much better. read more

Ambiance and location is great! Food is bland and lacks any flavor. WORST fish taco I've ever had. Service is not with a smile.. super grouchy older woman who acted like she didn't want to be there. If you're looking for drinks and a view then it's your place. Just don't eat there read more

The place was empty. The food was mediocreat Best we ask for sliced avocados and instead of guacamole which they did. However, the avocado was not ripe and hard as a rock. We did not get any additional chips or salsa nor did they ask or did they ask if we wanted refills on our sodas, not impressed read more

As a Mexican I was disappointed .... The food was bland, the drinks were over sweetened and overall expensive as fuck...

Customer service , everyone had a sad smug face and it took 30 min to get water we asked for. Salad was just greens with a container of dressing for $9 ... really Food was aweful and when host asked if we wanted a box ..so I can throw it in the trash... will never go there again, it ruined our night in read more

Lucky find during the pandemic. No dining, inside or out but they were great. We had four different tacos and they were all huge abs delicious! Great homemade salsa that has a lil kick. Best part, they were making margarita last to-go and the bartender was pouring g heavy, along with free tastings of their tequila abs orange liqueur. Who doesn't love a great margarita in these trying times!! Gonna have to try this place again when normalcy returns. read more

I was a little iffy on this place when I read the reviews. I was meeting a friend and this place was in between our locations so I figured, let's give it a shot. Let me start by saying the service is not very good but they are really nice! Yes they are overpriced for what they serve (one taco is $10). We ordered two combo plates and two cocktails, overall the food was average and the cocktails were decent. The food did take forever to come out (they had a big party in the back and so it was like 45 minutes to get our food). I think this may just be the norm for the service to be really slow. They did apologize for the delay but the food did not come out super hot, so not sure if it had been sitting... Overall I would probably go back to give them another shot if in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way. read more

Carnitas at the beach! Can't beat that. Nice to meet up after work and work my way down the coast.

I expected this to be better than average for the price. Ordered 8 tacos total. All very dry. Nice customer service though. read more

Olamendi's - Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

You'll be satisfied with their many flavorful dishes from Tacos to Their own savory entrees! I tasted the Green Posole, Camarones al mojo de ajo & Beefy Tacos, rice & beans. They have in house Tequila Bar & especializa in mixed drinks and They in imported beers. Try Dos X it was refreshing on this hot summer day and the view of the beach is beautiful! read more

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We went here because it was right next to the place we were staying. The salsa and margarita were really good but the chips were stale and the meal my husband ordered was so runny he had to use several napkins to sop it up. We also had to ask our waiter for water, even though he had been at our table several times and could clearly see our cups were empty. Unless you have no other choice I would not eat here. read more

The restaurant is dirty and the quality of the food has gone down hill. Service was bad. No refills on drinks

Been coming to this spot for over 25 years. Generally a B+ to A experience. Tonight was the first time I remember being charged for hot sauce. $2 for about an oz of sauce, didn't realize it till I ordered another and I saw our server with the payment device out. Are kidding me?? No other alternative except their home made. With a party of 8 and all have drinks and going to nickel and dime on a staple ingredient?? Such a turn off. Sorry huge mistake in my opinion. read more

Good food overall. But cheese used for queso fundido not as good anymore. Potato tacos are delicious. read more

Good Mexican food. No shortage on the decor! So much to look at! It's like a collectors display room or something. Some of the art was cool, some as a little random and kitchy. Tacos were good but kinda pricey. I know some places have dollar tacos for happy hour etc. The margaritas were tasty and good cocktails. The salsa and nacho chips were so good! I could have just kept eating that. Fresh salsa made in house. Right about of heat and spice! I would go back just for that. They have a parking lot so that makes it convenient. The burrito with beef, which you can have in mega size if you are up for it! Be really hungry or maybe share it for two. read more

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This was the worst Mexican food I've ever had. There was no flavor in anything we ordered. The only taste left in our mouths was salt and grease. The mole is supposed to be a popular dish here so we ordered mole enchiladas and they were near inedible. I got a fried Baja fish taco and the fish was soggy and cold in the inside. This place used to be run well and the food was good but it's gone completely downhill. The best part of the meal was the chips and salsa which wasn't the greatest either. The only thing this place has going for it is the location with a beautiful view. I hope they start making some changes to bring this place back to being a staple Mexican restaurant on PCH read more

I am sorry to say, but this restaurant has no passion or love in the kitchen. My husband and I each ordered steak- it was incredibly tough, no flavor, and sad to say, it didn't taste like meat. We both returned our plates right away, and ordered "cant go wrong" Mexican food ( taco's and toquilla's). Our new plates were terrible. We couldnt eat it. I think the food was all frozen, food is not fresh. Seems like they lean on air fryer and simply deep frying frozen food. We spent $100.00 and came home to eat dinner. Im sure the original owner would be very sad to know how the food is prepared and tastes read more

This place really lived up to all its glory...I've heard so many good things about this place from both friends who live in Dana point and a few who are from elsewhere. The service is top notch and the food is excellent! The decor is a tad loud but definitely a spectacular sight! Unfortunately, I did not get any pics of our food (so unlike me) but I ended up getting the Chile Relleno a la carts and 2 different enchiladas: 1 fish enchilada with red sauce and 1 carnitas enchilada with green sauce! When my food came out my eyes got wide and I was excited to dive into my meal, White cheese (queso fresco... I think) was on top and man it tasted amazing! We will definitely come back...my wife thoroughly enjoyed her skinny margarita! Just word of advice if you are planning on having 6 or more people, they will not split checks, so keep that in mind! Normally, this place is super busy and parking can get crazy so I suggest ubering or lyfting here. Might not be a bad idea if you plan on scarfing down some margaritas! But if you decide to drive be careful when parking in front of this place because the oncoming traffic from the main road could be scary especially if you are backing out of your space! Please enjoy some of my pics! read more

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I loved dining here at Mendi's. We sat outside enjoying the view of the ocean. Had few shots of tequila. The chips and salsa were divine. Parking is limited and luckily we were able to snag a safe spot inside the lot. Forgot what I ate here but definitely had a good time here. I highly recommend checking out this place. read more

Food was average Mexican, service was ok but very slow, our food took about 30 minutes. Location and ambiance is great. Views are great right across from the water. read more

Olamendi's - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

We have been meeting here for years because my friend comes from San Diego and I come from Whittier. The food has never disappointed and we had another delicious meal with excellent service. Usually I order the chile rellanno de Dona Christina but this time we both got chicken tostados. Unfortunately we were both driving so we didn't get the delicious marguerites! The chips were fresh, warm and crispy and the salsa good and thick. We took the extra salsa and put it on the tostadas. We tend to meet before peak dining time because when the weather is good we love sitting outside. The decor inside is always fun. read more

Hours mentioned on website and Yelp are incorrect. Posted hours on physical address say 9pm on Saturday. Showed up at 8:05 and they say they close at 8. Looked good. Too bad we didn't get to try it. read more

My family and I have been going to Olamendi's for close to 30 years. We used to love it until recently. The food quality has gone downhill. The margaritas were sweet - it did not taste like there was any tequila in them. They bring out one basket of chips and a less than half a bowl of salsa, whether you're a table of one or a table of five and then charge money if you want more chips/salsa. Lastly, the cost of the sub-par food is through the roof. The whole experience was very disappointing! There is no reason to ever go here again. Plenty of other great restaurants in the area. read more

The location is the only positive experience from our meal. The chips were so thick I was literally concerned about cracking a tooth. And the empanadas are wrapped in a tortilla, not dough, so it's like a taquito just a different shape. The kids meal was supposed to come with a drink and dessert. The drink was a juice box, which we never got. Dessert was supposed to be sopapillas and we got a bag of Knott's cookies. Restaurants are so strapped, dining out feels like it's just a meal of Costco items. read more

Food was okay nothing to rave about. The ambiance was unique and interesting but the service does not reflect a welcoming atmosphere. Staff were milling around and not very attentive when asking about some dietary restrictions would be accommodated (we went early before the even rush started and we're one of two tables parties in the whole restaurant). If I had a choice I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, most importantly food is mediocre at best. (Also the Nixon pictures and tributes on the walls were hilarious, owners were clearly big fans) read more

WELCOME! "MAY ALL WHO ENTER AS GUESTS, LEAVE AS FRIENDS" OLAMENDI'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Dana Point, CA! Established in 1973, this Fun Restaurant is definitely a Landmark in a great location, and you can't miss if off the Pacifc Coast Highway! As soon as you enter, you are Welcomed with the most Colorful, Cheerful Decor this side of the Mexican Border, it's like a Piñata exploded inside! Some from our Party of 6 were running late, so my Hubby & I took a seat at the BAR, which not to mention, has a Fantastic Ocean View! A must try is Olamendi's Family owned brand of Organic Tequila! It's so Smooth, maybe too Smooth, I could have easily had another, but wanted to behave! I'm always fascinated by their Presidential homage that adorns their walls, there are so many former Presidents & Pictures of many respected people we all recognize! Their Mexican Artwork & Memorabilia Collection displayed throughout the Restaurant is quite impressive too, and all I can say is "a picture is worth a thousand words", and I'm sorry, not sorry, for all the photos, people need to know what a Gem of a place this is! Their Authentic Traditional Mexican Family Cuisine is made from Fresh and Healthy ingredients! I Love their home-made Salsas, Moles & Sauces, you can tell they are made with TLC from treasured family recipes passed down from one generation to another! HOLY MOLY, I love their Fresh Chunky Guacamole! Wow, and entire menu page dedicated to Vegans & even though I'm not a Vegan, I wanted to try their Vegan Calabacitas Specialty (zucchini, corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers & onions) in my opinion, a tad bit expensive for $20, but it was served with beans, Quinoa, a salad or soup, and warm corn tortillas! The soup was Meh, but everything else was seasoned nicely & flavorful! Would I order it again, probably not! And how Cute, they even have a LITTLE AMIGOS FIESTA Kids Menu, my nephews absolutely love this place too! The Restaurant is large and it looked well kept! But I must admit, I was surprised how there was an abundance of open tables on a Thursday evening, perhaps it was because we arrived at 6:30! I also want to mention, how cool it was to witness genuine hospitality, a lady who I think might have been the owners Gorgeous daughter, was Warmly Welcoming so many, what appeared to be repeat guests & locals! MUCHAS GRACIAS OLAMENDI'S and a SPECIAL THANKS to our waiter VICTOR & JOSE too, we'll be back again soon! On a side note, be sure to visit Olamendi's Family Market, open since July 2016, it's a fantastic neighborhood market with a variety of grocery and Specialty items, to include Organic & Vegan selections too! read more

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Let me start by saying the food at this restaurant is delicious. We have never had a bad meal there. But, after last night we will not return to the restaurant. This is why - horrible customer service. The lady at the register taking orders refused to accept my $25 gift certificate. The gift certificate was mailed directly to me by someone in their management over a year ago. They sent it as an apology for an incorrect pick up order. Anyway, the certificate did not have an expiration date but that was not the issue. The reason why the lady refused to accept the certificate was because she did not recognize the signature on the certificate. Why is that my problem? Does she know the signature of everyone in the Olamendi's company? She was looking at the gift certificate like it was suspicious. I resent the implication that the certificate was somehow not genuine. I told her the story of why I have the certificate. She didn't really care - she was stuck on the signature. So we paid in full without the $25 getting applied to the bill. This is really disgraceful customer service.  I should have listened to my instinct to leave the restaurant once I saw they were still doing Del Taco type service. By that I mean customer's place an order at a counter and we get a number to put on our table. The problem is, this is not Del Taco prices. We are paying a premium but getting subpar service. If we wanted another round of drinks we have to go back to the counter. This type of service is not conducive to an enjoyable dining experience. Again, for the prices we are paying this is not the kind of service we expect. I understand this was necessary during the height of Covid but I am guessing that Covid is no longer the reason because none of the employees were wearing masks.  Anyway, we stayed because the food is that good. But, it was definitely our last time. read more

Mentioned we had a birthday and received a head nod in response. After no one mentioned the birthday again or even wish a birthday person, I was told they don't do anything for birthdays, "even singing after Covid." It would have been the courteous thing to tell us beforehand. We were told they closed at 8:00, so we arrived at 7:15. We finished eating and were waiting for the check, but they started sweeping in close proximity to our table before 8:00. When I worked in the food service industry for four years, know my company used this technique to move slow customers out of the restaurant at closing. Using new technology, the server had me slip my card into a machine and stood over me while I computed a tip. I told her to close out the tab and that I would just give a cash tip. I had to ask for a receipt which was printed out by another server. This restaurant has much history to it because President Nixon found out about the restaurant and provided many opportunities to the owner that are carefully chronicled on the wall through momentos and pictures of presidents and other famous people. This has caused me to have high expectations of service. This visit is not up to the standards from prior trips. read more

I used to love this place. In the olden days (pre- COVID), there was really good service. Their tequila is phenomenal. We've been here to eat a few times post-pandemic. For a while, it was all outside dining and counter ordering, and I gave them a pass on the service (it's always the same woman...and I'll get to that). I have worked as a waitress, so I tend to be overly understanding because I have survivor guilt. Haha This brings us to today. Came here for an impromptu lunch to watch the waves on a rainy day. I ordered the pozole, and it tasted like I was going to get food poisoning, so I sent it back. I ordered a toastada and thought I had ordered the corn tortilla one. When it came out in a flour tortilla, I mentioned that I thought I had ordered one on a corn tortilla. Our waitress, Claudia, was so rude about this. She smirked at me and said, "That's what you ordered." I was not impolite about this at all, nor was she the person I sent the soup back with. I asked to see the menu to clarify, and she threw one down at me. It was my bad, and I just ate around the flour tortilla. I get really bad skin issues from wheat, but I didn't want to have to deal with ordering something else. Claudia seems miserable in general, and I gave her a lot of latitude because of COVID, but this isn't our first rodeo with her awful service. The salsa is the only redeeming quality about this place. The food is so bland that I've eaten hospital food with more flavor. As someone who has been coming here for 20 years now, I can confidently say that I will not be back. Go to Laguna if you want Mexican food by the beach. Actually, go literally anywhere but here. read more

I wish I had had a choice to give them no star. I ordered a jumbo hibiscus margarita which tasted nothing like hibiscus (I drink hibiscus flower tea every day). We had to mix salsa with the guacamole to add some flavor to it. Ordering food was another challenge. They didn't explain anything or asked questions about how we want our food. So we ordered a two taco combo to share, one with chicken and one with stake both crunchy. My steak taco was on a soft corn tortilla in separate plate. When we called our server to tell her about it she said that only shredded beef and chicken come in crunchy shells. So they brought me a shredded beef taco (ok... I'll give them one star for that). At the end we realized we were charged for split plates (which again no one told us about it). And about the ambience: we were accompanied by a little mouse. read more

Olamendi's - #5 combo taco plate, stating nothing about crunchy tacos or even shredded beef. - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

Disappointing. Not Mexican food. We just had dinner here. We came seeking tamales because today is "Dia de lA Candelaria" and it is a Mexican tradition to eat tamales this day. Anyway, the tamales are the worst I have ever tried in my life. Dry and chewy. They were still cold inside, they didn't unfreeze them completely before serving. The shrimp enchilada was flavorless. As if they took Costco shrimps and wrapped them in the tortilla, without spices, no flavor. Just plain. I should mention this was both the recommendation from the waitress. Never they came to ask if everything was ok. Waitress just showed up with the terminal, no check to show the breakdown. We both told her how disappointed we were, we were two at the party and we both just ate half of our plate. It was that bad. The waitress response said "oh sorry" after we explained we didn't like the food. She didn't care. She said it wasn't her recipe. In a nutshell, mediocre tasteless food. Zero customer service. This is not what Mexican food is. read more

Olamendi's - The worst tamale and enchilada I have ever tasted. Stay away. - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California