I've been coming here for years. One of my very favorite mexican restaurants in the area. The food is always fabulous. Pricing is moderate. The decor is like a mexican bazaar, stuff everywhere. Photos of the owner with Nixon (this used to be one of his favorite restaurants also) and other Republican presidents. They've expanded over the years to a rear patio which is mostly a waiting area cause the place is packed during the summer. You used to have to sit on the wall outside in the parking lot. read more

If your diet includes lots of grease, this is your place. All the crap hanging on the walls and ceiling makes me think that there's lot and lots of vermin under and beneath all of the junk. Place used to be decent with good service. Not anymore. read more

We were here last year and we enjoyed the food - little pricey & very noisy but an overall good experience. We are staying close again this year & we tried calling last night to order take out - phone always went to voicemail. We just figured they were busy & ended up with Chinese delivery (which was good. Tonight we tried calling again & it went to voice mail and again busy. Figured again, must be busy. We walked over - they are not busy...we are waiting for our order to go & were told about 15 minutes...and it's been longer than that. We were told the kitchen was backed up - not sure how that is possible when what tables were full had food. Oh well - hopeful food is good. Customer service is not. read more

I love this place! I had the pozole verde...delicious. This is also a visual treat. The restaurant is decorated with all kinds of Mexican folk art and tons of photos celebrating the owners support for and friendship with luminaries of the Republican Party. It may seem incongruous for a Mexican eatery but this is Orange county. If you are ever even near San Clemente you have to try it! read more

Just enjoy a traditional homemade dinner @Olamendis. Was blown away at the authenticity of the food. Thank you Esmeralda for being the perfect host. I will def be coming back and highly recommend this family owned establishment. read more

Great Mexican food. Had some different dishes that I don't normally see on the east coast.

Oh boy, where do I begin on this one. How about with the good. The staff was very polite and friendly, and the guy playing the guitar tableside was great too!.Well, that about does it for the good. Now the bad... Walked in on a beautiful spring Friday evening and the place was packed! The hostess at the front said a table for three would take a few minutes so we stepped over to the "bar" to grab a couple of cocktails and a soda for the little one. First, they have no beers on tap nor do they have any fountain drinks. All the beers they have are bottled and in a fridge behind the "bar". The soda's were all in cans on shelves, not fridgerated. It now makes sense that on the menu it says "soda $2.50 No Refills". I decided to get the Malaguena Salerosa which is a serrano-chile ginger margarita. My girl ordered the Esmeralda's Choice which wa Lemonaide, coconut water, oragnic tequila, orange congac liqueur and fresh mint, (sounds refreshing) and the little one had the "no refill" can of coke. My maragarita was okay, but the Esmeralda's Choice was horrible. Tasted like tequila and coconut water, thats it. We normally dont do this but we had to send it back and asked for just a normal margarita (which also was one of the worst margarita's I've had). My son got his can of coke poured in a glass with ice. Just needed to wait a few min for it to get cold. After being seated, it did take some time for the waitress to come and take our order but they were busy so, okay, I can understand that. We ordered the Chiles de Carne Dona Christina which is a chile relleno topped homade special beef, nut and raisin chutney and sour cream. (Sounds different so we decided to try this one) The two carne asada tacos plate, and the three chicken taquitos plate. While waiting for our food we noticed a bigger group (of about 8) behind us were put in the far right courner of the main dining area. Courner seating is usually fine, except they had a really large statue of Jesus on the cross hanging from the ceiling, and the poor lady in the group that had the courner seat had Jesus' crotch resting above her head. Not to mention the King of Kings glaring down at the table while they ate. I hope they prayed before eating! When we got our food the presentation of the taquitos and the tacos were okay, but the chille relleno looked gnarley! The "special meat and chutney" looked like a burnt pile hamburger meat on top of the chille relleno. Obviously overcooked the hamburger meat and the chutney looked like they put raisins and nuts in a blender and mixed it with the burnt hamburger meat and threw it on top. The chicken taquitos were overcooked as well. The meat on both open ends of the taquitos were so overcooked I thought it was beef at first. Its only when I cut the taquitos in half when I realized it was chicken. It was very very dry chicken. How do you mess up taquitos!?!? Please let them have good carne asada at least, please lord Jesus with your crotch on the lady's head, please let them have good carne asada! That's when I got a nice big helping of NOPE! The carne asada was chewy, dry, and was in perfect little cubed size pieces. Kind of reminds me of dog food cubes. C'mon, carne asada is steak. The fact that the perfect identical cut cubes of "carne asada" were used shows they use some sort of prepackaged meat. Beans and rice were a little bland, and I dont doubt they use prepackaged rice and beans too. We normally dont do this, actually I have never done this but we called the waitress over and explained all of this. She was very nice and offered to take off all the food items from the bill seeing how I took two bites of one of my two tacos, my son ate half of one of the three taquitos and my girl had a couple bits of her chile relleno. She just asked that we pay for the drinks, fair enough. I never send back a whole table of food but this was just down right awful. The only reason for the one star is because of the staff or I would have given a negative two stars (if that was possible). Palate tested and Phatboy does not approve.. :( read more

We drive a good distance to eat here--have for years. It's our fav Mexican restaurant.

This charming, vibrant Mexican restaurant is one of its kind and has the perfect location overlooking the beautiful Doheny Beach in Dana Point. I have heard so much about this World Famous Mexican Restaurant from my friends that I made it a point to visit it. We went on a lovely Sunday afternoon with some friends and was delighted when I first entered the restaurant by its unique, colorful and interesting decor. It felt like I was transported to an enchanting small village in Mexico, with the fragrant aromas of delicious food hovering in the atmosphere, it was indeed inviting. We sat down and ordered some of their custom made Olamendi's Margarita and my oh my...the smoothness of it hits the spot. Not to mention their tequila is Organic..Nice... We were given a thick Menu with an extensive array of Entrees to chose from, it was fantastic. The pictures on the wall of the owner and his family with prominent celebrities and presidents intrigued me. Really makes for good conversation. I love that there is a rich family history to this restaurant and the owner Don Jorge personally came to our table to greet and welcome us! He is gracious, personable and I can see how he has achieved success as a restauranteur for over thirty years. Our table ordered the Nachos a la Olamendi which might as well be called "The Ultimate Nacho Platter" It was hearty, rich and what Nachos in heaven would taste like. For our main entree, our table ordered the Pescado a la Veracruzana (Fish filet in a light herb,tomato, onion, chiles and jalapenos sauce), Pollo Blanca Nieves (chicken breast in a creamy, white Jalapeno and Chardonnay sauce) and Cheese Chile Relleno. All I can say is, YUM deluxe, the fish was light and fluffy, every entree was cooked to perfection with a perfect blend of flavors and spices that are delightfully hot! It was really gourmet Mexican food and you could tell, some heart went into all the recipes. It is no ORDINARY Mexican food...it was made to thoroughly relish from beginning to end! Service was prompt, friendly and warm. We left the restaurant feeling full, happy and most importantly looking forward to many meals in the future at this extraordinary gem of a restaurant. It definitely delivers an experience you will never forget! read more

How disappointing. I had been here years ago and had good memories of my experience but it seems that things have changed or that my memory is not so good. My wife and I went here for a couple of margaritas and a snack yet instead of leaving happy about the way our day at the beach ended, we felt ripped off and disappointed. We got a total of five "OC margaritas" and two simple appetizers and the tab came out to $90! $90!?! For what? The margaritas were subpar, served in a tumbler (not an appropriate glass for a margarita) and had regular table salt on the rim instead of coarse salt which would be the traditional choice. Blecch! And how much do they charge for these uninspired cocktails? $12 apiece! Our appetizers were the queso fundito with chorizo (which was the dish that motivated our visit) and a plate of plain nachos. The nachos were okay, nothing to get excited about and nothing to complain about. But the queso fundito was a big letdown. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this dish, it's basically a plate of melted cheese served with tortillas. We opted for the version that also had chorizo on the plate. The chorizo that came on this plate was nothing like anything I've had in the past. Very bland and with a texture unlike any chorizo I've had before. More like something I might expect to get at Denny's then at, what it supposed to be, a very traditional Mexican restaurant with a long local history. Needless to say we won't be returning nor will I try their other location. There are far too many good Mexican restaurants here in Southern California that I don't need to waste my time or money on substandard operations such as this. read more

You have got to be kidding me! The food here is absoultley horrible. What's amazing is the place is packed. I just dont get it. The chips are cold and stale, the salsa has no bite and tastes like it came from a can. The mexican rice might as well be from a box and the beans...what the hell? Couldn't even eat them. It tasted like crushed lima beans which werent even cooked thru. As far as a shredded beef taco..dry, no flavor or seasoning. I am a mexican food snob. I would guess at least 5 times a week this would be my go to food. This is my second time to the restarant so dont think this was just a bad nite. The first time I had the seafood soup. It was fair..not much flavor but edible. My wife who never complains about anything and always finds something good to say didnt say a word...Had to be bad! On top of bad food the service is slow and the place is so noisy you can't hear yourself think. Avoid this place like the plague or you might get it! read more

This is the first time ever I have felt it was this important to write a review on a restaurant. I used to go here as a kid and it was great. However, something has changed. The servers are incredibly unfriendly and the food is horrible. The chips were stale and the salsa was bland. The beans and rice are watery and have no flavor. I have been here twice recently to see if it was maybe an off night but I was wrong. Last night was the first time in my life I have actually had to send food back. It was that bad!!! SoCal is known for their great mexican food and this is absolutely not the place to find it. :/ read more

i picked up food to go for my elderly mother and myself. She ordered beef taco and beef enchilada and i had chicken nachos. When i got the order home we found out my chicken nachos didn't have any chicken and my mom's beef taco didn't have any beef. Maybe they had a bad day so a week later we try it again but I will check the food when they bring it out. We order the same thing and when they brought it out my chicken nachos had chicken. Good job so i took the food home not checking my mom's order. At home my mom said where is my taco? What no taco? Yes, half her meal was missing! Do you think we should try it again? read more

I was hoping to write a great review but unfortunately I can't.. The first clue should have been the chips and salsa, for authentic Mexican it was clear no effort had been made, The empanadas were a disappointment as well...but my chile relleno was almost disgusting I think the only reason I ate half if it was because I waited 45 min to get it!! read more

Absolutely in love. As my fiancé said with a huge smile after a large bite of his burrito, "I feel home". Cutest ladies serving the food and they have a whole vegan menu for us vegheads. We are so happy to have found this place so close to home and expect to be back ummm... everyday. They also make their own organic tequila. Hibiscus margs ftk?Yep. So down. Also, the horchata was the best I've ever had! To top it all off, the decor is funky and colorful for all you insta models. Get down to this beautiful spot right on the beach as soon as you can! read more

The owners daughter (The youngest one) needs some assistance in dealing with customers. We left tonight because she is seriously lacking customer service skills. So disappointed. read more

Very disappointing. I found the food to be just ok at best and the servers were all over the place. Bringing drinks we didn't order, not bringing drinks we did order. We were in a group that wanted to split up the check. I was told they can't do separate checks but they would be happy to run as many cards as we needed for any amount we would like. We decided to run 2 cards. This took about 20 minutes and when they returned to the table with the receipts they had run the wrong amounts on the cards...even after it had been explained in detail....so we waited an additional 10-15 for them to void the transactions and run them again. After the $75 tip that was automatically applied our bill was over $400. The experience I had was no where near what I expect for that price tag. Recommending this place is impossible. read more

Been coming here for great Mexican takeout. The family loves the meals. Never can go wrong with tacos. Miss the one in RSM. It was so close to us. But, when going to sprouts next door, this is a great place to get some great tacos for the family. The enchiladas are also my favorite. Great sauce and the helpings are enough to fill you up. The owner and help are always friendly, even when they are so busy. And they are busy. Especially on Friday nights. I will keep coming back here for more. read more

I had the pleasure of spending Sunday morning Brunch at the adorable and tasty restaurant! Sara Sample-Restaurant Manager, Rachel Huve-Server Extraordinaire and Michael Avila-the son of this great family restaurant (and one of the owners) did everything that they could to make our brunch memorable. We had around 50 people come by to share a post-wedding day brunch to enjoy great conversations with their amazing California authentic Mexican food. Michael greeted me with a big smile and made it clear he was here to help us create a great experience for our out of town guests. Sara kept checking with me to make sure my guests were happy and even gave me some much appreciated TLC too! Sara & Rachel were so friendly and engaging that our guests wanted to take them home with them..now that's a great sign! These 3 have figured out the SECRET SAUCE: great service and wonderful, yummy family recipes handed down from generation to generation! They took care of my every need and seemed to enjoy it too. :) I highly recommend this restaurant if you want authentic Mexican food with a great service as you won't regret it! I will definitely be back! Thanks again for making me look like a ROCK STAR because of your team! read more

Funky decor & artwork - great service. Stayed in the area for a friends' wedding. BEST freeekin' Huevos Rancheros - YUM!

I liked the food, a little expensive for what they serve. Service was terrible though. Waitress seemed annoyed and unconvinced by us from the minute she said hello. She wrote in the tip on the credit slip for us which I thought was very rude(probably illegal as well). I used to serve in a restaurant and I don't know what we did that would have warranted being treated that rudely. We won't be returning. read more

My cousin had her reception here after her beach wedding. The place I have to say is great. Staff was very Friendly and Food was surprisingly good. It is a family owned restaurant, with many of the original family still working there. They had a good variety of liqueur from local breweries. The best thing I have to say is the Tequila they were serving. They offer a family Tequila that is pretty good. Although beware, they do not serve Tequila Shots in your standard shot glass. The shots are large and potent, which is why I am definitely coming back. Olamendi, definitely knows how to spoil the customers with tequila, which makes it a great place to revisit again. read more

It started with the lemons .... so I hardly ever write bad reviews but I will NEVER return and it really was THAT bad. As a server, and patron one of my biggest pet peeves is lemons ...if i ask for a lemon bring me a lemon, don't make me ask again. As a server if you want lemon please tell me when you order, I can't read your mind - now that i have that off my chest!.... so yes I asked for lemon as did my mom, but we still didn't get lemons until our waters were empty. This cute little authentic restaurant that sits sea-side is frequented by my parents when staying at their Dana Point time share but I was really disappointed and peeved. I ordered the cabo beach burrito which by its description is pretty much a California burrito with choice of meat I asked if I could order with shrimp she says yes . What arrived in front of me was a different burrito that i saw on the menu as soon as I cut into it I could tell the order was wrong so I put my plate to the side to signal the waitress. Everyone was halfway through their food before our server came back and i explained that I ordered something else she took my plate and said she would "change the order" - my thoughts : ummm I didn't change my order you brought me the wrong thing. a few minutes later the same burrito returned rewrapped with additional items - still not what I ordered (I double checked the menu) Server argued with me about ingredients that weren't listed on the menu . I sat without touching it further as everyone else finished their meals she cleared plates including mine nearly untouched and returned shortly after with the check - not discounted . now , i never do this.... but I asked if it could be taken off seeing as it wasn't what I ordered the manager argued with me about wanting it taken off after being made a third time which I never asked for and rolled her eyes at me, I politely said even half off my item since It wasn't what j ordered I didn't like it and I didn't eat it ... She took of 40% off.... now normally i will eat what i order or even the wrong thing depending how hungry i am and little things dont bother me im really not that picky, but what i was served was so gross i literally couldnt stomach this boiled shrimp and old vegetables slopped together wrapped in a tortilla and topped with some nasty watery tomato crap that looked like the top layer of a diced tomato can. I really tried to give this place a chance because my parents chose it and I was polite in my interactions but was met with very rude, unprofessional, unaccomodating staff. I will NEVER, return here and i encourage anyone to think otherwise. read more

We used to come here a lot but they now nickel and dime you for everything! Chips and Salsa are $1 each after your first. Soda's are canned with NO refills. I am not quite sure how this is two $$ signs as a plate of 2 Enchiladas, Rice & Beans is $20.00. We will not return. read more

I live within walking distance of this restaurant, and that makes me sad because it's so bad. I gave this place three chances thinking that the first time was a fluke, but it was consistently bad all three times. The food is pretty average, but that's the best part. The service is the part that really ruins the whole experience. We've waited 20 minutes before getting greeted and served drinks. Then we've waited between an hour and an hour and a half for our food to come out. There were no apologies, and once the order came out wrong and the server insisted that it was right. I would avoid this place like the plague. If you want better food and service, just down the street is El Patio and farther in the opposite direction you'll find La Siesta. AVOID THIS PLACE! read more

Thr service and the food was horrible. Do not even bother coming to this place. I can't believe how much grease came out of my taco! Which was completely tasteless. Make sure you park on the street. read more

The best we have found in SoCa. Highly recommend. Bring from Arizona we know the difference between great and bad Mexican good. This is the best we've found in the area. A must stop. Atmosphere is different with a great collection of politicians and celebrities who have eaten here. read more

Yuck. They serve their "award winning" Margarita in a water glass. It was not very good. Very disappointing. We will not be back. Maybe ok for tourists who don't know any better. Salsa and chips we just ok. read more

Have been visiting for over 20 years. No more. Expensive and bad food. Best things we had were salsa and beans. Much better options almost anywhere else. It's too bad. It used to be good. read more

Have and will always come back to Olamendis! This was our fave Sunday afternoon spot when we lived in the area and now that we're farther away I find myself regularly making business appointments nearby to give us a reason to return. Love the fish tacos! Love the garlic fish! And our son adores their milanesa -- as good as that we've had in Mexico. Today I ordered to go with curbside pickup and got an added pleasant surprise. My car battery died in the parking lot and George Jr. was kind enough to give me a charge. Thank you George - that was a delightful and neighborly thing! Can hardly wait to give ourselves a reason to return soon. read more

ZERO STAR Rating !!!! Dateline: SUNDAY 17/MAY/2009 10:00 AM (I waited outside in my car for the place to open) This morning I made the mistake of listening to a few locals who raved about Olamendi's in Dan Point. The service was deplorable- over 40 minutes to deliver a simple breakfast plate. The prices closely resembled an upscale New York City hotel menu. The coffee had numerous black floating objects that looked on first inspection to be bugs, but I have convinced myself that they were indeed grounds. I was served a basket of chips and salsa before I was even presented with a menu. I didn't order the chips and salsa, nor did I request the two following refills of the same. However, when the check arrived (after an additional 3 requests and 15 minute delay) there was a $9.00 charge (plus tax) for 3 baskets of chips and salsa. I would hardly call it a "basket" since I could count all of the chips on my fingers without even using my toes. The food was NOT, I repeat NOT a "HUGE" serving. The reviews below mentioning "Huge Servings" obviously don't distinguish between plate size and food content. The plates are over-sized YES, but the food contained on the plate was less than what you would get for $3 from Carl's Jr. on the dollar menu. EVERY Entree on the brunch menu was $11.50, whether I wanted a simple egg or an omelet. I ordered the Olamendi's slop fare (can't remember the actual name but the word Olamendi's was part of the description). The eggs were totally overcooked and dry beyond belief. And the enclosed onions and veggies were undercooked. Keep in mind that this is after a 40 minute wait in a non busy restaurant, and after 3 rounds of chips and salsa. When my meal was served I requested the sour cream that was part of the meal description, but little did I know that I would be charged an additional $2.00 (plus tax) for what I thought was already supposed to be on my plate. The final bill, for 2 simple breakfast entrees and a single cup of crappy cinnamon flavored coffee in a Mexican Hole in the Wall came to $43 before tip. I found this to be outrageous. It was fake Mexican food and in no way resembled anything near a decent Mexican breakfast. Denny's, Coco's, McDonald's, Carl's Jr., and most roadside taco stands all serve far better food at less than 1/3 of the price of Olamende's! And with very little wait time. If I was of Mexican decent I would probably find the decor to be appalling, a mix of Mexican trailer trash with a heavy dose of Night of the Dead. Kind of what you would expect to see in a place you'd never patronize in Tijuana. There is also a prominently displayed picture of Tricky Dicky (Richard Nixon) and dated Summer of 1974. Apparently the owners are clueless and don't know that is the same timeframe when Tricky Dicky was disgraced and had to resign from the Presidential Office (for also screwing the American people) !!! If you like to be bent over and be screwed by Mexican gangsters, I would highly recommend this place. read more

This was the worst Mexican food I have ever had in Cali. I ordered a meal with carnitas with veggies. Please excuse me I can't remember the name of the dish. But when it came the beans tasted like fish guts and sea water, I'm not kidding. The food was not seasoned at all. The service was nice, I drink lots of water and they kept the glass full. I will never go to this place again. read more

I've been coming to Olamendi's since the late 70's when it was Olamendi's la Rosa. Since moving away, I can only get back every couple years. Still, I've eaten there 50 times easy. It used to be a place where you found menu items unavailable North of the border. No longer. It used to be a place where the food was consistent, well prepared and spiced to order. No longer. It used to be a place where you could get a meal with margaritas for a good price. No longer. We spent the weekend around Laguna and Newport. Olamendi's was the most expensive meal all weekend. That's crazy talk! Management have lost their minds pricing themselves as if they had 2 Michelin stars. This restaurant has always been and remains a dive. At the same time they've priced themselves the most expensive Mexican meal I've every eaten, the quality of the preparation was negligent at best. I don't order the same meal every time. I have however had the Mole Oaxquena 5 or 6 times. It used to arrive with the Pork falling apart and all about the Mole. Now $26! What?! The cooked, but still way too firm, Pork was drenched in a great Mole but the two had only just meet where they used to be old friends. My wife's $21 cheese enchilada, (No typo) Was unchanged from times past but had the decimal point in the wrong place. My old friends at Olamendi's have made a grave error. It's hard to imagine how this ends well. Once a place thinks they can milk a good reputation and bilk consumers, I don't return. I fear the next time I'm in town, I'll pass them buy. The time after that, probably shuttered. Mi corazón roto! read more

About 5 years ago I was in the Dana Point area and happened upon this quaint little Mexican restaurant called Olamendi's. The atmosphere was pretty cool with all the Sombreros and skeletons hanging from the ceiling. The food was pretty awesome, and very authentic. What I remember most was the tequila, being an avid connoisseur of tequila I found this to be one of the very best and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been a long time since I have been able to come back regretfully, but I know come June I will be there and I will be bringing friends as I've told many many people that I've known to be going in that area to make sure and stop by Olamendi's for the best tequila ever and they have never been disappointed! See you in First week of June Jorge and Dona. read more

I had a great experience with this place! Started with chips and salsa very delicious appetizer was nachitos very tastee. I had a fish taco that was to die for! All my family enjoyed it too great customer service quick and fresh!!! read more

Possibly the worst service I have had in a very long time. We waited two hours for our dinner another 30 minutes to get our cards back once we wanted to pay. Food was subpar at best. read more

I was visiting at the Resort next door to Olamendis, got some take out food for the four of us. I paid $59 for three tostadas one child's taquitos and a quesadilla I felt the food was ok but prices outrages. $14 for tostada is over the limit of prices. Never go back. Also no eating utensils or napkins with order. read more

FIRST TIME to eat at Olimendi's today - Labor Day '14. My husband and I walked into the brightly painted Olimendi's and we were pleasantly surprised by how festive and fun the restaurant was. At first it looks like Halloween exploded in there with all those Dia de los Muertas skeletons decorating the walls and ceilings. Then we saw that it's like Christmas every day with ornaments hanging from the rafters above; Feliz Navidad, everyone! Nobody takes anything down from the walls or shelves or ceilings of the place, which makes it sort of tacky but also, really FUN!!! The food was served quickly and it was hearty, HOT and good!!! One thing that I insist upon whenever I eat something with a tortilla, is the food MUST be served HOT, steaming hot. I loved the carnitas tacos plate - but the re-fried beans were loaded with Monteca, so I stayed away from those. The food was tasty and I kept dipping my tacos onto my husband's plate - he had a giant, wet burrito but the red sauce was to die for! Not too spicy but just right. Yum, yum!!! Nothing can beat a hot carnitas taco with red sauce on it. The waitress said it was just plain enchilada sauce, but I swear it tasted like heaven on Earth. I'll definitely go back for those delicious tacos!!! They are excellent!!! The owner must be a Republican because there are some very interesting and historic pictures crammed all over the walls of the place. Many photos were of Mr Olimendi and President Nixon, who used to live in San Clemente for many years. Legend has it that Olimendi cooked many an awesome meal for the president and all his heads of state. Rumors fly that Henry Kissinger ate there also, and loved the carnitas plates and re-fried beans. The Secret Service once inspected the kitchen there and a very large 'TO GO" order was placed. Turns out President Nixon was hosting a dinner at his Western White House, and his distinguished guests were the Apollo astronauts! (When the food was delivered to Nixon's home by the sea, they raved about how good it was and said it was out of this world!) ... Also there were other photos of Mr Olimendi and President George W Bush and President George H Bush. I don't think that they ate there though.... I think there was one of President Reagan and other dignitaries, photographed with Mr Olimendi senior, at a political event. I don't know what sort of political ties Mr Olimendi has, but he has been personally invited to several presidential inaugurations and that in itself is a major, huge honor! This lunch of ours was not just a meal to fill our hungry stomachs...it was an experience of great national importance!!! Our server was very nice and the service was quick and prompt. I loved the host, he told us that many of the cooks and waitresses have worked there for forty years; since the place first opened up. That's pretty impressive, so it would lead me to believe that Olimendi's treat their employees very nice. I like that! I would recommend this little place to anyone driving through town on PCH - it's a bright spot in the middle of a busy beach road, but the tacos are worth it. Olimendi's is located right across the street from Capo Beach, in the city of Dana Point - on the road south to San Clemente and the San Clemente Pier, (in case you were wondering.) It's loved by tourists and locals alike and sometimes, the joint is jumping and packed with hungry patrons who love seeing all the funky Mexican decorations and taking a glimpse of Mr Olimendi's interesting life. He must be the most interesting man in the world!!! Love and peace to all who read my post. X O read more

If I could do negative stars I would. My wife and I have been here many times over the years and the food is fine, however, today we went in and they were fairly crowded but they had a table available. Instead of seating us, they told us they could see a larger party coming in after us so we would have to wait because they wanted give them the table. When I told the "manager" she did not even apologize. Even when I told her we would probably not be returning again she did not seem to care they had jumped over us for anothe party, Totally unacceptable. read more

The restaurant has good ambiance and used to be a raging hot spot. I noticed that they've started charging $1 for chips and salsa refills. I had the 2 ceviche taco combo but the plate was super hot and the ceviche was cooked all the way through instead of raw and it was tasteless. My wife had the chicken burrito combo. This place used to be better. read more