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Olamendi's

3.1 (1k reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Olamendi's Photos

OLAMENDI'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Olamendi's

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Reviews With Photos

Bob L.

This place has the best people working for them. Amazing service. Joe was the best. We arrived (2 persons) and requested to be seated inside as it was a little chilly at 6:30 pm. There was an empty table but needed clearing. We said we could wait. Well they were extremely busy and I noticed that all the employees were busting their asses to take care of customers. We ended up waiting 20 minutes for the table to be cleared and seated. Joe (Jorge on the receipt) was amazing seated us and took drink orders immediately! Drinks arrived within minutes. The whole place was extremely busy and I was so impressed on how the staff was handling it. Food arrived in a timely manner and was very good. Joe was such a good server, you could tell he really cared about the customer. This place gets 10 stars from me.

complimentary chips with spicy dipping sauce
Ann C.

Olamendi's is a great authentic Mexican restaurant. I highly recommend the enchilada dish. Although this was not my first time having Mexican food, it was the first time I tried a shrimp enchilada. I found out it is a killer dish and I regret never trying something new until today. It was our first time dining here. We were very satisfied with our meal. We tried their homemade world-famous flan dessert also. It tasted great. However, it was much sweeter than I prefer. Both the interior and exterior radiated bright colors that created a welcoming and social atmosphere. Overall, this place has excellent food, and our waiter went above and beyond! They have great indoor seating and outdoor patio dining with sunset views.

##5 Two Tacos
Michael K.

As our families were coming into town for a wedding, a group of seven of us made last-minute reservations for dinner here on a Wednesday night. The restaurant was easy to find along the coast south of Dana Point. Their relatively small parking lot had plenty of spaces available when we arrived at 530 p.m. Some street parking was also available if you come at a busier time. We were quickly seated in their decorative dining room, which had walls full of photos of famous past guests. As sunset approached, other groups were availing themselves of the outdoor tables. They serve all the favorites. Several in the group started with Margaritas, while others went for Mexican Coke or water. Chips and salsa were brought out. The red salsa was quite spicy, even though they said it wasn't. We must have been lightweights. I ordered two crispy taco combo, one chicken and one beef. Both were delicious and (temperature) hot with shells that did not break midway through eating. The side of refried beans was great with a thick cheese layer on top. I didn't care as much for the rice in the combo. My wife got their signature burrito with red and green sauce. It was huge, almost the size of her head, I think. Needless to say, she didn't finish it but did enjoy it. Some others got tacos, and someone else ordered two wet enchiladas. Everything was great. Service was awesome the entire evening, and we had a great time.

Olamendi's
Mike W.

Definitely a Mexican owned and operated and been in business a long time. The Nixon pictures made the place dated and for me a bit of turnoff. Good menu selection. Wish I had gotten the Tostadas instead of chile releno as it was sweet and taste was off. Rice was great and good salsa. After just returning from 3 months in México, I would rate this as not authentic ... more California Mexican.

Enchilada Poblanos...
Genae J.

A friend of ours gave us a bottle of the Ultra Premium Organic Tequila, 100% Agave Azul bottle for Christmas. The Tequila was fantastic!! She said if you like the Tequila, check out the restaurant in Dana Point, you'll love it. Boy, was she right!! So, we take PCH from Long Beach to Dana Point-just a beautiful oceanic scenic drive. We knew as soon as we pulled in, the place had character and a killer ocean view. Walk inside, surrounded by colorful Mexican decorations, a Trophy Tequila case, and multiple photos of Nixon visiting that same restaurant many years ago. Of course we ordered Mezcal Margaritas, shots if Mezcal, AND the Mole!! Literally, the BEST Mole you'll eat, we could taste the chocolate and ALL ~50+ ingredients... i had Enchiladas, he had the Chicken. Food was truly delicious!! Service was fantastic, from our Meatball Soup to the Churros for Dessert!! They were very attentive, and never left us lonely. Truly recommend for all those who love authentic Mexican food, great Tequila (you can buy a bottle to take home. ), and a killer ocean view!!!!

Front sign with ocean view.
Desiree P.

Sunset Views and super salsa served up at Olamendi's Mexican Restaurant near Capistrano Beach since 1973. The view is priceless. The history is notable, and the staff is great. Cheerful family-run spot for Mexican classics served in colorful surroundings with a full bar.

Tintin B.

Great service and location here at Olamendi's with Amazing weather today. Perfect pit stop to relax and enjoy the sunshine and ocean breeze. The main dish was carnitas de Olamendi was kinda dry and not properly seasoned right because you need the fiery mole sauce to compliment this dish. The Hibiscus drink was refreshing and delicious. They also have a vegan menu too. They also have a sweet mole sauce with 50 ingredients and all vegetarian version no meat. Beautiful atmosphere and environment with nice clean restroom available inside for disabled customers too. Lots of parking available here during non peak hours. Love the different colors of umbrellas too. Overall a wonderful alternative to the mundane things in life. Try the new and fresh approach to traditional Oaxaca Mexican cuisine here in Beautiful Dana Point right on Pacific coast highway. Enjoy the Sunshine of Love today.

#4 Burrito #4 Burrito #4 Burrito
Mark H.

What a great place across the ocean. I stopped by there. Victor was an awesome server and I had their signature burrito with beef. Absolutely delicious. Just a word of advice to you gringos out there. The salsa is got a little bite to it so be careful highly recommend.

Charles R.

When in the area, Olamendi's has been our "go to" place for years. We especially like going there after we go walking through Doheny. I personally like their beef tacos , while my wife loves their chili rellano (with a beef ). If we didn't live 18 miles away, we would be there every week.

Andrea Michelle O.

Can't go wrong with Mexican food! Right next to PCH & the coast ! Friendly & fast !

Yuckyyyyy

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

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11 months ago

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2 years ago

Every President has there Picture There . The Family loves America! Such a fun place ! Love the food ! Beef Tacos

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1 year ago

ordered the Carne Asada burrito and it was 1/10 meat. all rice and beans. Stick to the Carnitas plate.

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1 year ago

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

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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

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2 years ago

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

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Page 3 of 26

Olamendi's Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Olamendi's

Do they have happy hour?

Yes

Great place we love it ??

My favorite Mexican restaurant!

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Cali Costa - Breakfast tacos

Cali Costa

4.0(336 reviews)
1.5 mi
$$

By chance we found Cali Costa as we meant to go to Laguna Beach. The crowded private parking area…read morefor a late weekend was a good sign that we'd enjoy our meal. There's a large dark bar as you enter but don't let all the TV's showing many different sporting events mislead you about the food. We got great service and food for fair prices. We sat on the patio in comfortable wicker chairs. Our server Natalie was helpful and patiently answered our first timer questions. We each ordered two taco and shared. Their complimentary chips are thin and crunchy. Some are sprinkled with spices, nice little kick. Our tacos were beautifully plated. Rice and beans are extra (you can get in a combo) but pico de gallo was on a bed of fresh cabbage with freshly cracked pepper, subtle but delicious seasoning. All of the tacos - shrimp, carnitas and birria short rib, were delicious, the first two were topped with a generous amount of tasty guacamole. My friend and I didn't like the mostly oil birria taco sauce though. They have the range of Mexican food here including all day breakfast burritos. The only negatives were the dirty menus (smeared dried pinto beans) and the women's bathroom was out of seat liners. But I would definitely come back if I'm in the area, hopefully to take advantage of Happy Hour of nearly every day specials.

Tried this spot today for the first time and I very was disappointed with the quality of the food…read more The short rib enchiladas were decent, not good but not bad either. However, the Spanish rice and the refried beans were really disappointing for a Mexican restaurant with these prices. What I was served is something I would expect from a really cheap Mexican restaurant in an area where people aren't familiar with Mexican food. The beans were so watery it was like a soup with a few beans mixed inside and the Spanish rice was completely bland. I had stomach pain after the meal and subsequently had to run to the bathroom. You can definitely find much better Mexican food in the area for the same price that's much better quality as well. Only had one customer in the store at 2pm on a Saturday so that seems indicative of how popular this spot is. If they improved the quality of their food and used better ingredients this would be a much better place. For what you get right now, it is not worth the price you're paying.

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Cali Costa - Great, open air restaurant with the perfect, chill vibe... - Big Aloha!

Great, open air restaurant with the perfect, chill vibe... - Big Aloha!

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Raya - Guacamole

Raya

4.1(847 reviews)
2.9 mi
$$$

We had a wonderful experience at RAYA. The Achiote salmon dish was incredibly tasty--perfectly…read morecooked and full of flavor. Service was excellent: attentive, warm, and seamless throughout the meal. The Christmas atmosphere really elevated the experience, with beautiful décor and live music creating a festive, relaxed vibe. Overall, it was a memorable and elegant dining experience. Definitely a special spot for the holidays or a celebratory night out.

I've had two separate experiences at Raya this year, and both were unacceptable -- which is…read moredisappointing because the rest of the property has consistently been excellent. Kahani, the club lounge, and the Marketplace all delivered exactly what you expect from a hotel at this level: attentive, well-trained staff, seamless service, and a clear understanding of hospitality standards. That's why I've never focused on smaller issues before -- they didn't outweigh the overall quality of the stay. Unfortunately, Raya has now been the exception twice. The first time, back in January, the food quality wasn't on point-I ordered the blackened tuna tacos and they were completely inedible. I didn't complain or send them back -- I simply left it at that. Today was service from one particular server Taylor. I had just come down from the club lounge and remembered that I had a complimentary voucher given at check-in, which didn't specify what it covered on it. I first asked at the lobby bar and no one was able to provide a clear answer, so I went next door to Raya and asked again before ordering. The hostess told me I could choose anything and even recommended the skirt steak. She was kind and friendly. Taylor took my order, and I reasonably assumed there had been communication between staff. So I spent some time ordering and waiting and when my food arrived since I asked for a to go order, I grabbed the bag, tipped, and left. Then Taylor ran after me at the hotel entrance asking how I planned to pay -- in front of other guests. It was an extremely uncomfortable and bizarre situation. I didn't realize what has happened I was just handed the bill and I put my room number and name down. I was then told the voucher only covered guacamole, which directly contradicted what I had been told prior to ordering. As a result, I wasted approximately 40 minutes of my time, I was simply trying to head to the beach before departing, and instead found myself dealing with a situation that should have been handled internally and discreetly. When I handed the food back and said I did not want it, the response was "ok, I'll toss it," followed by no acknowledgment, no apology, and no effort to resolve the situation. At this point, this is no longer an isolated incident. For a restaurant positioned as fine dining, the lack of internal communication, consistency, and basic guest handling is surprising -- especially when every other outlet on the property demonstrates a significantly higher standard. Raya was the only part of the experience that felt misaligned with the rest of the hotel -- and unfortunately, it's the last impression I'm leaving with.

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Raya
Raya - Raya Citrus Carlota

Raya Citrus Carlota

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Table-side view

Olamendi's - mexican - Updated May 2026

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