I've never been to Mexico, but I imagine this to be exactly the flavor of Mexican food. They don't take reservations, so we came earlier on a Wednesday night and there were only two other tables filled, which got busier as the night went on. As a Californian, I eat loads of tacos quite frequently but after eating here I truly felt like I understand the flavors of Mexican cuisine. I don't know how to explain it honestly but the textures, the ingredients, the flavors just scream "authentic Mexican food". My fiance and his mom both love mole and they say this is one of the best mole places they've been to. The service was average! They were helpful, and nice :) can't wait to come back! read more

Went here today after months and months of telling ourselves we needed to try this place out. Although I'm still partial to Mexican food from Southern California, this is the best Mexican restaurant I've been to in Northern California. Watermelon cubes topped with tajin were brought to the table upon our arrival and were a nice way to start the meal. We then ordered the salsa and guacamole. Both salsas were good but the salsa verde was my favorite. The chips are homemade and have great texture and taste. We both ordered tacos and all were fantastic. My wife's favorite was the barbacoa and mine were the Al pastor. She enjoyed a watermelon margarita and I had one of the six or so local beers they offered. This restaurant is also kid friendly and has plenty of high chairs. The staff was great in accommodating us and our baby and we look forward to returning. read more

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A Great Lunch Stop with Amazing Tacos and Fresh Flavors! We stopped at Quiote in downtown Petaluma for a quick lunch while en route to Oregon. The restaurant has decent seating inside, and the staff are incredibly friendly. A really nice touch, especially for hot summer days, is that each table gets complimentary diced chilled watermelons to start. The food was fantastic from start to finish: * Tortilla Chips & Salsa: We ordered their special house-made tortilla chips, which came with green and spicy salsa dips. They were fresh, crispy, and highly flavorful. Definitely highly recommended! * Carne Asada Tacos: This was my absolute favorite taco. The steak was one of the best I've had, and the flavors were awesome. * Grilled Cod Fish Tacos: Our second favorite was the fresh grilled cod fish tacos, which were absolutely fantastic. * Chicken and Shrimp Tacos: We also ordered the chicken and special shrimp tacos, which my wife and kids loved. * Rice and Beans: My kiddos got a side of rice and beans, and they were very flavorful. * Flan: For dessert, we ordered the flan. It came topped with a unique whipped cream infused with orange flavor, which was excellent. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone passing through or in the area! read more

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Is this the Best Mexican restaurant in Sonoma County? Don't let the simple, unfussy interior fool you -- Quiote is quietly doing some of the most exciting Mexican cooking in the Bay Area. This family-run Jalisco-style spot in downtown Petaluma sources quality ingredients (heirloom maize, Rancho Gordo beans, fresh local seafood), and it shows in every bite. And, of course, the staff is warm, personable, and genuinely happy to walk you through the menu -- take them up on it. Guac & Salsa -- I've had a lot of chips. These might be the best I've ever had. The raspadas are the move here: thin, crispy, shatteringly light corn chips with a texture unlike anything you'd expect. Not your standard tortilla chip -- closer to something airier and more delicate. The guac and salsa alongside are equally solid. Molotes -- Traditional Mexican street snack: golden, torpedo-shaped corn masa dough fried crisp on the outside, packed with savory filling (think potato, chorizo, cheese), and served with salsa and crema. The exterior crunch giving way to the warm filling is deeply satisfying. Highly recommended. Tacos ($7.50 each) -- Yes, $7.50. And yes, worth it. The 100% maiz handmade tortillas are the foundation everything is built on, and they're exceptional. I worked through a lot of the menu and didn't find a miss -- al pastor, barbacoa, cochinita pibil, carne asada, fish -- all executed with care. If you're not sure where to start, just ask. The staff knows the menu cold and will point you right. Quiote isn't trying to be flashy. It's trying to be correct -- and it nails it. One of the best Mexican meals I've had, full stop. read more

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Estos tacos están tan buenos que deberían ser ilegales. Thank you google translate. For real though - the tacos are a little pricey but I am totally willing to pay current prices for the quality of what you get. Fresh homemade tortillas with high quality meat and perfect spices and spice. Add that to super friendly staff and owner and you get one hell of a happy belly and customer. I love that everything is so fresh. The best part is that my 2 year old food connoisseur son approved. He downed two kids tacos and wanted to eat them solito so I rolled them up and off he went. Plowed through both of them. Finished his meal with some cubes of fresh watermelon and then told me to write this review so people would know how happy he was with the food and service. read more

Yummy tacos with some decent heat. We got the pescado and the carne asada. Both were good. Service was super fast and friendly. Vibe was casual. Would return next time in Petaluma. read more

Quiote - Carne asada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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FINALLY tried Quiote (took me long enough), and the experience was amazing! Obviously, the best part of dining with someone is turning the meal into a full menu sampling. We started with the Guacamole (a generous serving), the Spicy Tuna Tostada, and Shrimp Tacos. ALL of which were absolutely amazing. You could easily make a full meal from their shareable plates, but we decided to sample broadly on our first visit. For our main course, we split the Ribeye entrée. I must stress how shareable this portion is (it's a lot of meat, but for my protein-focused people, this would be a great one). The steak was prepared perfectly and came with charred grilled avocado and fresh tortillas. Everything, down to the side accompaniments and the great cocktails, was top-tier. On a more critical note, I highly recommend planning ahead: we made our reservation a couple of weeks in advance, which seems necessary as the restaurant clearly gets very busy in the evenings. Will be back to sample the rest of the menu since now I'm obsessed. read more

Quiote - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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I've never been to Mexico, but I imagine this to be exactly the flavor of Mexican food. They don't take reservations, so we came earlier on a Wednesday night and there were only two other tables filled, which got busier as the night went on. As a Californian, I eat loads of tacos quite frequently but after eating here I truly felt like I understand the flavors of Mexican cuisine. I don't know how to explain it honestly but the textures, the ingredients, the flavors just scream "authentic Mexican food". My fiance and his mom both love mole and they say this is one of the best mole places they've been to. The service was average! They were helpful, and nice :) can't wait to come back! read more

Quiote - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Came for lunch early on a Thursday. Warmly greeted, menu, silverware and their wonderful fresh watermelon on the table immediately. Came quickly to take drink order and food order soon after I put the menu down (took me a while with so many great choices). Service was warm and friendly throughout. Started with a watermelon aqua fresca - they had horchata, hibiscus, pineapple, and cucumber available. Tasty and nicely sweet. I love that their free starter is healthy - fresh seasoned watermelon on toothpicks instead of the usual chips and salsa (not to worry they do sell chips and guacamole). I ordered one of the specials - eloté quesadilla plus one fish and one pork taco. They use high quality ingredients including beans that my chef friends rave about, making their own tortillas, plus good fish and other proteins. This also means that prices match the quality. I was perfectly happy to pay $7 each for delicious amazing fresh tacos. I got three, and I've paid more than $21 for meals not anywhere near this good. Flavors were amazing - fish was incredibly tasty with fresh avocado, delicious sauce all on their signature blue tortilla. Pork with habanero was nicely spicy but not overwhelmingly hot. Eloté was cheesy and fresh corn and the spice blend made it decadent. I also asked for salsa and got a yummy avocado green and a medium/hot habanero both delicious. They also had chocolate flan and rice pudding for dessert. I was full but couldn't resist the layer of chocolate cake spiked with a little orange with flan on top and ice cream - also delicious and not crazy sweet or heavy. My other thing I look for is nice bathroom, this was clean, in good shape and smelled good. I didn't see a gender neutral one but either was open for anyone to use. If you are anywhere near here and like high quality Mexican food prepared right with delectable flavors - GO. It was so good I almost wanted to tell anyone who came to look at the menu near the door to make a good decision and go in :). read more

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Really good tacos and the guacamole was exceptional. Fast service. The Sangria was perfect

Fair prices, exquisite taste, friendly staff. What else do you need to have fun? I highly recommend this family owed restaurant that makes you feel at home. read more

As usual we vegetarians delight in finding well thought out dishes that are healthy, satisfying and balanced. Went to quiotes for the first time in quite a while and boy were they still on point! Flavor, presentation, service just everything was really lovely. Potato flautas with what our server sweetly called "tomato" sauce was great. That sauce tho, was out of this world delicious. Creamy and crisp, mmmm with the nice salad on top quite a nice dish, and plenty to share with my husband! He had some wonder fish tacos and the sope hongo! Wow what a great combo of mushrooms and black beans so full of flavor! We'll be back very soon. read more

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Wasn't expecting this delicious art food coming out of this unassuming place! Great tacos! Service was friendly. read more

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Great service and delicious mole enchiladas with lots of texture. The chicken and edges of tortillas were slightly crunchy and the mole sauce was sweet. You really need something salty to round it out. We shared their Rancho Gordo pinto beans to go with the mole and the saltiness was a great complement to the mole's sweetness. Otherwise it would be too sweet for lunch. This place gets crowded at lunchtime. Come early! read more

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My girlfriend brought me here for a bday lunch (she comes here frequently as a local). Our service was splendid- friendly & quite helpful with our ordering. My friend loved her Sangria & I was impressed with the local beer I had. The watermelon with tajin is brought as soon as you are seated which we found quite refreshing. The guacamole was super fresh and the two accompanying salsas delicious (I loved the spicy one). I had a vegetarian taco with grilled mushrooms- so yummy. Fresh food & excellent service! read more

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What a horrible experience! Can I give negative stars? This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've had in years. Here's why. I was there with wife and friends before a show in Petaluma. My wife ordered a shrimp taco. $9.50. That's a pricey taco, methinks, but it will probably be quite delicious and a generous large taco. Boy was I wrong! The taco arrives and it is this skimpy, pathetic little thing. There was literally one and a half shrimp on it. And that tiny bit of shrimp turned out to be dried out and overcooked. I saw the utter disappointment on my wife's face so I told the young waiter how disappointed we were with the paltry portion. His response? Not to offer to replace it, or to take it back. No. He literally just smirked and shrugged. Not a word. Just an arrogant little smirk and a shrug. I looked at him in disbelief. "Thats it," I asked, "that's your response?" To which he simply shrugged again, turned his back and walked away. Look, I'm used to being overcharged, and sometimes for bad food. But if I point out that your food is disappointing, and you just smirk, shrug and walk away, then I will say this. Don't go to this joke of a restaurant. Don't go!! I never will, and frankly hope the restaurant dries up and shrivels, just like the pathetic excuse for a taco we were overcharged for. Negative five stars! read more

I thought that I had finished this review until it came up that I was not finished. I stopped in with my mother for lunch. She had the fish taco and I had a burrito. I don't remember the exact names of them. Both of them are very good And we enjoyed the meal quite a bit. The wait staff were very helpful and moved my mom's walker over to the corner so it wasn't in the way. The restaurant was small, but comfortable. The acoustics in the room were also good not too noisy. read more

Quiote - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Amazing cuisine in laid-back setting AND yummy child's dishes. I predict a favorite of Petaluma!

Quixote is my new favorite Oaxacan restaurant! The mole is beautiful, with rich complex flavors that are balanced perfectly. When you smother a chicken enchilada in that mole, and top it with tangy crumbly cheese and some light greens, it's a damn near perfect dish. Those enchiladas are a 10/10. Everything else I've tried is very good as well. The street burrito special was a real treat. Somewhere between a burrito and a quesadilla, it was very satisfying with a good crisp on the tortilla. The family that runs this restaurant is so friendly. Food came out fast and there were no mistakes with our order. What I love the most is that while the food quality is top notch, the atmosphere is 100% casual. They won best Mexican restaurant in Sonoma County last year, so it's really no surprise. You really need to try Quixote! read more

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One of the best tacos I've had in the bay area. The service was wonderful, staff was friendly and quick to bring out drinks and food. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting. The food quality will make me go back anytime I am in the area. The dedication to authentic flavors are apparent in every mouthful. read more

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The food at this restaurant was good but the waitress was so rude. My daughter wanted to see if the mole could be served with plain tortillas--no. And not said gently either. Another couple wanted to blend their agua fresca--half of one flavor, half of another. No. (Which is crazy that's an easy a common thing to accommodate). Service absolutely no frills. Fine if you want to be in and out in ten minutes with dine in prices. No thanks. read more

Ordered some tacos for take out last night; two Pollo Asado, two Al Pastor, two Carne Asada. The tacos are between $8-9 each which is not cheap but these are full size tacos with tons of meat, grilled onions, beans and cilantro. They make authentic tacos with handmade maiz tortillas. Delicious, must try in the area and great to support a small family business! read more

Loved the guacamole, fish tacos and chicken enchiladas mole. It went well with a cold Modelo. I will be back for more!

Good food & service. Not the run-of-the mill Mexican fare. Instead of chips & salsa to greet us it was watermelon chunks sprinkled with spices. Yum! Al Pastor plate-amazing! read more

What a wonderful taste of authentic Mexican food in a fantastic setting, with excellent service and staff! A great way to sample and taste some signature dishes, like the Milk cheese tostado, the different varieties of a flavorful tacos with pulled meats, handmade chips, handmade tortillas, homemade guacamole, and a large variety of Cervezas and mixed drinks. Overall, this was a five star experience and highly recommend trying out this place for a taste of real Mexican! read more

Quiote - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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For more than 20 years I have been eating what I thought was Mexican food that is, until I found Quiote. The food is unlike any other I have ever tasted. Influenced by many regions including Yucatán, Oaxaca and Jalisco, this chef is dishing up authentic, high quality food. One of my husband's favorites is the carne asada plate while I usually try a couple of tacos from their substantial taco menu. The guacamole and air fried chips are amazing and each table gets some complimentary spiced watermelon. The hand made purple maize tortillas are delicious. The specials change regularly and the service is quick and friendly. This little spot on Kentucky St. is a casual dining place serving up elevated flavors. read more

Came in on a Tuesday around 5:30. The restaurant is open and has s nice ambiance. After reading several yelp reviews we decided to order the sangria and the keg slayer IPA and the guacamole and chips. The sangria was nice and yummy. The beer was good. The guacamole was nice and a good portion. The chips were good too!! The two accompanying salsas really hit the spot. For our entree we ordered the fish taco with beans and the barbacoa taco and the street burrito. The fish taco was fantastic!! Cooked to perfection stuffed into a blue corn tortilla. Beans were nicely seasoned and also yummy. The barbacoa taco was served on a blue tortilla and was thoroughly enjoyed. and the street burrito...delicious: ) Not disappointed with this choice as we are in a new city with work. Our server was very nice and we didnt feel rushed with our meal. read more

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Got two tacos and some beans for lunch and they were all pretty good. The tacos were a shrimp and fish special and both had an interesting mix of toppings and salsas. The beans and their liquid were also pretty good. I'd go back. read more

Enjoyed this sit down Mexican spot for lunch recently. Specializes in tacos and mole enchiladas. Beer available. Service was warm, and the food is delicious! By the numbers: Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 Value 4/5 Chips and guac - Excellent. A bit expensive and packs some habanero heat. Fish taco - Excellent. Grilled black cod. Al pastor - Very good. Unconventional with minimal achiote and no pineapple. read more

Quiote - Special taco (bottom) - Excellent Al pastor (top) - Very good - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Barbacoa and fish tacos! Absolutely delicious and fresh. Mexican food in the Bay Area is hit or miss but this one hits the spot. Fresh blue corn tortillas with fresh and tasty ingredients. read more

Quiote - Barbacoa and fish tacos! Absolutely delicious and fresh. - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Looks for a place that has solid Mexican food and not a hole in the wall. Quiote delivered at all levels. Great service, great flavors, lovely ambiance. We had the guac and chips, a MUST! If they bag it and sell it in stores I'll be stocking up. So good. We then asked the lovely server to give us 6 of their favorite tacos. Each had great flavors, good size and decently priced. The only drawback was the price of margaritas ($15) which felt more like an upscale bar price versus a family style restaurant. Ended up with beer ($5.5). I will for sure go back and try their larger dishes. read more

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Now that we've been to Quiote a few times and tried several of the items off their menu (including specials), one thing I can say definitively is that the food is consistently outstanding. I still absolutely love the fish tacos and enchiladas (the mole is absolutely to die for - must get), but don't forget to check their specials board on the wall. The flautas are killer and we tried their "tlayuda mixta", which is a black bean puree atop a crispy blue-corn tlayuda, and was absolutely loaded with tons of different meats, including pastor. Wow - it was an absolute flavor bomb. We also recently learned they have a habanero salsa so if you like it hot, be sure to ask for some. It's easily the best habanero salsa I've had. I want to know their secret but haven't worked up the courage to ask... yet :) Lastly, another shoutout for their service, which is warm and inviting, yet efficient. It feels less like eating in a restaurant and more like being transported into a family home for a meal. read more

OK the food is terrific and this is firmly my number one that i drive miles to go to; this time I used the bathroom - what a horrible experience. The floor is absolutely disgusting and 100% makes you doubt the hygiene as it's by the kitchen. Looks like a nasty flood of something happened there but a long time ago and nobody ever bothered to clean. Def didn't want to be in there. Please clean this folks - it's spoiling things - sorry folks but this is disgusting nasty quickstop restroom stuff. One star for that... read more

Blown away! I was just passing by on the way to Santa Rosa and wanted some grub. Walked through the downtown area and stumbled into this place, no expectations. Immediately, I was greeted and guided by the cashier. No wait, no awkward standing around until someone came. I place an order for a barbacoa taco and enchiladas. While I waited, they gave me some free sliced watermelon with tajin. My family lives 20 minutes from the border. I'd like to think I have moderately high standards for mexican food. The taco was absolutely perfect. Just visually, the green and orange and dark purple serve as a very aesthetic presentation. I almost didn't want to eat it, it looked so vibrant and beautiful. The combination of crispy tortilla, tender barbacoa, creamy guacamole, and crunchy onions made every bite feel so varied and balanced. Drip some salsa and lime into that thing and it's got a little bit of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and savory. For such a simple concept, the taco was flawless. The enchilada was equally colorful and well presented. But to be honest I don't remember the filling. Because that mole was so absolutely stellar that it overshadowed the rest of the dish. I can't pinpoint what it was. It was slightly sweet, slightly bitter, decently smokey. Very earthy, very savory, with a creamy texture. Pour that stuff on everything, sell it in a bottle or something. I can just eat dip their tortilla in the mole and be content. And lastly, their tortillas. I peeked in the kitchen and genuinely saw an old Hispanic auntie making them from scratch. So you know they're damn good, not just visually beautiful. From this point forward, if my tortillas aren't deep brown-ish purple, I don't want them. These folks are firing on all cylinders! Ambiance is clean and casual, customer service is excellent. It felt like visiting your friends house and having their mom invite you to dinner with the family. I will be back! read more

Quiote - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Cute place, but portions are small and a bit overpriced. We had tacos, and chips with salsa and guacamole. Everything tasted good, but pricey. I don't think I'll be back. read more

Yes! Go there! So good, so innovative, so clean, so delicious, so authentic, so friendly, such good quality, hand and homemade dishes, family owned and operated. Amazing. Been coming here for months and never regretted it. We love Mexican food and always up for a new restaurant, but we always end up back in Quiote. Best feature - chef's Mom running the front of the house. So sweet! Love this place. read more

This spot is the real deal!!! Unique, delicious, and fabulous! My sister works nearby and recommended the spot, since I'm rarely in Petaluma we went with her suggestion and I'm glad we did! I ordered an Al pastor taco on house-made corn tortilla, a corn tortilla quesadillas with mushrooms, chips and salsa, and a side of beans. My guy got a couple of tacos and my sis got the veggie mole enchiladas. The mole sauce is magical, I got a side and was putting it on everything, lol. Everything is clearly fresh, made in house, and unique to their goals for the menu. I liked that it wasn't all traditional fare one expects from a Mexican restaurant. This is high quality, elevated food from an authentic perspective. They use heirloom maiz, rancho gordo beans, and seafood from Anna's are all an example of the quality you can expect. The chips are not usual tortilla chips, they are almost puffy like a lentil crisp if you've ever had something like that but they are corn. He explained the process to me but it was over my head after a full long day in the sun, something about removing a layer of maiz before frying to help it puff up. I don't know but I do know it creates something delicious! Truly a delicious experience; the mole is not to be missed, this family run spot hits all the notes they are looking to achieve. I'm only sad I just discovered them! read more

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Authentic Mexican food. Flavorful dishes and quality ingredients. Highly recommend the sopes. Tacos are incredible. read more

Quiote - Torta Ahogada - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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This is one of best in Petaluma... the quality is incredible, though the price for the size is a little pricey compared to other places like El Molino, but thats in Sonoma read more

Killer tacos and quesadillas with the best tortillas around. Fast, friendly service and great selection of fillings you can't find elsewhere. Must stop when in Petaluma. read more