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    San Marcos Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh

    3.6 (215 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Seafood
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    SAN MARCOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT - RALEIGH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - San Marcos Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh

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    Jeff F.

    I've been here several times with large groups of people, and they always manage to bring the food out in a reasonable amount of time and are good about keeping drinks filled. The food is a good quality, it's not the best Mexican food in the area but it definitely is a solid choice.

    Enchiladas Mexicanas
    Haley B.

    I wasn't even aware there was another San Marcos besides the Smithfield location until I drove by this one on the way to Crabtree! I decided to get my usual, the enchiladas mexicanas, and it came out perfectly. It tasted exactly how it does at the other location. The beans and rice were delicious and because I came during lunch there were only 2 enchiladas instead of 3 which was good as I didn't have a crazy big appetite. Overall I had a great lunch here and I'm very happy there's a San Marcos in Raleigh.

    Acp
    Taylor M.

    I love going here because it's super convenient to where I live literally within walking distance! The food is always great along with the service! The Ambiance gives such great vibes too

    Front
    Jillian S.

    Authentic Mexican food served up right behind Crabtree Valley mall. We ordered: Super Burrito ($17.40) - large, flavorful Cheese Dip ($7.19) - okay, small for price Carne En Su Jugo (Guadalajara Style) ($20.39) - authentic, flavorful, cooked perfectly Xango ($7.00) Overall, we enjoyed our meal (over the course of several days) and recommend this restaurant to others!

    Jonathan P.

    Had a great time at San Marcos for Cinco de Mayo. Everything was great from the drinks to the food. I ordered myself a bahama mama and an ACP which was spectacular. They brought a great ambiance for us with the DJ they had he played great music that just fit the atmosphere which I enjoyed. I would come back to San Marcos and would fully recommend it to anyone.

    My son declared this Al Pastor the best quesadilla he's had. Never seen this prepared as a quesadilla.
    Toshi I.

    Loved the decor here. This is a casual place great for meeting friends because there's a little something for everyone on their menu. I ordered Ala Carte a shrimp taco and steak enchilada. Hubs ordered a mix of chicken and steak fajitas. This was served up fresh to my table. Of course, I had to try their signature marg which complemented both my meak and experience. My son ordered the Al Pastor Quesadilla which isn't a menu item we see at every Mexican restaurant. He said it was the best! Will be back.

    John C.

    This place was great. The food was super tasty. The decore was awesome. This looked like a theme park.

    Fajitas
    Terrie S.

    Staff is super friendly. The food was amazing. Ordered fajitas and a taco salad. Everything was fresh and tasted great. If we weren't traveling and lived in the area, we would definitely go back.

    Fajita mixture of chicken and steak with salad and rice and beans SO BOMB! Mixed Fajita for 1
    Jeimi J.

    Fast , and so good !! ‍ drinks were fire except cocunut one unless you are a coconut fan

    Menu
    Ivan S.

    Overall I enjoyed the place. Service is not the best and could be a little more prompt, however the food was amazing thus 5/5 rating. The inside is decorated nicely in a Mexican theme. Menu is huge with lots of things to choose from. They serve chips and salsa right from the start, we complemented it with queso, which to our surprise was quite small for 6 bucks they ask for it, however it was delicious. For main course I ended up getting Mexican grilled steak which was basically a taco like dish, the steak was combined with queso and oh my, it was sooo good! I'll be back to try something different here for sure.

    Viki N.

    Early Cinco de Mayo lunch for our group resulted in a visit to San Marcos on a Thursday. We made a reservation for 20 but only 16 showed up. But our table was ready when we arrived at 11am. We also had individual salsa bowls and baskets of chips. Our group loved the design of the building and the restaurant decor. It's how we imagined the cultural dining would be in Mexico. Our waiter was Chris who was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and professional. He was very responsive and attentive to the table but I didn't get a refill of my water. We placed our drink orders and had some time to review the menu. Then we placed orders and were able to request individual tickets. The restaurant had a pleasant fun vibe even though it was lunchtime. Music played throughout and apparently employees were getting ready for Cinco de Mayo activities. Food came in about 15-20 minutes. A server brought a portion of the orders and about 5 minutes or less the rest were brought out. Nicely plated and the food smelled and looked fresh and tasty. I had a half enchilada with mushrooms with rice and fresh lettuce and tomato slice and it was delicious. Will definitely try San Marcos again.

    Exterior

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    3 months ago

    Cook did not prepare my meal as ordered and manager was only willing to take off 25% I will not be returning to this establishment

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - San Marcos Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh

    No air conditioning. Is this usual?

    Hello Carole, we apologize for the inconvenience. There was a technical failure and it is being solved as quickly as possible.

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    I don't usually leave reviews, but this was an all-around frustrating experience from start to…read morefinish. Right off the bat, we asked for a highchair and were told it would be brought over. It never came. After waiting, we had to flag down a server walking by, who eventually brought one--only for it to be broken. It then took another 10 minutes before we finally got a functional highchair. Throughout the visit, the staff seemed far more interested in talking amongst themselves than actually paying attention to guests. The overall atmosphere felt disorganized, inattentive, and unprofessional. The worst part came after we left. I realized almost immediately that I had left my wallet behind and called right away. Instead of any sense of urgency or willingness to help, the host who answered was incredibly rude and dismissive. Before I could fully explain the situation, she cut me off and told me to "call back tomorrow." When I tried to quickly describe the wallet--color, contents, anything that might help--she hung up on me mid-sentence. Considering I called almost immediately after leaving and was brushed off so quickly, it raises serious concerns about whether any real effort was made to locate it. I would hope any establishment would take something like that seriously. Between the lack of attention, the disorganization, and the way a simple, time-sensitive situation was handled, this place clearly has serious issues with customer service. I won't be back.

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    Hands down the best tacos I've had in North Carolina. Just wow. The food is phenomenal and comes…read moreout really fast. They've expanded into a bigger space so there's a lot more seating available which is much needed because it's always packed. The line moves quickly and the staff works efficiently. They are pros. If you love tacos, try this place.

    Stopped by Taqueria El Toro last week after a few people had recommended this place. I'll admit my…read moreexpectations may be shaped by having a lot of Tex Mex style food in Texas, but I wanted to give this a try. When you arrive, there is plenty of parking around the building, and entrances in the front and on the right side. Once inside, you'll walk up to counter and place your order. Your then given a order number and it's open seating. Your number will be called out in Spanish when your food is ready and you'll pick it up at the counter. I ordered an al pastor taco which unfortunately was not good. It came out extremely cold and needed a lot of salsa for it to have any flavor. I also ordered a steak burrito which was much better and was served with melted cheese on the top. There were fatty pieces throughout the burrito but this was far better than the taco. Lastly, I ordered a horchata but it tasted like grainy and wasn't great. If I'm in the area again I may give this a try but I'd definitely stick with a burrito so your food is hot.

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    San Marcos Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh - mexican - Updated May 2026

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