This place was great! We were staying at the Quality Inn down the street and it was a short walk here for dinner. Tortilla chips come out warm and the salsa was unique. I got a veggie burrito, and my husband got chicken fajita. I thought there was too much dressing in my burrito (salad is one of the fillings and it was drowning in dressing) and could've used some more beans, but overall the burrito was very tasty. Portions are huge, and we had leftovers the next day. We LOVED their guac. We stopped by the second day just to get more guac to go with our leftovers. My only complaint is they only have 1 vegetarian option; it's super easy as a Mexican place to offer more veggie options. But if we are in the area we will stop by again! read more

Taqueria Los Altos - two plates of food on a table - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

10/10 would recommend. Very kind and welcoming staff!! Give this place a try!! We stopped by on a Saturday evening and really enjoyed our visit. The staff was really courteous and helped us quickly. We would definitely come back again! read more

We stopped at this place during our chilly overcast journey from Ventura to Santa Rosa. After a "crap-tastic" (yes it's a real word) McDonald's breakfast, from which our innards during the first leg of our trip endured slip "n" slide like results, we were not looking forward to another drive through for lunch. As we came into Salinas we busted out the Yelp Application on our iPhone (best app ever). After much careful thought, deliberation and review from what others had posted we decided on this place and were not disappointed. We probably drove by the restaurant three times attempting to find it only to realize that the sign out front of that address had a totally different name. Once we walked inside we were greeted by a very pretty young lady who did not speak a single word of English. Not to worry I simply reverted back to my 10 years removed High School Spanish to get the job done. Now it be due to the fact that it was a Friday or that it was 1:00 pm but this legendary mariachi band rumored in every other review was no where to be found. Instead we were treated to telemundos best Mexican daytime soaps on a giant flat screen television. The food that came out was delicious from a gringos point of view. The mixed fajitas were amazing!!!! The tomatoes and peppers used were so fresh and went great with the shrimp. My girlfriend had the two cheese enchiladas from which the plate was left spotless. I can't remember the last time I saw enchiladas that were not completely soggy after soaking in what can only be described as "red sauce". This place did it perfectly. The enchiladas had texture and you could actually taste the food beyond the sauce. Definitely a place we would stop by again. read more

Taqueria Los Altos - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

We were staying at the Best Western a few hundred yards from the restaurant. We avoided all of the usual franchised places and chose this one based on the reviews alone. This is Mexican food as I've never tasted it before. Can't recommend this place enough! Make sure you see what the specials are as you walk in, and definitely go for the half mariscada - there's enough food for two.. Enjoy. read more

Taqueria Los Altos - Half mariscada and tostada ceviche. Enough for two. - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Good food but customer service sucked my husband asked for a Michelada and the girl that took our order more less called my husband a lier!! And when we were waiting on our food the girl kept giving us dirty look's read more

This is the worst place I've ever been to...EVER! The food is ok but their service is awful! They are short staffed for starters which means that you have to wait a long long time for someone to take your order. Then it takes even longer to bring your order. I ordered a combo...chile relleno and two enchiladas with a side of rice and beans. I ate the enchiladas and some of the rice and beans. I asked the waitress for an Order of corn tortillas so I can enjoy my chile. Half an hour later...I'm waiving the same waitress down and calling for her but I'm ignored. Surely she forgot the tortillas. Finally, another waitress comes to my table and asked if there was something wrong. By now, my food is cold and I'm upset. I ask for the bill and I get charged full price for my food. I ask for the manager and of course one is not there. No way am I paying for food that I didn't eat because it was sitting there because the waitress forgot. I get discounted my food...not compensated. I paid because I was so angry. First time eating there and the last! read more

Having grown up in southern California and spending a good amount of time in Mexico, I'm pretty picky about my Mexican food and have certain expectations of how things should be done. Taqueria Los Altos is so unbelievably good, I don't even know where to start. Jonesing for a quick bite on a road trip with the guys, jake r. miraculously saves us from stopping at a junk food burger place with the memory of an amazing Mexican restaurant in Salinas. A quick call to a friend confirms the location and as soon as we pulled in to the parking lot I see the black jean clad, cowboy hat wearing hombres milling about. Inside is the rich sound of a live mariachi band making their rounds through the dining room. I feel at home immediately. The menu offers true Mexican entrees and an amazing seafood selection. I ordered the 2 Fish Tacos plate ($4.50), a Carnitas Taco ($2.00), and a Negra Modelo ($3.50). The fish tacos were JUST like they come in Baja from a taco stand on the highway near the beach. A pile of beautiful fried fish on fresh corn tortillas topped with a cabbage/carrot slaw and the perfect sauce. These guys don't mess around with rice and beans and all that crap that has no place in a taco; my carnitas taco was simply some of the best pulled pork I've ever tasted, on tortillas with some salsa...that's it. The way it should be. My friends ordered the shrimp cocktail, which are enormous and filled with a delicious tomato sauce, avocado chunks and shrimp galore. They wouldn't shut up about how amazing it was; Also the reason we went. Who knew I had to drive a hundred miles from the Bay Area for good Mexican food? San Francisco's Mission district doesn't even hold a candle to this place. read more

Thank God that Los Altos was in close proximity to the Best Western or we would have been stuck with In and Out for dinner. Chips were thick and freshly fried and accompanied by a decent spicy salsa. I ordered a two taco plate, 1 shrimp and 1 fish wish rice and beans, plus a Dos Equis to wash it down. I forgot to request grilled fish (I was trying to eat healthier after being captive on a bus tour for a week) so I ended up with fried fish topped with chipotle cream and cabbage on the fish taco. The beans were on the stiff and dry side and the rice average but nothing to complain about. Entertainment came from the 10 piece mariachi band that enthusiastically played a number of songs throughout our dinner. read more

Terrible! Simply Terrible... Let's start with the food. I ordered the mixed fajitas. In other words; some dried ass chicken, overcooked shrimp that tasted rubbery, the smallest piece of steak ever (although tasty) and a mountain of sauted onions. Not good! My sister got the Camarones a la Diabla. Spicy? I think not. A tomatoe base sauce that is simply awful. She had no part on that; ate her beans and rice only because she was hungry. Again, rubery shrimp. Lastly my lady. The one plate that did come out good. Shrimp enchiladas. I don't know what sauce they used but it tasted yummy compared to the the sauce of the diabla shrimp. Aaand the shrimp was cooked to perfection. Weird! I know. As far as staff goes. I come in ask for a table for three and they say ok they're first pointing to another group. Next thing I know waitresses are shouting out who's next? And all hell breaks loose with groups arguing we were next no we were. If you took names down this wouldn't have been the issue. Next as we sat down, talk about rude! The waitress asked what we wanted to drink. We didn't know we had just sat down. So as were deciding she takes off with frustration no comment saying I'll be back I'll give you some time to decide. Comes back 10 min. later with an even bigger attitude and says, "Do you know what you want now?" Worst experience ever! No my Yelp friends... This place is dirty, with no customer service and poorly cooked food. read more

Great Mexican food and the Chevelas were bomb with large shrimp, celery & carrots to garnish! I also really enjoyed the live mariachis playing requests while you eat. Will return when im in Salinas again. read more

Huge portions, comes with chip and salsa- the salsa is freshly made and authentic. Omlettes are a good deal, hot shrimp, thumbs up. Cherizos are well prepared. Their drink specials look amazing. Good food good deal! read more

Great staff & excellent meal. I work all over the state. This was only my second visit here in 2 years & both times I loved it. read more

Taqueria Los Altos - a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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I came here with high expectations after reading the good reviews from everyone else. After getting some o.k. salsa and chips, my sister got a torta and i got shrimp ranchero. first off, the torta had a gross black hair in it. I got my shrimp. the shrimp were old, and did NOT taste right. The beans were old, the rice was under cooked. I was so disgusted I sent it back and left. This place is a huge disgrace, disgusting food, I have no idea how they have clients. IF YOU WANT TRULY GOOD MEXICAN FOOD, GO TO CASA DEL SAZON IN SOUTH SALINAS. THAT IS THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN TOWN. SERIOUSLY, JUST GO TRY THEIR SALSA. read more

I was skeptic at first but the I was amazed about how fast the service was and how delicious the food was!!! Def coming here again! read more

Taqueria Los Altos - Mariscada!!! - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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Wish this were in my town. We would eat here regularly if only that were so! It was the perfect place to stop for lunch after all morning on the road. Right off 101. Comfortable dinervatmosphere with BOOTHS!!!, nice friendly service. Food top-notch. We had tacos--fish, carnitas and asada. Perfect salsa and chips. read more

Los Altos, always hear stories about the mariachi band on Sundays, but my sister suggestion this place for my cousin since he came into town this morning. Service was fine, ask for hotter salsa they said they only has one(what?). We ordered our food, my primo ate just to eat because he was just hungry, but all three of us at the same time said the food is bland. A Simple things, pepper and salt to add a little flavor before it went out, that one star. And on my lengua tacos plate, it looked & it felt by the corn tortillas were even warmed up( it felt like it came from the bag), that the second one. The portions are pretty big though, maybe if I asked for salt, pepper & before hand ask grill fresh chiles then I'll go back. read more

Taqueria Los Altos - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Acting on the recommendation of others, we ventured to Los Altos when staying in Salinas for Sea Otter - what a find! The restaurant was packed, mariachi was in the house, and the food was so excellent we came back the next night also! We ordered shrimp fajitas, which came with practically 2 pounds of sizzling shrimp one night. We got tacos another night, fish and other meats - all very tasty. The chips are freshly fried and good salsa, and they keep 'em coming when the basket runs out. Lots of cowboy hats and folks who are clearly regulars, but we felt right at home and got excellent service both nights we were there. We will be back for sure. read more

Chose this place based on the Yelp reviews while in town last weekend. Let me tell you, we eat Mexican food at least once a week, and I'm talking hole-in-the-wall places where I am the only blonde the people behind the counter see all day. The decor inside is a throwback to the 70s. Mariachi band was fun, loud enough that we opted to sit in the quieter section where it was nice. We sat down and within 3 minutes the waitress tried to take our order. My boyfriend decided to take a potty break and she came back and tried to take our order while I still had my menu up and he was absent...not cool, felt rushed. After that attempt, she didn't come back for 10-15 minutes, and seemed annoyed with us for the duration of our meal. Food wasn't memorable, but the tortillas were definitely not homemade. And my whole beans seemed more on the refried side. Two big complaints: the bathrooms look like a warzone (do not go in prior to eating), which makes me wonder what the kitchen looks like, and it was FREEEEEEZING where I was sitting by the bathrooms. Having just gone whale-watching I was pretty swaddled. It was warmer outside by far. With so many Mexican food places to try, I won't be going back to this place. read more

If you love LOUD up close and personal Mariachis this is the PLACE! It's a good decision buster. If you figure that the conversation isn't going to be good... then choose to go here, you won't be able to hear anything anyways! :) As far as the food goes, It's great. Large servings, not over salted, not over spicey, not over greasy. The rib eye is tender, and cooked well. The tostadas are fresh and tasty, no skimping. The chabella preparada is good. I've yet to try the michelada, but it seems to be the choice of many. I go back for new things allll the timmmmme. :) thumbs up! read more

We were staying at the Super 8 next door, and decided to walk over to Los Altos. In short, the food was great but the service was subpar. Our server was nice, but we weren't getting paid the same amount of attention as her other tables. Overall, though, we really enjoyed the food. Chips, salsa, and the carne asada were delicious! I might suggest taking it to go if you're not into the loud mariachi band. :) read more

After a day trip to Monterey, we stopped here for dinner passing through Salinas. We were sure glad we did! Easily some of the best Mexican food we've had. Parking can be tough, it's a small lot. The wait wasn't too bad, it took about 15 minutes on a Saturday night at 8:30 pm. It's a very loud restaurant, complete with a Mariachi band wandering around, so it's not a place for a quiet meal. The food selection was huge, we ordered the chicken enchiladas plate (there were FOUR of them), shrimp tostada, and steak tacos plate with some Coronas. WOW the food was great. Our favorite was the tostada--it sure didn't skimp on the shrimp! The portions were huge, we couldn't finish all of it. Complimentary chips and salsa were awesome as well. Service was great, they check on you often. All of this for under $30 gets 5 stars in our book! read more

I have Beef taco it was overcooked and the place was a little dirty for me but the waitress was very nice and polite and courtesy, over all we will Not be back. read more

This was really good. Huge portions and with a great deal of flavor. Chicken quasadilla what huge and yummy. Carnitas taco was great too. Tender and full of flavor. The other five dinners I was with lived there dishes too. Service was wonky but tolerable. They had a mariachi band that played forever and where very good. read more

I left Motel 6 looking for a good breakfast. The Taqueria Los Altos was right across the street. I had coffee and their Chorizo and eggs. A very good presentation and it tasted exactly as it should. I recommend this restaurant. The endless coffee was good for a wakeup. read more

Waitresses were nice, but the food was not very good, had to send my first order back because meat was touch then order the carne asada tacos and the meat was just as bad. Plus place is full of flies. Probably people drinking so much they can't tell if the food is any good. Go someplace else. read more

Good micheladas but worst customer service! Will never come back! Family order food and I never got my good. Told the waitress 4 different times and I was promised in the next 5 mins. It never came. Had to go down the street to Carls Jr to eat after everyone did for Father's Day. read more

How to rate this place. I'm torn. For starters, the food was good. The service, sucked. I was seated and given chips, salsa and my drink right away. Took forever for them to come take my order. Which actually wasn't too bad because the menu is about 80% in Spanish. Which I don't speak or read. So I ordered what I understood. Burrito chimichanga style. Got my food rather quickly. My burrito was HUGE, needed more guac and sour cream for the size. But full of chicken cheese and other yummies. My waitress came by about 2 minutes after serving me an that was it. Had to ask the other girl for my check. Thank goodness I didn't need a refill. Which by the way, get a soda, the water is tap, or even worse. I was hungry, wanted something close to my hotel, that wasn't a drive thru burger. So that said, it was edible, wasn't the greatest, and could use much better service, a readable menu for you know us Americans, and do away with the mariachi singer. read more

Beers are cold best I can say about this place our waitress seemed like she had a stick stuck up her ass which kinda turned us off but then again the beers were cold read more

I don't like writing bad reviews BUT, First and LAST time I go here! Service sucked! ALL the waitresses working ignored us and paid more attention to ALL the guys at the restaurant. Waited about 15minutes to get a menu, next thing you know, a güerito shows up and all the waiters attacked him with their service. Don't go here unless you are a guy. read more

We stopped for gas in Salinas, decided it was time for a late lunch, and Yelp told us that the best Mexican place in town was across the street. And, ay caramba, the taqueria was rockin'! The jukebox plays non-stop, and the food come hot and fast. Lots of great seafood choices. The S.O. ordered a carnitas burrito and said it was one of the best ever (this from a girl who spent 1/3rd of her life in south Texas). The flour tortilla itself was homemade, flaky, and really delish! Between the food, the music, the loud Spanish conversations, and the soccer match on TV, it was like being on the Rio Grande all over again. read more

Some of the best mexican food I have tried. The tamales were amazing. Service is great. Perfect place to go to show off local knowledge of good food in Monterey. If you drink you must have the Chavela. It is a cerveza preparada with a large carrot and a stalk of celery and six to seven shrimp lining the rim. Dump some Tapatio and squeeze some lime into the large frosted glass and you will be on the same page as everyone else. Remember, Salinas has, on average, better and sometimes more authentic Mexican food than SoCal. If you know of a comparable place in San Diego please let me know! I am jonesin' for some Los Altos right now. read more

On our trip down to disneyland, we stopped at wonderful SALINAS.. We stayed at at near by hotel and out of laziness, decided to try a near-by place, and it was pretty good. We ordered a super burrito and 4 tacos, drinks and only paid $18..great deal. the tacos were big, the burrito was also pretty big and everything tasted fresh and home-made. the red salsa was awesome! read more

The decor and staff at this place is mediocre at best. Their food also fits that bill. The only reason to come here are for their excellent chavelas and good tostadas. read more

I knew the second I tasted the stale chips I should have just got up and left. I ordered two tacos de asada with a side of rice and beans. The side order was good but the tacos where a total disappointment. The meat in the tacos was so tough to chew, very dry and basically overcooked! The salsa was so weak and the tortillas did not taste homemade whatsoever. I guess everyone else here was too drunk to taste the food. Only two stars because the waitress was nice and the rice and beans where good. read more

the seafood tostadas suck and the chavelas suck. Besides that everything is cool. I come here a lot because of the ambient.

Zzz.... Slow service... Had to ask for silverware we - had table of seven people. They only brought out one place setting - each person had to ask for a place setting??? Food ok nothing great had the chicken enchiladas. read more

By Far the worst place ever ! Their service was bad and the food was left at the table. Ordered tacos and the tortillas were cold and the meat did not have any flavor, lots of salsa to cover up the bad taste ! read more

The food was delicious and the prices were great. The staff didn't speak much English, but they were friendly. The salsa had fresh cilantro, which is a huge plus for me. The cheese enchiladas were really good and the refried beans were some of the best I've had. I would definitely go back again. read more

This place looks like an old HO-Jo's or Denny's, but the seafood is out of sight and deeee-lish-ish. There seems to always be a mariachi band walking around playing (3 out of 3 visits) and there are great daily specials. I had a unreal shrimp soup on viernes for 7 bucks. The ceviche is not the type you see at Limon, but it is HUGE (I had the SMALL) and way too much food. I haven't tried the oysters, but, next time I am doing the powere shots. Oh, and on Sundays, it is all the "local" pickers, dressed in their Sunday best, checking for chicks. read more

Great local restaurant. Excellent food, great value!