We went today for lunch and it was amazing! Wonderful food (omnivore and vegan were both happy), smiling service, and yummy drinks. I would recommend Viva to anyone who wants a delicious meal! We can't wait to come back and try their Persian Night menu. read more

Was recommended Viva due to having GF tortillas as it's difficult finding when the burrito cravings kick in, and well today was the day I got to check them out (after 40 yrs they been in business)! Got the marinated chicken burrito (GF in which was verbally stated to the cooks) and let me tell you- the flavor was popping that I scarfed the burrito down. Unfortunately, due to the wetness of the meat, beans, and salsa, the tortilla ended up ripping apart half way through and then got pretty messy... finger licking good if you know what I mean. As I was waiting for my food I overheard another patron order the coconut horchata (what?!!!) the lovely owner (who is very accommodating and sweet) gave me a sample; oh, it was phenomenal. I cannot tell you how excited I am to already return to try more items from their menu. Ps: in the evenings they serve Persian food. Indoor and outdoor patio dinning avalible, easy located off Hwy116 outside downtown Seb, with decent parking spots in front. read more

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Persian night was a treat! Okay, finally some Persian food in Sonoma County. I was thrilled to learn about the new Persian nights at Viva Mēxicana in Sebastopol. We went as a group and tried several dishes. Sima has crafted a creative menu with many Iranian staples and then some less common but equally loved dishes. Her drinks menu was especially creative and appetizing. The marinated olives were so original it would be hard to tell the difference between what they make and what you'll find in the North of Iran. My questions are still the same as what I asked her then: why not extend this to weekends and even open a new place dedicated to Persian food? :) The restaurant is a bit tucked away but easy to find, with its own parking. Loved it and will be back soon! read more

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Will definitely return to Persian Night as it was excellent last night for the four of us. We ordered the Herb Plate and also the Eggplant Dip as appetizers. The Herb Plate, while tasty, lacked some of the ingredients listed; the radishes and onions were not visible as in the photo on the website. The Eggplant Dip was sparse in portion size but very good. Good thing it turns out that the appetizers weren't larger as the entrees were larger than expected and delicious to boot. We forgot to take photos but they were not all that photogenic but over the top delicious nonetheless. i had the Persian Beef Stew with split peas and it was fantastic as was the lovely rice that came with it. Two ordered the Khoreshteh Ghormeh Sabzi with Beef and Lamb in a stew with rice on the side and was equally excellent as was the Adas Polo ba Morgh with Chicken. The Dates were great for after as was the ice cream. Highly recommended. Good value, warm and inviting service in a small dining room that is on the shabby chic side and can get loud with happy customers inside. They also have outside seating for when the weather is nice. The owner is delightful and her cooking classes are worth checking into as my wife and sister in law experienced a while back. Clean restroom was another plus. read more

VEGAN REVIEW Came here for dinner on our way to Healdsburg Love all the vegan options! Very large portions. So many veggies. We split a vegan quesadilla (had no idea it would have broccoli & mushrooms in addition to vegan cheese), then each had a burrito. Huge portions, we could not finish. Would love to come back to try the Persian menu. Friendly service. Kitschy hole in the wall ambiance. read more

Simo has done it again She has upped her game. She now is offering a limited Persian menus on selected days. Was impressed with her Persian offerings. Yes it is worth the trip just for the Persian items. Some may offer tasty delights for our tongues who may not be used to the delightful spice combinations. Come and enjoy. Service is fast and friendly. I didn't hear any loud music so yes you can have a conversation and hear you partner. Recommended, Metta john read more

What a gem! Serving both Mexican and Persian food, it is a true find. We went with Mexican this time: my sister got a vegan taco bowl and I got the butternut squash enchiladas which were delicious. Our server was a wonderful woman with a great personality. read more

Always feels like being in someone's home here. The owner cares about her food, ingredients and your enjoyment. Yes it's Mexican but there are touches of Persian seasoning and food. She pulls herbs from her garden and the wholesome homemade feel of the food reflects that. Vegans and all others will find something yummy here. To get the Persian soup or pastries you'll need to come earlier in the day than not. It's still wonderful and clean so we keep coming back! read more

Enjoyed two delicious birria tacos on the little covered outdoor patio, watching the cars pass by. Very tasty. Cozy and intimate. Quick and friendly service from staff and owner, definitely a hidden gem worth trying. read more

Viva Mēxicana - 2 Birria Taco Plate - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

My mother and I visited Viva Mexicana while daytripping in Sebastopol, I'm so happy we drove past it and decided to drop in for dinner. This is not your average taqueria, I appreciate that they call themselves gourmet because that's truly what it is. Everything we had was made with special care and attention, using fresh ingredients and thoughtful seasonings. I pay particular attention to beans and rice, because if they can't nail the basics, something's not right. The basics are perfect here, and the carnitas were some of the most flavorful, tender and juicy I've ever had. My mom loved her two street tacos, even though she whispered to me that she's had as good for less $ in Mexico. We're not in Mexico mom, and for Sebastopol, these prices aren't bad, certainly not for what you get: excellent food and service. We finished our meal with the most delightful pistachio brittle, I'm not sure if it was made in house, but whomever made it, kudos! read more

Viva Mēxicana - carnitas plate in fg, tacos a la carte in bg - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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This place was on the hotel flyer as local recommended restaurants, so we gave it a go! To our surprise, it was not only serving Mexican food, but Persian food, as well. Such an odd combo. The server seated us as soon as we walked in. After reading the menu, two of us decided to order Persian and Mexican for the other one. I asked the server how the two cultures meshed together, and she stated the owner is Persian, and wanted to bring some favorite dishes to the community. Everything was very tasty! I can't remember the specific Persian name, but it was the dip made with eggplant served with flatbread and pomegranate beef stew with basmati rice. Carne asada hardshell tacos was the other dish. We loved it so much that we went back there the next night and made a to-go order. Service was excellent. Fast, efficient, friendly, informative. Decor was bright and vibrant, but could use some modern accents. Anyway, I'm there for the food! read more

We went to "Persian Night" and had absolutely delicious dishes!! The owner is warm, welcoming & delightful Eggplant dip(Kashke Bademjan) was amazing! Kabab sliders are so delicious!!! Quince stew(Khoreshte beh aloo) also so delicious! Persian bread pudding is awesome!! We've been 3 times and plan to return to try other dishes So nice to finally have a restaurant in Sonoma County that serves Persian food read more

You ever leave a restaurant wanting dessert and not sure where to go? Drop into Viva Mexicana. We did not eat dinner here, just dessert which consistsed of some delicious flan cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake. The cheesecake was delicious. It had the flavor of basque cheesecake as it leaned more into the caramelized side of things likely due to the sauce for the "flan" aspect of things. The texture was less rich than NY cheesecake but less custardy than basque. The best way to describe it truly was saying it's a cross between flan and cheesecake. We were sharing amongs 5 of us. 2 flan cheesecakes and 1 flourless chocolate cake after our dinner was a nice amount for a good night cap. I think these were about $8 each, so not crazy expensive and the portions were a solid size. The flourless chocolate cake was decadant. That's a dramatic word.. But it was seriously rich. So dense and fudgy with such deep flavor like you were biting into a delicious 70% dark chocolate bar. I thought the flourless chocolate cake was amazing. So, if you're on the search for dessert, stop here and go over to their refrigerated case, they'll ring you out in no time at the register and you'll be on your way. One thing I'll comment on, don't let the exterior of the restaurant fool you. It's very unassuming and it doesn't look like it'll deliver much. I can't speak for the dinner but they sure know dessert. I'm not sure if they make these in house but made no difference to me. Stop in to get some quick service on delicious desserts. read more

Viva Mēxicana - Cheese Cake Flan and Flourless Chocolate Cake portioned out to share with others. Both 10/10 - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

We came in at 4:50 on a Sunday with a party of 8. The restaurant was mostly empty, we pulled a few tables together. The wine and beer "pairing " menu was for Persian food. Our party came for the Mexican food, we had to physically walk to the refrigerator units by the register to see what was available and grab what we wanted out of the fridge. We helped ourselves again for drink refills. We asked twice before the wait staff brought chips and salsa in 2 small bowls. We did not receive our food for 1 hr, and the chips and salsa were never refilled. Overall the food was good, with terrible service. I approached the staff and communicated the wait time as well as self-service drinks as no wait staff was around to check on our party of 8. There seemed to be no urgency or concern to provide any decent level of customer service. Sincerely, disappointed. read more

I love this place. The food is delicious, and the setting is artful. The owner, Sima, puts a special spin on traditional dishes, and creates her own special combinations of flavors. She also does a marvelous job of catering. I've been to three events where she provided the perfect food, and hope to have her cater an event at my house soon. read more

Nice people and really good food Love the place. This was our first time here. All delicious read more

The pictures on the website are not an accurate representation of what you get. Example the mango salsa is not served on the side and they charge you extra read more

New menu for the business, 3 nights of Persian food. We gathered 3 other couples for a Persian dinner. Delicious. Friendly atmosphere as always! Decor needs some upgrades but great potential for a new food culture in Sebastopol. read more

Each Persian platter was delicious and the plum margarita as fabulous as described, the proprietor quite charming. However, the food and drink were extremely slow to arrive, the noise level extreme and the prices somewhat high for the modest size of the platters. read more

We were greeted warmly by the owner and her staff. The menu is extensive and there is a chalkboard near the register noting the specials for the day. My favorite is their tostada with carnitas, which is a corn tortilla with refried beans, pico de gallo, lettuce and cheese. We ordered the 2-item taco combo meal (1 grilled rock cod and 1 carnitas) which came with refried beans and Spanish rice. We also ordered the carnitas plate which comes with rice, beans and either flour or corn tortillas. Can you tell we love their carnitas?! Their carnitas are one of the best I've had. The meat is roasted and then grilled to perfection so they have a nice crispy texture. They offer a menu for their vegan guests as well as a nice variety of juices and desserts. There is a small outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant. read more

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This was our first time eating at Viva Mexicana! We had read about their Persian Menu via the Press Democrat newspaper and wanted to discover what the food was like. We were absolutely floored by all aspects of the food and service. The food was EXCEPTIONAL (we ordered the Pomegranate Walnut stew with chicken, the beef stew, yogurt cucumber dill salad and Herb plate to name a few...) Service was exceptional! KUDOS to their team! read more

The owner is Persian, and the food is amazing. Oaxacan style Mexican food is delicious. Try some of the specialties, like the Mexican lasagna or one of the Agua frescas which are made fresh. The art on the walls is from local artists and is very colorful and I loved it. Highly recommend. read more

Viva Mēxicana - Sign near register - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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We've been coming for years! Always happy but this time was particularly FANTASTIC !! First we had a large group (you usually have to accept meh) but not true! Felt very welcomed! Took our orders, got our food in a completely reasonably timeframe- and our large group was silent -everyone was enjoying our meals! Variety of food ordered :butternut squash enchiladas, chili verde burrito, carnitas super burrito, meat lovers bfast burrito, bean and cheese burrito, guacamole- ALL excellent! Even tried their aqua juice ? Amazingly good!! We'll be back!! read more

Viva Mēxicana - Front of restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

The pork carnitas are amazing. Oddly they are mostly vegetarian with some vegan. I did not find any Persian dishes. Fresh and good.

The Gratitude burrito...This is the BEST burrito I have ever eaten in my life. It is soooooo delicious and I'm obsessed

I have been coming to this restaurant for 20 years . I was not happy with the quality of flavor of my burrito and the Horchata I had was sub par, small in size and totally overpriced. I will be finding another Mexican restaurant to spend my money at. service was also sub par . read more

We used Viva Mexicana catering service in Bodega Bay for six days (lunch and dinner) and everything was excellent. The team was very flexible with dietary restrictions and special requests. Meals always arrived hot, and the meals/cuisine varied from day to day! Communication was lovely throughout, and they quickly adapted to the right portions for our group. We've already worked with them twice and look forward to doing so again! read more

Food was good. Service was awful. I was the only diner and the cashier, young male, decided to rearrange all of the tables and chairs making a ton of noise, and decided to sweep the dining room while I was eating my meal, dust floating everywhere. i often find the service poor and this time it really will be the last time I eat here read more

Fantastic. The food, owner, workers, everything. A real gem of an eatery. It's been two decades of great. ps. if you are not getting enough chips (i don't eat them) just ask the owner. She is awesome. read more

The holiday season for me is not complete without strawberry tamales. I search for them tirelessly, and for some reason, my search is getting harder and harder every year. After posting online about my search, the owner from here reached out that they had strawberry tamales and hubby and I went over that very day! On our first visit, I ordered one local fish taco, and the strawberry tamal plate. Hubby ordered a quesadilla, and on the side, we had the tres leches cake and some chips and salsa. We started with the tres leches cake and it was absolutely incredible. Honestly that is probably in the top three best tres leches cake I've had. The fish taco was on point, super juicy, flavorful and packed with fresh flavors. Unfortunately, the tamal that I came for, was just not to my liking, and tasted more like a cinnamon tamal and didn't taste like strawberry at all. The sides to the plate however were really good, with platanos and great northern beans which were delightful. Hubby enjoyed his quesadilla, and it was such a big portion he had another whole meal in leftovers for the next day. We returned for another meal to see what else they had to offer, and hopefully to get our hands on another slice of tres leches cake. That day however, there were none, so we ended up getting cheesecake flan, which was a huge bummer compared to the tres leches. The texture was grainy, heavy, and disappointing. I revisited the fish tacos which were as good as I remembered and tasted super fresh. Hubby ordered the beef tacos and thought they were good but nothing to rave about. The chips and salsa were ok, but also nothing notable, as were the sides of beans and rice which were solid but not remarkable in terms of flavor. Prices are comparable for the area, especially for their huge selection for vegetarians and vegans which is super hard when you want Mexican food. Service was super friendly, warm and fast, and the location is easy to get to, with plentiful, free parking. Overall, a VERY mixed bag- some items I'd give a solid 5 stars, and others I'd give 1 star. We will most likely return for that tres leches cake, and probably the fish tacos...but definitely not those strawberry tamales. read more

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Had a chicken burrito "to go". Not what I expected, it was mushy, hardly any chicken , couldn't see the rice or cheese ,cost was 16.46, expensive for just 1 burrito full of refried beans, all slopped together. I'm sorry to say, it was not worth the money I spent. Had no flavor, barely any chicken! The young man who took my order was pleasant, but had a cold, and was coughing in the kitchen that was to side of the counter/ register. I should of waited to get to my neighborhood in the Roseland for a authentic Mexican burrito or sat down and ate at Martha's. Oh well, money lost. I won't be going back or referring. terminal id : 487 12/18/24 1:29 pm ref 3957 read more

Viva Mex is vegetarian and vegan heaven! Every single dish we had here was outstanding, the owner was super friendly, and our food was ready for takeout in 20 minutes. We ordered four tacos and a butternut squash enchilada plate. Each taco was filled to the max, full of fresh tasting veggies, and seasoned to perfection - I especially liked the one with white beans and corn, as well as the one with potatoes! The enchilada was wonderful and sweet, and the enchilada sauce was truly addictive! The sides of rice and refried beans were also perfectly executed. We also ordered a delicately spiced coconut horchata, which was a great way to end the meal. The restaurant is off the main drag but definitely worth the detour! We were so satisfied with this meal - the food was immensely flavorful without needing any cheese or heavy sauces. read more

Viva Mēxicana - Butternut squash enchiladas plate - the sauce was outstanding! - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Delicious for sure - this is a solid family stop for our family with three teenagers, so burritos get pretty much devoured! Service is super friendly and professional, and we've always left happy - a pick up order was five minutes later than advertised and we were offered a piece of flan, mmmm. I do have to say that the website is outstanding for ease of ordering and finding what you want - very nice! Only one major comment for me is that the food is so rich! It seems less traditional Mexican and a boosted with more oil and more flavor. Does that work for me? Sometimes yes, sometimes a bit too much. The mole is truly awesome but as a little snack, not as a full sized burrito. Carnitas, carne, chicken, and the rice and bean are great, and the gourmet burritos are definitely that! read more

It was my first time there and we loved it! They have a whole vegan menu so I had choices! I had vegan nachos and they were wonderful and cheesy! And if you like horchata, they make an excellent vegan horchata (and vegan iced latte horchata or a regular horchata). and they have vegan desserts! I took home a vegan cheesecake (I was stuffed). My boyfriend had "regular" food and said it was the most authentic Mexican food he's had with a legit mole! We'll be back since it has plenty of selections for vegans and non-vegans so we're both happy! Can't believe it was my first time but won't be my last! read more

Everything here is so good. Apps, guacamole, chips, burritos, plates, desserts, drinks. Service is good and the bang for the buck can't be beat. Love the quality of the ingredients and that much is organic. read more

Viva Mexicana has an amazing variety of burritos that work for all kinds of dietary restrictions. Whether you're looking for vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options, they've got you covered. The flavors are absolutely fantastic--fresh, bold, and so satisfying. It's rare to find a place that balances variety with quality this well. Highly recommend! The Traditional Medicinal Employees love it read more

The server was very kind, service was quick, and the vibe is very casual. However, here's the big deal: the chicken mole is AMAZING! read more

Viva Mēxicana - Chips and salsa with glass water jug and cup behind them - Mexican Near Me - Sebastopol, California

This review has been a long time coming... I've been going to this place for many years, and I am a devotee to the Gratitude Burrito. I get it all the time! It's amazing. All of the other food I've tried here is ok to good (not great), and the owner is so sweet. The desserts are incredible. HOWEVER, their customer service is horrible and their chips are PATHETIC. They are so stingy with their chips - one time I got a side of chips and there were ONLY THREE CHIPS IN THE BAG. This was for a 2-person order. I've asked them MULTIPLE TIMES to have me PAY FOR CHIPS. I've begged them... "please let me pay for a decent order of chips." And they let me pay, but they still give me the same small bag of chips - it's a joke. They just DON'T GET IT. This past Sunday I asked again, I paid the money for the chips, and they didn't even include the chips in the order!! My friend had to ask them for chips, and I had even PAID FOR THEM. I tipped them $5 too. I didn't have time to go in and get my money and tip back, but that's why I'm writing a Yelp review now instead. I've hesitated writing them a bad review for years because I want to see them do well as a quality small business and their Gratitude Burrito rocks, but it's time. I've dealt with this chip issue multiple times, and it's frustrating. Get it together, Viva Mexicana!!!! Guess what. Papas and Pollo right next door is much better service, and their chips are incredible, and they aren't stingy with them. Even though their food isn't AS GOOD, I think I'll be going there from now on instead, just because the overall experience is better - and they don't short you on the chips. Viva Mex thinks they're saving money by rationing people chips, but honestly, it's lost them a customer. I'm sure I'm not the only one. read more

Viva Viva Mexicana, what a great place to stop for amazing clean Mexican food on the way through town. The burritos and tacos are all worthy of a go. read more

I ordered a bean (refried pinto) & cheese burrito w/ guacamole, pico de gallo & sour cream, plus lettuce. It was a fantastic lunch - fresh and very satisfying - even if it was a bit on the pricey side. It was worth it, it was really *delicious*!!! I also had a glass of fresh watermelon juice and wow, that was amazing! They make it there. read more