Definitely a gem. Stuffed zucchini is as delicious order as is. Orchata was delicious as well and stuffed nopal was yummy. Clean environment and friendly staff vegetarian options :) read more

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This place is fabulous! Food is very delicious, service is attentive and friendly and prices are reasonable. The Street Corn should not be missed. We ordered it, ate it and then got another! The horchata was amazing! Place is immaculately clean. Go eat here - you'll be happy you did. read more

The flavors were impressive and innovative. Every dish was bursting with bold flavors that left me wanting more. From the Mexican street corn mixed in with the guac (recommended by our server Danna) to the Aki molcajete, each bite was a delightful surprise. I do recommend ordering more rice, beans, and tortillas because I thought the portions weren't enough with the amount of food the Aki molcajete had. The service was exceptional. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable, offering great recommendations that enhanced our meal. If you're looking for a place where the food looks as good as it tastes, This is a must-visit! Highly recommend! read more

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Love this place. Oaxan-inspired food is creative and delicious. Service is top notch. Location is a neighborhood shopping center so parking can be a challenge. Dining room is small and it can get noisy. Absolutely must try the mole. Worth going out of the way to enjoy this gem. read more

Incredible Mexican food and as a Mexican growing up with spectacular food that's saying something. We got the nachos and those chips were perfectly crispy not oily, fresh and thick. We got the street corn and that crema sauce they use is crack!! Roasted to perfection, I tasted the love. We also got the vampiros which my husband nearly dropped on the ground with how yummy it was. The meat was juicy and tender. I got the gorditas and by far the best a Gordita has been fried, again not oily but flavorful! The taquitos were not the star but the night, they did not disappoint but the other meals were just too special. To end this fantastic meal we got the churros and when I tell you these were the best damn churros...believe you me, leave room and get these you'll thank me later. You're welcome. read more

Aki Fresh Mex is a small restaurant in a strip mall in Marina, CA. I went in for lunch and I was seated immediately. It was cool/cold in the restaurant and the lights were off. They have outdoor seating and the single unisex restroom was clean. As for the food - I ordered a strawberry & blueberry lemonade which was excellent ($5). I ordered 3 tacos, which were the mushroom, chicken asada & chicken en tinga ($14.50). The standout of this meal was the chicken en tinga, which was amazing. The savory & spicy tomato blends well. What will keep me from going back to this place unfortunately is the price. I paid $28 (18% tip included) for 3 tacos and a non-alcoholic drink. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Storefront - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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What I loved. Service was fantastic. Both the server and the chef checked in on me to make sure I was enjoying the food. Food tasted very fresh. Even the enchilada sauce tasted like it was fresh made. Chips and salsa tasted great. They also tasted freshly made. What I didn't like so much. 3.5% credit card processing fee. This is an unnecessary penalty in 2023, especially coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when most places required that you use a credit card. This 3.5% is approximately $1.50 for my dinner. Why penalize the customer for choosing a form of payment that is far safer and more secure than carrying around cash. Charging over $6 for an order of chips and salsa more than makes up for any cost associated with processing a credit card. If the restaurant had advertised cash only, I simply would not have eaten here. read more

Magic moments happen when you least expect things. A bathroom is open when you gotta go, a parking spot is available right in front of a store or you by buy a lotto ticket and you win a ticket! Having pretty much given up on restaurants here in Salinas, I took a Steinbeck spin down Cannery Row and ended up in Marina, Ca at Aki Fresh Mex 15 min before closing. We busted our way through the front door and found ourselves in the middle of an empty restaurant and grabbed on to our chairs refusing to leave until we were served! Lucky for us the cook/owner and the server were welcoming and ready to serve a couple of strays on this glorious day! We scanned the marvelous menu and we built THE list: Mexican Corn, Chapulines (Grasshoppers) and roasted ARTichokes! A Jamaica and a Black Modelo to wash it all down the hatch. We continued digging for gold as we turned the menu over and found a mountain of possibilities that even Paul Bunyan would have found difficult to order it all! It was like eating at your best friend's house back in the 70's and his mom feeding you over and over again! I settled on the Pork Chile Verde with rice and Black beans and my wife selected #24 starting forward "The Molcajete"! The Chapulines were crunchy, salty and hopping in our mouth, beating on our taste buds with those Tina Turner legs! The ARTichokes were simply Artistic!! However, the king of rock was the Mexican corn: a sweet, crunchy, savory extravaganza worthy of a call to your mom and thanking her for bringing you into this world to experience this moment! My Pork Chile verde was enough to make you forget that Mexico and the US lost in Qatar. Every bite packed a slightly spicy, savory, sour bite that kept you wanting to call all your friends to join you before you finished it ALL! The Molcajete was a Aztec Volcano party without the need of sacrificing a virgin! It pretty much had everything that can make any mouth say Ajua and more please! We had run over 20 minutes beyond the closing of the restaurant but I had to ask: "Could we try the FLAN just for fun?" And they said: "Claro Que si!" (Yes of course) The flan arrived like an easy Sunday morning with all the details of a Chica on an expensive photo shoot with Rosemary and a couple of small but delicate flowers on her head. After such a meal I felt as though everything was well with the world and my stomach. Please treat yourself to a grand experience because Aki esta fresh and fulfilling! read more

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Party of 4. Read the reviews. We were hungry and the food was delicious, amazing and wonderful. We started with guacamole chips and salsa on the side. Flour tortilla chips. Yum. Guacamole was green , fresh and authentic. Not mixed with a bunch of thinners. We shared an order of grasshoppers l. I must admit I was dubious. But with our wait staff sharing what they are like, we ordered .Sold. Delicious. We took a to go tub and unfortunately left behind. On to our entrees. Chile relleno without batter and stuffed with a generous cream filling. Absolutely the best I have ever eaten. Bravo! A special order of a burrito either chili verde. Smack. The best ever. Onto the tacos. Amazing most beautiful presentation and looked and tasted scrumptious. Our hosts were great. Happy to assist as we wanted to share these delicious treats. Thank you to our gracious hostess. Her confidence sharing suggestions was delightful. Our sever definitely answered all of our enquiries l. We will see them next year when we return. Thank you for a great meal and a dining experience that we will treasure. read more

Having recently been introduced to Mexican Fine Dining in an extraordinary place in Salinas I was very excited when we were invited to this new place in Marina. It is a pretty unassuming storefront with unusual parking in a three store strip next to the laundromat. The interior tries to be upscale but there are sign wires strung about, some right across seating areas, and things like that. The service was cheerful, attentive, and very knowledgable about the menu. The menu is very interesting and not the normal Mexican fare, it was fun to look at and speculate about the flavor combinations. My wife started with a flavored lemonaid [sic], Lavender & Honey, which was interesting and enjoyable. Her entree was an unusual Chili Rellano. It was neither breaded nor deep fried, but broiled. The flavor was good and my wife enjoyed it, but she thought that the seeds had not all been removed and she left some for me to try. I found the texture a little stringy and the pepper a bit bitter. The cheese combination was, however, delicious. Being a Mole fan I ordered the Mole Duo, Agustina & Verde. The Agustina style looked like the Mole I love but, sadly, didn't follow through with the taste. I found it too sweet and it was obvious that the chicken was not stewed in it, the Mole was simply poured on. The Verde was much better, very much like Chicken Chili Verde and again, poured over not stewed in, which made both chicken pieces present in the flavor instead of the sauce infusing the chicken. The rice served as a side was kind of bland, and the beans were OK. Good thing we had room for dessert because the Flan was the highlight of the meal. Silky smooth custard that was not too eggy, and a caramel that was all sweet without a trace of bitter burn. We will probably come back becase our companions really like it, I hope that it gets better over time. read more

Little hidden Jem! Tuck off the Main Street a must try. Unique spin the Mexican cuisine. Staff was friendly and food was great! read more

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What an extraordinary experience! From the beverages and appetizers through our entrees and a superb flan for dessert, everything at Aki Fresh Mex was off-the-charts incredible. Only the location makes it feel surprising to get such a high- quality meal, served by a warm and attentive staff. Don't be put off by the fact it's next door to a laundromat and a small market. Once you step inside, you'll be SO glad you did! The four of us enjoyed great sangrias (both red and white) to start and split the Mexican street corn (soft, sweet kernels, seasoned with chipotle mayonnaise & cilantro and queso cotija) and the calabacitas Mexicanas (lightly cooked zucchini topped with a great blend of poblano peppers, corn, queso fresco and house-made jalapeño-cilantro sauce). We feasted on two mole entrees (both traditional seasoned chile-chocolate and an herbal green mole) -- both wonderful; and the yummy tacos vampire style (crispy shells with crispy cheese, filled with choices of meat plus fresh salsa, onion, cilantro, and avocado). Our server remarked as she took one of the empty plates away that, "There is no use" in leaving it. Prices are higher than you might expect in a modest-looking Mexican restaurant -- and they're still a great value. We will absolutely be back, to try more of the oh-so-tempting options on the menu. (For the health conscious, they feature a Blue Zones menu selection of vegan dishes -- which also sound fantastic.) Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. read more

Tacos vampiros are amazing! Service was great. Friendly and quick. And homemade churros for dessert read more

Aki Fresh Mex - 3 Tacos Vampiros - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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This place has potential to be great, but, something rubbed me the wrong way. While the food was great, they charge for every little thing. You want chips & salsa? Sure, that'll be $6, and they give you a paltry amount of salsa. Order a $42 molcajete, which consists of meat, cheese, and salsa verde and they give you 3 small tortillas - the girl says "let me know if you want more", and you find out while closing out that they charge for extra tortillas. Overall, I'd come back because the food was definitely good but the up-charge on basic staples is a bit off putting. read more

At least once a month, I try and have dinner here always fresh always amazing I will be back

Our son and his wife recommended Aki Fresh Mex to us, persistently asking us whether we have tried it yet. We finally went recently with some of our close "foodie" friends, all for the first time, and all came away very impressed. While several standard Mexican dishes are available, this unique menu and beer list leaves you yearning to try something new and different. All appetizers (Grilled Artichokes, Calabacitas Mexicanas) and entrees (Chile Rellenos, Mole Dúo, Aki Molcajete) were perfectly cooked, exquisitely seasoned, and delicious. The owner's daughter provided excellent, attentive, and personable service. If you are looking for a very special and memorable but casual dining experience, this fine niche restaurant is affordable and worth the drive from anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula, North County and Salinas! Its surroundings are humble, but the quality of the fare is anything but! read more

Delicious food! Everything we ate was so tasty and fabulous! We had the corn, mushroom, and chips and guacamole to start. I will have to get all three when I come back.. to had the birria, my favorite part was actually the black beans, I didn't know I liked black beans! Do not forget the churro dessert! To die for! Quaint small atmosphere, I wish their parking situation was better for them and the business next door. This was highly worth finding a parking spot for though! Yum read more

The food was good the service was great. I just don't like how they charge extra for salsa. Their meals don't come with complementary chips and salsa either. So If you want salsas you have to pay extra. I ordered my nachos with the sour cream on the side and she brought me a side of sour cream which is also an extra charge. Misunderstanding I guess because they put sour cream on my nachos. After pointing this out she took it off my bill. Will I come back? Probably not. I don't like black beans. read more

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Came here for the first time last night with my husband. The weather in Marina was amazing, Super sunny. We started off with the chips and salsa. We also got the corn to share. The corn was amazing. We ended up sharing the Mole duo with roasted chicken, rice and beans. The mole was delicious. I can't decide between the green and the traditional, which I like the most, they were both amazing! we finished our dinner with the churros and ice cream, definitely will be back. Some of the items are on the high end of price- but I could see the quality & time so I didn't focus on that. That being said, I'd visit every couple of months. Not a cheap quick food fix. Had such an enjoyable meal I didn't even take pictures. read more

I have waited almost half a year for this spot to finally open their doors. Yes, I'm the creepy guy walking my dog around the neighborhood each night peeking through whatever small available hole covering the glass walls into the establishment wondering what progress happened since the night before. Yes, I'm the crazily creepy foodie hoping for the next new hot spot to launch in this still tiny town. So before I even got through half my day, I got a phone call to inform me that they are finally open and that dinner here is in schedule. Believe that I immediately said, "goshdarn-freaking-finally!" You have no idea how the wait had become more and more unbearable each passing moment as the creepy foodie that I am walked past them each night. I perused the menu carefully and ordered a few items that I knew would provide a decent grasp of their culinary spread and work onwards from there. It is also at this point that I've observed their service to be more than up to par - friendly, attentive, and fast. (Thank you Pablo!) But what mattered and what really got my attention was (and as should always will be) the food. You can taste the pride and the skillful preparation. You can seriously taste it and bask in it before the compounding heat of spices eventually uppercuts you in the chin and a free flow of sweat pours out. Quite the number of napkins and ice cold water later, we had a chat with them about the spice levels in their food and how the spice builds up rapidly. As the menu makes no mention of it (and not immediately assumed), it may surprise unsuspecting customers of the general dining populace that do not easily handle compounding heat in general. They took note of this, agreed, and offered the same dishes with milder salsas that were just as good without the compounding heat. (They redid our Gorditas with a much milder salsa on the side and was still just as tasty!) Chatting up Isabella (beloved chef with a sweet shining personality) was delightful as she shared the recipe origins and of her family and of her food and her philosophy. She made us feel truly welcome (without any pretense at all). It's easy to tell that she's the reason this place came to be and it's beautiful to hear of a spot like this being tribute to her hometown that she misses and now is translated into her food and the overall restaurant design. True, some may agree that the location and parking is less than perfect but I really want them to succeed because their food is truly worth at the very least a visit. For one, this is the first molcajete in MB that doesn't taste like leftover crap piled into a bowl (because each component *is* cooked to order). The mole duo (one side a tribute to grandma's recipe and the other to mom's take) made me nostalgic of how generational preparations of the "same" dish comes out different as night and day as preferences and cultural shifts take over. And the tamales that I just had to ask for at the end of the meal for no other reason than to taste that authenticity of her creative hands (her mainstay for a while) made me smile as I wrote this review while still seated here - first review I've written in a long while still seated in the restaurant while waiting for my check. Definitely recommend! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Being from LA, Mexican restaurants are dime a dozen! Aki Fresh Mex is maybe one of very few in Monterey. The food is simple, and the presentation is on point. We ordered: Cheese Enchiladas, Gordita's, Nopalas, Enmolada, kids tacos, and nuggets. ALL Meals come w rice and beans. The drink menu was differently good! Their appetizers: Gauc and Street Corn were so good! The enchiladas were a little to spicy for our liking. Enmoldas (Mole enchiladas) the mole was to sweet, very cinnamon and the chicken was salty. There needs to be a balance. It is somewhat pricy for Mexican food. They will charge you for condiments- sour cream, salsa and if you ask for extra chips. Will I go back? Not to dine. Maybe drinks and appetizers. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Dinner time! - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Very small place that doesn't look like much. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious. Definitely worth the visit. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - 3 Tacos Vampiros - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Super fresh food. I loved the artichokes and vampire chicken tacos! The tacos were nice and crispy and cheesy.

The Molé is Awesome. Very friendly staff. Fresh! I am a happy Customer after every meal. read more

Cute this spot in marina with some really great food! We eaten here both takeout and dine in and both have been great experiences. The food here is always fresh and tasty! We haven't yet had anything we haven't loved. Service was super friendly, too. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Anytime Chilaquiles Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Excellent all around. Price worth the service and the delicious food that showed they truly cared about what they serve to each of their customers. The ambience was quiet and perfect for a nice date night with someone special or as a double date. Service was truly exceptional - attentive and personable. Thank you for the lovely evening. read more

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If you are looking for amazing Mexican food, do not go here. If you are looking for great Mexican food, do not go here. If you are ok with even good Mexican food, this is still not the place! Overly priced for bland food. The restaurant is great, but they should have invested in the food instead. Could not recommend and hope you have a better experience than I did. 0/10 read more

An amazing dinner. We ended up lucking out and going for their yearly anniversary, (This post is long over due) but it was probably the best dinner I've had in the area. I will definitely try to come back for the next one! read more

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Every time I have come to Aki Fresh Mex, the meals are absolutely amazing and the service is great. Today, I took some family, who came out of town, to experience great flavors of this delicious food. They were blown away by the meals and the service as well. One of them stated they are coming back with more friends, mind you they drove over 40 minutes to get here. Hats off to the establishment, chef, and waitress. You all get 5 out of 5 rating. read more

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Just take a day trip to come and eat here already :). The food is phenomenal and the presentation is beyond anything I've seen in quite some time. I almost want to keep this gem a secret, but this restaurant *has to be* shared. For me, it is now a destination spot in and I will be back for certain, possibly in the evening to experience the date night ambiance. Oh, and if you're fortunate enough to meet chef Isabel Escorcia after your meal, as we were, you'll find yourself wanting to stay even longer. Highly highly highly recommend! read more

Ambiance was amazing, service was also great but the food was not what we expected at all! Thought we were in a high-end restaurant...they should have invested in better food. I feel robbed it was very pricey with horrible food. Oh and unlike 99% of Mexican restaurants they charge for chips and salsa! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - This is their chili rellenos. Very small ,hard and waaay too much cheese. - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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So delicious and fresh! Owner is delightful and let us know everything is made to order. We will definitely be back! Give this place a try :) Best vampire tacos ever! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Artichoke appetizer - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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What a find! This little restaurant is the real deal. The flavors were so full and rich that it made us want to try everything on the menu. If you're passing through and also looking for a place with flavorful healthy options this place is definitely worth a visit. read more

A hidden gem with delicious authentic Mexican food. Started off with the Calabacitas...grilled vegetables in a homemade jalapeño cilantro sauce...refreshingly amazing. And the Mole is out of this world...served with homemade tortillas!!! Chocolately delicious. But best of all...the service. Family owned that treat their guests as family...that's something you don't see much in the restaurant business. I'll go back just for that. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Calabacitas - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy a meal at Aki. The food, service, and hospitality all on point.

Wow... I have no words after taking my first bite out of this Chile Reyeno plate. First before I go into how delicious this plate is... I was greeted right when I walked in with a friendly smile welcoming me in. Everyone that works here gives off a great wholesome vibe. My food is fresh and and I can taste the authenticity. I've honestly never had a Chile Reyeno that tastes like this so I was blown away. The green salsa that comes with the chips is also fresh and taste amazing! I'm giving this five stars all the way... To those who have not try this Aki yet... Locals... Tourists... Y'all have to try this place! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Chile Reyeno - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Delicious!!! I loved everything about my 1st visit to Aki Fresh Mex. The grilled artichoke appetizer and chile verde were on point. This is not a typical taqueria. This is an interesting, innovative restaurant that is family owned and operated. You can tell with each bite the food is fresh & handcrafted. I can't wait for my next visit. 5 star review for sure!! read more

The tacos vampiros and mole are fire Service is good and food is yum! It's a bit pricey but worth it. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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By far the most flavorful, authentic and creative menu. Tucked away in Marina, a cozy spot that always has great music playing. The service is always friendly, attentive and helpful. Veggie bowl off the Blue Zones menu is a favorite entree. Calabacitas appetizer, a must. read more

The food was superb and quite authentic, the tortillas were perfectly crispy, and my enchiladas with mole sauce was delicious. The staff was very friendly, even letting us in after closing, and speedy with the food. Everything tied together with the great music they played and the decor. All in all, a lovely experience. My sister loved the grasshoppers as well!!! read more