This is a hidden gem in Marina! My husband, toddler, and I shared chips and Guac and the molcajete. Plenty of food! They even catered to our toddler who isn't quite ready for all of the spicy foods. They cooked a small piece of chicken separately from the molcajete and removed the jalapeños from the guac. A+ service! It's a small restaurant but very cute esthetically. We will definitely be back. read more

Amazing! This little place has phenomenal food! This is authentic Mexican, with fresh ingredients and beautifully plated. We had the corn appetizer, tacos vampiros (coated with cheese), and - my favorite - the gorditas dinner. The flavors have us wishing to return soon. Service was welcoming and friendly. For the quality of the food, it was also very quick. Parking is a little tight in this area, but so worth the trouble. read more

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

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Despite the COVID restrictions, still they had outdoor dining, I was blown away a place in Marina with a upscale atmosphere. I was impressed with Isabell's welcoming attitude & great service. The food was definitely a delicious delight, a gem in Monterey Peninsula. There burritos were heavenly delicious, very filling the street corn appetizers are amazing for the tasty palette. Yes! Definitely I will be a repeat client. I highly recommend this small gem in Marina. WOW! WOW! read more

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The mole is out of this world. Live violin duet....what? Unexpected great flavors! Must visit when in Monterey/Seaside. Hibiscus margarita was absolutely delicious. read more

This place was phenomenal. Hospitable and kind service -- but the food! The pork was cooked so well and the flavors were incredible. The Gorditas brought me back (nostalgia) and were absolutely delicious. Crunchy exterior, with soft and flavorful interior. Rice and beans were great as well. I personally enjoyed the guacamole - simple but flavorful with chunks of avocado. Tasted real fresh. Would highly recommend - we were pleasantly impressed! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Outdoor dining with Las Gorditas & Pork plate - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

All of our meals had amazing flavor and authentic! The portions were perfect and we had great service! We will be back!

Although a little on the pricier side, their food cannot be beat! Delicious mole, mocajete, street corn... pretty much everything is amazing! You need to try this place -- it doesn't look like that much from street side, but it is actually a very nice little street restaurant with great open air dining options. The owners are really pleasant and love serving their customers, and are such a welcomed business in the Marina community! If you haven't tried Ali Fresh Max, our family gives it 10 thumbs up -- we highly suggest! read more

We arrived at 7:15pm on a Saturday night and it appeared that no one was in the restaurant. We almost didn't go in, concerned that maybe Yelp was steering us wrong on this one. We approached the restaurant and saw two couples tucked into a single table in the corner. We could also see that this was no ordinary Mexican restaurant. The lighting was very nice and the restaurant was decorated well. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who promptly seated us. We had a wonderful meal that was so delicious. The mole duo was the best I can recall having. The tortillas were so good. We finished with the churros and they were also outstanding. We will be back!! read more

Fabulous Menu-Sophisticated and innovative! Not your typical Mex fix! We had the Chile rellenos and they were outstanding!!! The Duo Chicken Mole was out of this world. Even the Zucchini appetizer was first class! Great execution on high quality Mexican fare! Recommend it highly. The decor of this simple place goes very well with the unexpected taste of their food. A little jewel in a rather common neighborhood in Marina, right behind the horrible Lucky and CVS. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

We really enjoyed everything! An elevated Mexican dinner experience. The food was delicious, service was nice, and we were lucky to have live violin music (a thursday night thing).  All so sweet.  I read a few negative reviews about the charge for chips... :/  Plz don't let that stop you! Everything is a step above, the owner and staff put a lot of care in to their food and service.  Take your time and enjoy! Just a heads up, it is in a modest location (next to a Laundromat) and rather small space. I thought it was cozy, actually. read more

Was awesome! Authentic amazing flavors Great service/ quaint location The elote, mole's and molcajete were soooo yummy ! read more

Best freshest food in Marina! Service is awesome and the ambiance is supreme Hands down read more

This place is a must visit while in Marina and Monterey. The staff is very friendly and takes effort to recommend add-ons to your dishes. (please take their suggestions. They are really good!) There's ample parking right in front of the restaurant and if that's full, there's street parking. A good experience and definitely recommended! read more

Really good food! We ate off the vegetarian menu and it was soooo tasty. On the way to Aptos for a vacation and this was the perfect little spot for authentic Mexican food! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Cactus On the veggie menu - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Awesome atmosphere, fun music, delicious food!!! So much flavor from the freshly cooked ingredients. Can definitely tell this is FRESH MEX. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Isabel's Chiles Rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Amazing authentic food dishes made by an owner that truly cares about the diners experience.

Don't ever ask for salsa or sour cream because they will charge you and you won't even know about the extra charge(s) until you get the bill If the long wait time for our drink orders is not enough to give this place a 1-star rating , maybe the 3.5% transaction fee that they add on for using a credit card can justify my rating of this place . I am still in shock . Their overpriced Mexican food is a joke . read more

Went in for dinner and was pleasantly impressed. The food is delicious, I had the pollo verde mole and it was amazing! My boyfriend had the carnitas Gordita, I have to say some of the best carnitas I have tried, not joking! Definitely will be back! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Pollo Mole Verde (Pascal) - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Pricey for the location, wasn't impressed. They charge $8 for chips & salsa, which was my que that this was a one & done. Ambiance was cute, just not worth the prices they charge. Service was great, presentation of food, nice. This place isn't for me, read more

This restaurant is wonderful. My husband and I have been here numerous times and have tried many different dishes, all of them have been absolutely amazing. My personal favorite are the artichokes and mole duo. For those complaining of price - this is not expensive for this area and for this high quality of food. Shut up and go to Taco Bell. read more

Definitely worth grabbing the corn! Everything was exceptional, couldn't recommend enough

Great food , excellent service. I loved the street corn. Enchiladas were great too. Lovely little place.

Chef Isabel is great! All her food is fresh and full of flavor. Aki Fresh Mex is also Blue Zones Project approved. Check out their menu! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Check out Aki Fresh's Blue Zones Inspired menu. These plant-based dishes are delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Gorditas was a fabulous crunchy medallion filled with crispy fatty carnitas and a dollop of spicy green salsa. Chased with a cooling mint cucumber limonade, makes for a satisfying meal! The mole duo provides a sampling of both types of mole offered! I found the guacamole, which is topped by two types of sesames, a bit over salted. The flan is a not overly sweet, which is nice, but has a flavor note I cannot place... All in all, will be back! read more

Located in a small shopping strip, this small Mexican restaurant is a nice place to stumble upon in Marina. Although its a bit pricy, the service is great and the food is of good quality. The chips and guac are fresh and the jamaica was so refreshing. I had the carne asada platter which was great and filled me up. The Mexican street corn which I'll definitely be coming back for was the best appetizer I've tried. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Mexican Street Corn - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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This place is delicious and the people working were absolutely kind and made our dining experience perfect. The street corn, gorditas and duo mole was flavorful and fresh. Thank you so much. They also gave us an order of churros with vanilla ice cream that was the best way to end the day and meal. We will definitely make this stop to eat here whenever we visit up north. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Mexican Street Corn - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

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Local treasure. Delicious food, great service. Try the chicken mole (brown sauce version) and my favorite street corn.

Aki Fresh is the kind of place that makes you wish Yelp reviews saved the five stars for the truly special places, because this is one of those that would merit all five regardless of where the bar was set. Monterey County has a ton of good restaurants, and you might not expect to find one of the best tucked away in an innocuous spot in Marina. But, my meal here was definitely in the running for one of the best (if not the best) that I've had in the area. We'll be back - a bunch. Everything was terrific, but if I had to single out one dish: don't sleep on the grilled artichoke. I'm an artichoke fan, but I thought I'd enough of them not to be surprised or too impressed by any preparation. This one blew me away, and I suspect I'll order it every time I go (even though there's a lot I'm excited to try on future visits). read more

Can't say enough great things about this spot! Such a sweet momma and daughter duo and the food is AMAZING! So many great Mexican places in our area but Aki is #1! So fresh and homemade there's truly nothing like it in the area. Highly recommend the Elote street corn. The sauce is to die for. Stuffed mushrooms were hot and tasty and the filling is so creamy But the CHILIQUILES steal the show! You can't beat the price for the abundant serving size. I have been dreaming of their food ever since. They manage to make amazing fresh food that is also healthy and locally sourced. We sat on the patio and had wonderful customer service and Chef Momma is THE BEST! Really nice outdoor seating with lush garden area and succulents also fire pits! Can't beat the taste and price at Aki! Thank you ladies for serving up amazing food read more

This place is amazing!! The food and service were superb! Pretty sure I just had the best tacos and guacamole of my life. I've lived here for 3 years and didn't even know about this gem.. will definitely return! read more

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

Customer service was first class. Very attentive and one could tell the food was made with love. I am pretty sure the chef was the same person as the waitress. Everything came out piping hot with great presentation. My first time here and I will be back. We had the molcajete, gorditas, chicken flautas, and the churro with ice cream. Nothing like a homemade fresh churro! read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Molcajete (chicken, steak, chorizo, Chile verde) - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

The place is a challenge to get to as it is in a strip mall and hard to get parking. With that said, it was well worth it. We had the chips and guacamole to start- Yum, fresh, smooth, good mix of avocado, cilantro, onion. We then moved to duo mole and mole enchiladas- spectacular! Great flavor and the chicken was shredded just right. Better than good places in the South Bay. Finished with churros and ice cream- score as well. This place should be busier given how good the food was. We will be back. read more

I am a local, but never got to try this place before I moved for work. I tried this restaurant over a month ago while on sabbatical from work and I'm glad I did. I called in and placed an order for pick up. I asked about the chilaquiles because they looked amazing from the photos I had seen online. The staff person, I didn't catch her name (a real shame!) was informative, friendly, and funny. The chilaquiles were some of the best I have ever had at a restaurant. I never order a dish like that because I prefer to make my own, but something told me to try something new. I didn't get to finish it all because it was A LOT. The green sauce was amazing, the egg and tortillas were cooked to perfection, and the carnitas I had added to the dish were great too. I will definitely be making a stop here again! read more

The food was good but not what many of us are used to. But that can be a good thing. No chips & salsa? Oh, yes, but you have to order & pay. Bummer. Partner loved the mole, which is featured. We really liked the guacamole and the chips were great-- homemade and warm. The Mexican coke was served with a chilled glass but no ice. That wouldnt be so bad if the coke itself wasn't warm! The lavender honey lemonade was good & generous but for $9 it should have had a shot of tequila (just kidding). Service was good. A charge for credit card? Another bummer. The atmosphere was okay-- sort of cute but it was very noisy. The sound is not absorbed but just bounces around. Parking might be a challenge. That said, we might be back and might recommend to friends with a few caveats. Could be great with a few improvements. read more

My wife, a friend, and I stopped by here last Saturday after the Concours de Limon and were astounded. Read through all the positive reviews, eliminate any even slightly negative comments, and you'll have my review. The place was wonderful. Not just the food, but the physical restaurant, itself, too. The decorations and the ambiance was astounding despite the fact that it was in a strip mall next to a launder mat. Our incredibly friendly waitress was the daughter of the chef and, I think, that she also had a lot to do with decorating the place. One last but remarkable thing was that it even had a small but remarkable wine list. Usually in such small places if you ask for wine, they'll ask,"White or red?" Not here. By the way, when we got there at 11:30, the place was empty. When we left, it was full. read more

While visiting friends in Marina, they took me to dinner. They raved about the food and they were not exaggerating. I ordered the 3 street tacos with shredded beef. Beef was so juicy and flavorful. Unexpected kicker...outer part of the tortilla was covered with web of cheese...yum. Service was exceptional. Our server was great then the owner came out to greet us. She said they will have live music on Thursday's too. If you like a vegetarian option or mole, they have that too. read more

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

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Amazing food and great service. Stuffed mushrooms, street corn and stuffed zucchini are highly recommended. You will enjoy everything about this restaurant. read more

AKI Fresh Mex is THE most fitting name for this hidden Gem of a restaurant. The owner (Isabel) takes so much pride in the quality of the food she serves and only accepts the best products to cook and serve her customers. Beside, the freshness and quality of the food, the ambience is very inviting, clean, and well thought out. When you walk in and get served at Aki Fresh Mex, it's more than just a Mexican restaurant... It feels like you're walking into a home cooked meal with family. I love this place! I've searched for a good Mexican restaurant for so long in this area and I could say that it's hard to stay away from this place.. I would definitely check them out if you have a chance. You will not be disappointed. If you have room for dessert, the churro with a scoop of ice cream is the perfect combination. read more

Aki Fresh Mex - Chicken Tinga Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Marina, California

Awesome, slightly hidden place. Grilled and shredded chicken tacos, carnitas, and steak tacos were just devoured. Carnitas were super tender! Their lavender and honey lemonade is boooooomb. Def coming back. read more

Stopped in for takeout. Carne asade was real, good cut of steak. The flautas were crisp with a crispy bbq'ed chicken.