We sat at the bar to enjoy drinks, apps, and our main course. High quality fresh food! read more

Alejandro's - The pork chop "pic chic" thick cut was very good. - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

4.5 STARS A $10+ taco. Back home: "Hell naw." When in vacay mode: "Why not!" *WHISPERS* "Wait, you got this [bill] right?" J/k! When in mini vacay mode, the budget goes out the door. And, esp when Monterey has nothing else quite like Alejandro's. Alejandro's is hella hip with tropical vacay vibes: https://tinyurl.com/3jxjp4uv. Totally a spot you'll find on Santana Row or in the city. The owners clearly put a lot of thought and monies into the décor so bring on them $10 tacos! From the owners of wildly popular El Charrito (Salinas) comes Alejandro's, a new restaurant serving upscale Mexican cuisine with Yucatán and Oaxacan influences (chef is from Oaxaca). Located in the former Lallapalooza space. By day, they operate as a El Charrito Express in the back (takeout only) and by night, they turn into Alejandro's (full dinner service). Alejandro's is open for takeout, indoor dining, and limited outdoor dining (four dog-friendly tables in the front patio). Rezzies available on Resy and recommended on the weekends. Arrived early for our 5 pm reservations (yes, I eat like a senior) and were promptly seated in their front patio. M E N U Upscale Mexican cuisine with Yucatán and Oaxacan influences: Apps ($13-$22), Salads ($14-$15), Ceviche/Tostada ($15-$20), Tacos (2 pc -$15-$25), Mains ($26-$34), and Desserts ($11-$25). Full bar. As a side note: no beans and rice available. And, El Charrito's famous flour tortillas are not available at Alejandro's. D R I N K S * El Tesoro, on the rocks ($16 x2): https://tinyurl.com/54hx8vpe No Fortaleza Blano so I went with the El Tesoro which is smooth with hints of peppery and citrus notes. IMO, it's one step below Fortaleza and more equivalent to Siete Leguas. F O O D * Complimentary Salsas (no chips included): Mango (fruity +sweet), tatamade (earthy), tomatillo (tangy), and habanero (citrusy + muy caliente). The habanero was my fav of the four. * Ahi Tostada w/ tamari, chipotle aioli, avocado, fried shallots ($16): https://tinyurl.com/ybeb9syr * Hamachi Tostada w/ lemon habanero aioli, radish sprouts, chives, sesame seeds ($20) Both tostadas are shareable since they could easily be broken up with one slice of fresh, generously sliced "sashimi" for each piece. My fav of the two was the hamachi paired with the creamy citrusy and spicy aioli and roasty sesame seeds. Suggestion: Include a wedge of lime for a hit of acid. * Pescado Tacos w/ fried halibut, aioli, cabbage slaw, housemade corn tortilla (2 pc-$20): https://tinyurl.com/ynxzcpve Solid - the fried halibut had a deliciously light and crunchy batter (like beer battered) with fresh, flaky flesh sitting on a bed of creamy aioli on a soft, chewy tortilla. The slaw and microgreens added freshness. Again, def could have used a wedge of lime but the habanero salsa gave it the punch of acid and heat. While the pescado tacos were good, it's overpriced. * Barbacoa "Osso Bucco": Beef shank w/ bone marrow, housemade corn tortillas ($28): https://tinyurl.com/bdcur8c3 Best value item since you can make about five tacos with the amount of meat. The slow cooked barbacoa was tender with a mild fruity spice. Wasn't much marrow in the bone which was disappointing but it just depends on the shank. Def ask a side of onions and cilantro to top your DIY tacos. * Doña Teresa's Mole: Duck confit w/ cabbage slaw, chile pasilla mole ($27): https://tinyurl.com/2t8yhddb While the mole ran sweet and earthy from the chile pasilla (I prefer moles with slight bitter edge), the duck confit legs were BOMB! Rich, crackly skin with meltingly tender meat...you'll want this all for yourself! IMO, the slaw on top was unnecessary. * Churros "nublado" w/ mexican cinnamon, burnt caramel ($12): https://tinyurl.com/4z5ms4az I couldn't decide between the churros or panna cotta so our server recommended the churros. Freshly fried and crunchy with cake donut-like center. I prefer a more light and pillowy interior. Otherwise, it was fine. S E R V I C E Warm, welcoming, and positive vibes all around. Our server, Juan Carlos was great. Not only was he upbeat, friendly, and attentive, he helped fixed our wobbly table and kindly put out the incense that was blowing smoke into the patio tables. Food service was prompt, and courses were well-paced. A M B I A N C E Love the hip, airy, and tropical vibes with Latin EDM playing. The indoor dining room is spacious with a bar area and private dining area(s). The front patio is comfortable with heat lamps. P A R K I N G 90 minute street parking on Alvarado street (until 6 pm). There's also a private lot in back; entrance is on Calle Principal between Jefferson and Franklin. Overall, four stars for the food but adding .5 stars and rounding up for the great customer service, dog-friendly patio, and because there's nothing like this in the Monterey area (much nicer vibe than Cultura in Carmel). If you're looking for a fun and trendy resto, def hit up Alejandro's! read more

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Our reservation was for 5pm, when they open. Of all days (my twin daughter's 17th birthday), we were sad to see how unprepared they were for dinner service (cinco de mayo). It took quite some time to get our drinks having to ask twice almost to remind them. It took quite some time for our server to take our order. We heard the table in front of us also complaining. We were barely checked on throughout our time there, but the kicker was the food. IN NO WAY is this food WORTH THE PRICE. You are paying for Alvarado Street. Go to Mission 19 on Lighthouse - the birria outweighs it hugely and is 1/3 of the price. Do better for your guests. It was my twin daughter's 17th birthday, and it was not a good experience at all. read more

Food was good, but when it came to divide the check, it wasn't done correctly. It caused some confusion and made the end of the meal more stressful than it needed to be. This kind of detail really matters when dining out with a group. I'm sharing this in hopes that the team takes note, because otherwise, it was a solid experience. read more

Good food and lovely ambience and the cocktails are very creative and delicious. While some dishes were not as good as others overall it was a very good experience. read more

Service was outstanding, entered the restaurant: Greeted, sat down at the bar: greeted, tried a couple drinks and ate a nice meal... guy came to buss the table: greeted! Small things were appreciated. The vibe was very chill and the decor was beautiful. Staff was polite and honest and even recommended s couple good dishes to try. We'll be back the next time we visit Monterey. read more

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We came here on Valentine's Day/Ash Wednesday. We are not from the area so we made sure to leave our place within a decent amount of time because we knew finding parking would suck. Guess what? We kept circling around till it was 740 PM 5 mins before our reservation time. We were about to give up and skip our dinner but luckily at last minute, we finally found one. Super excited because we really like elevated hispanic food from time to time. Their restaurant was beautiful! We wanted to seat in the back booths but we were seated up front where the receptionist was. Seemed more intimate! Super cute because each table they placed a rose.... Adorable!! Thank you for that. We had to ask for the drinks menu. But i like how crafty the drinks were! We asked for recommendations from our server and he said I should try the guava margarita- OMG YES. Delish! Sweet but not too sweet. Pretty drink itself. We ordered the chips and guacamole for appetizer! And WOW they really know how to make us happy. A whole bowl of guacamole and salsas to choose from. Um hello?! Hahahhaah! Unique! My fave were the yellow salsa (my fiance says its pineapple because its sweet) and the mild one (love the roasted flavor)! The chips im assuming is made in house, love flaky chips! We appreciate places like these where they dont all serve meat and since it was Ash Wednesday we stuck to seafood. The fish tacos were delicious!! And the shrip with garlic rice, chefs kiss! Flavor on flavors! We had nothing bad to say. We had left overs, took it home to eat the next day. We hope to come back! read more

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If you're looking for Mexican cuisine with an upscale twist stop by alejandro's! Heads up: this is place does not do the traditional beans, rice, etc. so know what to expect. We started off with the ceviche de pescado, it was refreshing and was a good sized portion for 4 of us to share. The green chorizo queso was a disappointment. It had no pull to it or moisture, very dry and somewhat hard. Loved the camarones in hominy. My favorite dish. Flavor was there and it was filling. Service was great and attentive. They nailed that. The place has great ambiance and isn't so loud that you can't have a conversation. I liked that. read more

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I really liked the fish tacos, all the little things were really tasty-sauce, slaw etc. the chips & guacamole were delicious, and the mocktails hit the spot. The veg chile en nogada was ok, for some reason seemed like a great veg option but unfortunately was just ok. Otherwise, great spot, heaters outside, nice menu. read more

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Went on a night that there wasn't many people present, had reservations as well. Went around 8pm for dinner and didn't leave until 10-10:30. Not sure if they were low staffed or if it's the norm but I did not receive anything timely including my water. Appetizer came and I didn't even have utensils yet to eat? Had to ask one of the waiters who wasn't ours at the time to get some utensils and he 100% rolled his eyes and went to get our waiter not the utensils and even that took 5 minutes to receive. Elote corn was good but not traditional so it's got a spin on it. My Camarones plate was DELICIOUS. On the Huarache plate the steak was asked to be well done and came slightly burnt and bitter and the sope dough was undercooked. The churros were sub par I've had better at food trucks. Probably won't return unless I preorder the Camarones plate & do takeout. read more

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The food here was outstanding. We kicked things off with crisp, house-made chips that set the tone. The skirt steak was perfectly marinated--tender, flavorful, and paired with hand-pressed tortillas that brought it all together. The real surprise? The fish tacos. Light, fresh, and packed with flavor--they're a must. Service from Juan was friendly and attentive. We had a reservation but didn't need it this time. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Our waiter was very unfriendly and extremely unhelpful. He seemed to not want to be bothered with us and came across in a rude manner. We decided to just eat the appetizer we had and go elsewhere for dinner. We were there on Monday June 30th in the evening around 9pm. (Just for clarity our waiter was a tall male) He never even said hello or how are you as he approached our table. The young man who brought out our appetizer was really sweet and helpful as was the young lady who greeted us as we walked in. read more

The noise was oppressive and ruined what would have been perfect. Excellent food, great service, beautiful setting. But being seated in the center next to the bustling kitchen and the dish clean-up cubby where dishes are casually tossed was SO distracting and annoying that we each had to take turns walking to the restroom for a little respite. Crash, bang, smash..... over and over again. If you value a quieter setting, the Cenote booths or the front patio with heaters looked better. read more

Loved Alejandro's! Chewy at the bar is amazing and fun to chat with. The food is great and the drinks are fantastic. Great vibe and ambiance. read more

I ordered the 3 birria tacos with the consommé that included bone marrow, priced at $32. I understand the cost reflects the presentation and ingredients, but I felt the overall quality was comparable to other authentic spots at a lower price point. The service was decent, though our server didn't check in during the meal and forgot to bring our water. The atmosphere was pleasant, but the seating felt a bit tight, and the tables were close enough that it was easy to overhear other conversations. read more

The ambience is low light and really elegant and classy! Really nice for some dinner dates or a slightly fancier outing. Service was amazing, happened to get a server who knew one of my family members a few years back which was such a coincidence so needless to say it was amazing service Food was great! I had a ahi tuna tostada to which i wish they had a bigger entree for as it's amazing. Pescado tacos, carne asada plate, and a pollo asada plate were had. They were great but it was very heavy for a meal especially for the amount of protein and carbs. If you're not used to stomaching a lot of protein at once, definitely get a side of greens as a palette cleanser. The salsas were amazing tho read more

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The restaurant was really cute and we were very excited to dine in. However, we were met with a very rude waiter/bar tender who treated us poorly. Further, as other couples ( who skin color was white) sat next to us...they were treated nicely and respectfully. For us, the waiter was bother by a question on the menu, he kept leaving us without placing our order and just talking down to us. To top it all off, the food was not good, the taste was off and the flavors did not match the description. We were extremely sad to experience this type of behavior in a Mexican/ Latino restaurant where it claims to be of such high standard, but yet fell short on the treatment of people. read more

First of all we made a reservation for outside but when we arrived all the outside seating was full with a big party. We were then seated inside. Our server was rude and not accommodating. We asked several questions about the menu and every answer was a plain no. No suggestions for an alternative to what we wanted. We ended up getting drinks and an appetizer. The food was blah and did not have a lot of flavor. $150.00 for 4 appetizers and 4 drinks was a little steep. We were not impressed with this upscale Mexican Restaurant. read more

Where do I start, this place I highly recommend. One of the best Mexican food restaurants I've ver been too. The food/drinks were amazing. The attention to service was exemplary. They're also dog friendly. I got the barbacoa osso buco with the fresh purple corn tortillas and that flight of sauces they give with with the chips is amazing. read more

Great prickly cactus & food in general. Location is central and convenient. Service was welcoming and ambience had an authentic Mexican flare! read more

The food was really fantastic, but you have to like Oaxaca/style cuisine. The service was fast and courteous, and the prices readable for Monterey. read more

We have dinner here every time we visit Monterey. Great decor, great service, and great food. I love the masa tempura and the mole. My husband always orders the bistec frites and he's never been disappointed. Definitely recommend trying Alejandro's. read more

Delicious mole enchiladas! Amazing cocktail selection. Our waitress was impressively knowledgeable about them. All three of us enjoyed our meals. read more

To start this place has a VERY nice ambience and the staff is very attentive which is amazing, Unfortunately Dining wise it can be better. To start we got Chips and Salsas which were tasty but they came in these small cups like what you use to dip fries in but it dosent work for chips since theyre too wide and you end up with a chip with barely any salsa on it. To fix that we ended up just breaking the chips in smaller peices which was a little messy but fine. I ordered their Steak which is where the Three stars comes in. Ive had alot of steaks from alot of places and different cuts as well, i order Medium Rare on all of them, It was not medium rare but i don't believe in sending it back to further escalate things. The flavor was Lacking severly which not even the Salt they had on the side couldve saved. This isnt a steakhouse so i didnt have the bar set extremely high but I expected it to have seasoning of some sort for it being a latin inspired restraunt. Maybe in the future with enough attention it can be addressed and if not then i guess its fine for the majority. Most likely wont go again unless its for drinks but very nice to have experienced ! read more

Alejandro's - Steak and Nopales - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Amazing dinner at a new place in Monterey. They took over the old Lallapalooza space. Alejandro's offers elevated Mexican food in a very chic environment. We had one of the alcove booths so it felt very intimate. Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive. We started with the house-made guacamole and chips with salsas- the fav was the green! The drinks were great and beyond the standard margarita. I had a drink like a dirty martini but with tomato- yum! The birria tacos are elevated with not only a rich consommé for dipping but bone marrow as well... so decadent! The hongos tacos were good size and full of mushroom and pickled cauliflower. The mole chicken enchiladas were amazing. The garlic shrimp were five large grilled shrimp covered in a delicious garlic lemon butter sauce with tomatoes and green over a bed of the BEST cilantro rice I have EVER had!! I ate very but. We will be back! A new place to add to the rotation!! read more

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Caution !! If you are looking for rice, beans, and plain old enchiladas DO NOT COME here. This isn't that kind of restaurant. Nope-- this is special. Want to feel like you're on vacation in Mexico ? Come here instead for a real treat. Imaginative cuisine. Great tasting and lovely to look at. I wanted to try it all. First, the site is inviting. Not what I expected though the entrance from the street is a tease of what's to come. This ain't your fathers Taco Bell circa 1960. Rather a well thought out restaurant in a great location in Monterey on Alvarado Street. Suggestion-- park in rear - easier, faster than driving around the block hoping for a space. The restaurant is fairly narrow inside so when you walk in, there's there are maybe six tables set up in a straight line from front to the back of the restaurant. These are for tops, and won't accommodate more people. along the right side of the restaurant going in is an area that look like a little carved out caves. These are actually quite nice and I'd highly recommend when you make your reservation. Remember to do early that you asked for one of these much better privacy. Let me say a few things about Service. No matter who attends to your table from the bus or to the server to the hostess. They all take the time to ask is there anything else you need? Is there anything else you want? Are you enjoying your experience how's the food? What can we do better . And it's done in a way that isn't offensive or intrusive. Rather, it shows their interest in making sure that you as a customer are getting what you want need. I liked it very much. I included copies of the full menu for you for your review rather than try and describe each dish we had didn't feel it was necessary. There are over 200 photos to show what is on the menu and I think they do a far better visual, then an explanation for me. I will say that the food looks amazing. Presented in a , in a very as I said earlier clean an exciting way and when you see it coming out of the kitchen because it's an open kitchen you can't wait to see what it looks like. As far as the bar goes, they can make anything you want and as you might expect they have tons of tequila's, including Mezcal to satisfy just about any drink request. You have go enjoy and have a great time. You won't be disappointed. read more

Alejandro's - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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Love the vibe!!! Bar is beautiful with a great displays of tequilas to choose from. Service was amazing!!! The food was delicious!! Fresh and authentic!!! We will be back read more

Love this place. Their drinks at the bar are particularly great if you want something complex rather than something just designed for instagram. The food has a bit of a price to it but it is just on another level for quality. Have gone back several times with not intent to stop visiting this place. read more

My family of four came here to eat dinner. We walked out wishing there was another meal after dinner and if we could stay and have that also at Alejandro's. This was one of the best Mexican restaurants we've ever been to. The ambiance, the food, the drinks, the service are all five-star. In a row of pubs and tourist traps, this place gave me some Piano Man what-the-hell-are-you-doin-here vibes. If you're within fifty miles of this place, let Alejandro's draw you in. read more

We went recently to celebrate my birthday and it was worth the drive; we do not live in the Monterey area but had heard that the food and ambiance was amazing so we decided to try it out. Our waiter, I believe Juan is his name, was super attentive and gave us great suggestions for what drinks and food to order. We will definitely go back soon. read more

I cannot recommend this place enough yall! If you're visiting Monterey, this place is a must! Beautiful restaurant, good vibes, welcoming staff, and amazing food! My fiance and I discovered Alejandro's a few days ago on our most recent trip. It's located in downtown Monterey, within walking distance of the Old Fisherman's Warf. Great location considering all of the other local shops and businesses you can visit nearby. The restaurant itself is GORGEOUS. I was a huge fan of the decor and overall look inside. Super clean and gives off such a nice vibe. The inside of the restaurant is huge and reminds me of a jungle with all the decor. The kitchen is open and visible in the main area of the restaurant so you can actually see the chefs preparing your meal which I thought was cool. I wish I would've gotten more pictures of the inside because it really was so nice. You can tell they put a lot of thought and care into the design of it all. Service was great! Our server Jose was very kind and welcoming, and was patient with it being our first time visiting. We ordered the guacamole and chips appetizer and they were super generous with the portions! It also included a serving board with all 4 different types of their salsas. My favorite were the habanero and mango ones. Each one was packed with flavor and delicious in its own way. So good! I ended up ordering the mole enchiladas and guysssss let me just say I couldn't stop saying "WOW" the whole time I was eating them. Seriously some of the best food ive had! You know the food is good when you don't stop talking about it lol. The pickled onion and sprouts garnished on top added a nice refreshing bite every time and was such a nice pairing. I highly recommend! My fiance ordered the bistec frites and he said it was delicious also! We left with both our stomachs and our hearts feeling full from the awesome experience we had at Alejandro's :) it felt like visiting family! I've included a few photos down below of the food and the specific dining room we were sat in. Thank you so much to the team at Alejandro's! We will definitely be back the next we're in Monterey!! read more

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My husband and I had been wanting to try this place since it opened. We FINALLY made a trip to Monterey and wow, we were so impressed! The moment you walk in, you can't help but notice the overall vibe. It's impeccably designed with no detail spared. Our party of 4 was warmly greeted by the hosted who showed us to our seats. Highly recommend sitting in the cave seats. We weren't quite sure what to order but our server was really helpful in guiding us with her favorites. I'm a pescatarian and really enjoyed the masa tempura, ahi tuna tostada and chile en nogada. I still dream of the tostada, wish I had some right now as I type this. The chile en nogada was unlike anything I've ever had. Such a great combo of sweet and savory. I enjoyed learning about the history of the dish from our server as well. My husband and friends loved the barbacoa tacos and pork chops. For dessert we decided to go with the churros and guava cheesecake. The churros were superb. So light and the burnt caramel sauce added the perfect amount of sweetness. I personally don't usually like cheesecake but their cheesecake was amazing. Overall, very impressed with our dinner. Usually when a restaurant is as beautiful as this one, the food isn't on par but luckily this wasn't the case for Alejandro's. We can't wait to make another trip down to eat here again! read more

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Absolute fire. Ambiance was really cool, super clean. We were able to get a table no reservation, they were kid friendly-- very accommodating. The food and drinks were incredible. We had ceviche and fish tacos a guava margarita and a spicy marg. Not a single complaint would go back without question. read more

I came here with my boyfriend, who is very particular about drinks. The drinks were amazing and were made very quickly! I got the mole enchiladas and my boyfriend got the shrimp dinner, both were amazing! The environment was loud but fun to be a part of it. Will definitely come back! read more

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Great food and atmosphere once again. It was a busy Sunday night but got a table for two easily at 645. Fresh ingredients and excellent service read more

Excellent interior cuisine. Will be back for further sampling of their menu. Parking in rear is a bonus. !

Went here for my husband's birthday with our two children. Beautiful restaurant and top notch service. The food was delicious and reminded me of the fancier restaurants in Mexico. Pricing is definitely on the higher end but worth it. read more

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Amazing. Ambience, Service, & especially the Food. Octavio was really helpful server. Thank you Alejandro's for a beautiful afternoon while at your restaurant. read more

Amazing drinks & delicious food the best place on Alvarado! Our bartender Chuy had great drink & food recommendations. Best service we've had in a long time will definitely come back for the vibes & the food! If you want a superb drink ask for Chuy, the guy knows what he's doing! read more

A relatively new establishment here in Monterey, I'd get in now before the waitlist gets long. A delicious menu, don't miss out on their citrus marinaded pork chop which is sure to send fireworks snapping across your senses. Don't hold back either, try the appetizers. Who would've thought you could tempura batter masa with a bit of jalapeño as a treat to make one's eyes roll back with a pleasured satisfaction. Oh wait, they thought of this at Alejandro's. Great selection of mezcal and others specific to the blue agave kind. read more

Alejandro's - Oaxacan Old Fashioned - A miracle for your mouth and mind made with Mezcal and a spritely touch of crème de cacao. - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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