Family run restaurant that always delivers delicious vegan food. I can't say enough good things…read moreabout how well they treat their customers. I constantly recommend this place to people that are not just vegetarian. Probably eat here once a week

SCW and I stopped into El Cantato while staying in Monterey Bay. This place was a priority for me…read moreas it's all plant based and Mexican. Parking is sparse in front of the restaurant but paid parking is nearby. We entered and wow, the place was busy. Not overwhelming but lots of people in the indoor dining area enjoying their food. The menu is overheard and we decided what we wanted and ordered. The employees were kind and helpful, we probably were the only people that didn't speak Spanish well in the restaurant but that wasn't an issue, SCW got the number 2 combo, I got the mole. Also ordered an appetizer. Seated and waited about 10 minutes and our order came out. Everything was freaking amazing. Such great flavors and so fresh. Even SCW who doesn't necessarily gravitate towards Mexican food made nom nom nom sounds the whole time. The mole was incredible, the best I've ever had. The whole time we were here it was an endless stream of customers, even late lunch hour. SCW was impressed by the contrast stream of people coming in. We even walked around the wharf nearby for a while and drove past again and it was still packed with people. Do yourself a favor and visit El Cantato. I know I will.

Came here for date night and loved it! The ambiance was so cute and instantly made it feel like we…read morewere on vacation. The staff was friendly from the start, and our food runner/busser was especially sweet. We started with the chips, salsa, and guac, plus the queso. The flight of salsas was such a fun touch, and the tortillas were really good too. For dinner, we had the steak and fries. The steak was good, just a little bit chewy, but the fries were 10/10. I also loved the aioli and chimichurri sauce. The Tommy's margarita was definitely a highlight and I'd totally recommend it. Also, if you have Amex, this place qualifies for the Resy credit, which is a nice little bonus!

I was able to get a last minute reservation here for a Saturday night dinner. I liked that the…read morecenote booths are semi private. Our booth had a view into the kitchen & it was really fun to watch the food being made! Our favorites from the menu: - guava margarita - zanahorias - masa tempura - molcajete (these are limited, we got the last one - Sat 7:30pm reservation)

We were in the area to check out the aquarium and had a craving for fish tacos…read more We parked a block or two away. Staff was very friendly, we sat in the window and I had the al pastor taco and fish taco. Soooo good, I need to come back. Salsas were tasty too.

Traveling and saw this spot as a recommended Mexican food location. We ordered chips and guac,…read moreenchiladas, and a burrito. For drinks, we ordered the strawberry lemonade and pineapple. Chips and guac were good but tiny portion for what you pay. The enchiladas and burrito were way too salty. And a Mexican place that only does one type of aguas frescas per day? And no horchata? That was a bit disappointing. The pineapple drink tasted like canned pineapple juice. The strawberry lemonade was decent. All in all, would be a good spot with some minor improvements.

Hole in the wall vibes, but the place was popping! Which goes to show that the locals know what's…read moreup. This place was great! We were seated immediately. The food came quickly and was delicious! We tried the mole sampler, and we loved it. Got the torta, which was a big portion for how reasonable the price was! So good and clearly very authentic. Random note, the water was addicting. It was literally just water. But something about it was so good. Crisp!! If you know you know.

Moeller has the best hospitality and truly stands out. It's one of the top spots to stop for…read moreauthentic Mexican food, and you really have to check this place out. CHITO and Biff was here And Tony & Julian

Very good food. Great service…read more Reasonable wait time and they have a parking lot which we didn't know about so we parked a few blocks away. Very happy with our choice of lunch.

They absolutely live up to their name! This is definitely the house of season. We ordered a wet…read morechimichanga with red and green sauce, and an agua de horchata. The food was seasoned to perfection, shout out to the chefs cause WOW! Absolutely incredible. 15/10, the horchata is also 15/10.. Good music, friendly service, clean environment, and delicious food. We came from Sacramento and will definitely be back next time we're in Monterey.

Don't go to this place . There are 3 things you need to be aware …read more Went there with my kids to eat and ordered the regular burrito and the hella sized beed bizzness nachos . 1- we asked if the nachos were spicy , they advised to put jalapeños on the side . The cheese sauce is spicy . My kids mouth were on fire . If they say it's mild .. it's spicy.. even the free cup of Mac and cheese they offered . Spicy. 2-The burrito had no flavor and the rice was old ( you can tell was used from Previous days ). 3- cleanliness was awful .. the chairs were not stable , floors were dirty and that bathroom has seen better days for sure. That was my observation . Owners need to pay more attention of how fresh the food and the cleanliness of the place .

If you're a fan of liquid cheese nachos (as opposed to oven baked nachos) this place is great. My…read morepartner and I got a plate each from this place and it was delightful. The cheese and spice were well balanced in flavor and the chips held up to the sauces for a good time. They had 3 different large displays showing different sports like baseball, basketball and football so it a nice place to watch part of the games. The one downside, as is the game with most nachos of this type is that it is not a food you really want to be grazing on. While the chips held up for me (a quick eater) my partners who eats more deliberately had a few chips that were texturally challenging at the end. But if that isn't a problem for you then I would definitely recommend.

Great service, very clean, a little busy depending on time but for good reason. Food was a little…read moremore expensive than other taquerias but the quality was way better than anything i had. SOME OF THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IVE HAD (saying that as a mexican that's regularly in mexico ) I recommend the adobado, I wish i got more pictures but it was so good i dug in right away

$17 for a burrito. Just beans, rice, a little chicken. Nothing else. Bland, tasteless…read more Nothing else, no cheese, no sauce, no onions, sour cream, no salsa. Pathetic ripoff. Never again. NEVER.

I've been to El Torito a couple of times, and since I love Mexican food, it's become one of my…read morefavorite spots in Monterey. One of the things I enjoy the most is the location, the view of the beach is beautiful and makes the whole experience even better. My go-to dish is always the Trio Fajitas, which come with steak, chicken, and shrimp. They arrive sizzling at the table and are packed with flavor. The portion is also very generous, we ordered them for two people and still couldn't finish everything. Honestly, they could easily be shared by three people. For this visit, we also ordered guacamole and swapped the traditional beans and rice for mixed veggies. The service has always been good, although this place gets pretty busy. This time we waited about 15-20 minutes for a table, but honestly, it was worth it. Great food, beautiful ocean views, and a fun atmosphere. If you're in Monterey and craving Mexican food, enjoying some sizzling fajitas while overlooking the beach is a pretty great way to spend the afternoon.

This place is not worth it. Very poor quality mexican food for high prices. The waitress working…read morethe 2 tables next to us said a very rude comment to me as well about the way I was biting into my food - maybe the fajita steak was overdone and chewy? I had the margarita flight which tasted like juice and had zero alcohol in it. We then ordered the queso dip and it tasted like microwaved velveeta cheese with some tomatoes thrown on it. The chips are NOT FRESH. Very stale and probably store bought. We then had the carne asada burrito as a chimichanga. It was very soggy. Stuffed with pinto beans. Tasted more like a soggy bean burrito with few pieces of meat. I had the steak fajitas - sour cream was $2 extra and didn't come with cheese. The steak was over cooked and chewy. Bell peppers weren't fully cooked. The plate wasn't even steaming when coming out. We then had the fried ice cream which was still frozen solid in the center we had to wait for it to soften more. It was covered in nasty corn flakes instead of graham cracker crust. Kids quesadilla was just a tortilla with cheese and zero flavor. Paid $136 for horrible food.

Best chilequilet ever Even in downtown Salulita MX it comes…read moreno better ! GREAT HORCHATA AS WELL!

I should have read my previous review before dining there last night. I made two mistakes: ordering…read morethe chile relleno burrito, and ordering a glass of lambrusco wine. The burrito was 80 percent rice, with a few bites of chile and virtually none of the advertised Jack cheese, avocado, "special sauce..." Served lukewarm. Definitely not worth $12.99. The wine, while a good pour, was sickly sweet. That said, their service is good, their salsa is excellent, and I've enjoyed previous meals there (including huevos rancheros). Note--next time, order breakfast for dinner or a combo plate. AVOID THE BURRITOS!

WHAT CAN I SAY…read more This meal was PHENOMENAL (*'o'*) I never had Chapulines before but the texture was unlike anything i could've imagined. the flavour was mind-blowing too. It was fun to snack on them and eat them with the CHIP and dip. The Habañero carrot sauce was far superior to all the salsa. HIGHLY recommend it to accompany ur dinner. The Mole was so rich, and chicken so tender and juicy. The interior is quite cozy! Defo like here, but parking took over an hour so just beware what time u go and when

Cultura was such a vibe! We chose to sit outside by the fireplace, and the ambiance alone made the…read moreexperience feel special. Quick service still happens outside when your af Carmel by the Sea! The drink drinks were flowing and I was going! Every drink was so adorable. It made me want to try all of them. I love it when effort is put into making my drink. The chips and salsa are always a must! Fresh and Flavorful. While I didn't love the specific entrée I chose, everything around it really stood out. The potatoes and asparagus were absolutely Devine. Everyone else at the table genuinely enjoyed their meals, which says a lot about the consistency of the kitchen. Must stop by for outdoor fireplace setting.