This is my second time to visit Aqui but first time at this location. I adore their food! So healthy and flavorful. My first time I ordered the Avocado Roasted Corn Bowl and loved it. This time I went with their Thai Peanut Bowl figuring it was vegan since it had no cheese. It was way better than I imagined it would be. So flavorful! We also got their hummus along with chips. OMG. Their hummus is so creamy and tasty. I could have eaten the whole bowl with the chips. The nice thing about Aqui is that it's a quick option for lunch (as long as you get there early). Order at the counter, wait for your buzzer to go off and go pick up your food. Not to mention they use local, organic ingredients. Can't beat that! This location is nice and open--and you get to people watch at the farmers market. :) Aqui is one of our favorite local chains. Love it. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Thai Peanut Bowl (delicious and vegan) - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

Another great Aqui! Great food, the best (industrial strength) margaritas! Extremely popular among young people on Thursday night!

Went here for a birthday party. I had the butternut squash posole and it was fantastic. What's nice is that they have vegetarian options. They have outdoor seating and a great adult drink menu. I highly recommend this place for getting together with friends in a Covid safe fashion. read more

Wifey picked up dinner from Aqui's, I told her to order me " what ever" I wasn't in the mood for figuring out menu's this evening. She came back with a pork burrito for me with all kinds off sauces. It came with a fresh Mango salad and Aqui's dressing of choice for the salad. Wifey also picked me up some of their Ghost hot sauce "honestly it was less then mild, very disappointing" that being said it was very good, actually I found that all 4 different sauces that I tried were very good on my burrito, the green sauce, for me, was the best My salad was very good and was of good quality. It had leafy lettuce with mango and dried cranberries. The burrito was freaking amazing!!! 5 stars all day long with huge pieces of pulled pork rice and honestly I don't know what else they put in it, they also put some kind of sauce in there which just made it taste amazing!! Wifey also ordered Sangria "they blend ingredients with alcohol" best I've ever had 5 stars. Aqui's has super good food with fresh ingredients I definitely will be back. So why 4 stars and not 5? "Trust me it was a close 5 ". But IMO if you are going to advertise Ghost sauce "Ghost peppers come in at 1 million Scoville units and is definitely not for the faint of heart" then it should......make my gums swell HOT or at least give me the hiccups " all you real hot sauce eaters know exactly what I'm talking about" That being said the food, freshness,and the flavors are outstanding!!! " Sidenote, their blanched broccoli are also very good" read more

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There was good and bad at Aqui restaurant in Campbell. What I liked included: front door displays the generous pay for employees, the décor is very attractive and casual, the employees are cordial, there is outdoor and indoor. seating. I chose the Adobo chicken quesadilla as the main dish and I did not care for the taste. For the one side I chose jambalaya and was hugely disappointed in the taste, but I am comparing it to authentic jambalaya in New Orleans. The Aqui version was so bad that I could not finish it. Aqui's setup is the customer places the food order and is given a buzzer to alert her/him when the meal is ready. There are no wait staff. The place was busy noon Sunday. The price was modest. There is street parking and there is a multi-story parking structure just 1/2 block away. read more

Very good customer service (very rare these days). The food is great! Recipes are well thought out, perfect portion sizes, excellent quality, and a legitimate emphasis on organic - I love! The featured Swirl drinks (they have alcohol) are delicious and get you swirling !! Highly recommend! read more

I met a friend here recently for dinner and we had a really nice time. It was quite busy but we got through the line pretty quickly and settled at a table inside. All the tables outside were full. This was right after mask requirements went away so it was nice being without a mask inside. Staff was still wearing masks though. We only waited a few minutes for our food. I had the Grilled Shrimp and Crab plate: Crisp wild rock crab cake, sustainable shrimp, mashed sweet potatoes, chayote-zucchini, chipotle corn salsa, achiote sauce, herb aioli and chipotle-lemon butter. I really enjoyed this. Loved the shrimp and crab flavors. And the sides were great too. My friend had a salad which she really enjoyed as well. Staff was friendly and cleared plates regularly. Overall a great meal. read more

Lunching with my Covid bubble friends to celebrate a birthday on their dog-friendly outdoor patio. No heat lamps and everything is self serve, so please stay warm. Swirls and more swirls, and lots of delicious made to order food! Wild Rock Crab Cake Crisp wild rock crab cake with organic greens-crunchy cabbage mix, mango, chipotle dressing, tortilla strips, chipotle corn salsa and mango dressing. $13.29 Cajun Blackened Salmon Cajun spiced sustainable salmon, romaine, black rice-pumpkin seed cake, mango, papaya, dried cranberries, blood orange vinaigrette and lemon aioli. $13.59 Grilled Salmon Organic greens-crunchy cabbage mix, feta cheese, sun-dried tomato salsa, lemon vinaigrette, cucumbers, garbanzo-jicama-edamame mix, herb aioli and grilled wheat chips. $13.59 Avocado Dip Seasoned with mango habanero salsa, lime and cilantro. Served with salsa fresca and chips. $7.49 Dulce Vida Paloma Swirl Dulce Vida Grapefruit tequila, Ketel One vodka, natural pink guava and lime juice swirled with our Industrial Strength Margarita.™ $10.50 Aloha Mai Tai Swirl Cazadores reposado, Maker's Mark handmade bourbon, vodka, natural strawberry, pineapple and passion-orange-guava juices swirled with our Industrial Strength Margarita.™ $9.75 Bombay Raspberry Lemonade Swirl Bombay Sapphire, vodka, Aqui lemonade, natural raspberry and lemon juice swirled with our Industrial Strength Margarita.™ $10.50 read more

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The service was quick and staff was friendly. Would recommend getting the potato & lentil taquitos listed under the veggie section of the menu, they were the best thing we tried. Always fun to pick up a swirl as well, we enjoyed their seasonal valentines flavor read more

I mean, it's good enough! Obviously: Swirls. There, that's outta the way! I don't even really know how the food is here. Does anyone come here for the food? Anyone? Nah? Just the Swirlies? Okay, lets talk about that then... The Swirls will get you pretty smashed. I think 3 is the limit. Not necessarily the, "You've had 3 and now we're cutting you off" limit (I also don't know if that might ACTUALLY exist, so don't quote me), but more of, if you have 3, you're probably gonna be pretty dang drunk. They're strong, but man they're good! Which as we all know, can be very dangerous, but also very awesome. With all this being said, I'm not your mom, so go out and see if you can have 4 or 5! Then go ahead and message me and tell me how your night went, and who knows maybe you found that special someone. That someone who used to be a 4 or 5, and then they were a 10, and now you live a life that is fueled by alcohol, because you deeply regret it, but you're not shallow, so you don't want to break it off, so the only way to keep up the charade is by being drunk AF everyday. Huh... maybe only get 3. Thx4Reading! LuvYou!! Bai! ^_______^ read more

What happened to the tortillas tonight?!? While regular old corn tortillas might be acceptable elsewhere, they are irreplaceable here! Once you have tried the Salmon Taco with the deliciousness that comes with a homemade tortilla, you just can't go back to a boring regular tortilla! Everything else was good (as usual) but I just can't get over what happened tonight. I sure hope it was a one time disappointment and not a permanent menu change! read more

Aqui is confusing because it's a Mexican fusion restaurant and the menu can be hit or miss - but when you choose a hit, it's really damn good. The chicken fajitas might be my go-to, they have such an amazing flavor and it's easily enough for two meals. If you're feeling seafood, definitely go for the fish burrito. Skip the chicken bowl - it comes with edamame and chick peas? I get that they're going for a fusion-style menu, but edamame and chick peas have no place in Mexican cuisine. The sampler dip plate is another confusing one - it comes with beans, guac and hummus. Def not a traditional Mexican dip plate, but the hummus is good so overall I'd recommend. Obviously the swirls are a huge hit, I love the sunrise swirl personally, but you can't go wrong with any flavor! read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Adobo chicken bowl - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

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This is our favorite location by far. We like coming here in the late morning on Sundays. After we walk around the Farmer's Market on Campbell Ave we stop for bite at Aqui's. The burritos are great and the atmosphere is clean and friendly. When we order the service is usually very fast. The staff is always friendly as well. read more

Delicious - I hadn't been to this area before. The person with me grew up in the area and took me here. There is a long street with many restaurants on both sides of the street. It was a nice day and most had open-air seating. So many choices. We stopped here as my friend recommended. A good variety of Mexican food. Prompt friendly service. The meals looked delicious, generous portions and tasted even better! We were delighted. Prices were very reasonable. Lots of vegetarian options , that was my highlight read more

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As a SJSU grad and raised in San Jose Mexican restaurants the food at Aqui's so bad. Bland. The chips are insulting. I dare anyone to try their chips and go down the street to El Guaps and try their chips. Aqui's has great outdoor seating. They must know the chips insulting. Their burritos have less flavor than my sock. read more

Call me a hater but no thanks, as a mexican looking for hearty food I got nothing close to it. I am aware that it is cal-mex but wtf is that supposed to mean when california was already part of mexico before. the food is catered to people who are picky and are vegan so if you are any of those come here. If you want real mexican dishes don't go to campbell, san jose is rich in mexican cuisine and could fill you up cheaper than this place can. not to mention the entitled white people that SPILLED my drink all over me and didn't even ask to pay it back or help me clean up even after they knocked over my drink and saw it happen. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

Why does everyone come to Aqui's? Mainly for their famous swirls. They get you hammered pretty fast and they are worth the price. Pre-covid days, this was the plave to pre-game at and then hit the bars. I am not a huge fan of the taste but they get the job done. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Swirl - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

Really love the blacken salmon as they are very tender and satisfying, melt in your mouth and my son really love it. Husband love the chicken burrito. I am just okay with my spicy shrimp bowl as they are not spicy enough for me and way too much black beans. I like the fact I have many different sauce and salsa that you can pick and choose but even there goes pepper sauce wasn't spicy enough. The drinks industrial Margarita was super strong and I ordered the monthly special Hennessy BlackBerry, good but way too strong for no drinker like me. We'll visit again great job! read more

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My husband and I have been regularly going to Aqui. I love their vegetarian/vegan options, swirls and stellar service. Yesterday, I'd a horrible experience. I'd ordered a veggie feta quesadilla. As soon as I took my first bite, i wanted to puke, it was reeking of meat or fish. I couldn't take another bite and took it back to the kitchen. The staff were really polite and apologized and offered to make another vegetarian dish. I was really disappointed to learn that they use the same grill for meat and vegetables/vegan food.. they grill on different side which is without any divider . Since I could see the grill, I saw a giant steak. I'm leaving a review for other vegans/vegetarian awareness not to bad mouth Aqui. However, I hope Aqui management can read this review and have a separate section for vegetarian/vegans. I know they care about their customers. read more

Beautiful itinerary best salsa I've ever had every flavor blessing my mouth food was great service was great, very patient very nice area with great interior! read more

This is my favorite anecdote about this Aqui... I took my friend here for her first time. She's never heard of Swirls or Aqui but we go on a summer night around 8:00 pm and no joke there's a girl puking into the a trash bag right outside with one girlfriend holding the bag and the other holding her hair. And that's my review on Aqui. May the odds be in your favor... Hahaha jk but forreal that's what you can expect. Aqui is known for swirls aka industrial strength margaritas. They literally call them industrial strength on their website and recommend limiting yourself to 2! If someone hits you up asking to get Swirls in Downtown Campbell, be aware of what you're getting yourself into. They are under $10 a pop and are a bang for your buck! They are the go-to pregame location for Downtown Campbell. It's ALWAYS crowded so don't be surprised if you have a hard time finding a spot to sit. The employees are always so sweet and nice! The food I've also had on occasion and isn't bad! Except for the swordfish... don't get the swordfish. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Swirlllssss - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

Tasty dishes, not ordinary. The quality and flavor(s) stand out. I went there with a friend today. It was my first time at an Aqui restaurant. I got the Aqui plate, a vegetarian sampler consisting of good, chunky (with avocado) guacamole, refried black beans, and houmous. The refried black beans were not oily. They were made with interesting and appetizing seasonings. The houmous was exceptional, even better than in a couple of prominent middle eastern places here in the bay area. It had ample tahina in it to give it the rich, authentic flavor and texture. Along with this variety of dips, they serve a rather big basket of corn tortilla chips. The chips were very good, not oily at all. read more

Been here twice & it's always exciting & appetizing! One of the better locations, due its location in the heart of Downtown Campbell. You can get your booze on, while at the same time, chowing down on some heart-warming fusion dishes that complements quite well with their ever-famous Industrial Swirls! Historically, they were founded in 1994 & had since expanded to several locations across the South Bay - in addition, to establishing their footprint as the fast-casual counter-service model in the restaurant industry. The Campbell location had opened up sometime in 2007 & had since become a staple on the dining scene in the area. It has 165 seats & has always been packed on Friday & Saturday nights - even after the work day for "happy hour"! Highly recommend to try this place, especially if you work nearby! It can't hurt to have a drink or two, after a long, busy day, at work. On the other hand, their wide ranging menu - more Californian than Mexican, hence CAL-MEX, with occasional Asian forays, makes this place a destination to get your grub on! From tacos and burritos, to entree-sized salads - the emphasis is on healthful, often organic, ingredients prepared by their skillful chefs on site. Meat and poultry are raised without hormones or antibiotics. Flavors are lively but rarely spicy enough to satisfy true Mexican food aficionados. Daily specials are always available - make sure you get your eyes hooked on the board, as they often change due to popular demand - and gaze your eyes towards plated examples that are displayed on a counter near the registers. Aqui's trademark Southwestern elements are everywhere in the large dining room, from the whimsical ceramic heads of local artist Robert Milnes, to metal wall scones pierced with petroglyph figures. Hand-fabricated copper panels face the front of the open kitchen and frame the massive mirrors. Metal chairs pull up to bare wood tables on tiled floors. Very home-y and cozy, and they also have the bar within the restaurant - if you're the kind of individual that would just like to have a Swirl while watching a sports game on their several TV's along the walls of their bar! Fresh flavors, fast service, and bargain prices in attractive settings: Aqui has a winning formula. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Lemon Chicken bowl (from the Daily Specials menu board - Feb 2018!) - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

SANGRIA SWIRLS!!! Need I say more?! Combining sangria into a frozen delicious alcoholic beverage is just a huuge YES! Very affordable and deliciously strong sangria swirls. Like wow! I'm a total light-weight, but it's almost ridiculous how much you can get out of one drink here. This location has its own bar area and my group was lucky to find a seat, but the place gets very busy. People come and go pretty fast so hopefully you'll be able to snag a seat. Unfortunately it probably won't be clean and will be a tad bit sticky. I can't speak Aqui's food, but their delicious sangria swirls are what definitely keep customers coming back. I know I'll be back soon! read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Sangria Swirls!! - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

Easy counter ordering. They need more people cleaning up. Lots of tables with dirty dishes. The food is good but a bit generic. Nothing really stood out. The salmon is fresh and well cooked but needed seasoning. The margarita was very sweet. I feel like this is a place where you get the greasy cheese and sour cream. read more

I've been a long time regular at Aqui at multiple locations. I've honestly never had a meal that I didn't like. This place is great for all occasions, whether it's family dinner or looking for a good time to catch up with friends. A few of my friends critique that the food is just alright, but I beg to differ; By no means is it authentic Mexican food, but it is fantastic, delicious, and fulfilling food with flavor inspirations from the US Southwest, Latin America, and Asia I always start off with avocado dip every time I come here. The avocados are always super fresh and high quality and pair nicely with the fresh tomato. ***PROTIP: The chips are bottomless! Not only are they always warm and toasty, but you can always go to the bar or the register and ask for more.*** And no meal at Aqui is complete without having on of their Industrial Swirls. Highly suggest that you designate a driver or plan to stay for quite a while because those drinks are STRONG AF. My favorite dish lately has been the wild rock crab cake that comes with enchiladas. The crab cake is crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and very tasty. Honestly, no bad things to say about this place. My most recent trip was right at the start of the implementation of Shelter-In-Place for the Bay Area, so all the food was made for take-out. To my surprise, they started allowing swirls to be a part of the menu for take-out which is a super plus! They also promoted on their Instagram how seriously they are taking the safety of customers and employees with consistent hand-washing and sanitizing. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - To-go swirls and salsas - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

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Great choices for vegetarians !! And actually tasty!!! Loved this place, food, ambience and service.

I've been coming to Aqui's for many years. This place is 5 stars for Quality, Portions, Consistency and Value. All the items that include the Adobe Chicken are outstanding and the Aqui's sampler with chips, salsa, hummus and black bean dip is an excellent value as well. They are also very fast with take out orders even when they are busy during lunch and dinner rushes. This place is just a well run machine with great food and great all around value for your dining dollars read more

TL;DR. Almost all dishes are sweet, fiery chipotle was not fiery, but sweet. Hard pass. Let's start with the positives. The dish presentation is very nice. Let's continue with the negatives: the vibe is that of a fast food place that has a liquor license. One friend had highly recommended this place, so we went all out and ordered several plates. Another friend had said this place was like chipotle. Well let me tell you, in my opinion, both were wrong. Every single dish they served was sweet. And I'm not saying that as a positive, I mean it has a very sweet taste, to the point I wonder if they are adding high fructose corn syrup or sugar as the "secret" ingredient. I ordered a Cuban pork dish and that was among the worst tasting Cuban interpretation I've ever had. Another in my party ordered a shrimp tamale plate and the tamales were somewhere between savory and sweet, more on the sweet side, and not spectacular. I asked for spicy, so they gave me fiery chipotle salsa, which was not spicy, but definitely sweet. Another person ordered beef tacos, and the meat was unrecognizable for tacos. Large chunks that were not appropriate for tacos, oh and they were sweet. Another person ordered a bean burrito which was probably the most normal looking and tasting food, but come on, it's just beans and cheese. Btw, the taco came with refried beans and avocado. How could they screw up beans? By adding sugar. The avocado was okay...no sugar added. (No salt added either.) Btw, comparing this place to Chipotle is an insult to Chipotle. Note, I am not familiar with Cal Mex, so perhaps sugar on everything is the way. But for me, I'll stick with other restaurants. read more

Below par experiences last 2 times. Consistently good experiences the last 20 or so times before these 2. I think the one before was an overcooked/not so fresh blackened mahi mahi and today was the overcooked chicken in the special of the day. It was my favorite restaurant, sadly not anymore. read more

How does anyone say anything bad about this place? They have a full bar, great drinks, good food, healthy food options, vegetarian and vegan options, and even dessert! Don't come on a Friday. It gets loud aFffff omg sometimes ppl are obnoxiously drunk. I love that they have a patio for outside seating and it's been so beautiful lately. Everyone is always friendly here and helpful. They even have nice soft toilet paper. I love this location because there's free street parking and a garage around the corner. It's less congested than Willow Glen. Trying to find parking there gives me anxiety, but I feel so much more relaxed in DT Campbell. I love the bar seating area as it has 4 tvs to watch sports. Overall great location, great food, can bring your dog on the patio, and very family orientated. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Blackened salmon bowl - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

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First of all - a PSA. This restaurant is called "Aqui". It means "here". It's not "Aqui's" as if it is named after someone. Anyway, now that I have that pet peeve out of the way, on to my update. I have been going here for years. it used to be stellar. Now it is consistently mediocre. They changed the chicken taco and it isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be, but to top it off, the presentation is awful. The last 3 times I have gotten it, it's as if the cooks are playing "fling the taco". See the pic attached. The toppings are all over the place and it's not just this one time. It's as if the cooks just don't care. I would ask the management to look at this picture and see if they would appreciate getting their food presented in such a manner. read more

Awesome food. Great ambience and a vibrant vegetarian menu to choose from. A go to place for family and friends who want vegetarian and meat options at one place. read more

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This chain is a great one for fresh, tasty, and healthy food at a reasonable price. This location has the advantages of a dog-friendly patio and proximity to the cute shops on E. Campbell Ave. read more

I always love coming to Aqui's and besides the drinks, I actually enjoy the food (especially the salads!). While our drinks and salad were okay, we ordered the flourless chocolate cake too. As we were eating the chocolate cake, some us started getting bites of the salsa they use (tomatoes and onion) in the cake or whip cream and it was just a huge no. Not sure how it got in there or if it accidentally dropped in there...but they definitely need to be more careful of small things dropping into other dishes. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

A local favorite for a modern twist on Mexi-Cal food and drinks! It's a unique blend of fast casual with all the trimmings of a sit down, minus a server actually bringing you the food. In my opinion the quality, taste, and presentation of the food justifies the price. I'd recommend trying anything with their chicken adobo in it - burrito, bowl, or fajitas! It's the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and a hint of tangy! Also, don't forget their chips (unlimited refills!) so you can fully explore their self serve salsa bar! And how can I leave a review of Aqui without mentioning their industrial margarita swirls? A variety of flavors and different alcohols to pair with the slushy. If you're asking if the booze comes from the "juice" part of the "slushy" part, the answer is yes.. There's a reason they limit it to 2 a person! A great place to bring friends or family, and a go to for my wife and I for food and/or drinks! read more

This is a good place to get together with a group. Pay at the counter and sit down - no need to worry about how to split your check. Order slushie type alcohol and it's a party! The menu is varied enough that everyone can find something they might like. IMHO the food is just meh, though. The staff is friendly and they politely kicked us out at closing time. read more

This is really great place to visit, located in the heart of Campbell, great price and food experience.

Met up with my friends here, and it's been years that I've tried this place. This place is decent. I used to go here for Swirls back in college, and I know people still go here. Back then, it was unlimited swirls, and now they limited it to 2 per person. Lol, the swirls are pretty strong. That's why people go here for them. The food is decent as well. I got the chicken enchiladas, and it was decent! I need to come back and try other things on the menu. read more

Great food, great bar with menu, great service, and great staff. Ask for menu and they give you details you need. read more

Aqui Cal-Mex - Mexican Near Me - Campbell, California

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