I have been to the Baja Cantina Grill and Filling Station a few times. I have had two very fun times there. One time my daughter and I sat in the bar, had drinks and appetizers, and watched a Giants game. The other people in the bar were a lot of fun and we had a blast. The other time was on a cold, rainy day and my friends and I sat on a couch and chairs in front of the fireplace in the bar and had pitchers of margaritas and nachos. They still talk about what a great time they had. Every time I have been there the food and service has been good. The margaritas were really good. The Baja Cantina is not dog friendly--not even on the outdoor patio. Fortunately during our visits when we had our dog with us, it was cool enough to leave him in the car and there are some parking stalls with a lot of shade. read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Margaritas in front of the fireplace - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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Still the best chips and salsa around--unlike anything you'll find at another Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, unlike nearly every Mexican restaurant, you have to pay extra for them. The restaurant itself is still a destination, especially if you're a racing fan. There's an incredible amount of racing memorabilia throughout the place, which gives it a unique atmosphere and plenty to look at. Then, unfortunately, there's the food. The food has become bland and almost devoid of flavor. We ordered the Carnitas, Fajitas, and Molcajete, and sadly, all three were nearly indistinguishable. Different dishes, but they were essentially the same meal. The protein portions have also decreased noticeably, while multiple varieties of beans now seem to occupy nearly two-thirds of the plate. It's still worth visiting for the atmosphere, racing memorabilia, and outstanding chips and salsa. But when it comes to the food, it's a very different experience than it used to be--and not in a good way. read more

Stopped by for some lunch with family while on a day trip to Carmel. This place looked promising from pictures and the menu but that's about all it had to offer. I ordered the mango enchiladas which surprisingly had some flavors that definitely went together. The flavor profiles lack in the sense of giving you a desire for more. The chips and salsa are good. The chips have a seasoning which gives it a kick. Overall the enchiladas were ok but bland. The salsa from the chips and salsa was actually good. Service was ok, had to flag my server down a few times for the same item which happens but none of the order was messed up. The outside seating is perfect for the Carmel weather. Was enjoyable sitting outside. read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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Very cool place! Loved the decor and didnt realize how many celebs have dined here. We were on our way to the bathroom and saw a picture of a player from the Green Bay Packers so that was really cool! We ordered the Tropical Mango Enchiladas and Baja's Flamin Fajitas w/ Carne Asada. The fajitas dish was SIZZLING. It was so cool but it did take a while to start eating it. Not much ventilation at our table, the fans were just pushing the heat into our faces. But overall, such a delicious meal. Our server was also very fun/funny too! We appreciate her service and occasionally checking in on us! read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Tropical Mango Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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I've been here quite a few times over the years, and it's one of my convenient go-to spots when I'm at Carmel Valley Ranch. There aren't a lot of Mexican restaurants nearby, so it's a solid option if you're craving Mexican food. While I've had better Mexican food elsewhere, this place has a big menu, good food, and it's great for families with kids. The atmosphere is part of the appeal. It has an old gas station, neighborhood dive bar vibe that's just fun and relaxed. They also have live music outside on some nights. I usually order one of the combo plates or the enchiladas, but the Speedway Tostada in my photo is another favorite. It's basically a taco salad served in a crispy fried tortilla shell, and it's huge. They also make good margaritas and have a nice selection of cocktails and beer. Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, and an easy place to come back to. read more

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This place was outstanding. Great atmosphere, high quality food, and remarkable service, from our funny and talented waiter, Jose. The chips and salsa are some of the very best we've had and far more substantive than the cheap, thin chips that you usually eat in baskets full. We couldn't even finish our first basket here! We'd return in a heartbea read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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Our server was great and the food was delicious! This place is super quirky and fun, with old fashioned gas station decor everywhere, a cute patio with a fireplace where they do love music on the weekends, and a darker cozy atmosphere with cloth napkins. We stopped by for dinner after a book signing in Carmel Valley Village, and service was quick and attentive. We ordered two types of enchiladas, one with green sauce and chicken, the other with red and pork. The red sauce was just barely spiced, Smokey, and slightly sweet. The pork was perfectly cooked and fall apart delicious. My friend loved her chicken enchiladas with mushrooms. Each plate came with beans and rice as well. Mexican hot chocolate was tasty as was an Arnold Palmer. I will definitely be back! read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

Really enjoyed my dinner here! Blackened burrito: 8.5/10 Huge portion and there was plenty of juicy chicken and shrimp in the burrito. The beans and sauce were good too. Chips and salsa: 9/10 Great chips and the salsa has a nice kick to it. Monterey quesadilla: 9.5/10 I've never had a quesadilla with this flavor combination and I was pleasantly surprised! So fun trying it with artichoke and dill and tartar sauce! read more

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Try ANYTHING with the mole sauce!! We went on a Thursday night with the live bad. It was a little loud, but once you're seated inside, the music is dampened. Even though it was packed, service was very fast. read more

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Great atmosphere and customer service. Good is outstanding. Great place to have drinks with friends or take your lady on a date!

Very cute spot with friendly service, good food and good prices. It's our go to spot for casual Mexican when we are in carmel. Kids always have a good time here. Honestly don't know why their rating is so low. We have been here a number of times and always enjoyed their food and drinks. read more

We came here while visiting in town yesterday and all the food was fabulous!! We enjoyed the fun inside decor and the waitress was super nice with prompt service. The food was amazing. This is a staple for us when we come to visit from now on. Thanks for the great experience! read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

The server angel is a great server I grew up here in Monterey county and have been to many restaurants but angel by far best of the best and his right hand man Willie is outstanding deserves a raise and the chips and salsa are top tear and the steak pineapple are amazinggggg read more

Really nice restaurant with a lively feel. Indoor and outdoor seating. Food was good. Chips were amazing. Service was good. Really fun atmosphere read more

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Beautiful area and outdoor patio. We were a pretty big party and did not have reservation, but were quickly accommodated. I tried their chicken fajitas and a margarita. I unfortunately did not love their food, but my boyfriend did. Overall, the service was good and although I did not enjoy their food, I think it was personal preference. There is a good amount of parking, and the area is perfect for the upcoming sunnier weather. read more

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I normally don't like to leave negative reviews, especially because the food was actually very good. Unfortunately, the experience was overshadowed by how management handled a situation in the dining room. While we were having dinner, two young women came in with water bottles while picking up a to-go order. Another patron loudly confronted them and created a scene, yelling about them bringing water inside. It was uncomfortable for everyone in the restaurant. What was disappointing was how management handled it. Staff mentioned this customer comes in often, which made it even more surprising that the situation wasn't addressed more appropriately. When a guest repeatedly disrupts other diners, management should step in to protect the experience for everyone else. Again, the food was great, but the way this situation was handled really took away from what should have been a nice dinner. read more

Food os always great, well prepared, hot. Staff is super friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Ambiece is super cool, automotive themed stuff everywhere, I even found a booth with my name on a poster on the wall. read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Booth at Baja Cantina, Carmel - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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Have gone here for years and been a loyal customer. My youngest daughter had her first job here 20 years ago and was one of the hostesses thee. We love the drive over there from where we live and the staff have always been super friendly. Love sitting at the bar and people watching, great drinks, but the prices keep creeping up on everything. I had a regular margarita for $15 and then the shaker margarita for $25 and frankly, I barely got a buzz off of them. I wasn't super hungry so I got the shrimp scampi appetizer which comes with just shrimp and it's $22 for six shrimp, almost 4 dollars per shrimp is ridiculous.. It didn't taste fresh. It tasted like it had been frozen and pre-cooked and it was in some type of very bland tasteless sauce. It didn't resemble any scampi sauce I've ever had in my entire life. Chips and salsa are $4.50 which is outrageous. Sadly, I think my days of going to Baja as one of my favorite places are over. You priced me out. read more

Four of us went for margaritas after a local dinner, and were completely ripped off. First -- the margaritas are not worth their price -- it's basic mix and citrus. Second, if you order side shots to liven up the drink (i.e. Grand Marnier), you'll be charged an outrageous price (apparently above any listed price to be found). $278 plus tip for a total eight drinks (granted one large sized). Crazy!!! We almost fell off the barstool upon being presented with the check. Lastly, if you dispute the bill given the final amount, you'll be told basically it's an owner's decision. Thus, go for the food perhaps (chips & salsa were good) but not the overpriced margaritas (and god forbid you add extra shots!). Will never go back... read more

The Carnitas Burrito was good! But not $27+5tip good. Holy Hell. Sizeable and well done, the parts all felt like high quality with good carnitas marinade. The guacamole green salsa and mild red salsas were good. But that price is not great. read more

Great food and drinks Amazing decor of all the racing memorabilia, automotive supplies, signs posters ‼‼ read more

Horrible experience. Booked a table a week in advance, on a Wednesday, for a birthday. Called to confirm on Saturday for a reservation the following Thursday. After a 3.5 hour drive, the snotty hostess said she couldn't find it. Uber dropped us off, so I literally said our Uber just dropped us off so we're just out of luck? All I got back was "yep". No apologies, nothing. We reserved an outside table, which had multiple visible empty tables, but got shoved in a bar booth. They clearly only cater to the locals. Food is bland and generic. Couldn't finish my meal. The only saving grace was the chips, salsa & guacamole. Avoid this place as I forever will. read more

I have never experienced this level of service ever. This person was so very uninterested in us as patrons or the level of service she was providing. She 1. Never greeted us appropriately , never said hello or how are we doing right . 2.We had a very early dinner ; she had two tables and couldn't be more rude. There were no words exchanged between us as far as anything cordial. She walked up to the table and asked us if we were ready to order . Never said a word after taking our order ; just walked away. Everytime we had an exchange it was us talking and she would never acknowledge or respond. The weirdest experience ever. We kept asking ourselves if we offended her in some way ? Seemed as though she was upset with us ? Strange for sure. I had to ask for straws and Splenda for our ice teas that arrived in two different trips. Because she dropped the straws off that we had to ask for and walked away so quickly we didn't have time to ask for Splenda. I had to flag the bus person down . Who brought our dinners . We were both so disappointed with the whole experience. The food was subpar. My friend and I used to love our trips to Baja Cantina. It was always a treat. The food was so yummy and it was a fun atmosphere. Last night , the two girls that were working seemed so swamped and in the woods. It wasn't busy ? I don't know what has happened there but I won't be back anytime soon. Maybe be nice and pleasant to your guest and they'll return! read more

Not even 1 star. Horrible food, even worse service! Server named Mary was incredibly rude to us. It's just wild that she would be annoyed with us just for being there. I asked to talk to her manager and he was just as rude. Never again would we eat here for overpriced cardboard. read more

The service is impeccable, Holly waited on us. And we had great service! But the manager/ owner Gina. Needs to realize people sit at tables not knowing they are reserved. How about a sign? She said she needed the table we were on . No problem. But at least be kind! She doesn't look happy nor was she pleasant at all. Too bad too, I loved that restaurant , and us locals visit there! read more

I'm honestly shocked at how poorly we were treated during our recent visit. The experience started off badly and never improved. The hostess led us to a table, tossed the menus down without a word, and walked away before we even had a chance to sit. We tried calling after her, but she completely ignored us and kept walking, forcing us to follow her just to ask a simple question about seating. There were two empty booths available, but when we asked to sit at one, she abruptly told us they were "reserved." Fine--but when we then asked to sit in an open booth in the bar area, she told us we'd have to go back and retrieve the menus she had just thrown on the other table. When we said we wouldn't do that, she simply walked away again. No attempt to help, no basic courtesy--just incredibly rude behavior. We ended up speaking with a manager, hoping for some accountability, but that was just as disappointing. She brushed off our concerns, saying no one had ever complained about the hostess before, offered a quick, insincere apology, and walked away. No effort to make things right. The service alone would have been enough to ruin the visit, but unfortunately the food didn't make up for it either--it was mediocre at best. As a long-time customer, this was incredibly disappointing. I won't be returning after this experience. read more

I'm not much for one star reviews but this place was not welcoming. Asked for a TV change and was told only NFL on the big screen even when no one was watching. Just an arbitrary rule. Bartenders could be nicer. Our server was sweet. Overall a disappointing experience. read more

I'm from out of town and am possibly being transferred to the area for work. Mom and Dad came to visit, We came to dinner here and it was so cute and the staff was so friendly. The food and drinks were good. We have no complaints! The atmosphere and people is what did it for us. Such a great place! We will be back! read more

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Cute mexican place with healthy dishes. Fajitas were filled with fresh veggies. Portion size were big. They have a huge outdoor seating. Chips & salsa could have been complimentary. Very sweet server & fast service. read more

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Do not eat here if you have food allergies or sensitivities! The menu states that some enchilada dishes do not have Jack cheese. We asked the server to confirm and they kindly double checked, which I very much appreciated at the time. We were told that although typically the dish comes with Jack cheese, they could make it with only aged cheese (like cheddar, as the menu says anyways) upon request. I thanked the server for checking and stated that I have a tough time digesting some (higher lactose) cheeses and I appreciated it. The food comes out and the server puts the enchiladas in front of me. The food looked pretty decent but I was told that the kitchen was unable to make it without jack cheese. There also appeared to be some crumbled cotija cheese or similar (which was not mentioned at any time). I told the server again that I didn't want to eat it because the cheese didn't agree with me. My wife restated that it would cause me digestion problems if I ate it. The server asked me what I wanted to do, and left the food at the table although I made it clear that I had no intention of eating it. I found this to be rude and the server's tone was unapologetic. I asked for a salad and waited while my partner watched their food get cold. I felt terrible and embarrassed. When the salad came out it was okay. I found a walnut in the salad which is a foreign contaminate, presumably from some other dish. I don't happen to be allergic to nuts but I know that is a matter of life or death for some. There was no adjustment to the bill despite the menu being wrong about common allergen ingredients for 2 dishes and we were given wrong information about the food as well. Overpriced, marginal service, inconsistencies about ingredients. Cannot recommend. read more

Overall good food. Bean dip was the fan favorite. Jose was the best employee we encountered! He was so friendly and nice, even though he wasn't our server! The host wasn't nice at all and seemed annoyed that we asked to move inside. Would still recommend this place to a friend. read more

This has some of the best mexican food I have eaten. We went there twice. The price was along with most mexican places. The mixed drinks were great also and strong. Glen K read more

There was 4 of us for a birthday lunch. Between COLD fajitas,COLD burger/onion rings(which were over cooked burned flavor cold with greasy taste) room temp green salad which had a heavy fish flavor(she hates fish) almost refrigerated temp on rice and beans. Server asked me if it was, ok to microwave to reheat when I brought it to her attention. We had asked for more chips and salsa(only good thing) she brought only salsa. Again when brought to her attention you could see/hear the HUGE SIGH as she walked away, 10 minutes later we grabbed the attention of her coworker to finally get our chips. I've been in food/bev for 30 years so this is absolutely unacceptable. This is the 2nd time we've been this disappointed in 3mths, after coming here for 20 years. Sorry won't be a 3rd.. I understand a bad day but this was to much..A great server would outshine the bad food and vise versa, both was to much.. read more

fun place for lunch in Carmel Valley. I had the two tamales and they were fresh and light and delicious. I would definitely order them again. read more

This laid back eatery, a short drive down Carmel Valley Rd. , was a great way to get out of the tourist packed downtown and have some comfort food. It's packed with racing memorabilia. The tropical enchiladas with mango salsa were delicious. It was served with rice and coconut and the coconut way overpowered the rice. The refried beans were tasty. Unfortunately both mine and my husband's meals were served just lukewarm. Our server Alexis was friendly and helpful but very busy. We did not see any other servers. There were plenty of available tables at lunchtime on a Saturday in the winter. We will return when we're in the area. read more

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We have been coming here for years and unfortunately today was the day when we say goodbye to this place. Service became unbearable, for the last several times we had to ask for water, utensils, and other basic staff, like a tea spoon for a baby. Not only this, but something goes off all the time: today they didn't bring tortillas together with fajitas, and when they did - fajitas already got cold, like 10 mins later... we also waited for the waiter to get back with my card for literally 20 mins. If you have a 2YO - you know how long those 20 minutes last. While today is Sunday , it was not at full capacity even to force everyone for such a long wait. I usually do not remember the bad staff, but my husband says last time it was even worse in terms of service. Food is still ok. read more

We had lunch here today & it was nice & sunny for outdoor seating, our waiter was great!! I ordered chicken tacos & my friend order chicken & pasta, we both really enjoyed our food, its was packed today, we ordered chips & salsa & both were fresh & very tasty read more

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This place has really cool decor all over . We stopped in for a drink and appetizer before heading home . Service was good . We will definitely stop in again read more

Baja Cantina Grill & Filling Station - Monterey Bay Quesadilla , Big Sur Toothpicks - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, California

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My friend and I had just finished golfing at Carmel Valley Ranch and decided to stop by Baja Cantina after seeing good reviews. The host told us to order through the bar, so I walked up with the menu while my friend went to the restroom. I didn't have my wallet on me, but since we were just ordering food to-go, I didn't think it would be an issue. The bartender immediately demanded IDs in a rude tone, even after the host confirmed we were just ordering takeout and told him to take our order. He looked annoyed that he even had to help, walked away angrily, and when he returned I asked for a glass of water after being in the sun for over four hours. He flat-out refused, saying "legally" he couldn't serve me anything without an ID. That is false. It is not illegal to order food--or water--at a restaurant bar. At that point, we decided to leave. And here's the part that really bothers me: I'm Asian, and my friend is white. The bartender's hostility was directed at me, not him. I can't say for certain it was racially motivated, but being the only Asian person in the restaurant and being treated this way makes it hard not to question it. Baja Cantina, this was hands-down one of the rudest experiences I've had at any restaurant. What's the explanation? read more

First time in many years to dine at this long time Cali-Mex grill and watering hole. Great margaritas, chips, salsa, and guacamole. Service was good, with a happy holiday vibe throughout the place. I ordered carnitas. Good carnitas has a crispy crust with tender pork. This was absolutely tasteless and reminiscent of meat that had been precooked and set aside to be re-heated with oil (too much) later. A blackened burrito was a generous size and flavorful. A chili verde dish again lacked the flavor one hopes to find in that dish. Rice and refried beans were good. Great spot for watching games, enjoying drinks, appetizers, and a burrito. Not my choice for old school Mexican food standards, imo. In any case, we enjoyed the service and the experience overall. Service was a 5, Food a 3.5. read more