Sooo goood I love this place a hidden gem in HMB. Go to for authentic Mexican. Their hot sauce is bomb read more

Amazing food ! Cute place at Half moon Bay , courteous staff We got Vegetarian Quesadilla - Chicken Enchiladas - Burrito Wrap They also gave us Habanaro Spicy Sauce , which made everything better! read more

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We had the fish tacos and a pork burrito. The tacos were great. I couldn't detect the guacamole in my burrito and overall it needed some sort of zing of flavor since it was bland so I asked the waiter if there's salsa available. He said it's inside the burrito and walked away. Later I asked him what was on another person's table - hot sauce and ketchup, he said. As we were leaving I saw they even sell hot sauce. Couldn't offer anything to us? read more

Was in Half Moon for a wedding. My friends and I went on Yelp and found this amazing restaurant. Super yummy and great service! Cute atmosphere inside and out. Highly recommend dining here for delicious food ! read more

Came here for lunch over the weekend. While the service was good, the food was just ok. We started with a spicy margarita. It was good. The guacamole and salsas were yummy. However, the main courses disappointed. We had the fish tacos and found them slightly soggy with minimal flavor. The chili verde was bland. The quantities were large and the sides of rice and beans was good. read more

Food was good but the grumpy kid that runs the counter is always so crabby... its almost comical... He was so rude you almost feel like you are on a hidden camera show! Had told a friend they made good food but the guy was such a crabby patty my friend refuses to ever go back read more

The food was great. Very interesting bold flavors. I enjoyed all of it. I got the chicken fajita and my husband got the garlic prawns. Many items on their menu are naturally gluten free. The portion sizes were good. It seemed pricey, but really I think most places are in half moon bay. My one complaint was that the host mumbled his words, and wasn't very engaging. He wasn't unfriendly, but it definitely affected the whole experience. read more

We got two burritos to go. One was a veggie burrito - my girl really disliked it, and one was a cochinita - and I thought it was just OK. For the price, I wouldn't go back - a tad expensive on the burrito-cost-meter, if you ask me. read more

I went here today and got the chicken fajitas. The flavor was very good. I was a bit apprehensive about the Mayan coleslaw at the beginning as someone who doesn't usually like coleslaw, but it turned out to be mostly just vegetables with a light dressing which was good. The service itself was prompt and the waiter was very friendly. This place is definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for Mexican food in Half Moon Bay. read more

Wanted to try this place out, saw great reviews lt looked a little cozy and interesting. Upon entering the place is small, a few tables scattered about. No hostesses or greater was present, so was waiting for someone to arrive. I see a server walk out with food orders setting them down at seated guests. The guests ask for hot sauce and the young guy shuffles off in disgust to get the hot sauce, almost upset he's doing his job. When he returns to the front, I ask if it's a seat yourself? He's responds in a zero enthusiastic or greeting tone, with "Uh yeah, anywhere" already feeling this kids vibe, I'm no longer interested and walk out. The food maybe great here but I'd never want to support a establishment that doesn't take the customer/business interaction as a priority. It's your first impression. read more

I truly enjoyed our dinner. The decor was fitting and quaint. Service was great. The food was very flavorful. The food was cooked to order, not premade microwaved food. I ordered the prawn fajitas. Delicious and flavorful. The coleslaw was delicious too. Very tasty. We will be back. read more

Café Capistrano - Prawn Fajitas. Very good and flavorful - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This place is a hidden gem. The beans are life changing. I get the cocinita pibil, my wife gets the fish tacos and my daughter gets the bean and cheese burrito- her favorite dish in the world. read more

Shortest review in a while because, The food here is delicious! You just need to go. Order anything. Leave satisfied! read more

Café Capistrano - It's a winner! - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Absolutely delicious. I had the enchiladas and every bite was so packed with flavor . The service was exceptional, young man who was both friendly and courteous. The price was less than you pay for fast food and this was both fresh and tasty. Plus the house was both clean and interesting to look at all the artwork on the walls. Found my new Half Moon Bay favorite. read more

My first time here, and I'll be back. The garlic shrimp plate was fresh, yummy, and well balanced, with lots of veggies. They easily worked around my allergies, too. read more

Café Capistrano - Garlic shrimp plate - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Food was good! Love the flavor. The mango salsa was delicious! The only con was.. my pork was a bit dry and my corn tortillas has a bunch of holes in it so it made it hard to eat it as a Taco. Other than that it was good. Habenero sauce is a must with these read more

Café Capistrano - Poc chuc - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Food is outstanding. No frills place, dishes are extremely affordable. Recommend going to get some excellent, affordable eats.

First time here and it did not disappoint! Food was flavorfull and delish. The chicken adobo burrito was a good size and the chicken was so good. My spouse had the Codhinita pibil. It was a Mayan pork dish. The pork was yum and flavorfull. Came with quac, salsa ( so fresh) black beans, rice, onions and tortillas. She said everything was delish. Pretty presentation too. They have an outdoor seating area too. Off the beat and path but you need to eat here. read more

Café Capistrano - Yummy Mayan pork dish!! - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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So I don't make it out to Half Moon Bay often and way I say often , I mean let's just say I haven't been for over 10 years. I love to swim and I enjoy the beach but I just don't make it out to Half Moon Bay for whatever reason. Fast forward to a recent visit to Cafe Capistrano and my significant other and I are already looking forward to our next visit to the quiet beach community. Walked in and was greeted by an extremely friendly gentleman who answered all of our questions with a smile. Settled on the fish tacos which seemed to be popular during our quick scan of the menu. Also tried: Cochinita Pibil But the winner winner chicken dinner was the Fish Tacos. The beans were oh so delicious as was the rice and just everything about the dish was perfect to take out the beach and just enjoy nature. In another life I'll live next to the beach : ) If you're reading this review and are checking out the menu , grab the fish tacos and thank me later. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews) - read more

Today we had lunch at this charming and lovely cafe. Felt like dining in someone's cozy home! The fish plate tacos with all its sides was delicious. Loved the mango salsa and guacamole. Next time I'll order extra on the side! My husband's fish and chips had the crispiest and lightest batter ever! Hope to return to try other menu items! read more

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Our first experience with Mayan cuisine and maaaan where we blown away. Here's what I learnt about Mayan Food - the four staple foods in Mayan cuisine are squash, beans, maize and chili peppers, and they were often combined with meat or seafood to create Food Magic. Squash, beans and maize are often referred to as the "three sisters" because they provide all the necessary nutrients when eaten together. A special thanks to Michael our waiter - who was friendly, patient and gave us THE most amazing hot sauce ever....they make this habanero hot sauce in-house which was beyond brilliant! We tried a couple of their dishes which were all really good - well spiced, fresh and flavorful. (A) Fish Taco Platter - we skipped the rice and focused on the black beans, guac, the pico de gallo and the fruit chutney that came with our fish tacos. Red Snapper was the fish used and it was marinated in citrus (I think Lime) and grilled with some spices which enhanced the flavors of the fish - a spectacular dish (B) Chicken Fajitas - the chicken was rubbed with Achiote Paste and there was fresh vegetables on the platter (C) Vegetable Fajitas - there was an abundance of freshly grilled flavorful vegetables. (D) Kids Meal - Fish and Chips and Grilled Cheese Sandwich - the kids really liked it. (E) Flan - was amazing, eggy and delicate It is not too far from the beach...fortify on truely amazing food, then hit the coastal trail on Half Moon or the opposite - take the trek, work up an appetite and hit this place....either way you will be glad that you did. read more

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Excellent seafood! The dishes reminded us of the wonderful Mayan style food we enjoyed in Cancun Mexico many years ago. We visited a month+ ago so I can't remember the exact spices and sauces we had but they all tasted really good. The fish was especially fresh. The restaurant is slightly away from the downtown area of Half Moon Bay and looks like a residence from the outside. But follow the smell of really good food if you do not see the sign. read more

Hidden gem a block or so off of Main Street. Our breakfast was delicious. The chorizo con huevos will keep you coming back for more. Best chorizo con huevos around! The pancakes are really good too. Coffee is served in a big mug and has a bold flavor. It's a great stop to fill up before head down Hwy 1 for the beach or coastal drive. We have had several lunches and breakfasts here and the menu is really enticing. It's not the boring or expected Mexican food. Friendly staff actually take time to check on you and talk with you. Check it out and you will not be disappointed. read more

Very good food, unique flavor of Yukatan/mayan cuisine, and nice service, exceptional hot sauce. Definitely coming back when nearby!

Best fish tacos in the Bay Area. I like fish tacos. I eat a lot of fish tacos. These are the freshest, tastiest fish tacos I've had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. The other dishes we ordered were equally tasty. The waiter was a delight. Entertaining and personable. The casual, in-home setting made it so much more enjoyable than a big restaurant. This will be the go-to meeting place for when coming down from the north bay to meet friends coming up from Santa Cruz. read more

Café Capistrano - Fish Tacos ! - American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Cafe Capistrano is truly a hidden gem in Half Moon Bay! We wanted something local, authentic, and homey, especially after traveling for a week, and we really found that here. The pork adobo was delicious, as was the chicken adobo quesadilla! The atmosphere was warm and comforting, with wonderful hospitality and very, very good food. We left with full stomachs and lots of smiles. Can't wait to come back! read more

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One of my favorite dinner experiences. We went there on the recommendations of several people and were not dissapointed! Great service, great food. Cant wait to go back! read more

I had a beautiful lunch on the outdoor patio. The cochinita pibil was flavorful but not spicy, succulent and delicious. Service was warm and prompt. Can't wait to come back! read more

I don't know what Mayan cuisine is supposed to taste like, but based on my first ever trip to Cafe Capistrano, I would like to know more. We ordered the Yucatan appetizer sampler, but they were out of panuchos so we got 2 salbutes instead. (Both are based on a fried corn masa tortilla but the panuchos are stuffed with beans.) The salbutes were amazing. I would go back just to eat those and have a beer. We also had chicken and pork adobo and steak asado, all of which were well cooked and delicious. This restaurant is small and super casual not fine dining so adjust your expectations accordingly. The staff during our visit appeared to be the cook, waiter, and busser, but our waiter was working hard to keep up with everyone. read more

Was in Half-Moon Bay and wanted to surprise our palettes. So we got on yelp and checked out what was around the area. We found this little family restaurant. The entire restaurant feels like we stepped into someone's home. There were 5 of us. We got seated immediately by a real enthusiastic staff member. We looked at the menu and there is definitely quite a variety going on here. Chips and salsa do not come free-I think it's about $3. So we ordered our food and it didn't take very long for the food to come out. We had a variety of items from the burritos, platters to the enchiladas and quesadillas. We dove right into the dishes. They also provided a habanero hot sauce. The meats were cooked to perfect. The flavors all came together. I was surprised that it seemed like I was not going to get full but surprisingly I was! The service was also good. Our waiter was attentive and answered any questions. Although he seemed very casual and informal--he got the job done. Thank you. This Yucatan cuisine was perfect for our afternoon hunger. I'll come back when I'm in the area. read more

Food was decent. Not typical Mexican but Peruvian so different. Thing about this place is the service was terrible. Unhappy and unpleasant waiter. Seemed to not care about much and wasn't approachable wasn't friendly and muttered so you couldn't hear him. It was painful dealing with him and although it was terrible service, I still tipped over 20%. SMH! read more

I found this place by chance. The ambiance of the entire place reminds you of home. Whether it's a family owned business or not, you still get that sense of family regardless. The other customers (who were actually from the area) seemed to know the owners and they wished each other well when it was time to depart. The man who served us our food was exceptionally kind and continuously came to check in on us. I ordered the steak asado. It came with a side of corn tortillas. It was absolutely fantastic. I devoured the food without stopping to take a picture because it just looked that good. The steak was cooked just perfectly. It's a place worth stopping by if you're in the area, or even making a cute little date night at a humble restaurant with excellent food and good portions. read more

Service was quick and food was very good. Will go back in the future when we are in the area.

The food is always fresh, good portions and tastes great. I usually order take outs. Never had a bad experience.

Absolutely authentic delicious food ! Very welcoming environment. Anyone visiting HMB highly recommended

My Husband and I were out for a drive and wanted to stop and have lunch. We were curious about Mayan cuisine so we popped in. We had the appetizer trio and the thin sliced grilled pork. Both were excellent, especially with the house made hot sauce! The Service was lovely and the Food was delicious! Kudos to the Father/ Son duo who were running the place... I hope they can have their espresso machine restored, as we wanted coffee and were told that their machine had recently been destroyed by a careless repairman. read more

Good Mexican spot in the Half moon Bay Area. The pork nachos were delicious, so were the enchiladas. Would definitely go back if I'm in the area. Recommend going here for lunch.. we couldn't get to try the breakfast because we reached later in the day. read more

Food was amazing, especially fish tacos and veggie quesadillas. Everything was fresh and tasted great on the beach as we took a takeout.

Stopped by after visiting Half Moon Bay State Beach last weekend, the roads were crazy packed so we decided to have dinner here in downtown. Covid-cautionary measures were in place, social distancing outdoor seating was pleasant, protected by harsh winds. My boyfriend ordered the Poc Chuc plate which was really special and delicious, I got the garlic prawn plate which was more ordinary but still delicious It was a neat experience with Mayan style food! read more

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Entering Cafe Capistrano, located just off Main St in Half Moon Bay, is like walking into someone's house! This quiet, family-run restaurant unabashedly featured Mayan cuisine, which took me right back to my travels on the Yucatan Peninsula! My pick was the red snapper sandwich, which featured fillets of snapper marinated to a beautiful red with achiote, a spice made from annatto seeds, which had a slightly sour flavor. The red snapper was seasoned perfectly and served with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato, as well as a bright, crunchy, pickled Mayan "slaw" made of green cabbage. The sourdough bread was coated on the inside with mayo and a creamy orange sauce, which added a delicious umami flavor to the sandwich! I also tried the chicken adobo, which was coated in the same achiote marinade, giving the meat a bright flavor and delicious juiciness! And at every table was a bottle of habanero hot sauce, which really upped the spice level of the food. The flavors of all the dishes were on point, and the service was so friendly as well. The prices were on the high side for the portion sizes, though perhaps not atypical for Half Moon Bay! read more

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