Cafe del Sol has been my favorite hometown restaurant for many, many years. It has always been a go-to for special occasions, hosting out of town guests and now is very much my standard takeout place on a Saturday night. My original dish of choice was the Red Snapper Al Mojo de Ajo. But many years ago I made the switch to Enchiladas de Mariscos. I have tried the Mole Poblano and fajitas. I have been known to get a burrito for lunch. There are other things on the menu I'm sure I'd be happy with. But, when it's Cafe del Sol night, I crave the adobo marinated seafood and chipotle tequila cream sauce of the seafood enchiladas. They are served with yummy cilantro rice, diced mango, salsa fresca, and a small salad. The rotating dishes of my party include Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, the Red Snapper, Fish Tacos, and El Combo. We always get Quesadilla de Camaron as a starter. The quesadilla comes with a side of guacamole, sour cream, salsa fresca, and diced mango for your dipping pleasure. A side order of chips comes with an addictive salsa verde. The restaurant is not without its challenges. It is a small space and often only has one server. The two servers, Tammy and Sonia, have been there forever and are very loyal to their customers. If you are looking for a place with constant stimulation, the latest and greatest in restaurant decor, this isn't the place for you. I come back over and over for the flavors I can't resist. read more

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Cafe Del Sol features my favorite Mexican food in the area, and I've been coming here for many years! The food is delicious and it is located downtown, near Bank of America. I typically order the chicken nachos or the chicken tostada. I have no idea what seasoning they use on the chicken, but it is to die for! I've also tried some of their other appetizers which were also very good. Taking way one star just because the inside is pretty awkward to navigate (you have to squeeze between tables), and I do wish they offered margaritas haha. I also feel like it's always super quiet in there when dining in. I feel like if they had fun music playing or offered weekend brunch or something, it might get more customers in there. read more

Had some takeout for lunch. A fair and fairly balanced meal, but I think could be better. Can't comment much on the service or dining experience. Overall, wished there was more food for an entree and the chicken was more tender. Mole Poblano - sauce was very present, meshed well with everything served. Minimal rice though so there was a lot of leftover sauce and not enough to pair with the beans or the chicken. Salad was just tossed on top. Baked beans were pretty standard. The chicken was solid but a bit firm and difficult to tear apart. Could be more tender. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Mole Poblano - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I would have taken a picture of my food but I loved it so much I forgot. This place is great. I loved my 2 item meal with taco and enchilada. The yelp check in didn't work but the waitress hooked our son up with a free quesadilla. Great service! read more

Cafe Del Sol - I would have taken a picture of my food but I loved it so much I forgot. - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Recently ordered takeout from Cafe del Sol and it was pretty good. I recommend calling rather than ordering online as their online menu often excludes a lot of offerings for some reason. Their chicken burrito is really tasty. It also comes with a side of chips and salsa. It's a little bit on the pricier side, but I would say it's one of the better burritos you can find in the Menlo Park area. We also ordered nachos which were pretty mediocre. The service is quick and the people working there are very friendly! read more

I'm writing this review to ask the owners of this place to take action right away. Please fix your menu very hard to read , please visit Must have menus extremely easy to use platform to make menus and flyers anything you business need . Also taste the food before bringing out , just get a chance to order guacamole, was brown and taste like nothing, missing freshness and flavor also acidity, green salsa was pretty much green water , pico bland! Try more traditional dishes . I understand the you're in non Latino neighborhood and a lot of folks don really know good Mexican food but there's always room to improve. I wish the best to you . read more

Shrimp were dry, I expected them to be in a creamy sauce, but all I got with them was a cold salad. The only warm item on my plate was a blob of rice. Best part of my meal was the margarita. Not surprised that there was only one other person in the restaurant besides the two of us. read more

Ordered two appetizers, ceviche was good but it was a bit too sweet, and caliente which was not spicy (but I was looking for some heat) the flavor was still good, very friendly staff and quite cute and clean restaurant. read more

It said open until 9. We arrived at 7:45 and they were closed. Super bummed, especially since the chicken nachos are supposed to be amazing!

I found this restaurant to be quite wonderful. Our meals were excellent. I had Camerones Diabla and the shrimp were cooked perfectly (a difficult task in many restaurants). Their salsa verde was spicy but not killer and the pico de gallo was so fresh and the chips were crisp and warm. There was a mango salsa that was a perfect compliment to the shrimp. We also indulged and both got flan. Smooth and light with just the right caramel sauce The service was wonderful also. Will definitely be coming back to this place and will be telling my friends to stop in. read more

I went back to this place and ordered a grilled shrimp burrito, and I really loved it. So far I'm very happy I found another place where you can still buy lunch at a fair price. That shrimp burrito has an amazing taste and the green salsa that comes with it , you may want to ask for another one because it tastes really good and you won't be disappointed. I recommend it to anybody or at least try it out. read more

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Great service, delicious food, can't recommend this place enough love it. I had the Chile reyeno & salmon plate. Light yet filling and healthy. read more

This was the worst restaurant meal I have ever had. All of the dishes were tasteless and underprepared. None of them matched the description provided on the menu. By far the worst of the dishes were the veggie "fajitas". These supposed "fajitas" were comprised of steamed (yes... steamed) broccoli and some carrots with no tortillas. Do not spend a dime on this place. Awful. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Very bad experience. Avoid this place. Taco Bell makes better burritos. Not good service or food read more

"THE CHEF LEFT" Soooo... we walk in at 9 pm an hour before closing, the neon sign in the window brightly blinking open, we are excited because there was a 25% off Yelp check in, we see people enjoying food, annnd.... the hostess tells us "The chef left" Wait what? She turned us away because "the chef left" Well...sad. Please put up a "closed" sign or turn off the "open" sign, it's the least you can do... Sigh... what do I need to do to get late night foooood in Palo Alto? read more

My third time here in all these years. Food was delicious. Service was incredible! Ambiance: very nice. I highly recommend this restaurant. Love it and will come here more often. read more

An excellent, quiet, neighborhood Mexican restaurant in Menlo Park, Cafe Del Sol sees a bunch of regulars and has some of the friendliest servers around! The decor is nothing particularly special--homey, sunny, and spacious, but the food is fresh, bright, vibrant, and colorful! I came with a group of four for lunch on a Saturday and we arrived to an empty-looking restaurant. On every table was a plate of freshly fried corn tortilla chips, salsa verde, and pico de gallo. We ordered the shrimp tostada salad, which came with lettuce, guacamole, mango chunks, refried beans, and fried tortillas. It was dressed so nicely with a tomatillo sauce and had a great crunch. The shrimp was one of the best parts--seasoned so nicely and grilled to perfection! We also had the halibut plate and the shrimp plate, each of which came with seasoned Mexican rice, beans (black or refried), mango salsa, and a fresh cole slaw. The shrimp were perfectly cooked in a zesty garlic/lime sauce, but the halibut was unfortunately overcooked and somewhat tough/dry. Finally, we got two fish tacos on a plate (one salmon, one red snapper), but the fish was also a bit overcooked and charred. While the execution of the seafood could have been a bit better, everything else on the plates tasted simply so fresh, light, and delicious. For the food itself, I'd probably rate this restaurant a 3.5, but the super friendly service and great value bump it up a notch! read more

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I was returning from the hospital with my mother and based on yelp reviews, I decided to give this place a try. It was closed when we got there but they let us in since it was almost 5 PM. We waited a few minutes and it was really annoying to hear the Mexicans talking out loud and the Mexican radio. I think in respect for the guests, the establishment should keep noise levels down behind the scene. Eventually more customers came in and they got busy enough to stop the talking. The staff was very friendly and we both enjoyed our dishes. read more

Cafe Del Sol - I got the chicken milanesa. It was a bit over fried but tasted good. - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I really want to like this place. The service has always been exceptionally friendly. I love the gourmet Mexican bent. I used to really like going Palo Alto SolI and I want a similar option closer to me in Menlo Park. I have been twice recently and haven't loved the food. The chicken mole is good but a bit sweet for my taste. It was perfectly cooked though and an enjoyable meal. Another reviewer mentioned the music. As attentive and friendly as the service was, it was strange to eat with no music in the restaurant. Such a missed opportunity to create a winning atmosphere. We ordered takeout tonight and got the Rilleno Poblano. It is stuffed with snapper and shrimp, a winning combination, but I was surprised it contained cheese and was deep fried. God only knows what was in that crust. As a person who needs to eat gluten and dairy free, this was a bad choice, and one I wouldn't have made if the menu had more accurately described the dish. I didn't know this until I opened the clamshell takeout container, so there was no way to recover. Aside from the ingredients misfire, to me this just didn't seem like a gourmet dish. You may disagree. My husband got the beef tostada. He reports it was just ok. Wanting to give more stars and may revisit this review after we try more dishes. At this point I'm just lukewarm. read more

I love this place! Great food and attentive service. Don't forget to try the green salsa, it is amazing! read more

One of the best creative menus. Delicious salsas and mole! Service personal and helpful Tucked away in Menlo Park. Good parking read more

Delicious Mexican food with flair, imagination and flavor! Attention to detail and flavors where traditional ingredients shine. Fresh taste with a twist - so glad to see that this long time favorite is still bringing great variety and taste to the table! read more

This place used to be one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to go to in Menlo Park. Sadly, it no longer is :( There used to be a fun vibe, now it is lacking personality. Not sure if the ownership changed? The lady waiting on our table was nice enough, but nothing how Cafe Del Soul used to be. They used to really engage with their customers. No background music playing, just coldly quiet. Came here for lunch with mom. Greeted and seated right away, chips and salsa ready on the table. Chips and salsas (pico de gallo and green) were OK in flavor, nothing amazing. Mom had the lunch chicken tamale (comes with rice and refried beans) and I had the spare ribs. We did enjoy our dishes (fresh and tasty), but too expensive for what it is. The best part of the food was it had great, vibrant colors; very attractive and aesthetically appealing in presentation. Hope things get better over time! Until I hear otherwise, not returning. read more

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Food was really, really good. Chips and salsa are excellent. Chicken tostada salad with mango salsa was perfect....wouldn't have changed a thing! My Husband had the snapper tacos and enjoyed them. The black bean soup was good as well. Chicken and rice soup was not as great. Service was so-so. My salad came almost 8 minutes after his tacos. Also when we were done they never brought a check so we went and found them. No drink refills...so we waved them down and that took a really long time. No waters. If service matched the food I would give it 5 stars. Price is great as well. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Tostada salad - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Very mediocre fare. Bare ambience. Poor service. Our team lunch unfortunately did not offer a good experience other than the company of the team. The guacamole offered with chips was simply just that - mashed guacamole, with no further taste added such as onions, lemon juice, cilantro, diced tomatoes, salt. We could have just eaten off the guacamole fruit directly! The fajita is supposed to have grilled sizzling vegetables, but what we got was cold boiled vegetable, a spoon of plain bean paste and a spoon of rice. You could have got this from a roadside kiosk for a couple of bucks. The service for 13 people included exactly one person, who vanished as soon as she served the plates, out of hearing distance. One of us had to walk over to the kitchen area just to get some attention. No dessert available, they offered to make coffee as a special offer just because we were a group, which we politely declined. Overall, a very very mediocre experience. read more

Just wanted to say even after so many years have passed, the level of service especially Sonia's smile and customer service never changed. Sonia is always so delighted and the food is always great! read more

The first thing I noticed about this place is their presentation of food. Aside from being tasty, everything that comes out of the kitchen looks beautiful. I enjoyed their shrimp tostada which contained beautifully seasoned and perfectly cooked shrimp that paired extremely well with the mango salsa on the dish. Make sure you try the green salsa they put on the table during lunch (or don't if you want to have room for your meal!) because it is packed with flavor and will leave you wanting to eat more! The place is small, so plan accordingly and sometimes the service can be slow when busy (always a small location problem) but the staff was friendly and helpful during our entire experience (lunch). read more

Cafe Del Sol - The shrimp tostada. Beautiful and delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Our favorite Mexican restaurant, corner spot, sunny, happy space with great people. My 7 year old loves to come, they are always super nice with ya. The food is great, real Mexican taste, my husband is Mexican and lives to come as well. Favorites are chicken tacos, shrimp al ajillo, pollo adobado, great value reasonable prices. Come see it for yourself! read more

A group of us went for dinner on a Friday evening around 5:30. There were a number of empty tables when we arrived but it quickly filled up. The restaurant interior is very casual and quaint. Everyone agreed the food was very good. I had the Salmon en Papillote which was full of flavor. Service was very, very slow. We waited for over an hour for our meal, the waiter did not come back to fill up water glasses, and the chips and salsa we ordered never arrived. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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This is among my favorite restaurants for 15 years, like in ANY cuisine. I love Mexican food from street food to fine dining. Even though you can get great tacos in many local joints, but not here, they have much more to offer. Close your eyes and throw a dart on the menu, dietary restrictions (and the whiny I-don't-eat-this-and-that) aside, all dishes are beautifully presented in a non-superficial fashion, especially those you might not recognize nor how to pronounce. Few honorary mentions: - Camarones del Sol (grilled shrimp appetizer) - Red snapper al mojo de ajo (fish with garlic sauce) - Mole Poblano (chicken with savory coco sauce) - Chicken Milanesa (fried pounded-down chicken breast) - Pork chop - Spare ribs (braised pork ribs) - Chile Colorado (beef stew) And of course any your might already know, like fajitas/chile verde read more

If I could give 0, I would. I chose this place because it had 4 stars (my minimum) and was close to her home. It is located smack dab center Menlo Park. My mother and I step onto the restaurant which is decorated beautifully and looks like a little house inside. Three charming small rooms with maybe six 4-tops each. When we walk in, we're not sure if that is even the front door. A nice guy waiting for takeout smiles and assures us it is. He is the only person to smile or speak to us the whole time we are there. After a couple of minutes, a woman seats us. She never smiles or even looks us in the eye. She stashes us in a corner, walks away. There is a large party of maybe 12 in the other room. Done eating, they leave after about 10 minutes. Two parties of 2 women each and a family of four are already eating when we sit down. The back room had perhaps 1 party also eating. Across from us is a table not yet cleared. My mom and I sit there at least 15 minutes without a single person saying another word to us. No offer of drink, no chips, no "I am so sorry." We stand up finally and leave. We walk right by a server who ignores us completely. The fact everyone in there was already eating tells me they had no one else they were preparing food for or needing to serve. We were the only party with nothing. We drove 2.7 miles away to El Cerrito Mexican Restaurant, also a 4-star Yelp establishment, worth every star --- friendly, attentive and comfy. Great food with huge portions and especially yummy handmade salsa! Guess which one I am telling my siblings about? read more

Cafe Del Sol looks warm and inviting from the outside. We were greeted warmly by the hostess, who had lots of helpful recommendations from the menu and even provided a sample of the enchilada sauce for us to taste how spicy it was. The sauce is fantastic, spicy and tangy with incredible flavor. We ordered the house made guacamole which was delicious. They came with homemade tortilla chips too which had incredible flavor. For the main course we ordered the Chicken Fajitas which arrived steaming hot with a separate dish of rice, beans, sour cream, and guacamole. We also ordered a vegetarian combo plate (at the server's recommendation) which had an enchilada and a taco. Both were fabulous. For dessert we had an order of Bananas Foster and Apple Pie a la Mode. The Apple Pie is not what you would normally think of when you think Apple pie, it was more like a flaky Apple Tart made with puff pastry. But it was the perfect way to end an incredible meal. This restaurant is a real gem. read more

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Great experience, and close to my work. I'll be back! Stopped by mid afternoon on a weekday, meaning it was incredibly empty so we got VIP service! We were immediately given complementary chips with salsa fresca and salsa verde. (That fresca was the best I've ever had!! Seasonings were on point ). We ordered quickly and had food within 15 minutes of entering the restaurant (probably not the norm given the time we were there). Chicken Tamale Platter :: Tamale was well-seasoned and a good size. Same for the refried beans on the side. It came with a side of really yummy mango fruit salad, and a scoop of rice. I didn't love the rice; it was pretty bland. Our waiter refilled the chips and salsa frequently and was very attentive (especially to my coworker with lots of special requests ). read more

Cafe Del Sol - Chicken Tamale on the lunch menu. Great price and huge portions! - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Ordered the nachos and quesadilla after a beach day. It was all as if they just microwaved it. Not very good and it left us all wishing we'd spent our money elsewhere. read more

I ordered Salmon Taco and it was absolutely delicious! The place is pleasant and the waiter is very nice and friendly. Definitely will be back with friends. The food is finished, so I can't take a photo of it. read more

Cafe Del Sol - tables with white tablecloths and white tablecloths - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

The food was amazing. We ordered Quesadillas de Camaron as well as Camarones al Mojo de Ajo. It was amazing and had a beautiful twist to both elements. The service was OUTSTANDING. The owner gave us a FREE pina drink. It was delicious. Will definitely come back. Service was so sweet, felt so welcomed and kept such comforting conversations. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Camarones al Mojo de Ajo and Quesadillas de Camaron - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Had the Camarones a la Diabla Dinner (Spicy shrimp sauteed in chile de arbol sauce. Served with mango salsa, rice and salsa fresca.) Had it MEDIUM spiced. It was delicious !!! Our server, Sonia, was delightful. read more

The server here was outstanding. It was our first time here and we enjoyed the ambiance. The paintings on the wall were amazing and the room was bright! Now, for the food. I ordered a shrimp dish on the lunch menu and the portions were pretty big. I thought the shrimp were perfectly seasoned (I asked for the mango salsa on the side because I'm not a huge sweet with salty fan). I liked the pinto/refried beans but the rice for me wasn't the best. But don't let me ruin that for you. I eat processed foods and authentic and fresh things don't always tickle my fancy. It's true, so definitely try the Mexican rice. read more

Cafe Del Sol - Chips on every table. How about those fancy water glasses? Classy. - Mexican Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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The food was good, the service is absolutely terrible! We were served by Sonia. She had an attitude the entire time. She charged us for the free chips and salsa that we have gotten there numerous times before. Then when questioned by our friend to why he was being charged she waited until he left to bad mouth him in front of us! When I addressed her about bad mouthing my friend, she started to give me attitude. We come here so often for lunch, we will definitely not be coming back, and that is only because of Sonia's rudeness. read more

I went to Cafe Del Sol for lunch with a few friends and colleagues of mine. What a nice little surprise! The restaurant has a wonderful, cozy ambiance and excellent service. The food was much, much better than I expected. It was well worth the $12 I spent. I will definitely go back there next time I am in Menlo Park. read more