Huge portions of Americanized Mexican food. (Delicious, but nothing new or interesting.) Service is usually pretty good. Sadly, I haven't yet had a good, strong margarita here - it always tastes like a glass full of margarita mix. Kind of a fun place to swing by after work - they have a good happy hour, with menu specials and rotating weekly happy hour menu items. You can seat yourself in the Cantina, or be seated in the restaurant. They have a mariachi band in the evenings, and raffles on Wednesdays. The chicken tortilla soup is pretty good (but salty) if you're looking for something light. read more

Good service, but medium food and poor bar. We have been twice and ordered a pitcher of premium Margaritas to find almost no tequila in them. No one at our table perceived any tequila, even my wife who has a low tolerance for alcohol. The first time, I thought it was an inadvertent mistake, the second time I was sure it must be the restaurant policy to short the drinks. We were there for a family birthday dinner. 3 of the 8 people on the reservation arrived at the appointed time and were told they could not sit at the empty table until more than 1/2 the party arrived, even though we asked if we could order drinks and Hors d'oeuvres. I ordered a steak and although there was pepper on the table, the chief apparently loves pepper and seasoned mine like he eats his; lots of pepper. My mom reported that the Chiles Rellenos were dry and over cooked. A rather disappointing evening was topped off by the roving band which sang an interesting rendition of Happy Birthday, although they were WAY to loud all evening long. Sorry, I just had to let you know. read more

Family friendly great date night I had the chili verde which was yummy. Also ordered the nacho plate with chicken as an appetizer big serving could feed four delicious!! Tacos are huge! read more

The chips are the best in Santa Cruz. Homemade and fresh and very tasty. The meals are very delicious, spicy and unique. I had fish and prawns, each with different sauces. It was so good (and nice amount on the plate). I went back the next week and got the same again. Again, fresh and tasty. Good find in Watsonville, thanks you guys! Service was typical for Santa Cruz county - it always feels like it's a bit of a favor to expect servers to hustle and be respectful. That said, it wasn't any thing better or worse. But for a family restaurant, moderate prices, it's good food. read more

I have enjoyed a dinner or two here and I have to agree with most, it's overpriced for what you get and the service really blows. I had my waiter completely forget my drink and then bring me 2 wrong drinks in return....1 ended up being FREE, but not sure if that was on purpose or because the server was a total idiot. Get in your car and drive in town to the "Lil Bean" or something....may not have the atmosphere...unless you like loud music and waiting a while for your dinner. On the other hand...the cockail my wife recieved was good.....If there was a Chevy's in town, I would go there first! read more

Food is pretty good, but over priced for what it is. I think your paying for the venue more than anything. But I will say that it's a nice location with a separate bar area as well as an out door patio area to enjoy dining outside! read more

Even look at this place's web site and book a reservation electronically on Yelp! as well. The great quality of the food here shows the overall goodness and dedication to Mexican cooking in the area here and the great people that produce the food product and serve it here. On a given night, there's flamenco and mariachi, and the artists are world - famous at their music and dancing. The hot food is excellent though people like me go for a salad and soft drink here, something that's perfectly satisfactory and flavorful, satisfying, filling and so forth. Spanish - speaking people actually do not eat a lot of meat and fish, though you can find hot dishes of great variety and high quality here that are authentic in preparation and to the taste. I found this place by way of referral and restaurants like this you do not just "run" into every day. Great! read more

I think I was in a bad mood when I reviewed. It's a good place for a quick dinner. Not amazing but good. I do like the shrimp burritos. 3.5 starts. read more

I'm diggin' it. This place has very fresh food and solid service. I had their nachos and build-your-own-tacos plate. Both were very very delicious. No complaints. Check it out folks. read more

Basic california mexican fair, with a focus on the seafood dishes. We went in on a Sunday for brunch and really there was little to nothing special here. The chips on the table to start were store bought and too salty - the salsa to the side could have been Pace Picante for all I knew. The octopus in the ceviche tostada was nice and tender, but the flavor was pretty bland. It needed, maybe more lemon, more lime, more spice... or even more "cilantro" wuld have been nice. Something so it did not taste like sashimi. The Pozole was okay, but here again, blander then I typically have had it. Even when we asked for hot sauce, all they really had to spice up the fd was tapatio. Better then Pace Picante I will say, but I expect more from a restaurant then flavors I can get at safeway. read more

Margarita goodness! We recently stopped here to refuel before a Target adventure. We started off with one blended margarita and one on the rocks. The rocks margaritas were STRONG and yummy. The blended was milder, but still yummy. We tried the ceviche, tacos and tortilla soup. The ceviche appetizer was sooooo big, you can easily make a meal out of it. The chips are served hot and so good that you wonder if they sprinkle them with crack instead of salt. Our waitress was friendly, but not all that sharp. We will definitely be back! read more

The food is really good!! The Tortilla Soup is the best!! They always bring more chips and salsa. I always love this place. Good job guys!! c: read more

I live next to Palapas Resturaunt in Seascape and Cilantros TKO's palapas hands down. the service is always reliable and welcoming. the menu is diverse with the regular staples like enchiladas, tacos, or fajitas but its the seafood combinations that really make it stand out. the taste of the food here is excellent. definately not a blah blah run of the mill taqueria taste. even the chips and salsa are satisfying. i hear the bar is great also, with their selection of mixed drinks and music. read more

The vibe is spicy. It's a high school reunion party every friday night. The DJ was playing some cool old school boogie. You'll leave the bar with lots of chisme. read more

This place is great!!! The Cilantro's Dinner is the best food and value!!! The drinks are cold and tasty!!! If nothing else try the carne asada!!! By far ine of the best places to eat in Wats!!! read more

Love love the food, starting with warm chips and great salsa. The chicken tortilla soup is super yummy. I also love the prawn cocktail. My husband and I order the same item from the menu every time. The cilantro Special, the snapper is so good with a verde sauce, steak is so tender, prawns and ceviche adds the final touch to this plate. Our favorite Mexican food for sure. We drive from Gilroy. Never disappointed in service, food or drinks... You have got to try this plate. read more

Yummy yummy yummy. Every time I come here I am satisfied. The food is consistent and fantastic. Also the service is top notch!

Just had dinner on a very busy Friday night with the place packed and the fabulous mariachi band! And yet the service and the food was still amazing!!!!! The staff and manager should be very proud! Can't wait to go back :-) !!!! read more

Excellent seafood dishes. Service was attentative and friendly. Busy on Friday nights, so plan accordingly.

Cilantro's is a very nice high end Mexican style restaurant. I love going here. It costs a little bit more than if you went to a taqueria where you stand at the corner to order, but it's worth it, because you can sit down at tables and enjoy your meal. Great ambiance. I've been there when it's been extremely busy as well as when it was slow. In either case, the service has always been stellar. The wait staff is so considerate! Food is out of this world delicious!!! read more

Favorite restaurant in the world. Cilantros Dinner Special. Carne Asada cut, ready to eat, snapper, civiche, rice, beans, to die for. I love their chips and salsa. When I drive through Santa Cruz I stop for take out, and drive it home 50 miles. =) read more

Delicious food and great service. My husband had pozole which he raved about. I had tacos..chile colorado, wonderful flavor and great spice. Shrimp taco was tasty and loaded with shrimp. Housemade corn tortillas Shrimp appetizer was delish! Our server, Erika, was fantastic! Friendly, efficient, and informative regarding the menu. Love smile. Will return in heartbeat. read more

You have to try the Brunch Saturday and Sundays Best caldo de Mariscos I've ever had!!!!! The bomb!!!!!

Cilantro's never disappoints! They have excellent chips and salsa and their service is great. Today I ventured out and tried something new (not the typical Chicken Tortillo Soup that I am addicted to)... the Tamale's were OUT OF THIS WORLD. I highly recommend the pork! read more

usually i have a great experience dining in, however on more than one occasion i've found HAIR in either my own plate or friends and 2 times its been in the NACHOS MARISCOS. I was having dinner with my mother, I had the nachos mariscos and about 75 percent through my plate I noticed 2 small hairs in my plate! too thin to be from a mans facial hair, too short to be my own hair, they seemed like from a man's thinning hair. I discretely told a bus boy who told our waitress, they took our plate, I was full and didn't want anymore so i told them i didn't want a new plate. They offered me a free dessert since i didn't want new plate, i said no thank you. When the bill came i saw that the noticed THEY CHARGED US FOR THE HAIRY PLATE! I was so upset! if there was a big wad of spit or blood would they still charge me?! so disgusting, i honestly thought they were better than this. I SAID NO THANK YOU TO A NEW PLATE AND DESSERT BECAUSE I ASSUMED THEY'D HAVE HAIR IN THEM TOO. I ended up asking for the free dessert, and rationalized in my head that i paid for the dessert not the hairy plate! read more

Just went here for lunch, great food. Authentic. I was hesitant because to take my parents but they loved it. Good job! Service was okay.

On a late Sunday night a couple of weeks ago, we had a hankerin' for Mexican food so thought we'd try Cilantro's. We love El Palomar in Santa Cruz (their sister restaurant), and Cilantro's is closer to us. Even though the restaurant seemed very uncrowded with lots of empty tables, it took several minutes for us to be seated by a somewhat grumpy hostess. If they didn't have servers available for certain sections, it would have been helpful to be told while we waited. Once we were seated, the five of us were put at two tables pushed together where the length of the sides didn't match up so it was a bit of an awkward seating arrangement. Our server was nice and was training someone. The food came out in spurts. The first two dinners were served, then several minutes later, the last three came out. Food was good, but didn't have the fresh taste of El Palomar. Not sure if it was because we were there at 8 PM on Sunday and things had been cooking or simmering for awhile. Their tortillas are really good, fresh tasting, and piping hot. The chips and salsa are especially good. I had the carne asada ranchera which is a winner. The prawn/shrimp tacos were a favorite. If service was smoother and we were greeted with a bit more warmth or a little enthusiasm, the rating would be higher. We'll definitely go back. read more

Typical, nice Mexican-American restaurant with all the traditional favorites. My meal was a pleasant surprise -- I got my standby cheese enchiladas, rice and beans, plus a beef sope. The flavor of the enchiladas was unusually delicious. (They were a bit greasy, but that doesn't bother me.) The beans also had a faint, distinctive smoky flavor. The atmosphere was slightly fancy with dim light and candles; large and very busy on a Saturday night with couples and families, but still comfortable for dining alone. The waitstaff were all very friendly and professional. I look forward to coming back! read more

i was out town for work and asked a local about restaurants in the area. he recommended this place to my co-worker and I. we decided to give it a whirl because it was close to our hotel and it had a sports bar; the raiders were playing that night! let's get to the nitty gritty.... we walked in, it looked like a nice place, went straight to the bar. ordered some beers and an appetizers. looked at the menu and decided to order some food. come to fine out from the waitress that we could not order dinner at the bar; what kind of bs is that? my coworker ended up going to the front of the restaurant and ordering togo and bringing it back to where we were sitting....minus one star! the appetizer was good and not too pricey....for WEST LOS ANGELES OR SAN FRANCISCO! again the soup (chicken tortilla) was good, but at nearly 10 bucks! There goes that second star! luckily, since we were in watsonville for business, the company picked up the tab. i guess if you're a local with deep pockets and like over paying for mexican food, this is the place. read more

Chips & salsa are delicious. Customer service is good. Food is typical non-authentic "restaurant Mexican"... not bad but not "Mamá's home cooking". Salsa & merengue on the music system (not Mexican at all). A tad overpriced & whatever you do, do not ask for extra sauce on the side. My husband asked if they had any green sauce & we were charged $2 for a tiny bit of tomatillo sauce!! Like, WHY?! Bleh... with so many REAL Mexican food joints in Watsonville, why bother coming here. read more

This place is pretty good. It's owned by the same family that own the El Palomar Restaurants in Santa Cruz. Their steaks and other meats are very well marinated, and the chips you get while waiting are delicious. It has essentially the same menu as El Palomar, so if you've eaten there you already know what you're in for. A good place for dinner. Lots of parking. read more

Food was "meh", but our waitress was friendly. Nothing about the food here deserved 4 or 5 stars. Waitress was overwhelmed with tables, and we had to make repeated requests to get refills or side items we wanted. Not her fault; insufficient staffing. Ambiance needs work. Very dull and drab interior, easily fixed with some effort. Chip bowl is appropriate size for one person. We ran out of chips in about 3 minutes. Chips were subpar - salsa was decent but very mild. Tomatillo sauce too spicy. Beans and rice very average. Prices are way too high for what you're getting. $50 bucks for one adult dish and one child dish plus drinks. Adult portion size is normal, child portion was on the small side. If this is the best Watsonville has to offer, they need some help. We'll give another place a shot next time around. read more

I had some appetizer (rollos?) for my entree and it was so huge that I ended up taking it home to share with my family. It is good but way over priced. Service is great but that doesn't make up for the fact that everything is so expensive. I came here for dinner with my boss last Saturday evening and I don't think she was impressed at all. read more

We showed up unexpectedly with a party of 17. Completely took over the patio. Ilhame was the most amazing server and never stopped smiling. Meals were delicious and good time had by adults and kids alike. Thank you so much. read more

Love this place. The enchiladas verde have an awesome tomatillo sauce, plenty of rice and beans and nice vegetables on the plate. The chimichanga is huge and totally delicious. Servers are polite and respectful. Your chips and salsa are kept full by some very delightful young men (who must be brothers) who circulate constantly. Never had a bad me3al or poor service here. read more

This place is owned by the same folks that run the Palomar in Santa Cruz, I hear, as well as the restaurant by which I measure the quality of others. We tried Jalisco in Watsonville, but it simply didn't have the oomph of Cilantro's hearty food. My favorites are the Camarones a la Diabla (very spicy prawns), Carnitas (so tender it melts), Carne Asada (excellent chef in back that gets it just right), and the Tacos de Lengua (if you like beef tongue, you'll need to stop by). I veer off this staple once in a while to try different things, and have never been disappointed. The restaurant is frequented by diners of all ethnicities, which speaks to its excellent menu variety and service. There's always a line on Friday nights, but the wait's never too long. And there's a Mariachi band on weekend nights, which I actually think a bit of a downer since they're so loud! They do take breaks though, so if you're meaning to "propose" to your girlfriend during dinner, that's your cue. read more

$50 for shrimp enchiladas and fajitas!!! No alcohol!!!! C'mon! I had to use half a bottle of taptio just to get some flavor! Food was less than adequate but service was great. They get one star for service. read more

Came here randomly to try something new. The service was so-so but the food was great! ordered steak enchiladas and they were pretty good. We also order another dish with fish, shrimp, carne asada and rice plate. Big portions which can be shared with two people maybe even three. But overall the experience was great and we plan on coming back and ordering the same dish! read more

Great service, Erica is the best come see her at Cilantros. But avoid mondays and server KELLY. We have given her 3 chances to win us over and has failed every time. This restaurant will not mis her nor my family. I am sorry to be negative but 3 time? read more

Had dinner here tonight--unbelievably great service- strong margaritas - mariachi with horns and all- very enjoyable