Good food and the service was excellent! Reasonable pricing and offered vegetarian options!!

Food has definitely gone down in quality over the past year and still super expensive. The service lagged completely, people that came after us got serviced before us. We were surrounded by dogs barking who definitely were not service dogs and sitting on the table with their owners. read more

vegans: this is NOT a vegetarian friendly menu. They put butter, chicken & beef in everything and charge you a penalty for substituting veggies. Example: I ordered a tostada without salsa (it has butter in it) and asked for jalapeño with it. They charged $1 extra for the pickled jalapeño peppers and $3 extra to substitute veggies in this salad. A tostada is NOT supposed to be a bowl of iceberg lettuce. If you want anything more than that bowl of iceberg your bill will go from $10 to $15 at lunch or from $12 to $16 at dinner. Eat at Dharma's or Saturn Café where you can get an inspired meal for about 2/3rds price of what it would cost here. read more

Cilantros - Vegans: order tostada without salsa (it has butter in it). Request Italian dressing instead. Ask for jalapeño too‼ - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

My girlfriend and I pull up to Cilantro's in Watsonville and as soon as we got out of the car, it smelt like smoke. The whole parking lot was filled with smoke from the building. It smell like burnt food outside the whole parking lot smell like burnt food. So we had to go somewhere else because we thought the food was going to be burned just like the smell outside. read more

We came here based on a friends review. This place was awful. We waited an hour for our food. I ordered the combo with a green enchilada instead of red and chile relleno. When I told them they took the plate and came back a minute later with a tortilla covered in cold green sauce. The chile relleno was covered in a foamy pancake mix with a small chile inside. On top of that when I asked for our tortillas they had the nerve to ask how many? I have never been asked how many. Just pick a number and bring them to me! We went in as a group of 10+. Of course the gratuity was added automatically so they had no intention or need to offer any type of quality customer service. I would never return, food was horrible and service sucked. A waste of time and money Plus- no freaking cilantro to be found anywhere. read more

Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

My husband and I was in Watsonville area and noticed they're doing dine in and they were. So we're so excited to finally get to eat inside for a while now. We had a great experience! The server was nice and attentive! Didn't care much about the mango iced tea maybe I should've gotten a watermelon margarita. Lol. I was hoping for any non alcoholic fruity beverages. But the food is awesome! read more

Cilantros - Enchilada with steak. Very good! - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Food still great but service has been poor recently. Last time we came, we had to wait for a seat and we were forgotten about. I think she forgot to actually put us on the list. It wasn't until someone from the BAR noticed we had been waiting so long that he raised the red flag. Recently I found it really annoying that while we waited a long time to eat, we were then rushed to finish. I came here specifically to relax, not to be asked if you can take my half finished plate 5 times. Please stop with that. Then when the check came, the waitress had the audacity and entitlement to circle the suggested tip amount. Are you kidding me!? I know what the suggested tip is, I don't need you to beg for it. read more

In my experience, the food chips and salsa have been great. I give 4 stars because I was questioned if I still wanted my soup order after waiting for 20 minutes. As I walked in, I assessed the restaurant the dining area was not filled and I went to the bar to place my order. Then I was told that the dining room was full and that's why my soup was being delayed. IMO the prices are pretty hefty, which are not bad because the food is good but then when the service doesn't match, the price of the food that's not good. I had a great discussion with the manager. He was great. I'm not discrediting this restaurant but at times there's some micromanagnent in front of customers. Last frustration was I did a to go order for two soups, a large side of guacamole and a large salsa to go and I got one bag of chips. I was told I needed to pay for more chips no big deal. However, when you sit at a table, they'll refill your chip basket several times. In this situation, my opinion is, they needed to look at my order and see what I purchased versus just hold me hostage for one extra bag of chips that seemed like a huge ordeal. Enjoy your dinner. The food has been great and the atmosphere is a great atmosphere. read more

This place is in FarmVille, the ambiance is a typical Mexican restaurant in California nothing special however from the looks of the locals and people who've posted here I can see why the rave reviews lol. Service was alright, one thing I dislike is when a server or waitress for this matter asks me if I'm still working on my meal. I didn't come in the restaurant to work I came in to enjoy. So the question should always be " are we still enjoying", it's just proper etiquette. I asked for chips and salsa and I think the chips are santitas tortillas chips you buy at the grocery store, very disappointing. Salsa again nothing to write home about, a typical salsa fresca, so I asked for their hottest and it wasn't anything special either. My enchiladas I ordered were a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Presentation was nice but not enough chicken inside them and slightly cold . Rice was above average and refried beans were descent. I hope the owner educated bother FOH on proper etiquette and BOH on preparation. Thanks for trying. read more

15% gratuity was added to my order I only ordered 1 plate of steak 1 alcoholic beverage Paid $40. I understand your business is going through a tough time, but we clients are too. Soo messed up read more

I was excited that Cilantros was available for take out during the shelter in place orders. I've eaten here many times and wanted to support them during this challenging time. They are a bit more costly than most Mexican restaurants in Watsonville, but I have never mined paying more for the food and the dinning experience in the restaurant. When I went to place my take out order, I was told it was going to be an extra 20%, due to packing costs! What?! You want to charge extra, so I can take this home, clean up my own dishes, serve myself? Sorry, but no. I like to support Our local restaurants, but I won't be taken advantage of in the process. Most places are happy for the business and even over special discounts for take out. No sale today. read more

We had such a delicious dinner tonight! The service was excellent, and every dish was perfect. The place was very busy for a Tuesday night too. I suppose everyone appreciates a night out. The tables are all spaced with lots of distance between them, and some folks even were enjoying dinner out on the heated patio. read more

Cilantros - Beef taco, chili relleno, rice & beans. - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Love cilantro's! Best Mexican food in town. The rice and beans are just like my grandma used to make!

Lively, friendly with traditional Mexican. Excellent pozole. Homemade corn tortillas. Eat-in bar with sports on or dining room. Highly recommend! read more

Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Delicious food here, strong drinks, great friendly staff with excellent service. Their house tequila is awesome. We had shredded beef sopes, chicken tacos and chile relleno all were absolutely tasty! Currently outdoor dining with extra gratuity fee but the food and the people here are worth it. read more

How very nice of them to charge you a 20% service fee for having to come in and pick up your food. That seems to be the only option now, due to the virus orders. Scandless and wrong. Not to mention, the quality of the food is very disappointing now as well. read more

This was our second visit here. We came here once last year with friends and all was good! This time, however, was a disappointment. The food was good! This review isn't aimed at the kitchen. Our server was the pits. It was 10 minutes after being seated before we saw her. Drinks and chips were fairly quick to follow. We were offered more chips with our second round of drinks but those never arrived. Drinks yes, chips no. It was 35 minutes from being sat before our food arrived. When asked if we needed anything else, we said, "Just some extra napkins, please!" She checked in 10 minutes later and asked how we were. Still no napkins, which my husband pointed out. Five minutes later, she dropped three napkins and said, "Here," with a huge attitude, as though we inconvenienced her. Again, no complaints about the food, it was all hot and fresh and good. But the service was awful, exceptionally slow, and for that reason, we'll likely never return. read more

The food is delicious. I love coming to eat here and have a couple of drinks. My favorite drink is a mango Paloma. Servers are nice as well. It's a nice place to hang out and eat. read more

I've been coming to Cilantros for years and they haven't disappointed me yet. My to go to meal is the chicken tortilla soup the broth is very flavorful, the jalapeños give it a kick and of course it's never lacking chicken. I highly recommend cilantros for your special occasion or just for a quick lunch. read more

We have always enjoyed Cilantro's restaurant the quality of the food has been good the service has been OK however last night we went and they have a new menu prices have gone way up We ordered a few tacos a la carte and when they asked us if we wanted lettuce, tomato, cheese et cetera we said yes we like everything on our tacos thank you when the bill arrived they had charged us extra for everything except the meat and tortilla An expensive $7.00 taco became an even more expensive $10.00 and we had not been told by the waitress when we ordered. read more

I ordered ahead of time for a takeout order. The two tacos that I got were definitely super bland with very minimal flavor. They also didn't include a lemon or lime. Maybe I had to ask for those. I understand asking for salsa but sometimes a lemon or lime sliced comes with the meal as standard. The beans and rice were good. There could have been a bigger portion of both. Also, their horchata was completely watered down & didn't taste like horchata @ all. I think the taco plate was probably 28 bucks for the two tacos, beans rice and a side of sour cream. read more

The food is nothing to write home about. And when compared to all the great Mexican food available in Watsonville, this place doesn't cut it. But beyond the food. The service was horrible, save for the excellent work done by the host. The waitress never even came near my table until I was nearly done eating my meal. I was seated by the host. The busboy immediately brought chip & salsa. Then I sat for nearly 10 minutes without even a glance from any wait staff. Finally, I motioned the host to come over. He took my order and got me a drink. And when the meal was over and it was time to leave...it was the host who handed me the bill and took my credit card. If the food was any good, I could forgive this lapse in service and I'd give the place a second chance, but as I said earlier, the food was meh. I don't recommend Cilantro's. read more

The food was amazing. Hadn't been there in years. our waiter was very friendly and attentive.

For the first time I can say, WORSE SERVICE EVER. Was seated and ignored for 25 min. Came from Salinas, waste of gas! As least I got my GIzditch Pie. Ignore the long wait and save the money or get this Togo. We ate the chips and waited 20 min. Then left! Forget this place. read more

Sorry but that was bad. $77 for 3 people to eat lunch for starter is crazy. Tostada salad was Awful. Scalding hot beans and juice on top of lettuce makes for wilted salad. The chicken had a good flavor but that was the only thing good. Fish and shrimp tacos fell apart immediately. Shrimps were hard. read more

My family and I have been coming to Cilantros for years. Food has always been great, service exemplary and lovely ambiance to boot. Today I went in to pick up my orders , driving from Salinas. The manager, George was the most kind and courteous person I've met in a very long time. He checked the order thoroughly to make sure it was done right and that everything was there. George is a number 1 manager in our book !!! read more

So delicious! I had the carne asada tacos-super tender meat, fresh tortillas and excellent service!

We had a birthday dinner , and it was the worst food ever The mole dish was super sweet and spicy , no flavor , it was like boiled chicken shredded with sugar. We'll never eat at this place again All the food tasted like they warmed it up in the microwave . 24.00 for that meal was an insult for me. I should of gotten some fast food instead. read more

We were camping at Sunset Beach and went to Cilantros for lunch. No wait. Sat outside. It was a lovely day. It was clear that the place is popular. We loved our waitress, Priscilla! We ordered Rollos: (Crispy flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, whole beans, onion and cheese cut sushi-style. Served with salsa, sour cream and guacamole) and chips and guacamole and a pitcher of margaritas. Perfect. We took a lot with us. Sorry to hear issues with service. Ours was perfect! read more

Cilantros has a great atmosphere! The best sopes and always yummy margaritas! The sopes are so fluffy filled with the perfect amount of toppings! The margaritas are so good, I always go for a blended fruit margarita. Last time I tried the watermelon margarita that was the special and it just tasted like lime so that wasn't great but then ordered a blended peach margarita which was perfect. Always a pleasant time when dining here! Servers are always so nice! read more

Loved the spicy fresh salsa with chips at table . For dinner we ordered "Cilantros seafood dinner" it was big and delicious.i shared my plate. And "blended fruit mango " alcohol drink was sweet and yummy. read more

Cilantros - Cilantros Special Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Came here for an early happy hour and had a drink and appetizer. The crowd is definitely a much older, culturally inclusive, and local crowd. Everyone seemed to know each other and I tried to make convo with 2 people but neither were friendly. The bartender was a friendly hspanic guy tho and made me a solid cilantro margarita. The mix was super sweet but the generous portion of tequila offset it. I also got their $5 quesadilla, a plain cheese quesadilla with sour cream, guac, and salsa Verde. Neither of the 3 were fresh and seemed very generic, the kind of stuff you get from El toritos. The service was good, drinks were strong, and food was ok. So I'll lean towards a 4 for this small town spot. read more

Great evening! Thanks so much to the staff at Cilantro's for a super evening for a big group of 20 of us Last night! Our servers did a fantastic job in providing everything we needed, and the kitchen staff made great dinners! Brilliant job! read more

A good place and staple in watsonville for a long time. Watch out for the chips and salsa they can be addicting

Cilantro's... used to be a Favorite, now meh. How Sad. Service was Terrible. Two tables in the bar at Happy Hour, and I had to flag, wave, to order my food . Yet another wave, for another margarita. Getting used to looking over at the bar,and waving at this point. The BAR FAiLED. Not a happy experience, probably not at any hour. Definitely, not at Happy Hour. The place was empty. It used to be thriving, I certainly won't rush back either. The 2 servers behind the bar seemed busy chatting with each other and the waitresses coming up for drinks. Between 3 patrons,and 2 service staff, you have to wave them down? The highlight, was a very Kind Gentleman Rudy, asking about my food. I recognized him from years ago at El Palomar. That was the Best Moment, I knew he genuinely cared... I watched this true hearted person, on the elderly side, like me, lifting buss trays to the bartender to take to the kitchen. Same bartender that couldn't seem to see me. The food was okay, could have used a bit more of Linda's cabbage, maybe even some salsa cruda would be nice ? Haven't been there in months, probably not again for months, if ever. So sad. The female manager came in. She seemed to have her dinner in the bar. One server stepped up his game a fraction. So sad, for the really nice owner. She deserves the Best, like Rudy. read more

Fees and mandated automatic tips added for pickup to-go order now: They have too many fees now! If you call in an order to pick up yourself.. they do an auto 15% "tip" and other fees. One quesadilla ended up costing over $21! A tip is supposed to be your choice. They have a one hour time limit on in restaurant dining I noticed and a non-working website that gives a security error if you try to go to it. If you dine in they do an automatic 18% tip! If this is really a tip then a person should be allowed to waive it. This sits badly with me. I tip according to how the service is. I researched years ago if you need to tip to-go orders and you do not. Oprah says no to tips for to-go. They are not serving you. I used to bring my son here at least once a week as baby, child and teen. We never had mandated tips assigned and no time limit. I feel bad that my son as an adult wanted to get Cilantros for himself and ended up with all these random fees. He said he will "Never go back to Cilantros ever!" which is sad. We were some of their best and most loyal customers. read more

Over priced, adding the gratuity to the bill plus over priced drinks & Mexican food. The quality isn't anything special for the price & I usually tip more than the percentage of added gratuity but since your establishment decides to do it on their own & the service is just as average guess that's what you'll get. During these trying times for restaurants I love tipping well & understand the struggle but you are the only restaurant I've been to that just adds it to the bill, won't be back. read more

I haven't came here since my husband and I were dating lol and we finally came for dinner last weekend for my mother in laws birthday. Definitely brought us some fun memories here! Service was amazing, the front ladies were very nice and friendly as well as our waiter. He was quick to get our drinks and food orders, we waited maybe about 10 -15 min to get our food. I had the red Enchiladas and a piña colada! Food was perfect and good and my piña colada was even better! I honestly think it was way better than the one I had at Jaliscos! Everyone enjoyed their food and drinks. We can't wait to go have dinner again! read more

We were seated promptly shortly after 4pm; unfortunately we sat at our table for 15 minutes without any service. We flagged down a staff member who finally brought us chips and said our server would be right with us. The server came out and helped 2 other tables, looked at us then left again. Server came back out again to take of another tables check, then left. We waited 5 more minutes before leaving. Lost our business forever; and we'll make sure to tell all our friends of our experience. read more

Fabulous upscale Mexican food With great prices! Tasted four different kinds of their own tequila and they were all absolutely amazing. The manager Amelia and all the wait staff were incredibly accommodating. The chili verde and carne asada are some of the best we've ever had!! Can't believe this family owned restaurant has been open for almost 30 years and it's our first time here....we will be back! Muchos gracias from Maggie and Roy read more