This place is def not a place I recommend unless it's someone I hate. We wanted to explore our neighborhood Mexican restaurants. First RED FLAG that should have made us keep looking was the sign of the restaurant was off but we noticed it because it was huge. Second RED FLAG was the parking lot was dark and dingy like a creepy alleyway. We come inside and the lady in the counter greets us but looks disappointed that we're even coming in. She asks for our drinks before we get seated or even get handed a menu to look at. After we get rushed for our drinks we are sitting looking at the weird decor, we noticed the music is on repeat on a very crappy song and I know cause I speak Spanish and my fiancé that doesn't speak Spanish was also getting irritated. We listened to it for 15 min debating if we should book it. As we got up and were about to pay the tab for the 1 beer can our waitress brings the food out. I was honest and told her " I'm sorry but we were going to pay and leave because this music is horrible and on repeat and it's about to drive me crazy." She responds w/ "oh you should tell me to change it" or "do you want me to turn it off?" I said "Just turn it off!" and thanked her. She turns around and since the bar is a few steps from us she starts telling the greeter of us complaining about the music and we get the rude stare but we try to brush it off. As we ate our food I noticed the only good thing about my carne asada was the canned refried beans, the rice was decent. The steak was sadly chewy and it tasted like it was reheated from a long's day work. My fiancé got the El Pastor and we noticed that it too was reheat and a few days old cause it was pretty dry and noticed that water was added and just reheated on the skillet it was in. We evaluated everything and agreed that that everything was left over from probably the day prior cause even the grilled pineapples that we tried were a bit rubbery, old and a little stale. I ate my whole plate cause it was $16.50. My fiancé barely touched his food. When we get our check it came out to a total of $39.40 and the 1 Can Beer alone cost $4.75 and was charged as bottled beer. The best part of it all was the free chips and salsa. read more

Clamatos - Canned beer charged 4.75 but labeled bottled beer. - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

Good food! Huge menu Different options Authentic Mexican My tropical fajitas could have used a bit more seasoning but the lava bowl was delicious read more

Clamatos - Fajita lava bowl - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants! Always have fresh seafood and amazing drinks. Can't recommend this place enough. Service is quick. read more

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Best Fajitas in Lexington. Best homemade salsa in Lexington. Decent Mexican draft beer options as well. Prices are very reasonable.

I have been here a few times. Three of the times just consisted of chips and salsa and beer. Finally I ate some real food. They have a ton of options and all of which seemed great. I took the waiters opinion on what to buy. It was a great choice. The service was spot on and the place was clean. It wasn't overly crowded at the times I stopped in here which made it great for me and my friends. The food came quickly and the drinks kept flowing. I have to give it to the staff on this one for being so on point. If you want quick and friendly service, stop in here. They are great. read more

My parents love to come here for a quick bite to eat. We often come for the Taco Tuesday deal. The service is quick and nice. Last night, I got the Chicken Monterray - which is a grilled chicken breast covered in onions and peppers and cheese. It was delicious. The salsa and chips are good and the staff kept them coming. Will definitely be coming back here! read more

I don't know why exactly, but the menu surprised me. Maybe because there was ton of saucy seafood options. The place is not for those who immediately judge the decor before trying the food, or maybe it is. For once the decor was actually a disclaimer of the food and service. For starters, the chips and salsa started out good and then halfway through the basket I noticed a waded up paper napkin holder... with a piece of waded up used gum! We had already ordered so I decided to follow through and not be too grossed out. I ordered nachos and they turned out good, but nothing to wow me enough to come back. The service was strange. It was as if the waitress wasn't even striving for a tip. Even the guy at the register acted strange. Um, no thanks. There are too many Mexican options in Lexington to even give this place another thought. read more

Clamatos - Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

It is hard to get fresh made salsa with some spice to it in Lexington. This is my go to Taco Tuesday place. The salsas are actually delicious and picante. Please note, whichever taco you want, you must order two of the same kind. If you find that the salsa has an extra kick that day, the margaritas help to cool the palate. Came one night for dinner. I ordered the aguaschiles, shrimp in green sauce. It was really decent and made me feel nostalgic for the seaside. Great job, bien hecho! read more

So in all fairness, I'm not a huge seafood person and from what I understand, Clamatos is a Mexican seafood specialty spot, so it may very well deserve all 5 stars, but I didn't eat any of the seafood dishes. Take my review with a grain of salt. As an all-around Mexican spot, I wasn't hugely wowed, and I didn't eat anything that I would want again, but that is not to say it wasn't totally great! It's just there are a lot of Mexican spots in town to check out and a place has to really blow me away to merit repeat visits. That being said, the next time I am feeling in the mood for a fish taco, I will definitely come here and let them have a chance to shine. I had some enjoyable chile rellenos, I got the impression they were in fact made on the premises, so that alone gets this place on my good side. My friend had a burrito and we discovered nice char marks on the vegetables, which was another mark of distinction. If I had kids, I would be more inclined to come here. They have an under-the-sea sort of theme going on, with lots of underwater murals and fish tanks and netting hanged from the ceiling and filled with fake crabs and stuff. I bet small kids would be super entertained. Also, some of their chips are fire engine red and that seems like another thing a kid would really dig. read more

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Been here around four times in the past six months. I have no idea why I keep punishing my family with this place, other than I have coupons. It is really hard to find anything tasty on the menu. I've tried chicken, beef, pork, and seafood dishes. They've all been equally low quality. It's not just that you can find better Mexican restaurant options elsewhere. You can find better options in the frozen isle at Walmart. Really...just avoid this restaurant. Why two stars? Well, the service is usually good. It's just that the great service presents you with really subpar meals. read more

I have had the opportunity to visit Clamatos several times. The wife and I dropped in for supper after a grandkids baseball game. I was surprised that there wasn't many cars in the parking lot for this time of day. We was seated over away from the main seating area, near the bar area. An I'll address an issue that occurred later at this point. We was hungry and thirsty, the beautiful young girl took our orders. Our drinks and chips arrived, the salsa is one of my favorites of all places. When the server brought the food, she brought me something totally different than the Menudo (which I like here) my wife's food didn't look like it was put together very well. (The next day we was talking about her food, she said the chicken tasted like it was from a can, not a good thing). She is not a critical person, by any means. Anyway my menudo came An it was good, as was the tongue tacos. Back to the a-for issue, after we was seated adjacent to a table of four, a single patron seated at the bar, (age mid 30s) makes a statement to our server about her having to take care of, I quote "the green-gos". The server and the patron then spoke in Spanish and laughed. Up on leaving, I ask to speak to a manager, turned out the lady that was over chumming up with the bar patron was in charge. She stated she would handle it, I will too, I'll never return. read more

A solid three. Okay, maybe two, but definitely not a one. And, two sounds so bad. My fish was fun to look at. The rice was nothing to make any mention of other than it was yellow. Oh, and it seemed to have some of that stuff that we used to get in cans called "veg-all" mixed in. I had to ask to have cilantro and lime brought to me. No pico was offered. The salsa was palatable. Bonus point given for corn tortillas rather than flour. I will say that the tilapia was well cooked. In some places too well cooked, but overall pretty good. It's the lack of condiments that really knocks this place down. Where are my tiny little onions? Where are the itty-bitty radishes? Those are the things that make Mexican food extra special yummy. They are so conspicuously absent here. Just saying, if you're going to go through the trouble of having a gi-normous cooked fish on a plate you should probably have some pico to go with it. You know, if you give a yelper a fish . . . read more

Clamatos - I like food with a face. Makes me all caveman like. - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

I'm going to start off saying this is the best Mexican restaurant in Lexington. It's a little hole in the wall place on Versailles rd inside of new circle rd. The food is delicious and priced really well and drinks are outstanding I give it 5 stars and could eat there everyday lol. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Clamatos is always delicious. They have fresh seafood options that cannot be found at every restaurant. Service is always fast and friendly.

As a Chula Vista, CA transplant, I consider myself an expert on Mexican food. Clamatos has a funny name but fantastic food. Now if you are not at all familiar with the San Diego/So Cal culture, there are two things in Mexican food we LOVE--Carne Asada Burritos and Fish Tacos. I am still on a quest for the best Carne Asada Burrito as the only "taco shops" in Lexington are hidden in the back of Mexican Grocery stores throughout Lexington. But Clamatos does do two things VERY well. Carne Asada Tacos and Fish Tacos. The servers are friendly and the prices are reasonable. When I get homesick for some authentic Mariscos (that's seafood), Clamatos is the place for me. If you are looking for a seafood dining adventure, Clamatos is for you. If you are a So Cal transplant like me, Clamatos is a little taste of home. Cheers read more

Great service great "Norteño" music and a variety of Mexican delights on this menus. I had the nachos, and they where pretty good. read more

Clamatos - Minutes from Lexington's Airpot - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

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The service is questionable, coming into that place I automatically felt uncomfortable and judged by the waitresses, the waitresses seemed disinterested, the place seemed run down and the bathroom was dirty. I also had a kid with me and the waitresses were cussing and yelling in the restaurant. Just want great service in General. I ordered the steak ranchero and wasn't pleased the meat was tough, the rice was also bad, everything tasted frozen and bland, the horchata tasted inauthentic, there are better Mexican restaurants with better service read more

Very good food, quality of decor is fine, very sea/port themed. Chips and salsa were good, nothing wrong with them, to rebut what was previously said. Tacos were great, i had my first taste of beef tongue here. It was interesting and tasty. read more

Clamatos - Really good tacos, beef tounge, carne asada, and carne pastar (orange-ish). - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

The salsa they bring with the chips is disappointing, tastes like it came from a jar! But I have found there are a few things Clamato's does very well: Fish or shrimp tacos! Steak Tacos! ( I add cheese) Seafood soups And ask for the salsa picante. read more

A-ok but nothing special. I had the fajitas here and they were pretty good. The standard fajitas - a sizzling plate and a side plate of rice and beans. The seafood options look delicious but I was hesitant to try them, in fear that it might not be the freshest seafood. Maybe next time I will be more adventurous. read more

Used debit card on April 20. Next day my bank account showed they had charged my account for another tables meal. Tried to get my money back from the manager, but no luck and now when I call, he isn't available. if you go, pay with cash! Food is ok. Not great. read more

I lived in San Diego for a few years, so I've been spoiled by some real taco shops. This place was decent, but nothing was the best anything I've had. I got the fish tacos and the pastor, which were good. Fish taco was pretty legit, cabbage, breaded fried piece of fish, mayo based sauce. No green salsa though, or lime to go w/. Pastor taco was good too, but there was no cheese or guac on it. Meat wasn't quite flavorful either. The boyfriend got the carne asada super burrito - and it was just okay. Not a lot of carne asada, and wasn't the best tasting ever, but okay. Burrito came wet - like with enchilda sauce and cheese on it. Also, no guac in the burrito. Rice and beans are good, but they skimp a little I think for a sit-down restaurant. read more

The tacos were soggy and out food was so average. Not worth the price we paid and had very limited service.

amazing food and good prices! not like typical mexican places, their rice is different, but so fricken good! 10/10

This is one of the better Mexican food restaurants in town. Specializing in Mexican Seafood, its one of the better places in town. Coming from California, we are spoiled with excellent Mexican food and overall I have found Lexington's Mexican food scene to rate about a 2 out of 10. Pretty bad. That said, Clamatos does some very decent dishes (the chicken or prawn "taco salad" is terrific as is the whole red snapper dish and the Chicken Monterey. Best of all, prices are great and service is good. Its a great place to take the family to and not break the bank. read more

Well were should I start. I am born and raised in southern California and also spent a large part of my life traveling to Mexico. I'm in Lexington ky on business and love it here. It's one of the most beautiful places I've seen but this restaurant and a few other Mexican restaurants I've been to here absolutely suck. These guys ought to be ashamed to call their food Mexican. Good luck Kentucky l hope somebody someday opens a real authentic Mexican food place for you. read more

Bland city. Ordered the fajitas, they tasted like frozen, broiled , plain chicken breasts with non seasoned veggies. We won't return :( Also building was in poor shape and waitstaff was disinterested. read more

You know, I have to admit I really like this place. It's got a weird name, and it's in an old Shoney's Big Boy that has been painted garish colors, but the food is tasty and the staff friendly. It's basically Mexican seafood, and some of the dishes are not at all what you might expect, but in general it is tasty fare. Oh, and be warned...the margaritas are WAY strong. Go at lunch, drink a lunch-special margarita, and expect to need your friend to drive ya home! (I say this from experience, and I'm not a cheap drunk.) Go there at least once to giggle at the decor and enjoy the fish tacos. read more

Headed to Lexington for a concert. Since my wife is driving she gets to pick the place. So our search for a Mexican restaurant is on. We hit a couple dead ends and then find this place. Looks run down but the yelp reviews are good so we have it a try. It has a very authentic feel, everyone barely speaks English.. A good thing. Our food was very good and the margaritas taste a lot more authentic then the franchises usually do. If your looking for Mexican in Lexington, this is it. read more

Sometimes looks are not deceiving. The rundown exterior and rundown interior (old decor, beat up floors, ripped upholstery) speaks to the pretty low quality food. Fish tacos and the devil's empanada - neither much to speak of. The empanada came with a pile of useless chopped iceberg lettuce. Tacos were not very fresh tasting. Fries on my kids' plates looked frozen reheated. Not too authentic and not too good. This is the kind of place Gordon Ramsey makes a living fixing up on TV. read more

Excellent food and service. Great seafood menu. Never a long wait for a table or for service.

Love this place! Super friendly staff, fast service and yummy food. Some fave things on menu - pork verde, carne asada, tacos, chipotle shrimp. They even cater for us during the horse sales! read more

Clamatos - Delicious tacos!! - Mexican Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

I love this place. For a Mexican seafood joint this is one of the best in town, if you like Mexican seafood and know what to order of course

i are here and got 2 steak tacos and a water . the tacos are 2.25 water is free they changed me over 9 and when i went to call then to correct them and to get my money back they wouldn't give me my money . they said it was nothing they could do . yes it is , give me my fucking money read more

I thought this place was ok, but not the best Mexican food in Lexington. We got an assortment of tacos, seafood enchilada and chile rellenos. None of it was spectacular and nothing was that bad either. The fish taco was mostly breading, though the salsa that came with it was pretty good. Rancho Tapatio is still the best in town. read more

Stay clear unless you have nothing better to eat. You will find that the service is a bit lacking with long waits to give your order and receive your food. I would understand if the place was packed but it was quite empty when we arrived. I guess that should have been my first hint to keep driving. The menu is ambitious but there is a reason why you don't serve seafood in Kentucky. Expect your food to be dry and overcooked. My theory is that most of the food has been pre-cooked and the reheated. Authentic mexican cuisine like many other cuisines relies on freshness. That is something you will not find here. My suggestion is to eliminate the seafood, shrink the menu and cook everything to order. read more