Stopped in for a snack and was delighted to taste good Mexican food which is hard to find. Hand made fresh tortillas with great tasting fresh food. The only problem is it is a long way here from my home. read more

El Chilacatazo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Best quesabirria tacos!!! Presentation was great, service was quick, and the tacos were delicious. The restaurant was very clean and cute. The lady who took our order was very polite and friendly, that's always a plus. This place is a must try! read more

El Chilacatazo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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We stop here every time we pass by Salinas. Authentic Mexican food, fresh ingredients, good atmosphere and quality service.

Food was not spicy sort of bland. Wait staff nice but always in a hurry. Had the flauta and cheese enchilada. Beans were watery. Chips were oily. Eggs were good, steak a little tough. Food was warm but not hot. read more

Wow the reviews were spot on! I was in town for one night on a work trip and ate here for dinner with a coworker. The salsa was spicy and delicious. I had the fajitas which were loaded with veggies plus the corn tortillas were freshly homemade! My coworker had the personal molcajete which looked amazing! Highly recommend this place for yummy, authentic food. read more

Cute place, great food! Fast service and good portion sizes. Really enjoyed the tacos read more

El Chilacatazo - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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I don't know why yelp thinks I'm from Alameda; I've only driven through there once or twice in my life -- I live in Monterey. Anyway, El Chilacatazo is the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. IOW, it's THE best restaurant I've ever been to. A common thing I've heard is you can judge a Mexican restaurant by the salsa they serve you with chips. Their salsa is the best I've ever had -- very flavorful and also spicy (I like food that bites back)! In fact, I added the salsa to my enchiladas to give them added punch. I was told they have five different types of salsa, so next time I'm going to czech all five out. read more

El Chilacatazo - Very happily eating Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

This Mexican restaurant knocked it out of the park. The shrimp tacos were the best I ever had -- the tortillas thick and a perfect blend of soft and crispy, a great portion of guacamole, and just such a good taste. All of the other food we tried was incredible, and the service was excellent! I never do Yelp reviews and this restaurant made me want to download Yelp just to tell everyone how good it is. read more

El Chilacatazo - shrimp 3 Tacos Gobernador - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Great service - nice people. Amazing food - I ordered the birria- tender, full of flavor with homemade tortillas-great all around. Enough for another meal or two. Husband ordered chicken enchiladas and they were excellent. Sangria was very good with a slightly spicy rim. Looking forward to going again! read more

El Chilacatazo - Birria - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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Great service good food a pleasant atmosphere a must place to try my family enjoys going here

So we are getting to know the restaurant scene in Salinas as we are moving nearby in the months to come. Mexican food is a 'go to' cuisine for my wife and I. We were craving Mexican food today as we were passing through and decided to stop at this highly Yelp rated restaurant. Victoria (Vicky) greeted us and motioned us to a table. She took our drink order. I ordered a michilada. I've had 100s of michiladas, but this one was served with two freshly grilled shrimp. Although it took a little longer to get my drink, I understood once she brought this huge glass filled with a delicious michilada and 2 tasty, unexpected grilled shrimp. What a nice surprise and great way to start. Vicky also brought us complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa had a nice heat with good flavor. I ordered an asada huarache with beans and rice. My wife ordered 3 queso birria tacos. My huarache was as freshly grilled on a flat top. The masa was very flavorful. The Asada was seasoned and grilled a little crunchy. Fresh lettuce, red onions, tomatoes and cilantro added freshness and texture. Cojita cheese was sprinkled on top adding some saltiness. It was one of the best hurache I've had in a long time. Oh, and the beans and rice??? Don't miss these side orders. At the typical taqueria or Mexican restaurant, these sides are uninspired fillers. Not here. The beans have a savory and slightly smoky flavor. I would come back and just order a large side of refried beans. The rice was moist and tasty. My wife's queso birria tacos were also quite good. There was lots of birria filling. Crispy fried corn tortilla shells with melty cheese lining the inside of the tacos. The consumme was savory and had a slight allspice seasoning to it. Very interesting and tasty. She loved it. This was a great experience: Vicky and her colleagues were welcoming, the food was outstanding, and the michilada was memorable. We'll be back! read more

Well, I obviously needed to see what all the fuss was about and they did not disappoint. You know how most meals don't look like their restaurant photos? At El Chilacatazo, the meals look even better than the pictures in the menu! Extremely generous servings with a variety of hot sauces. We had enchiladas (chicken and cheese), which were absolutely delicious. The chips were average but salsa was very flavorful. Services was outstanding and very attentive. Like other people have mentioned, English is limited but you know what you want and between single words of Spanish and English, you can get an excellent authentic Mexican meal. We can't wait to return!! read more

What a pleasure to walk into a lil spot from the outside but big n bright in the inside ; a lot of colors and you totally get the vibe of Mexico in this restaurant; the staff was very welcoming and sweet happy to serve you you can tell they have a 100 in customer service and the rest rooms were clean with everything working the place was very clean and the smell of the authentic atmosphere was amazing too the food I will have to brag but yesss snap snap yes I ordered the shrimp cocktail and the taco with cheese gauac n shrimp yummy I most definitely will be back soon for another adventure of yummy ness I had to take some of those fresh home aid tortillas with cheese on the way home read more

El Chilacatazo - My goodness - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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Excellent service and the good it's awesome I been there about 6 times and never disappointed

Stopped here on our way to Paso Robles and it was exceptional. The pupusas have tons of flavor and tacos were yummy. Will definitely stop here again when traveling through read more

Amazing food! Authentic and delicious. Highly recommended to anyone who is hungry and looking!

Food was great! We ordered the Molcajete platillo and it was enough for the four us. Staff were really friendly and service was fast. read more

El Chilacatazo - Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

The food is delicious and fresh. The restaurant is busy and packed. I ordered the Asada fries and the super burrito.

Nice little place in a small strip mall. Good Mexican feel with subtle Mexican music played in the background. Good service and clean. Tried a quesa birria, shrimp and fish taco. The birria was excellent with tender beef and a nice flavorful consume. The tortillas are homemade to order which makes all the difference. The fish and shrimp were super fresh, good size and well executed. Can't wait to stop by again!! read more

El Chilacatazo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Great food, vibes, service. Family Enjoyed the taco birria meal and kids menu. Will be back!

I work across the street and finally came over for lunch. They've been open for 2 weeks now and the waitress did tell me that they have a 10% discount for the first month, so take that for what it's worth. I was seated quickly. Since I've frequented the previous establishment there, I've became accustomed to the place. It's very spacious, nice music playing in the background. They do have pies and various pastries for dessert. I didn't see any alcohol on the menu or in the refrigerator in back. They have high chairs for the the kiddos and I didn't see the restroom. As for the food, I got a Chorizo & Eggs breakfast burrito. It was delicious. It came with a side of chips and salsa. I like a warm tortilla chip, lightly salted but the chip was cold and bland. The salsa was fantastic. I was also given a red & green sauce to go with my burrito. The verde sauce was amazing, creamy and savory. It put the burrito on another level. I definitely will come back to check out other options. Price: $11 (w/tip) read more

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I stopped here midday recently to grab some food. I ordered the Chilaquiles plate and they were fantastic. They have the best Horchata I have ever tried. The best! I have also tried their pupusas but I'm not fan of a type of cheese they use in them. But they are good. Definitely recommend. read more

Very good food! Don't know why we never have came here! Everything was so tasty! Service was excellent and love the decor! read more

El Chilacatazo - Great enchiladas! - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

They have pupusas! All the classic varieties, and they're great. Loroco! A lot of places don't seem to have this classic, or are always out when you order one.! As of 2024 they're $3.99 each. Average sized, very tasty, great curtido, fermented as it should be. If you ask for homemade hot sauce they'll bring you some orange and some green sauce. The green is slightly hot, the orange, though it looks like straight habanero is actually pretty mild but sooooo tasty. Went well the the pupusa sauce. read more

El Chilacatazo - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

First time here. Saw the reviews had to try it. Fabulous place. I had the 3 Quesabirrias y Consomé / 3 Quesabirrias and Broth for Dip. The waitress helped me decide and recommended the Queso ones. Came it an avacado salsa and broth. For the broth there are chopped onions, cilantro, and cucumber. Supposed to put in broth. Forgot. Next time. But the broth very tasty for dipping. The Birria with queso great too dipped in the broth or with the salsa. Waitress was fabulous helping me decide. My wife had the green chicken enchiladas. Very fresh and light. She enjoyed them. Chips were light and crispy and salsa very tasty with the right amount of saltiness and the perfect amount of kick. Will be back soon as I am in Salinas minimum once a month. Will try other things on the menu next time to try. read more

As advertised. Really is great food. Pupusa's are perfect, flautas crispy and flavorful, not greasy at all. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu. Thank you for a wonderful experience. read more

Their shrimp tacos and popusas are absolutely hands down delicious!! I would definitely go back!!

This was a happy accident - driving along 101 and wanted some Mexican food. We arrived about 30 minutes before closing, but that wasn't a problem. Had our appetizer and main dishes quickly. Portions were a good size and very, very tasty. We are definitely bookmarking this place for our next weekend trip. Parking is free, though limited (it's a small strip mall). In the eve hours, street parking is also pretty good. read more

The food was absolutely amazing. Best shrimp tacos I've ever had. They were so welcoming and sweet, excellent customer service :) Would visit every week if I could. read more

El Chilacatazo - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

My husband, daughter and I ate lunch here and the food was delicious! I had the shrimp tacos and the homemade tortillas and shrimp were outstanding! The guacamole and chips were also fantastic. Last, you must get the limonada de fresas!! So yummy! read more

Daughter and I stopped by to grab a bite and we were not disappointed. Food was great! I had three sopes; asada, pastor and Birria all three had great flavor and the Sope was cooked perfect. The salsa that came with the Sope's was a great compliment. Daughter had the tacos and she was very pleased with the taste. Will definitely be back. read more

How does this place not have a Michelin star or at the very least a f*%ing honorable mention?!? Magnificent mole made Guerrero style (had no idea what this was until today), fresh hand-made tortillas... everything here is exquisite. We also had the birria which was perfect. The chicken on my mole was cooked PERFECTLY which is a feat in itself, not overdone like almost all other places do, and the spice was ideally balanced without needing all the garnish some other places pile on to hide the poor artistry of the chef. This place caters to a Spanish-speaking clientele, yet the servers know English pretty well. It's more of a casual hole in the wall type of place that serves families. No fine dining vibes, just a casual and warm ambiance with Banda (popular Mexican) music playing in the background. Top recommendations for this place. It's worth the detour if you're driving through Salinas. read more

Appetizers and drinks: Chips were very tasty, thick and crunchy but not painful to chew if that makes sense. Horchata was also nice, not too sweet - which is how we like it! I liked the salsa but it was a bit spicy for me. Main items: Cheese quesadilla was cheesy and delicious, I recommend getting the side salad as an accompaniment + beans! Bean and cheese pupusa was also tender and tasty, which can be hard to find. Salsa and curtido also nice. Carne asada enchilada was a little lacking in meat but otherwise tasty. Service: Very attentive and kind! Misc notes: I can be averse to greasy foods and have a sensitive stomach in general, and with that in mind, I am happy to say nothing here was greasy in the least! All very filling and tasty. I expect we will be coming back soon. read more

We were in the Salinas area and decided to try out El Chilacatazo for lunch. We really enjoyed our meals and will definitely be coming back!

First timer ordered the breakfast chilaquiles plate and it's was really good, made it even better with the great service provided recommend

This review is for the food only and I have to say that we were super disappointed based on how highly recommended this place is. I ordered the pupusas and they were honestly some of the worst I've ever had. My wife got the quesabirrias and the consomé was super thick and oily. I am so confused by all of the great reviews? read more

We found this spot several years ago, now it's out go to spot when driving to and from SoCal from San Francisco read more

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Nice service and yummy food. Would recommend for lunch. They have a kids menu which is great for the little ones.

Truly amazing shrimp tacos. El Pastor tacos equally incredible. Service spot on. Packed for lunch.

I/We had the molcajete and it did not disappoint. It was the first time that I had this dish anywhere and I love my Mexican food. I ooo'ed and aaaahhh'ed throughout the entire meal. The service was superb and the staff didn't kick us out while we digested our meal and allowed me to catch up with my friend. The only and I mean the only reason that El Chilacatazo did not receive 5 stars was because I went to the bathroom and it certainly needed lots of attention. Had I not gone to the bathroom... read more