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

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

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

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

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

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!

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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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

Food was very good. Fresh tortillas, made in house. We also had the pupusas and they were gobbled up by my son. The molcajete is easily enough for three and maybe even four. Definitely too much for two. We had at least enough for two more people but if you are big eaters. It has a mix of items all flavorful and cooked well. The salsas were also good and they do provide chips and salsa when you arrive. Service was also attentive the woman helping us was very sweet. The only concern is that it was fairly slow and quiet for a Friday night. I hope more people discover this place as it definitely could use more customers. read more

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

5 stars for a reason. Maybe some of the best Mexican food I have ever had , finding it in a strip mall in Salinas was quite the surprise (thank god for yelp!). My wife had the shrimp tacos that lived up to their reputation. I had chicken fajitas with the freshly made tortillas and TONS of grilled veggies. read more

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.

Delicious food and friendly, fast service. Highly recommend the chilaquiles and birria plate.

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

Me and my friends wanted to find a place to eat after trail running and we found this place as one of the top rated restaurants in the area. So we went there and the place looked great and the servers were so nice to us upon arrival. They were very accommodating. We ordered different types of food but I ordered a Carne Asada Burrito, Pupusas and a Horchata. We were also served free chips while we were waiting for our food. The Carne Asada burrito is delicious and filling but wish there was a bit more meat inside but it tasted great overall! The Pupusas were great and the Horchata was refreshing. Would recommend this place if you are in town if you want great food, great service and a quaint vibe from this restaurant read more

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Rude people I ordered quesobirria tacos shorted me! When I called the girl told me ok so what do you want from me

This place is legit. Food is clean, not oily or greasy. It's well seasoned but not kill you level salt and it's super tasty. Had the Tacos Gobernador, filete a la plancha and flautas de pollo. Tacos Gobernador are tacos with guacamole, melted crispy cheese and shrimp, filete a la plancha was a delicious pan fried piece of butterflied fish served with a nice white rice and veggies, beans, salad and fries. And the flautas are crispy rolled tacos filled with chicken and topped with cheese. Served with yellow rice, beans and salad. Great fresh authentic Mexican flavors. Salsa game is pretty good too- flavorful not just spicy, enhancing every bite. Come check them out! read more

The food was amazing and the service was wonderful. I have recommended this place to friends and Salinas and I will be back.

The food here is sooo good! We ordered super burrito, quesa birria and chicken tacos. Very authentic Mexican food. Definitely recommend! read more

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Food was great! A little loud but we would return. Good price for the food you get. Great hot homemade corn tortillas! Service was ok. Have to wait a bit for your meal but food was worth it. Nice presentation. read more

Best (Gobernador) Shrimp Tacos EVER!!!Abundant and super fresh shrimp cooked to the exact perfect second, delivered perfectly warm, crammed into fresh homemade crispy soft tortillas, topped with fluffy homemade guac, sautéed sweet onions and peppers with oozy soft melted cheese. Absolutely mind-blowing delicious! It will be an almost impossible challenge to order anything else when I eat here next time, but the menu all looks so tempting, too. Service is wonderful, prices v reasonable, lovely ambiance and they are open all afternoon. What a FIND!!! ¡Muchas Gracias! read more

El Chilacatazo - Best Shrimp tacos I have ever eaten! - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Had the Gubernader tacos! Oh my goodness the were excellent! Will be back next time I'm in town. Took a coworker there he had fajitas. He said this is the best restaurant in Salinas! read more

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

My husband and I stopped here because the other restaurant we wanted to go to had a lot of people waiting outside and we didn't have a lot of time. El Chilacatazo had great reviews so we thought we'd give it a try. It's a smaller restaurant, tucked away in a little strip mall. Casual and comfortable atmosphere and for me, a very average white lady, the menu had an interesting variety I'm not used to. Menu is brief, includes a lot of seafood options, and doesn't have some of your more typical American-Mexican offerings. I was happy to see sopes available, though I decided to get their chicken flautas, which came with rice, beans and a couple of creamy sauces. Husband got some tacos, I think maybe carne asada? Some kind of pork. He really liked his and I liked mine a lot too. We were still talking about them later that night as we remembered how good they were. Fair prices and polite staff. Clean restroom. Overall great visit for us. read more

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

I struggled with 4 or 5 stars, but ultimately decided on 5 stars based on what this restaurant is, a small family run Mexican restaurant not trying to be anything more than it is. A simple hidden gem! FOOD: My wife ordered the Molcajete, while I ordered the shrimp tacos. The Molcajete was a very large serving as you would hope to expect. But even the size of this one caught us off guard. With the homemade delicious corn tortillas, it could have fed 3 adults easy! My shrimp tacos were quite possible the most amazing shrimp tacos I've had in my life. The taco shell had a slight crisp to it without being considered a hard taco. It complimented the inside of the taco nicely. All I did was add some lemon/lime...nothing more was needed. While the salsa they provided was excellent, I didn't even dare change the flavor of these tacos. Yes, that good. SERVICE: I loved how the entire family was there helping out. Even the young son and daughter. I enjoy the mom and pop spots and hidden gems. Friendly family service with smiles, no complaints. While I enjoy trying new places, the next time the wife and I are craving Mexican, we will definitely be giving this place a round two. read more

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Great food and great service. Hand made tortillas and awesome salsa. Will drink go back.

Came with a party of 7 including 2 toddlers and had a great experience. First impression was that the restaurant was really clean and I enjoyed looking at the tasteful art, tapestry, and ornaments on the walls. The food was outstanding. Everything got something different (Birria tacos, fajitas, sopa, Caldo de Pescado y Camarones) and we all enjoyed our food. The tortillas are handmade with the option of flour or corn. The Sangria was excellent and more flavor than just being sweet, same with the Jamaica referesca. Last but not least, the service was excellent and truly hospitable. Vicky really took care of my family and made sure we enjoyed everything. read more

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

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Authentic Mexican food !!! Sooo good !!! Service was a 10/10 you should totally try this place out !!! Highly recommend read more

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Food: 9/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance: 10/10 I have to say, came from out of town and wanted to try something new that I have not tried in Salinas. I have to say this family owned spot was great! I had the steak fajitas and it was so much food, perfect amount of vegetable/ steak ratio. I would definitely try again, the service was so impeccable that they knew when you needed something. Not the flashiest of places but those are the best places to try. read more

El Chilacatazo - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Decided to stop by here on our way home From a road trip . Don't regret anything food was a 10 My family and I enjoyed every plate . Ambiance and service was Great .. read more

Great service and even better food. Really clean and great ambiance. I got the Molcajete and all the meat was cooked perfectly only thing the shrimp could've used a harder sear but other than that all the flavors were there. Definitely recommend. read more

Amazing hidden gem worth visiting. Perhaps among the best Mexican restaurants in this country. Freshly made tortillas, fresh food, amazing taste. We tried those tacos gobernador...: simply to die for! read more

Fantastic food!!! The best Mexican food I've had in a long time. At the right price point, too. Highly recommend!

Excellent Homemade Horchata!! Chile Rellenos, Taquitos, Fajitas are the Bomb!!! Great Service and plenty of parking read more

This New Mexican place El Chilacatazo is awesome. We happen to come in for another restaurant that is no longer there. But to our surprise it was so delicious My husband ordered the Gobernador tacos and I ordered Flautas verdes ahogadas. Both with home made tortillas the tacos had the right amount of cheese and shrimp with a well balanced seasoning. The flautas verdes with chicken and potato ( potato taquitos are my fav.FYI) but the sauce was tangy from the tomatillos, so it was perfect for me. Great new place to try!! read more

El Chilacatazo - Gobernador shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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The great reviews for this place hold true. The servers were incredibly friendly and kind, the food came out quickly, and it was the most delicious food made to order. My son is vegetarian and I'm lactose intolerant and they were able to accommodate our dietary needs. Their con tortillas are homemade and delicious. There are also daily specials which are a great deal. We ate the huarache, birria, a potato deep fried tacos entree, and even the tacos were the best with tender and moist meat topped with delicious grilled onions. The chocolate and strawberry milkshake was great too! read more

Amazing place, clean with a real Mexican vibe ! Love it Their salsa is incredible! read more

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If your in the area make sure to stop by here the food is made fresh tried 5 different plates from their menu everything tasted amazing read more

El Chilacatazo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

We had the large Molcajete and it was amazing! Perfectly seasoned and nice presentation. It was more than 2 of us could eat but I kept trying because it was so delicious. They put their own spin on the sangria, be sure to try it if you like tamarind. Next time I have to try their homemade corn tortillas. The staff took good care of us even though we arrived shortly before closing and a large family of 12 sat at the same time. read more