SCW and I stopped into El Cantato while staying in Monterey Bay. This place was a priority for me…read moreas it's all plant based and Mexican. Parking is sparse in front of the restaurant but paid parking is nearby. We entered and wow, the place was busy. Not overwhelming but lots of people in the indoor dining area enjoying their food. The menu is overheard and we decided what we wanted and ordered. The employees were kind and helpful, we probably were the only people that didn't speak Spanish well in the restaurant but that wasn't an issue, SCW got the number 2 combo, I got the mole. Also ordered an appetizer. Seated and waited about 10 minutes and our order came out. Everything was freaking amazing. Such great flavors and so fresh. Even SCW who doesn't necessarily gravitate towards Mexican food made nom nom nom sounds the whole time. The mole was incredible, the best I've ever had. The whole time we were here it was an endless stream of customers, even late lunch hour. SCW was impressed by the contrast stream of people coming in. We even walked around the wharf nearby for a while and drove past again and it was still packed with people. Do yourself a favor and visit El Cantato. I know I will.

This is an amazing Vegan restaurant. I was in the area for the day and found this place. I haven't…read morebeen to many Mexican restaurants with any vegan options let alone a full Vegan menus. It took our party (8 people) a while to decide as we were spoiled with choices. But we had time as it was pretty busy for a Friday around 1. I ended up getting the carne asada nachos and the aqua Fresca that they had that day (mango and watermelon I think). Both were absolutely spectacular. The picture included might not show the best scale but I had 2 others helping me to eat this plate and otherwise I would not have been able to finish it (even as a larger man). The crunchy jalapeños with the chips, beans and guacamole were the perfect balance. As a meat eater, the texture of the faux meat was a touch odd, but the flavor more than made up for it. The staff was helpful and attentive even as they were balancing supporting customers, answer phone orders, and taking regular orders. My wife and will definitely be stopping by here more often!!

Fish taco is delicious!! They were out of cash so offered to make it free, I ended up just putting…read moremy whole $10 in the tip jar :). Even my friend who doesn't like fish loved it! Apparently taste varies per taco, but fish was a hit.

Fish tacos were FIRE, exactly how they should be made IMO…read more Fast, fresh and friendly, highly recommend.

Visiting from LA, I honestly didn't expect to find great birria tacos, but Mission 19 Taqueria…read moreproved me wrong. The birria tacos looked amazing in the photos, so I decided to give them a try. My kids loved them and immediately asked for more. What really stood out to me was the tortilla, it had a nice crunch that made the tacos even better. The Salsa Roja was absolutely fire and paired perfectly with the tacos. I would definitely eat here again. My only suggestion would be to have lemons, onions, and cilantro available near the sauce station. That said, if you ask, they'll gladly give you more. The prices are a little on the high side, but I'm assuming that's because of the location. Personally, I don't mind paying extra for quality birria tacos. If you're looking for good birria tacos, I highly recommend giving this place a try.

The inside of the building is not very clean. Where they have a stand of salsas and pico, is very…read moredirty as well. I was not greeted when walking in, and had to take my own order on a self check kiosk. The food came out hot, and the chips were seasoned with a good flavor. The prices are high for the items. $30+ dollars without a drink for one person.

Have been there twice and amazing food and it's halal! The second time I especially went because of…read moremy previous experience and it did not disappoint!

Me and my girlfriend love this place! We had one of our first dates here and come back at least…read moreonce a month. All of the employees are super nice and chill; great hospitality. Whatever we need, the employees have taken care of. The owner came to our table recently and said hello; we told him how much we love this place and how much it means to us and he gave me and my gf both complimentary t-shirts. NACHO BIZNESS FOR LIFE We have tried all of the main nachos selections, they're all great! Pro tip: open the flaps on the cardboard trays to lay the nachos out like a big platter

We were in the area to check out the aquarium and had a craving for fish tacos…read more We parked a block or two away. Staff was very friendly, we sat in the window and I had the al pastor taco and fish taco. Soooo good, I need to come back. Salsas were tasty too.

We ordered the birria ramen, vegetable nachos, and an asada burrito through DoorDash, and…read moreeverything was delicious! The order arrived quickly, the food was at the appropriate temperature, and the delivery was left in the hotel lobby as requested. Our only complaint -- and it was a pretty frustrating one -- was that no utensils or napkins were included. Since the order was clearly being delivered to a hotel, we obviously didn't have access to our own silverware. This was especially inconvenient considering one of the items was birria ramen -- soup is a little difficult to eat without a spoon! Other than that oversight, the food itself was excellent and we really enjoyed everything we ordered.

They absolutely live up to their name! This is definitely the house of season. We ordered a wet…read morechimichanga with red and green sauce, and an agua de horchata. The food was seasoned to perfection, shout out to the chefs cause WOW! Absolutely incredible. 15/10, the horchata is also 15/10.. Good music, friendly service, clean environment, and delicious food. We came from Sacramento and will definitely be back next time we're in Monterey.

The service was slow and our drinks were left unfilled. The food was ok, it was not hot and it…read morelacked a lot of seasoning. The pricing was not accurate on the menu. We had to show the menu to the server after we received the bill due to getting additional charges that were not published on their menu. I definitely think they're over priced for what they offer, and the quality of the food is not worth spending the money again.

I should've known something was wrong when I walked in and no customers were inside (compared to…read morethe Salinas location that was jammed packed). Ordered the carnitas and an egg, chorizo, and potato breakfast burrito. After having the Salinas location (Which was amazing), I was utterly disappointed in the quality of this location. The famous tortilla did not taste as fresh and texture as off. I do like how at this location that they pack the meat and the portion sizes are a bit bigger, but the flavor of the carnitas was not as good, but still tasty. The breakfast burrito was very bland and a huge disappointment. It just seemed that there was no seasoning and no flavor. I cannot see myself coming back to this location.

Quick counter service. Multiple people taking orders at the same time behind a counter so it can…read moreget a little chaotic but it works for the small place. I got the chile verde burrito and it was delicious. On the smaller side but very good flavor. The tortilla is the star of the show! Definitely worth checking out if in the area and want a quick meal.

Michael's is a Pacific Grove staple. It's got that "California casual" vibe with a weird but…read moreperfect mix of Mexican, Texan, and even some Cajun influences. You can tell it's been a local favorite for decades--the hand-scrawled signs and slogans everywhere give it so much character. They've been around for 40 years! The Blackened Chicken sandwich is what they're famous for, and it lives up to the hype as I've been ordering it since middle school. It's got a solid kick, and that buttermilk garlic dressing they use is addictive. If you're leaning more toward the taqueria side, the Blackened Shrimp Tacos and the Steak Fajitas are the move. I also get the House Burrito a lot as it's one of their famous specialties. Everything feels fresh and grilled, not greasy, which is a nice change of pace. The service is fast and friendly and the portions are huge for the price. It's a small, no-frills spot inside, but they have plenty of seating and a steady stream of locals picking up takeout which is always a good sign. Every meal comes with chips and salsa! Pro tip: They're closed on Sundays, so make sure you get your fix during the week. Definitely the best spot in PG for a quick, high-quality lunch that won't break the bank.

Walkup to the counter, order, grab your tray with order #, chips & salsa, Fill your drinks (if…read morepurchased) then find a seat. The beef taquitos were awesome! The shredded beef was amazing. The shells were fried to perfection, nice and crispy. They were on a fresh bed of lettuce, tomato cheese, and sour cream. For my two-plate combo I got the cheese enchilada and asada taco. The red sauce was very tomato forward. The asada and the taco was seasoned perfectly. Delicious food

Really good tacos! Service was really good and our server named Stephanie was very attentive. Good…read moremusic as well. Makes the experience really enjoyable. Thank you staff for a very good first experience. Will definitely be back.

Dropped a star :-(…read more We had our usual trio of tacos, out for the 6 there were 5 that hit the spot and one (my wife's) deep fired fish taco was comfortably on the overcooked side and the fish didn't taste fresh apparently ... To be clear, this is the first thing we have had at BA that hasn't been at least 10 stars so am really hoping its a glitch not a trend... We'll be back to make sure we were correct, its our goto Mexican in the area and that's against stiff competition so fingers crossed

Birria so good, I almost forgot about the hole-in-the-wall surroundings. Service was sweet and…read morefast. This little spot in Monterey used to be an old Chinese restaurant and has since been transformed into a Mexican restaurant serving authentic Mexican food. Nothing fancy, but the birria was SO flavorful, perfectly grilled, tender and the perfect crunch, and absolutely worth the stop. Sometimes the best food comes from the most unexpected places. Definitely a hidden gem if you're in Monterey!

This place was really good!! The portions were perfect, service was quick and knowledgeable. I…read morerecommend this place after a long walk around the aquarium.