Don't let the grilled windows and doors throw you off--this place is a genuine diamond in the rough tucked away on a bustling Salinas street. Once you step inside, the vibe shifts instantly into a perfectly clean, well-organized Mexican eatery that feels both authentic and welcoming. The service is incredibly friendly and the prices are more than fair. It's the kind of hidden gem that makes you feel like you've been let in on a local secret. The food is quite frankly phenomenal. We're talking enchiladas cooked to perfection, delicious tortillas, quesadillas boasting that glorious, milky-stretchy cheese we all dream about, and bold salsas that bring just enough zing to make you reach for your napkin (and maybe a glass of water). Even the staples like refried beans and rice were flawless, leaving us with absolutely nothing to fault. If you're looking for a meal with enough soul and spice to make you sweat, this is a must-visit! read more

8.75/10 Been coming here since I was a kid! This spot never disappoints and still has to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in Salinas. Chilaquiles 9/10 Made perfectly, spicy, and full of flavor. The beans are always great soft with cheese and super comforting. Only bummer was the eggs ordered 3 sunny side up but no runny yolk. Still amazing overall. Chicken Enchiladas 8.5/10 Really good, would definitely order again. The sauce and chicken were on point, tons of flavor. Just wish it had a little more texture everything was a bit soft, maybe some veggies or a little crisp on the tortilla. Still super nostalgic and tasty. Service was quick and friendly like always. The vibe hasn't changed since I was a kid super nostalgic, and I love that. read more

El Zacatecano - Chicken Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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Very old school, well worn patina of the place sort of what I wanted in a mexican place in Salinas. We had enchiladas - good but nothing with any zing though. Fresh homemade chips & salsa (good chips, meh salsa) good price/value. read more

Algo Bien. If you want some authentic Mexican, this is the place. All the food here is excellent in quality and served in great portions, the service is amazing and they give a family vibe with feels to customers like they've known you for years. read more

I came here and bought huevos à la Mexicana and they were not good. The way the food is presented is terrible the food looks sloppy and like it was thrown into the box. They need to work more on presentation with their food. If it don't look good, it don't taste good. The eggs tasted weird and the rice was terrible, I'm sure it was old rice. The beans were alright but I will not be back. Price is not worth it either 16$ is a no no for the food quality. read more

At El Zacatecano Mexican Restaurant In Eastside Salinas, CA Gonna Get Our GRUB ON...!!! So I Hear Their Chile Verde Is BOMBIZZIE So Definitely Gonna Try It..!! And Of Course Their Corn Tortillas Are Homemade..!! I've Had The Menudo Also BOMB..!!! My Fiancées Having The #5 Combination Plate A Cheese Enchilada And A Beef Flautas With Rice And Beans. And To Wash It All Down She Got A Chavela aka Breakfast In A Mug..!! And I Got An Agua Fresca De Jamaica. This Place Is Very Small And Intimate Few Seats But Foods On POINT..!!! Ladies Are Very Attentive And Friendly. read more

This is our go-to spot for our cravings of authentic taste of Mexican food. Nice little place that never disappoints. My family and friends all actually ate at this place as our first meal the day we moved to Monterey. They will always have a special place in my heart. I recommend!! read more

Great pit stop on the way from the Bay Area to parts south. The machaca burrito is well done and the service is very friendly.

So this place is a nice authentic Mexican restaurant, your not gonna get no fancy decor it's just straight to business Rustic tables and chairs , My coworkers and I came in after a long days work , we wanted some Mexican food and did this place amaze us , The chips and salsa are fresh and made in house , We all ordered carne asada plates , some got corn , some got flour , but both are made in house as well and it shows that they actually are about there food and want you to enjoy the authentic flavor Will be coming back with working around Salinas read more

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

First time here and i gotta say Food is really good. Did not dissapoint. Service 10/10 the señoras are on it. Bien movidas. Ambiance is great family oriented. Food comes out in a timely manner and hot read more

Menudo and caldo de res are the best for me, my favorite I highly recommend And the service is excelente!!! read more

El Zacatecano - El MENUDO QUE NO FALTE! - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Spicy chilaquiles - delicious! The coffee was a miss for me, but the staff is super friendly. It's a homey spot right in the community that is always busy and buzzing. read more

El Zacatecano - Chilaquiles, menudo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

Amazing food! The staff took my order over the phone and my food was ready when I arrived. Even as takeout the enchiladas were outstanding. You get a whole tray over food for a pretty reasonable price. The enchiladas lasted me dinner for two nights! It is our go to spot in Salinas for enchiladas. The salsa they give you is also awesome! read more

Delicious authentic Mexican food for a fantastic price. You will not be disappointed. In fact, you'll feel like you're eating at your grandma's house and she just cooked up some bomb Mexican food for her mijo/mija. read more

I like to get the liver and onions. Pretty tasty. The other favorite is the tacos Dorados. And if I'm lucky, I get to have a bowl of cocido. The problem with cocido that when we go by lunchtime, there is no more. read more

So yummy! Very relaxed and amazing customer service! Will be coming back in the future!

Great service felt like I was eating at a family members home. The food is authentic Mexican southern comfort food. The horchata is delicious we will definitely come back again read more

El Zacatecano - Combo plate chile relleno, enchilada de pollo rice and beans also ordered an orden de tortillas hechas a mano (handmade tortillas) - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

SOOOO GOOD. The tortillas are really soft, the carne asada was tender and flavorful.!!! We got the super burrito and the regular burrito. read more

El Zacatecano - Carne asada burrito and chips - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

This place was recommended a long time ago and when given the chance to try it I jumped on it. The restaurant is small, right on Alisal with parking in the rear. Not completely Handicapped accessible, but worth the couple of steps into the small but tidy dining room. The service is really nice and quick. I ordered in Spanish and the server understood my mangled attempts. I had the specialty Plata that had a taste of everything, all of which was delicious. The Plata came with rice and beans, which normally is a nice accompanyment, but this time it really was the beans that stood out! Great food, good service, and a cute little place. Definitely coming back! read more

omg the most authentic mexican food i've ever enjoyed!!! and the price, fast service and best flavor and service was the best i called in my order and was ready within 15 min . i highly recommend eating here... if you want great tasting mexican food. ty!!! muchas gracias see you again! my fav plate enchilada relleno rice beans and salad read more

Had been going there over a year as the food is great, had big portions & was affordable but they continue to raise the prices way too often and the portions have decreased considerably. Used to have lots of meat in the dishes, they cut it down to about 1/4 of meat as before & about 1/2 as much on the rice & beans, just not enough to get a filling meal. Looking for a new Mex restaurant as won't pay so much for so little anymore. Anyone know of a good one priced affordable? -C- read more

The service was super friendly and quick, chips and salsa bomb! we ordered one crispy chicken taco , delicious the zacatecano plate the steak was sooo good and i got the flour tortilla , and we got chicken enchiladas with some creama , everything was beyond delicious!!!! a must try!!! and the agua de jamaica was the best and sweet!!!! read more

local family cafe with friendly service. Good food especially the mariscos , shrimp tostada. Lots of take out orders of albondigas their Thursday special of the day. read more

Best Chile Verde I've had. Combination 6 gets burrito and taquito! Negro Modelo and all set! Delicious. read more

If you're looking for a great Mexican food in Salinas, and I mean real Mexican food home cooked with lots of love stop here! This little local favorite has been here for as long as I can remember. My Tia and mom, grandma and whoever else I can remember would come here all the time when I was little and we had walk up and down Alisal Shopping. The food is consistently amazing, and the ladies, serving and clearing the plates are absolutely friendly and caring. Whether it's enchiladas tacos, burritos caldo or nopales you won't go wrong! When you walk in you look around like you're at your Tia's house and they make you feel just as comfortable,the pictures on the wall. All the decor is definitely the home feeling that you would want. This place hasn't changed in the last 30 years and I hope they never do! Consistently amazing food for great pricing with the at home service you need. read more

We have been coming here for years as we travel and we always love their food and service.

First time here. I saw it on yelp. Checked the reviews. Looked promising. My friends came into town and we decided to check it out. Everyone was friendly and bilingual. My friends husband had Menudo, my friend had grilled shrimp which came with fries, green salad and Mexican rice. My hubby had carne asada burrito. I have to say, it was loaded with plenty of meat. I had pozole with the fixings and served with homemade corn tortilla. I ordered aqua fresca de Jamaica. Overall, we all enjoyed our meals. My friends husband said it tasted like good home cooked meal. I definitely have found the best Mexican restaurant ever. read more

This is a Mexican "hole-in-the wall" restaurant not in the best part of town but we stopped there for breakfast after seeing their reviews. The food and service was great and it was truly authentic Mexican fare. It was reasonably priced and portions were more than fair. We had the Huevos Rancheros and would order them again read more

Hands down the best Mexican food for your buck. Food was amazing service was quick and the food came out piping hot. Salsa was a little to hot for my husband but perfect for me read more

Nice hole in the wall family restaurant. Homemade corn tortillas were delicious and the Chile Verde had large chunks of leanish pork. Wish they had flan on the menu. read more

Great food and great service very fast and efficient. Best authentic Mexican food ever from the beans to the salsa

Great Mexican food! Excellent service. Highly recommend, space is small inside but worth the wait. read more

My friend has been coming here for at least 27 years back when she and her husband were first married. Lucky me! She took me to share this favorite place yesterday. She likes the chips but I prefer thicker, housemade chips. The salsa that comes with the chips is fresh and spicy. I ordered the chicken enchiladas plate and she had the Chiles Rellenos plate. The plates arrived smoking hot having been put under the salamander to melt the cheese. My enchiladas were full of chicken and NOT swimming in sauce. I loved the sauce because it was a great balance of tomato and chiles. I actually would have liked more sauce because it was so good! The Chiles Rellenos were stunning. They were not greasy and just lightly battered. You could taste the eggy batter, and the carmelized chile. It was laid on a sauce that was like a jus with a touch of roasted tomato. Again, it was so delicious, I would have liked more sauce. The housemade corn tortillas are heavenly! Another reviewer said the rice was flavorful and so light it could levitate off the plate. I'm not usually a fan of Mexican rice but this was lovely. The refried beans were thoroughly puréed. Generally, I prefer more texture but the garlicky flavor and melted cheese on top made this a taste treat. An important note is that the food is NOT salty, a common trait of much Mexican restaurant food. My friend said that you see all types of people here. She was right. I wasn't the only gringa here and the wait staff treated me as if I were family. You have to be able to walk up several steps with no handrail, and down several steps with a handrail inside the restaurant. The parking lot is being the restaurant. You can imagine that it was once a large beautiful backyard. I loved this restaurant and will definitely come back! read more

Ok, let me first start by saying we looked up El Zacatecano on Yelp because we were passing through Salinas and we wanted some good authentic Mexican food. We pulled up to the address provide on Yelp in a Sketchy neighborhood (bars on the windows, rough crowds standing/walking the streets. Honestly the place looked closed and so we drove down the street to regroup. While we were revisiting Yelp, I noticed hat the listing on El Zacatecano showed they were open, so I called. And it turns out they were open and taking outside seating in the back of the restaurant. So we decided to go back because they had such a good rating. We parked on the street and walked down the alley to behind the restaurant. They had an area tented off with tables and chairs with no one in sight. We sat down and waited for about 5 minutes and then a server came out of the back door and greeted us. She brought us Chips and Salsa which was very good and the four of were working it over pretty good. The server reappeared shortly after with another helping of chips and salsa (Thank You). I had the Chili Colorado with Rice and beans with a side of Chili Relleno. The Colorado was smoky and flavorful. the Relleno was quite a bit spicy than I have had in the past, but was super good. My Brother had the Chili Verde Burritos. He said they were amazing and he enjoyed them. My daughter had the Carne Asada Quesadilla and although she only ate half (because she eats like a bird) , she lived it and finished it the next morning. My Niece had the Cane Asada Burrito and completely crushed it! I asked how it was and she made a comment "too bad this place is so far away from where we live". That must be good in kid talk. Overall, super good. If I had to rate the location and appearance alone, I give it a 2. The food is worthy of a 5. The service was excellente!!! Granted we were the only table, but she genuinely cared about us and our service. I could feel it! Therefore a solid 4 for my review! I would not hesitate to come back by when passing through. Salud!!! read more

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It's thaa best food. We love the service. This place is one of my favorites and my fam loves the Ambiance here read more

Bought Menudo and Pozole. It certainly tasted great! Staff was friendly and efficient!

They have the best caldo de rez. Original, delicious and busy. Caldo runs out, so if you miss out, there's so much good Mexican food on the menu. Like your abuelita used to make. read more

The restaurant is a little hole in the wall, but they have two seating areas The food was great, and everything was homemade. We ordered a carne asada burrito, menudo, and chile verde plates. They were completely out of caldo de res, and that's what I really wanted to taste. So, it seems like it's a popular dish. We will stop and have lunch on our way home, I'm sure they will not disappoint. We were so hungry we forgot to take pictures of the meal. This is a must try if your in the Salinas, Ca. read more

WHY WE WENT HERE: - lunch nearby the client site THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located on E Alisal St in between N Pearl St and N Debbron Ave THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - older decor - a bit cramped, but two seating areas THE MENU: - breakfast/desayunos - a la carte/a la carta - lunch/almuerzo - soup/caldo - mariscos/seafood - burritos - antojitos/appetizers - bebidas/beverages - especialidades/specialties - platillo zacatecano - combinaciones/combinations WHAT I ORDERED: - 1st day - Tostadas de Pollo - 2nd day - Nopales Con Huevo THE TASTE: - filling, tasty, fresh - not bloating CUSTOMER SERVICE: - always greeted and spoken to in Spanish, thankfully I know enough to answer correctly (plus it was nice practice!) read more

El Zacatecano - Tostadas de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Salinas, California

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How they don't have a full 5 stars is beyond me! The food is always amazing and consistent. The staff is always friendly and super helpful. Even when it is packed they are great. The place itself is small and sometimes there is a wait but it's so worth it. This place is a must if passing through Salinas. read more