Meh! Ate here 2x in 4 days at the request of family. Not the great Mexican food we are used to eating in California. The bean dip was good with a spicy bite. Salsa is mediocre. Service both times was somewhat lacking. Both times they forgot the soda that was ordered by a member in our party. The completely forgot a cheese enchilada that they sad was coming on a separate plate. It never showed up. Nothing fancy about the place and is very noisy, which is understandable with the amount of people in the restaurant. Not a place to go in a first date for sure. read more

I vowed never to return to Esmeraldas, but last night my friends talked me into it. They insisted that the service had improved. In short, I stand by my original review with one change. The wait staff wasn't friendly this time. It took twenty minutes to get a beer, and I only got it because one of my friends at the table flagged a waiter down (not ours) to get me one. I was waiting to see how long it would take for the waitress to notice. She finally came back and asked If I need something to drink - not seeming to notice the beer sitting in front of me.The evening went down hill very quickly from there. I won't comment on the food other than to say it was worse than usual. Many of our checks were wrong and had to be re-calculated . . . It mystifies me why anyone would ever put up with this kind of service. I down graded my review to one star because Yelp won't let give zero stars. read more

Not very impressive. Decent enough food but the michelada was just sad. I make better ones at home and I'm not even Hispanic! Staff ok but could use some training on talking with and revisiting patrons. What's up with the bassinet thingy in the bathroom and the decor. Maybe with some help it could be improved but we will not go back. read more

My husband and I chose not to return to Esmeralda's 5 years ago after a cockroach ran across our salad in the broad daylight of 1 pm. We squished it and showed it to our server. She was so blasé about it that it concerned us of their standards, so we decided to never return. Our friends have been raving about their remodel for over a year now, so we decided to give it another try. We really wish we had not. We brought our two teenage girls, their grandmother and great grandmother (who drove 5+ hours to celebrate one of the girl's birthdays). The six of us arrived at 6:30. The restaurant was less than half way full and never filled pass this capacity during our dining experience. We were seated and served our drinks promptly. The drink order was incorrect, but we let this go. We then sat for 25 minutes with our menus closed. I finally grabbed all the menus and stacked them at the end of our table. I was frustrated at this point not only because it had been 25 minutes of waiting, but because we watched four other tables sat after us that had already had drinks served and orders taken. Two of these tables had also already received their appetizers. Our table's order consisted of one simple melted chorizo cheese appetizer, two fajitas, a burrito, a taco salad and a single taco. We watched those same four tables receive their entrees. Twenty minutes later we were still waiting for our appetizer. We are now 45 minutes of waiting and we could not even have a melted cheese appetizer sent to our table in a timely fashion. I flagged down our server and helped make her aware of our ridiculous wait time. I asked her to fire everything because we were tired. When the chorizo cheese dish finally did arrive, our server left without leaving any share plates. It is quite difficult to share a chorizo fondue style dish among six people without share plates. We were finally able to flag someone down and ask for share plates. Mind you this took at least five minutes and our chorizo cheese plate was hard and cold by this time. Then yet another 25 minutes pass. It seems our server obviously did not fire the entrees when I asked her. Or, maybe she did. When our fajitas were served they were luke warm. Then we sat and waited for another 5-10 minutes. Why you may ask, because we were not served our tortillas, beans, sour cream, guacamole, or pico de gallo. It is a bit difficult to eat fajitas without tortillas. I was served a service plate for my fajitas, but it was dirty. I returned it and asked for another. Then I realized my mother-n-law and grandmother-n-law never even received plates for their shared fajitas. They asked for some and received them. I had to make my fajitas over a napkin. My husband finally got up and asked for a plate from the kitchen. By this time all the tables around us that were sat after us had either paid out and left, or were chatting over their dropped bill. Mind you, we were here to celebrate a birthday. We were so tired and disappointed that we just wanted to get out of here. A quick exit was the best birthday gift Esmeralda's could have given us at this point. We eat out 2-3 times a week. We strongly support Ripon restaurants and are accustomed to leaving 18-25% tips. We will never go back here to eat. We will never recommend friends or family to go to this establishment. And, for the second time in my life, we left no tip. This made my heart cringe a bit, but then I reflected on how they severely messed up and never addressed the situation, apologized or tried to make a bad experience better. Unfortunately, their attitude is still blasé. But at least this time there were no cockroaches. read more

Amazing food! And just remodeled :) the Micheladas are super good as well as all the food. Pollo a la plancha with garlic and grilled onions and Chile Serrano's is a must! read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

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Standard restaurant. Nothing exciting here on or off the plate. Once we received our food we never saw our waitress till our bill was brought to us. Food quality was not the best nor the worst. It was all around an okay experience. read more

I love going here. I gave it 4 stars not that the food is bad but sometimes I am standing by the door and it takes a while for someone to recognize you and ask if you are picking up food or dining in. The food is delicious. I have had el Chile Colorado, giant enchilada in green sauce and chicken milanesa. The food is authentic and delicious! read more

This place was an excellent neighborhood Mexican food place. We had steak fajitas which were really good with seasoned meat and lots of grilled veggies. We had chips and salsa which also came with bean dip! The place was clean, super friendly and fast. I mean what else could you ask for. read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Steak Fajitas were tasty, served with delicious home made beans and quality tortillas. - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

We got take-out from here in August. My brother recommended the Chili Relleno Burrito Supreme. The food was fantastic and lived up to the hype. I'd definitely like to eat here again, the next time we visit Ripon. read more

We had great service. We had great food. Even during Covid they attended to us well. Face mask and all. We will be back. God Bless you guys who try so hard to serve the public that's a hard job to do. read more

It seems this once very awesome restaurant has changed over time. We have been going for years but now it's not a place to meet friends n enjoy food it was so loud you had to yell in order to talk with friends. Service was ok but had to wait for a table because the rest of the party was running late n they didn't want to seat us. It was a sad night for us. We now say good bye to Esmerald's!! read more

Great always! Authentic, spicy bean dip & salsa. I try something different each time I come. The owner is a delight! read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - La compuesta con pollo #tacosalad - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

First time my husband and I tried this place. I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing fancy but everything I ate was good. Plenty of room for my husband who is in a wheelchair. Staff pleasant. Will be back read more

This place is the best. ive tried every place in Ripon and nothing compares. Food is made from family recipes, family is really cool, and great drinks. read more

This is a must visit for great Mexican food. From the salsa to the street tacos, to their meals, I have no complaints! The staff is extremely friendly and helpful! Check them out! read more

Esmerelda's was once our favorite Mexican restaurant. However, tonight's experience is typical of why we've cooled in our enthusiasm. We ordered takeout: 2 shrimp quesadillas a la carte, no sour cream, with green sauce. When we opened them up at home, there was NO SAUCE. They were bone dry. To make it worse, there was only one bag of chips with one red sauce and one cabbage for two people. Needless to say, we were very disappointed. read more

What to even say?! I've been here two times. The second time was a benefit of the doubt. The first time we came for dinner. They sat us at a table. The table he sat us at was filthy. I asked the guy if he could clean off the seats (mind you the seats had salt, crunched up chips, and fries-screaming oily!) he wiped is down. Which pushed all the crumbs in the back of the seats. I asked for a towel to clean. I was scrubbing the seats down since I didn't want to sit in oils or crumbs still. The service was slow and Didn't get 2/3 orders correct. read more

We've tried this place three times now. We will not be trying anymore. Each and every time our food took more than an hour to be ready (all at different times of day, so no "peak time" explanation). One of the times (at 3pm-ish) we placed the order and ran over to the store but it still took an hour and a half to be ready. The food was just okay. I wasn't a fan of my cheese enchilada meal but one of my children thought the bean and cheese burrito was okay. Each time we've made "to-go" orders only so can't say how clean or quick the restaurant is. read more

I am stuffed! Yup I said it! Ate some awesome Mexican food here and met the whole family & they made us special dishes too! If I come back to Ripon I know where to eat for sure! I think I had one of everything lol! Thank you all so much for a great time with top notch service from everyone on your staff! This is place is a must! Continued success! read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

Great food and nice atmosphere! I have tried the shrimp burrito and shrimp ranchero style . Both excellent dishes, the shrimp were clean and flavored just right. read more

Seated right away, drinks taken and never empty. It was our first time and the staff was very friendly and helpful with suggesting what to order. Kids loves their tacos and enchiladas. The beans and rice are very good. Also the adults main dishes were fantastic! Homemade corn tortillas definitely coming back!! I'm so uncomfortably full but it was worth it. read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Best Mexican food, great spice. Pollo a la Michoacana - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

Service went downhill fast, used to enjoy coming to Esmeralda's ..... a different server came to our table every time and took extended amounts of time to check on us, drinks took forever to get to the table, food was made wrong AND cold.... Perhaps the girls working should focus less on perfecting their makeup and more on perfecting their serving skills. Just a thought read more

Always come to this place, but as of recently when we ordered to go the last 3 times the first time we ordered beans salsa and chips, we drove home opened everything up, we had no beans, the second time we got quac, bean dip, and salsa with the chips but it the bean dip was wrong and extremely watery as well as our salsa. Our guac was perfectly amazing but the beans and salsa sucked. We tired to go back a different day to get new ones and it was the same way. Terrible experience. Not to mention when you live like 20 mins away. Not cool you have an order you paid for and tipped on to be crappy. read more

This is the best Mexican food in town hands down! This is a once a week stop for our family.

Great food! Love the carnitas in any form! They give you chips, salsa, and a spicy bean dip that are delicious. Definitely our family's go to for Mexican food. read more

I've grown up going to this place, so I may be biased, but Esmerelda's is the best. They have great, friendly service and a beautiful newly remodeled restaurant. If you leave here without trying the bean dip, you didn't get the full experience. It is something I look forward to when I come home. This place is usually packed in the evenings so make sure you get there on time! read more

Go for the bean dip!!! Stay for the food!!! I'd give them five stars, but the service tends to be slow. Friendly, but slow. But, the food is worth it! Comfortable seating, patio seating is available, clean restrooms, reasonable prices; all the things you want to see in a restaurant. They have a full bar and the beer is always cold! I think I've tried almost everything on the menu... the Esmeralda's special is to die for as is the molcajete. Servings are generous! read more

How nice to find a tasty Mexican restaurant in this land of megatruckstop cafes and every fast food joint known to man (including, yes, Sonic). If you're cruising up or down Hwy 99 and are hungry for something real, try taking the Jack Tone Road exit... the restaurant is a couple of blocks south on Colony. I ordered Esmerelda's Special -- piping hot sizzling platter of marinated pork chop, marinated chicken breast and carne asada, with rice and beans, along with pico de gallo, quacamole and sour cream, and a nice generous handfull of hot corn tortillas. Muy excellente! My uncle had the shrimp fajitas... what a great choice -- tasty marinated large prawns, surrounded by perfect grilled green peppers, onions and tomatoes. His came with a bowl of whole pinto beans... I'd ask for those instead of the refried ones next time. My dad had a taco, which he said was good, and the tamale, which he graciously shared and was tasty. Sister had the taco and chile relleno. She liked 'em. My aunt had a cheese enchilada and chicken taco, and she said, "most tacos are so flavorless lately, but this one is really good." A bowl of hot frijoles refritos y queso is served, along with a basket of crispy corn and flour tortilla chips and salsa. Very yummy. They have a nice selection of beers on tap. The restaurant has booths, tables, and the ability to move tables together for a larger group. There's a nice friendly full bar, with a large screen tv so you don't miss a single play of the game you're following. Prices seemed fine, and the service was extremely friendly. I would definitely return, and recommend it to fellow travelers who need a taste of yummy while on Hwy. 99. read more

We've been here twice and both times it has been a let down. The food actually tastes great, one of the best in Ripon. Their HUGE downfall is service. We waited forever to order meanwhile they talked behind the bar. We had to ask for everything including silverware, napkins and our check. Would not recommend unless you want to have an unpleasant experience. read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Bean dip, salsa and chips - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California

Food was decent, but cleanliness and service was among the worst. The salsa tasted like cleaner and the beans had a hot in them. The server was more worried about serving his friends then helping my family that waited 47 minutes for two enchiladas, 4 street tacos and a kids cheese burger. Honestly I don't understand why this place even has 3 stars. The place was super messy and I felt like our plates and beer glasses were dirty. We're is all the good food in the valley........ sad day read more

Well the food here is good, but the service is awful. We ordered take out on a Monday night for 7 people. They told us to come pick it up in 20 minutes. Awesome. I gave them a half hour. Walked in and there were 4 parties waiting to be seated. No staff to be found. Finally walked up to the bar and inquired about my take out order. They said it would be ready soon (mind you, I was already 10 minutes past there estimated time). Ended up waiting (standing by a soda machine in the hot and stuffy dining room) for 30 minutes. A full 40 minutes longer than I was quoted. The food was great, the order turned out exactly as asked for, but I was so frustrated with the wait that it didn't really matter at that point. read more

The food is actually pretty good..I ordered pork nachos and the portion was pretty big..a lot of meat but only a handful of chips with it though. The huge let down was the service! It was kinda busy I'd say normal occupancy? It took over an hour to get our food..by the time it came I wasn't even hungry anymore. We almost just told them to just give us our bill and forget the food. Refills were scarce it just seemed like they were understaffed. It probably wouldn't be my first choice again just because of the horrible service. read more

By far the worst dining experience I've had in a long time. Sat at the bar for a quick meal by my lonesome. Waited 5 min before anyone acknowledged I was there. During the meal not once did a person check up on me, had to ask the server for refills. Which is ridiculous being the computer to place orders is 3' away. The only thing that came quickly was the bill!! If I wanted to be ignored I would adopt a cat..... read more

The first time I went to Esmeraldas I wasn't all that hungry so I didn't want a big meal. So even though my husband totally made fun of me I just ordered the grilled cheese and fries. I know, I know, it's weird to go to a Mexican restaurant and order a grilled cheese sandwich but, I gotta say it was the best grilled cheese I ever had. It was buttery crisp on the outside and the center was warm gooey cheesey perfection. The fries were great too. The next time I went I ordered the fajitas, which were good but there was nothing spectacular about them. So I will most likely go again, I just have to find that one thing on the menu I love. That is aside from the grilled cheese of course. read more

We love Esmereldas, the fajitas are the best and the staff treats us like we are family. We also love the remodel! Highly recommend read more

We have NEVER had poor service, a unsatisfactory meal or beverage! This family-run welcoming restaurant is the absolute BEST! Grandmother's Mole Zacatecano (sp?) is outstanding and unlike any mole you tasted. We are regulars and getting their chips and salsa to go is a definite crowd pleaser. read more

Food is good and the the twins are always friendly and helpful. Some of the young men could use a lesson from them in customer service. The young man at the register is super rude and hostile. Would be 5 stars if it wasn't for the way he acted towards myself and others when getting to go orders/requesting a table. read more

Just passing through. Some of the best Mexican food we've had....and we're from TUCSON. It would be a regular spot from us if we lived here.

This is a place that I have been meaning to review for a while now, my wife and I stop in here once in a while because they have great wet burritos. The food is good, but the service is a bit slow, but that's ok. The place has a friendly atmosphere, and I enjoy stopping in for a good burrito from time to time. Still trying to get my wife, who's new in the US used to Mexican food. I just don't understand how you can not like some good ol' chile rellanos or a big carne asada burrito.... oh well.... read more

Came here for the first time tonight and needless to say I was not let down. The bean dip and salsa are spicy and great and the chips are amazing, which is important for a Mexican restaurant! I ordered the shrimp in garlic butter and they were fantastic! My fiance got the chicken chimichangas and we both agreed they were the best in town and better than places we have tried in manteca and Modesto. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Esmeralda's Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp in garlic butter - Mexican Near Me - Ripon, California