I visited Cultura with my greyhound, so we sat outside in the courtyard near the firepit tables…read moreshared with Vin, next door. It was a cool, breezy night, typical when the summer marine layer moves in over Carmel, but the propane heaters kept us toasty. If you prefer dining indoors, the interior bar and dining spaces had an intimate, funky, but very cool vibe. The host and servers were all extremely friendly and helpful. Despite being outside in the courtyard, they were also incredibly attentive, checking frequently to see if we needed anything. Their recommendations were spot on, too. I was wowed by the cocktail menu. I'll have to return to try more of their bar offerings. This trip, I took advantage of Happy Hour to order the blood orange margarita, and I was not disappointed. I ordered the ceviche appetizer. My greyhound thought it smelled as wonderful as I did. He rested his head between my feet in hopes of catching any ceviche dropping from my hands. This was so tasty, he was out of luck on the table droppings. I also had the chicken enchiladas for my entree. It was one of the best enchiladas I've had in a couple of years. My server, Mario, brought me out a small cup of their take on Mexican hot chocolate, made with oat milk, as an aperitif. It was so delicious, I almost wished I'd ordered a full cup as dessert.

Stopped by Cultura for a light dinner takeout order after over overindulging in seafood during the…read moreday. Everything I ordered --Lime/hibiscus agua fresca, guacamole, house made tortilla chips, salsa and smoked mushroom taco, was on point and I enjoyed chatting with Gladys and Mario. Definitely plan to enjoy a full meal here the next time I'm in town.

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.

Traveling and saw this spot as a recommended Mexican food location. We ordered chips and guac,…read moreenchiladas, and a burrito. For drinks, we ordered the strawberry lemonade and pineapple. Chips and guac were good but tiny portion for what you pay. The enchiladas and burrito were way too salty. And a Mexican place that only does one type of aguas frescas per day? And no horchata? That was a bit disappointing. The pineapple drink tasted like canned pineapple juice. The strawberry lemonade was decent. All in all, would be a good spot with some minor improvements.

It's great to know that there are still good restaurants around. We were both very satisfied with…read moreour meals, I with a chili verde burrito and hubby with carne asada one. The server, a tall, attractive blond gal, was very efficient and accommodating. The restaurant was charming, very clean and well-maintained. It had a lively atmosphere.

Had to audit my own bill because the math didn't add up. The waiter tried to justify it with a 3%…read morecard surcharge and blamed "the computer," only to eventually realize I was being charged for a dish I never ordered. Corrected, yes - but not before a lot of unnecessary attitude. Food was mediocre, salsa we ordered never arrived. Advice: check your bill carefully if you eat here.

Great food and drinks Amazing decor of all the racing…read morememorabilia, automotive supplies, signs posters ‼‼

There was 4 of us for a birthday lunch. Between COLD fajitas,COLD burger/onion rings(which were…read moreover cooked burned flavor cold with greasy taste) room temp green salad which had a heavy fish flavor(she hates fish) almost refrigerated temp on rice and beans. Server asked me if it was, ok to microwave to reheat when I brought it to her attention. We had asked for more chips and salsa(only good thing) she brought only salsa. Again when brought to her attention you could see/hear the HUGE SIGH as she walked away, 10 minutes later we grabbed the attention of her coworker to finally get our chips. I've been in food/bev for 30 years so this is absolutely unacceptable. This is the 2nd time we've been this disappointed in 3mths, after coming here for 20 years. Sorry won't be a 3rd.. I understand a bad day but this was to much..A great server would outshine the bad food and vise versa, both was to much..

Absolutely phenomenal. Fresh, clean feeling, authentic and unique food. Very reasonable pricing,…read moregreat deal for the family to be fed. House burrito is well worthy of an order, different and very well executed. Amazing! Energy at the register and in the kitchen is impressive, makes you feel welcomed and custom catered. Very adaptive to allergies and any request to best accommodate and make your experience top tier.

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.

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!!

Too expensive for the quality could go to chipotle for a better price, quality and quantityread more

Since Cut the Crab shut down and got replaced El Rodeo we've been wanting to try it out. We were…read moresurprised that the layout stayed the same. We showed up right before the lunch rush and got seated pretty promptly. We were offered drinks and our food orders were taken pretty promptly which was great. The service was incredible and it was a full team effort as we had several different people helping us out. The food was delicious. The cowboy chicken was grilled perfectly and my wife's burrito was very filling. We're sad it took us this long to experience El Rodeo but we definitely plan to be back as their menu looked incredible.

Best chilequilet ever Even in downtown Salulita MX it comes…read moreno better ! GREAT HORCHATA AS WELL!

I should have read my previous review before dining there last night. I made two mistakes: ordering…read morethe chile relleno burrito, and ordering a glass of lambrusco wine. The burrito was 80 percent rice, with a few bites of chile and virtually none of the advertised Jack cheese, avocado, "special sauce..." Served lukewarm. Definitely not worth $12.99. The wine, while a good pour, was sickly sweet. That said, their service is good, their salsa is excellent, and I've enjoyed previous meals there (including huevos rancheros). Note--next time, order breakfast for dinner or a combo plate. AVOID THE BURRITOS!