Loved this place that was recommended via a friend of a friend. I had the shrimp fajita taco (2) which were delicious. Fresh corn tortillas, great seasoning, well cooked shrimp. And their salsa is delicious. Next time I'll be trying their molé! Casual dining with a comfortable atmosphere. Order at counter, they'll bring it to your table. read more

Where do I begin... First off, I'm highly disappointed and feel betrayed by the high reviews of this restaurant. I felt safe to eat here thinking it was more on the authentic side of Mexican food, but I have to remind myself to look at the reviews closely before deciding on eating at a place. I had ordered 1 Gordita, 1 Burrito Gordo (Asada), and 1 Huarache. The Gordita had probably to be one of the worst Gorditas I ate in my entire life. The tortilla was very hard and dry, practically snapping off when I took a piece off. The next was the meat... very, very dry and quite bland. I don't know how this restaurant cooks their meat, but I'm assuming they overcooked it by the lack of moisture. The cheese inside was also disappointing, not much flavor to it nor had a fresh taste to it. I tried saving the dryness of the Gordita by adding salsa to it, that didn't help at all. The green salsa wasn't spicy (or at least had a kick to it) and didn't really taste like tomatillos, so I tried adding the red salsa to see if it was any different, not really. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't really tell the difference between the two. Now moving onto our next dish, the burrito. I'll keep this one short. Asada was bland, dryer than a dessert, and even with the salsa and sour cream on it, couldn't save my mouth from the dryness I experienced. So if you read this review of mine, thank you, and I totally understand how hard it is to make Mexican food in this area considering a lot of the ingredients needed aren't easy to come by or the cuts of meat, so if you ever feel like eating Mexican remind yourself what can you eat here that you know I'll taste good. Kat signing out :3 read more

$12.25 beef cheeks burrito was: gamey. Not that great. Flavor balance was just "tons of meat". On the plus side: cheap and sizeable. This was my 1st beef cheeks anything. So judging this place on just that isn't fair but the experience of eating it was so sub par, I'd need a strong recommendation from a friend for me to come back again. read more

La Tortuga - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Walk straight from the entrance to order under the overhead menu before sitting at a table. A large horchata is two sweet servings in a glass. I ordered a chimichanga last time, but we had huevos rancheros and machaca chilaquiles rojo for late brunch. It looked better with them on, but they unexpectedly turned off most of the lights in the afternoon because it was daytime. Many people were picking up cakes for Father's Day this weekend. read more

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The food is delicious. It has really good flavor.. highly recommend the bacon breakfast burrito. Also the torta Cubana.. you get what you pay for an it's worth every it. I would say over all the prices are really reasonable. The Champurrado has a really good flavor, I just wish it was a little warmer.. The service was wonderful, we were treated and sat immediately.. when we got here there wasn't that many people but slowly it started to get busy still the ambiance was great.. highly recommend this place.. we will be back read more

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Great food, great service and great ambiance. Their food is delicious and flavorful. They have a large menu with lots of fun stuff to try. read more

La Tortuga - Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Used to be me and my coworkers spot pre Covid. After covid me and coworker both got a Cubana hoping to bring back nostalgia as this place was our go to. All the meats in the Cubana now lack flavor. Taste as if it was old meat and just heated up in the microwave. Not coming back until some changes happen. Would not recommend in current state. read more

We ordered ahead for pickup and got the cactus and eggs torta with everything, and the torta cubana with everything. Cactus and eggs torta: It was a bit spicy from the jalapenos. It was creamy and mild overall in flavor. I do wish it was a little more strongly flavored (not just by the jalapenos) but otherwise it was decent. Torta cubana: It was also a bit spicy from jalapeno, and was definitely quite a bit saltier than the cactus and eggs one, probably because of the meat. Overall, both were good and I appreciate the amount of options on the menu. read more

La Tortuga - Cactus and eggs torta - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Definitely recommend this authentic Mexican/ Oaxacan restaurant! This was our first time and we will definitely be returning. read more

La Tortuga - Pampazo and torta de Milanesa - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

La Tortuga is a local favorite serving Oaxacan style food. They also have some dessert items to go also. I loved the Oaxaca Flauta Plate. My friend got the beef flautas and I got the chicken flautas. Nice large portion with black bean sauce, rice and salad. Service is excellent. We also ordered 2 shrimp tacos that had grilled peppers. Everything tasted great. read more

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Service is so friendly. I'm in heaven when I enjoy their Tres Leches cake! My boss got me this as a going away good luck cake and it's the best, now my go-to birthday cake to get friends and family. read more

Just almost perfect .. If you don't read any more, I highly recommend and we will certainly return. If you read a little more, the 1 star drop is the fact my lunch came way after my wife's of which I asked her to start and she was 3/4 way through by the time mine arrived. .......ok... I had La Tortuga on the bucket list along with a couple more Mexicans in the Seaside area. I suggested to my wife we should go out for lunch and try La Tortuga. Parking is easy, restaurant is canteen style with plenty of seating. Menu was a little overwhelming at first glance as it's split between two walls with some being text and some being pictures... the staff were super helpful and very accommodating leading us to a shrimp ceviche style dish and a chorizo sandwich. My wife's came out first (Ceviche) which is totally understandable, it tasted fresh and put a smile on her face which is all I could really ask for. My sandwich arrived a little later which was almost the size of a small planet .. a total monster ... It was really interesting, the bread was so light it was hard to discern it was actually bread with a lovely background kick from the Chorizo. I managed to get half way through before throwing in the towel and taking the 2nd half to-go. We both washed the food down with Horchata which again was on point. All in all it was a great suggestion, it might not make it to the top of my list but judging by how packed it got I suspect a couple more visits and different options and I might very well change my mind. Thank you La Tortuga... great job and you were all so so nice we want to come back ! read more

La Tortuga - Chorizo Sandwich - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Stopping by Seaside for our favorite El Molcajete Oaxaqueno dish! It is still the best although the bean gravy taste has changed slightly. I like the new version but the old version is definitely better! read more

La Tortuga - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Really disappointing experience. I ordered a dish that included nopales, which wasn't mentioned in the description. I politely let the staff know I didn't like it and that I wouldn't have ordered it if I had known--but I was completely ignored. The girl at the front even rolled her eyes at me, which was honestly shocking. Poor communication and even worse customer service. Definitely won't be coming back. read more

La Tortuga - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Biggest breakfast burritos in the county. I love the coffee and chocolate cake. Soprs are my go too.

Food is great, staff super friendly. A must-go when we are in Monterey. We order Comalito almost every time. What a treat! Their bakery is great too! read more

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This place is so authentic. Out of all the places me and my girlfriend ate out here, this place is the best. The food has so much flavor and the dishes they offer are as real as it gets. Please do yourself a favor and give it a try. Will come back if I'm ever in town. The ladies running this place are so nice and sweet. read more

La Tortuga - Asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Ok so I was in town working the AT&T PGA tournament. I stopped by to eat lunch. I ordered the Menudo (took one bite) spit out the tripe . Took it back to counter and told them I cannot eat this. Then the cashier told me she doesn't care for their Menudo either. I Then ordered a torta Cubana to replace my order. Again one bite no flavor at all. I added salsa to it and still no flavor I got it to go and threw it away. Waste of 22.00 only flavor was the diet coke I drank. Never again will I eat there. read more

The service was really quick and they are definitely very generous with their portions. The inside of the restaurant is colorful and has plenty of seating options if you choose to dine-in. We got the Torta Asada and Torta Cubana. The Torta Cubana was HUGE and we only managed to eat half of one. The bread used for the tortas was soft and perfectly crunchy on the outside. The only downside was that the meat used for the asada or milanesa was a bit tough to bite through so you kind of had to tug away from it to rip it off, but the flavor and everything else was amazing. I personally wouldn't get the Cubana again but more due to its sheer size. read more

La Tortuga - Torta La Cubana - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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We had breakfast there and the service was great! The place was clean and decorated so cute. It reminded me of being back in Mexico. The food was amazing and delicious. The portion size was a lot. Thank you! read more

Great service and great food. This review is a continuation of an old review only a modern menu update. My new go-to is Ceviche de Camaron. I love it all tho. Burritos are amazingly fresh. Tortas packed to the brim. Tlayudas beyond. Amazing mole. Great beans and rice. I'll be exploring the menu more and more in the future so expect more pics and reviews. Place is A+. I love Oaxaca Mexican food!!! read more

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This place was great. My wife and son ordered 3 soft tacos each (wife 2 chicken 1 fish; son 1 fish, 1 lengua, 1 barbacoa de cachete). I got to taste the meat of each type. Delicious. I ordered the seafood soup. I checked and there was no rice added to the soup but there were a few small pieces of potato which I would have rather avoided. That is the only small detraction in what was otherwise the best seafood soup I have had in my life. So flavorful, the broth alone I made sure not to leave a drop. I think the crab they added probably helped the flavor but good luck getting much of any meat out of it. Big bowl, full of mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari, crab, and just when I thought they couldn't squeeze any more seafood in there was a light white fish fillet at the bottom. So tasty. Highly recommend this place. read more

Worst customer service ever. Ordered a mil ojas cake and got 3 leches. I called to see if I can get a partial refund or what can be done lady said nothing. I hate places that can't recognize when they messed up and can't atleast apologize. Old Lady just kept being rude. read more

La Tortuga - Cake - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Food was terrible. True Mexican food lovers, do not go here. Save your money! We got two burritos, one al pastor and one chorizo. Both were just lacking flavor and not enjoyable. Disappointed. read more

Good service, the food took little long but it worth it, restaurant clean , thanks . .

This place is special. A real family-owned and operated place. Pictures of the parents who started it on the wall and a number of plaques from state assembly members and newspaper articles on the walls touting their quality. We went during Monterey Car Week. Even though it was busy, Luis, who took our order (I think he's the son of the family) was so incredibly friendly and patient and the food was excellent. Cute, comfy interior. If we lived here we would be regulars. read more

Fantastic place! Authentic family recipes with a homey vibe! Check them out-! Generous portions, service is amazing- Elijah is amazing, genuine proprietor, heartfelt in every way- read more

We were in the mood for some Mexican food so we decided to try La Tortuga. We ordered tacos. The asada was bland and the al pastor was very unseasoned with strange sweet pineapple almost like it came from a can. I know al pastor has pineapple but not huge chunks this sweet. The tacos de cabeza was bland and so was the taco de chorizo which I thought couldn't be that bad as it has all the seasonings in it. The chorizo taco was a bit burned and overall I won't come back here. Perhaps the Oaxacan food may be good but if they couldn't get tacos right I don't know why I would try anything else. Service was very good they were extremely polite and nice. The ambiance was ok quiet and clean it didn't look bad or dirty. Maybe we got unlucky but this was my 1st time here and most likely last. Shame i usually stick to a good spot when i find one. New in town and just wanted to get some good tacos. I hope you improve La Tortuga I would like to see you succeed. read more

Such an awesome place, serving Oaxaca Mexican cuisine. The exterior is unassuming, while the interior is spacious with display of extensive menu. There was a warm, inviting atmosphere. My friends and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the outdoor backyard seating area. We were given a menu and table service. We were also served complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were thin and satisfyingly crunchy. The salsa was a little on the spicy side, but good. Initially, I ordered my usual Horchata, but was curious about a warm drink I've never tried before called Alote. It is a corn based beverage with milk, cinnamon, brown sugar cane. The drink was thick, smooth, creamy, and simply delectable. I fell in love with the taste immediately. For my meal, I went with the Fiesta Del Mar, which consisted of breaded fish filet, shrimps in garlic butter, shellfish in spicy sauce (I asked for mild), which included blue crab, mussels, and clams. The platter was huge! This also came with rice, beans, and tortillas. All this seafood for only $20! My favorite part was the breaded fish filet. The breading was absolutely perfect and delightfully crispy, while the fish was amazingly tender and flaky. There were 2 types of shrimp - One kind was already peeled and open like a butterfly and the other was still in the shell. I enjoyed the first type more, though the sauce wasn't that garlicky. The crab was delicious, but since it was so small, quite difficult to get the meat out. I had to ask for a crab leg cracker tool several times until I finally got it. And the sauce it came in was bold, with plenty of tasty and flavorful seasoning. The rice was pretty good. It was cooked well and mixed with corn, as well as carrots. Later, I ordered the chocolate version of Alote drink to go. This was soo yummy as well, with a lightly sweet chocolate taste. Service was great! Everyone was so friendly and genuinely kind. The food came out in a timely manner and we were well taken care of throughout our time here. Also, prices are very reasonable. I would definitely return, as there are so many mouthwatering menu options! read more

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I came here for a menudo but unfortunately they were out (it was late on Sunday). I had the pozole instead. Superb! Nothing repairs the soul like this. Go, take your time and enjoy something, anything there, it will be good! read more

La Tortuga - Pozole! - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Oh boy was extremely disappointed by the food. We got a California burrito (didn't have french fries in them like they normally do) carne asada was tough and there was corn in it? Not your typical Cali burrito. Got the loaded nachos and it barely had any cheese, when you pick up a chip no toppings stuck on it bc of the lack of cheese/beans/sauce. So you have to build each nacho to have some toppings on top. We got chicken on the nachos and it was verrrrry dry and soggy chips. Overall didn't seem like authentic Mexican perhaps they are just known for their tortas and we ordered wrong! read more

La Tortuga - California burrito & pollo nachos - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Friends and I came here when driving back up North from Monterey after the Monterey Bay Half Marathon and we were hungry for carbs. A few places we were interested in for brunch had long lines, and we were looking for something quick and inexpensive--we found La Tortuga and lucked out! I ordered the Al pastor torta and horchata and it was delicious. One of the best tortas I've ever had. The menu was large and no one was disappointed by the food, everyone left full and content. Items are reasonably-priced and service was quick, so we were back on the road on our way home ASAP. read more

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Do not go. The food is horrible not like before. When I complained about my order they didn't want to help. They were very rude. This place was my favorite for tortas but they are so nasty and quality very poor. read more

La Tortuga - Paid almost 20.00 for a smashed sandwich that was very cold, old, smashed. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Stopped here in a whim. The location doesn't look like much from the outside but don't let that deter you. Walking in, we were greeted warmly by the staff. They asked if we were ordering to go or dining in. We were lucky that we were visiting during an off hour between lunch and dinner so we were able to sit down right away. By the time our food arrived, the restaurant was packed; mostly by locals (which is always a good sign). The menu is extensive. Almost to an intimidating degree although, I love to have the option to try something new and I feel that I can come back here for years and try something different. The back page is really where it's at with their authentic Oaxacan cuisine. The staff served us promptly and they were super attentive throughout our entire visit. You definitely get a "family" vibe from this restaurant and that's exactly the type of place I love to come back and visit with friends. We ordered a Tinga de Res burrito as well as the Pambosso Torta. Both entrees were delicious and I'd order them again. There is some sort of sauce coating on the outside of the torta that I'm unsure what it is but, whatever it is, it's delicious. Maybe an ancho chili paste? I'm excited to come back and try something off the Food of Oaxaca menu. The only reason this place didn't hit 5 stars for me was because of the out of date menus. If I could give a 4.5 star rating, I would. read more

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Two of us arrived early Friday afternoon. A person who works at Cannery Row suggested we go have a torta, mole, tlayuda, or burrito in this small restaurant. We decided to go to Seaside before leaving Monterey just to try it out, like any good yelper would do after hearing the reviews. It was easy to find and it's located next to a thrift store and bakery. Parking lot was tiny and we decided to do street parking. We came in and sat ourselves down at a table. We thought we were going to order at counter, but we were greeted and given menus. They have bottles/cans of sodas. No soda fountain. We got two diet cokes and were given glasses of ice. Chips and 2 types of salsa also appeared on table along with napkins. After asking our server some questions, we tried: 1- tinga (chicken in red sauce) gordita with sour cream and lettuce. I liked it. 1- Pollo en mole burrito (some rice, corn, and beans inside). Huge! This was the husband's favorite. The mole is not too sweet and is heavy on cinnamon. 1-torta de milanesa (beef) like a sub sandwich with beans, chipotle mayo, avocado, and meat. My favorite type of torta. I'd get it again. 1-torta ahogada (al pastor) like a sub sandwich, covered in sauce ( you can choose between red, green, non spicy) There were some desserts in fridges along wall. We decided to order 2 burritos to go, asada & chile relleno. Then 3 more burritos, asada, al pastor, and Pollo en mole to drop off at my parents' home. I had half of an asada burrito and I'd have it again with some of the green sauce on the side. It had queso fresco inside of it which is a nice touch. read more

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La Tortuga has the best breakfast burritos around. All their choices including their soups are excellent, but if I'm in the mood for a breakfast burrito I only come here. Craving satisfied! read more

Come for the tortas, not the tacos I ordered a Pollo mole torta. It was pretty good. The chicken was moist and the mole sauce was tasty. The addition of avocado and jalapeño made it better. I did have a few bones in the sandwich though and that wasn't the most fun. My friend ordered 2 soft tacos and a rolled taco. The pastor and the carne asada were lacking in flavor. So I would not recommend. The portions were generous though. read more

La Tortuga - Pollo en mole torta - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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I came on a Saturday afternoon and it was busy. Not a lot of parking. I was seated quickly. The menu is expansive, ranging from breakfast staples to dinner specials & an Oaxacan menu. One unisex bathroom for the restaurant. There is outdoor seating available. I ordered 2 chicken tamales w/ beans. The chips and salsa are good, fresh tortilla chips and a flavorful salsa that is not too spicy. As for the tamales, I got one that had chicken & jalapeños and the other one had chicken w/ mole sauce. Both were not made that day, as the masa surrounding the filling was very dry & crispy. As for the tamales themselves, they were delicious. The masa & filling was savory, and the salsa was a good complement. The beans were also great. Price of meal: $16.65 read more

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Good food. Reasonable prices. Great service that was very friendly! Not just Mexican - Oaxacan foods with their especialidas. read more

Very gentrified. Lacks so much flavor. Who tf puts queso fresco on ceviche. Super disappointed I used to love la tortuga years ago.