Got there at 12 and didn't leave till 12:50 when I finally got my food it was cold, I had asked for enchiladas with rice and beans and when I had gotten home there was only two enchiladas I wasn't about to waste more time by going back, people got there before me and they got there food first this place sucks they take for ever it's a waste of time read more

Great hole in the wall mexican spot. The meats are all delicious and good quality. Prices are a little on the high side, and everything is super greasy - but the food definitely hits the spot when you're itching for some authentic mexican food. Seating is super limited and only outside, so this spot is best taken to go. read more

Went in to buy Carne Asada, retried beans, rice and a small salsa to make Taco Tuesday at home for three adults. $35 later, I came home and the meat was terrible. Threw it in the trash terrible. Dry, flavorless and gross. Overpriced place with bad Asada. read more

This place really is terrible. And I wasn't expecting some high end Mexican food as some of the other reviews imply is the reason for bad reviews. I got home and opened my meal and it looked like they threw it across the room before they gave it to me, and the service was terrible also. The worst part was the food though. Worst Mexican food I have ever had, anywhere. No flavor, mushy "crispy tacos", everything had the same flavor. I had the two crispy taco with beans and rice plate, maybe something else on the menu is amazing, but I won't be going again to find out. Very disappointed but much better option around. read more

Tried Carnitas and Carne Asada buritos. Both were good. Both had a lot of meat. I'm no expert, but I think the meat was very good quality. The meat was big fat chunks, as big as an inch diameter, 2 inches long. The flavor I'll describe as mild. Good, but mild. It's Much better then a 3 star for meat, but not flavor. A base line 5 star is Guisados in LA. steve read more

If it was an option, I'd give Las Golindrinas 3.5 stars. This is straightforward Mexican takeout. The tortilla chips are made fresh and made in a thick, crunchy style. I am a fan of the salsa and guacamole - also fresh made. I really like the beef machaca burrito and fitness special burrito for breakfast. Everything is made to order, so sometimes there is a few minute wait, but it's worth it. read more

Las Golondrinas has several locations in South County and the one off of Estrella in San Clemente has been here for years. This is a very casual, walk up to order, and you may even end up having to share a table..."fun", or not depending on who your sitting by and the few tables they do have are all outside. I ordered a chicken soft taco and a small chicken tostada. The taco had very spicy chicken and a small amount of potatoes in it ...and who puts potatoes in taco's? The chicken tostada had chicken, a lot of tomatoes, beans, no cheese and a lot of lettuce. It was just ok! I really wanted to be a chowhound because I don't come here very often ... but sadly I didn't end up eating most of the food because it wasn't that good. Definitely, not the same as it used to be. read more

Terrible, it seems the burritos here are all a variation of a bean burrito so they can call it something else. I tried it despite reviews because yelp said it was 4 1/2 stars, big mistake. I went for the 2 egg breakfast burrito and it was almost all beans. There was a minuscule amount of chorizo eggs and cheese, no bacon nothing else. I specifically told them I wanted everything in it and they charged me quite a bit extra. TLDR: bad place, trust people's reviews and stay away. read more

During my frequent trips between Los Angeles and San Diego, for some reason I always 'conveniently' need to: get gas/use the restroom/stop for a snack in San Clemente. Oh lookee there! It's Las Golondrinas! My favorite mexican food place in all of Orange County! How about we stop and get a bag of chips, a pint of the *best guacamole ever made*, 3 tacos (1 chile relleno required), a cinnamon-raisin tamale, a large horchata, and - shout out to George M! - some bunuelos! Like I said, a snack. It's called stomach stretching excercises. read more

I wrote a review on the wrong location but we went to eat there and it was a little past 7 and they had the chairs to sit locked up . Everyone wanted to eat there and when we asked they said the owner had the key ... funny because they were combination locks . Drag because they were in such a hurry to leave you can tell in the food . read more

Las Golindrinas - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

We stopped here on the way through town from San Diego. The prices were high, so we expected they were larger portions. Unfortunately, the burritos were Taco Bell sized, and the "Carne Asada" burrito had hardly any Carne Asada at all, just small pieces mixed with a lot of beans. The flavor was bland and the Carne Asada taste was non-existent, largely overwhelmed by what little flavor the runny beans had. As for hot sauce, forget it, we didn't get any and there are only small packets of Tapatio near the door. The apathetic girl behind the counter stared blankly at every request, not much help there. My suggestion, wait for a place in Oceanside if your southbound. Authentic Mexican food awaits, twice the size, ten times the flavor, at lower prices. read more

My favorite fast food mexican place ever. Try the Coconut and Pineapple tamales, or the chicken mole. Everything's good, but here's a tip -- make sure you ask for salsa because they don't automatically include it. As I write this it's 8 am and I wish I was holding one of their chorizo burritos! read more

I can't even take it...every time I am drive south on the 5 I just have to pull off on Camino de Estrella to partake in this amazing place! Apparently my dad went there for years when he ran a nearby Ralph's years ago and he never had the decency to let his youngest daughter in on this secret! Better late than never! I recently ordered the fajita chicken in a 1/2 pint to try (the chicken in red sauce is phenomenal as well!) and they made it without the onions etc for me and I am OBSESSED! The Guac is different from homemade and normally I am turned off BUT I can just spoon feed myself their Guac....must resist! So good!! Tamales good...check! Beans so good! ...check! Rice tasty...check! Carne Asada amazing! ...check! Pork...mmmm...check! Little bean and cheese burritos I wish I could eat but alas I can't...really good though...double check! I may just drive there now since I've began salivating just thinking of the food...hmmmm. read more

Ordered 6 carne Asada burritos to go and the lady that took my $$ only gave us 2 tiny salsas even though I bought six burritos when asked for 1 more for each burrito she said only 2 per order or pay for more or four people have to go without sauce completely ridiculous but if I made six individual orders would've been fine! Shows how cheap they are you can imagine why the burritos were full of mostly fillers inside and little meat read more

i usually love this chain but i guess people just can't read these days!! waited 20 minutes for a mixed up wrong order, especially when i pointed out allergies to tomatoes and onions. what did o find in my taco? onions and tomatoes!!! we checked back at the receipt and the order was run in correctly, but the kitchen staff just got everything wrong. who puts beans in a soft taco and then wraps it in tinfoil?? awful and very dissapointed. read more

I grew up on Los Golondrinas and its seriously my standard for damn good Mexican food. Its unpretentious but its better than most generic hole in the wall Mexican places. Although this was the one closest to my house, this wasnt my "home" location (the one in Capistrano Beach next to Stats is my home location and there's another one in Laguna Niguel) This is straight up great food. Period. Ok, Its not "authentic", its the americanized, cheese-tastic version of Mexican food...but its CLASSIC americanized mexican food that is made well. It doesnt try to be gimmicky like taco bell by making various concoctions of cheese, tortillas and "steak"...they've been consistant for years and that's why I've been in love with this place. Anything you get is bound to be delicious. A family favorite is the taquitos.. Any meat you get, chicken or beef, is never dry and compliments the shell well. Also comes with a huge dollop of guacamole on the side. Like I said, I grew up on the taquitos here and when I finally had them somewhere else, it felt wrong. I remember thinking, "is this how the rest of the world eats taquitos? its sick!" These are my standard, and they've set the bar high. Another favorite is the Big Dave. Its huge. Its 2 huge flour tortillas stuffed with rice, beans, (i think) salsa and the meat of your choice with cheese. Its a great, solidly constructed burrito that you order when you're ridiculously hungry...but its not my favorite burrito My favorite is the unique chile relleno burrito. Its seriously a whole chile relleno, beans and rice made portable in burrito form. Like they took the normal chile relleno plate meal (also made as a separate combo meal) an made it into a burrito. It is my definition of greasy goodness. You eat one of these for lunch and i can safely say you wont be hungry for dinner. They also have the standard plate meals here...what I first knew as enchiladas came from here. They have pretty standard American-Mexican fare...crispy tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc... I also really like the chips, salsa and guacamole here. Its all made in-house, not made elsewhere and bought by the restaurant and sold here: its all made and packaged by Los Golondrinas. Even the containers look very homey. You pull it off the shelves and out of the fridge yourself, always what made me feel at home here. I dont give away 5 stars unless I really like a place. Yes, it could be argued that its my nostalgia, not the quality that makes me say "5 star" but I disagree. Whenever I get the chance to come down here, which isnt often anymore, I come back to Los Golondrinas and its the same since I was a kid. The quality of the consistancy is high. I've tried Mexican food that has been deemed the most "autentico" and "the best"-- stuff like lengua (tongue) tacos, menudo, "real" chile relleno (no cheese or red sauce) ...and I've had em in restaurants, to humble hole-in-the-wall to taco truck establishments. Although this isnt "better" than them, the quality is definitely there. Its just good food made by npeople who know what they're doing. So enough babble. Go try it read more

I have called In a take out order 2 days in a row now ahead of time by at least a hour, and every time I showed up they never have started it or have a ticket in the kitchen with my order. It is ridiculous to have to wait a extra 30 mins when I call a hour ahead. They should work on there POS system or get a better method at taking phone orders for the future. read more

New to the area, Friday evening heading home from work. Boyfriend was starving so he decided to stop by this place to try it out. When we got there we noticed that the place was very busy with people coming and going must of them picking up takeout. We thought geez, this place must have good food. We order food to go he got a burrito I got 2 chicken soft tacos. Boy, was I disappointed when I arrived home and open up my bag. My chicken tacos were, a pile of chicken on 2 corn tortilla nothing else, just a huge huge pile of chicken on tortillas no onions no cilantro no pico . Never have I had I tacos served this way before. It looked so gross, I could hardly eat it. What a big disappointment that was. On the positive side at least my boyfriend burrito was decent, So he said, but we both decided not to go there again. read more

Should be called "Las GolonBEANas". First time here. Ordered a Carne Asada Burrito and made it a "combo" for 2.50 more which is just a side of rice and beans. Bit into my carne burrito and it was just Beans and meat, well pretty much all beans and a few pieces of meat. So for $8.10 I basically was given a box that was 70% beans, 20% rice, 5% tortilla and 5% carne asada. Once again the carne asada burrito was JUST beans and meat. Also the young girl behind the counter acts really annoyed and bothered any time you ask for something like salsa to accompany your all-bean extravaganza! The one cup of salsa I used was really good. Only wish I had the cojones to ask Miss Congeniality behind the counter for one more. read more

Look, Mexican food is good when its done right and this place has it down. I always enjoy good Mexican food and this place won't disappoint, just bring cash cause that's all they take. I got the chili relleno burrito and oh baby was it bob diggity. Cheesy and damn tasty. I am not in the area all the time but next time the Big Dave is going down! If you are in the neighbor hood make it a point to stop here and try the food, you WILL NOT be disappointed! read more

A co worker recommended this place. Terrible decision to come here. I got the carne asada nachos. Inedible. Just a mound of mush. Every other taco shop I've been to has shredded melted cheese, meat, maybe some pico, guacamole, and sour cream. This was just flooded with melted nacho cheese and beans with a little boiled meat on top. Gross read more

Los Golondrinas is one of the few things I miss about south OC. Every single one of these take out style restaurants is amazing! I've never had a bad meal here. The Laguna Niguel and Clem locations are equally delicious! I'm not sure if there are more locations, but I'm sure they are just as good. Let's see I've had taquitos, tacos, giant burritos, tamales, and enchiladas here. They also have the best chips and salsa and guacamole. You have to try the cinnamon and sugar chips too. My family gets a huge amount of enchiladas and tamales and a lot of holidays and occasions too, so I think they cater. read more

I've eaten at the Capo Beach location (by Costco) several times and food was good for caliber of restaurant, service decent. Tried the SC location and was hoping other reviews were wrong, but it's really bad. The food was soggy and resembled slop, and the service was very subpar (lax and tiresome attitude). I hope management takes notice, and I'd return if quality improves. read more

I will no longer be a customer. No face masks enforced! Be careful, they do not care about the safety of their regular customers. I have been a regular customer for 5 years! Food has always been great. Service has sometimes been good sometimes not good. However, I went in recently after calling in my order 10 min ahead of time and still had to wait 15 minutes for a bean and cheese burrito. While waiting in their small store front there were multiple customers entering and exiting without masks. In fact there were multiple customers allowed to stand inside without respecting social distancing. There is no regard for my safety and therefore I will never enter this restaurant again. Good luck all! read more

Love their authentic food. Recently ordered a party tray & it was not only beautiful but delicious!! Preferred extras & everyone loved it. I thought there would be extras but it was gone!! read more

I love the carne azada nachos yummy yummy , taco Tuesday it's great for fish tacos and now they have Tortas good job

Had the Big Dave burrito and the lady had the California burrito. Huge and delicious. Their homemade Guac and salsa is bomb dot com! read more

Las Golindrinas - The big Dave - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

UNBELIEVABLE HORRIBLE SERVICE HERE.!! A friend of mine ordered 2 tacos and I was waiting in car for him. After 25 minutes of waiting I was starting to get a bit impatient cause it literally takes maybe 2-3 mins to make 2 tacos so I went inside and asked what's going on and he said he was still waiting but didn't want me to get involved so I went back out to the car and waited like 15 mins longer. Still no tacos after going in to restaurant and almost making a scene cause I had things going on and wasn't aware we would have to wait almost 1 hour for 2 tacos. There were a few others waiting for food as well and Togo orders (large) Togo orders being picked up. They did not look understaffed so I don't know what was going on with this place. I've been in the business for over 25 years and never experienced any wait time like this. My friend ended up leaving without getting a refund cause he thought he'd have to wait forever for a refund plus has things going on as well so I took him back to his place and came back with receipt to pick up his tacos and the guy didn't even have any apology after me talking to him and manager was gone. Don't go to this place I don't recommend it to anyone. There's plenty of great Mexican places other than this company. Absolutely rediculous read more

Pros: Burritos are GIANT. What is it with San Clemente and their restaurants offering surgically altered burritos? I'll answer my own question and tell ya I don't know, but I love it. Carnitas have some spice to them as well, really love this burrito here. Rolled tacos with the guacamoooole, so delicious. Chips and guacamole from here, so good, the guac has a bit of a bite to it, and you can't stop until the entire thing is gone. Cons: They aren't open late. This is a major flaw, I think they close at 8? The guacamole is really expensive (I have a crisis of wallet every time I go in). Not much to be said of ambience, I would get the food to go, we usually always do. All that being said, it's right off the freeway and the food is quick and more than satisfying. Regular spot for us. read more

Okay, I've been going to Las Golondrinas since I was a wee child (the other location near Stats) but since I am home visiting from Canada & craving some Mexican food this was my first request. It's cheap (we fed 4 people for about $20) & delicious. I recommend their Swiza or their wet veggie burritos. Yum. If you like tamales, they have some delicious options. Just be sure if you're ordering around the holidays to do so in advance - they always sell out! Give their version of Buñuelos a try. Cinnamon sugar chip goodness. The perfect ending to a comforting & filling meal. The only downside is the 8pm closing time. But sometimes rushing for good food is totally worth it. read more

AMAZING FOOD!!!! I got the carnitas taco and the fish taco. The carnitas taco was hands down the best one I have ever had. The pork was tender, and had pork fat, so it just melted in my mouth. Hmmmm. The fish taco did not pale in comparison either. It was crunchy, with a kick of spice. Remember to squeeze the lemon on the taco before you take the bite. It ties everything together. read more

LOVE the Guacamole and the chips are quite delish. Those are what keep me coming back for more, and more, and more. Today I finally tried their veggie tostada and it was definitely worth way more than the very cheap price. So much goodness, I had a hard time trying to figure out how to eat it. But so yummerific with the chips and guac added into the mix to help eat the monster. I tend to have an Egg, Bean, and Potato Burrito. Occasionally, I have to have a good fixing of their nopalitos burrito. Who knew a cactus good be so good? The price has gone up over the years, but you'll fill up. The place is always bustling at the normal eating hours and there can be a tiny wait, but it's worth it. Need a Cal-Mex fixin'? Can't go wrong goin' here. Mmm-mmm, good! read more

This isn't a homogenized Mexican restaurant. This is a dive with mouth watering food. I always make a point to swing by on my way to or from San Diego. Although I'm not a fan of tamales. Here, the beef tamales are Incredible! I recommend ordering extra to take home and freeze. However, my personal favorite is the beef rolled tacos, seasoned to perfection. I'm salivating just thinking about it! As I said this is a dive, if the few tables and chairs located outside are occupied. I recommend not waiting, rip open the container and dig into its content in the comfort of your car! Who cares about the mess when the food is well worth it! P.S. They'll gladly provide salsa at the counter. read more

DO NOT GO. The food is barely mediocre, the service is horrible, and I was handed a paper bag sopping wet with three dripping wet tacos that was supposed to be crispy. When I handed them the bag and asked for appropriate food the girl looked at me like what's wrong with our crap? read more

I'll leave this one to you SC locals to keep supporting, as I simply don't get it. Terrible service. Cashier was unfriendly and unaccommodating with deadpan expressions and literally silent responses until asked multiple times more directly. Weekend dinner time at 6pm, and most of the patio chairs and tables were locked up. Asked cashier to unlock, she was confused as to why and had to be asked several times. Eventually unlocked 1 of the 4 locked tables, explaining she didn't know how to unlock the others. Then ended up doing so to 1 more table 20 minutes and a couple of complaints later. And the food... Is. Just. Mediocre. Multiple times, enough variety of items, but always the same uninspiring flavors. Simply put, there are just too many Mex options through South OC to have a need to ever get back here. read more

Authentic Mexican food. I notice some bad reviews on here but if you want fried taco shop food, this is not the place. The food here is a home cook typed meal. I love it. I come here when I miss my mom's home cooking. We are from San Diego and always stop here when we are in the area. I would recommend to sit and eat here because the food is juicy and not dry. read more

So I admit it, I don't yelp as often as I should, but when I do it's either because I either love the place or I hate it. Las Golondrinas has to be one of my all time favorite places to eat. I grew up in South County so I've been eating here for over 20 years. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal here ever and every time I'm even passing through the area I'll starve myself for half the day just so I can eat as much as I can here. The chicken fajitas are amazing, the mole is great and I have no idea how I used to eat the "Big Dave" burritos when I was a kid, but I'd get them all the time. Sure its slightly Americanized but this is some of the best Mexican food you'll ever have, for me it's the end all be all for great Mexican food. read more

Las Golindrinas has some yummy basic Mexican food. I especially love their cheese enchiladas and mini burritos! This is the place to go if you want a quick Mexican meal and don't want to spend a lot of money. read more

My other local mexican eatry in San Clemente, My fav is carnitas burrito when I am in a hurry, but my usual is buying a pound of carnitas, fresh make corn tortillas, chips, and salsa buche. Go home with tacos for next three days. Local owners, great service, and other places in the O.C. too... Always busy a sign of great tasty mexican food. Five Star 1food 2price 3service 4quality 5unique read more

Oh, I do miss this place. My co-workers introduced me one day and after that it was hard to avoid, and when I did avoid it, it somehow made its way to my desk. The chips- my mouth was defenseless- I swear some one forced me to finish 3 baskets full. BUT Here's my descending order of favorite Mexican digs in OC El Torito Javiers Los Golondrias El Jefe/La Siesta and if you extend to San Diego Casa Guadalajara would go below Los Golondrias, but above El Jefe/La Siesta. And Cozymel's would be at the bottom. And that's my take! read more