Best burritos in Novato... so far. Things are changing, all over, as are prices and portions and…read morequality These guys are very friendly, you get a lot of food for your money, and the food is excellent. Native Californian speaking here, with 30 years in San Diego, so... (Btw, no in SoCal puts rice in burritos.)

My family and I have ordered from Carmen's for a couple years now in the absence of San Jose…read moreTaqueria not being upon. The food has always been fantastic. We finally decided to come and sit down. We were not disappointed in the food. I had my super burrito with steak and as always, it was delicious. My wife had two tacos À la carte. With the same results as my burrito. Her Michelada was good, not great but she still loved it. The restaurant is decorated well, and lived the tv's going to watch sports. The one thing I was let down was the amount of chips and salsa given out as we sat down. There were three of us and we received two small bowls of green and red salsa. When I say small, they were the size of the bowl you order fries and they give you ketchup. Now, for the price you pay for Mexican food now a day, I am expecting a little more salsa and chips. I will be coming back, as the food is great, and the people are so nice. Just don't be so frugal on the chips and salsa.

So I've heard plenty about this place and wanted to check it out because honestly the places around…read moretown in Novato that are Mexican food just don't really cut it. Don't get me wrong. They're fine, but just not true Mexican food.. I'm really glad that I did and I was not disappointed. The weight staff was on top of everything took our drink orders right away offered appetizers. We ordered the guacamole and I got to tell you the guacamole was to die for it did not taste processed or anything. I probably could've eaten the whole bowl because it was that good and the serving was huge! My husband ordered the chicken enchiladas with a green sauce, which she did offer two other options for sauce and he opted for the green sauce cause he thought it wouldn't be that spicy, but it was a tad bit spicy for him. It comes with a rice and beans your choice of whether you want black beans or pinto beans and of course he chose black beans because he loves black beans. The rice is not your typical side of rice that you normally get at a Mexican restaurant it has so much flavor in it and it was very light and fluffy. I ordered the Carne Asada tacos with pinto beans. And again it was very tasty. I could not finish my second taco just because I was filling up on all the guacamole and a beer before hand so I ended up taking my food home. The flavors in my tacos were so good and it was not dry steak. It was so moist and tender. You could probably cut it with a fork! The flavors were just perfectly matched and not too spicy. We will definitely go back there again and try a few more things off the menu. They are open fairly late so that's a plus. It's definitely a must try place so hope to see you there soon! Before I go, let's talk about the decor. It is so nicely decorated in there. It makes you wanna stay a little bit longer just because it makes it so nice and comfy. They redid the place much to a heritage. Definitely gonna go back!

Ok, my wife and I are tired of poor service at restaurants and Mamitas has the dubious honor of…read morebeing the first we're going to review. There will be more to follow as were are on a path to try an raise awareness and hopefully fix the poor service and training of staff we experience too often We HATE being rushed, that feeling you get when the server takes away a plate the second you eat the last bite, even when others in you party still have food left or taking a glass even when there is a drop left. Today at happy hour we sat at the bar and the barman took our free chips and salsa with half the tray of chips still left. Then before we finished our second drink he brought the check with a typical "no rush" comment. We did not say we were finished, he did not ask if we wanted anything else. There a strange sort of passive aggressive treatment to the customer. Growing up in the UK and being a waiter in my youth we were trained to never rush the customer, don't clear plates until the last person finishes so there is not the feeling of rushing them. Too often there's a feeling of treating the customer without true care and then expecting an exorbitant 20% tip We've been to Mamitas many times before, usually the chips are left and if you run out of salsa a replacement is brought out. The staff would not drop off a check unless we had asked for it I prefer eating at home to anything else but sometimes you want to go out. You just want decent,affordable food and staff that are professional, well trained and don't become the focal point of your evening. We always sit at the bar as the waiters are way too over eager, sadly now the bar staff are doing the same. . Maybe it's time to retrain the managers? Either way we're tired of paying $50-$100 with plates cleared and a 'don't let the door hit you on the way out' feeling within a half hour. Life is getting too expensive for that.

Taqueria Mi Pueblo III was a nice stop for lunch after almost three years. I was craving a drink,…read moreso I ordered a margarita, and we shared a guacamole dip. I was happy with both, although the guacamole was slightly saltier than usual. I ordered the carne asada plate, and my significant other went with a meat quesadilla. It was a warm Sunday, so we sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air. The ladies who took our order and served us were wonderful, as was a young man who helped with the tables. The food was delicious, and overall we had a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Mi Pueblo has amazing Mexican food and is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere! Their meat…read moreoptions are plentiful, when I visit my parents I go here and get chorizo, lengua, and cabeza. The chorizo is some of the best I've ever had (sadly a lot of chorizo in Texas is bad). The cabeza is tender and great in a super burrito. Not enough places have cabeza and lengua as options. The tacos are good too. The salsa bar has pickled jalapenos that tick the spicy acidic box. Don't miss out on Mi Pueblo.

Over a week ago, we were driving south to San Francisco through Novato when we decided to have…read moredinner, and Mexican food won the majority vote! We chose to try a new place, and El Rey caught our attention. We arrived around 7:30, and the restaurant wasn't busy since it was a Sunday evening. Looking at the menu, I was drawn to their ceviche. We decided to start with guacamole and chips, share a ceviche, and have a Quesadilla con Carne Asada. The guacamole was fresh and well-made, the ceviche was exceptionally delicious, and the quesadilla was very well prepared and tasty. Our server was very friendly and helpful with our questions, and we even shared a few good laughs. The service was excellent. El Rey has been a local spot in Novato for many years, family-owned and known for serving traditional Mexican dishes in a welcoming setting. It has built a reputation in the community as a reliable place for a hearty meal, and many locals have been coming here for decades. The restaurant is a standalone building in a shopping center and offers a large seating area. They also have an outdoor seating area, which I imagine would be especially nice on a warm evening. As a first-time visitor, I left impressed. The food, service, and relaxed atmosphere made for a very enjoyable stop on our drive. We would definitely come back again the next time we're in Novato.

Well, how things evolve over time. My dad was JONESING for menudo Sunday morning, and it was too…read moreearly to visit any of his usual weekend Mexican haunts. My wife called around to find that El Rey was open - and had menudo. What we didn't realize was that there was a full-on buffet-style brunch going on every Sunday from 9-2. First, the aromas were intoxicating. Second, there was a HUGE buffet line with Pozole, Menudo, rice & beans, chilaquiles, sausage or eggs with chorizo, veggies, potatoes, huevos ranchero, birria, quesabirria tacos, EVEN American brunch favorites like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes (but why eat those when there is AMAZING Mexican buffet to choose from?). Coffee/soda also included, and desserts including fruits and custards. I figured for sure it was upwards of $30 a head for the buffet, but the bill comes and it's like $68 for the three of us! What a value! BTW, everything I had was delish. Fresh. Hot. Tasty. And the fact that 90% of the people dining at the restaurant were Latinx tells you all you need to know. Highly recommend this brunch, Novato!

This is a small but delightful restaurant in the fast, casual ethnic food category. There's a lot…read moreof Mexican food restaurants out there, which are great, but this restaurant specializes in central American food. If you haven't become familiar with it yet, give it a try! Their pupusa and their tamales are delicious. And you don't have to spend a lot of money to get great tasting food. I only spent $11 for example on my recent lunch there and got two items which filled me up sufficiently. I'll definitely be going back to Cocina Antigua on my rounds through Novato

Homemade tortillas, great flavors/seasoning. I've been looking for good tacos in Marin and there…read moreare only a couple of decent spots - this is definitely at the top for me so far!

Went here because I was craving for fish tacos. The restaurant's decor was cute but the chairs…read morewere a little old. Friendly staff. Good selection of salsas at the salsa bar. Ordered the 2 fish taco plate and horchata. The complimentary chips and bean dip was unexpected and much appreciated. The horchata was perfect. The taco had a lot of fresh slaw but I was disappointed that there was not a lot of fish. Couldn't really taste the fish. Maybe I'll come back for something else as they do have an extensive menu.

Came from out of town again to visit and had to stop here at Tommy's Salsa. Service was great, food…read morewas fantastic. Just as we remembered. Fresh, delicious, and the prices are very fair. We ate outside and the tables were clean. Wish we lived near so we could go more often. So happy we got to come again.

Came here for a family dinner, and was surprised to find a love band "duo" playing great casual…read moremusic! An unexpected treat. We had a reservation for Father's Day and waited about 10 minutes for a table to open, as it was the busiest I have seen. The table was nice, big enough for the five of us, and the ambiance is always great here as well. We were quickly greeted by our server, Eli, who provided chips and salsas to whet our appetites, and we soon narrowed our focus to the food and drink menus. We ultimately decided on some El Jefe Tacos, a shrimp and crab enchilada, a three-item combo with two chile rellenos and a cheese enchilada with green sauce, a carne asada taco, and the volcanic Molcajete (served in a warm stone bowl with grilled steak, chicken, and prawns. Covered with a red chile, roasted tomato sauce). For libations, we went with a mojito and a new drink - for us at least - the pineapple mezcal mule! The food came in a timely manner, and the molcajete was still bubbling! Hence, the volcano nickname! The mojito was very minty and refreshing, and the pineapple mezcal mule was an acquired taste for some of the group - I enjoyed the smoky earthiness of the mezcal, but it's not your run-of-the-mill tequila, so if you are new to mezcal, be aware of the difference. The food last time was a bit spicy, but this time it was not an issue. Still spicy, but not to the point of being overpowering. Even the salsas were not as extreme. Good for some of us! All the food was delicious, and the three-item combo was great to look at as well. As we say, "the eyes eat first," and indeed my eyes were little piggies that meal! Overall, the service was great, the food great, and the entertainment a perfect background for what would have been just a noisy bunch of chatter. Overall a great Father's Day lunch.

Am liking this place more than before. Went with daughter-in-law, wife and one grandchild for lunch…read moreand it was OK. Mexican Jarrito sodas are $5 each, a glass of Modelo beer is $7 and a small orange juice is $6. Prices, to us, are high. Yes, it is in California, but Mexican dishes are not that expensive to make. Eli was our server and he did a good job with us. The Conchinita Pibil Tacos plate ($21) is a Yucatán Peninsula dish of deeply flavorful pulled pork, marinated in citrus and achiote (those tiny red seeds common in the Americas) paste. Served with pickled onions on corn tortillas. They were OK. Huevos Rancheros ($19) were, as expected, fried eggs over corn tortillas and slathered with green and red sauces. Pretty good. Most expensive was the five Street Taco Plate ($48), an outrageous price for five street tacos. Of course, you could choose what protein you wanted in those five tacos, but... We will be back as son's family like it very much. We...not so much.

Carnitas Fajitas!! Even more delicious than they are fun to say! I highly recommend them. So savory…read moreand flavorful. I've had the carnitas many times in enchiladas but not as fajitas. Wow! I chose a salad with their excellent chipotle cream dressing, instead of rice and beans. They are always happy to accommodate my food sensitivities and preferences. Today we also enjoyed a peach margarita made with fresh peaches picked from their tree! They always have fun seasonal margarita specials, but my favorite is still their house-made margarita with Patrón Silver. I don't order margaritas anywhere else anymore!

The food is so-so, and not authentic, with the presentation being the worst. Everything on the menu…read moreis overpriced. The owners are rude and belittle the staff in public. I will not be returning.

I was told about this restaurant recently and finally got the chance to go for lunch. Fabulous…read morechips and salsas. I got two tacos -- birria and chorizo -- and both were delightfully delicious. Plentiful portion. Over the past few months, I have also been ordering two dozen or more tamales for takeout each month to share with day laborers in Novato. They are consistently absolutely perfect and devoured with gusto. All in all, great food and great people.

Always a pit stop after I finish getting my nails done next door whenever I feel like picking up a…read morequick snack to take home. Today their gelatin desserts spoke to me from their refrigerated section containing salsas, guacamole, & flan. Their gelatin cups aren't too sweet and are a yummy treat. Take one or some home!

Large freeway-adjacent Mexican restaurants are a thing I've long noticed, Maya Palenque being one…read moreof several to be found as you traverse north on Highway 101. I've often wondered about such places, fantasizing that they may be great but if Maya Palenque is representative of the genre I've been missing nothing. The dishes here were nice enough in presentation. The place itself is very large and the menu quite extensive. I ordered the Taco Salad with grilled chicken and though there was nothing wrong with it, I'm someone who requires spice with my Mexican food choices. Green and red salsas were delivered to my table and - wow - I've never tasted salsas that had zero spiciness. Now I have. These added exactly nothing to the taste profile making it clear that were I desirous of any spiciness it would have to come from Tapatio or Tabasco. If you're okay with very bland Mexican fare, Maya Palenque is serving it up. My curiosity about large, freeway-adjacent Mexican restaurants has been satisfied and no further exploration of the genre is required.

For many years, and I really mean years, as we drove up north or south on Highway 101, Maya…read morePalenque in Novato caught our eye, but we never stopped there for a meal or a drink. We finally got the chance to do that, and it made us wish we had done it earlier. As we entered the restaurant, I saw the bar with people sitting there, drinking, chatting, and watching football on TV. My first mistaken impression was that this was more of a working man's hangout. But when we went into the dining area, we were seated, and I looked around at the other folks there and overheard some of their conversations, I realized that the place is more of a local favorite. The atmosphere was warm and family-oriented. I saw couples, young and old, and families with children of various ages. Our server stopped by shortly after we sat down, and we received a basket of freshly made chips and salsa, both of which were delicious. I had read about their tasty margaritas but decided against ordering one this time because I was tired and driving home to San Francisco. So we went straight to the main course! I ordered Adobado, a dish I hadn't tried before. Adobado features thin slices of pork tenderloin marinated and grilled in a chipotle-adobado sauce, served with plantains and sour cream. It turned out to be a very satisfying and fulfilling choice, but not enough to prevent me from asking for a flan. Let me tell you about my obsession with flan! I love flan, but to me, a good flan is one that is not too sweet and not overcooked to be too hard. It should be firm enough to not fall apart when served to you, but soft enough to tremble as it is presented! The flan here was perfect! The two guys who worked on the floor were wonderful. They answered our questions while we were ordering and stopped at our table several times afterward to see if we needed anything and to make sure everything was fine. The restaurant has nice decorations. I don't know much about its history in the neighborhood, but it seems to have been there for years. I spent a few minutes looking around at the various drawings on the walls and other decorations around the dining area. It will grab your attention. Overall, this was a pleasant experience. We will stop by there again, and I'll make sure to try their margarita next time!