We stopped here on a whim and enjoyed everything. Ice cold beer, fantastic chips, salsa, tortillas, and the best mole we've ever had. What a gem! read more

Incredible mole - 3 types. Celebration of local artists in the walls. Highly recommend. Courteous and accommodating.

So we stopped here for a quick bite. We had steak nachos and the fish taco special. The food was average with no complaints or compliments. Basically a ok place to grab a bite. read more

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I was looking for a place with great chips and salsa, beans, and chile relleno and Maria Bonita definitely delivered. Not only were the items I was looking for great but the rice and fajitas were also delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal! read more

I have been coming here since I was little and it's always been a family favorite. It has a great location being on Main Street and having a recognizable front being painted yellow on the outside. The homemade chips were fresh and had a great crisp to them. The guac was a great accompaniment to the tasty chips and had good flavor with the jalapeños and tomatoes. I ordered the mole enchiladas that had a great homemade sauce with strong flavors. The green rice needed some salt and more flavors, but it was still good overall. All of our plates had sour beans. They told us it was because they don't put lard in their beans. The other chicken entrees ordered at the table had delicious sauces. Their homemade tortillas were great as well. The horchata wasn't too sweet, which I appreciate. We sat outside because inside was too hot (it had been a hot summer day). The tables/chairs are simple & the decor is a bit outdated. The service was good and he recognized us and got our things out in a timely manner. read more

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Hands down the best Mole dishes in ventura county. Owned by a sweet hardworking family. Its right on Main street. The food is simple yet so delicious and complex in its flavors. The mole never is sweet and savory. The Oaxaca mole is spicy (it'll make you perspire) But it's impossible to stop eating it. The corn tortillas are hand made and ridiculously good. read more

What an amazing find! The best mole I have ever had. All our dishes were awesome. Great service! Do not miss Maria Bonita when you are in Ventura!!! read more

I really don't like leaving bad reviews but I feel like I have to just because we came in due to the good reviews. The positive thing about this place was our waitress, she was sweet, knowledgeable, energetic and the reason for the three stars. The food was really, really bad. My husband had beef fajitas, the meat weight was probably 4oz or less. The skillet looked half empty. It wouldn't have been an issue if it tasted good. Unfortunately, it didn't. Meat was dry, bland and rubbery. I had the Mole Negro Oaxaca Style with pork, since I'm not an expert on how the right Mole Negro is supposed to taste I thought the sauce was not bad. However, the meat was also very rubbery and chewy with a few chunks being just fat. While my husband ate his food I couldn't eat mine. We ended up going to a restaurant down the street to finish our dinner. read more

Soooooo good. Get the mole. It's delicious. One of the best hole in the wall places you'll go to.

Wonderful authentic Mexican cuisine in downtown Ventura!! I had the mole enchiladas which were delicious and freshly made! The owner is very kind and attentive. read more

Had a late lunch here yesterday and absolutely loved the vibes. The chips and salsa were also amazing and margaritas

Had the place to ourselves last Saturday night...the waiter sat us, very cozy room with beautiful artwork. Great chips, salsa, guacamole. Same guy that sat us went to the kitchen and cooked us the most incredible meal...out of this world mole, chicken with spicy chile crema...We were visiting from LA and this would be our go-to Mex restaurant if it were closer...Don't want to see a gem like this close for lack of business, so go, we'll definitely be back! read more

Great ambiance. Food is good. Nice place to enjoy a meal on main straight away from the main hustle and bustle. Cool paintings too.

delicious authentic food, great service! I really loved the flan, one of the best I've had

I straight up watched the cook scoop sour cream onto my burrito with his fingers, lick his fingers, and then proceed to fold my burrito up with the same fingers. I communicated this and their solution was to make a new burrito, but I still had to pay full price. The burrito itself was decent, but I felt very uncomfortable about how the whole thing went down. read more

Best Mole in Ventura County bar none. I haven't even seen green or yellow mole on any other menu and of course they have the classic chocolate version. All 3 are spicy, but the yellow and green are definitely hotter than the chocolate. We have been coming here for lunch for years when we are in the mood for Mole. Juan is usually there during the day (owners' nephew I think?) and is the only employee in the place most of the time. We always get a chuckle how he makes slight uniform changes depending on what he's doing. Seats you as a host with his regular clothes. Adds an apron and bow tie when he's serving the food and puts on a chef's hat when he's in the kitchen. We have always found him to be very charming, so for the reviews complaining about him, I would warrant you were rude to him first most likely. Just a little hole in the wall place in downtown Ventura, but seriously the best Mole ever and the service is fine, just have a little patience. Oh, and the local artwork on the walls is very unique. Think Elvis Black Velvet meets Dali. read more

We were here on a Sunday afternoon, and the restaurant was empty when we arrived. It's a short 1 block walk from the mission. The mole is a star attraction on the menu - I had the mole amarillo, which I highly recommend for spice heads like myself. Nice blend of heat and flavor, and I'd have it again. My girlfriend had the mole negro, which was very flavorful and sweet. Service was great - one person was both working and cooking, but the atmosphere was very relaxed. Tortillas, rice and beans were all great as well! I would return again. read more

Manager or owner here is a total jerk. Menu display on window. Maybe 3 pages. Middle one said lunch and the one to left didn't. One to the right said Dinner. I wanted sope ala carte $8. This was on the menu on the left. After I ordered he took it down I asked the server a question and he said that was part of the lunch menu. I told him if it was it should have been under LUNCH. He said for me to F off. I told him the same. I told the server she was good and he kept telling me to get the F out. Don't go here. Empty for a reason. read more

Returned for dinner another Sunday evening--same scene as before: place was empty; one guy took our order, cooked the food, & served us the food. Food was excellent as usual. My wife loves the mole! I have no idea why we always seem to arrive when the place is empty. If this place was local for us we'd be here twice a month. read more

Food was traditional and very tasty, the arts ok the wall makes you feel like a unique place. The mole had a lot of flavour and finally the flan is to win a contest read more

Maria Bonita - Flan - Mexican Near Me - Ventura, California

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Cozy little spot, on Main Street. Family oriented and friendly. Food is tasty and home style authentic. Service is on point, and ready to serve you. Francisco is amazing! He was so gracious to accommodate my small wedding reception. We had about 30 people for our party and everyone was very content. The mole cafe was so finger licking good. It was so good to see people from our party cleaning up their plates with the tortillas! Hoping to come back soon. read more

Worth the trip to Downtown Ventura. Chef is friendly and helpful about spice level discussions when you are ordering mole. I tried the Mole Amarillo Oaxaca with chicken and it was flavorful, a little spicy but Chef had warned me. Freshly made corn tortilla that stayed warm our entire meal were a welcomed surprise. We also tried the camarones (shrimp) borrachos and wow! Be patient as Chef can be both your server and food preparer...so enjoy the quaint space and art on the walls. read more

Not sure how the reviews are so great!! First of all the cook/waiter/server (one guy working all) was extremely rude. He sure acted like it was a bother to serve anyone! The silverware and dishes were so dirty!! I asked for hot tea and the cup literally was so dirty it had brown scum! The teaspoon had stuff stuck on it. OMG it was bad. I probably was able to see all The dirt because we were seating outside. Gosh thank God I sat outside!!! Anyways, I walked inside to the kitchen to let the guy know that the cup was dirty, did not even mention the silverware and he upset mumbled I will get you another. I said to him, "don't get mad" and he mumbled again "I will bring another" not even an apology. We got up and left! Never again!! I went inside read more

The food is all excellent and not the usual. They offer 3 different moles and more. Everything is fresh - the salsa, the corn tortillas, etc. The restaurant is nothing fancy but appreciated the art displayed on the walls. Nice to see places that support local artists. Only wish we lived here so we could try more dishes. We had quesadilla, enchiladas and chicken. We also bought a jar of one of the moles. read more

The best mole selection anywhere in Southern California. The owners are super kind and the service is good. Try the rajas if you eat spicy food it's read more

This place is awesome. Mole enchiladas are authentic and not sauce from a jar. Salsa is excellent. I've also had the jalapeño quesadilla appetizer, which was on point. Everything here tastes homemade. If you haven't been here, you are missing out. read more

Oh, YUM! Cute place with a funky art vibe. I had the adobo-slightly spicy with cilantro rice and beans. Cooked to perfection. Hubby had verde enchiladas. Next time (and there definitely will be a next time) we're checking out one of the molè dishes. read more

This is a great restaurant, great location, great service. The food is delicious and feels like home made. However , I can't give a good review because the place needs some updates. Don't use their bathroom, not only small but not clean at all. The owner should invest in some improvements and to get ROI. I hope they do, or they are doomed. read more

The mole is really good. However, everything else you think of at a sterotypical mexican resturant (chips, salsa, rice, beans etc) you can get much better anywhere else. Mole is their speciality and its clearly a made fresh on site, likely without a starter. Its a very complicated, wonderful flavor. Exactly what you want in mole, and not something you can get anywhere else. Portions are not sharable. Personally, if you want mole, come here. You aren't going to get better. Its why all the 5 star reviews. If you want anything else (tacos, burrito, beans, chips and salsa, homemade tortillas etc) there are other resturants that do it better in ventura and oxnard. read more

Some really good garlic-supported dishes, especially shrimp. Ask the crew about where the name comes from.

OMG do yourself the favor of getting Mole here!! Delicious and very nice service. Highly recommend, 100% will come here again and maybe dream of the Mole Negro for all of my days! read more

Unique menu items. The Salmon Picasso was delicious. Friendly service. I definitely recommend this place.

I am unsure how people are able to say this is the best food they have ever eaten. No one in our party could even finish the food. The chips were so dark and greasy and smelled like old oil. Daughter went to use the restroom and turned right back around. Pee in the toilet, on the toilet and on the floor. That just added to our disgust. read more

Maria Bonita - These are chicken fajitas? - Mexican Near Me - Ventura, California

Fabulous food, service, location and vibe. Feels like a hip Mexico City restaurant right on Main street in Ventura. Chill music playing, colorful original artwork, attentive service, excellent mole, salsa and steaming hot fresh corn tortillas. Sangria was fresh and delicious. Family owned and operated since 1996, which is pretty dang impressive. Not a taqueria, so go with an open mind and big appetite! read more

Not sure how this place has any good reviews! The place was empty, but decided to give this place a try. Walked in and it felt a little sketchy but still tried to give this place a try. One man working in there and did all the waiting, cooking, and service. Place was not the cleanest. Prices were pricey considering the establishment and the food that came out. The chips were cold and greasy and looked like they were from the day before or longer. I took a bite of my food and a long hair came out. I stopped eating at that point. Everyone else in my party continued to eat and then someone pulled a staple out of their mouth. There was a literal staple in their food! I know it was long overdue but we finally said that's it and walked out! Never again! read more

This hidden gem never ceases to delight! We had a another wonderful meal last night. Already looking forward to our next visit.

Despite seeing the photo of the rodent infestation and unsanitary conditions I gave it a try since it was posted many years ago. I wasn't impressed with my food and neither was my little one, but sometime after our Meal I got a clear view of the kitchen and it was a mess! It's very unsanitary to leave your cooking station under those conditions especially if you're serving people but to leave it under those conditions for a long period of time. That's disappointing! I guess the chef rather gossip with the waitress where the customers eat then to do his job properly. I thought it was extremely rude of them to be gossiping in front of customers like that and to block the path to get to the restroom. We were never offered a refill on drinks or asked if we needed anything else. Honestly we were better off going to taqueria Vallarta. read more

Service was terrible. Barely came by and the food was horrible we had to leave. We offered to pay for what we did eat and still was bad. Don't recommend read more

Still the absolute best. An absolute must if you love exotic Mexican food made to order. Chips are perfectly cooked daily and the house salsa has just the right amount of spice. Professional, no BS service. If you're looking for tacos and burritos look somewhere else. read more

I extremely recommend this place! The food is sooooo goood!! The taste, the texture, the sazón!!! Everything is amazing here. I've been to different mexican places but this place will definitely be my go-to restaurant Chef is incredible!!!!!!! Everyone needs to try this restaurant. read more