I had dinner with a group and we all were interested in having their soft tacos. Great...Some of us would like one fish and one shrimp. That is not possible because you had to order a third taco to get a mix. Gee, what if you only want two?? I was able to order fish and my friend ordered steak so we could switch but they are not willing to give you the ability to mix and match. Crappy customer service and just stupid logic. I'm happy to never return and to give my business to other accommodating restaurants. The food was good but not going back. read more

Food was so so. We went after seeing on Check Please. Glad we went on a Saturday afternoon. I would have been really unhappy if I waited to be seated. The decor here is the best part of this restaurant. Staff very neutral. We started w the shrimp appetizer. It was just okay...heavy. We ordered the tacos and the enchiladas. My husband and I shared those. Tacos were good, enchiladas were not. The whole meal was costly for not great food. I am glad we did not bring friends here. Would not go back. read more

Great margaritas! The food is really good, tacos and Mexican fare with a flare. The hostesses are usually young, not very friendly, and they do that thing where they make you wait even though there are plenty of open tables that drives me crazy. Go with a group on Thursday for happy hour price pitchers of Margaritas. read more

This is an excellent restaurant. I'll grant those reviewing it negatively. I suspect they just wanted a taqueria and got a real restaurant instead. They should have gone a couple of doors down for, what I've heard, is acceptable, reasonable Mexican food. Here, everything is done to perfection except for one thing which I'll mention later. The chips were fresh, the salsas interesting and really too damn good since loading up on chips is usually a bad idea. Service was slow I guess, but I don't like being rushed at lunch. My fish taco was as good as it gets with superb fresh cod and fascinating spices, even pumpkin seeds. My wife's salad was superb as you'd expect from an owner of Insalata down the street. Her enchilada however had burnt edges, so she sent it back. The server explained that this was the way they made them, so she doubted a replacement would satisfy. At least this suggests they don't nuke 'em. It's odd that you have to order black beans and something they call "green rice" separately, but the tab was $3.50, not $6.00 as another reviewer stated. I could eat the rice everyday, forever, wonderful with cilantro and a touch of jalapeno I think. Finally, we were there on a auction certificate, and when they adjusted the bill for the enchiladas, instead of receiving a credit for a later meal, they gave us the cash difference between the certificate and the adjusted bill. Oh yeah, it's a charming, comfortable, quiet place (at least for lunch) too. read more

They restaurant is well themed inside and tastefully done. We sat down in the front and quickly froze are butts off due to drafty windows, once we moved, we felt better. We then ordered tamales with prawns, a vegetable platter and rice and beans. The food was without a doubt five stars, but the portions were small. For example, one scoop of rice costs $3.00...one scoop! The bill was $40.00 and we left hungry. With Mi Pueblo right next door serving burritos for $6.00, it's hard to justify these prices, but then again, they're not competing with Mi Pueblo. This is a high-end Mexican eatery, which just happens to be next to a burrito place; two different types of eating experiences. read more

Best Pan-Latin food in Marin. Friendly service. Great for big groups. I just wish they had a location in Southern Marin!

I really wanted to love this place. It look me a few weeks to decide of I should post this review or give them another shot... I've been at least 5-7 times. The food is really tasty and some of the staff are really friendly and wonderful. It is too bad that a few bad apples have really spoiled the bunch. My co worker and I ordered lunch for pick up. My order was wrong. What was in the box didn't look very appetizing so I gave them a call and explained that I received some thing other than the tacos I had requested. The girl who answered the phone was very kind. The day manager who I was transferred to was not. She asked me what was wrong with what I got, why I couldn't eat it and was very argumentative. She acted really annoyed that I was unhappy that my order was wrong. Seriously lady, you guys made the mistake. I just wanted tacos ;( . Finally after her ARGUING with me and making me describe the fried mess in front of me- she says she will have the order waiting in 30 mins. At this point Ive lost my appetite and call back and ask to have a refund waiting for me instead. I go to get my refund (untouched gross lunch in hand) and a different manager is there. Gabe did more than redeem his lousy co worker. He provided excellent costumer service and my boyfriend and I left happy and relieved that this guy had saved our faith in our new favorite spot! BUT THEN... We went back for snacks and drinks on a Friday night. It was a nice normal experience, until after and hour and a half or so. We moved to the bar. The bartender asked me for my ID because I look young- that's fine. Its his job... but as I hand it to him, he says hes going to get his co workers who served our table fired for not carding us, which they did. We are shocked and try to blow off his unsavory comment. But he continued to be rude. Because the restaurant was crowed, and we didn't want to lose our spot, we tolerated him. We hoped that being friendly would improve his unpleasant disposition... Nope. If we so much as moved a few inches or turned our backs to the bar he would shout at us that we had to sign our tab, as if we were going to skip out on our bill. At one point a friend left the group briefly and outside to smoke and the bartender sent some one to chase after him and said he needed to pay. REALLY?! i We have gotten take out since, but we will not risk being treated so poorly by spending time at Marinitas again. read more

Now that I eat fish, I recently revisited Marinitas to try their fish tacos - wow, they are incredible! My husband had the salmon and it was likewise amazing. Frank Ozkay-Villa is an inspired chef and the menu has improved greatly since he came back to the kitchen. And, as always, their margaritas are on point! read more

We stopped at Marinitas after investigating a few other options in Marin and were not disappointed. We had Happy Hour margaritas for $6.00 each that were delicious, chips and salsa that were free, chicken enchiladas and fish tacos for our entrees. Plenty of really good food and fast and attentive service. We're definitely going back again. read more

Was very interested to check this place out after the "buzz" in the local press, and knowing that Insalata's is great.... Well, the atmosphere is really cool and there is a lot to see as you look around the room - skulls, lights, books, horns, etc. Really looks like they spent a lot and it is executed well. Other than the draft by the front window on a chilly night, the room was comfortable. The margaritas (Especial) were tasty and strong, but a little overpriced for the size. This is a theme that continues through all menu items... we shared the guacamole which was a highlight for sure, as were the fresh chips and salsa. The Queso Fundido was decent but not something I'd go out of my way for. My dinner, the Bistec Argentino, was flavorful and cooked to the right degree (medium rare), but was not warm and a VERY small portion for the price. Churros were excellent. Especially considering there is a taqueria RIGHT NEXT DOOR, they will have to reconsider pricing vs. portion size in order to make it. Atmosphere alone won't do it. And no, I am not comparing the experience that you get at Marinitas with a taqueria, merely stating that they are very overpriced comparatively. Oh, another thing... once we pointed out to our waitress that there were several mistakes (margaritas with salt instead of no, childrens quesadilla arriving 10 minutes after every other entree, etc.), she let us know, without apology, that it was her first night. As long as they are charging full price, they really should make things right for the customers instead of practicing on us. Hope they can figure it out! Maybe Mr. M. can help them as it sounds like he works there! read more

I've been here twice. My main complaint during my first visit was that the flavor wasn't so much better that it justified a price tag double that of a more family style mexican restaurant with a portion less than half the size. The margaritas were tasty though and when we learned there was a happy hour we put it in the back of our mind for the next time we wanted a classier mexican restaurant. Cue the second visit for happy hour. We misremembered when it started. We arrive a little after 9 thinking that was when the happy hour started. It in fact starts at 9:30. No big deal so far. We get seated and explain our mistake to the hostess. We decide to get a couple drinks and munch on chips until happy hour starts. It was at this point the waitress said that it was rude of us to hold her table until happy hour starts when we weren't planning on ordering food until later. We looked around the restaurant which was roughly half full and said we didn't understand. She then explained that happy hour was only at the bar area, not the tables. So we said "ok, can we move over there?" She said she didn't think there was any seating and acted like we should have known all of the rules to happy hour. Ultimately we paid for the drinks and left, ignoring happy hour and pledging not to come back. read more

Over priced and under taste! When you go to a Mexican restaurant and the charge you for tortillas, you know you are in the wrong place! Service was OK, the place is very nice, but food not good, forget that is overpriced; which it is; if it was the cheapest place in town, the food was still not good! Will not go back. In response to the owners reply: A word of free advice to the owner, stop making excuses and start improving, because the only reason why this restaurant is still in business is because of location and people like to drink margaritas, not because of your great menu inspired by central Mexico cusine, I am originaly from central Mexico and this has nothing to do with the great food of central Mexico. In any case, good luck! read more

The appetizer chili relleno is the fabulous. Haven't tried any other dish because it is so wonderful. The restaurant is comfortable and pretty. Service is very good. read more

This place is ok. Great cozy ambiance if you're coming back from a hike, having a large group party, or on a cold day. The food is pretty mediocre. Enchiladas have little flavor and are often over cooked, ceviche is decent, rice and beans and tacos also lack flavor. Better options at other local Mexican restaurants. Marinitas is just ok, nothing to write home about. read more

Came in about an hour & half before closing and they told us the kitchen might be closed and they didn't know if they would serve us. After they told us they could they took a while to come to us and the waitress was very fake and seemed annoyed we were there. I asked to substitute a different cheese for the goat cheese and was told they had a strict policy not to serve off the kids menu even though it was listed in the appetizers. Our entire party ended up leaving and our waitress didn't even seem to care that she just lost a table of 3. Definitely wouldn't return or recommend based off the rude service we received read more

This is a must visit if you love Mexican food, the weekend brunch is amazingly good with many many choices and each and every item different. We will return. read more

Lame ass place... sat there for 20 minutes and never got served.. Got up and left.

Meh. That about says it all. Even in Marin County one could do much better; check out Las Camilias on Lincoln Ave. in San Rafael (94901). Enchiladas swimming in released cheese fat. Meh. To be more explicit, recipes are not all that fascinating. Flavors run towards the dull and middle of the road. There's not all that much need to say all that much. Just check out Michael Bauer's review on sfgate.com . . . says everything that needs to be said. I agree 100 percent; a boring decor that looks franchise-ready; a boriing menu that fits right into the previous plan; middle of the road flavors; not especially great ingredients. To me, the dividing line between merely average and great Mexican/Latino places is whether or not they make their tortillas or arepas or whatever wrap they choose from scratch. Even though Marinitas wants to charge top dollar, clearly they don't want to pay someone to stamp out tortillas on demand. As a result their food is perpetually doomed to be at best average. And their prices are sadly above average. Not going back. I felt ripped off and abused, and even in pathetic Marin County there is much better Mexican food. If Las Camilias is not your cup of tea, try Playa Azul on Bellam Blvd. The Flautas plato is beyond belief. read more

Good food but vastly overpriced. My wife ordered a cup of hot water with dinner and they actually charged us two dollars for the water! That's the first time ever my wife has been charged for a glass of water at a restaurant. I am never going back. read more

Excellent service, delicious food and fun atmosphere! We came for a late lunch/early dinner on Sunday. We had chips and salsa, guacamole, shrimp appetizer, carnitas and bistec Argentino. The food was prepared perfectly, full of flavor and beautifully presented. Our servers were attentive and very welcoming. read more

I really really wanted to like this place. I love Mexican food and dark dungeonous places but the foods just not that good and they are unwilling to make any accommodations for personal dietary preferences. How hard is it to make a taco without chicken? And why is there an ungodly amount of cumin seeds on such a mild fish taco? Arrgh! read more

Great place!! The margaritas are amazing and the queso fundido is beyond words to describe! read more

In mid-December I came in with a group of five for lunch. The food was very good but the service was really poor; errors on our orders, poor pace of items coming from the kitchen, had to ask three times for a refill on the chips basket. Perhaps the staff was just having an off day. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this time but will be definitely have a sharp eye out towards performance on my next visit. read more

1 star for not being able to get almost any chicken or steak dish without cheese. You kidding me? Cmon man! Never in my life have I dealt with that at any Mexican food establishment. Much less an actual nice restaurant in a good part of town. read more

Good food, crummy happy hour. Ends at 6 pm - not Marin friendly. Go anywhere else and it's 6:30 or 7. If you want dinner great but not happy hour. read more

Food is good, but service is really bad. Ordered a $15 plate of carnitas which came with 2 tortillas. Had to ask for additional which took forever because they had to enter it into their system and charge me 50 cents. Extreme food cost controls get in the way of what could otherwise probably be a good restaurant. read more

Love the energy in this place. The Margaritas I think about at least once a week. We take our kids here and go in without the kids too and have a great time. The food is great. Love the fish tacos. The only thing I would like to see is them serve the chips without salt for those with high blood pressure. Or less salt would be good too. Marin needs more places like this with great atmosphere and soul. read more

Save your money and go next door to Mi Pueblo where the food has much more flavor, is fresher and cooked better for half the price or less of Marinitas where the atmosphere and layout are very nice but the food quality is very poor. Its very expensive in comparison to the quality. Fish tacos, carnitas burrito and steak quesadilla were all awful. read more

I judge a good Mexican place from their salsa and lets just say they passed! The habanero salsas were off the hook. All were delicious green red but the two habaneros were my favorite. The food was really good too of course! And the Guacamole, amazing! read more

Interesting flavors, but limited menu. Prices are high for what you get. Our favorite items are the vegetarian enchiladas, the vegetarian plate and fish tacos. These first two items I listed have excellent flavors, but we have to be in the mood for these specific items to make it worth the trip. Though their fish tacos are one of the items we order regularly, they are far from the best tasting tacos we have had. It is just that they have so few choices that appeal to us that we end up getting the tacos. Their chips are decent and we appreciate that they are fresh. Their spicy salsa is best. The margaritas are a highlight. read more

I'm doing something I rarely do which is rate stars SOLELY the food. I just want to say that the veggie enchiladas, which were recommended by my awesome bartender/waitress, are the best I've ever had. And by "best I've ever had" I don't mean "the best example of Mexican or Tex-Mex enchiladas I've ever had" I mean that they were good PERIOD. For serious, they were amazing. I don't know that, if I lived in the area, I would be able to eat anything but that when I went out to eat. The tuna ceviche...amazing. I've had good ceviche. I live in Miami. It so happens that not only does EVERYWHERE have good ceviche but EVERYONE I know makes good ceviche but damn, the Marinitas tuna ceviche was heavenly. That's how I get 4 stars up there. Now, I can't critique without mentioning a couple of other things of note, not all bad or good, just stuff worth noting: * Bartenders: super. Really nice people, on top of their game, giving great service. * Prices...equitable to the decor, design, and clientele of the establishment...which is to say that it's not cheap. The quality of the food is good but I can't help but think that, someplace else with less flouffy flouffy ambiance it might be a tad cheaper. * Night life aspects: I could've used a better DJ. But I'm picky. I'm admittedly picky. The DJ played (for NYE) something akin to what I'd hear at an eigth-grade prom...in a nice, mostly white, mostly high middle class neighborhood school...probably private school. * "Latin American" cuisine...I thought it was Mexican or trying to be. The music (before the DJ was on at 10 p.m) was salsa. I kept thinking, "This is what it's like at a Cuban wedding." I even told my boyfriend, who is from the Bay Area, "I'm going to take you to a Cuban wedding one day." Because of that...I guess I felt that it took a stab at something authentic but was generally a washed-out gringo version of it. That's OK though, I guess. Reserved, conservative, and reaching but, still, the quality of the food beats out my review for the star rating. read more

I've eaten here many times and it has also been a go-to place for group gatherings over the years. The food is good and so is the service! I want to compliment the restaurant for their recent NYE celebrations. I was impressed by their efforts to make the evening festive and fun for everyone. The decorations were fun (everyone was dressed up, which made the atmosphere even better) and the set-up for the DJ made good use of the space. We didn't eat, but I was impressed by them having a DJ all night as well as the NYE swag they gave to people... AND the champagne toast at midnight! One of the best NYE celebrations I can remember... Thank you to the management and wait staff for all the hard work! read more

I went for dinner at Marinitas on a Friday night. The bar area was packed and pretty loud. The dining room has the look of a hacienda, but it was hard to carry on a conversation in there since you could hear all the noise from the bar. The food was good, but nothing was remarkable. It was also very pricey for what you get - the portions are small. End of the day, I'd rather go to the Mission and get a burrito for a fraction of the price. read more

This was just awful. The famous guacamole was no better than Costco version. The rest of the food did not even compare to Costco quality. It was terrible at best. Less than one star! read more

This place is rock 'in! Three deep at the bar by 6:30! Waiting line at the door! Although Marinitas just opened in February (Friday the 13th), it has got to be the hottest new Bar & Restaurant in Marin. Marinitas has a great Tequila bar (approx 90 Tequilas to choose from), but this is NOT a Mexican restaurant. They say, "Latin focused, inspired by dishes found throughout Mexico and Latin America." The bar service was very attentive. We love Michelle! The wait staff was great too, and the food was fantastic. Small plates, big taste. You have to try the house guacamole. We all cleaned the dish our Camarones sautéed shrimp, mojo de ajo and grilled bread came in. We also had the Queso fundido, three cheeses, crushed potatoes and pumpkin seeds blended with smoky chile sauce, cilantro crema and warm tortillas. Yum! Note: Rice & beans are side dishes. DO NOT FORGET TO ORDER THE Tabasco de la casa (House made Tabasco sauce). The guys ordered the Wednesday special, Chicken with mole poblano. One of the best mole I've tasted! The gals ordered the Enchiladas de pollo chicken with ancho chile tomato sauce and queso cotija. Four thumbs up! We ordered three "Dulces" to sweeten the end of our meal. Final note: Marinitas serves food until midnight. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK! At the dinner hour, if you see a parking place, TAKE IT. Now you have no excuses. Marin's got a new hot spot. You've got to check it out. OK, one more thing. I read most of the reviews of this restaurant. Some are great, most are very fair, others are a little ruff. I love YELPERS, but. you need to check this place out with an open mind. read more

We met another couple here for dinner on a Friday night. We had reservations and had no wait to be seated. The service was fast and efficient, we never had to wait for drinks or anything. Perfectly timed. Mojito was delicious! I had the steak dinner which was great! Not exactly the medium rare as I had ordered but pretty close. We will definitely go again. read more

Good food here and lively atmosphere. Carne Asada tacos were good but the queso fundido was excellent. Walked in and was told to wait 15 minutes even though there were plenty of tables available. Not sure what that was about but hope that's not the regular procedure there. read more

My parents and I came here after having Mother's Day lunch in the area. We stopped at this place for a drink from reading the yelp reviews about their "killer,phenomenal margaritas and how they are so good." When arriving the bartender recommended the Especial margarita. I had the Casa, my dad had the Elegante, and my mom took the "highly recommended margarita" by the bartender which was the Especial. Our drinks arrived to our table, and we all sipped them and stayed quiet. It says on their menu that they are known for their house-made sweet and sour mix...well let me just start off by saying if you like your margaritas to taste like spiked lemonade. Then this is the perfect place for you! My and my mother's margarita tasted just like that. With myself growing up in the restaurant business, I observed how the bartender made the drinks. Absolutely no measurements, and way too much sweet & sour mix. The only reason I'm giving this place a 1 star is because my dad's drink didn't taste like watered down spiked lemonade. If you want a good tasting margarita it's definitely worth the drive to go to Don Ramon's in San Francisco rather than this place! read more

Second time at the restaurant, major disappointment. The food has definitely taken a major hit - would have enjoyed my local taco joint more. Not going back. read more

Terrible experience! The menu was horrible and everything we asked for (burrito, enchilada sauce, refrained beans, change etc.) they did not have. This place is horrible... Service is awful... I would go anywhere but here!! read more