Yum! I was worried when I was the only one there during dinner rush, but I'm so glad I stayed. The…read morechips were thin and crispy, and the red salsa had an oregano-y flavor to it. My carnitas burrito was great. Well seasoned, with a great mix of toppings. The beans were sort of in between refried and whole, which added some great texture. I will be trying it again.

Absolutely loved this hidden gem of a mexican heaven on our way back from highway 1 drive and a…read morelong day at the beach. Out of the very few places you cross by, we found a place that accepts cards and is not a mc Donald's/ taco bell chain. There is lots of parking right in front of this restaurant and it's a quick detour from highway one when going back to san jose, which makes it the best quick bite spot for us!! As you enter, you are greeted by a friendly (and only 1) server. She gets water and menu cards to your table and waits to be called to come get your order. In $37 (before tax and 3% surcharge for credit card), we got: - free chips and salsa upon request 5/5 loved the mild salsa and spicy green sauce yum yum!! - super burrito 5/5 with chicken, add jalapeño and it was tooooo big!! Definitely to share :) paired perfectly with green sauce - beef flautas - 4/5 loaded with meat and comes with side of rice and refried beans Clean restrooms and quick service makes this the perfect pit spot for us!! Ps - 3% surcharge added for credit card payments Must try!!

I had a really great experience eating at this restaurant. All the seafood was extremely delicious…read moreand flavorful. Restaurant was clean and the service was quick. It's one of those meals that just puts a smile on your face. Recommend checking in them out. If someone could please tell them to open a restaurant in Sacramento I'll be there for sure

The food here really rates 5 stars! Fresh ingredients, well prepared with just the right…read moreseasonings made the meal one to remember. The place is modest, but clean and comfortable. Our server was pleasant and efficient even though she didn't seem to speak much English. The stand out dish was the chile relleno. The chile was sweet with a perfect texture. Bathed in a savory slow roasted delectable sauce and the right amount of melty cheese. Chips and salsa were top notch. The whole fried snapper was crispy and well seasoned and was accompanied by yellow rice, beans, salad and two wonderful spicy sauces: one red and one green. The other dishes we had were tasty as well. Tacos & taquitos with rice and beans. I will definitely return when I'm in the area.

I really love Mexican food, and this place did not dissapoint. Staff were friendly, and really know…read moretheir menu. They explained very clearly what each menu item consisted of. So i tried their beef tacos. They were really packed with lots of beef. The shell was crispy and delicious. The beans on the side were cooked just right. I really like this place, and will definitely go back for more.

Hello there Party People…read more Let me start by saying Happy New Year My Husband and I were wandering in Castroville and ran across Olivia's. We have been craving Mexican food something awful and stopped in. This my Friends is a Diamond in the ruff. Be prepared to use your translation app on your phone because the staff speaks very little English and menus are in Spanish. Don't let that stop you from trying this place because you will be missing out on an authentic Mexican food experience....no Tex-Mex fusion here thank the lord We started with a Pork Quesadilla. It was stuffed to the max with a very tasty marinated pork, but you can get any meat you want. The tortillas are home made and incredible. It was an eye opener to what we loosely call Mexican food in United States....it truely isn't Mexican food and I know that know. I got the Steak Fajitas. It was teaming with veggies and once again the meat was seasoned with the subtle flavors of Mexico. My Husband got the steak enchiladas. This was interesting because the meat was served on the plate outside the enchilada. So the enchilada was just cheese with a nice lime verde sauce. I am a rice person and my husband is a bean person. I mention this because we are very picky and rarely find rice and beans that we like, but this place blow the top off the chart. The beans were flavorful and creamy without feeling like you stuck a spoon of lard in your mouth. The rice had good fluffy texture and nice flavor..very tasty So glad I found this place just proves that taking chances can lead to great experiences.

We were visiting Monterey and craving good local tacos. After checking Yelp, we tried Deliciosos…read moreTacos and we're so glad we did! It's a small spot with 7 tables inside. It's clean and the staff was friendly. They're cash-only, but there's an ATM on site. The menu is straightforward and reasonably priced. We ordered the carne asada super burrito, two carne asada tacos, and two carnitas tacos. Everything was excellent. The meats were well-seasoned without being salty, and nothing was greasy. The carnitas were tender inside with crispy edges. While we were eating, three other people came in to eat. We left very satisfied and will definitely be back next time we're in Monterey!

It is located in a small business lot between a Chinese food place and a bakery, service was fast…read moreand very friendly but they only accept cash. We had the carne asada burrito and the Al pastor tacos. Prices were not too bad and the overall flavor of the food was average, could have been a little more flavorful. Serving size was decent and I was impressed with how fast the food came out, although we were the only ones there.

Okay this is my second review on Franco's Taqueria in Castroville. I recently went in and had tacos…read morede tripa. I love tripas but usually they are a bit too hard and chewy for my liking. These were tender and sooo savory! Plus they come served on homemade corn tortillas. Outstanding! Tonight I went in for their menudo. They were already out so I had the posole. This is authentic Mexican food at its best! Even the hominy in the posole is fresh cooked! Most restaurants and people, myself included, use a canned hominy because it's convenient. Not here! It is the best posole I've ever had period! I will definitely be coming next week at an earlier time to get their menudo. I know this will be hands down the best menudo ever in Monterey County. For all of you who love menudo, it is worth the drive to this beautiful restaurant in Castroville.

I've been on a hellbent mission to find the best menudo in the area for the last couple months…read more Every weekend, instead of just hiking or catching up on sleep, I wake up early to hit as many spots possible to find that one place that would bring me to tears and drop a $100-200 tip for the sake of showing full gratitude. Two months later, I'm still unsure if I'll ever achieve that in this area. Maybe there are some here on Yelp that knows something I don't and would lead me in the right direction. But my personal efforts have yet to lead to some serious results - as well as being able to finally give a personal friend of mine from Oaxaca the acknowledgment that I've figured it out and remove that smug look off his face. Whatever it is, bowls and bowls later, I've yet to find that perfect bowl. It's become repetitive. Flavors always mild. Filling as it is, rich as it is, I can't shake off the feeling that the flavors are always mild. It can't be can it? A "sacred" dish like this can't be this flat all the time right? So in light of the recent Yelp event that got me hunting for the "true" Birria de Chivo (instead of the common Birria de Res"), I was pleasantly surprised to pass by this spot that sported both of the items in my current hunt. Menudo and Birria de Chivo on the weekends! Sure got me to stop and head right in. I wanted to order both but was told that they only had "Birria de Res" this time around. Not surprised. It happens and without hesitation, I ordered the menudo to go (as I just had finished consuming a couple menudos earlier and am too full to continue). She told me to call next time to make sure they had the goat stew before driving back. Long story short. It was the most loaded menudo so far. More tripe that broth. And took me actually two attempts in one evening to finish as it was really, really rich. Goodness, I'll be back again for the menudo once this whole search is done BUT more than anything, they have got me truly curious about their Birria. Barely anyone else in the area even does Chivo so that is enough for me to come back again. See you around and I'll definitely call you first to make sure you have the goods. Cheers!

Best Mexican food in town! So delicious. Great prices, food is always very fresh and great quality…read more $1 toscos on Mondays are a great deal too.

DISAPPOINTED,,,,, We've been going to Phil's for over 30…read moreyears, first at the original location in Moss Landing and more recently at the new location in Castroville. We've always been pleased, but not this past Sunday. We met friends for dinner, and we were both disappointed. I found the Prawn Fettucini Alfredo to be under-cooked. The prawns were fine, but the pasta wasn't fully cooked, and it had the taste and feel of uncooked flour. My side salad had far too much dressing and the mixed greens were very wilted. My companion ordered the Shrimp Skewer Salad. It was swimming in dressing and like my small salad it was made up primarily of wilted greens. We also thought that, given the poor quality of the meal, $22 for her salad and $32 for my pasta were definitely on the high side, especially at a place where you order your food at a counter and then dine in what amounts to "school lunch rom" ambience.

It's been years since we've visited this famous eatery in Moss Landing. Upon arrival on a Tuesday…read moreafternoon, we discovered that they had moved to Castroville three years ago. The drive from Moss Landing to Castroville was brief and easy, and parking at the new location was convenient. The restaurant was spacious, and since it was a weekday, it wasn't busy at all. We were promptly greeted by the host, who led us to choose our table and seats. We placed our orders quickly, and the wait time for our food and beverages was short. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious, except for the fried shrimp, which was a bit salty. I recommend this place to seafood lovers!

MUST stop in your way to Monterey area from Santa Cruz / San Jose…read more Authentic Oaxaca , south Mexico, food. We stop twice, in our way in and back to Santa Cruz. Owners, are cooks, and they have Mexican hospitality, in their service. Don't skip the soups, caldo de res, beef soup, Menudo, Sat and Sunday. Menuso, fresh , soft, comforting , flavorful. 7 Mares, seafood soup, spicy level as you like. Big portions, hand made big tortillas. Try the cafe de olla, boiled coffee, Coffee beans from Oaxaca. And the quesillo, world famous , Oaxaca's Cheese. But if you want to have a real experience, have the MOLE. Made on house, authentic Oaxaca's MOLE. I licked the plate, the smell, the color, the flavor, I've never tasted it before here in CA. I can go on. Stop, eat, be happy. Clean. Restrooms available. Charming town, reminds you where your food comes from, and the hard workers that bring us the food our earth produces.

I ate here about six months ago. Since they advertise as comida Oaxaceña autentica (authentic…read moreOaxacan food) I was really looking forward to trying it. Underwhelmed. Nothing different than what the other 2, 655 other Mexican restaurants on the Central coast offer.