Food was very good, and lunch prices were excellent. Most items near $10. Not many places offer this much value on the island. Service was good, but a little slow getting the food out. No idea why as they were not crowded. read more

Excellent food. Really pleasantly surprised how good this was. El Jefe burrito was on point. Service was good also. Will definitely be back

Portions are too small for the price they are charging. The food is ok but the music is so loud, you can't hear what the people at your table are saying. I asked them to please turn down the music but they wouldn't do it. read more

This place was a weekly visit when under previous ownership as Cilantros. Now, it's a dumpster fire combo of terrible food, lazy service, and a bar that has fewer liquor bottles than a church sponsored sleepover. Gawwwwd-awful. Do not do it. read more

We visited for lunch, there were 5 in my party. We saw some friends we knew and sat at a table next to them. The server charged us gratuity like we were all one party. I don't think that was right. We paid it but I doubt I will return. read more

Restaurant updated and menu revised. Ambiance gone and entree quality has diminished but prices are up too! Sign says breakfasts served starting at 9:00!am but the hours posted at then door says they don't open till 11:00! This was Friday evening about 6:30 very few diners ! Guess locals are finding alternatives . Looking for an alternative ! Maybe La Plancha, or the drive to Tortuga Jacks or Chili Peppers read more

Tried the new Mexicali Fresh and was so disappointed. Stood at door for 5 mins before someone acknowledged us. My husband had time to use the restroom and we he returned I said, "Let's just go". Someone finally greeted us as we were walking out. I ordered the chicken chimichanga with guacamole salad and rice. The Chimichanga was a long thin tube instead of the usual "pillow" looking thing. It was so fishy tasting! I couldn't eat it. It tasted like dark tuna. Even the rice was fishy. My husband got the Lunch special A. Chili relleno with ground beef, a hard shell ground beef taco and guacamole salad. He ate most of the very runny taco (dribbled a constant stream of grease and squirted with every bite), and most of his relleno. At this point I mentioned that I couldn't eat my food because it was so fishy tasting. He said his was very fishy too. He thought the taco was fishy but didn't want to believe it! He plowed through about 2/3 of the relleno and then said he just couldn't do it. I saw some other people eating whole, fried fish and can only assume everything was cooked in the same oil and on the same surface with the same utensils. We are now at home feeling so gross. The chips and salsa were good. Nothing special but at least they weren't fishy. read more

After being longstanding customers of Cilantros, we weren't sure what to expect when we arrived at Mexicali Fresh. However, we were welcomed by smiles, chips, and queso that all felt familiar. Food and service were solid, and the ambiance was ok. Thanks Mexicali! read more

I saw the tacos a Pastore from the online menu and knew I had to get it. I was not disappointed at all! The sever was very pleasant and our food came out very fast. The Pastore was seasoned well and very good on the small soft tacos. The side portions are delicious, and were just enough for me not to overeat, they were fine for me to feel full. They have a very large menu and I want to try the grilled shrimp tacos next time I go back. read more

Mexicali Fresh - Mexican Near Me - Saint Simons Island, Georgia

See all

New owners. They use handheld payment devices and are charging customers for food they did not order. The quality of food is degraded as welll. Stay away from this place. They are crooked read more

This place just changed its name to MEXICALI FRESH GRILL. Please bring back CILANTRO's. Arrived today for lunch at 1:00 pm, maybe 4 tables occupied. Two (2) managers chatting with each other behind the bar. Six (6) servers mostly clustered around a table of 6 hispanic workers. Must have been pretty entertaining, because NOBODY got ANY service for 15 minutes while these guys related their story in Spanish. After a while, I stopped a waitress, and asked if she could help us - she wait. Finally, a waiter saunters over. Trust me - NO ONE was in ANY HURRY whatsoever. THis is in direct contrast to the staff when it was Cilantros, who were famous for fast service. We ordered SPECIAL LUNCH NUMBER A. Took almost 20 minutes for the order to come out, food was so-so. Chile relleno was swimming in a huge puddle of grease. Refried beans had no flavor. We won't be back. But don't worrry about this place because it is doomed to fail soon. It was clear to us that NOBODY, not ONE of the EIGHT employees there, cared whether or not any customers got served. read more

Mexicali Fresh - Mexican Near Me - Saint Simons Island, Georgia

We had a great meal here tonight. The service was good. I tried a new special item that was fantastic. It is called auguachili which has a tasty blend of cucumber onion jalapeños and shrimp with other ingredients that make a fantastic blend of tasteful goodness. It starts out as a veggie delight and then the heat from the japs come in. Definitely not an average mex dish. So enjoyable to have something different. This dish is served with mayo and hard tortillas to allow you a taste of a flat taco that knocks your socks off. I will also mention that the house margaritas are legit . Try this place and try this new offering available only on the weekends ( for now ). read more

Mexicali Fresh - I loved this dish so much. I forgot to photo the before.AGUACHiILI. Try it if you dare! - Mexican Near Me - Saint Simons Island, Georgia

First I want to thank them for being open and allowing social distancing along with outside seating. They have a full bar and a fire pit that I assume they fire up at night. We visited for lunch. They are on the end of a small shopping plaza with a covered and some open area outside as well as seating outside along the front sidewalk. Fast and friendly. Menu had some good lunch specials and unique items along with your typical Mexican fare. They were working away at sanitizing door handles and other areas in-between customers and I felt protected during my visit. I had to ding them for one star for not having CO2 and charging me $2.99 for a Coke that was actually pink lemonade that wasn't very good. The food was hot and the lunch special was a perfect portion size for lunch. We got chips & salsa and I will say the salsa was pretty good. I got the Crazy Chicken special which was sliced chicken breast with sautéed onions & mushrooms and melted cheese on top. It comes with rice or beans. The rice was good and also had lettuce and pico de gallo on side. My buddy got the Speedy Gonzales lunch special and said it was very good. The dinner menu looks good and worth trying on another visit. read more

This was our best meal on the island. We got seated right away and our server was very attentive. We really enjoyed our food!!!

What can I say... I feel like I was a guest on Restaurant Impossible. Sucky service, bland food and the kicker was their music which was actually connected to somebody's phone so every time they got a call, text or any other notification the music would stop, very tacky. I'm still waiting for Robert Irvine or even Ashton Kutcher to pop out and tell us we were part of a food network pilot about a restaurant in need of major help or that we were being pranked, of course neither happened. My family of 5 plus 2 friends recently visited this establishment after a beach day. We first went to a Mexican spot down the road but their hours were off so we decided to give Cilantros a try since the reviews weren't that bad. Our waiter was timid and just ill prepared, I mean he came out to take our orders and had nothing to write on so he left again. We ordered our food, now I can say they have good happy hour specials but that's about it. The chips were below standard and then when my burrito came it was just meh. My husband and I both ordered the California burrito, it was big but lacked the in-depth flavor I've grown accustomed to with Mexican food or even Americanized Mexican food. The "carne asada"/steak was so underwhelming, no seasoning what so ever. The burrito was just a flop. Also my son ordered the taco & enchilada kids meal, and after getting it we noticed his enchilada was missing and instead he got a taco with rice and beans. We brought this to the waiters attention and his response was " I put in the wrong order in that order only comes with one taco but he got rice and beans".... wow then ok. So come here if you want mediocre food or for your order to get messed up and get an excuse instead of fixing the problem. The kids meals were free with our entrees but we still didn't get what we ordered. All in all Cilantros nothing to write home about. I can now x this place off my list. read more

I'll start off by saying our server was very attentive and did a great job. That being said; ordered 2 skinny margaritas, guacamole and carne asada tacos. The guacamole did not taste fresh and lacked flavor. We came in late, so the chips that were brought to us were all busted up. The size to wear you get your fingers in the guacamole when dipping. It was as if they were angry with the bag and beat the hell out of it before pouring into the bowl. The carne asada was very dry and my corn tortillas fell apart not even halfway through eating. Could possibly be the worst Marg I have ever had. Sucked it down because it was soooooooo expensive and I did not want to waste the money. Would not recommend. read more

After living in San Diego (best Mexican food *drool*) and having just moved here from the Mexico/texas border (also yum *double drool), I'd have to say this isn't the best mexican food I've ever had. But all things considering (cmon we're on a touristy Southern georgia coast island), the food was pretty good! The outdoor patio was a great place to sit with friends who were visiting from Atlanta with their kids. The kids could be kids and the ambiance was fun. Drinks were good (we got margaritas, micheladas, and horchata with rum), the serving sizes were large (enough for splitting or second meal if you don't have a huge appetite), and the wait staff was so attentive, helpful, and considerate. We could walk here from our new house which is all the more reason for us to be back soon! read more

Anyone who thinks this is 'best on the island' has been eating road-kill, raw. Average food, at best. But offset by rude staff. Mid-Saturday afternoon in the midst of football season, 6 tv's and not one game on. Don't think HSN is a crowd pleaser. Wouldn't be hard to vastly improve, but staff would have to pay more attention to customers than chatting with one another. read more

Is there a zero option??? Shout out to GABBY our worst waitress on the island. Started our first order at 12:27pm finally had the bartender close the bill (bc where was gabby???) at 1:28pm. I came here for lunch with my two kids under the age of 5. It took 15 min to get all of our drinks. Then we watched as the tables around us that were seated after us (10min after) get their drinks and meals immediately while we sat with greasy chips. We were told the chips would all be the same. After a solid 45 min we gave up. Asked several staffers to find our waitress and asked for our bill on drinks. She naturally took another 5 min to get the bill to us. Zero apologies zero fs. If you are going to drop $50 on Mexican with kids go ANYWHERE else. Bubbas on the island may have the same timeframe but is better quality food and more personable. read more

Beware if you are gluten-free! I told the waiter I was gluten-free and ordered the taco salad to come in a bowl vs the shell. He assured me the shell was a corn shell. I said that's interesting because they are always flour but great, I'd love to try it. It arrived and was obviously a flour shell. I told him that I was allergic to flour and would need a new salad in a bowl because I can't risk cross-contamination. I was very apologetic (not my fault but gluten-free is a pain for everyone) and very clear that I needed an entirely new salad. About 10 mins later he brought me the same salad in a bowl. I know it was the same because everything that had been on the top of the salad was now on the bottom. I ate around what I knew had touched the flour bowl and just wasted the rest. The food was fine, nothing spectacular but not bad. I won't be back because it's not worth the risk for me. read more

Great food, service and frozen margaritas ! A family business who care about their customers.

We used to go to Cilantros every couple of months but just recently went back for the first time in a while. It was a really bad experience. The grilled chicken and ground beef tasted rotten and the tortilla chips were bad (we aren't picky so it was pretty bad that we couldn't eat much of our meals). There was a long hair in a bowl of salsa. If you have kids be aware that drinks are not included in children's meals (we've always gotten water but the kids wanted tea, so that was a $10.50 mistake - $3.50 for half a glass of tea x 3 kids). Hope today was just a bad day, but we won't be going back and I can't recommend it anymore. If you're looking for Mexican on the island, try another restaurant. read more

Walked in and sat at the bar, was there for like 10 minutes and not a single person acknowledge my existence. So I left.

Two out of five meals had multiple hairs in them. I bit into a chicken bone. Thought it was my tooth at first. My son had a huge chicken vein in his soup along with hair. The bathroom was filthy. I'm so grossed out right now. They charged an extra "surcharge" for using a credit card instead of cash. Never again! read more

Pot holder on fajita pan is damaged and worn caused s serious burn. This is unacceptable. read more

Mexicali Fresh - a person's hand - Mexican Near Me - Saint Simons Island, Georgia

See all

Well. It has been officially proven you can indeed mess up microwave Mexican. Went there with family not expecting a new threshold in culinary excellence to be set, but this place was just awful. The food was cold, the cheese inside the chicken quesadilla wasn't even melted, the enchilada sauce tasted like it was from a can and the rice and beans had to be leftovers from a bygone era. In all fairness, we did give the place one star. The ice in our drinks was frozen and the chips were crispy. Other than that, better meals can be had on the frozen isle at your local Winn Dixie. Cilantros, if you are going to be in business, you need to serve real food - even at medium quality. Would not recommend. read more

I have been to St Simon the past three summers, but I just discovered Cilantros. Their carne asada soft tacos are to die for! The perfect combo of cilantro, chopped onion and very flavorful steak. I had a frozen marg while I waited for the to go order, and it was so good. Definitely recommend! read more

Just picked up some tacos and queso for lunch. The tacos were so soggy and falling apart they were hard yo eat. The chips were rancid and inedible. We called and were told they had no other complaints and that's it. Will never be back and tell everyone we know of our experience. read more

We just had lunch here, and it was such a frustrating experience all around. The chips were mediocre and they provided a small bowl for 5 people (the same bowl we saw them give a party of 2). When our server brought our cheese dip she offered to get us more chips, and it took 5 minutes. We ordered and I asked if we could have half rice and half beans with our children's meals (some entrees were rice and beans and some were just rice). Our waitress said sure but didn't explain it would be an extra $3 per kids meal to add beans--making the children's meals cost more than an adult meal and waaaay more beans than 3 young children could eat (and adding $9 to our bill). When we got our check I explained the misunderstanding, but she didn't care. Similarly when my fajitas came out I had to wait another few minutes before they brought the guacamole/sour cream, etc. Then I asked for the cheese that the menu clearly says comes with the lunch fajitas. Our server said "no". At this point we don't have any chips, the fajitas have been sitting for over 5 minutes, and I just asked for our check. Food was mediocre, and service was abysmal. I should have read the other reviews first! read more

GREAT service and great food!! Lorena, our waitress, was the bomb! Very attentive. Will be definitely returning again.

OMG - Cilantros is going all the way. Regional specialities from Mexico. Serving Shrimp Aguachilie. Amazing.Heat and sweet. Completely recommend this with a great Mexican lager. Enjoy! read more

See all

This may be the worst "Mexican"food I've ever had. Starting with the ambiance upon entering the location. Lights are very bright. Cafeteria tables and setting. Loud bad carnival music so loud it's hard to have a conversation with your table mates. The food was all processed and far from fresh or made to order. The plastic coated menu felt more like Waffle House or Denny's instead of an authentic Mexican restaurant. The fajitas were served on a skillet with wooden plate but it was far from sizzling. The meat was gray in color and completely tasteless except the incredible high Levels of sodium. The small basket of chips was insulting. The pre-wrapped silverware with a Kleenex for a napkin was ridiculous when the food arrived dripping in oil. The wait staff could not have been more consumed with Getting us out!! And RUDE!! Avoid at all costs. This is cafeteria- conveyor belt contrived "Mexican" food. Saint Simons needs better than this imposter. read more

Chips and salsa were great we also got a side order of pick de gallo, also very good. I ordered the California burrito. It was perfectly proportioned with beans rice and steak, often restaurants will load up on the beans and rice as a cheap filler but not here all the flavors came through in perfect harmony. Service was good we arrived between the lunch rush and the dinner hour so not too many people here. I was very pleased with Cilantro's- I will host again on future trips. read more

Cilantros is a standard Mexican restaurant with a pretty large menu offering something for everyone. I dined here for a late lunch on a Friday, and was able to order from the lunch combo menu that stops at 4pm. They have a large outdoor seating area that was mostly in the shade by the time I was there (2:30). They usually play music but weren't for some reason when I was there. We started with a cheese dip and jalapeños. They don't chop up the jalapeños, which would've been nice. For my entree, I had the burrito gordo which was topped with a thin creamy sauce. The meat was very tender and pulled apart nicely. Someone else had the crazy chicken which she said was very good. I ordered a skinny margarita which didn't taste quite right to me, and when I asked to switch it out I was given a hard time about it which was a bit of a shock. They eventually let me have a frozen margarita which I'd recommend over the skinny. I'd recommend Cilantros as a spot to sit outside and enjoy the weather with chips and a margarita! read more

We were in the store Wednesday specifically for Cinco de Mayo. The music was loud so we requested outdoor seating. It was also loud outside and as we endured through our average meal the music selection was profanity heavy, laced rap one song after another. I did ask if they would turn down the volume outside or consider alternate music selections to which I was told "Not today, the manager would not". The outdoor clientele was maybe 6 groups, all over 50 years of age. Really inappropriate for the outdoor clientele and if I had children in tow, we would have walked out. It is difficult to appreciate good service with the N-word and many other MF's ringing in your ear. read more

We were excited to see a Cilantros on the Island but disappointed that it wasn't the same quality.

5 stars because this is a good place with good food. Fast service, lots on the menu to choose from, and the ceviche is amazing! Always a solid choice for Mexican food on st simons. read more

Standard chain Mexican food. Nothing special. If you are craving something like this it will work. This area needs a traditional Mexican food restaurant that cooks from scratch. Service was substandard, server was confused and did not know the menu. They had to come back to the table multiple times to confirm our order. Order came out wrong and expo did not know who ordered what when they brought the food to the table. Drinks were good! Ordered a beer, margarita and a horchata. Those were probably the highlight of the meal. read more

My party of 4 including my daughter and he boyfriend were seated and it took 1 hour for food to arrive. We complained to the manager who made excuses about a large table ahead of us, we suggested he comp us an order of margaritas and he refused and apologized about the large table. If good service is important to you, avoid the place and go to nachos nearby where the manager cares about service and food is truly excellent every time read more

Super nice restaurant,inside and out. Authentic Mexican food. Unfortunately no one can cook I guess. The fajitas were burnt,charred in fact. The meat, the veggies,everything,inedible.The server never came to check and actually never brought our bill. Had to go find him. In fact, when I went looking for him another customer at the bar was sending her fajitas back. So we were not alone. Need to improve quality of food and service. read more