I expected this to be better than average for the price. Ordered 8 tacos total. All very dry. Nice customer service though. read more

Olamendi's - Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

My family and I have been going to Olamendi's for close to 30 years. We used to love it until recently. The food quality has gone downhill. The margaritas were sweet - it did not taste like there was any tequila in them. They bring out one basket of chips and a less than half a bowl of salsa, whether you're a table of one or a table of five and then charge money if you want more chips/salsa. Lastly, the cost of the sub-par food is through the roof. The whole experience was very disappointing! There is no reason to ever go here again. Plenty of other great restaurants in the area. read more

Remembered Olamendis from a time gone past, and decided to give 'em a visit ... Entered about 11:30am (they open at 11am) and was immediately greeted by a a friendly employee.... I ordered the Capo Beach burrito, and a Quesadilla....complimentary chips and salsa were thrown in for our enjoyment... Although I was thoroughly impressed by the zany and festive items adorning the interior (ceiling and walls), and variety of beers and tequilas served here, we opted to take the pups and enjoy our grub at the harbor along the watchful eye of the Richard Henry Dana statue .... The Capo Beach burrito was awesome! I didn't know it was served "wet", but that made it oh so the better ; The quesadilla, was tasty, and the homemade salsa and guacamole was flavorful, and down home good...You can tell Olamendis makes their dishes and sides from scratch, no buying from Sysco Food Services here....just excellent home cooking.... Located along the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, the ocean breeze and tasty Mexican food can't be beat.... A casual relaxed atmosphere, where everyone seemed very happy (hey, you're eating awesome Mexican food along the beach in Southern California, how could you be not happy ;) Highly Recommend! read more

We went here because it was right next to the place we were staying. The salsa and margarita were really good but the chips were stale and the meal my husband ordered was so runny he had to use several napkins to sop it up. We also had to ask our waiter for water, even though he had been at our table several times and could clearly see our cups were empty. Unless you have no other choice I would not eat here. read more

Good food overall. But cheese used for queso fundido not as good anymore. Potato tacos are delicious. read more

Lucky find during the pandemic. No dining, inside or out but they were great. We had four different tacos and they were all huge abs delicious! Great homemade salsa that has a lil kick. Best part, they were making margarita last to-go and the bartender was pouring g heavy, along with free tastings of their tequila abs orange liqueur. Who doesn't love a great margarita in these trying times!! Gonna have to try this place again when normalcy returns. read more

I am sorry to say, but this restaurant has no passion or love in the kitchen. My husband and I each ordered steak- it was incredibly tough, no flavor, and sad to say, it didn't taste like meat. We both returned our plates right away, and ordered "cant go wrong" Mexican food ( taco's and toquilla's). Our new plates were terrible. We couldnt eat it. I think the food was all frozen, food is not fresh. Seems like they lean on air fryer and simply deep frying frozen food. We spent $100.00 and came home to eat dinner. Im sure the original owner would be very sad to know how the food is prepared and tastes read more

I loved dining here at Mendi's. We sat outside enjoying the view of the ocean. Had few shots of tequila. The chips and salsa were divine. Parking is limited and luckily we were able to snag a safe spot inside the lot. Forgot what I ate here but definitely had a good time here. I highly recommend checking out this place. read more

I was a little iffy on this place when I read the reviews. I was meeting a friend and this place was in between our locations so I figured, let's give it a shot. Let me start by saying the service is not very good but they are really nice! Yes they are overpriced for what they serve (one taco is $10). We ordered two combo plates and two cocktails, overall the food was average and the cocktails were decent. The food did take forever to come out (they had a big party in the back and so it was like 45 minutes to get our food). I think this may just be the norm for the service to be really slow. They did apologize for the delay but the food did not come out super hot, so not sure if it had been sitting... Overall I would probably go back to give them another shot if in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way. read more

We have been meeting here for years because my friend comes from San Diego and I come from Whittier. The food has never disappointed and we had another delicious meal with excellent service. Usually I order the chile rellanno de Dona Christina but this time we both got chicken tostados. Unfortunately we were both driving so we didn't get the delicious marguerites! The chips were fresh, warm and crispy and the salsa good and thick. We took the extra salsa and put it on the tostadas. We tend to meet before peak dining time because when the weather is good we love sitting outside. The decor inside is always fun. read more

Food was average Mexican, service was ok but very slow, our food took about 30 minutes. Location and ambiance is great. Views are great right across from the water. read more

Olamendi's - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

Hours mentioned on website and Yelp are incorrect. Posted hours on physical address say 9pm on Saturday. Showed up at 8:05 and they say they close at 8. Looked good. Too bad we didn't get to try it. read more

Carnitas at the beach! Can't beat that. Nice to meet up after work and work my way down the coast.

The location is the only positive experience from our meal. The chips were so thick I was literally concerned about cracking a tooth. And the empanadas are wrapped in a tortilla, not dough, so it's like a taquito just a different shape. The kids meal was supposed to come with a drink and dessert. The drink was a juice box, which we never got. Dessert was supposed to be sopapillas and we got a bag of Knott's cookies. Restaurants are so strapped, dining out feels like it's just a meal of Costco items. read more

You'll be satisfied with their many flavorful dishes from Tacos to Their own savory entrees! I tasted the Green Posole, Camarones al mojo de ajo & Beefy Tacos, rice & beans. They have in house Tequila Bar & especializa in mixed drinks and They in imported beers. Try Dos X it was refreshing on this hot summer day and the view of the beach is beautiful! read more

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Food was okay nothing to rave about. The ambiance was unique and interesting but the service does not reflect a welcoming atmosphere. Staff were milling around and not very attentive when asking about some dietary restrictions would be accommodated (we went early before the even rush started and we're one of two tables parties in the whole restaurant). If I had a choice I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, most importantly food is mediocre at best. (Also the Nixon pictures and tributes on the walls were hilarious, owners were clearly big fans) read more

I used to love this place. In the olden days (pre- COVID), there was really good service. Their tequila is phenomenal. We've been here to eat a few times post-pandemic. For a while, it was all outside dining and counter ordering, and I gave them a pass on the service (it's always the same woman...and I'll get to that). I have worked as a waitress, so I tend to be overly understanding because I have survivor guilt. Haha This brings us to today. Came here for an impromptu lunch to watch the waves on a rainy day. I ordered the pozole, and it tasted like I was going to get food poisoning, so I sent it back. I ordered a toastada and thought I had ordered the corn tortilla one. When it came out in a flour tortilla, I mentioned that I thought I had ordered one on a corn tortilla. Our waitress, Claudia, was so rude about this. She smirked at me and said, "That's what you ordered." I was not impolite about this at all, nor was she the person I sent the soup back with. I asked to see the menu to clarify, and she threw one down at me. It was my bad, and I just ate around the flour tortilla. I get really bad skin issues from wheat, but I didn't want to have to deal with ordering something else. Claudia seems miserable in general, and I gave her a lot of latitude because of COVID, but this isn't our first rodeo with her awful service. The salsa is the only redeeming quality about this place. The food is so bland that I've eaten hospital food with more flavor. As someone who has been coming here for 20 years now, I can confidently say that I will not be back. Go to Laguna if you want Mexican food by the beach. Actually, go literally anywhere but here. read more

Mentioned we had a birthday and received a head nod in response. After no one mentioned the birthday again or even wish a birthday person, I was told they don't do anything for birthdays, "even singing after Covid." It would have been the courteous thing to tell us beforehand. We were told they closed at 8:00, so we arrived at 7:15. We finished eating and were waiting for the check, but they started sweeping in close proximity to our table before 8:00. When I worked in the food service industry for four years, know my company used this technique to move slow customers out of the restaurant at closing. Using new technology, the server had me slip my card into a machine and stood over me while I computed a tip. I told her to close out the tab and that I would just give a cash tip. I had to ask for a receipt which was printed out by another server. This restaurant has much history to it because President Nixon found out about the restaurant and provided many opportunities to the owner that are carefully chronicled on the wall through momentos and pictures of presidents and other famous people. This has caused me to have high expectations of service. This visit is not up to the standards from prior trips. read more

I wish I had had a choice to give them no star. I ordered a jumbo hibiscus margarita which tasted nothing like hibiscus (I drink hibiscus flower tea every day). We had to mix salsa with the guacamole to add some flavor to it. Ordering food was another challenge. They didn't explain anything or asked questions about how we want our food. So we ordered a two taco combo to share, one with chicken and one with stake both crunchy. My steak taco was on a soft corn tortilla in separate plate. When we called our server to tell her about it she said that only shredded beef and chicken come in crunchy shells. So they brought me a shredded beef taco (ok... I'll give them one star for that). At the end we realized we were charged for split plates (which again no one told us about it). And about the ambience: we were accompanied by a little mouse. read more

Olamendi's - #5 combo taco plate, stating nothing about crunchy tacos or even shredded beef. - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

Disappointing. Not Mexican food. We just had dinner here. We came seeking tamales because today is "Dia de lA Candelaria" and it is a Mexican tradition to eat tamales this day. Anyway, the tamales are the worst I have ever tried in my life. Dry and chewy. They were still cold inside, they didn't unfreeze them completely before serving. The shrimp enchilada was flavorless. As if they took Costco shrimps and wrapped them in the tortilla, without spices, no flavor. Just plain. I should mention this was both the recommendation from the waitress. Never they came to ask if everything was ok. Waitress just showed up with the terminal, no check to show the breakdown. We both told her how disappointed we were, we were two at the party and we both just ate half of our plate. It was that bad. The waitress response said "oh sorry" after we explained we didn't like the food. She didn't care. She said it wasn't her recipe. In a nutshell, mediocre tasteless food. Zero customer service. This is not what Mexican food is. read more

Olamendi's - The worst tamale and enchilada I have ever tasted. Stay away. - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

This is the first Mexican restaurant we've ever been to that makes you pay for the salsa to go along with your meals. It was good salsa, though, but the rest of the meals were just meh. They also didn't add the side we did order to our to-go order. And the service left a lot to be desired, not the friendliest people around. It's too bad...I don't generally complain because I know it's a hard job. read more

Let me start by saying the food at this restaurant is delicious. We have never had a bad meal there. But, after last night we will not return to the restaurant. This is why - horrible customer service. The lady at the register taking orders refused to accept my $25 gift certificate. The gift certificate was mailed directly to me by someone in their management over a year ago. They sent it as an apology for an incorrect pick up order. Anyway, the certificate did not have an expiration date but that was not the issue. The reason why the lady refused to accept the certificate was because she did not recognize the signature on the certificate. Why is that my problem? Does she know the signature of everyone in the Olamendi's company? She was looking at the gift certificate like it was suspicious. I resent the implication that the certificate was somehow not genuine. I told her the story of why I have the certificate. She didn't really care - she was stuck on the signature. So we paid in full without the $25 getting applied to the bill. This is really disgraceful customer service.  I should have listened to my instinct to leave the restaurant once I saw they were still doing Del Taco type service. By that I mean customer's place an order at a counter and we get a number to put on our table. The problem is, this is not Del Taco prices. We are paying a premium but getting subpar service. If we wanted another round of drinks we have to go back to the counter. This type of service is not conducive to an enjoyable dining experience. Again, for the prices we are paying this is not the kind of service we expect. I understand this was necessary during the height of Covid but I am guessing that Covid is no longer the reason because none of the employees were wearing masks.  Anyway, we stayed because the food is that good. But, it was definitely our last time. read more

Good Mexican food. No shortage on the decor! So much to look at! It's like a collectors display room or something. Some of the art was cool, some as a little random and kitchy. Tacos were good but kinda pricey. I know some places have dollar tacos for happy hour etc. The margaritas were tasty and good cocktails. The salsa and nacho chips were so good! I could have just kept eating that. Fresh salsa made in house. Right about of heat and spice! I would go back just for that. They have a parking lot so that makes it convenient. The burrito with beef, which you can have in mega size if you are up for it! Be really hungry or maybe share it for two. read more

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This place really lived up to all its glory...I've heard so many good things about this place from both friends who live in Dana point and a few who are from elsewhere. The service is top notch and the food is excellent! The decor is a tad loud but definitely a spectacular sight! Unfortunately, I did not get any pics of our food (so unlike me) but I ended up getting the Chile Relleno a la carts and 2 different enchiladas: 1 fish enchilada with red sauce and 1 carnitas enchilada with green sauce! When my food came out my eyes got wide and I was excited to dive into my meal, White cheese (queso fresco... I think) was on top and man it tasted amazing! We will definitely come back...my wife thoroughly enjoyed her skinny margarita! Just word of advice if you are planning on having 6 or more people, they will not split checks, so keep that in mind! Normally, this place is super busy and parking can get crazy so I suggest ubering or lyfting here. Might not be a bad idea if you plan on scarfing down some margaritas! But if you decide to drive be careful when parking in front of this place because the oncoming traffic from the main road could be scary especially if you are backing out of your space! Please enjoy some of my pics! read more

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Unfortunately, the older woman manager was incredibly rude to multiple customers for absolutely no reason. You'd think they want your business, but I guess she'd rather you go elsewhere. I've never encountered such blatant hostility at a restaurant before in my life and I hope if you choose to still go, you manage to catch her on her day off. read more

Best mole ever. Great customer service. Beautiful ocean view since it's right across from the restaurante. read more

Olamendi's - Enchiladas Poblanas - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

An old time favorite. Coming here is tradition but be warned no air conditioning, no music, their new way of walk up order and they deliver is ok. Food is ok, have to say salsa is nice and spicy. Drinks , margaritas had no tequila in them. Tasted like limeade. Bill reflected a better quality restaurant. It was nice to sit out. Inside is warm but lots of old pics to look at of celebrities who have been here to eat. This time of year arrive about 6:30 to watch a beautiful sunset on outdoor patio. To small margaritas a 2 taco dinner with rice and beans and an alacart chimi was $57 before tip. Yet it is a place we go every time we spend a week at Dana Point area a nice walk from our hotel on PCH. read more

Olamendi's - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

I met with 7 clients today for lunch. I was greeted by Joanna and she suggested a table that worked out great for us. She was also our server and did a great job. My clients loved the food. If you need to meet with some clients or date night or a nice dinner with the family, I highly recommend Olamendis! read more

Food was horrible. No chicken in my chicken salad. 5 people ate and 5 people were disappointed. We all ordered something different.

Great location, great service, wonderful margueritas, good food. Love the patio overlooking the blue pacific.

WELCOME! "MAY ALL WHO ENTER AS GUESTS, LEAVE AS FRIENDS" OLAMENDI'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Dana Point, CA! Established in 1973, this Fun Restaurant is definitely a Landmark in a great location, and you can't miss if off the Pacifc Coast Highway! As soon as you enter, you are Welcomed with the most Colorful, Cheerful Decor this side of the Mexican Border, it's like a Piñata exploded inside! Some from our Party of 6 were running late, so my Hubby & I took a seat at the BAR, which not to mention, has a Fantastic Ocean View! A must try is Olamendi's Family owned brand of Organic Tequila! It's so Smooth, maybe too Smooth, I could have easily had another, but wanted to behave! I'm always fascinated by their Presidential homage that adorns their walls, there are so many former Presidents & Pictures of many respected people we all recognize! Their Mexican Artwork & Memorabilia Collection displayed throughout the Restaurant is quite impressive too, and all I can say is "a picture is worth a thousand words", and I'm sorry, not sorry, for all the photos, people need to know what a Gem of a place this is! Their Authentic Traditional Mexican Family Cuisine is made from Fresh and Healthy ingredients! I Love their home-made Salsas, Moles & Sauces, you can tell they are made with TLC from treasured family recipes passed down from one generation to another! HOLY MOLY, I love their Fresh Chunky Guacamole! Wow, and entire menu page dedicated to Vegans & even though I'm not a Vegan, I wanted to try their Vegan Calabacitas Specialty (zucchini, corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers & onions) in my opinion, a tad bit expensive for $20, but it was served with beans, Quinoa, a salad or soup, and warm corn tortillas! The soup was Meh, but everything else was seasoned nicely & flavorful! Would I order it again, probably not! And how Cute, they even have a LITTLE AMIGOS FIESTA Kids Menu, my nephews absolutely love this place too! The Restaurant is large and it looked well kept! But I must admit, I was surprised how there was an abundance of open tables on a Thursday evening, perhaps it was because we arrived at 6:30! I also want to mention, how cool it was to witness genuine hospitality, a lady who I think might have been the owners Gorgeous daughter, was Warmly Welcoming so many, what appeared to be repeat guests & locals! MUCHAS GRACIAS OLAMENDI'S and a SPECIAL THANKS to our waiter VICTOR & JOSE too, we'll be back again soon! On a side note, be sure to visit Olamendi's Family Market, open since July 2016, it's a fantastic neighborhood market with a variety of grocery and Specialty items, to include Organic & Vegan selections too! read more

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As a real Mexican I give this restaurant a one star. The food has no flavor at all. The menu needs to be updated as well as their food. The place is a vibe so I wished the food had been the same too. Save your money and dine somewhere else. read more

Quick walk from our hotel; restaurant was recommended by the desk clerk. Service was excellent and quick. The salsa was spicy and spot on, chips were fresh. Enjoyed our entrees. The decor is super funky! read more

Food was ok...just ok. Chips and salsa is quite good. View is great. Loud with the heavy traffic on the street but worth it with the ocean view if the view is more important to you than the food. Note: even though outdoor patio seating, this is NOT a dog friendly establishment. Can't think of another beach city casual dining outdoor patio that is not dog friendly, but this one is not! Would be good to know before heading there with the pooch for a quick bite, so adding this here to save the dog lovers the hassle. Too many other places to enjoy a car ride to or, in our case, a bike ride to with the little 5lb pup, so wouldn't go back. read more

The main staff was not nice or was the food good. Their service has gone down the drains since last time my family was there. So sad. read more

Daughter and I visited Olamendi's patio with dog after along hike. Server told us we had to sit in "dog section," which had only two small 2-top tables with uncomfortable folding plastic chairs, rather than the comfy mesh chairs in the rest of the patio. It felt like we were sent to our room for misbehaving! The service and food were great, but really, if they don't want dogs they should post a sign saying so rather than treating dog owners like 2nd-class patrons. That being said, service was great and our server even brought a bowl of water for our dog. read more

We haven't been here for 20 years and won't come back. Ever. For a Mexican restaurant to CHARGE for chips and salsa - and not to mention it - unforgivable. Times two. Service was fantastic however - everyone was working hard and extremely attentive - and for that I'm thankful. Prices were outrageous for the simple food we ate. read more

Had to try this place because we saw it on YouTube review of Doheny Beach Campground. Not as amazing as the reviewer said but it was good. The service was outstanding. We were greeted promptly and got to select our table. My husband and I loved the decor (very eclectic) and charming. My husband had the Carnitas La Olamende, which he really liked. The cilantro ranch was good, as were the flour tortillas. Their salsa is on the hot side but very good. I had the chilaquiles (unfortunately I'm super picky when it comes to chilaquiles so I'm going to pass on rating them). Will definitely try this place again. read more

I am a local resident and thought I would try olemendis again after a bad experience 20 years ago . When the chips suck it's probably gonna go downhill from there , because if you don't care about that then you probably don't care about the rest of it . The rice and beans were tasteless , enchilada sauce tasted like it came from a can and the salad was just just lettuce shredding for the tacos thrown in a bowl. Maybe there are enough dumb tourists to support your business , but why not put a little bit more effort into the food your making. If I live another 20 years I won't be back, I should have known better and I feel like an a-hole now. I hope moctezuma doesn't visit me tonight . read more

This was our third visit because my husband likes it. This time, I did, too. We sat outside for lunch on a glorious day. The service was excellent. I had the Olamendi's Tostada with carnitas and was impressed with the quantity of meat. My mango margarita was excellent. read more