I was brought here by a colleague and what a treasure this place turned out to be. First, the view of the ocean is amazing on the nice patio. Every person we were greeted by was friendly and genuinely happy to have us there. I had a carnitas taco and Christmas enchilada. Everything was amazing. The spices, Chile and taste was great and for better with every bite. If you love true Mexican food and some with a New Mexico twist, this is your place. Can't wait to come back. read more

We tried this place for a second time during Covid. We were happy to give a local restaurant some business during this trying time but paying $9.00 for 1/2 quart of guacamole is a bit steep. I was told over the phone that there was an extra charge for said guacamole, but she didn't specify, had she done so, I don't think I would have gone for it. That was totally my fault, but still $9.00?? (Insult to injury, it wasn't really even that good!!) Okay, now I am just going to report about the food. Not good. Just average. The carnitas was dry and the chicken enchiladas weren't anything special but albondigas soup was nice, I'd go back for that if I happen to be passing by and it was really easy etc...I really want to like this place, it's a great location and it's really cute but a restaurant must have good food. That's a strike two. read more

Subpar service to go with horrible salsa and chips. Decided on the chicken quesadilla and that was just ok, nothing special and just as good as a little taco shop that would be half the price. read more

This was hands down the worst Mexican food I've had in my life. Had absolutely no flavor. On top of that, the drinks tasted like straight water. AND, our server was extremely rude. Made it seem like we were an inconvenience. Please, don't come here and waste your taste buds, time, and money. Just not worth it like at all. read more

Strike one: no beer on tap. Strike two: dirty menus. Strike three: subpar, flavorless small chicken and bean tostada which cost us $17.50 with a split charge after we specifically said not to split it. Taco Bell would have been more satisfying. That's the last time they get our $50.00 read more

It's been 7 years since my last visit and we used to be regulars after looking at recent reviews I almost skipped the trip. I'm so glad we stopped. We had sit down table service for dinner. Chips and salsa are just as good as I remember. Cadillac Margarita was strong. Food was Muey Bueno! Thank you Maria. read more

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

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We had an engaging family dinner with my parents who love Mexican Food, my wife, pretty daughter and handsome son and nephews (visiting from Bay Area) and my nephew's girlfriend - all nine of us bunched together around a beautiful hand-carved table in the back of this historic restaurant that gave us nice privacy! Olamendi's, located on the gorgeous Pacific Ocean, is filled with colorful relics everywhere, and photos of Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W Bush, George Bush, John F Kennedy and VIPs, including official recognitions. We were a loud bunch discussing the merits of AR and VR during a dinner that consisted of piping hot fajitas, vegetarian tacos, delicious tamales, flavorful vegetarian enchiladas preceded by fresh table-side guacamole and loaded nacho chips with sour cream, melted cheese and jalapeños. The salsa was spicy good! We loved the restaurant decor and the place, and the food was pretty good! The outside area where one needs to walk around to get to the restroom needs couple of more lights. One of our memorable dinner outings... read more

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Good , authentic Mexican food with a view of the beach. I like to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the fresh air and ocean breeze

Absolutely Amazing! The Mole was absolutely perfect! My wife's Enchiladas Suizas were perfect! ..and the Margaritas.. delicious! ..and I can't say enough about the service.. I really shouldn't call it service, it felt like family. We will definitely be back!!! ..and the view wasn't too shabby either! read more

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

Authentic food- friendly service. Went with friends from Guatemala and they thought it was just like home.

Awful food and awful service. What else is there? Stay away. This place used to be top notch. What a shame.

We have been going to Olamendis for YEARS! It was one of the best places to go for great food and wonderful service... I can't speak for the other locations but the Capo Beach location is terrible now. First, the lady who was in charge was rude and dismissive. We came with a large party and spent over 400 dollars on flavorless and dry food. I will never go back here, which is sad because it has always been a local spot to chill and get good Mexican food. If I could give them no stars I would. read more

Really poor quality food - tasteless, no seasoning. Fish tacos were served with lemon wedges, wilted lettuce and cheese- no sauce. Terrible margarita, watery, fake mix - not fresh lime juice and prices are high. Tasteless carne asada. Wondering if the kitchen ran out of salt and pepper tonight??? read more

Haven't been here in a while...since Covid. Camping across the street and decided to have lunch here. Food was great, carnitas enchilada and Chile relleno...outstanding! The grandkids had bean burritos and quesadillas. I had my favorite potato taco. I'm normally not a fan of horchata but after tasting my husbands I had to order my own. Thank you Esmeralda for making the best horchata!! Service and food were outstanding! Thank you! read more

Walked over from our time share at the riviera resort. Great location, but the food is BLAND. You seat yourself, get up to order and pay before even receiving a glass of water or chips/salsa? First and last experience at this "restaurant" it was more like fast food, with sit down restaurant prices. PASS. 2 stars because the staff was friendly. read more

We love Olamendi's!! It's a family favorite that we haven't been to in a couple years due to us being busy. But we came back tonight and our family was delighted to see that it was the same old good fashioned great service, and great food. The salsa here tastes real, not like the weird ketchup taste at other places. The menu is extensive and has choices that accommodated our party. I am Vegan and enjoyed the vegan bean enchilada, my aunt loved her vegetarian tostada, and my husband loved the Carne Asada burrito. Our son even ate all of his kid's burrito. We got the churro for dessert, very delicious! I recommend trying to park on the street, as the parking lot gets a bit scary to back out of. read more

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I like the simple traditional Mexican cuisine; I had a delicious enchilada that was crumbling in my mouth. Given that I had only one dish so far I can't comment on the entire menu. I saw two other people attempting to have their courses but simply being disappointed. The atmosphere is very warm. The decorations are very strange, but then again I guess that's what makes this place special... I guess; I will be back again soon to continue exploring restaurants kitchen and will update review once I have tried more. Thank you ! read more

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

Food wasn't that great, too greasy. Guacamole didn't have salt or any other ingredients, I mixed salsa I order to make it better. Drink was awful and pricy. Bad service, no silverware , ask for lime and Igor lemon, they brought food wrong, and we got the blame for it. I got charged for plates sharing without telling us. Family ambiance, but I will not do that. read more

Was an Olamendi's regular 20 years ago. Just happened to be driving by today so I stopped in. The food has become flavorless and the service is virtually nonexistent. Very sad to see this landmark become no more than a memory. Mario's in Huntington Beach is way better and less expensive. Adios Olamendi's!! read more

YELPER TIP: check in for free appetizer Nachos. Lunch on a Wednesday in the peak of summer was unusually empty but it soon started to fill up by the time we were done eating. Olamendis is known for being the Mexican restaurants in the area that presidents like to visit; especially President Richard Nixon. There's plenty of parking, just be careful coming out of the parking lot since the restaurant is located right next to the freeway. Servings are huge!! One entree can probably be shared by two people or split for two meals. Though the food is good that you may end up eating it all in one sitting! Highly recommended quality authentic Mexican food in the San Clemente area. read more

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Not what thought it would be steak tough and sauce watery on steak ranchero beans and rice alright. Service just ok no hot tea for ladies,?but plenty of tequila but I don't drink and drive read more

The food is o-k. I ordered the fish ceviche with guacamole as an appetizer and my husband had a shrimp and steak enchilada meal. I took most of my food home. It was however decently priced with our 20% off coupon from Monarch Grand Resorts Hotel. Here's the deal. I've had a lot of "authentic" Mexican food in my life. Some good, some bad and unfortunately even my guacamole has seen better days in my own kitchen. Pros: it's in walking distance to my hotel, but with that being said, it's not enough to get me to return. Sadly I really wanted to like this place, but they need to tighten up on their recipes a bit and add that element of love that's missing to make the food standout! Where's the pizzazz guys!? Come on! Pic of guacamole attached. Tasted watery or perhaps stretched dare I say. Go on your on accord. Happy dining! read more

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

Had heard of this place before, but incredibly disappointed in the whole experience. Walk in and realize you have to order at a counter. Unfriendly older lady tells us to go sit till we figure order out. Tables outside are next to busy PCH. Went to order their award winning margarita Oro and told they were out of it. Nice to know its pre-jugged. Most expensive Mexican food I have ever ordered. Most dishes $25 and up. They actually have the nerve to ask for a tip while counter ordering. I still tipped 10% even though I shouldn't. I ordered one of the 'house specialities' carnitas. When our food was delivered, what I got was chunks of flavorless, dried out pork. Nothing special about this. No sauce at all either, so literally building a flour tortilla with meat, beans, rice, sour cream, and guacamole. It was dry and inedible. This place seemed to have its day 40 some years ago when Nixon was around. I think it's best days are behind it. read more

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

Enjoying great Mexican food outdoors during a sunset over the water after a day at the beach is a five star experience. Olamendi's offers that. At least that was my experience. My chili relleno, chicken enchilada combo was excellent. read more

Great food, service and ambience. My favorite place for machaca burritos con huevos. Although, not a bad choice on the menu.

This place sucked. My family and I waited an hour for our food. I told them that I was no longer hungry because I was waiting almost an hour. The table to the side of me got sat about 5 min ahead of us and they got their food within 30 min. They left and my family was still waiting for our food. I received a bunch of excuses from the waiter. My daughter ordered a bean and cheese burrito and wife ordered an enchilada which took 1 hour to cook. Never again. I do not recommend to any one. I just want to pay for drinks and leave. read more

Stumbled upon this place by accident. And we are very happy about it! Ordered the most delicious margarita, called the Oro. Understand now why it won awards (menu boasts). one of the best margarita's ever! Our server, Victor, was super friendly and attentive. The casual and comfortable patio has a nice view of the ocean which is just accross the highway. I love the thick crisp corn chips, and salsa was yummy and fresh. I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas. OMG. The mole sauce was amazing. Love me some good mole! We both really enjoyed our meals and everything else about this place and we will be back next time in the area. read more

The atmosphere and the staff were really nice. My husband and I loved the decor. The food was phenomenal. Very authentic!! Definitely coming back read more

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

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Very nice Mexican restaurant right on the PCH. The food was really good. There was even a vegan menu. The vegan food was pretty good, nothing extraordinary but very nice they had the options. The chips however are NOT vegan because they are made in animal oil of some sort. The other food was excellent though. They had lots of nice decorations and good music, the inside vibe was very nice! read more

Unless you're just into looking at a ton of strange items on the walls, eat somewhere else. There was a vibe as we entered that the staff were stressed and confused (they weren't even 1/2 full). That should have been our cue to leave. We made the mistake of staying. As we sat down, the table next to us was discussing how the staff got their order wrong. Another table was lifting their glasses to identify something floating in their drink. That must be a standard addition, because we had to exchange a drink as well. The food was OK, but overpriced for Mexican that was nothing special. Our daughter ordered a kids meal that included a drink. Because she added tea (that was bad) they charged us $4.50. Don't add sour cream unless it's worth $3 for a small dab. The restrooms are outside, dirty, and there was no soap. Makes you wonder what the employees do. Overall, the restaurant was stuffy and needed a good cleaning. I asked about things when we got our bill and the waitress seemed annoyed (like it happens all of the time). She reluctantly got the manager and he did a horrible job of addressing any of our concerns. Just said that that was the way things are and that he could not adjust anything on the bill. Even a small concession would have improved our experience. But I guess they'd rather lose a customer. I have been here before, but will never go back again. La Siesta in San Clemente is awesome and even El Torrito has better food and drinks (and soap in the bathrooms). It's sad to see businesses that seem to be losing their way. But that might be the case at this location. read more

Our food took forever to come out, meanwhile I ordered a supposedly "best margarita winner of 2016" made with lychee and chili pepper. The first one was ok. Sweet but I could taste hints of tequila topped with PLENTY of ice. It went by fast with the ice taking up most of the space. Naturally, I ordered a second one without ice. Well, the second and third were basically virgin margaritas. The chips were "tostada style" thick tortillas. The downside, they were a day old. I ordered a cup of pozole(a special kind of chicken soup with a very particular flavor, made with spices garlic and hominy). It wasn't pozole, it was a regular chicken soup with red Chile sauce and hominy but totally lacking the pozole flavor. The beef enchilada I ordered had some scant pieces of beef and some cheese... the red sauce was not bad per se but very uneventful. I will never eat here again. read more

The best ceviche I have ever had. Fantastic shrimp enchiladas. Good atmosphere. View of the Pacific Ocean. The service was good. read more

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

This place I think has tasty Mexican food! And I don't even like Mexican food that much But the few things I do like were really tasty! Cheese enchiladas, and cheese stuffed peppers! (Not spicy at all, real good) And cheese quesadiaz! read more

I was just contacted by someone named Ezzy O. ... accusing me of lying on my review... I would suggest that they read all of the negative reviews and take them seriously. I just went over the reviews again to remember why we selected the place. An obvious trend is that the ratings have went downhill recently which would suggest to me that there are systemic problems in the back office... probably with management. So, I seriously suggest you take a close look in the mirror before you a accuse your dissatisfied patrons, who spent good money to eat at your establishment, of being liars. In this case, the 3 star rating speaks for itself. Sincerely, dissatisfied customer. read more

Been there once, had an amazing experience. kaison recommended the chicken enchiladas and it was amazing. Will be coming back because of the friendly service and food! read more

Save your time and money food had no flavor shrimp is to salty bad service it was 30$ a plate didn't give us napkins never came back to check on us honestly I give this place a -10 star review read more

I've been here many times growing up nearby and our last experience was so disappointing. Woman who took out ordered sensed annoyed, food took forever, when it arrived they forgot 1 meal and 1 side (we only ordered 3 meals). Chips are now flavorless and hard as rocks. Won't be visiting again. read more

The people, the food, the drinks, the seaside scenery, the little parking lot, the dog friendly patio, the music, ... .... We Love This Place!!! read more

Great Mexican food and an eclectic ambience including pictures of JFK and Nixon and a surfing skelleton. Even better with Christmas decorations. And to seal the deal they have organic tequila read more

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

This review is long overdue. Came here for lunch a few weekends ago and had the two taco combination plate. The food was very good and filling. The place is laid-back... nothing fancy and has limited parking. Definitely a place for some good casual food!! read more