Horrible service. food was ok. Rude waitstaff. Wrote her own tip. Only beer and tequila. Not again. read more

Hands down the most authentic Mexican food you can find in the south Orange County area same owner since he started the place and he's very friendly and nice. His workers are amazing as well. My favorite server is victor he always takes great care of me and my family and he remembers our drink orders when we walk in. Ocean view for outside seating on pch amazing views cool cars drive by and the atmosphere is a perfect balance of elegant, but also casual enough to where you could just drive here after a long day of work or a nice day of golf and feel really at home. If you're looking for a place with the best hospitality and most authentic Mexican food, you can find with great service. I suggest going here immediately. read more

Olamendi's Mexican Restaurant in Dana Point is a vibrant celebration of authentic Mexican cuisine, exceptional service, and a traditional aesthetic that transports you straight to the heart of Mexico. From the moment we stepped in, we were enveloped by an explosion of color and culture, with every wall adorned with eclectic Mexican art, vibrant murals, and fascinating memorabilia, including nods to its storied past as a favorite of President Nixon. The traditional Mexican aesthetic is not just decor--it's a warm, immersive experience that makes every visit feel like a festive gathering. The food is nothing short of spectacular, showcasing the rich, authentic flavors of recipes passed down through generations. We started with their freshly made guacamole, bursting with bright, zesty notes, paired with warm, crisp chips and a tangy house salsa that set the tone for the meal. The Mole Poblano was a standout, its complex blend of spices and velvety texture draping tender chicken in a way that felt like a loving tribute to Puebla's culinary heritage. The Baja-style fish tacos were another highlight, with perfectly crispy fish, fresh pico de gallo, and a creamy sauce that made each bite a delight. Every dish felt like a labor of love, crafted with the freshest ingredients and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. The oceanfront patio elevated our experience to another level. Nestled along the Pacific Coast Highway, it offers a breezy, dog-friendly space with stunning views of the ocean and fiery sunsets that paint the sky. Sipping on one of their signature hibiscus margaritas while watching the waves crash was pure bliss. Speaking of margaritas, Olamendi's vast selection is a tequila lover's dream. From classic to innovative flavors like strawberry and organic agave, each cocktail is crafted with their own smooth, family-made organic tequila--voted "Best Cocktail in America" for good reason. We sampled a flight of their top tequilas, and the crisp, clean flavors were a perfect complement to the meal. The service was impeccable, striking that rare balance of attentive and warm without being intrusive. Our server was a gem, offering thoughtful recommendations, ensuring our drinks were always topped off, and sharing stories about the family-run restaurant's 50-year legacy. The staff's genuine hospitality made us feel like part of the Olamendi family, a sentiment echoed in the bustling, community-oriented vibe of the restaurant. Olamendi's is more than a meal--it's a cultural experience wrapped in phenomenal food, top-notch service, and an unbeatable oceanfront setting. Whether you're a local or just passing through Dana Point, this gem is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Mexican cuisine with a side of coastal charm. We're already counting down the days until our next visit read more

How is this place open? How are there people dining in here? They must all be first time diners & from the Midwest or someplace where Mexican food is not a specialty. I'm absolutely boggled. This is the most disgusting restaurant I've ever eaten at. How is this place even open?? The chips were super hard. They seemed stale. Very difficult to bite & chew. No salt or flavor either. They have vegan chips available, so we asked if those are any different & paid $5 for those. They were not as hard but equally flavorless. The table salsa was the worst salsa I've ever had. It was more of a blended tomato thing than an actual salsa. The guacamole also had no flavor and the onions were cut too big in it. Really disappointing. I added a bunch of salt but it still was just super bland and boring. I ordered something that looked like it had cat food smeared across it. No exaggeration. Terrible texture. It looked regurgitated. Terrible taste. Look, I've been vegan for a long time, I'm not the best chef, I've made dishes that have turned out like this. Never this bad, but I understand it can be tough to create vegan food that tastes and looks good. But no. No one should have to eat this. No flavor, very disgusting looking, just no. Why did they put this dish on the menu? Aesthetically it looked regurgitated. Taste wise there is no flavor. No salt, no spices, just bland cat food textured stuff smeared across tortillas filled with bland mashed potatoes. The cat food stuff on top of the food was also super watery and separated. I dabbed the plate with a napkin to absorb it before even attempting to eat this stuff. There really are no words to cover how disgusting this meal was. I can't believe we paid to be fed this hot garbage. I ordered one veggie taco & one potato taco. They gave me 2 potato tacos instead. It was very bland mashed potatoes inside of a mostly lettuce taco. Extremely bland. Like I said, the salsa was terrible, so I had no way of making this edible. The mashed potatoes in this food was like something you'd expect if dining in a European trailer park. The beans were okay. The rice had no flavor whatsoever. They have got to have white people making this food. White people from Wisconsin could probably make better Mexican food than this. The chef has got to know that this is atrocious. The servers had to have looked at our food and laughed at serving this garbage. The audacity to charge us money for this muck! My husband ordered chicken enchiladas and 2 tacos on the side. The cheese on his enchiladas was melted and browned like a pizza. The enchilada sauce was thick and weird. This was absolutely the worst restaurant I've ever been to. The service was terrible. Our waitress disappeared towards the second half of our meal. We asked for a booster seat for our 2 year old and didn't get one. We asked for a jumbo margarita and didn't get it. We asked for more water and didn't get it. At least they agreed to remove the $6 veggie taco from our bill that we never received. Again, I ask myself how this place is open, how there were people inside eating this flavorless crap, and why did we pay $100 for this food. It would be unfair to feed homeless, starving people this food. I could see people in a free soup kitchen refusing to eat this crap. It was BAD. No flavor at all. I really can't get over how disgusting this food was. It's laughable. We were starving and ate as much as we could. I'm nauseated thinking about what I consumed. So gross. So very gross. This restaurant must be stopped. read more

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I get the three stars here but... This place has been around forty plus years. It is located right across the PCH from the beach. No view to speak of. It has the notable history as being Richard Nixons favorite spot. There are lots of pictures of him in the place. It's also a beloved place for generations. They have done a nice job of brightening it up but still is a order at the counter kind of place. The servers are very friendly and helpful. So, the food has its highs and lows. I am not sure i picked right with the combo plate. It was huge, temperature perfect, just a bit bland. That was the verdict around the table. Now, this is not to say that it's not for you. They also have some award winning cocktails and i did not partake. read more

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Mexi-can't ! I'm a local, born and raised Hispanic woman frim San Juan Capistrano for over 57years. The last time I had dinner at Olemendis is when I dated my husband back when we were in our 20"s and we never went back bc we had a guest join us for dinner- a roach. Thirty years later we decide to give a chance to our local establishment and much to my dismay the #6 enchilada combo tasted as tho they bought the sauce from a can at Ralph's, the rice was Al dente and the beans- the entire dish had no salt flavor. The server lady copped attitude when I inquired what was in their house margarita. You are better off making your own dinner. I highly discourage you from attempting to give this Olemedis a chance. They must think this is what Mexican food should taste like. Please, no, it's not. They think you are a dumb dumb. Save yourself $60 seriously!! read more

Great spot! A former Nixon favorite as they have lots of photos. Probably the best salsa I've ever had. Real thick and chunky. I had a chile relleno and taco combo. The chile relleno was great. The taco was ok. Real good service. Look forward to returning! read more

I have been coming to this restaurant since 1988. I fully understand changing times. What I don't appreciate is charging $2.00 for extra sour cream equaling three table spoons when the entree was $20.00. Or changing for extra cilantro! Sadly two of us ordered tamales that came with overly thick dry masa and so were the fillings one pork and one chicken. Be prepared to pay for your second request of table chips and salsa and you will order because the first complimentary basket is small which is to be shard with the entire table. The new outside patio is lovely and the cleaned up inside decor is refreshing. But the bottom line is the food. Normally we eat here three or more times during our week stay next door. Once was too much for my guests and myself. Very disappointed. read more

Gotta agree with some of the posters who tried it recently. I was just there. House margarita was powerful, but $18? They should at least use a good tequila for that price. Had a burrito. It was cold. Not just a little less than hot, it was almost room temperature. They took it back, heated it up and it was then a bit warmer than room temperature. I gave up on it. I'm not used to Mexican food being lukewarm even after being reheated. They said it was because the burrito has sour cream and guac in it. So, guess they cooked it a tiny bit without heating the meat first. No thanks. Service was great. Prices were astronomical. Food was not good. read more

Went to dinner last night and had some visitors from out of town the worst food chips, salsa service I've ever had to experience at a Mexican restaurant overlooking the ocean. It's a shame wouldn't recommend it.. I had their enchilada with the shrimp which was overcooked and the sauce was kind of like their catchup with water down tomato . Definitely not authentic. read more

The only flavor the food had was the salsa. You had to pour the salsa into your food to get flavor because there was NONE, it was tasteless. If you order more salsa, you'll be charged for it. Not authentic at all. Very disappointed for a high priced Mexican restaurant. read more

We stopped to eat here a couple of times while vacationing next door at the hilton. It has a perfect view of the ocean across the street. The staff is amazing and welcoming! The ambiance was great! The decor was very authentic and real. My daughter enjoyed her albondigas soup and birria and rice and beans. I really liked my birria empanadas with rice and beans. The salsa and chips were delicious! Definitely recommend the is place. read more

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A bit of a disappointment. Great location on PCH with a nice view even though right on PCH. Lots of flowers on the patio and fresh air galore along the coast. Service is average with not-so-friendly order takers (you order inside, take a number, and seat yourself); they seem very rushed and impatient. The bartender was very friendly, however! Food was nothing special either. And served with wrapped plasticware and napkin. No plans to return. read more

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Delicious old school Mexican food with great vibe, been eating here for 20+ years! Always recommend to anyone who asks.

Horrible service. Seems like they prey on out of towners. Had to ask for water.. they charge for "chips and salsa". Super ride about every thing. I live right down the street, will never be back again. read more

Heartbreaking! We used to be regular customers of Rosa's Olamendi's Restaurant in Laguna Beach, many years ago. My daughter was even the flower girl for Gena Olamendi's son's wedding. We celebrated every special occasion at Olamendi's and it was the first restaurant our daughter had gone to as a baby. She was very close to Rosa and in many ways Rosa felt like a member of our family. So when it came time to pick a spot for her wedding shower, though Laguna Beach location had closed, I thought of this location. I read the reviews and thought it couldn't possibly have changed that much. So my hubby and I decided to have lunch to explore the possibility of having our daughter's shower here. But what we found was so disappointing. The margaritas were great. But everything else tasted like it was fried in rancid oil. Maybe money is tight and they thought no one would notice that they didn't change the oil. Was it seed oil? Or was it that they just didn't think it would make a difference? I really believe these reviews would improve if only they would use high quality oil to fry chips & food and change it often. Just when we were trying to convince ourselves that it still had enough of the Old Olamendi's charm to hold our daughter's shower, we both went home and experienced the worst tummy aches. I'd brought part of my meal home, but ended up throwing it away. Unfortunately, this is the end of an era for us. read more

We were excited to come here today to enjoy some great food and we walked into a very rude older lady that seems to be the manager and she told us we had to wait outside for shift change to happen. So we did. When we sat down we asked for waters and it's been 20 minutes and still no waters. There is 5 of us and we got one chips and salsa. When we asked for more we were charged for them. The service here was super rude and extra charge for everything. The prices are crazy as well for such horrible service. It's sad because we wanted to have a good experience read more

I have bought Olamendis for years. Great food. Today I ordered a combo plate side of taco and chili rellano. Buyer beware. Dont order the chili rellano a la carte. It was 11.95 for one. Are there other a la cartes were 5 to 6 dollars. I was told next time buy a combo plate. I did have a combo plate and if i knew it was going to be so expensive i would have included the rellano in the combo plate and then order the enchilda which was in the combo plate a la carte and save $6. I was told prices have gone up but all the other prices remain the same. Not a happy camper. The rellano is good but not 11.95 good. read more

Olamendi's in Dana Point used to be good food years back. Now not only is the food not good,but the service is terrible. My daughter was visiting from Arizona and I took her there because it used to be one of her favorite, but no longer. The burritos were dry and tasteless and the tacos burnt. Also, they now give you a very small basket of chips, and charge $3 for a refill. I seriously don't know of any Mexican restaurants that do this. And lastly, I was sick in bed and my thoughtful daughter decided to send me albondigas soup. They now give you longer offer the bowl so she ordered 3 cups. Two cups had one meatball and a few pieces of zucchini, the other cup had a very small carrot added. At $7 a cup, she ended up paying $21 for 3 meatballs a few pieces of zucchini and one carrot. Not to mention the taste was terrible. Needless to say we will not eat there ever again. If you want a great atmosphere, amazing food, and reasonable pricing.... try Franco's Famous!! read more

Maybe for a margarita servers were friendly minus one Mexican lady (older) we had two service dogs and she seemed put out.. I refused to order due to her attitude margaritas are worth it ! food looked average we were a party of 6 the comments were the same it was ok.. plus kids running around our dogs were well behaved you wouldn't even have known the were there .. here's the kicker upon leaving I went to the restaurant and they had a space for people with dogs.. why didn't she offer that to us instead of making an issue we had dogs.. not dog friendly.. service dogs or otherwise Ambiance was nice you could see the ocean... read more

I love this place so authentic and yummy food! Service so personal and accommodating! You have to go there! Sunsets a plus! Wow

Definitely a yes loved the vibes here enjoyed Mexican beer and had a good meal with my mom while cruising down to San Diego read more

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Operating with illegal /shady practices, NO WHERE on the menu does it state any party size pays a certain tip. Which is ILLEGAL in California. The tip was hand written in by our server and then tried to pass it off as this was the norm. Know your rights-- If a restaurant is charging a certain tip for a party size it MUST be stated on the menu. Less illegal but lame. Chips were very stale. Also for a party of 1 or a party of 8, only one serving of chips and salsa is complementary (used to be bottomless). Olemendis has gone downhill and is now a shady operation, avoid at all costs. read more

The hospitality's, food and view, perfect combination.Quesadilla Thank you for your service. read more

Olamendi's - the outside of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

Terrible food & service. Very small portions. Food did not have much flavor. Server was not welcoming, more on the side of rude. Made to feel, she was doing us a favor. Suggest not wasting your money here. Interesting decor. read more

I would not recommend this place. All I wanted was a carne asada burrito and when I got it, it was meat and bell peppers with beans. My husband got the fajitas with shrimp and it only had 3 shrimps. Plate was $30!. The food is not that good and way overpriced. read more

Didn't get to try the food, the first lady to greet us was extremely rude to us the second we walked in, and then again soon after. We decided to spend our money elsewhere. read more

What's stands out here is clearly the decor! There is so much to see in every corner, it is vibrant and lively! Of course the oceanfront dining is what most people come for, great food and excellent service! You instantly feel welcome and are well taken care of throughout your stay. The tacos were tasty, the salsa for the chips absolutely delicious! Food is ready quickly and they have their own private parking lot which is hard to find by the beach. Great option in the area! read more

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This is the worst so called "Mexican restaurant" ever!! Margaritas were terrible, service was worse and food was awful. Tamales were dry and had fillers of potatoes in them..they charge for everything..I'm surprised the didn't charge for sitting in their uncomfortable chairs..this place has really gone down hill..we will never go back and if you haven't tried it don't you will be so disappointed read more

Every President has there Picture There . The Family loves America! Such a fun place ! Love the food ! Beef Tacos

Beware Olemendie's DO NOT BE FOOLED! I've lived near San Clemente most of my life & Olemendies USED TO BE great service & food but no longer! The server "Pam" was so rude and other staff seemed to be afraid of her. Food was over cooked and soooo dry. They seemed to be skimping on enchilada sauce on all of our 5 dishes. We had to pour salsa on our food but then they didnt want to give us refills on salsa. Watched cars in tiny parking lot hit each other and just ate quickly so we could get out of there. If you're visiting Dana Point or San Clemente, DO NOT GO HERE. We have so many other great restaurants in town that you will love. 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

I thought this place seemed a bit pricey... until I saw the portion sizes. You definitely get your money's worth. Salsa is a 6/10. It's yummy but the chunks are huge and hard to keep on a chip. Also not as spicy as I would like but I get they have to cater to the masses. Guacamole 8/10 - it was good, again really big chunks of onion and tomato in it. Slightly lacking on seasoning. $9 but you get a huge serving of it. Having recently gone vegetarian and hoping to be vegan, I was so happy that they had a vegan menu! I ended up going with a potato taco and a vegetable taco with rice and beans. I was only able to finish the potato taco and will have my veg taco at breakfast! It was good. The potatoes were mushy, I wish they would grill them quickly before putting in the taco so that there'd be a little crunch to them. My Partner got the Chile relleno burrito. She really enjoyed it. The cheese inside the relleno wasn't melty like I would want but she was happy. Churros coated well with cinnamon and sugar, could have been cooked for maybe 1 more minute. They weren't raw but they were still very pale in color. Comes with whipped cream. Which isn't really necessary. If they want to doll them up, maybe some Mexican chocolate or dulce de leche dipping sauce would be yummy. read more

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ordered the Carne Asada burrito and it was 1/10 meat. all rice and beans. Stick to the Carnitas plate.

Dont know where to start, from walking in and the decor. The friendly faces and servers. The authentic food and flavors of all the dishes we tried. This place is legit authentic and DELICIOUS!!! We started with the appetizer sampler beef taquitos, quesadillas, carnita empanadas and Nachos like grandmas house on a sunday! Wifee ordered the margarita also strong and tasty. read more

The Baja fish tacos and the shrimp tacos are bomb! The service is friendly and welcoming, the ambiance feels like home! Totally coming back. 5 stars all the way! The view is good too. read more

Olamendi's - The view of Doheny state beach - Mexican Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Okay we tried again, we wanted so much to love this place. HUGE NOPE the food tasted like chemical cleaner, the tequila had a new flavor every time we got a new drink (tequila on ice, not mixed), I wanted to be here with a new happier review, but this place should be avoided AT ALL COSTS!!! read more

This is my first ever yelp review and I feel I must write it because it was such a horrible experience. I have been going here since the 80s when I was a child. I was very disappointed the last time I went on April 27th. This lady was extremely rude and I can tell the staff was stressed. The vibe was horrible due to this lady's aggressive attitude. Luckily she didn't end up being our waitress a really lovely woman was but the lady who was older then her was RUDE. Such a shame because I went there on my birthday and every single person was uncomfortable. read more

Went to this spot during a beach day. Very friendly staff. They packed up lunch really well for us. Margaritas were only so-so, and most of the food was pretty good. The fish tacos were delicious though,  as were the chicken. I don't recommend the Shredded beef, it was overseasoned and overcooked. Chimichanga was a bit soggy, seemed more like a burrito honestly. My kids loved their kids meals. The chips and salsa was really good, salsa had a great kick to it. read more

Don't do it. By So California standards this place is bleh. The food was under seasoned, watery sauces, the cream Sauce on one dish was "broken", and the proteins inconsistently cooked. Our party tried tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and a burrito. Three of the four of us didn't even try to finish our plates. Just bleh. The only pro to the place is the location. read more