So this was our first time here. We came for lunch and it was not busy so we sat right away. Their menu is pretty extensive and has all your standard Mexican food. They bring chips to the table and salsa. I ordered the torta with bistec ranchero and the husband had the plate Birrio. The food was tasty and big portions! Service was quick and our server was nice. We will be back for some mimosas! read more

Palomino Cafe & Cocina - Fajita platter - Mexican Near Me - Hampstead, North Carolina

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This place has changed names owners remain the same. Palomino Cafe & Cocina is a brand-new Mexican breakfast concept that now occupies the original location of a long-standing restaurant. That original brand has since moved just half a mile down the road into a stunning new state-of-the-art space, leaving this spot to be completely reimagined into something fresh and inviting. The interior of Palomino Cafe & Cocina is bright, clean, and open, with a welcoming mix of tables and booth seating. Wood paneling adds warmth and charm, while light-colored decor gives the space an airy, modern feel--perfect for breakfast or lunch. There's a parking lot out front with plenty of parking. The menu offers a fantastic lineup of traditional and elevated Mexican dishes, with standout breakfast and lunch options. Guests can customize guisos caseros with eight different protein choices, served as plated meals or as tacos, burritos, or sopas. I ordered a cold brew coffee, which had excellent flavor. For breakfast, I chose the sandwich on sourdough bread, which comes with your choice of protein and cheese, plus an egg. I paired it with a stack of pancakes, and both were exceptional. The sandwich was delicious, and the pancakes had that perfect spongy texture--substantial but never soggy. I also highly recommend the tres leches pancake option--it's truly divine. On a previous visit, I came for lunch and had the quesabirrias, which remain one of my all-time favorite dishes. They're flavorful, perfectly crisped, and worth the trip alone. Nearly everything is made in-house, including their freshly squeezed juices, and it shows. Every item feels vibrant and thoughtfully prepared. The staff are friendly, welcoming, inviting, and very helpful. They clearly take pride in the restaurant and the experience they offer. Palomino Cafe & Cocina is a standout reinvention of a familiar space, offering fresh, flavorful Mexican cuisine and warm hospitality in a beautiful new setting. read more

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Diamond in the rough!!! We've made this restaurant our Friday night go to. Bryan was an absolute pleasure having as a waiter, he's an all star. Food and drinks are very reasonable, and the salsa is best in the region. Great ambience. All love goes to this place. read more

Palomino Cafe & Cocina - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Hampstead, North Carolina

They used to be decent not anymore.... Want here on May 30th on a Friday. We had chips and salsa which was good. We ordered the Mexicanos burritos and this is where things went south. The burrito comes with cheese on it and we asked for cheese on the side. The waitress didn't understand. She said "extra cheese?" I had to explain this to her. She said ok. She comes back and asks if we want beef or steak. The burrito comes with steak. I had to explain this to her too. She again said ok. The food comes out with you guessed it cheese all over it! Another waitress comes and asks if we want new food or a discount. We said discount would be fine. The bill comes and we were charged for extra cheese and steak!! Now we are completely stressed out! Spoke to a manager and he said "who gave you a discount?" Umm excuse me this is not our problem. Train your waitstaff sir! His discountt was taking the extra cheese off. The extra cheese we never ordered!! The upcharge for steak still on the there! Camino real is stealing people's money l! The manager was rude and incompetent as are the employees! We will never be back and we will be sure to tell others!!! read more

We always have good service and good food. It's right up the road from us and we enjoy it. It's a small Lil restaurant but perfect for us . read more

Unbelievably bad experience at the new Camino Real location today, 5/6/25. The waitress was desperately in need of training, and the owner was a dishonest jerk to us. He obviously doesn't care. We waited over 20 minutes to order (they were not very busy), she brought the dishes out 15 minutes apart, she brought the wrong food to my wife, and she didn't bring some of the food at all. We told the owner that my wife's dish was not what she ordered. He just shrugged and said, "Sorry". He walked away, didn't try to make it right. Their salsa is flavorless. I never got my side dish that came with my order, but they charged us for limes for our sodas after they had first brought lemons by mistake. The old location is now his breakfast/lunch place, Palomino Cafe and Cocina. My wife ordered a beef stew dish the other night that looked and tasted like dog food. The staff said, "Yeah, sorry - we don't like to spice that too much." We like to support local businesses, but both of these restaurants suck in terms of food and service. They lost customers for good today. If you are looking for consistently excellent Mexican food, served by people who truly care about their customers, Buen Dia in Castle Hayne is one of the best restaurants in the Wilmington area. They are great every time. Every time. Palomino is attempting to copy them, poorly. If you are going to spend $50 for a meal for two people, don't waste your money at Camino Real or Palomino Cafe in Hampstead. Other restaurants such as Buen Dia are worth the drive. read more

Placed an order online. Though it said Open, the receipt said order would be filled the next morning. I called 4 times and got no answer. The next morning I called to cancel the order and got nowhere. The guy said the equipment was not even in place to take orders. Well it sure took my money no problem! When I tried to explain again, he repeated that calling was the only way to order right now. I repeated I didn't want to order, I wanted to cancel, and he was snippy, saying I was talking to the wrong guy, call Grubhub. Los Primos was open and I had no problem ordering there, plus they were nice when I picked it up. Edited to add when I called Grubhub to cancel the order, they had to call the store to confirm and the guy said no, her order is ready, she needs to come pick it up. The guy on the phone told me there was no equipment to take online orders?!?! Did he lie the first time or the second? Grubhub cancelled the order anyway, but I'm done with this place! read more

Very disappointing! I live on the island and in walking distance to Margaritas, a Mexican restaurant. I went to Camino Real specifically for Chile Poblano. We got a burrito and an enchilada as well. It was nothing but dried up chicken. No sauce anywhere or cheese in anything. it was awful, really bad and that's saying a lot for Mexican food. $21 later and it went in the trash! we won't ever go back! read more

Palomino Cafe & Cocina - Nothing but dried up chicken! - Mexican Near Me - Hampstead, North Carolina

Better get a new manager before opening new location. Perhaps then you would get your old loyal, local customers back..

Some of the best Mexican food we've had and our server, Edwin, is awesome! Always a great attitude, great service! Very affordable but super yummy food Highly recommend if you're in the mood for Mexican! read more

Had the best time ever, food was hot and plentyful, had the drink specials which are amazingly low for the area, all of the customers eating were all happy, service was fast and friendly, cant wait for the new restaurant to be finished. read more

Hands down one of the best Mexican places around! Service was amazing and fast! Food was delicious and portions are big! If you want Mexican go to Camino real! read more

Palomino Cafe & Cocina - a table full of food - Mexican Near Me - Hampstead, North Carolina

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Well I'm back. Now I'm making this restaurant my go to place, because it never disappoints!! Today Isaiah was my server, my bartender and a great conversationalist!! This place gets better every time!! My food was prompt and my beer cold! Not sure where you are eating today...but if you are in the area or out of the city come by! You will not be disappointed!! read more

ABSOLUTELY GUT WRENCHING!! When we walked in it seemed fine until we were seated, when we sat down the table was very dirty and it smelled horrible. The chicken looked like it came undercooked, the ground beef in my burrito looked unappetizing. When it was time to pay we ended up paying 50$ for horrible service and terrible food!! The bathrooms smelled horrible and were very dirty. It was so bad i would give it a zero, but that's not possible so i give it a one. Overall, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE read more

Great little local mexican joint. Fast service and great food! We had fajitas for two....had our drinks and food all within 10 minutes. A big shout out to our server Edwin, he is fantastic and made our visit awesome! read more

Horrible! Please do not eat here. There was more hair in my enchiladas than chicken. Threw up quickly...headed for food poisoning I am sure. The food is toxic...it was so much better just two years ago. AVIOD AT ALL COSTS! read more

Been here plenty of times. I only do Yelp reviews for two reasons. The place is outstanding or sucks. This place has gone so far down hill. They lady couldn't get my son's burrito right. We asked for chicken, cheese, and rice. She told us they wont put rice in the burrito, thats weird. You would have to get a side of rice and put it in your self. When it came it had chicken, onions, and peppers in it. The cheese was drizzled over the burrito. My meal was carne asada. The steaks were so thin and overcooked, it reminded me of steak-ems. They only thing good on my plate was the onions and the green pepper. The guacamole saled had a teaspoon of guac on it. This place is written off. read more

Worst Mexican food in Wilmington. Service was lacking and very slack had to ask for chips and salsa. Salsa was thick and runny like came out of a can. Dirty walls and booth. Food on the floor and a server taking a nap in a booth ??? Food was not good, best part was the Pepsi. Do not waste your money here. I asked for chopped cilantro and it looked so old it had turned blacK Stay away...this is your warning read more

As someone who frequents the Mexican restaurants everywhere I go, I was far from impressed with this one. The only reason it got 2 stars was that the chips and salsa were yummy. My water had a gnat in the ice. My son's cheese enchilada was cheese less. My chicken chimichanga had fat/skin mixed in with the meat. The waitress was nonexistent and the bathrooms were filthy. All in all not a good experience and we won't be returning. read more

went for lunch pleasantly surprised food was healthy delishes food we loved our waiter isaiah friendly attentive engaging

This location sucks ! Food did not taste fresh or like the other location by Laney ! I was just unhappy how my food tasted . Will not be going to this location again . read more

Do not eat here. The staff is extremely unprofessional and the food is sub par.

I accidentally posted this review for the wrong restaurant previously, please forgive me. This establishment had some of the best carne asada that I have had in the past half a decade of my life. I would absolutely recommend this joint if anyone passes by on the 17. read more

My husband loves Mexican food so we decided to try Camino Real. The first impression for me was the truly filthy front door. We were pointed to an empty booth and once again I saw dried food on the wall and on the table edges. I wasn't encouraged to order anything but my husband pushed a bit and he got a burrito and I ordered as well. The food was disappointing and I ate very little. It was unappetizing and the the kitchen was not concerned about presentation. Sloppy and unprofessional. The only reason I gave them one star was the server, she did not speak English well but was eager to please. Clean you house and bathrooms Camino Real as there is too much competition in the Mexican food space. However you have lost a potential customer and we will not return. read more

Service has gone downhill, we were never asked if we wanted a refill on our chips or if I wanted another margarita. Servers never came back to ask how the food was. Server came by the table and asked if I wanted a refill on my water (after finished everything), I said yes, they took my glass and never brought it back. I want to like this place since it's so close to home but I can not stand bad service! read more

I think this place is great! I've only ever gotten takeout but it's so fresh & they are so quick to get my order done. Prices are super reasonable! I definitely a fan! read more

Music A+, service A, food F, want Mexican food? Go to Taco Bell, food was tasteless, kids macaroni was boxed, Mexican rice was not Mexican and the only good thing was the chips. read more

Parked up front last night. Got my two year old son out the car, got the diaper bag... sweating...struggling to go enjoy some food and drinks right up the road from our home- all upon entry we were denied a seat because my husband can't wear a mask. I had my mask on and let them know he can't wear one but they told us to leave. So we took a drive to Sneads Ferry and dined on a much better choice, Mi Cancun Mexican Restaurant where we weren't harassed and welcomed. Wont be back to this Camino Reel. read more

Being from Arizona and having been to Mexico many times, authentic and quality Mexican food is something I really enjoy. I really liked the food, I had the chimichangas and they were awesome. The service was professional, the restaurant was very clean, and a meal for two with drinks was less than $25!! Would totally recommend, enjoy! read more

LOVE this place!!! Best food and great service. The food tastes great and margaritas are the best in town. It's a small place and fills up quick (usually with a lot of latinos which is always a key identifier for authentic food) but the servers are always attentive and doing their best! read more

A very solid very fun very reasonable awesome little place to go on your way to the shore...er beach. What? We always called it the shore where I grew up! read more

Don't order takeout!!! Every time it will be screwed up! Every time all the time. If you order it 10 times it will be screwed up 10 times..... in the most moronic way possible. Like the to go containers will be put in upside down... or you will go sit there for an he. Waiting and they will tell you one more minute and in 30 more minutes it will come!!!! The worst ever!!! read more

I've been coming here for over a year now. Best Mexican food ever, drinks are amazing and hospitality is off the charts!! Definitely ask for Juan or JD (also Juan) best severs ever but JD is the server god EAT UP read more

We went twice in one week while on vacation here and had an amazing experience both times. Food was absolutely fantastic, portions very large, margaritas delicious. Chips and salsa were yummy! Service was great and attentive. Not one negative on either night. Will definitely be back! read more

I love some good cookin Mexican food! Ordered up the fajita quesadilla that was delicious and a descent amount of food. Part of the problem is I filled up the chips and salsa. The salsa tastes freshly made. Service was quick and our server checked on us to make sure we were well taken care of, along with other servers. When I head back to the area, I'll be sure to stop back in. read more

I will never come here again! Happen to stop here for quick bite after dropping my car off in Wilmington didn't know it was taco Tuesday. All they serve is Beef taco aka ground beef (Taco Bell Meat) and chicken tacos. If I wanted Taco Bell I would have gone there and the food would have been better! On a scale from 1-10 and 10 being good the only thing that was 1/4 decent is the salsa. Service sucked the waitress was never around and when she was she couldn't remember the simplest things 8 tacos and order of rice. I mean really she forgot the rice and then could refill the drinks!!! By far the worst service ever, hole in the wall taco joints in Chicago have better food and the service from the roaches is better! read more

Great Mexican food! It's the standard menu you see at the other Mexican joints, but they seem to make the food taste better than the others. Staff is very friendly, the general manager usually comes around to each table to make sure everything is perfect. read more

We love this place!but a friendly advise before you take a sip on your tea on the cup make sure you look at it very well!got my tea I didn't look at it at all until my daughter ask me if what it is in my drink cup and it's to late I been drinking my tea!it's so gross that I have stop drinking my tea,I don't think we will be back in this place again to bad! read more

Great and affordable. Carne asada is very good. Service awesome. Will be back with my family again.

El Camino Real is a good restaurant considering being in Hampstead. I travel to small towns in Mexico such as Tecate and i can say this food is not authentic mexican food. Yes, dont get me wrong it is good, but Mexican food in Tecate is more than 200 times better. read more