What a nice little spot. A gem even! Great simple Mexican Food. If you are Monterey highly recommend this place. read more

Papa Chano's - Tacos de Carne Asada y uno de camaron - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Thank goodness I don't live here otherwise I'd be eating 3 burritos a day from this place. Just had their breakfast burrito (asked for it vegetarian so I can't speak to the meat) and it was insanely good. And I feel like I'm speaking from experience, I am an absolute burrito addict. If you're in town definitely get a breakfast burrito from here - apparently they serve them all day read more

Very authentic food and environment. The staff is very friendly and goes out of their way to help. Their prices are very reasonable especially for downtown. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for real, authentic Mexican food! read more

Best Mexican food I've had in a long time. Killer fresh salsa. Super nice person at the counter.

Good quick Mexican food. I don't know what people are expecting in a predominantly white people touristy area. It is not going to be authentic per se, but it was still delicious. Was staying at a nearby hotel and needed food after 8 PM. Luckily, Papa Chano's was open. However, because of the reviews, I was hesitant. They have free chips and salsa, and the portions were huge. Carne Asada fries were great. Would go again. read more

I love this place! Hard to find reasonably priced good food in Monterey, but this place hits both marks! Great price, especially for being on one of the busiest streets in Monterey. The taco plate I get often is 11 bucks. Today I had 3 fives and the staff just waved off the extra dollar. They have a self serve salsa/chip bar, which is always full. read more

Papa Chano's - Taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Sadly I cannot go here anymore. They have really good ingredients and the proprietors are very friendly, but the burritos often come out made crosswise, like, half the burrito is rice and half is beans with stripes of other ingredients. The last straw was today I saw the cook washing his hands with his disposible gloves on before he made my food . The food is tasty and so I am posting this in the hopes that the owner sees it and corrects these problems and to keep myself from crawling back until I know it's better! read more

We were hungry after wine tasting and popped in. It's New Years since I've been there. I got a carne asada taco and chicken taco with chips. The asada tasted weird and I was not at all happy with the flavor. The chicken taco was ok. The salsa were bland and seemed to be watered down. Don't know if I will eat there again. It's too bad there food is not better..it's in a great location. read more

This place seems like it's going to be good but don't waste your money. My fiancé's food was burnt, and mine looked like baby food. Seriously what kind of quesadilla is this? I hear they used to be good, but now they use super cheap freezer ingredients. Pretty clear here! read more

Papa Chano's - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Service was friendly from the very beginning. Food was delicious. Kids had bean and cheese burrito and flautas plate. Shrimp fajitas were outstanding. Large portions and very flavorful. Beans and rice were great. Compliments for a great meal with the family. Location is family friendly, soccer on tv. They bus your tables and are very kind about taking care of it. Will be back. read more

Excellent chicken fajitas! Order came quickly and sizzling hot! Chicken burrito is also outstanding! Great prices! Hit sauce and chips and salsa mini bar! Great fast service! read more

Was walking to go to another spot that serves nachos buuuttt ended up going here because it looked more REAL. Glad I did AlPastor was on point. Got 2 burrito 1 chicken and 1 Al Pastor. I was very happy with my purchase and they give you a big portion. Worth every penny. read more

They have carne asada fries now! My boyfriend ordered it with chile verde instead at no extra charge, which was nice because some places have an up charge for those sorts of things. Both orders definitely met expectations--the fries were thick and crispy and the toppings were plentiful :) Also ordered chicken enchiladas for my grandmother which turned out really well. The enchiladas were tender and very mild--a safe choice for the careful diner. Would certainly recommend to friends wanting Mexican food in the downtown area. A solid choice! read more

Bland "Mexican" food at best. At worst you might get something that's actually rancid and spoiled, like the tamales we got. Disgusting!! Don't waste your time or money here unless you enjoy the risk of food poisoning read more

I call in orders for pickup..... I just realized I never eat inside.... Even in high school I would take the burrito back to school and eat it during class... I sat in the front row and I ate a whole burrito and didn't get caught eating. I was good at that, but why didn't I apply that dedication to my schoolwork? The food is good. read more

Surprised the average ratings are so low for this place...I had a Jumbo Carnitas burrito and it was amazing. Not only did it live up to its name in size, but it had a very nice portion of delicious carnitas inside The tortilla it was wrapped in was also excellent, their chips were fresh (translucent paper bag ) , and the salsa (red and verde) were good. Only downside was GrubHub didn't have an option for lengua (my favorite) which was on the menu, but that's the apps fault not the restaurant. We will definitely be returning, and order directly next time! read more

We have been eating at Papa Chano's for many years now. The food is always fresh and the portions are large. Though I am a vegetarian now, I can always find something on the menu that meets my desires and my whole family's. They also have some great homemade salsas. read more

Absolutely delicious I will come here again! Feels very homely and the food was amazing, not to mention the self serve unlimited chips and free refills on my favorite horchata!! The portions are so big as well! The menu has so many options/choices! The cashier was also really helpful as well! Great prices! read more

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Awesome authentic Mexican food, and very friendly service. Prices are average for area.

Delicious Mexican food, taste homemade. I visited Monterey this week and ate here twice. For lunch I had the Chicken Taquitos plate. I later returned for breakfast. My husband and I had the breakfast, potato, eggs, bacon breakfast. Delicious coffee. Friendly service, has that family feel atmosphere. A plus, the self serve restaurant tortilla chips and variety salsa bar. Will definitely be returning when I am in the area. Great location. read more

Ok welp, average at best but today wasn't even that. Nothing stood out in the overpriced menu. They don't even have a specialty. Since the menu was lackluster, I just ordered 2 tacos. Menu board didn't specify crispy or soft so I assumed crispy & since it was take-out only I thought for sure it would at least make it home from the grill...got home (5 mins drive) and my 2 tacos might as well have been served on tissue paper tortillas. Ok so it's not my job to pack food to go or make menu decisions but this place just sucks. Soft & raw tortillas turned to mush and I couldn't even pick them up without disintegrating. Not worth $4 ea at all. read more

As you call tell the food was so delicious that i almost forgot a picture!! The food is so authentic, it has a great taste, the meat and condiments are out of the roof. They have a variety of items on the menu. I strongly recommend the breakfast burrito and carne asada fries!! The service here is amazing and very nice people. 10/10 no doubt! Pricing is so reasonable. An actual great Mexican restaurant :) read more

Papa Chano's - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Really tasty bean and cheese burritos! --So tasty that the beans might be made with lard :( They also have the salsa with the spicy carrots in it and freshly made carrot juice. Love it! It's clean, cheap, and very good. We go here every time we go to Monterey. read more

Great customer service! we only order steak fries as we were only going for an appetizer to go. While we waited, the team gave us chips and salsa, and on the bag to go they added another bag of chips and salsa for free. That was a very nice gesture. The place itself has nice art on the wall and it is spacious. Muchas gracias! read more

Next time I roll in town for the annual Red Bull Race at Laguna Seca, I am having breakfast at Papa Chano's. They won my gastric favors with the BIGGEST vegetarian soft DACO I've ever had. AY! Que Fresco! Of course, it was the kind of DACO you'll have to eat with a knife and fork, even if you are Dwayne Johnson. I would also recommend this restaurant to Dwayne Johnson, because the food is fresh, and the portions just might satisfy someone whose nickname used to be "the Rock". Seating here is comfortable with natural light from their big windows, but tables further inside are available for those who value their privacy. The food looks as good as it tastes, and trust me people from outside will be gawking at you as you eat here. read more

Papa Chano's - great natural lighting and AC like natural temperature. - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm from the Bay Area and know what authentic Mexican food should taste like. Folks, this place is the closest you will come out here! We've been eating here for years and the food is always fresh and tasty!! The ONLY good Mexican place we've found in the Monterey area!!!! read more

We were pleasantly surprised at such authentic Mexican food in downtown Monterey! The service was great and the potions substantial for the price. read more

Just no, definitely not an authentic mexican restaurant. Ordered 2 simple carne asada burritos: way over payed, small size plus not enough meat & on top of that, they prepared the meat completely different than I've ever tasted(chopped up into tiny pieces & seasoned to the point of not tasting carne asada plus it tasted boiled/chewy/alil odd, idk how else to describe) trying to be original but sometimes it's best not to change something that's tradition or if you do, you got to make it better. It didn't taste good or feel right either. I was really hopeing to like it & wouldn't have minded paying extra if it was good since it's close to home (down the street) but lesson learned, I prefer to drive to salinas at this point. A carne asada burrito should be on point for any mexican restaurant. Just a disappointment, not encouraged to even give it another try. read more

Papa Chano's is our to-go place whenever we are in Monterey. The food never disappoints. Specially love their tacos - tongue, fish, shrimp. The service is great. Food is served very fast and hot. the environment - Simple, clean. Price is good too. read more

They have a few tables out front now (September) Food remains reliably good - the usual burrito, Chile relleno. You can still get the gresh pico de gallo w/chips Service is prompt and the owner makes sure the customers are happy read more

I grew up eating my grandma's Mexican Cooking so I'm very picky when it comes to eating Mexican food, but let me tell you, this place was worth every penny spent! Their salsa is fresh and flavorful with a small kick of jalapeño. Their fish tacos were crispy, seasoned to perfection, and to die for. They men who run the restaurant were so nice and prompt when serving our group 7. This really is a hidden gem of Monterey! read more

I was SO excited to try this place. It was closed on arrival at 9:20pm. Website says it's open til 10pm, the signs on the door state it's open until 11pm. Very disappointed this wasn't the case. Call ahead of time if coming later in the evening! read more

On our road trip a few weeks back we wanted some authentic, not-too-expensive Mexican food. Papa Chano's fit the bill. The tacos and burritos smelled and tasted delicious. Service was quick, and atmosphere relaxed. It would be easy to miss this small place, so make sure you park even if you do not see it at first. Only complaint is they need better signage. read more

I just ordered the tacos, but both were AWESOME! Green Chile pork and Pastor. Also... whew knew you could eat a full meal in Monterey for $7.45?!?! read more

This place was gross. Came in for a late night nite... Fried fish taco?? Who's idea was this?? I felt sick instantly. read more

15-20 minute wait is 1 hour. Girl that's working there, was doing everything by herself. Taking orders, serving, and cleaning the tables. They messed up on our order, actually they forgot my order. People that came in before us were served before me. read more

Solid joint. Got the Al pastor super burrito with chips and pico. Big burrito, meat was tender and crispy and well flavored. Pico was really fresh. read more

I never write reviews, but this place is hands down my favorite place to eat. The food is amazing, the restaurant itself looks great, and the service is just as good as the food. I've never had a bad experience eating here. Don't even bother going to another restaurant. read more

First time here, and very happy about my order. First, they have a chips and salsa bar which is SPOTLESS. Fresh chips, The Best Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo salsa I've ever had, hands down. I had two street tacos, Chile Verde, and Carnitas. Amazing! This place does Pork right! My son ordered the regular burrito with Chorizo, and he loved it. The burrito is very big, he could only eat half of it. The people were nice, the prices were a bit higher than what I'm used to being from Sacramento. But all in all we will definitely be back! The only thing that would make the place better is if they had beers to wash down the delicious food. read more

This place has been going strong for over 15 years. Whatever they're doing, works! I'm still a fan! Quick service Mexican food, friendly staff, chips & salsa bar and generously sized portions. You will not leave hungry! Eat in or grab a burrito to go and head to Lovers Point. Sounds like a good day to me. read more