Rafael Mexican Grill

The place offers an excellent experience and even better food. It is a little hard to get to with…read morelimited parking, but the food makes up for it. I ordered a raspberry, coconut, and granola pancake and it was HUGE! I also got a side of potatoes that were so yummy. I definitely want to go back!

Update: went back and you have to see this pancake-see photos…read more Food was great. Server Lizbeth was great! Going back tomorrow for more great food. Pancakes were huge and looked amazing so i will try that tomorrow. Today i has cinnamon french toast and a wonderful fruit bowl. Restaurant was clean and well kept.

Bacon skillet with carnitas added

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Cucumber salad

The Village Restaurant

4.0(264 reviews)

1.0 mi

I've been coming to The Village for years, and it continues to be one of my favorite places to eat…read more I always find myself coming back because the food and service are consistently excellent. The owners themselves are the ones serving customers, and they are incredibly kind, welcoming, and attentive. They truly make you feel at home and go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience. The food is always fresh, delicious, and comes out quickly. My favorite dish is the chilaquiles, and I highly recommend them! The restaurant is always clean, including the restrooms, which is something I really appreciate. If you're looking for a family-owned restaurant with amazing food and genuinely wonderful service, The Village is definitely worth visiting. You can tell they care about their customers, and that's one of the many reasons I keep coming back.

Delicious food !!! Highly recommend coming here breakfast is served all day ! And their food is…read moresuper delicious fried asparagus delicious a swell and breakfast sampler too!! Great prices aswell!!

Menu At The Village Restaurant.

Cinnamon French Toast & Blueberry Pancakes

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The 31st Grill

4.3(181 reviews)

3.4 mi

Best pastrami sandwich outside of New York. my wife said her corn muffin which was huge was the…read morebest she ever had. Service was outstanding. Excellent parking. Cant wait to go back.

Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. I ordered the meatloaf, and the sauce was so salty…read morethat it overwhelmed the dish. My wife and son were also disappointed with their main dishes, the hanger steak wrap and grilled cheese sandwich, although both the regular fries and sweet potato fries were good. The floor was noticeably dirty and sticky during our visit, which made the overall experience less than pleasant.

Our view for breakfast

Yummy baked goods will entice you!

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Storefront

Ariana's Restaurant

4.0(178 reviews)

3.9 mi

Ariana's never disappoints. This is our go-to for weekend family breakfast. Be prepared to wait…read moreon Sundays for a table. The church crowd packs the place after service. It doesn't matter how long it's been since we've been in, they always recognize us. The service has always been on point, the food comes out fast and always delicious. Since I'm a creature of habit, I generally get the corned beef hash and eggs or the eggs benedict. 10/10 recommend for either. My girls switch it up at every visit and they've never been disappointed. The place is not much to look at and could definitely use some upgrades but don't let that stop you!

We came to Ariana's for breakfast today, my mom and I. It's self-seating, and one thing I…read moreimmediately noticed was how clean the restroom was. I'm always impressed when a restaurant keeps their bathrooms really clean! We both ordered the morning special, number 2. The food came out quickly and the service was good. Our waitress mentioned a homemade salsa she wanted us to try, but unfortunately she forgot to bring it out. The breakfast itself was pretty simple and basic, so I can't say too much about the food, but everything was fine and my mom really enjoys coming here. Overall, good service and a clean, comfortable spot for breakfast.

Inside

The best tacos ever

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Inside

El Chilacatazo

4.7(203 reviews)

3.3 mi

I took my grandma and grandpa here on Friday, and this place exceeded my expectations. My grandma…read morereally enjoyed her tacos, and my grandpa liked his food too--although he thought the salsa was a little too spicy (I personally loved the kick). The tortillas were amazing--soft, fluffy, and delicious. My molcajete had great flavor as well. My only personal preference was that the steak was cooked more well-done than I typically like, which made it a little dry for me. I understand that may be how many customers prefer it, but it could be nice to give guests the option on how they'd like their steak cooked. The beans were creamy, the rice had great flavor, and overall everything tasted fresh and well made. It does get busy, so parking can be a little difficult, and it can get pretty loud inside during peak hours--but that's also a sign that people clearly enjoy this place. Overall, delicious food and I definitely want to come back to try more items on the menu.

Food was good. I ordered carne asada. It was 3 thin slices--juicy, fresh. It came with rice, beans…read morea grilled chile serrano, a cebolla and 3 home made corn tortillas. My daughter had the birria plate and a chavela. I was checked on about 5 times.

Interior

Carne Asada Taco ($4)

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Quessabiria Y Consommé ($17)

Waffle Shop

3.5(124 reviews)

1.7 mi

Perfection! I tried to go to the Denny's down the street and the place was full of people waiting…read morein line and plenty of empty tables. Poor Customer Service there, so I went and drove down the street and found this waffle shop. I am so glad that we came here. The waffles were spot on. I got them plain this time. I also tried the lingua skillet and it was delicious with the mushrooms and onions. I also tried the bacon extra crispy and loved it. There was no waiting and the food came hot and fast. Our table was clean and ready to go. Our weight staff was super friendly and very attentive. Thank you Janet V! We will be back!

I enjoy coming occasionally in the mornings since it does get busy later mornings. When I come…read moreduring these hours the service is much faster. Ambiance reminds me of an old school diner The food is okay. I order the breakfast sandwich without the garlic. Unfortunately i have experienced negative things. They have brought out dirty plates to our table. This has happened more than twice. This is your reminder to check your plates/cups/ utensils before eating here or anywhere

Receipt. This is affordable and spot for the delicious breakfast and nonstop coffee.

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Portobello's

3.8(288 reviews)

3.1 mi

I stopped by Portabello's for a Sunday brunch and overall, I had a very nice experience. We were…read moreseated right away and provided menus promptly, which is always a good start. We ordered avocado toast, French toast, banana pecan pancake, house potatoes, and an Aperol spritzer. My avocado toast was served on a single very thick piece of bread, which had a very generous amount of avocado smash and was topped off with this delightful and fresh arugula salad. I added an over easy egg for an extra charge that was the perfect balance. The house salad was simple with butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radish, cucumber, with a light lemon house dressing that brought the salad together. It was refreshing. The French toast is pretty standard. Nothing that particularly stood out. The banana pecan pancake was delicious and shared with everyone at the table. The house potatoes were extra crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, which I found particularly satisfying. Overall, we had a pleasant experience and found Portabello's to be a good brunch spot in Salinas. The service was fast, the food portions were big, the food tasted fresh, and it was a nice ambiance. I would definitely return for the avocado toast and potatoes. Side note - I noticed Caesar Salad was misspelled on the menu as "Caeser"

Popped in father's Day brunch and wanted to check it out. There was a wide selection of entrées…read morethat included scrambled eggs, eggs Benedict and loco moco, French toast and pancakes as well as proteins like bacon and sausage. The service was okay as I was half way through my meal before I got coffee and ordered. Bloody Mary which was just okay with a lemon and olive on the stick...celery would have made it look prettier. The restaurant has modern feel in the courtyard area is usually the best place for an outdoor brunch.

Banana walnut pancake

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Bloody Mary (non spicy)

Eva's Cafe

4.1(208 reviews)

2.7 mi

Absolutely delicious authentic food! All the wait staff were friendly and helpful. Such a cute…read morelittle restaurant.

Worst chilaquiles !!…read more Costco chips drawn with insipid red sauce !! Took a couple bites !! And I asked for my check !! Strawberry choco milk with no real strawberry !! Really ?? In Salinas .

Muy próximamente estaremos asus servicios les daré la ubicación

Huaraches

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Huaraches

Dannys Donut Shop

4.6(84 reviews)

2.5 mi

I don't usually leave reviews, but this place deserves one…read more The owner offered me a free warm chocolate donut to try, completely out of the blue. That kind of customer service is almost extinct these days. Most places make you feel like you're inconveniencing them if you ask for a sample--looking at you, Baskin-Robbins. The donut itself was amazing. You could immediately tell it was made with better ingredients than what most places use. It was warm, fresh, rich, and actually tasted homemade instead of mass-produced. The chocolate flavor was spot on, and the texture was perfect. What really stood out, though, was the generosity. The owner was confident enough in his product to hand me a warm donut and say, "Here, try this." That simple gesture turned me from someone just walking by into a customer for life. Great donuts, great ingredients, and even better customer service. In a world where genuine hospitality is getting harder to find, this place is doing it right. Highly recommend.

The staff were extremely friendly & helpful. The young man had a big bright smile! They made my ham…read more& cheese croissant fresh & gave me a free warm donut because I had to briefly wait. Will stop by here again next time I'm in the area.

Breakfast Croissant was excellent!

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Donuts

Culturas Hidalgo & Oaxaca Restaurant

4.6(458 reviews)

2.7 mi

If you know me, you know I LOVE Mexican food. I read an article about this restaurant with rave…read morereviews and decided this is where I wanted to go on Mother's Day. Drove two hours from the Bay Area to get there and it was totally with the trip. My son got the mole negro and I got the chile verde. Everything on both plates was authentic, delicious, and AMAZING. My son tried my chile verde and said it was the best he's ever tasted and I agreed. They were super busy because it was Mother's Day, but we were seated after a short wait and our waitress was super efficient and friendly. Several times during our meal someone checked to see if we needed anything. Not going to lie, we were a bit intimidated when we pulled up as there were no other non-Hispanic people in the large crowd outside waiting to be seated. I told my son that meant the food was definitely going to be good, but I was worried about how we would be received considering the political climate these days, but it wasn't an issue. Everyone was super friendly. Will definitely be going back to try other items on their menu.

Culturas in Salinas was my first time trying Oaxacan cuisine, and it was a great experience…read moreoverall. The place was packed, which is always a good sign, yet the service was still excellent, very friendly, welcoming, and attentive. I ordered the tlacoyos with chicken Milanesa, and they were absolutely delicious. The chicken Milanesa was perfectly cooked, the queso fresco added great flavor, and the chile sauce had a nice kick without being overwhelming. I also tried the tamale Oaxaqueño, which was very flavorful with shredded chicken, a rich black chile sauce, and soft masa. It was much spicier than I expected, and unfortunately too spicy for me to finish, but you can tell it was made with authentic flavors. The tostadita Oaxaqueña was another tasty treat, fully loaded, fresh, and delicious. Every bite was packed with flavor. I also had the atole, which was warm, comforting, and the perfect drink to balance the meal. Overall, Culturas gave me a memorable first introduction to Oaxacan food. If you enjoy bold, authentic flavors and don't mind some heat, it's definitely worth trying.

Quesadillas - Chicken & Carne Asada

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Tlayuda Oaxaquena Mixta

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Joshua A.

7 months ago

Everything was amazing !! To the service , to the food and to the atmosphere! I loved everything about this place and I will keep coming back ! read more

Uriel A.

8 years ago

Seasoning is pretty good here. Definitely will come back. Rice is pretty good and sauces are amazing.

Debbie M.

8 years ago

Chavela was good.. they have 2 for 10$ monday. Also super nachos was good. Good service so far...

Melu H.

107

5 years ago

Been going to this place for years, the food and prices are great but the service is amazing.

Mike D.

6 years ago

Its really good. I wish I had found this place sooner! We come back almost once a week now.

Danna W.

9 years ago

Love this place! They always treat us like we were family. Great food, great service.

Patty L.

2 years ago

Super good service and excellent food. Will be coming here more often. Highly recommend

Tammy J.

8 years ago

Everyone is always friendly, the food is good and prices are good as well.

Sid G.

7 years ago

Lousy service, mediocre food. Not worth wasting your time or your dimes.

Christina R.

9 years ago

Very friendly staff, authentic food and great prices!!

John L.

6 years ago

good price but food doesn't have a real flavor to it.

Henna L.

8 years ago

Very good tacos! Love going to this place.

Rafael Mexican Grill - mexican - Updated September 2026

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I called in an order for pickup the night before Thanksgiving last week, and stopped in on my way…read morehome from work. I ordered the Camarones al mojo de ajo, which came with rice, beans, fries, and several corn tortillas on the side. The meal was delicious! The portions were generous, and the shrimp were drenched in a tasty garlic sauce, just how I like it! It was hot and ready in about 15 minutes. When I went in to pay, the only other customers were watching a soccer game on TV. The gal at the register was helpful and friendly. Next time I'll have to try eating in, since the dining area is welcoming and cozy. Don't pass up this little gem!

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