This phenomenal restaurant has been a local South County favorite for many many many years - and for great reasons. The menu is extensive and exceptional ~ whether for breakfast, lunch or Dinner. Matched, of course by the outstanding service and options of indoor or patio seating. The ambiance is perfect - its popularity is easily obvious!! read more

We were asked to pay cash because the restaurant's electronic system was not working. This appears to occur frequently and typically on weekends. We agreed to use the ATM in their restaurant in order to pay cash. The server overcharged us by $20.00 for fajitas by unilaterally deciding to charge us for the larger portion of fajitas, which we did not order. Due to the error, we had to use the ATM a second time (we were charged a 2.99 ATM fee each time). When we informed the server, the server was more concerned with justifying his actions than listening to the customer and making it right. He was also visibly put off by our constructive feedback - "do not give a customer a menu that prices fajitas at $29.99 if you are going to charge the customer $49.99 located on an alternate menu" We are locals and the experience with this server's failure to apologize and insistence on arguing with us has led to our decision to never return to Ricardo's. Instead, we recommend El Maguey, Bravos, El Campeon or EL Molino de Oro - all nearby. read more

Amazing friendly service! And make sure to get the Caldo de Pollo if you want excellent tasting soup!

We came here on a weekend night. I don't think they take reservations and it was about a 10 minute wait. The menu for both food and drinks was huge. They crank out the food and everything came out super quick. It was quite crowded and looked like a lot of people are regulars. Service was amazing. The food just wasn't as great as surrounding places. read more

Ricardo's Place - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Always amazing meal when you go to Ricardo's place. Authentic Mexican food. Service is always excellent. Today I asked if I could get ground beef instead of shredded beef and was told yes I am a really happy person. I don't like shredded meats at all while dining at Ricardo's place you actually feel like you're in his home sitting at his dining room table. read more

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Great food, great service and charming ambiance. The chicken enchiladas were great and the salsa they give in the beginning is delicious read more

Ricardo's Place - Chicken Fajitas for One - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Luis was our fantastic server. Very kind and attentive. Food was good but a little on the bland side. It's been a while since I've been here and I remember more flavor in the carnitas meat. Margaritas are huge and delicious! Would still recommend. read more

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The food is Delicious Service is THE BEST!!! Esthela greeted us Very friendly and kind staff. I will definitely return. Big Thank you To Bertha and Esthela read more

Ricardo's Place - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Food was EXCEPTIONAL!!! Literally the best rice and beans from a restaurant ever! I had potato tacos- they were PERFECT. Crust and full of yummy potatoes and cheese! I'm allergic to lemon and lime and as that was present in the salsa, they offered to make me some pico de gallo! Every person working there was friendly and smiled at us. The lighting was weird, but I don't like canned lights, so... The food was SO good, I didn't care! Husband ordered a bowl and they have a huge list of things you can choose to put in! He loved it!!! This place is a must go to! We're visiting the area and already planning to go back before we leave for home! read more

We recently had dinner at Ricardo's in SJC and the food was absolutely delicious and amazing service from the staff and owner. Ricardo's, Job well done! read more

Ricardo's Place - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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The food is great and we love going here but for the last month they have not been able to take credit cards and you can see it is cutting into their business. They said IT is working on it but it seems to be a bigger issue than that. Someone said they weren't free to talk about it but hopefully it gets sorted soon because cash is not something most people do not carry with them a lot. What's really going on people? read more

5/5 ~ Ambiance is romantic and offers various seating indoor and outdoor. While sitting and eating, I feel like I'm in a home. 5/5 ~ Service is quick and personal 5/5 ~ Parking can get limited when there are events in the outdoor area but park next door in the huge business complex. 5/5 ~ Food An "upscale" version of El Torito and the flan is the most delicious, so order the flan as a first item before the meal. My taste buds are always satiated with any food item on the menu. read more

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Ricardos is hands down our family's favorite place to eat. Every visit feels like coming home to a meal made with care and filled with love. The food is exceptional and clearly homemade- fresh, flavorful, and consistently delicious. You can taste the quality in every bite, from the perfectly seasoned dishes (the cilantro, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole,) to the rich, authentic flavors that keep us coming back again and again. On our last visit, it happened to be on Taco Tuesday. Taco Tuesday is an absolute must. The specials are unbeatable, and the tacos packed with flavor and made just right! Mine was shredded beef, with deep fried crispy hard outer shell and packed a 1-2 punch. My family also ordered the taco shell tostada salad. 10/10. For the foodies like me, I order it with shredded beef, extra layers of rice and pinto beans on the bottom with extra shredded lettuce, and there my yelper friends, is the chef's kiss. On the outer top layer, it comes with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and it's truly my favorite item to order here. Whether we're stopping in for a quick meal or a family night out, Ricardos never disappoints. Bertha always makes us feel like we are visiting family. If you are looking for great food, amazing flavors, and a place you'll want to make a regular spot, this is it! I highly recommend it! A little note, parking can be a bit tricky so give yourself ample time to find a spot and enjoy your experience. Be kind, be respectful and be authentically you. read more

This restaurant is awesome as soon as we came in the service is spectacular. They are on it water the greet the food the happy hour every day clean spacious. great drinks great drinks cheap smells good a food variety of food to pick from. Lupe are server is fantastic to me this is a family restaurant. I definitely recommend come join the party lol free parking!! Tons of flavors for the salsas very clean Lupe is a rock start Jose is awsome read more

Ricardo's Place - Enchiladas and hard tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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HELLO RICARDO'S! We were driving around the area and looking for old school neighborhood Mexican. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to find somewhere like our go-to in Costa Mesa, but we gave it a shot. To our surprise, Recardo's is even better. Super old school, big Mexican restaurant with homed chips and some of the best restaurant salsa we've ever had. You could taste the crunch of the onions and the chopped tomatoes bursted with favor on a crispy, salty chip. The salsa tasted like it was made 5 minutes before we sat down; it was THAT fresh tasting. A 2 item enchilada combo was plenty of food, but the 3 item plate was just wow, over the top amount of food and how real old school So Cal Mexican should always be done. Service was quick and the top shelf margaritas was DELISH. Highly recommended. read more

3 item combo- awesome option for those that are indecisive on what to order and want a little bit of this and that! Ginormous portions! Fresh, delicious food. Fave item was the flauta. Solid rice and beans. Complimentary chips and salsa were tasty. Friendly service! Nice shaded outdoor seating area. Also had jamaica aqua fresca - so refreshing! read more

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This has got to be some of the best Mexican food in the area. Ricardo's place is always on point with their quaint ambiance and super attentive service. I've had everything here from carnitas to Enchiladas (with a couple over easy over eggs on top) to the burritos, carne asada, crispy tacos, and huevos con chorizo. All accompanied with their wonderful rice and beans. I can honestly say, I'm addicted. read more

Pretty good place like not too expensive but not super cheap. 2 potato taquitos for 9.99 is okay but they were rlly good & seasoned well. My friend got the chicken tacos and said they were okay. Amazing service tho!!! I will definitely come when I'm in the area I do recommend. The ambiance is so cool too very good vibes and decor I love it read more

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The water wasn't drinkable. They have a very loud machine in the dining room where they store all the free chip baskets. It's glass and when you look inside the dirty straw baskets - that are never cleaned - are piled right on top of the chips they serve to people. I imagine the kitchen and other food storage is just as gross. read more

AMAZING food and service!!! We rented out half the restaurant for my grandmas 90th birthday and we had the absolute best time! Servers and staff were incredible. The food was top tier!! I got a plate with a carnitas taco, beef enchilada, and rice and beans. Everything was absolutely delicious. Their horchata is excellent too! read more

Ricardo's Place - Enchiladas Rojas (Red), Carnitas for One - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Outstanding spot! These were great: Combo platters: _ Enchiladas & Chile relleno combo _ chicken tamal & mini burrito (w/ Chile verde pork & black beans please) read more

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After living in the area for a little over a year we have *now* found our go-to restaurant for homestyle classic Mexican food. It started after I asked a hispanic, "what's your favorite Mexican restaurant in the area?" They said Ricardo's, but that it was a little pricey: note taken. My first time here I ordered a crispy beef taco and chile relleno combination plate ($21.99) and I haven't been able to stop ordering that same dish every time: it's been 4 times now! My husband is a crispy beef taco snob and said he hasn't had better. Their taco shells are homemade - not the pre-made grocery store shells. Now, I'm a chile relleno snob so I love that theirs is a pasilla chile (dark green), which has more flavor than its anaheim chile counterpart (the light green kind). Let's not forget their margaritas. While a bit on the pricey side for a non-craft cocktail (they use mixers), they do give you a large goblet for a drink. Their traditional margaritas are too sweet for my taste, so I have to order a skinny cadillac which costs $17.99. Ultimately, what brings me here besides the food is the atmosphere. I love their booth seating which is reminiscent of traditional mexican restaurants of my youth. The decor is cozy and friendliness of employees also stands out. P.S. !Taco Tuesday goes off here! read more

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I live nearby and there are a lot of great options for Mexican food nearby but my family comes here a lot. Here's why: * It has the best service of ANY nearby restaurant (very friendly and fast) * It has the best chips and salsa (ask for their salsa verde) * The food is excellent and portions are generous * Restaurant is very comfortable (ambiance, seating, locals, etc) Only reason we don't come here all of the time is if we want different styles of Mexican food. But! If you just want a classic Mexican-American restaurant, this is pretty much as good as it gets! read more

Love the create your own bowl selection they have on the menu. I had the select 4 items, boiled beans, carnitas, fajita veggies and guacamole. It was delicious. We had 5 people for dinner and everyone loved their meal. read more

Ricardo's Place - Carnitas, boiled beans, fajita veggies and guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

The food is so good! We always come for dinner when we want Mexican. Service is al ays amazing read more

Excellent tacos and the tamales were perfect. The star of the show was the delicious guacamole. Flavorful and just the right consistency. Oh by the way the strawberry margaritas were so good. Service was amazing. read more

The food here is great. The service was great too. Leticia was great,as well as all of those who tended to our table. Highly recommend.

Service was good and ambience is excellent. Prices are a little high for Mexican food.

The food was really good - I had a shredded beef enchiladas plate and a carnitas taco - I think next time ill have the carnitas plate. A small group of us went for dinner last night. We had great service early on when the restaurant wasn't full... but by 7:30 when it was busy the service wasn't as good. read more

Ricardo's Place - Beef Enchiladas platter and a Carnitas Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Visited Ricardo's a number of times. Usually good Mexican food that meets American tastes. A roomy venue, kept clean with friendly staff. Today, I had the Surfer burrito lunch for $17.99 and paid an additional $2.00 up charge for carne asada rather than the standard chicken or ground beef. My burrito arrived stuffed with goodness accompanied by sides of fresh sour cream and Ricardo's excellent house guacamole. I excitedly cut into the Goodyear Blimp of a burrito only to discover that the carne asada I had paid extra for was nowhere to be found, only ground beef. This lack of attention to a simple detail lowered my Yelp rating from the four stars I had initially planned on down to just an average three Yelp stars. read more

Came on a Saturday night and had a party of six, so as expected we had to wait 15-20mins. The place is busy so keep that in mind if visiting on the weekend, but they are busy for a reason. The place is big, plenty of parking and it is cute that they decorated for St. Patrick's Day considering this is a Mexican restaurant. Prices are about $20 per meal and then they do offer a lunch menu and special along with a senior special. Service is always exceptional and food order has never been incorrect, which I appreciate it. Including my skinny margarita The food was absolutely delicious, portions are huge so be prepared to take home left overs or split a plate. Ricardo's is one of the few places that offer potato taquitos that are so delicious you don't need to slab guacamole or sour cream to add flavor. Everyone in my party enjoyed the food, which again is hard to find. You won't be disappointed read more

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Hands down, the best chips and salsa! I originally found Ricardo's Place about a year or two ago through a DoorDash delivery -- it was packed! That piqued my interest (and I ended up ordering tacos of my own that night). I recently went back for a late lunch on a weekday and got the All Day Special (beef enchilada, taco, beans and rice). I'm not usually a rice and beans person -- I usually prefer to go a la carts and get more substantial food options; however, decided to try something different this day. Really enjoyed the taco -- I would like to come back for Taco Tuesday (although their tacos on Taco Tuesday do seem pricier than some nearby comparable establishments). The beef enchilada was honestly not to my liking -- at all. The enchilada sauce tasted like it came from a can? Maybe it was just an off day -- because I really love the tacos -- so won't hold that against them. Will definitely be back for more chips, salsa and tacos soon! 2023: 61/100 read more

Ricardo's Place - Most amazing Tortilla Chips - Mexican Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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I recently revisited Ricardo's with another church friend and we had another great experience with the friendly greetings, and quick prompt service with the chips and salsa while waiting for the main entree. I ordered my favorite chile relleno in a combo-3 plate. It was too much and I had to bring the burrito home to eat later. I was surprised to get a 20% off as I am a US Retiree serving 20 years as a navy pilot. I wasn't aware of this benefit, and never took advantage of this in the past visits, but I happened to see it on the website and they were glad to apply it to my total bill, which was pretty good discount of almost $20.00. I will definitely continue to patronage this fine Mexican restaurant. read more

This was our first time at this restaraunt. Food was Amazing!!! Jesus gave the best service and made sure we had everything we needed. The ambiance of the restaurant is so comfortable and you feel at home. The tacos were perfectly crispy, the taquitos were amazing, Pazole is a must and the Al Pastor was so good. Would definitely give this place a try. read more

I can't say enough good things about Ricardo's in SJC! Great food, drinks and staff! My favorite Mexican restaurant in OC! read more

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I'll preface this by saying there are far better options in the area for the price. The service was subpar for our group. Had to wait over 20 minutes after ordering a beer only to be told they were out of it, then waited another 15 mins to get a bottle of Pacifico. The menu is garish and looks like something you would see on the side of a food truck in north OC. The food took over 40 mins from when it was ordered, and it was lukewarm when I received it. The flavor of the enchilada was decent, but the refried beans resembled a bland flavorless paste. read more

I have been going to Ricardo's Place for years. The service and food have always been great. I went for a visit today to get my carnitas taco and a margarita. As I walked in something felt off. There was hardly anyone there for taco Tuesday. We sat at our usual table and waited for a familiar face to come by. A woman I did not recognize came to the table and told us that the restaurant was only excepting cash. She then told us that there was an ATM machine close by. This unfortunately was not the first time that this had happened at Ricardo's Place. I don't really know what is going on with not being able to pay for your food with plastic. I was very patient the last time this went on for months. We love the people and the food at Ricardo's Place. Today when we were given the news it hit differently this time. We ended up leaving without eating. There was a sign in front of the entrance stating that cash was only being excepted, but it was mixed in with a bunch of other signage so you didn't notice it. I really hate to say it , but I don't think I will be visiting Ricardo's Place anytime soon. read more

A really disappointing for our group of ten. The food was not good (chimichanga three inches long and had big clumps of fat), refried beans that we barely warm. It was very poorly done. They added a 20% surcharge, then still left the gratuity suggestion on the bill, then added a 3% credit card fee. Seriously? Ricardo's is more expensive than other Mexican restaurants, but they trade on their decades of history ..... but the high prices, poor quality, and a 3% credit card fee? They have lost the plot. Service was minimal, but ignoring that, the food quality was poor overall and there is no forgiving that. read more

Upon walking out of the car we were greeted warmly at the front door. Inside we were offered free shots of tequila. Although we didn't take them, it was super generous! The food was excellent. I had the California burrito with shrimp substitute with rice and beans on the side. The chips and salsas flowed freely and our waiter Vicente was super sweet. Everyone made sure to check on us and our drinks were refilled without asking. Mexican decor and influence throughout-very nice. We even got to meet Ricardo the owner when walking out. Will definitely come back! read more

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Ricardo' s place great for large parties . Severice is wonderful. I have had several gatherings here read more

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