The menu is the same but the food is different, its obvious the food is prepped to cut corners to make a profit. My favorite dish the tube is now a burrito with a 12 inch tortilla and a small spoon of chicken. I also ordered a coke that came with hardly any ice and was flat. It makes me mad that a San Clemente landmark has been run into the ground. read more

Wow!!! My friend Herman Brown introduced me to this amazing place. He said they made the best salmon... He was right! The best salmon I have ever had! With rice, beans and salad... Made the best meal. I went back the next day with my kids. Loved it!!! read more

Y'all put down that hamburger and fruit loop down and check this place out. Very kind and easy to talk to workers too. I got the chicken plate. It was healthy and affordable too. Definitely gotta come here more often. Thank you. read more

Chicken was ok and Nachos were ok, good chips. The "half rack" of ribs was a joke, we seriously only got 3 ribs for $18.50, total rip off. And sides were skimpy. Definitely wouldn't bother with this place again. read more

First time here and will definitely be coming back! Food is HOT and tastes great... I'm picky with my fish and it has lived up to the scrutiny of my liking read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Mahi Mahi tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

If you're a picky eater do not go there! My carne asada was way too greasy. My husband's chicken was dry and not tasty at all. The rice had absolutely no taste. The ladies were not welcoming at all. But the service was fast! Probably an option if you only have 15min to eat but not fur us. read more

I ordered a whole chicken this evening at about 5:00. It was overcooked to the point of it being more like dry, tough, stringy jerky than chicken. Some bites were so dry and hard that they could not be eaten. It was very bad and should not have been served. I told the young counter girl how bad and dry and tough the chicken was and she did not say anything in response. I decided not to fight and just never go back. Two weeks before we bought two whole chickens. When we got home and opened the boxes, the chicken was all burned black and overcooked to the point of being dry, hard, tough and inedible. We have been going here for so many years and remember the old days when the chicken was juicy, plump, tender and cooked to perfection! Perhaps it is the cook or the chicken they buy now but if all you do is grill chicken and it is cooked to the point of being dry hard chicken jerky, something is very wrong. Don't want to give any stars but 0 or minus is not an option on this site. read more

Welp Surfs Up. The only thing I can say about this food is Nice Dressing. In this case ;looks are deceiving. Although the beans, rice, and chicken was soft it was tasteless No seasoning what so ever. I ordered the Surfin' Chicken It was supposed to be fajita style. The picture is posted here. Please let me know if you see any type of fajita style in this burrito I'll wait. there was hardly any chicken. Thank goodness I asked for Verde sauce (green sauce) and that had a little red pepper kick. But the red sauce was just water mixed with chili sauce and that was even tasteless with a little sneak attack of heat. The service was Soso. There was no mention if you pay with cash you get a 4% discount on your purchase. I had to read that sign after my coworker pay with her card and was charged a fee for using it. I also asked how long will it take for the food to be prepared because I was on lunch and we were on a small time crunch. The server and cashier said it would be 10 minutes, but it was more like 20 minutes and I was late getting back to work from lunch and I had to rush down my food in the car. As for the Ambiance all I can say it was clean and quiet with a little bit of a beach theme. With this place you'll catch me waving as I surf on by. read more

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Great people and great food. That put up with my dads awfull Spanish. Love it!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know how this place has above a four star rating because my friend and I didn't enjoy the food at all. The place was kind of dirty and we had to clean the tables ourselves. The service was slow and the food was really bad. We tried the chicken plate and the quesadilla and I could barely eat much. A stray dog also strolled in because they left the front door open, and it tried to eat our food. Will not be going again. read more

We came with a big group, 12 of us. Food was great! Real, fresh, hot. Very reasonable. Service was even better. We'll be back soon.

Sooo... fantastic chicken. Stumbled on this place and it is a standard for our family. Super fresh, tastes amazing, healthy and Jose is a really nice guy. Anytime we can go here, we do! read more

This place is both delicious and rad. We enjoy their food so much! The whole chicken plate is a deal. I usually add on the red snapper because it is delicious. Everything is cooked to order meat-wise so, yes, you wait. Good grief! People be complaining. Would you rather have generic big chain food that sits out forever? FINE. I will stick with home made. The family who runs this place is nice but busy. We do our best to be kind. Their food is so good and the flavors are amazing! I don't know what is in that garlic butter but it is sooo amazing. I crave it all the time! My one complaint would be the TV programming. Maybe just stick to surf stuff? It is weird when the game is on or some random show. Vintage surf movies would really complete the vibe and seal the deal for us. Anyhow the food is always a hit even if the TV is a bit off. The thing that earns our respect is that they take a day of Sabbath on Sunday. Right on. God bless.... read more

Best marinaded chicken, very generous portions, and great staff. Highly recommend! Drove from Lake Elsinore.

This was so delicious! Fresh grilled chicken cooked in front of you by the owners. So healthy and delicious. It's just amazing. The owners are so friendly and are actually cooking your food in front of you! There is plenty of parking and the space itself is nice and roomy. It gives a great family atmosphere. I will say this is the best chicken in California! I'm still happy! Just got home in San Diego and I can't wait to go back. We have nothing this good down here! San Clemente you are lucky. read more

best chicken ever!! I have eaten a lot of grilled chicken but this is the best!! wonderful service too read more

2nd time here. Been living at the holiday inn due to my house flooding. Surfin chicken has the best chicken that has ever entered my body. The chickens were definitely surfing and In the midst of achieving the barrel of their life. I wish surfin chicken followed me wherever I went. Chipotle has nothing on this place, doesn't even come close. I am going to be sad when I have to leave this shopping center to go back to my home. The Surfin burrito is the best burrito I have ever had in my life. The house salsa is next level, so fresh and simple. And to top of they all the best Hispanic soft drinks on tap, horchata, Orange bang etc read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Surfin Chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

Ordered the Carne Asada Nachos....SO. FREAKEN. GOOD!!! I have never finished a whole plate of nachos before this! Love that they use 2 types of cheese so you get some in every bite all the way to the end! I give them a 10/10 read more

I found this place while running late to work and needed a quick bite to eat and it was in the parking lot of the store I had stopped at. Ran in to see what they had and got a chicken bowl. They were fast, efficient and most importantly delicious. The chicken was being made right there, the flavor was delicious and the rice and bean were decent. I do wish I had more salsa but that's just because it was so good. Great small local place. read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Chicken Bowl to go - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

This place is a MUST try! A true "hole in the wall" gem in south Orange County. Walking in, you will see fresh whole chickens on the grill fish and carne asada too. The whole place smells amazing. We both ordered the chicken burritos (did I mention they are $8 each?! Unheard of) with their mild salsa. Everything is homemade and you can taste it. This is NOT another greasy burrito place. The ingredients are fresh, portions are great and you feel good after eating. Don't overlook this place. It's definitely our new go-to spot. read more

Never been to this area and found this cute restaurant. There was great service, quick food and sweet employees!

Delicious flavorful chicken. Fresh made to order tortilla chips and home made salsas. So good!

Very busy during lunch and the ladies working were hustling. However the food was just ok and not really worth the price.

The chicken here is the star of the show. Great flavor, no reason to get grilled chicken anywhere else. The ribs however didn't thrill me although someone else in my group thought they were great. The coleslaw here is too heavy on the mayo for me. The quesadilla was solid but that's hard to screw up. We ordered online and food was ready when we arrived. I'd definitely come back for the chicken and to try out some other things. read more

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Surprisingly good food, honestly had to use the restroom, and just happen to drive by it, so for the sake of a restroom I decided to walk in. After looking at their menu and the pics on Yelp, I gave it a go! I'm glad I did. If you exit Avenida Pico, give this little spot a try! For you muscle bros looking to build big juicy pecs, this place has plenty of protein to help with that! Good service too! read more

It was just okay, plain bland shredded chicken rolled up in a tortilla. Not a lot of flavor. I wouldn't go back,

Bro so good! Awesome quesadilla and awesome service! Couldn't ask for more! Will be going back

Update: just stopped and grabbed a half chicken. Wow. Dry, burnt, unappetizing chicken. Guacamole was brownish and off putting. Contrary to my first review, we literally said we should have gotten El Pollo Loco!! May try again to see if it was an "off" night, but doubt it. read more

Because it's immediately off the 5 freeway in San Clemente, in the 99 cent store plaza, it has easy access to hungry travelers motoring between San Diego & Los Angeles. The new owners have more energy that six two-year-olds! The recipes are exactly the same as the previous owners. You will not be disappointed. The prices are reasonable and the food is made with lots of love. The young couple that took over the business have more energy than six two-year-year-olds! We have been getting the red snapper lunch for almost 20 years. So very tasty! If I were to eat chicken, I would eat it here. It looks so delicious. read more

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Great juicy chicken if your in town. If you love chicken I recommend to try this place out. The sauce was delicious and slightly spicy which gave it a great flavor. Love this place..! read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Half a chicken plate - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

The server, who might also be the owner, is incredibly friendly and genuine. We got the red snapper plate that came with rich, salad, 4 corn tortillas, and salsa. All for just $10. Definitely a hole in the wall you won't want to miss. read more

Wow. Fresh. GREAT quick bite!! Easy parking and sweet friendly smiles! Live plants, well cared for, is always a plus! Same great attention into a fabulous dining experience. Thank you to the kind people who cooked our incredible meal. My husband was distracted by his tasty quesadilla that he couldn't keep track our our conversation!! Haha! That's 5 stars right there. read more

Traveled all the way from North Carolina to try this place because a friend recommended and it was well worth it. Highly recommend if you're in the area. #yummy read more

I tried the asada nachos, quesadilla and ribs and they were all very good. But I will say the ribs were the best I have ever had anywhere. The meat was falling off the bone and the sauce was perfect. All of the food had different seasoning and flavor but it was all great read more

We tried this casual eatery tonight for dinner. Food was fresh. We all tried different types of fish and they were all well seasoned and tender. Service was good - you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I enjoyed my meal. read more

A solid 4 stars for Surfin Chicken! This is a great no frills, limited specialized menu, good food kinda joint that you go to for good grilled Mexican food (mainly tacos, burritos, quesadilas, and rice plates). You can tell a place is good at what they do when they have an old fashioned menu with the plastic letters that looks like it's been there from the 80s, AND when they only have a few menu items (unlike the chapter books you might find at diners/chains). It's located in the not as nice part of San Clemente in a strip mall with a 99 cent store next to a record store. Easy parking (big plus), and indoor and outdoor seating. My husband and I were staying at the Holiday Inn express nearby so we figured we'd check it out. My husband got the Carne asada burrito (it says +rice and beans, but that means it's in the burrito) and I got the 2 red snapper tacos (which came with beans). They were both around $8 each (which surprised me at first bc it was just 2 tacos, but they were loaded with fish!) and both were muy delicioso! We got it with the mild salsa, which both of us thought was more on the medium side so be careful with the spicy salsa! But the salsa was almost the star of the show, it was that good. The Carne asada was also good, and I thought the fish was seasoned beautifully as well. A great find right next to the freeway before or after you hit the beach! read more

Great food, great service, friendly staff, my kids loved it and asked for more. Wait time wasn't long at all, Definitely coming back!

It's called Surfin Chicken but I come here for the fish, particularly the red snapper. The red snapper, like the mahi mahi, and salmon they serve are all freshly grilled when you order it by the grill master and owner, Jose. I frequently order the fish burrito with red snapper or the red snapper plate. The fish burrito is huge and comes with a salad and salsa. The red snapper plate comes with a large filet of fish, rice, beans, tortillas and salsa. The tortillas come steaming hot so be careful when you handle them. Oh, and ask Jose if he has any peppers. They are not of the menu but he will grill some for you if he has peppers on hand. read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Fish Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

Amazing! I just loved the vibe and the food in this place. It's so cute and has a great energy. Also good food that tasted delicious.

Can't go wrong with the red snapper or chicken plates! Salsas are delicious...don't forget a Piña Colada drink for a perfect meal!