First time last night. This restaurant was so cute and had amazing service. Along with the amazing…read morefood! Everything was so great!

WHY I WENT HERE: - dinner…read more- LOVE that they have birria de chivo (goat) in addition to the birria de res (beef) * BONUS - I arrived here during happy hour THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located on the corner of Merritt St and Sanchez St - street parking and parking lot parking available - overflow outdoor waiting area (bench seating protected from sun and rain) available at the front entrance - partially covered patio with awning and outdoor heater lamps available for outdoor seating THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - colorful art murals - industrial ceiling and flooring look - booths and standalone tables available - various Mexican genres of music playing (at least at the time I was there) THE MENU: - la especialidad (birria plates) - birria lovers - red tacos - pa'empezar el dia (breakfast) - el alivio: cerveza, draft beer, micheladas, margs/sangrias, wine, mocktails - pa'compartir (appetizers) - platillos fuertes (main entrees) - del mar (seafood plates) - los fines (weekends) - algo dulce (dessert) - para los peques (kids menu) - algo leve - tacos/quesadillas - burritos - bowls - tortas - sopes/tacos dorados - drinks - sides WHAT I ORDERED: - Quesabirria Tacos - Platanos Fritos THE TASTE: - everything was amazing! fresh, filling, comforting CUSTOMER SERVICE: - accommodating - attentive but not overbearing

Yum! I was worried when I was the only one there during dinner rush, but I'm so glad I stayed. The…read morechips were thin and crispy, and the red salsa had an oregano-y flavor to it. My carnitas burrito was great. Well seasoned, with a great mix of toppings. The beans were sort of in between refried and whole, which added some great texture. I will be trying it again.

Absolutely loved this hidden gem of a mexican heaven on our way back from highway 1 drive and a…read morelong day at the beach. Out of the very few places you cross by, we found a place that accepts cards and is not a mc Donald's/ taco bell chain. There is lots of parking right in front of this restaurant and it's a quick detour from highway one when going back to san jose, which makes it the best quick bite spot for us!! As you enter, you are greeted by a friendly (and only 1) server. She gets water and menu cards to your table and waits to be called to come get your order. In $37 (before tax and 3% surcharge for credit card), we got: - free chips and salsa upon request 5/5 loved the mild salsa and spicy green sauce yum yum!! - super burrito 5/5 with chicken, add jalapeño and it was tooooo big!! Definitely to share :) paired perfectly with green sauce - beef flautas - 4/5 loaded with meat and comes with side of rice and refried beans Clean restrooms and quick service makes this the perfect pit spot for us!! Ps - 3% surcharge added for credit card payments Must try!!

I had a really great experience eating at this restaurant. All the seafood was extremely delicious…read moreand flavorful. Restaurant was clean and the service was quick. It's one of those meals that just puts a smile on your face. Recommend checking in them out. If someone could please tell them to open a restaurant in Sacramento I'll be there for sure

The food here really rates 5 stars! Fresh ingredients, well prepared with just the right…read moreseasonings made the meal one to remember. The place is modest, but clean and comfortable. Our server was pleasant and efficient even though she didn't seem to speak much English. The stand out dish was the chile relleno. The chile was sweet with a perfect texture. Bathed in a savory slow roasted delectable sauce and the right amount of melty cheese. Chips and salsa were top notch. The whole fried snapper was crispy and well seasoned and was accompanied by yellow rice, beans, salad and two wonderful spicy sauces: one red and one green. The other dishes we had were tasty as well. Tacos & taquitos with rice and beans. I will definitely return when I'm in the area.

I really love Mexican food, and this place did not dissapoint. Staff were friendly, and really know…read moretheir menu. They explained very clearly what each menu item consisted of. So i tried their beef tacos. They were really packed with lots of beef. The shell was crispy and delicious. The beans on the side were cooked just right. I really like this place, and will definitely go back for more.

Hello there Party People…read more Let me start by saying Happy New Year My Husband and I were wandering in Castroville and ran across Olivia's. We have been craving Mexican food something awful and stopped in. This my Friends is a Diamond in the ruff. Be prepared to use your translation app on your phone because the staff speaks very little English and menus are in Spanish. Don't let that stop you from trying this place because you will be missing out on an authentic Mexican food experience....no Tex-Mex fusion here thank the lord We started with a Pork Quesadilla. It was stuffed to the max with a very tasty marinated pork, but you can get any meat you want. The tortillas are home made and incredible. It was an eye opener to what we loosely call Mexican food in United States....it truely isn't Mexican food and I know that know. I got the Steak Fajitas. It was teaming with veggies and once again the meat was seasoned with the subtle flavors of Mexico. My Husband got the steak enchiladas. This was interesting because the meat was served on the plate outside the enchilada. So the enchilada was just cheese with a nice lime verde sauce. I am a rice person and my husband is a bean person. I mention this because we are very picky and rarely find rice and beans that we like, but this place blow the top off the chart. The beans were flavorful and creamy without feeling like you stuck a spoon of lard in your mouth. The rice had good fluffy texture and nice flavor..very tasty So glad I found this place just proves that taking chances can lead to great experiences.

It is located in a small business lot between a Chinese food place and a bakery, service was fast…read moreand very friendly but they only accept cash. We had the carne asada burrito and the Al pastor tacos. Prices were not too bad and the overall flavor of the food was average, could have been a little more flavorful. Serving size was decent and I was impressed with how fast the food came out, although we were the only ones there.

We were visiting Monterey and craving good local tacos. After checking Yelp, we tried Deliciosos…read moreTacos and we're so glad we did! It's a small spot with 7 tables inside. It's clean and the staff was friendly. They're cash-only, but there's an ATM on site. The menu is straightforward and reasonably priced. We ordered the carne asada super burrito, two carne asada tacos, and two carnitas tacos. Everything was excellent. The meats were well-seasoned without being salty, and nothing was greasy. The carnitas were tender inside with crispy edges. While we were eating, three other people came in to eat. We left very satisfied and will definitely be back next time we're in Monterey!

Okay this is my second review on Franco's Taqueria in Castroville. I recently went in and had tacos…read morede tripa. I love tripas but usually they are a bit too hard and chewy for my liking. These were tender and sooo savory! Plus they come served on homemade corn tortillas. Outstanding! Tonight I went in for their menudo. They were already out so I had the posole. This is authentic Mexican food at its best! Even the hominy in the posole is fresh cooked! Most restaurants and people, myself included, use a canned hominy because it's convenient. Not here! It is the best posole I've ever had period! I will definitely be coming next week at an earlier time to get their menudo. I know this will be hands down the best menudo ever in Monterey County. For all of you who love menudo, it is worth the drive to this beautiful restaurant in Castroville.

I've been on a hellbent mission to find the best menudo in the area for the last couple months…read more Every weekend, instead of just hiking or catching up on sleep, I wake up early to hit as many spots possible to find that one place that would bring me to tears and drop a $100-200 tip for the sake of showing full gratitude. Two months later, I'm still unsure if I'll ever achieve that in this area. Maybe there are some here on Yelp that knows something I don't and would lead me in the right direction. But my personal efforts have yet to lead to some serious results - as well as being able to finally give a personal friend of mine from Oaxaca the acknowledgment that I've figured it out and remove that smug look off his face. Whatever it is, bowls and bowls later, I've yet to find that perfect bowl. It's become repetitive. Flavors always mild. Filling as it is, rich as it is, I can't shake off the feeling that the flavors are always mild. It can't be can it? A "sacred" dish like this can't be this flat all the time right? So in light of the recent Yelp event that got me hunting for the "true" Birria de Chivo (instead of the common Birria de Res"), I was pleasantly surprised to pass by this spot that sported both of the items in my current hunt. Menudo and Birria de Chivo on the weekends! Sure got me to stop and head right in. I wanted to order both but was told that they only had "Birria de Res" this time around. Not surprised. It happens and without hesitation, I ordered the menudo to go (as I just had finished consuming a couple menudos earlier and am too full to continue). She told me to call next time to make sure they had the goat stew before driving back. Long story short. It was the most loaded menudo so far. More tripe that broth. And took me actually two attempts in one evening to finish as it was really, really rich. Goodness, I'll be back again for the menudo once this whole search is done BUT more than anything, they have got me truly curious about their Birria. Barely anyone else in the area even does Chivo so that is enough for me to come back again. See you around and I'll definitely call you first to make sure you have the goods. Cheers!

Best Mexican food in town! So delicious. Great prices, food is always very fresh and great quality…read more $1 toscos on Mondays are a great deal too.

Having Monterey Aquarium season passes means we find ourselves down in Monterey every couple of…read moreweeks because my son absolutely loves the aquarium. And somewhere along the way, Phil's has become part of the tradition. The first few times we came down, we were on a mission to find the best cioppino. We tried multiple places that all made their own claims to the title, but after our very unofficial family taste test, Phil's was the clear winner. Their cioppino is what keeps us coming back -- rich, comforting, loaded with seafood, and exactly what I want after a day on the coast. We also tried the sea bass fish and chips, which were excellent. The fish was buttery and flaky inside with a nice crisp exterior, and the portion was generous with four good-sized pieces of fish. At this point, a Monterey Aquarium trip almost feels incomplete without a stop at Phil's. We may come down for the fish at the aquarium, but we stay for the fish at Phil's.

This is a review on the cod fish and chips. The order was huge. However, the fish had an extreme…read morefishy taste and the breading was thick and kind of doughy. The tartar sauce was pretty much flavorless. The staff is adequate and the restaurant is unique. I would come back but pass on the fish and chips.

New Mexican restaurant in Castroville, Hand made corn tortillas are so good, and oversized too…read more This morning I tried the menudo "wow", flavors are on point, even hungry I couldn't finish all my order. Another draw for me is that they opened early on the weekend, I think she said 6am. Good authentic food Clean & remodeled Open early 5 out of 5 stars

A little hole-in-the-wall spot in Castroville. Parking is on the street or you can park by the gas…read morestation in the back. When you walk in, they bring you a little sopita. It honestly reminded me of a Oaxacan household in Mexico. I got the fresh maracuyá drink and three memelitas. They use Quesillo, which I believe they get through an importer, and the cheese was real good. The memelitas were a little different from what I'm used to, they had more masa and were thicker, almost like a sope. I definitely want to come back and try some of their other food. Overall, I'd say give this place a chance

Such an unexpected surprise. Great beers fun host and unexpected experiences. I'll stop by again.read more

Love the service which is friendly. This is your local small town dive where the beer is cold and…read morepeople are quick to chat.