50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Aptos

“Been enjoying Manuels since 1966. Love the red snapper, the salad, flautas with guacamole...great food always! Hopefully coming to dinner tonight! ♥️“

“Got take out , super fast service. Great food , nice portions Carne Asada Tacos and Burrito. I had 3 shrimp tacos, the bomb !!👍😁👍👍.“

“I’ve been eating at Gordos for 22 plus years now. Favorite taqueria of all time. Always recommend it to friends, only leaving this review because the burrito I had last night was literally the most perfect burrito they’ve ever made for me. It blew my mind. I’ve literally ordered the same thing for 22 years almost weekly 😂 love this place. Thank you Gordos!“

“My husband and I decided to check out the restaurant for lunch and it exceeded our expectations. We order the empanadas as a starter and they were absolutely delicious. The tocos we ordered were so yummy. They had such flavor, texture had depth. The wait staff were wonderful; professional, responsive, and always attending to our needs. We can't wait to return.“

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“EVERYTHING was amazing. can't get enough of this place . the warm bean dip and salsa is wonderful. the micheladas were super yummy. EVERYTHING WAS so yum.y and flavorful. best food ever“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“I had a fantastic experience using Mr Ralph Carico Services when exploring investment options.The professionalism and knowledge of the team gave me great confidence I can wholeheartedly recommend him without reservation, Mr Ralph Carico“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“Overall, a decent place. We stopped in after lunchtime so it was quiet. We both ordered the fish and chips (yeah, I know it's a Mexican restaurant). The shrimp and fish were very good. The fries could have been crispier. I'd visit again if I was in the area.“

“These are hands down the best carnitas tacos in Santa Cruz. No question. I don’t want to hear any debate. The carnitas were crackly/crispy on the outside and soft/tender on the inside. The quality here is leagues above everything else in Santa Cruz. This place is better than pretty much anything you will find in the South Bay as well which is saying a lot.“

“the Salmon Tacos are to die for!!! I've been enjoying them for 18 years.“

“Awesome tacos and I love the salsa selections- so much to choose from. Everything is fresh, delicious, and authentic. The corn tortillas are super fresh, and I love the crispy tacos! Make the street taco vegan with beyond and you will thank me. Mmmmm!!!!!“

“Nice atmosphere and great food. I got the regular al pastor burrito and it was soooo good, and really nice big portion. Even though I was stuffed after eating it, I wanted another because it was so good. Also, the food came out quickly so I would recommend even if you don’t have time to dine in.“

“so delicious! everything we got was amazing especially the Quesabirria Tacos with consome!“

“great tasting food it was a packed little place with people waiting outside to be seated“

“Flavorful authentic delicious mexican food and the vibe is great. Great waitresses.“

“The Service is great !!! Beef taco is wonderful :) Also they do an American breakfast if you desire.Everything iv had is really good !!!“

“Wow. Taqueria Los Gallos

Clean. Bright.

You walk in and immediately get the sense that this place takes its food seriously without trying to impress you with anything else. No gimmicks. Just a taqueria doing the basics right.

The breakfast burrito stands out.

It arrives hot, tightly wrapped, and packed with fresh ingredients. Eggs cooked just right. Good balance of fillings. Nothing greasy or weighed down with oil the way many breakfast burritos are.

You finish it and feel satisfied instead of sluggish.

That is the detail that stuck with me. A burrito that tastes fresh and still leaves you ready for the rest of the day.

Places like this become neighborhood staples for a reason.

Simple food. Done well. Served fast. And it leaves you happy when you walk out the door.“

“The Po Boy taco at this restaurant was the best shrimp taco ever! And there are a lot of good taco places in this town. One taco was a full meal for a very reasonable price. Fresh and made to order. The taco came with a platter of peppers and onions and radishes on the side. Free chips came with the order.The service here was fantastic. I will be having my Mexican food here! The setting is in the mall food court, which was not Ideal. But I would get that food to go anytime!“

“Great chicken tacos 🌮 chips & salsa - the whole family enjoyed 👍🏼 Friendly service as well.“

“We had such excellent service and an amazing lunch . Home made corn tortillas and menudo and pazole. First class meal and experience all the way around . I have lived in this area for 20 years and have frequented many mexican restaurants and taquerias and this restaurant left us wanting to try more!! We will be back !“

“Excellent customer service today from server Heather. She totally accommodated the fact that I am gluten free and took her time to go over the entire menu with me, and she also made me up a fresh batch of gluten free chips. Heather is so knowledgeable and really kind and patient. i felt really cared for us.A customer and the food was very good too.“

“muy rico todo los tamales son de primera Calidad y los tacos mas ricos que he comido gracias por su dedication a su labor.“

“This is a really good halal restaurant here in Santa Cruz. There isn't much of a halal restaurant here in Santa Cruz, and this has been a go-to for me recently. The owner is extremely nice and generous with the portions. Unlimited Chips, and there are a lot of exotic snacks.“

“On vacation from FL. We was craving Mexican food, our hotel suggested this place, and what a great place to eat! The food was authentic and it was a treat! Our server we met was Lilly was so nice it made the food that much better! Can't wait to go again before we leave the area. Keep up the great food and customer service!“

“Dropped in from San Diego ca food was great and definitely recommend to everyone“

“Chorizo Tacos were delicious $3 each. Such a steal! Love them.“

“Prices seemed fair. The place hidden inside a gas station had way more charm then expected. Mini-mart /bar/tacoria. We have lived here 15 yrs and never ventured in. Then the other day were told about how great it is.

I was disappointed in the jalapeño poppers. The picture looked great but the actual product was like a heavily battered 1/4 piece of jalapeño. They looked like a freezer item. 8 1/4s is only 2 jalapeños.

Then we got the carna asada super burrito. Also fair price. Mostly rice. Big. OK flavored. The green salsa was the great topper. The red salsa was supposedly Pico de gillo, but was just liquid. We didn't get chips with white after we finished saw them stacked on the counter, so maybe if you asked.

No salsa bar, no frills.
The bacon wrapped hot dog meal that our neighbors had looked good.
We'll try again. Especially if we're ready for a drink with your meal, beer( large fridge with many brewery cans),tequila, kombucha, hortchata with a shot!!“

“Chorizo Tacos were delicious $3 each. Such a steal! Love them.“

“Me ans my family loves this place service is great food is great they have vegetarian options i do recommend all the haters saying bad horrible dont go

Well brother sorry to say YOU ARE A LIER!!!! Best salsa vegie salsa hot salsa mild salsa good rice good meat good beans sooooooo good do recommend

Like dont go to taco bell or Mc Donald across the street please dont los gallos is to good no thi food GO YO LOS GALLOS OR I WILL FIND WHERE YOU LIVE“

“EXCELLENT FOOD!!!
Must try:
Agua Fresca (strawberry was my favorite)

Empanadas (would eat 100 if my stomach would let me)

Pizza (tried the Chuck yeah BBQ)

SERVICE WAS INCREDIBLE!!!
The owner stopped by and gave us samples of some of their newest items on the house and all were 10/10.

Server was great and explained everything we have questions about (it was our first time) and customize everything to meet our needs (im kosher/no spicy and my husband is mildly lactose intolerant)

Overall highly recommend! Hidden Jem for sure :)“

“My friend and I had breakfast at Evarits’s Comal this morning and it was FABULOUS! My veggie eggs Benedict was perfectly cooked, with one of the best hollandaise sauces I’ve ever tasted. The fruit accompaniment was delicious and fresh. Service was on point. I even got serenaded and served a yummy dessert when they found out it was my birthday. I wholly recommend this excellent restaurant!“

“The closest restaurant you will find to Abuelita’s kitchen. The food is as authentic as you can get! I always judge the authenticity of a Mexican restaurant by their beans, and their beans are spot on! Tacos de asada, nopal breakfast burritos and menudo is among my fave. The service is always great, the ladies their are always so welcoming and humble, they remind me of my tias. Give this small place a chance! You won’t regret it!“

“Staff was super friendly and they truly cared about the customers. I had the fish taco and it was amazing“

“Great place to meet up with friends, for breakfast or anytime! Great beach and lighthouse view, and casual, comfortable atmosphere! I highly recommend!!“

“I came here on a sunny day in January around 12.30ish.
I ordered at the counter and tried to look for a table - but didn't find any - so got takeout
As soon as I was done I saw a table empty out - and I took that one.
The staff was kind enough to accomodate the change.
The patio view is superb and the tacos 💯
I got the chips and guac - guac was fresh, and had the creamy feel of the avocado and the salsas were spicy and tangy , the chips were crispy and the little sprinkle of salt made all the difference
The fish taco has fried fish and the taco was a great crunchy one with the spicy and crispy feels
The shrimp taco is a little warm taco with grilled shrimp and a little mellow sauces .
Overall good food and view 👍🏽“

“The best very Good food Costomer sercice and atmosphiere the resturant is exelente this is betted than any resturant in santa cruz ca i recomend its like if my grandmother is making the food delisouse come you will miss out if you dont have a amazing day !!!“

“Great food , Great Margaritas! , Great service, 😊“

“It sad to say the taqueria in my Town Tracy cannot even come close to the superior food .“

“The Al Pastor was dry, I like it aged and dry, not sweet. The tacos were large and with thinly sliced fresh cabbage, tomatoes and beans. The waitstaff was excellent and the chair was comfortable. I am disappointed they didn’t have taquitos and I did not see sides of rice and beans offered on the menu. ?“

“The food here is the best! It is authentic and delicious. Mari, the owner's mom makes us feel right at home. It's like going to your momma's house. We drove from San José to have lunch there yesterday, after a wonderful experience two weeks ago. Gloria Chacón“

“Out of town met looking for dinner and based on google reviews we stopped here. The girl who took our order/server was very nice and even asked the kitchen for a meat not listed on the menu, which they had. Our food came hot and not long after we ordered. I got two quesabirrea tacos and I liked how they were filled with meat and not too much cheese, usually it’s the opposite. They were flavorful and came with enough consume. I was also able to add onion and cilantro and salsa from the salsa bar. My husband ordered two tacos de lengua and two de pastor. He said lengua itself didn’t have too much flavor but with salsa and sides it brought it together. Our only disappointment was they ran out of Mexican cokes. But overall we had a good experience. I recommend if your in the area to try this place out!“

“Got the shredded beef enchiladas which were pretty good. Way too heavy on the sauce and a little stingy on the meat and side of rice but still good. Best Mexican rice I’ve had in a while. Good service from the people working there. Very small old place and can’t see the level of cleanliness in the back but I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Small free parking lot which I was able to use given it was a weeknight with the marine layer rolled in. No public restrooms.“

“This would be a five star review if La Misma were not operating in the old location of La Fuente Taqueria. Everything at La Misma is just fine but La Fuente was one of the highlights of visiting Watsonville for me. The food at La Misma is nothing special and my nostalgia is still hungry.“

“No frill taco fast food
But the taste just wow
Ordered al pastor taco super flavorful and juicy
The other is flautas? Fried taco
Super yummy with white , guacamole and green salsa
The pic don't do justice though.....“

“Delicious jackfruit tacos. Great for vegetarian, vegan. And one of the only places to get gluten free. We asked and the chips are gluten free although I'm not sure about cross contamination but no reaction. Chips and guacamole make a meal though in a pinch“

“Great part of Santa Cruz History Great Ride Food and Entertainment“