50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Carmel By The Sea

“This is one of the most unique and exciting restaurants in Carmel. Amazing cocktails and the food is both creative and authentic. Wine list is great too! Never disappoints.“

“Stay away from the rice. Chicken flavor in it. Tofu tacos with tofu were excellent! The salsa bar is great. The hot salsa is some of the best I’ve had-but it is HOT! Vert tasty if you can take the heat. Good dind Updated from previous review on 2026-03-16“

“The shrimp bone marrow starter was the BEST thing I've ever put in my mouth. It was amazingggg. That was a year ago and I still think about it. The service was meh, but the place was beautiful, nice ambiance. Drinks were good. Need to come back soonn“

“Great Customer Service. And the food was Great“

“We've been coming for so many years never had a bad experience always love the food the people the ambience it's absolutely fun and excellent food drinks, etc. This time for lunch we had an exceptional server she's new to us. Her name was beautiful. It was a flower like maybe jasmine we hadn't seen her before but boy was she on top and thorough always seeing if we needed any more of anything we loved her she was phenomenal.❤️ just wanted you to know“

“This was amazing! The menu items available and the fresh taste and combinations, amazing. We had the veggie supreme burrito, tofu burrito, and nachos covered in toppings. Large portions and great taste. The place is very clean and the staff are friendly. And completely vegan.“

“I loved dining by candlelight. I had the camarones al mojo de ajo and it was delicious. Oh and the palomas were amazing!“

“This is our go-to spot every time we’re in Monterey! We’ve brought friends here and they all loved it—now it’s on their list too whenever they visit. The food is always so good, the flavors never disappoint, and the vibe is just perfect. Definitely a must-try if you’re in the area!“

“It’s pricey but it’s the best Mexican food I’ve ever tasted. Soooo good.“

“I have been coming here for years. The best Mexican Food for the best price!!!“

“We’re in town from the Central Coast. TOTALLY loved our experience. From the tortilla chips & salsa, to the beverages, our entrees and the friendly staff. We definitely recommend Peppers and will be back next time we’re in PG.“

“Un lugar familiar buena y deliciosa comidas esmerado servicio.“

“Best fish Tacos and our server Mariah was the sweetest!! This place is a gem!“

“Easy parking. Inside & outside dining. Comfortable seating. Nice array on menu from ala carte Mexican Cuisine to Exotic Mexican Specialties with shrimp, steak, pork or chicken. Custom vegetable dishes and sides. Complementary fresh tortilla chips with salsa. Friendly staff and service. My love for Jose's Mexican Food combined with love for western heritage is a welcome home.“

“The best kept secret in Monterey! First of all the FRESH hand-made corn tortillas! OMG! Best in town without question. Huevos rancheros and Chilaquiles were amazing! Authentic. You want spicy? They have the spicy. You prefer mild? Their tomatillo is super mild and DELICIOUS! Fast service with a smile. Plenty of parking. AND THE PRICES ARE SO LOW“

“Amazing food and drinks. Friendly and fast service!!!“

“best tacos for miles! thank you for being delicious!“

“Amazing place food is well prepared and tasty!“

“Papa Chano's is a beloved local spot known for its hearty Mexican comfort food, generous portions, and friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere. Guests appreciate the authentic flavors, from sizzling fajitas and flavorful tacos to satisfying burritos and classic enchiladas. The casual setting and quick, welcoming service make it a reliable favorite for both locals and visitors looking for a satisfying meal.

“Absolutely delicious and very satisfying experience! The food came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. The portions were generous, the prices were fair, and the service was quick and friendly. Everything tasted authentic and homemade, especially the tacos and enchiladas. Papa Chano’s is a great spot for anyone craving real, comforting Mexican food in Monterey!”“

“Best carne asada fries ever. Most places when you do carne asada fries it’s either small piece of meat or ground beef. This place had decent size thin steak strips and it wasn’t too salty. It was perfect. They also put the sour cream on the side!

Bonus: they give you free chips and salsa! Even to-go!“

“Had a solid meal with the guys. We ordered the chicken taquitos for the table. I got the Cali wrap with carne asada. They ordered the chicken and shrimp fajitas and the combo meal with chicken enchilada and shredded beef taco. Everything was superb. Ask for the salsa verde if you like some kick. The complimentary chips and salsa are great as well.“

“Welcoming and very friendly! The service was excellent so accommodating. The food was amazing so flavorful and smoky. You can tell they grill with fire 🔥 soo good! Definitely a true gem I highly highly recommend! The prices are very fair especially for the amount of food you get. They even had ranch dressing that's a win for me!“

“Came here after papa Chevos was closed due to electrical outage. The older gentlemen possibly the owner was so good with my son’s food allergies. He’s severely allergic to fish and they grill the steak on the same grill as the fish. So he had the cooks cook some steak in a separate pan for his street tacos!!! Very thoughtful and attentive. The food is delicious.“

“We tried tacos on a road trip all the way from SF to LA and Lopez taqueria was by far the best we tried. Super recommend the fish tacos, the salsa was perfection. The staff were lovely including the granny making the food. We stayed in Monterey two days and came here both days“

“Omg the sopes, ah-mazing. This is the best Mexican food I’ve had in awhile, if ever. They were busy and I can see why. 100% worth the wait, fast friendly service and off the charts good. I had the chicken which was flavorful, green sauce, just yum. Just go.“

“good food and Service and the waiters are nice and Ploit“

“Delicious Traditional but memorable dishes stop by for lunch if you're in the area.“

“I have been coming here for years. The best Mexican Food for the best price!!!“

“The food is okay to good. I always just find the layout makes no sense. You have to order in a hallway in the middle of the restaurant with no way of knowing which way a line should go and people tend to huddle up in this hallway. The service is good but they just come out and toss you your food and say salsa and chips are over there. It meant to be a sit down place but they run it as a takeout place. Its weird.“

“Muy buen servicio y la cómida deliciosa 👌“

“I have been coming here for years. The best Mexican Food for the best price!!!“

“Daaaaannnnggg…those handmade tortillas! Pollo or beef tacos, you can’t go wrong.“

“Food was amazing, and the manager and staff were friendly and accommodating. Definitely recommend!!“

“Visiting from out of state. Stopped by and oh my word. The food is so good! Definitely recommend this place.“

“I order an Asada Super Burrito with Salsa Roja. The Burrito 🌯 was Good but way Over Priced. $17 for a Burrito is Ridiculous. I was going to Order a Coke but their $5, No Thanks. 1/2 of the Chairs where torn up, makes the place look run down. A little upholstery would help those Poor Chair. The Cashier was Super Friendly and Profesional. Overall I would say Food and Service was Good. Just need to Upholster the Chairs.“

“Everything was absolutely delicious!!! We had a bunch of quesabirria tacos with consommé, quesadillas, carne asada torta, rice , beans, and both red and green salsas for my son's birthday. We are definitely ordering again. Congratulations on your new business. You're awesome!! Go, go, go to Aquino's if you want truly amazing Mexican food!“

“5/31/26: Order thru Door Dash @ Taqueria Zarape {Seaside} for the first time from this restaurant. After looking thru my choices of dishes, I decided to order the menudo, available Saturday and Sunday only{$15.25} along with Large Spanish Rice {$6.38} and two cans of Pepsi {$4.00}.Lately I’ve tried Sarita’s Mexican Grill{Monterey}, and Las Cazuelas {Seaside} thru Door Dash,although both were okay wasn’t completely satisfied with the taste of their dishes. Both places I tried the Campechana Cocktail and the Spanish rice giving them two tries. Hopefully the Menudo and Spanish Rice will be delicious from this restaurant 🤔. Subtotal {$25.63}, Delivery Fee {$0.00}, Service Fee {$1.99}, Estimated Tax {$2.37}, Total {$29.99}, Dasher Tip {$3.50} = $33.49 Grand total. Placed order @ 10:18 a.m, ETA: 10:39-10:54 a.m. {Marina} ,Arrived: 11:05a.m. Dasher🚚: Kuldeep. Food arrives and hopefully it will be Hot and taste delicious 😋.See attached photo of Menudo
The Menudo came in a large plastic container that Full all the way, it was Hot. The menudo came with cilantro and onions,which I added to the dish.The tripe and everything was sooo good! Definitely I will repeat ordering this dish on weekends .The rice was in a small container and was regular taste and I added the sauce from the menudo which gave it some flavor. Overall I was satisfied with this meal and would order again

5/31/26: Second time ordering thru Door Dash at Taqueria Zarape {Seaside} today. Earlier I ordered the Menudo, Spanish Rice, and two Pepsi. I enjoyed the Menudo, so I wanted to try their Campechana. Previous orders of Campechana I tried at Sarita’s Mexican Grill {Monterey} and Las Cazuelas {Seaside} and both of them I tried twice and wasn’t satisfied with their Campechana. Hopefully Taqueria Zarape will be tasty and enjoyable just like the Menudo was. I also ordered a small Spanish Rice and two cans of Pepsi. Placed order @ 6:07p.m, ETA: 6:30-6:36p.m.,{Marina}, Dasher🚚: Jennifer, Arrived:6:45pm. Received my order, and hopefully it will be good as the first order from here earlier today{Menudo}. Subtotal {$29.67}, Delivery Fee: {$0.00}, Service Fee {$1.99}, Estimated Tax {$2.74}, Dasher Tip {$4.00} Total { $38.40} The Campechana was full of Shrimp, big cuts of Octopus 🐙, avocado 🥑, spiced perfectly. Definitely enjoy and best tasting over the others I’ve tried at Sarita’s Mexican Grill and Cazuelas.

6/3/26:Third time ordering thru Door Dash for Taqueria Zarape. 5/31 ordering Menudo, and Campechana , along with Spanish Rice. Enjoyed the Menudo, Campechana 👍😄, Definitely a repeat order. 6/1 ordered Jumbo Lengua Burrito and Lengua Enchilada. Not worth it very bland no repeating this order. TODAY I’m reordering the Campechana Cocktail 🍹 which comes with many shrimp 🍤 , Octopus 🐙, sliced avocado 🥑 and taste the 💣 bomb! Ordering this dish you won’t be disappointed {Tried Sarita’s Mexican Grill, Monterey & Las Cazuelas, Seaside and their Campechana can’t compare😖} BEST IN THE BAY! I also ordered Small Spanish Rice and two cans of PEPSI. The Shrimp and Octopus pieces are big and very delicious 😋 Spiced so well, but might add sliced lemon or lime 🍋‍🟩“

“The adobada burrito is the first thing I tried here, and I can’t make myself try anything else, it is so delicious!! I must have it every time I’m in town!“

“The very good service are very friendly and the food is ás ú per ly everything very clean [Original] El servicio muy bueno son muy amables y la comida está súper ly todo muy limpio“

“Authentic mexican and south-american food restaurant. The service was friendly and quick. The atmosphere could be a little bit more comfortable. The food was on point (although the fish in the ceviche was cooked and shredded) and the michelada is a great choice!

Parking: More than five spots directly in front of the restaurant but there is space to park on the street, also.“

“good food and Service and the waiters are nice and Ploit“

“My wife and I came to visit Monterey for the weekend and stayed at the red lion on our second night. The urban kitchen is located on site at the hotel. The owner/host Renee was gracious and friendly. He went out of his way with service. Also the food was delicious enjoyed the artichoke enchilada and seafood soup!! Definitely recommend staying at the red lion and eating at the Urb. kitchen“

“Fast service…friendly staff and delicious food makes Penny’s our daily breakfast stop on our yearly Pismo vacation. I usually have the Pismo Pier Omelet but this year they had a spicy sausage patty that I teamed with a biscuit and gravy DELICIOUS! Others in our group had the strawberry waffles which are light and fluffy and overflowing with beautiful strawberries and topped with whipped cream. WOW! Penny’s is not a large establishment so there may be a line but it is well worth the wait.“

“Good food, must come and try. Worth the wait. In seaside. We enjoyed coming here to eat.“

“Michael’s is simply the best food on the planet! It’s Tex Mex with a Cajun rub to it. Simply the most awesome food you will ever have period…..fight me. Lol. I am loyal to them forever! You will be changed!!“

“Our favorite burritos in the world, we moved away years ago and make sure that we come by at least once every time we visit. :') Can't beat the simplicity of the drive through/walk up experience either! And both salsas are so delicious and distinct. I miss making stops here a regular part of my life.“

“This place has some really really really yummy food the bomb.com“

“Great food at a great price. The owners are wonderful people and make you feel like family.“

“The atmosphere was fun and energetic, the drinks were great, and the mini golf made the whole experience even better. Perfect place to hang out with friends, have a few drinks, and enjoy a night out that’s different from the usual. Staff was friendly and the whole place had a really good vibe. Definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in Monterey!“

“Delicious food.... We had some red aguachiles and some green aguachiles. We’ve been here tons of times, but today when we went in, the service wasn’t the same, waitress seemed upset for some reason because I asked for extra avocado & I had to ask another waitress for some chips 20 minutes later because the original waitress never asked us if we needed anything else after they brought us our food. Besides that, food was delicious 👍🏿“