Very bummed out to wander around in circles looking for it and passing it by due to its new name- only to find out this highly reviewed restaurant is now a bar with a very short bar menu. We ordered 2 tiny tacos for 5.00 each and a Modelo beer. Our bill was about 30.00. Very disappointing Saturday night out.
Daniel C.
New menu is simple. Flavor is good. A little pricey for the portion size you get to be honest. I got the duck mole dish.. it was flavorful but dry.. I wish it had more sauce. The main highlight was the Flan Donut! Never had anything like it.. so good
Laura E.
First of all the waiter was acting like he didn't even want to be there. Don't know his name because he never introduced himself. We asked for water like 3 times and then he finally brought it. We ordered the guacamole app for the table and it was very disappointing, it was missing salt and lime. My friend ordered the taco trio and gave me one and it was super dry and the tortilla was cold and soggy. I ordered the ceviche and it was only okay. It had more vegetables than seafood, not even sure why it had cucumber. The only tasty thing was my baby's quesadilla and beans from the kid's menu.
Fredda E.
This was the best place we ate at on our trip to Carmel. The outdoor seating is really cute, our waiter was so nice and helpful and the food was delicious. Would absolutely come back here.
Jacqueline L.
Not worth the money for what you get and service was mediocre. We had reservations and they ended up not having hardly and of the appetizers available. Ordered an agua fresca and 10 min later they came back and said they didn't have that available either. The ceviche was bland and had a weird mixture of flavors. Almost like an Asian infusion as cucumber and sesame oil was added. Got the carne asada and it was tender but very bland as well.
Christina G.
The food was descent but the service was lacking. Honestly not worth the money for what you get. I can understand quality but if you're going to charge 5 star restaurant prices you should offer the whole package. We had the guacamole and it was nice presentation but lacked flavor the ceviche was colorful and had good flavor but in comparison to other ceviches i have had it was not the best. The sopes were tasty the meet was flavorful and prob the best part of our meal. All were appetizers.
Paula K.
This is the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to! The food is very different and high end. I'd suggest trying it even if Mexican food is not your favorite. The duck was delicious and also the pork dish. Drinks are generous. Service is excellent. Make sure to go if you're in Carmel-by-The -Sea!
pjkosm
This was the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten in. We were on vacation in Carmel by the Sea and we went there two times. The food is very different and delicious. It is not Taco Bell! Great service and generous margaritas. Don’t miss it!
Carol P.
Omg! These abalone and fried artichoke tacos!!!!!!!! Yeassss! We also had the Hamachi! A Mexican and Japanese dinner in one!! We'll be back these tacos are special!! Service was great! Ambiance high end Baja!
lls1953
I require gluten free dining & was not disappointed! Chips are made in house, delicious paired with freshly made guacamole & assorted salsas. The blood orange margaritas were yummy and refreshing!
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! This is a very unassuming place, you're not expecting 5 star service or quality but that's what you get. We sat at the bar, my husband already ordered salsa & guacamole. Being from Texas I hate paying for chips & salsa but we really enjoyed the 4 different types of salsas & the tostada chips. I ordered the ceviche, sopes, & rock fish tacos. All 3 were INCREDIBLE!! Especially the sopes. The tacos were extra crispy, not greasy at all. The ceviche had an Asian influence with the seasoned seeds & seasoning & it was a decent portion. Pleasantly surprised to say the least. We would come back & recommend this place to friends.
Darria D.
This was my second time but our family who own a home here in Carmel have been coming for years to this restaurant. They recommended, made reservations for our 3 families and were so disappointed. First, we got there and the restaurant was pretty empty but they put us in a room on the side. It felt a bit isolated and cold, there was no heat in there. They changed the menu and only have very limited options for meals. The Carne Asada tacos were $38 and come with steak, a grilled whole green onion (not even edible) and a small side of salsa and tortillas. No rice or beans on any of the 8 meals we ordered. Some of us shared meals due to cost. 5 of the 6 adults had margaritas. They were fantastic but there was so much ice we finished them in 5 minutes. We had chips and salsa and guacamole but server forgot to bring us plates so we had to go ask for those too. Our waitress was nowhere to be found so one of our girls ordered a second round of margaritas and didn't get to order any more. One of the adults had a Pacifico. He ordered a 2nd and never got it. The fish tacos looked AMAZING. You get 3 with an order. If you go there at least get that dish since you seem to get a large portion for the cost you are paying. We didn't order dessert. When we went to pay and the bill was $750 for 13 of us with shared meals we were a little taken aback. The 3 men paying looked it over multiple times and only found the one extra Pacifico was the discrepancy. They didn't say anything paid $250 each and called it a day. It's crazy because our last experience there was so much better but it looks like they may have fallen on hard times to up the cost, limit the menu and serve such small portions. Our family that made the reservations were so embarrassed. We will all not be going back. :(
Aimless B.
Get the salsa flight and don't skip the margaritas. Honestly, this place was amazing. I loved sitting outside by the fountain for lunch, and the server (can't remember her name, unfortunately) was so helpful and nice. The tacos were all amazing, but the fish ones were the best. They kindly made the ceviche for us without octopus and it was delicious. I will definitely go back!
Rick V.
NO chips, NO salsa, NO beans, NO rice. Say what? You have to pay extra for these items if you want them. WOW, That's what I call controlling food costs to the max! The menu is way OVERPRICED and SCANT compared to previous visits. Food portions are on the small side but tasty and seemed to be high quality. I had the Tacos de Abulon ($27) plus a side of beans which had jack cheese (no bueno!) on top and served on a flat plate. Nice presentation but the beans were cold after a couple minutes. And where was the mexican cotija cheese? Also ordered the Carne Asada ($38) and it came chopped up in a small pile on the plate with a couple green onions and guacamole. We were still hungry after spending over $100. ABSURD. NOTE: The previous time I visited Pescadero, I ordered 3 carnitas tacos served with beans and rice, salsa and chips for about $20 total. It was delicious and filling. Things have changed!
Tom A.
Decent shrimp tacos, but food for 3 at lunch took about 50 minutes from when we placed our order. The hostess did warn us they were short-staffed...but this was lunch on a Saturday without many other customers. Wait staff nearly ignored us after some free chips/salsa 10 minutes in. Hope service improves as the place itself is kind of cool.
Very bummed out to wander around in circles looking for it and passing it by due to its new name- only to find out this highly reviewed restaurant is now a bar with a very short bar menu. We ordered 2 tiny tacos for 5.00 each and a Modelo beer. Our bill was about 30.00. Very disappointing Saturday night out.
New menu is simple. Flavor is good. A little pricey for the portion size you get to be honest. I got the duck mole dish.. it was flavorful but dry.. I wish it had more sauce. The main highlight was the Flan Donut! Never had anything like it.. so good
First of all the waiter was acting like he didn't even want to be there. Don't know his name because he never introduced himself. We asked for water like 3 times and then he finally brought it. We ordered the guacamole app for the table and it was very disappointing, it was missing salt and lime. My friend ordered the taco trio and gave me one and it was super dry and the tortilla was cold and soggy. I ordered the ceviche and it was only okay. It had more vegetables than seafood, not even sure why it had cucumber. The only tasty thing was my baby's quesadilla and beans from the kid's menu.
This was the best place we ate at on our trip to Carmel. The outdoor seating is really cute, our waiter was so nice and helpful and the food was delicious. Would absolutely come back here.
Not worth the money for what you get and service was mediocre. We had reservations and they ended up not having hardly and of the appetizers available. Ordered an agua fresca and 10 min later they came back and said they didn't have that available either. The ceviche was bland and had a weird mixture of flavors. Almost like an Asian infusion as cucumber and sesame oil was added. Got the carne asada and it was tender but very bland as well.
The food was descent but the service was lacking. Honestly not worth the money for what you get. I can understand quality but if you're going to charge 5 star restaurant prices you should offer the whole package. We had the guacamole and it was nice presentation but lacked flavor the ceviche was colorful and had good flavor but in comparison to other ceviches i have had it was not the best. The sopes were tasty the meet was flavorful and prob the best part of our meal. All were appetizers.
This is the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to! The food is very different and high end. I'd suggest trying it even if Mexican food is not your favorite. The duck was delicious and also the pork dish. Drinks are generous. Service is excellent. Make sure to go if you're in Carmel-by-The -Sea!
This was the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten in. We were on vacation in Carmel by the Sea and we went there two times. The food is very different and delicious. It is not Taco Bell! Great service and generous margaritas. Don’t miss it!
Omg! These abalone and fried artichoke tacos!!!!!!!! Yeassss! We also had the Hamachi! A Mexican and Japanese dinner in one!! We'll be back these tacos are special!! Service was great! Ambiance high end Baja!
I require gluten free dining & was not disappointed! Chips are made in house, delicious paired with freshly made guacamole & assorted salsas. The blood orange margaritas were yummy and refreshing!
Restaurantji Recommends
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! This is a very unassuming place, you're not expecting 5 star service or quality but that's what you get. We sat at the bar, my husband already ordered salsa & guacamole. Being from Texas I hate paying for chips & salsa but we really enjoyed the 4 different types of salsas & the tostada chips. I ordered the ceviche, sopes, & rock fish tacos. All 3 were INCREDIBLE!! Especially the sopes. The tacos were extra crispy, not greasy at all. The ceviche had an Asian influence with the seasoned seeds & seasoning & it was a decent portion. Pleasantly surprised to say the least. We would come back & recommend this place to friends.
This was my second time but our family who own a home here in Carmel have been coming for years to this restaurant. They recommended, made reservations for our 3 families and were so disappointed. First, we got there and the restaurant was pretty empty but they put us in a room on the side. It felt a bit isolated and cold, there was no heat in there. They changed the menu and only have very limited options for meals. The Carne Asada tacos were $38 and come with steak, a grilled whole green onion (not even edible) and a small side of salsa and tortillas. No rice or beans on any of the 8 meals we ordered. Some of us shared meals due to cost. 5 of the 6 adults had margaritas. They were fantastic but there was so much ice we finished them in 5 minutes. We had chips and salsa and guacamole but server forgot to bring us plates so we had to go ask for those too. Our waitress was nowhere to be found so one of our girls ordered a second round of margaritas and didn't get to order any more. One of the adults had a Pacifico. He ordered a 2nd and never got it. The fish tacos looked AMAZING. You get 3 with an order. If you go there at least get that dish since you seem to get a large portion for the cost you are paying. We didn't order dessert. When we went to pay and the bill was $750 for 13 of us with shared meals we were a little taken aback. The 3 men paying looked it over multiple times and only found the one extra Pacifico was the discrepancy. They didn't say anything paid $250 each and called it a day. It's crazy because our last experience there was so much better but it looks like they may have fallen on hard times to up the cost, limit the menu and serve such small portions. Our family that made the reservations were so embarrassed. We will all not be going back. :(
Get the salsa flight and don't skip the margaritas. Honestly, this place was amazing. I loved sitting outside by the fountain for lunch, and the server (can't remember her name, unfortunately) was so helpful and nice. The tacos were all amazing, but the fish ones were the best. They kindly made the ceviche for us without octopus and it was delicious. I will definitely go back!
NO chips, NO salsa, NO beans, NO rice. Say what? You have to pay extra for these items if you want them. WOW, That's what I call controlling food costs to the max! The menu is way OVERPRICED and SCANT compared to previous visits. Food portions are on the small side but tasty and seemed to be high quality. I had the Tacos de Abulon ($27) plus a side of beans which had jack cheese (no bueno!) on top and served on a flat plate. Nice presentation but the beans were cold after a couple minutes. And where was the mexican cotija cheese? Also ordered the Carne Asada ($38) and it came chopped up in a small pile on the plate with a couple green onions and guacamole. We were still hungry after spending over $100. ABSURD. NOTE: The previous time I visited Pescadero, I ordered 3 carnitas tacos served with beans and rice, salsa and chips for about $20 total. It was delicious and filling. Things have changed!
Decent shrimp tacos, but food for 3 at lunch took about 50 minutes from when we placed our order. The hostess did warn us they were short-staffed...but this was lunch on a Saturday without many other customers. Wait staff nearly ignored us after some free chips/salsa 10 minutes in. Hope service improves as the place itself is kind of cool.