50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Freedom

“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!!“

“This place has the best burritos I've ever known the only reason that I did not give it five stars is because I remember them being so much bigger, it seemed to be so small especially for the price but the flavor is still there, I prefer carnitas so that is what I would suggest to you but check out anything else you'd like, 😎“

“The bathrooms are clean and the air-conditioning was strong. I was also impressed with how quickly they came to the register to accept my cash. I have noticed that most fast food restaurants are very slow to come to the register ever since the self-order kiosks took over. Not everyone has a bank account (I do, but I'm making a point.)“

“the best place for a full meal. all home made . I follow them from Salinas to Watsonville. to me they are the best.“

“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“

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

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

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

“Pros: The carnitas were tasty and tender. One dozen tortillas were served hot. Salsa is spicy.

Cons: no place for sit down dining. It's all take away. The interior is drab and desolate looking but the food is very good.“

“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 !“

“I recommend this restaurant the food it's very good I will keep this restaurant the five starts“

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

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

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

“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.“

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

“It is a restaurant that has varied dishes at good prices, they serve abundantly. All their dishes are very good, they have different accompaniments and there is no shortage of beans, tortillas and ?️ chili. You can ask for whatever you want. Excellent atention.

Parking: On site, easy access.“

“I was terrified when the restaurant closed at it's old location. I am so relieved to find them again. The best. I've ever had some freshly made tortillas and a salsa to die for. All in a Homestyle cozy restaurant. Looking forward coming here regularly.“

“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!“

“Won't lie, wasn't sure at first since I have a usual spot I go for quesabirria but this place definitely replacd them. Its hard to find a place that knows to put more birria and oaxaca cheese than the totilla will fit, and with such a friendly staff and being open so late I was definitely happy with their food. Good price and so delicious.“

“Great food with good experiance“

“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!“

“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.....“

“Been hitting this spot for decades! Awesome food, my go to on most visits is Camarones a la Vallarta. Tortilla de maiz.hechos a Mano..
Man you put some of those beans on the tortilla, drop like 3 of those bacon wrapped shrimp on top, put lemon all over, smother with the red salsa, put some of that red salsa and lemon on the lil salad they give you and go to town! Rinse, repeat.
If I have had a few too many cerveza might before, I go get the 7 mares y una Corona Bien helada. That will cure what ale's ya!“

“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.“

“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!“

“I had to get my windshield replaced in pajaro, and the guy said it would take about an hour so we went out for breakfast and found this Mexican restaurant and I mean to tell you this is a real Mexican restaurant. Absolutely the best food I have ever tasted. Just went there this morning. My girlfriend was asking them for some pico de gallo they don't carry that, because all they do is carry the freshest of fresh everything so they chopped up and made her some salsa on the spot. :-)! I couldn't believe it. You do not get service like this anywhere else. Now the only drawback was I don't speak Spanish I'm half Hawaiian half Irish I don't speak Spanish I should but I'm too old I should have used Google translate because there is no English spoken here that's why you know it's a real Mexican restaurant haha I love this place I gave them as much as a tip as I could. Because I'm a broke dog. But I still gave them a nice big tip because they deserved it. The atmosphere was wonderful there weren't too many people this early in the morning having breakfast. So we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. The bathrooms were the cleanest I have seen anywhere. So I left it just as clean. Everything was shiny. The paint was nice. No gang riding on the wall. Isn't that amazing these days? Wonderful wonderful place I hope anybody who reads this goes there and gives it a try for some real Mexican food and the best salsa in the world.“

“A very nice cozy vibe filled with calmness and a relaxation feeling. Would definitely come again. The food is amazing and have many options for vegetarian Mexican dishes. A very home like little place. Recomiendo a venir aquí a comer una sena o también desayunar con familia y amigos.“

“This Taqueria has the best sopes and at an affordable price. You will always find this place full of people. Food is fresh and the Chile's rellenos also tacos , nachos , tortas on the weekends they have birria and menudo, I you're in Watsonville come to this place, you will enjoy your food without hurting your wallet.“

“Los mejores nachos en mi vida los e comido en la Patrona en Ponce!!!! Mucho exito en su negocio!!!“

“su atención al cliente y su rapidez para servir“

“I stopped by Gaby’s Restaurant in Watsonville after spending most of the afternoon helping a friend move nearby and needed something filling before the drive home. I ordered the super burrito and it absolutely delivered. The portion size was huge, packed with flavorful meat, fresh ingredients, and perfectly balanced without feeling greasy or overdone. You could tell everything was made fresh, and it came out quickly even though they were busy. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere felt welcoming and relaxed. It was exactly the kind of satisfying meal we needed after a long day. I’ll definitely be stopping back next time I’m in the area.“

“Food is fire🤤🔥🐽“

“I thought I left a review on this already but I'll do it again because this place is worth it. Absolutely the best Mexican food ever. This is authentic Mexican food not what you would expect in an Americanized place. It helps to speak Spanish because nobody here speaks English. But they have great pictures of the food and you can just try to figure it out. I'm Hawaiian and Irish and German so I have enough languages to deal with. My girlfriend asked for some pico de gallo. They don't carry that. That's Americanized stuff. So they chopped her up some fresh salsa. Unreal. Just gave it to her. You do not find that anymore. This is the best place to ever really. Coming from a half white guy this is for real.“

“nada pésimo servicio asco de comida“

“As a taco snob, I approve of these tacos!!! From the fresh tortillas, to the great salsas and guacamole. Hire this team and cater a great party!“

“The cashiers there were excellent very helpful and kind amazing costumer service ... and the boss very kind ,respectful ,professional and very good to the people ...they have fresh produce and the best meat for ur carne asadas or for any dish....welcome to pajaro food center... My name is Julio sanchez and I guve it a five stars“

“Fantastic food and a stunning outdoor setting make The Haute Enchilada Cafe a must-visit. The enchiladas are exceptional, and the charming, lush decor creates a relaxing atmosphere. Perfect for a memorable meal in a beautiful environment! #thehauteenchiladacafe #greatfood“

“Filete submarino Camarones a la española Ceviche de camarón crudo Aguachile rojo Mariscada“

“Great food. We ordered tostadas. They were topped with plenty of crab and shrimp. Next time I want to try the shrimp cocktail.

The restaraunt has plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. The place was fairly busy but the service was fast. The parking is tricky. Not enough places to park and they are small.“

“Quaint little Mexican restaurant surrounded by Mexican restaurants. The combination plate was one of their specialties, so gave it a try. Pretty flavorful with lots of steak and shrimp. Cantarito was fun, and the Michelada was a meal in itself! 7/10“

“In Watsonville, there's no shortage of Mexican stores and restaurants and because this reason I can be more selective. Whenever I'm in town and I want a quick beverage and bite, I'll make a pit stop here. The employees are nice and very helpful, and understand/ speak English. One my favorite items on the menu is the Quesadilla de Cameron or Shrimp Quesadilla.“

“I have passed by this place forever and finally stopped here yesterday after a day at nearby Sunset State Beach.

I am kicking myself for not visiting this place sooner but I will make it a point to stop here for quick eats in the future.

No. 1: it has a drive-thru! After soaking in the sun and waves, and getting in our steps, we just wanted a place with a drive-thru. To get to their drive-thru and parking lot, it's best to enter from westbound Hwy 129.

No. 2: their menu was easy to read and everything looked delish but we settled on two chicken tacos and 1 super burrito with chicken but no sour cream.

No. 3: THE FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! I swear my vision cleared with each bite! Perfectly seasoned, tender, juicey, savory chicken with finely chopped onions and pickled carrots on my tacos. Munchkin ate possibly the biggest super burrito he has ever had, filled with chicken, rice, beans... more. He ate it so fast, I didn't get to see much of his burrito's innards. I guess I should have taken a bite when he offered because he sucked it down like a water moccasin!

I definitely wish I ordered a couple more tacos. But it was enough to get us home without the empty stomach shakes.

No. 4: I told munchkin that the next time we want tacos and burritos, I will gladly make the drive just for this place. It is THAT GOOD!

This place is THE mic drop on fast Mexican food! Hands down!!!

(Sorry, no pictures this time because we were so hungry.)“

“First time trying the birria tacos. The birria had good flavor, I was surprised. It was juicy and flavorful. Good price and value. The staff was friendly and made sure to ask which toppings I wanted.

I ordered one birria taco with no cheese. It came with two corm tortillas and enough meat to make two tacos. The grilled onions were very good.

There are tables to eat inside but it could use a revamp. The floors were slightly sticky and the restroom floor was slippery.

They have deals on Tuesdays, we will return for taco Tuesday :)“

“(Translated by Google) Very good tasty lunch box the food the only thing that the staff lacks is speed because it takes a long time for an order or to solve the distribution of food I recommend it (Original) Muy buena lonchera sabrosa la comida lo único que le falta al personal es rapidez porque se tardan mucho para un pedido o resolver la distribución de comida lo recomiendo“