26 Best Mexican Restaurants in San Clemente

“Came for lunch with my gran about a month after my grandfather passed. It was my gran's first outing since the funeral and i was worried but our server was this adorable silver haired woman named Rebecca. She had my Gran laughing the whole time. We ordered combos and the suggested jalapeño watermelon margaritas, which were spicy and refreshing. We needed a nap afterwards because we were too stuffed! My gran won't stop asking when we can go back. Thank you South of Nicks for lovely meal, and Thank you Rebecca, for helping a family member feel normal after tragedy. You are in our prayers“

“It was fantastic! Amazing craft cocktails I've never had anything like before. Food was also fantastic. Local fish, local produce, how can you go wrong. Get the Tessie for a drink, amazing cocktail ?“

“Great place and pretty authentic food and top margaritas.“

“Amazing taco 🌮 experience“

“Awesome food!! Been visiting (I’m from Chicago) since my daughters family moved to CA and discovered in 2008. I love the Mama Avila soup, very hearty and so delicious. There’s nothing that I’ve tried that I didn’t like. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!!“

“We celebrated an early Mother’s Day Saturday evening. Outstanding👏😎flavors, presentation, dessert, cocktails/ vibes..And our waiter(Luca) was personable , fun.“

“One of the very best in all of Orange County. We love their take on Mexican food. Love this place“

“Man, my new favorite burrito spot! They are genius with the portion sizes and prices. Very reasonably priced for what you get. Two portions basically make one FAT burrito if that’s what you’re looking for , but honestly, one leaves you perfectly content. The staff is super friendly, and the place is very clean with a simple San Clemente Spanish-style design. You can tell the business was really well thought out. I’ve already been here twice since they opened, and the quality has been consistent both times. Thanks for coming to San Clemente! Definitely coming back.“

“Very pleasing atmosphere calm peaceful elegant great peace of mind I enjoyed my food there and drinks are great as well“

“The owner/chef is a nice dude with portions as big as his personality. For those unfamiliar- think home cooked “el pollo loco” if you will. His wife is the other chef and prep cook. I like simple food and the Half chicken with rice and beans is my go to since 2018. Local tip: this is a couple who’s been running the joint for over 40yrs, the husband is the only cook and sometimes his wife hopes over to help turn out meals. Sometimes the chicken is underdone when they’re super busy, but in almost 10 years I’ve maybe gotten 3 under cooked meats and when I bring it up, he cooks it more, sometimes throws in a free leg or wing and some extra guac or beans. This is as close to hole in the wall/family as it gets. For what this place is, I hope it stays Open until they retire or a son/daughter takes over. Think el pollo loco before it became mainstream, for a day I’m not feeling burgers, I love coming here and sitting on the. Lot of good fish on the menu too, makes me think Baja or south gulf. Very refreshing eats“

“Great service and great food“

“Wahoos has the best Outer reef burrito! Their chips salsa and guacamole are so good too. For a short time the serving size went down but they corrected it and back to good portion’s again so I wanted to give them a good review! I highly recommend Wahoo’s! 🤙“

“I recently went to Baja Fresh in San Clemente after skipping it as a choice for about a year. I was impressed with the quality and flavor of the food - definitely an improvement from past experiences. I ordered the grilled fish taco combo plate and it wound up being enough food for dinner plus lunch the next day. The food was fresh and tasty. I’ll be going back soon!“

“great beach side place. Mexican treats.“

“Found ourselves in the area at dinner time and hadn’t been there before so in we went. I had two tacos, she had a salad. They ignored the “no avocado please” request? My “fuego” carnitas was not all at fuego, but it was tasty and filling. They bring the food to you and clear your table“

“Our favorite go to all the time authentic Mexican resturant with the most amazing Staff/friends 💯❤️❤️❤️“

“My daily simple lunch for remote work offers many options for a pescatarian/vegetarian. Clean, organic, and delicious!!! 🙌🏾👏🏾👍🏾“

“Great location! The restaurant was a bit small but they had a nice patio set up. Plenty of umbrellas and heaters. We had a party of nine, but since they weren’t busy when we got there, they were able to accommodate us easily. I think if we were to come at a little bit busier of a time it would be harder for them to accommodate just because of the amount of tables that they have. I would suggest calling ahead if you have a group larger than six.
The menu was good, small, but a variety of options. Their margaritas were good, nothing special.
Service was great, and we didn’t have much wait time on anything. Drinks were refilled quickly and the server offered modifications that made ordering for kids easier. She also quietly and discreetly asked if we wanted dessert. We ended up ordering it, but it was nice that she said it quietly that way my boys didn’t here. It’s tough going out and not getting dessert but when my boys hear the server offering it that’s all they want. It was very kind of her.“

“Yesterday i came in For lunch Right before i started eating i notice two asian people Came in a Started changing the air conditioning filters A big no-noo specialy during bussines hours and with out covering the salsa bar or any other area I asked the manager to stop them, he came out talk to them and the continued any way Check my facebook photos and videos...“

“I’ve found the food at this location to always be very good! The carne and carnitas is great and fresh especially for fast food, they always pay attention to customizations and they are not stingy. Staff is also polite and speedy. Thank you!“

“Las Golondrinas Mexican food is a San Clemente staple. Of course I highly recommend the mole chicken burrito but if you are up for a game changer…..buy the Gordita’s flour tortillas, which we did today at the SC Farmers Market. The lovely gentleman said, ya know these make great pizzas. Challenge accepted! We went home and made the most amazing Gordita pizzas with arugula salad on top. Thank you for the recommendation. Of course be sure you buy salsa for another day!“

“THE FISH TACO WAS STELLAR! My wife doesn't care for fish and she took one bite and loved it and as for me I'm getting them every single time. I would say the Tamarindo drink could be an area of improvement but no biggie still good food. I'm going back soon“

“Hands down some of the best fish tacos I have ever had. And I know what I'm talking about. I highly recommend this place to anyone willing to risk the sophistication of their taste buds. Once you get bit by these, there is little to no chance of ever having any fish taco on par with this caliber of culinary expertise. Fair warning: if you aren't a local and can not easily commute, do not fall into the trap. These ought to be illegal they taste so darn good. Thank you Pedro's, for an unforgettable experience. I now have to get off the freeway every time I pass by. Had someone only warned me... I am now a happy patron for life. Thank you all for the experience -- I live better because of it!“

“This Taco Bell is located by Lowe's in San Clemente it is immaculately clean the times I've been there haven't been busy but steady the service has been great and the employees are very friendly and helpful.

Wheelchair accessibility: Currently meets the California standards for wheelchair accessibility.“

“The food is typically pretty on point, but this location is an ice box. San Clemente isn’t a particularly hot town, so I think the company could save a lot of money by turning the AC down several degrees. There’s no way I could ever eat inside here.“