Doña Esther's Mexican Restaurant

Extremely long wait to get our food. We were hoping the wait would be worthwhile with the food. It was not. Ordered potato and cheese flautas, they were terrible. No flavor and the filling was a hard mess. Also flautas were made with flour tortillas?..may I also mention the service or shall I say lack of service was bad. Not sure what all the waiting in line was for, definitely not the food!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

Poor service, but great food.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Enchilada

Whenever my family go to Monterey or Sunset beach we always stop and have lunch or dinner here and have for over 40 yrs. My children are grown but find their own way there now. We are so sorry they are closing down. The whole town has changed so much over the past 10 yrs or so. So sad.i don't know if we will be stopping anymore. We have had wonderful family meals at Dona Esther's. Thank you for the good times. You will be missed.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Enchilada, Carne Asada, Chile Verde, Carnitas, Chimichanga, Chile Relleno

The food was ok

This is one of the few places I can call real Mexican food. Very friendly staff. Strongly recommend!

Casual dining for your friends and family. Always a great experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Carnitas

I asked for a a hamburger and the menu said it came with cheese and lettuce and it only came with bread and the patty the lady that served us said you did not ask for cheese and the menu said. It came with cheese then she got mad and left I would never go there again worst place I’ve ever been to

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Love this resturant. I always stop by when I'm passing through. You get chips and salsa to start, and then your food and the plates are feeling and very delicious. I have had lots of different plates from different breakfast burritos to the enchiladas. Staff is always very nice.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tamale, Burrito Cheese Enchilada Refried Beans and Rice, Enchilada, Burrito, Chile Verde, Chilaquiles, Chips & Salsa, Carnitas, Chilaquiles with Red or Green Sauce, Chile Relleno, San Juan Padre Burrito, Tortilla Chips

The worst Mexican food I've ever had!!!!!!!! There was no flavor in anything. The shrimp tacos the tortillas weren't even warmed up....the shrimp didn't even have salt. The chicken flautas were burnt the chicken was mushy with no flavor. The guacamole was just mashed avocados. The pina colada was just rum and coconut cream and wasn't even blended properly. The beans and rice had absolutely no flavor. Horrible experience!!!!!!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

The food was awful. There was no flavor, while service was mediocre at best. While yes it was a party that we were hosting, you still expect non alcoholic drinks to be maintained. Their margaritas leave much to be desired. I do not need to return.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

We always stop at Dona Esther's when traveling through San Juan Bautista. Food is quite good and reasonably priced. Service is always with a smile.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Enchilada, Taco, Chile Verde

Loved it the food and staff were amazing. Would definitely go back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Burrito Cheese Enchilada Refried Beans and Rice, Enchilada, Nachos, Burrito

I went to dine here to celebrate father's day with my family and to say the least we were all very disappointed the drive was not worth it at all I have been to many mexican restaurants and over all this has been the worst one. Over all the service is ok,but the food and meat was not good.To the following reasons is why the food was overall bad: dry,hard,overcooked and the meat tasted like if it had been left out for days.The coke (soda) was not good it tasted watered down and no carbonation at all.Also one of my family members threw up and felt sick throughout the whole day after eating there.Also the cups and cutlery were not quite clean.Lastly there is a very long wait depending at what time you arive and for what you're getting (low quality food) its not worth it go to a different restaurant.Over all I do not recommend coming here to eat if you like good food.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 2

During our travels, we decided to dine at this establishment with the expectation of experiencing authentic Mexican cuisine, as we are from Texas. However, the flavors we encountered seemed more akin to Tex-Mex. The red salsa lacked the desired level of spiciness and had a watery consistency. Upon requesting a spicier alternative, we were provided with an even milder green salsa that was even more diluted. The lemonade tasted like a mixture of Kool-Aid and unfiltered water. While the carne asada was satisfactory and the portion size was generous, the beans were served cold and the rice lacked any discernible flavor. Although the waitress was pleasant, she could have been more attentive to our needs. A periodic check-in to inquire if we required anything would have sufficed. Ultimately, we had to request assistance from another waitress to obtain additional beverages. Regrettably, our experience was not entirely positive, and we are unlikely to return to this establishment if we find ourselves in the area again.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Thank you so much for helping us host a wonderful celebration of life for my mother. She was a long time resident of San Juan Bautista and we have enjoyed Donas throughout the years. We reserved the garden patio for 22 people fully catered. The food was wonderful! Steak ala ranchera was tender and tasty, and the shredded beef tacos and chicken enchiladas were amazing. The staff was great and the garden was lovely. Would highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5