50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Soquel

“the Salmon Tacos are to die for!!! I've been enjoying them for 18 years.“

“Great food , Great Margaritas! , Great service, 😊“

“Excellent customer service today from server Heather. She totally accommodated the fact that I am gluten free and took her time to go over the entire menu with me, and she also made me up a fresh batch of gluten free chips. Heather is so knowledgeable and really kind and patient. i felt really cared for us.A customer and the food was very good too.“

“New cantina menu is pretty bomb, I love the avocado salsa, especially the packaging. Great example of corporate marketing/new ideas and having a store capable of executing! Only thing is I wish the cantina chicken quesadilla was a little bigger but that's my stomach talking“

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“EVERYTHING was amazing. can't get enough of this place . the warm bean dip and salsa is wonderful. the micheladas were super yummy. EVERYTHING WAS so yum.y and flavorful. best food ever“

“Great service! Delicious food!“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“I was coming down from San Francisco back to LA and stopped by to this place. Very colorful with art painted on the walls inside. Food was fantastic 10/10. After ordering I didn't have much interaction with staff but at the time of ordering my food the cashier/waitress seems pretty nice. They have a huge menu, so I'm sure there is plenty to try.
1.ordered fish taco 🌮...it's a very big tacowith double tortilla. If you're not a big rate this one taco should be enough (Forgot to take picture 😞).
2. I also ordered, a plate that came with 🐔 🥩 🍤🍚🫘. Huge plate enough to feed 2 people. I'm a fat ass so I ate it all 😆.
3. They have free unlimited self serve tortilla chips with a salsa bar you can have while you wait for your food.
4. They do have a wet bar. I had a beer 🍺 (it was a hot day 🥵)
5. Restroom was clean. Only one toilet 🚻.
6. Free agua Fresca refills. You refill it yourself.
If I'm ever up there again I'm Santa Cruz again I'm coming to this place again. Not sure why I didn't pictures.🤷🏽‍♂️“

“I ordered a smaller catering order for my husbands birthday and Taquizas Gabriel did not disappoint! He was happy to help and cater even for a smaller party (I ordered 2, 15 taco trays: 1 shrimp 1 pastor with chips/salsa/peppers/onions) which I was super grateful! The tacos were so fresh and so flavorful and the customer service was wonderful! Made it so easy for me for that day and I’m so grateful! If you need tacos for dinner tonight or for a party, I’d highly recommend getting them from here! My favorite tacos on this side of Santa Cruz/Capitola!“

“so delicious! everything we got was amazing especially the Quesabirria Tacos with consome!“

“This was honestly the best food truck food I have ever had. I eat healthy all week, but I know when I go to a brewery on a weekend, I’m gonna have to make some compromises! No compromises had to be made for this food, as they had tons of healthy options! But healthy doesn’t always mean delicious, but this place was truly some of the most delicious food I had ever had at a brewery! (Humble Sea beer garden on the Santa Cruz wharf) I'll search out this food truck anytime I'm back in the Santa Cruz area.

Vegetarian options: Absolutely delicious!“

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

“The secret is, this is the best mexican food around. The machete taco is the signature dish, but there are plenty of other good things on the menu. Ask for some green hot sauce, some salt and get at least two machete and a bottle of coke; you won’t regret it. I particularly think they do beef well here. I’m pretty sure the family that runs this place is from Isla Janitzio in Michoacán and they are honestly just the sweetest people. Don’t just get the same things as you would at some of the other popular taquerias locally that are Mexico city style.
I ate here about once a week for over a decade and having moved away I miss it dearly.“

“Great chicken tacos 🌮 chips & salsa - the whole family enjoyed 👍🏼 Friendly service as well.“

“Really great to get really nice people nice atmosphere“

“This was a great experience, I'm very happy we came here. Very reasonably priced, the guy serving us had exceptional service, attitude, etc. Maybe the only downside is minimal seating, but I think it's fine. We were the first customers and he gave us free chips, salsas, and guac! Other than that we got street Tacos and crispy Tacos with birria, shredded chicken, and El pastor, all good! And the churro was a good size. Come here!“

“The best taqueria in Santa Cruz!!! My family and I highly recommend this place❤“

“The Service is great !!! Beef taco is wonderful :) Also they do an American breakfast if you desire.Everything iv had is really good !!!“

“This food taco truck serves up a taco fiesta with excellent home made tacos, chips and more using abukea's (grandmas recipes). We tried delicious chicken tacos, fish tacos, crispy tacos, refried beans obviously slo cooked. And crispy flour tortilla chips. Excellent chunky guacamole
Great service and we enjoyed out meals with a guava Jarritos soda. We sat under an umbrella at an out door picnic table.
Accessible parking next to truck.“

“Great service, food and atmosphere“

“Just ordered my first two tacos here and I'm in love with the shredded pork crispy taco. I put special instructions in the comments and they listen to them to a t and got my order exactly the way I wanted it. I'm very happy. I've been delivering doordash orders for them for a long time and I finally get to see what all the hype is about.

Don't forget to ask for their custom hot sauce. I'm almost finished and I forgot the hot sauce on the first Taco just added it to the second Taco.

I wish I took a picture sooner. This is the aftermath half a taco left and I'm about to finish it but I had to wait 2 hours in between because they were so big.“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“I was just in the area and this was the top rated fast food place. I got a super burrito which was good for the most part but there were super salty bites, not sure maybe the beef was over seasoned. I would give them a 3.5 but rounded up to 4.“

“I used to eat here often in the 90s. On a recent return visit I was thrilled that the place was still run by the same wonderful family. The carnitas burrito is one of the best I've ever had.

Parking: Parking can be difficult at lunch time“

“This was our first time there and the food was great and the atmosphere was great.. also had great service. We will be back again..“

“Little gem of a find... fish tacos were great. So was the super taco. Guacamole was fresh. Our server was the best! She was prompt, friendly and accommodating. We found a table tucked outside which was nice, but you're crowded with Zelda folks coming and going. Inside seating is fine, but you're on the beach - would be nice to have more outside seating.

Definitely coming back.“

“I love The Boardwalk. It's always a good time over there. Everything about a beach town is always fun. Such an amazing vibe everytime I go.“

“Delicious jackfruit tacos. Great for vegetarian, vegan. And one of the only places to get gluten free. We asked and the chips are gluten free although I'm not sure about cross contamination but no reaction. Chips and guacamole make a meal though in a pinch“

“Veggie burrito and most everything else is great. Atmosphere is meh. Don't skip the carrots or the salsa. Amazing. Perfect to-go place for either tacos or burritos. Spicy meats leave you wanting more. Come back. You will like it. Lots of locals here“

“This was a great find! I loved the courtyard in the back. I had the veggie burrito without dairy (vegan). The fajita style veggies, black beans, ride and guacamole wrapped up in a grilled spinach tortilla was super fresh and tasty. I’ll be back!“

“Staff was super friendly and they truly cared about the customers. I had the fish taco and it was amazing“

“Staff was very friendly and I felt very at home. But most importantly the food is FIRE. Had to come back 4 times in one week. The Al pastor super burrito was the most phenomenal burrito I’ve ver had in my life, so flavorful. We also got the birra sliders and tacos, definitely the best tacos we had our time in Santa Cruz.“

“I mean if you haven't tried this place where have you been hiding? This is like one of the two best Mexican restaurants well maybe three maybe four actually in town so if you don't want to break your wallet go down here and they give you your money's worth guaranteed there's one at the other end of town too.“

“First time trying this place and was pleasantly surprised. Veggies were fresh and made to order, the chile relleno was cooked beautifully. The server was very friendly and helpful and very flexible with plate combos. I could have even had a breakfast burrito in the afternoon on a weekday! Super happy. Only negative was the tables/booths hadn’t been wiped down despite the restaurant being completely empty. Planning to return here ?

Vegetarian options: Chile relleno, sides, veggie burritos, breakfast burritos, quesadillas, plates, etc. also was willing to substitute and got a big plate of fresh grilled veggies on the side (asparagus, Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions)

Dietary restrictions: Refried beans not made with pork/lard for a change so and no chicken stock/stock in the Spanish rice so was able to get for once. Server was accommodating when checking that everything was vegetarian for me. ❤️“

“This is a cozy cute place with delicious café de olla, and Mexican dishes, live music and kind owners, convenient location to have food before walking to the beach.“

“Los tacos de lengua mis favoritos con aguacate. Y mi coca cola mexicana,“

“Some of the best crispy tacos hands down the chicken are the best. Anyone that has no had them is missing out big time, definitely don’t be the person that orders a veggie burrito! It’s been the same since I was a kid skateboarding at the fun spot across the street! Nostalgic spot and family owned with great prices compared to other spots!“

“It sad to say the taqueria in my Town Tracy cannot even come close to the superior food .“

“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!“

“The Al Pastor was dry, I like it aged and dry, not sweet. The tacos were large and with thinly sliced fresh cabbage, tomatoes and beans. The waitstaff was excellent and the chair was comfortable. I am disappointed they didn’t have taquitos and I did not see sides of rice and beans offered on the menu. ?“

“How can we not be friends ✊. thank you for your kind Grindz and awesome hospitality 💯. Love your food and family 💚“

“Extremely fast food prep. Order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. Really fast even when busy. Excellent burritos, ok chips, and a wide variety of salsa's at the salsa bar.

Parking: Has their own parking lot, but it is on the small side, and parking spaces are closely packed. Street parking is widely available if it's full though.“

“Best chicken enchilada EVER! Here I go to try something new!“

“Great place to meet up with friends, for breakfast or anytime! Great beach and lighthouse view, and casual, comfortable atmosphere! I highly recommend!!“

“When In Santa Cruz you got to hit up Tacos El Chuy. The food is delicious, people are great and friendly. Nothing like a hot meal and a cold beer. Tacos 🌮 are great and the Nachos are awesome.“

“Solid tacos here! I got a the carnitas, the pastor, and the asada. The best was definitely the pastor, then the carnitas, then the asada. The chips that came with the meal were a bit stale, but overall I was quite happy with the taco experience – would recommend overall!“

“The best Mexican food ever! 🙌“