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Alebrijes Mexican Bistro
Rating Details »
1301 W Lockeford St
Ste D
Lodi, CA 95242
(209) 368-1831
Ste D
Lodi, CA 95242
(209) 368-1831
- Hours:
Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
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"Really, this is as good as it gets for Lodi. An amazing, innovative mexican restaurant that features fresh ingredients and traditional…" read more »
18 reviews for Alebrijes Mexican Bistro
Time for an update: Alebrijes still rocks!
I don't know the name of what my sister had, but it was AMAZING. Basically, it was a shrimp enchilada with a salsa verde that transcended shrimp, enchiladas, and salsas verdes. Fresh tasting and absolutely delicious.
I had a tuna steak with a great mole type sauce and chipotle mash potatoes.
As always, the guacamole was the terrific guac to which all others are compared. It's a must order every time.
The new menu has a lot of interesting options, I recommend trying you don't see at most Mexican restaurants and let Chef Ruben work his magic. Great place. Do it!
People thought this was:
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2008
Very cool spot with yummy authentic food and an upscale feel...in a strip mall?!?! I don't know if… Read more »
A belated celebration of Mexican Indepence Day, September 16... a little late, but better late than never, right?
What do you have on Mexican Independence Day? Chile en Nogada... of course!
Guacamole Dip (*****) - Prepared in front of you at your table by your server, which happened to be Ruben today... Two whole Avocados are combined with Tomatoes, Cilantro, and a couple of other spices and topped with chunks of Turnips and grated Mexican Contija Cheese in a faux Stone Bowl. You can ask your server to make the half-portion if you think this appetizer might ruin your dinner. And, as many reviewers have stated, you can dial in your own spiciness for this Guacamole Dip. I asked for Hot, but not really... I've got to consider Alebrijes is truly a family restaurant. As I stated in previous reviews... and there are many... Alebrijes offers Guacamole Dip with Seasonal Fruit... but I just don't like Sweet / Salty all at the same time... that's just me. Needed a triple-refill of Tortilla Chips to make it through the Guacamole...
Horchata (**** 1/2-2 Orders) Like my last visit, the first Horchata was absolutely perfect... Mixed until the Horchata looked more like a Milkshake than just a Rice Drink... which it actually is. The second Horchata was more drink than Milkshake. Ruben stated that the Horchata has a hint of Vanilla mixed in, and is served with Cinnamon sticks for your enjoyment...
There were two girls from Connecticut, one who is now living in Modesto... The visiting girl, who came to Alebrijes to try some authentic Mexican food I guess never had Horchata, inquired what Horchata was and was convinced by myself and Ruben to try it... She loved it! I explained to her that many Mexican restaurants I've visited refuse to serve Horchata... mainly because it's considered a Peasant-type of Drink.
Chile en Nogada (*****) Roasted whole Poblano Pepper stuffed with Hamburger, Onions, Garlic, Apples, and Cranberries, topped with a delicate sweet Walnut based Sauce and sprinkled profusely on top with complementary-colored Pomegranate Seeds. This has to be one of the most visually appealing entrees you will have ever seen... ( http://static.px.yelp.... ). Unlike other Hispanic restaurants I tried that have attempted this entree which were either too sweet, or too savory... Ruben is very subtle in his preparation of his version of Chile en Nogada. One of the requirements of this entree is the display of the stuffed Chile where Mexico's national colors show through: Red, the Pomegranates; White, the Walnut Sauce; and Green, the Poblano Chile. There is an abundance of textures and flavors in this entree... Sweet, from the fruit inside the Chile and from the Walnut Sauce covering the Chile; Savory, from the Hamburger and Onion mixture inside the Chile; and the Pop, from the mild explosion when you bite into a Pomegranate Seed - the Pomegranate Seeds were a whole lot fresher than the previous visit last year. Sides consisted of a mound of Mexican Rice formed in the shape of a Pyramid! Dare I say "Just right!"? All this on a square Porcelain Plate! Beautiful! The girls from Connecticut were very envious...
Since this is not on the menu... you'll have to contact Ruben and Alebrijes the day before your visit... for preparation. And... you don't have very much time... Pomegranate season is almost over.
Flan with Caramel (**** 1/2) Today's Flan was vastly different than the Flan I had last time... Rather than a turned-over from a cup Flan with a Fruti Compote on top... Today's Flan looked more like a slice of Cheesecake immersed in Caramel Syrup for, probably, hours. Served on a rectangular Porcelain plate with Blueberries randomly placed and with spots of Raspberry Syrup. Very appealing presentation.
Total: $28.25.
The whole look-and-feel of Alebrijes, since my last visit, is totally different. A bar arrangement has been constructed at the front of the restaurant with bottles of wine from local Wineries arranged on the newly built shelves. Looks like Alebrijes will be turning itself into a Wine Bar at the front with Wine Tasting and small Tapas-type of Appetizers... and a formal restaurant off to the side.
The menu has also changed... One significant change is termed Tour Alebrijes $15.99 - Ruben, daily, at his discretion, will serve three small examples of his culinary skills and not necessarily Entrees from the formal menu. In the future, Alebrijes will offer a selection of local Wine for an additional $7.00. Only served after 5:30pm. Ruben stated a party of six people came in and all ordered the Tour Alebrijes... a challenge to create something different for everyone at the table... to say the least!
Take a gander at the reputation that Ruben (and Alebrijes) is gaining... Ruben just came in second at a culinary contest at the California State Fair; And he came in first in a competition of local Chefs, which included the Chef at Le Bistro.
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4 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/6/2009
Hmm... where to go on the 5th of May? Chinese? American? Hamburgers? Breakfast Diners? I think… Read more »
Currently based on 1 visit.
Curiously hidden in a place you wouldn't think it'd be located and very cramped inside. Those 2 things aside, I really liked the place. Brightly colored walls and cutely decorated, we were greeted by the chef (owner?) from the kitchen when we walked in. Had to wait as it was packed and not much room as previously mentioned but it wasn't that long and waiting area is quite comfy although also small.
Food was for the most part, great. Chips and salsa were okay, standard fare. For app, we had the ceviche which was fairly good. We then had a burrito that was really good, covered with a delicious sauce and the camarones momia, yummy as all hell bacon-wrapped prawns. Service was quite good and the menu looks intriguing so I can't wait to go back and try out more things.
We found this place purely by accident and Wow did we find a gem. We were just looking for a Mexican restaurant that served vegetarian burrito's. To our surprise they actually have a section on their menu that is for Vegetarian and Vegans!!! This is amazing to us since we are out in the middle of meat and potato area. They actually have two selections of vegetarian soup too!
We had Soy meat soft tacos with tortilla soup and a Portabella burrito with 15 bean soup.
Proper Job Alebrijes!
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I was impressed when the owner of Alebrijes noted my previous, relatively negative review and e-mailed asking that we give them another shot, so we did.
This past weekend we went back and took the kids.
First, let me get the negative out of the way. The decor hasn't changed much; just like the pictures suggest, the bright colors don't seem to be cohesive with the 'Gourmet Mexican' style they're shooting for IMHO. It looks more like you're at Mazatlan Cafe.
This place has gotten quite popular and while I didn't notice it being cramped on our previous visits, with every table filled, it was a little tight for a group of four. This seemed to impede the waitresses' ability to quickly get to tables having to walk one-way down the single, narrow path between tables.
Now, that out of the way, they absolutely hit a home run with the food this time around. We started with the table-side made guacamole and civiche which we knew we liked from our previous visits. But then I went out on a limb, and rather than getting the typical burrito or enchiladas, I ordered their special: a lemon rubbed halibut fillet served whole beans. It was absolutely superb. My wife had a bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp which was equally incredible. My son got an enchilada plate which he wiped out. We polished off the meal with a couple glasses of Merlot.
Very well done this time around, and I'd be happy to return.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/24/2008
I guess I have to be the contrarian here. This place is just around the corner from our house, and… Read more »
I'm an admitted Mexican food nut, so when I saw the reviews of this place, I knew I had to try it, but what a let down. It wasn't awful, but so average and bland it hardly registered on the Mexican cuisine meter at all.
Okay, so they make the guacamole at your table and the rice is in the shape of a pyramid - whoppeee! So that makes up for the runny beans (like soup, running into all the other items on the plate) and enchilada sauce that tastes suspiciously like La Victoria from a can? I had a steak enchilada with a chile releno. The steak was chewy and rubbery while the chile releno was mostly cheese with hardly any chile or sauce. My wife had a sope that although, she said tasted homemade, was very small for Mexican food standards.
Although the food here is edible, it is far from what I would consider as authentic Mexican - strictly Gringo Mexican food here. Advise: go to downtown Lodi over to Sacramento Street. There's like 3 or 4 Mexican places down there which can beat the pants off this place any day of the week.
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I love Alebrijes! They make the guacamole right at the table! SOOOO yummy. Most of my experiences have been with their catering. We have them cater our parties... 4th of July, Presidential debates, and just about any excuse we can find to throw a party and eat.
Ruben is the owner with his wife. They do the catering and are so friendly and thorough. The presentation is great and there food is full of flavor.
The location is a bit cramped and squishy but doesn't change the taste!
Wow! So I looked on Yelp last night because I was SOOO tired of the Mexican food around Lodi and there was Alebrijes. Something different, but how different...
You MUST have the seasonal guacamole! Never have I had something so refreshing and spicy at the same time. Great for the weather! It was made right at our table with watermelon, avocado, orange, and other fresh ingredients. Sounds strange, but when you see every table laden with a fresh bowl of guac you know something must be right! But that wasn't all, our food was very fresh with amazing flavor where each bite brought back my nostalgia for my Mexican cruise, to the chagrin of my boyfriend.
The only bad points were the layout of the restaurant, with seating for a maximum of maybe 30, chairs that were a bit uncomfortable, and sparse decor, but you forget all of that when your waiter shows up with his tray of guacamole goodness. (And to be honest this place will become so busy soon that I am guessing they will find larger digs!)
This place has become my favorite restaurant in Lodi, with a chef that will come out to see how you are doing, thank you for coming, and a staff that is warm and welcoming... Not to mention patrons that take delight in showing first timers the ropes on what to order.
This place is great for anyone wanting an mini-vacation to culinary Mexico!
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We live in southern California so there are no shortage of all sorts of Mexican restaurants here. That said, this was one of the best! We were up in Lodi for some wine tasting and thought we better have some lunch before we started. Alebrijes was a great choice. The seasonal guacamole was absolutely fantastic. Made at our table, the owners use add to the guac whatever fruits are in season. Ours was made with watermelon which I thought at first would be a little strange. It was a great idea.! The guac had a little crunch to it and just the right amount of heat. It was topped off with a little cojito cheese and served up with banana chips. My husband and I shared the mole chicken which was very tasty. In addition, we had a side of grilled serano chiles and onions. The chiles were hot but not too hot (for me). What a great meal!
The restaurant is just the right size. It is cozy and colorful. The wait staff was very good as well.
P.S. We liked Alebrijes so much we thought we would go back the second day we were in Lodi and try some of the heart healthy specialties, but it turned out that they are closed on Monday.
We will definitely return the next time we are in Lodi.
Huge fan of this place.. My parents had been talking about a new mexican place in town. everytime i talked to them, it seemed like they were either going there or had just got back from there.... So finally on a trip into town i went there with them..
Needless to say, it was up to snuff. I have since been back to Alebrijes a half dozen times or so, and it has always delivered. If he has it on the menu, try Ruben's mole. Very complex, and again, delicious. The tableside preperation of the guacamole is a great touch and never disappoints.
Basically anytime that i am in lodi, i make a trip to Alebrijes.
Check it out.
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Maybe I haven't found that "perfect" meal yet but I'm just not impressed. After 4 attempts ... I honestly can't recommend this place. Nice wait staff, clean "cramped" environment ... but it stops there for me. Happy eating to those who like it. I personally won't be wasting anymore money here.
Like to start off by saying the owners are very nice and friendly. The guacamole is delicious, the chips are great and salsa pretty awesome.
I order the camarones momia (shrimp wrapped with bacon and cheese) with a chipotle honey sauce you will die for!!!! The enchiladas and flautas are also delicious.
Must have Brooke for a waitress, she's great!
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So Ringo shoots me off a phone pic and I look and "What the heck, mexican rice in the shape of a pyramid?" He's babbling about actual flavor in the rice. (yeah I know, rice doesn't have flavor but if your gonna color your rice yellow then it better have something in it besides yellow dye #6)
Dude, they make guacamole at your table! Just like Pipi's in PV, you know the place where the margaritas are as big as your head! (If you've been there you know...)
This place is located in a mini strip mall trapped between a Subway and the notorius "Foster Freeze" next door. (Don't get me started on that, I swore with a vengence 14 years ago that I'd never go back and I still haven't. But thats another story...)
Tasty chile rellenos, equally tasty sangria (almost as good as Barcelona Tapa's in PV except the view is better in PV) Homemade chips and very friendly wait staff. Prompt service. Take it from me, if Ringo eats here (soon to be read on http://foodnazi.com) then you can to!
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My partner and I were so excited to try this place out because of all the 5 star ratings and we really want to find a good mexican restaurant here in Lodi. We went on a Monday for lunch and oh no, closed! Forgot that a lot of places close on Mondays. Went on Tuesday, small place, felt cramped, there were only 2 other people there and still the service was slow but friendly enough. I had the fish tacos, hardly had any fish in them, but was ok in flavor, the sides of black beans and rice had absolutely no flavor. My partner had a chicken taco, chicken enchilada and chili relleno, they were so extremely bland that he didn't want to finish eating them. Very disappointing, so much so that I can't even imagine going back to give them a second try. The only good item was their salsa, now that had flavor.
We were told great things about this restaurant and on our first visit felt it was good, but not necessarily great. On our second visit we ordered a beef burrito and beef tacos and they were again, just good and the portions were only average. Our third visit we ordered a sopito and enchilada combo. We asked the server what the "al pastor" was and she said she wasn't really sure, but they did not have any available because people don't usually order it so there was none prepared. We also ordered the tableside guac after hearing good things about it. The server did not seem enthused about making our guac and it was just simply avocados with some extra additives and seasonings stirred in at your table. Lastly, we ordered a flauta, which was a huge disappointment. It was served on a large plate as one tiny taquito-sized flauta with light toppings and a small amount of rice and beans; definitely a measly portion for the price.
After three attempts at trying this restaurant, our experiences declined in quality. Maybe they are going through some changes, but are priced higher than average for what you get. I think we will be looking for other places to compare.
My friends and I went to Alebrijes this past Friday evening. We all agreed the food was terrific, the menu was unique, and inspiring. But I will say that the service was a bit too slow. Perhaps it was just a bad night, but given how good their menu is, I'll be sure to try them again. I recommend having them make the guacamole at your table, and I did see a plate of flan make a dash past my table - I'll try that next time too!
Ruben always that Mexican food is always more than rice and beans ... and he proves it. Very unique items and food is typically outstanding and not what you find in other Mexican restaurants. Daily special dishes offered plus new item offerings on weekends. I have tried most of the items on the menu since they have opened and never disappointed. Small venue so get in early or try after 8pm. I have also been to three events catered by Alebrijes and all were outstanding. Beer & local wine selection is nice. Ruben and his wife Adde are at the restaurant most of the time and always stop to see if your satisfied ... Just a great place to EAT.
We finally tried this place. My Wife thought the Chicken Burrito was good. I asked her if she would say that without all the Hot Sauce she dumped on it. Probably not. The menu advertised a Stuffed Poblano Chile Relleno-My Favorite. Instead, I got stuffed canned strips of green chiles relleno. I did not eat it. The Tacos Pescado were breaded and fried fish strips on a tortilla, probably from Smart and Final. The Beans and Rice tasted like they were from a can as well. The staff is not well trained and did not refill our drinks, chips or salsa unless we flagged them down, even when they were cleaning the dishes off our table. We weren't told of the specials before ordering either. Maybe they do make good food? How would I know? The salsa is pretty good but I make better at home. The chips were gritty tasting, like they were dusty. I would say it is just another ordinary restaurant serving cheap mexican food. But I was surprised how many people were in there eating. Then it is a small place. I had indigestion from what I did eat. Thank goodness for Tums!
