El Caminito Mexican Restaurant
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
21 reviews
Mountain View, CA
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36 Reviews for El Caminito Mexican Restaurant
Ew.
My burrito was SOOO bland I could not believe it. Same with his chimichanga. The place is random inside but in a cute way. I would never eat here again. What they do have going for them is a full bar -and what is hysterical is that it is set up (on display when you walk in) on top of a salad bar cart. Adding photo....
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Cute little mexican restaurant with a casual atmosphere. The tables are set up a bit awkward, but at least the restaurant gets very busy to accomodate everyone.
The food menu is the run of the mill, but includes some specialty items like the Chicken Mole, Enchiladas, Burritos. No chips and salsa (you have to ask for it... ) The fare is quite good, actually, and it seems like the family-style cooking has touched a nerve for a lot of people, and they return time and time again. To describe it, it's like a "homey mexican" taste, not eclectic, strange, but in it's plainess, it's very tasty, as opposed to "cheap tasting", which it is not. Since I had never had the chicken mole before, I requested that, and it was deliciously sublime with just the right amount of seasoning with toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top. I knew I tasted something special.
Drinks are interesting here. A lot of pre-made mixes, fruit nectars, and the like are made with a measured shot of whatever. It's tasty, but not all that! Could be better. Stick with your favorite soda or even a glass of wine.
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El Caminito has the usual strip mall frontage but behind the doors there is a fairly nice interior with subdued tropical colors. The decor is festive with Mexican puppets and the usual sombreros and posters. They've also installed an open wooden frame to make part of it feel like a cabana. A nice touch.
I've eaten here twice now and have found it be just a little substandard. The menu looks varied but turns out to be strangely limited. For instance, you can get a wet burrito, but only beef. Their enchilada with house sauce is chicken only, their green sauce enchilada is cheese only. It's weird to make limitations like this, though it seems that alterations are possible. On my first visit here I had to negotiate a while to get the green sauce enchilada with chicken, but this seemed to puzzle the waitress.
On my second visit I really wanted an enchilada with standard tomato-based enchilada sauce, but it wasn't offered. Due to this and other limitations mentioned above, there wasn't much on the menu I could get excited about. I opted for the Enchilada El Caminito, a chicken enchilada with a sour cream-based sauce. The rice was OK, nothing special. the beans were slightly better than average. Sliced almonds on the enchilada made a nice addition. It was quite tasty and enough food for me. The cost was $13 including tip, which is a little on the high side for lunch, especially when I consider I can get the same thing at a number of local taquerias for almost half the price.
Service was casual but too slow. On one visit I folded my menu and was ready to order about 10 seconds after sitting down, but it took another 5 minutes for someone to come take my order.
I don't plan on going back to El Caminito unless I have plenty of time for lunch, have a hankering for Mexican food, and am in the immediate area. Since my favorite used CD store nearby is now closed, this isn't very likely.
I love mexican food, and have eaten at many places. Usually, many taquerias and mexican restaurants that I have eaten at are pretty decent. I am not very picky in mexican cuisine, but this place hands down is just terrible all around.
Honestly, I don't know how mexican people can screw up mexican food. Its really not that difficult to make decent tasting mexican food, but this place really proved me wrong. This was by far, one of the WORST mexican restaurants I've been to.
The staff is unfriendly and a bit snobbish; not very pleasant or catered to customers. I ordered from here twice; both to-go. The first time I ordered for my entire working staff (all 10 of us), and they screwed up the orders and forgot an item. I decided to give them a second shot, but again- TERRIBLE. I don't think that's coincidence. I believe that is just bad service and terrible food. On my last trip (which was today, in fact) I ordered the nachos and a burrito. The nachos were so gross; burned chips, mixed pepers, and tons of bean and cheese that were just NOT at all good-tasting. The burrito was so bland, that I just threw out my food. $15 for both of those and what a waste! If you're looking to try out a mexican place, by all means DO NOT try this place!!!
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I enjoy coming here the food is always fresh and very tasty. the salsa they serve with the chips is the best. last nigth I had pescado veracruzana, They use tilapia, oh it was so good. The staff is always very friendly. highly recomended.
I think this is a decent place. I always eat the same thing and I only order to-go. I have to say everytime i walk in here it is a bit dark and not too inviting but i still love their chicken chimichangas nontheless. I've also tried the chicken burrito? That was good also for whenever I'm craving a cheese overloaded chicken and refried bean burrito. ITS HUGE! I don't know why people are complaining about the prices, I think they're cheap or at least reasonable for the portion. I have had a few bad bathroom experiences with the place like once or twice here and there, but what mexican place doesn't make you go shadoobies? haha, doesn't stop me from eating here every saturday at work =)
El Caminto is a nice neighborhood restaurant. We have been here so many times over the years I can't even count, and we have never had a bad meal/experience. It is a casual atmosphere where you walk in, scan the place for a comfortable looking table and seat yourself. The wait staff will then bring you chips and salsa and menus. The salsa is not too spicey, which is fine by me, but if you like it hot you may want to ask them if they can spice it up for you.
Everything on the menu is good and is served pipping hot. I'm a bit of a creature of habit, so I tend to get either the carnitas or a taco/tosada combo plate. I did go outside the comfort zone once and I ordered the torta which was delicious - and had shredded jack cheese on it, not American as another yelper noted.
Why not a full 5 stars? On occasion the service is a tad slow, not with food or drinks, but bringing the check after the end of the meal. When I'm done I'm done and want to go home. I don't want to linger at the table continuing to see and smell plates of food parade by to other diners.
A great breakfast place. If you love chorizo and eggs with warm tortillas, beans and red rice, then you are in heaven. Im told the Menudo is deeeeeeelicious, but i just cant get past the chorizo. Maybe it's because we go there alot, but once i ordered a double order of chorizo instead of the beans and rice, and they didnt even charge me extra which of course i was expecting! Good Mexican food, warm (store bought but still ok) tortillas, and a friendly atmosphere. Although it is 90% hispanic all the time, I take my white friends and they don't feel out of place at all, all the wait staff speak english and are very nice :-) A MUST visit for the price, portions, and quality of food!
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I have been to this restaurant twice, and the first time, we were seated next to a table with 3 children. One of them was in a high chair, and he threw/dropped the Mexican rice all over the floor. After the family left, the place looked like the aftermath of a war zone. Nonetheless, the food was good, and that made us come back again. We ordered Carnitas ($9.75), and Fisherman's Burrito ($9.95). I liked the carnitas as it was juicy and tender, my wife and I didn't like the burrito much, it was packed with crabs and shrimps, but it had a strange fishy smell. I guess I will stick to the meat section of the menu next time.
Tip: Stay away from sitting next to fussy kids, and order meat!
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My friend and I had this running joke where he'd say, "Yeah, let's go to El Caminito!" in response to ideas about somewhere nice to eat. He wasn't mocking the low prices or casual restaurant setup, he was mocking the fact that we both got extremely sick after eating here.
He got a plate and I got a plate and our plates involved average food that wasn't amazing. We both had beans and rice and he had a chile relleno and something else and I had my standard enchiladas.
But yeah, as soon as we got home, pain in the tummy and multiple bathroom trips = never again, El Caminito, never again!
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I've visited El Caminito for years now & have never been disappointed (food wise). Their enchiladas are my favorite, I LOVE their enchilada sauce! I also enjoy their chimichanga, fajita salad & nachos. I'm not big on the chicken they use (I prefer all white meat) but their shredded beef kicks ass! Sooooo yummy!!!!
It seems that every time I visit, their chips are different though. Sometimes really thin, sometimes not, different textures. They are definitely out of a bag & not freshly made but they could choose a better brand from whatever they've been using lately.
The service is great if you get a male server. The girls just all seem to gather around the cash register & gossip while your drinks are empty or are waiting for the check.
If they improved their chips & service I'd give them the extra star...
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We went here before we went next door to rent a car at the Hertz (review will come after this bad boy). The food was decent, nothing particularly memorable, except that the chicken tacos that I had had a very peculiar flavor them. They were supposed to be chicken, but something with the flavoring made it taste like shrimp. It had me extremely perplexed and made me think of Jessica Simpson. Why Jessica Simpson? Chicken of the Sea, of course.
This restaurant ain't mexican....yuck!!.....I ordered a torta and in my torta it had american cheese. What is up with that !!! This ain't no cheese burger!! That's all got to say not that great :(
With a cute name like ElCaminito, I knew I had to try this place, so I finally went there a few weeks ago.
The food was pretty good, but not awesome. I had the vegetarian quesadilla and I liked it. My friends thought the food was ok too.
However, we consumed two liters and sangria and we might as well have had juice. I'm not an alcoholic, but I was hoping that the sangria would be a little stronger.
The atmosphere is interesting. It is much nicer than a taqueria, but it is still casual.
I'll probably go there again if I am in the area.
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the only place for mexican food in sunnyvale.
this is more like a mexican diner. it's not super authentic, but it's just comfort food. Everythings smothered in cheese, theres chips and salsa on the table, a big ass tv in the background, sombrero's on the walls and 70's style cushion booths to slide into and feed your face while comforting your ass.
i love me some cheese enchiladas.
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Being one to bleed socal, i really miss mexican food living up here. so far this is the best i have found. the carne asada is really good (on tostadas or tacos), my gf is more of a veggie and she really likes the cheese enchiladas chile rellenos or bean tostadas.
Margs are not so great, and the service can lack at times.
Chips and salsa pretty money tho.
Overall, i like it alot if i wanna get a large amount of pretty good mexican
******** Update
So no longer the best o have found up here, but it still holds a place in my heart for being the first decent mexican i found
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It was a Friday night and my friends and I were up for Mexican food. I'm a creature of habit and I stick with what I know. We headed out to Los Charros in Mtn. View but my friend reminded me that at 7p.m., parking and the wait was going to be long. We ended up coming to El Caminito Mexican Restaurant and I immensely enjoyed my meal. I had ordered the El Caminito Chicken Enchiladas. It had this orange sauce which was not sweet or spicy but it just tasted delicious. The prices are reasonable. Not too long of a wait. Service was prompt and efficient. Chips were just right! Will be back again.
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Pretty decent. This is one of the better Mexican places in the South Bay. A semi-hole in the wall with okay food. I had a Carne Asada taco combination plate, which came with the usual beans, rice and cheese. The carne asada was a little dry though.
Its really hard to fine a decent Mexican place around here but I may actually come back to El Caminito again.
This is my favorite mexican restaurant in our area. It's not much to look at and the location could be better -but the fact that its not always packed is a plus for me. Usually we get to seat ourselves when we get walk in. There are booths and a few tables in the middle. The place has typical mexican decor parrots etc. but also big bull fighting posters from Spain (i don't get that)? The staff is always friendly but what I really go for is the food. Flavorful with good sized portions. You can also get food to go and call in advance.
I can't believe people like this place.
The first time I went I was by myself for lunch. The service was acceptable, and the food was average, a bit pricy for what it was.
I went back to take my wife there for dinner and - well, the food had gotten worse, considerably. And the service was Horrible. I think we were mostly happy that our waitress was 95% nonexistent, because the few moments we did see her, she was rude and dismissive. Its not as if there was even an excuse since there were at most 4 other couples in the joint. We almost walked out without paying, not as a statement (deserved as it would have been), but rather because we had been finished eating for over 20 minutes before the waitress managed to drag herself up and over to us to give us the check.
Maybe the third time's the charm and next time I go there (which I won't) they'll just hit me with a shovel and take my money.
A nice sit-down Mexican restaurant. I really enjoyed my food and will be back. The enchilda-style burrito was very good (enchilada-style=wet-style) and left me with plenty of leftovers for another lunch. The chips were fresh and tasty and I went through two dishes of yummy salsa (and dumped the remainder of the second dish into my to go box). Horchata was nicely cinnamon-y and wasn't too sweet or grainy. And, for once in one of my reviews, the decor was really nice. It was Mexican-style cute but not overly so.
Honestly, I am not sure how authentic the food really is (it seems like it really isn't) but the food is really quite good in any case.
This is a very decent place in a strip mall, near In N Out. The ceiling is strung with gun-toting dolls in traditional Mexican dress and streamers.
All the basics are on the menu. I had the chicken enchiladas which were good but nothing to write home about. They use shredded meat, so those of you who are fans of big chunks of meat in your burritos will be disappointed.
Service is prompt and friendly. The prices are reasonable. This is a very middle of the road place and if you're craving a burrito on a weeknight you won't go wrong here.
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Update
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I have been back a couple of times...and the food is still solid. For the price, decorations, and delivery time of food, this is still a great joint!
--------------OG----------------------
SUPPORT LOCALLY OWNED MOM AND POP SHOPS. I have said it before and I'll say it again...keep the family owned places alive and running. Let me set up the night-I was debating on going to the same old place(in this case Round Table) or trying something different. Luckily, my friend recently purchased a book, "Gift America Checks" to support the kids. We stumbled on "El Caminito" and decided to give it a shot. After getting lost, we found this easily overlooked restaurant in a strip mall next to a drapery shop and McDonald's. The green neon lights made it seem like a sketchy choice, but we decided to embrace the spirit of yelp and head right in. Upon entering, it looked like the Mexican version of Bucca di Beppo's. Immediately, I noticed that the place was clean and very casual. With a nice smile, our waiter brought out chips and salsa. You can tell a lot about a restaurant from the chips and salsa. Warm, crispy chips that were not overly oily or salty were served with a mild chunky salsa. As predicted, the chips and salsa set the tone for the rest of meal. I ordered a Mango margarita that was forget-able, but strong enough to leave it lingering. My friend ordered a fountain drink and was excited to see it served in a big glass. I ordered the "camarones al mojo de ajo," while my friend ordered the combo plate with 2 crispy tacos and 1 enchilada.
First, my "camarones" were yummy! They were served in a creamy sauce that had big chunks of roasted garlic. The sauce tasted like crab bisque with fresh shrimp chunks. The dish also came with a little salad and beans and rice. The rice was flaky and definitely not oily. I tried the taco and enchilada, and agreed they were both delicioso. The tacos were not greasy, and I tasted marinated chicken. The enchilada was very moist, and had a wonderful after taste. Service was good, and after speaking with my waiter, I asked how long they had been in business. He replied that this location was kicking for 15 years, and that the other location closed. Either way, I can't believe this place was across the street from the Togo's I always go to. I was pleasantly surprised and will come back again. The prices are reasonable as compared to standard good places. Sure I love Tia Juana's...and yes it's cheaper. However, the last time I went to Tia Juana's-food came a little to quick and was super greasy. I guess the cheaper the plate...the oilier???
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I do not recommend this restaurant it is not real mexican. My sister had a party here. They promised many things but did not do them. Plus they charged for soooo many extra things that was impossible for the party to have consumed sooo many things plus the place is really dirty.
ah yes, I remember a long time ago when I asked my boyfriend at the time, "what? this place is called El Caminito?" But the food is sooo good, it reminds me of one of my best friends moms cooking- (and yes, she is mexican) Everyone that I have ever taken there to eat, thinks it's awesome! I highly recommend this place, great prices, good food, HORCHATA, and margaritas!
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Do you have a yen for burritos that are full of oozy cheese and beans and covered in sauce? You should go here.
I myself particularly enjoy a burrito with these characteristics, so I rather enjoyed my Burrito de Pollo. The chicken was a little salty, but it was nice and moist and shredded and this went perfectly with the overall oozy consistency. It was served in a perfectly acceptable but mild white/orangeish sauce -- maybe next time I'll try their enchilada sauce version.
Obviously this isn't a traditional foil-wrapped burrito, it's served flat in a foil tray (to permit being covered in sauce). Definitely more of a sit-down place than a taqueria, but takeout still works.
Also, if you look at their menu, they have a burrito that contains "chunks of bee in a red sauce." Mmm...pointy!
The chips were pretty good, too. I'd go back.
Good but not great mexican food. I thought the chips were ok not great I hated the salsa! It was sweet and not at all hot. Service was not great considering the place was almost empty. No one came to refill our sodas at all. i wonder if it was because they knew we were using a coupon?
I had been excited to try this place. I have been looking for a decent Mexican place in the neighborhood.
The place was somewhat busy so I took that as a good sign.
However, the food came and I as well as my companion were thoroughly disappointed. The food was bland, no flavor whatsoever. I ordered grilled chicken nachos and he had carne asada tacos.
I was hoping for authentic Mexican food, but I guess that was hoping for too much. The Mexican food in TX is way better. As a Mexican, I was embarrassed they called that authentic Mexican food ! I will never go here again.
This is a tiny review cuz I've been here once, but it's good. Nothing spectacular about it to set it apart from other good Mexican places I've been, but the service was friendly and the price was reasonable.
Not really a hole in the wall but not really a traditional sit down restaurant either. It almost has a cafe feel to it. Most sit down Mexican places don't have taqueria fare but this had a little of both. The first thing we noticed upon sitting is great chips and salsa. The chips were fresh and crisp, while the salsa had a semi chunky tomato, onion, and cilantro rich flavor (no heat though). So one of my co-workers asked for hot sauce. Good flavor, nicely salty, and decent kick.
My bar (if they have them) are soft tacos. So I went for some Asada and Carnitas tacos. Taqueria prices are generally $1-$1.80 for individual soft tacos, but they were close to $3 here. When I received them I knew why..it was easily 1.5 - 2 times the meat that you get at a taqueria. The Carnitas was flavorful and super tender. The asada was also tender and I think the marinade was similar to the hot sauce they gave without the heat. So of course I added more hot sauce on top. I think when I try this place again I'm going for the full asada plate because the flavor was unlike any other asada I've had. Definite points for uniqueness.
The location is a pretty bland strip mall and if you're not paying attention you might drive right by it. Overall a good find in an area full of good mexican food.
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This place is surprisingly not that vegetarian friendly for a Mexican restaurant...this is the first time I've been to a Mexican restaurant in the Bay Area where the veggie fare was so minimal.
I got the vegetarian fajitas (the only veg item on the menu)...it tasted good, but it was obvious that the chef really wasn't creative enough to create an impressive vegetarian meal.
However, worst case scenario, if I was really hungry and driving by, I'd stop in cuz I know I can at least get some really tasty chips and salsa and fajitas!
Good food and a relatively quiet joint. Its a great restaurant for a quite evening when all you want to do is grab some good food without the distractions of a larger restaurant.
This place was really good. Bigger portions than your normal taqueria, and a little pricier, but a sit-down place. The chips and salsa were great, so I'll for sure be back! ;) Also, the sangria was fab!! I had the veggie burrito, and it was normal, but not bad. Will be back
UPDATE:
Definitely our new favorite Mexican! Everytime we go, one of us gets the seafood enchiladas. It's the one that says it has crab meat...GET IT! It's so good, and only for $10. Love this place!
This is place is SO non-descript from the outside, that I've been living by it forever and never noticed it was there until a few years ago...
Good food, but service is spotty at times.
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Love this place, wish we hadn't moved away -- great food, I agree with the previous poster re: salsa and chips, they were so good, not stale and/or cold, and the carnitas were always great.
I love the food, but the service is pretty slow. Even with the slow service I go there pretty frequently. Just make sure you have about an hour and a half free before you decide to go here.
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