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Memo's Mexican Restaurant
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Tue-Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
173 reviews for Memo's Mexican Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Chocolate Cake - served with a hot chocolate sauce."
(in 26 reviews)
"The father-daughter team that own and run this place are..."
(in 6 reviews)
"I had the chicken dish that is in a pumpkin seed sauce."
(in 5 reviews)
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173 reviews in English
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Review from C P.
Concord, CA
12/4/2011
Visited for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was on a cold rainy Wednesday night at around 8PM. There was another table occupied, but that was all. I'd heard that this place had great food and not so great service.
But, we had excellent food and good service. I will definitely come again. -
Review from Trevor W.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/28/2012
Space - The place is a little strangely laid out but it works, it was clean.
Service - The service was very bad, the servers were friendly enough but it was very disorganized, a long wait to get drinks and food and items were forgotten, if this place had only been open a couple of weeks it would have made sense.
Food - The food was below average, we were a party of 6 and I must add that one of my friends is partial to chille relleno's and said it was the best he had ever had, the rest of the group were less than excited. One of the dishes clearly had missing ingredients that were stated on the menu. The beans and rice were the only highlight for me and the portion was very small.
Price - I thought the prices were average although the food was not worth average Mexican prices.
I will not return. -
Review from Janice C.
Concord isn't the quiet town it used to be, especially nowadays where you don't have to venture out to SF or even nearby Walnut Creek for a good meal at a restaurant.
I had dinner here with my family on a early Tuesday evening, we came right when the restaurant opened so nobody was there except us. We were personally served by the owner's daughter (she looks familiar from check please!) who came out in her chef's attire. The menu states fine Mexican cuisine (it IS a bit pricey, entrees start $11-up and cocktails are $8-up) My brother had a wet burrito and dad had a combo of gordita, taco and tamales. Both were muy bueno! I had the chicken mole: it is so good and tastes homemade!
The ambiance is very homey and relaxing. Be assured that everything is healthy, meaning, you will not walk out of here feeling like you ate a ton of lard, of which they use NONE. Amazing! We'll definitely come back again on our next family dinner. -
Review from Patricia M.
Pittsburg, CA
2/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
We have been there twice in two weeks. The first time we went because we saw it on Check Please. The service was a bit slow the first time but they were packed and people standing outside. The food is excellent. The second time we took six people and had reservations. Our table was ready and the service was great. Everyone we brought loved it. We had two people in their eighties and the love it also. The restraurant is very clean and family owned all of them are very friendly.
We will definitely go back again and again. -
Review from Leila D.
Fairfield, CA
1/29/2012
Heard about this place on Checks Please KQED so I figured it got rave, positive reviews....service could use major improvement, never got our water, and chips and salsa. Busboy was in charge of bussing tables and water. Not recommended! Then here comes the Owner (the Pops) taking our order. Although he did apologize profusely & thanked us for our patience, the wait was way too long....for a party of 3, we were in there a total of 2 hours, wayyy too long.... The food was just "Okay", I tried the Chicken Pepian, chicken was OK, and rice/beans portions was small. My other family members ordered the regular chicken burrito, and chicken quesedilla and those were just OK. I've had better Mexican food....not going to return or recommend.
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Review from Mario R.
Concord, CA
2/4/2012
We love this place! Great service and great food. Every time we come here the service has been wonderful. We love the spices they use, definitely not your ordinary mexican fare. Plus they are always friendly when we bring our dog- they even give him his own water bowl. We definitely recommend it here.
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Review from Ali B.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/31/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The food was tasty, but our wait to be seated was longer than anticipated considering we had a reservation, and overall the service was abysmal. It took at least 10 or 15 minutes for anyone to greet us and take drink orders once we were seated and then at least as long for them to return to take our food order, despite us having told the hostess that we were ready to order when she took our drink requests (she said she could take drink orders, but not food). They also ran out of coke/pepsi AND rice. What kind of Mexican restaurant runs out of those staples? We were totally flumoxed by the experience. To their credit, they apologized profusely for our experience and explained that they were short-staffed that night. We might return at some point but not before trying a few other new places first.
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Review from kreativess ..
Oakland, CA
12/15/2011
This place is cute! I read the reviews before I went even though we were decided on this place from the get-go (my friend is vegan and actually has more than a salad to choose from here). It was her going away dinner so I wasn't bothered that others said the service was slow! The chef took our order and it didn't take that long to be served, however she totally forgot about our appetizer - fail! The food was portioned large and was great! The sangria wasn't the best but would be back again!
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Review from Nicole K.
Concord, CA
12/15/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The best chili verde I have ever had! I always rate a Mexican restaurant by their rice and beans and those were incredibly delicious too. Very impressed with the service as well. One of the owners asked my preference on spice level and then came back after the meal to let me know the spice level for ordering next time. We will be back for sure!
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Review from Pamela I.
Concord, CA
10/23/2011
I came here the other night for dinner with a friend and I liked it!
Its a small quiet restaurant (definitely good for dates). The food was good and the service was pretty good. I ordered the "any two items" which was the tamale- pretty good! And then I ordered the sope with beef- and I could have probably ordered something else... But I was willing to try it.
Then my friend and I ordered dessert the chocolate cake which was pretty good too!
I would come back again! -
Review from Eric B.
Updated - 8/10/2011
Gayle and I took her Nephew to dinner at Memo's last night. He's in town to find an apartment in SF, prior to his first job after graduating from Columbia. He's smart, handsome, engaging, kind, and humble. And if you're lucky, you'll meet him (as my +1) at a YEE near you.
The service was a little challenging at times, especially during the longer than expected waits to have or order taken and to pay our bill. Past that, the fresh chips, drinks, and food came out quickly. The Mole Chicken was also fabulous.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2007
Well presented and tasty dishes in a semi-elegant and comfortable atmosphere. Also a good value for… Read more »
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Review from Patty B.
Martinez, CA
12/9/2011
The wife and i ventured to this place for the first time this afternoon for lunch. we were the only ones in the place. lunch crowd had emptied out earlier. i ordered the chile relleno burrito, and she ordered the carnitas burrito. service was friendly and very reasonable. chips came with salsa verde and salsa rojo. food was tasty. atmosphere is 'upscale' for a mexican food place. a lot of collectable items behind glass and upstairs in party room. i'll definitely return to this little gem.
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Review from Manish P.
San Jose, CA
8/7/2011
Went here after it was featured on TV. Had to take a detour to get here. We were that excited!
Ambiance: It is like eating at someone's home. A big home. Literally.
Chips + Salsa: Average
Soup: Very good, bonus points since it was vegetarian
Food: Flavors a bit too raw for our liking. We didn't finish our entrees.
Service was prompt, but just OK. Seemed a bit slow for us. -
Review from Aaron C.
Sacramento, CA
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service: Not quite horrible but definitely not good. We were sitting at the table for 10 minutes before water was brought out. And we repeatedly had to ask for chips which in the end never showed up.
Food: I ordered the Especial chicken burrito and the flavor was good but the portions were small for the price.
Price: overpriced for food portions and service provided.
Overall I would not recommend this place. Much better food and service, not too mention price down the street at La Pinata. -
Review from Michelle I.
Concord, CA
7/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Service was prompt. Wait staff was curteous and the food was fantastic! The tortilla soup was out of this world! The salsa was fresh and tasted homemade. The talapia was so tender it fell apart when you put a fork to it.
Bar none, one of the best dining experiences I have in a long time! A+ -
Review from Tyler S.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/22/2011
We've been here a number of times, but this time with a big group so we could taste many things. I'm giving it four stars, my wife would probably only give three.
Pluses:
Small, and therefore quiet. And very beautifully decorated.
Interesting and *different* Mexican dishes. Great variety on the menu.
A nice family feeling, with the father in the kitchen and the daughter waiting tables.
A neat little "sitting room" upstairs outside the bathrooms. It was a great place for my daughters to go read after dinner when they didn't want to stay at the table.
A lovely patio out front, which allows dogs.
Some dishes that were great:
*Guacamole (very bright with lime flavor, which I love and my wife is not so crazy about)
*Al Pastor Soft Tacos (some of the best pastor I have had)
*Chicken Pipian (the house specialty. Complex, dark and wonderful)
*Mango sorbet (amazingly fresh and light and icy)
Some dishes that were OK:
*Refried beans (I liked them because they were a little less gloppy than most, and more flavorful. My daughter couldn't eat them because they were a bit spicy. And that's about all she'll eat! Maybe don't bring a picky eater here.)
*Nopal Salad (this is pieces of Prickly Pear cactus, cooked, chilled and marinated in a vinegary dressing). Pretty nice and refreshing, but the nopal is a little rubbery.
*Carnitas (dry and uninteresting)
*Chocoloate cake (this one will definitely start a conversation. The cake is a little dry, but the spices are fascinating. There is indeed a little warmth from the pepper and the other spices but it is all subtle.)
Minuses:
The service can be slow. But I was not outraged by it like some other Yelpers. These are well-meaning people who just have a slow pace. And once they did forget something. But there's a big difference between that and incompetent and/or uncaring people.
Prices are somewhat high for what you might be used to pay for Mexican and portions are not huge. Although I would certainly not call them small. I believe it's worth it for the extra quality.
In the end, we will go back. But it's good not to go here with a chip on your shoulder. -
Review from Finnegan M.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thwis restaurwant is one of me Mwommy's wery fwavorites! Me Dwaddy, who is nwot a bwif fwan of Awerican Mwexican fwood, also lwoves Memos as the fwood is authwentic Mwexican fwood!
They wove the tortilla swoup, sway the bwest there is. My Mwom woved her chicken pwepian and my Dwad the cwarnitas which he woved as well.
We have bween to Memos sweveral, the lwast one wover a year agwo and have gwot to know the owner and his dwaughter, who bwoth cwook.
Winngean dweeply regwret to repwort that Yeller, their dwoggy gwreeter, dwided lwast winter. He in hweaven now with me brwother, Oscie.
Memo's nweeds to gwet anwother cwanine gwreeter, but Yeller's plwace at the front dwoor will be wery hward to fwill!
Wery dwoggy frwiendly with an outswide area, wighly reccomended with Winnegan's paw of appwroval!!! Thwey wove us dwoggies hwere. -
Review from Denee N.
Pittsburg, CA
8/19/2011
My husband and I found yourselves at Memo's after I purchased a 1/2 off Groupon. The restaurant is operated by a father and daught and was very quite with only two or three other parties dining at the restaurant while we were there. The daughter was our server and was pleasant but it did take while for us to get our check and our drinks were never refilled during the meal or after.
My husband liked the salsa that was served with chips before our meal. I ordered carne asada and it was tender but the flavoring was different than I had expected. It was decent but not the best. My husband liked his burrito but the portion was small compared to what we get at other Mexican restaurants. The prices were moderate so I guess I had expected a little more than what we got.
Pros: It's quite and homey. The food is decent. -
Review from Wendell C.
Martinez, CA
6/20/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Superb and authentic Mexican cuisine! Their traditional fare of tacos, etc., is delicious . . . and consistently delicious. Try their sopas with chickn or beef - a rare treat.
We've dined here off and on for several years. There was a time when the service was very slow but that time is long gone. Their service is now fast and courteous. Not hurried. Fast and courteous. And friendly.
The only dish I've ever had at Memo's that I didn't care for was one of the house specialties, Pipian Chicken. Perhaps I just didn't get it but for me, the sauce was slightly overpowering and there was FAR too much of it. The chicken seemed to be hidden by the sauce. I think it might be a completely different, and better, dish if the sauce was used in a more complimentary style but again, perhaps I just don't understand the dish and it's style.
Dessert? Good God! Vegan chocolate cake. Homemade Pistachio gelato and mango sorbet - WOW! Absolutely delicious and somethign you will not find elsewhere.
Memo's is the only Mexican restaurant in the area that worth visiting . . over and over again! -
Review from Nanana A.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2011
There is outdoor sitting, and when you walk in they have nice decor with white table cloths..........I don't see this very much for a Mexican restaurant. It's pricey for the amount of food you get. I had a groupon for $20. value which I had paid $10.
The restaurant is owned and operated by the father and daughter. The staff is nice and service was good. The daughter came out wearing a red chef's hat and took our order.
I ordered from the Chef's special 1/2 order for $13.50 for a carne asada with rice and beans. it may have been a beef skirt steak with a tablespoon of chopped tomatoes & onions (like a salsa) and a dab of sour cream. The portion was just enough for me. A full plate was $18. The rice and beans were delicious and had good flavor, the beef was not medium rare as I had ordered and was overcooked, but I used the corn tortillas and made a burrito with the rice, beans, sour cream and beef and it tasted better that way, then eating the beef alone. Though it was a 1/2 portion, it was not very much food.
My partner ordered a beef enchilada, rice and beans $14.50 and it was good, but it was the smallest enchilada at 1" in diameter. The plate was slightly larger, and rice and bean portions filled the plate. There was no 1/2 order for this item.
Overall, the food was good, but I feel that it was pricey for the portions. The atmosphere was lovely and great to go for special occasions if you're looking for ambience and want Mexican food.
A margarita as it was about $9. That's more than I wanted to spend on a drink.
With so many good Mexican restaurants in the bay area that offers larger portions, but may not have the ambiance of Memo's. You can decide whether you want ambiance and small portions........or a more traditional restaurant with large portion. -
Review from michael c.
Lafayette, CA
12/23/2011
We ate here 12/22/11, very quiet night. Shrimp was very fresh and cooked perfect. Al Pastor was nicely spiced. Very friendly owners, as a treat we got a tour of the kitchen at the end of our evening. Will definitely be going back.
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Review from Janette B.
Carmichael, CA
5/13/2011
OH. MY. GOODNESS!! Two co-workers and I went to this restaurant today and it was WONDERFUL! I had the Tacos al Pastor and this dish was DIVINE!! So flavorful! I usually do not care for most Mexican restaurant's beans and rice...Memo's has a little twist to their beans having added some pep and spice to them. VERY tasty!!
Co-worker #1 had the chicken flautas and enjoyed them very much. Co-worker #2 had a burrito which he enjoyed as well.
We all enjoyed the chips and salsa. And yes, I would agree that the serving size was a little on the small side, but let's face it, we all tend to overeat at restaurants. Service staff was very friendly and accommodating.
Worth the price for us!! We will all definitely be coming back!! -
Review from Sandy C.
Ukiah, CA
4/11/2011
After seeing Memo's on Check Please Bay Area, we knew we had to check it out. AND, this place didn't disappoint!
As vegetarians we were very impressed with the vegetarian options available. We had the Chile Relleno's and must say they lived up to the hype from the tv show!
The wait staff were very attentive (but not enough to be annoying) and very friendly.
The only reason why I'm giving it 4 stars, instead of 5, is because we have a salsa fetish and the salsa was nothing special. We LOVE us some salsa and chips, but the salsa they served before the meal fell flat. BUT, that happened to be the only item of the night that we didn't particularly care for. Otherwise, is was awesome! -
Review from Kristin L.
Concord, CA
11/29/2011
I went here with two aunts and my son for lunch, it was a great lunch. The owners were friendly and made the experience very warm. The food was really good! These are not your "taqueria" type of portions so know that but the food was delicious. We will be back soon!
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Review from Robert H.
Concord, CA
10/2/2011
Yum...Can you say Chile Relleno or Mole sauce? If you can then get them..every version of mole because there are different types. Super quiet restaurant with linens makes you think it is not appropriate for the kids but do not let that deter you. Grab the kids and friends and head down to Memo's. You can usually park on the street (down the block from Todos Santos plaza)
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Review from Mely P.
Antioch, CA
10/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The chicken pipian is delicious. The chocolate cake is different but worth a try. Sangria was good. Place is quaint and staff is attentive and courteous. I'd like to return and try another entree.
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Review from Anne C.
Martinez, CA
2/16/2011
I have dined at Memo's a number of time and have been satisfied with the meals. The food does not knock my socks off but it is consistently good. The last time we went was for Valentine's Day and I had a chile relleno and a cheese enchilada with rice and black beans. Satisfying but not spectacular. I wasn't that impressed with the salsa this time either. The green one was hot and kind of sweetish but not the best flavor that I have had. The flan we had for dessert was bland as bland could be. Sad thing was that I had made it myself a few weeks before and it did knock my socks off!! I should stick to my own cooking but chile rellenos are so time consuming!
The service is almost too much as we had three different people trying to wait on us. But at least they were all very friendly. -
Review from jerry r.
Concord, CA
6/5/2011
Not what I expected. About 8 chips and a thimble size portion of two salas. That is for a party of 4. Food arrived cold. $7 for a salad that was mediocre at best! I'll stick with Guadalarja Grill or La Piñata any-day.
this has the prices of Maria Maria with a child plate portion . Over rated for sure... nothing worse than a crummy chile relleno that is cold and overpriced. -
Review from Madeline G.
Concord, CA
4/12/2011
Let me start out by saying this place is one of a kind.
There margaritas are amazing and the atmosphere is very comforting and the service has a personal touch.
The three stars come from the food. Not that it is bad, it is just not what you would think of as Mexican food, they add way to many spices.
This place is worth trying but if you do not like indian food or currys this place may not be for you. -
Review from Tony W.
Pleasant Hill, CA
5/9/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The food was good, but not great. Not worth the price to me.
The service was good. -
Review from Shelley C.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/26/2011
I found this restaurant be a hidden gem. We started with chips and 3 wonderful, different salsas, definitely with their own spin on the traditional salsa flavorings.
We added guacamole that was not loaded down with the citrus with just the right amount of spice.
Next was ceviche. A+
Our entrees were: pipion (?) chicken (C+. It was dull), chiliquilies B+/A-. They were good....but it's just not a flavor that my palette prefers. My cousin thought they were wonderful. And the best entree was mine (lucky me!) which was camarones diablo.
The Camarones Diablo were perfect. It's rare to find a restauant where the shrimp are cooked properly. These were perfect. the sauce was velvety on the tongue, spicy at the back of the throat and complex with plenty of layers of flavor.
Lastly was the flan. A beautiful display in a large flat pedastal dish well sauced with a light caramel and flan with the perfect texture and delicate but rich flavor.
Definitely a keeper restaurant.. -
Review from rick R.
Vacaville, CA
4/25/2011
Was enticed by "Check Please" review on KQED. Never again, it was way over rated. Food was bland. Atmosphere weird , big ramp in the center of dining room, the waiter staff runs up and down it, makes annoying thump noises. It was pricey for peasant food, come on , it's beans and tortillas. Their signature deserts were boring too. No speakie English staff. Not my kind of place, won't going back.
The taqueria trucks have better food.... -
Review from Jennie C.
Hercules, CA
9/10/2010
I've been to Memo's a few times now and the food has been consistent every time.
I recently purchased a http://restaurant.com certificate and was excited to try a few more menu items that I otherwise wouldn't have ordered.
On my most recent visit we ordered:
Nachos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
A pork tamal, a cheese enchilada, a crispy beef taco (with rice and beans)
Carne asda with corn tortillas, rice and beans
Rice pudding with blueberries, coconut and pickled cherries
While the service may be a little slow, I appreciate that they give you time to talk to the person that you're dining with. If you're in a hurry, I am sure they would be more than happy to accommodate a faster pace if you told them you needed to be somewhere. With that said, I would have liked it if the wait staff came by our table a bit more frequently to replenish our glasses of water or ask if we would like a refill on our soda and/or chips and salsa. This didn't happen during our last visit, but then again, I didn't speak up.
The chips are pretty good and I really like their salsa verde. The chips that they serve at the table are different than the ones they use for the nachos.
The nachos were great. The chips were thin and crispy and they held up well to the stringy cheese, warm beans, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.
The guacamole was really good - next time I will place an order for their chips and guacamole.
The chicken tortilla soup was tasty. I make a pretty mean version in my own kitchen, but the avocado used in the soup was nice and fresh. My cup didn't have very much chicken in it, but maybe it was because I ordered the smaller size?
The three item dinner was tasty. This is when I realized that I LOVE their beef tacos and their cheese enchiladas. On previous visits I had ordered a fish dish and their fajita special, but wow...their crispy beef taco was sooooo tasty and I love cheese enchiladas. This large plate of food made me so happy and it came with a small dollop of sour cream and guacamole.
The pork in the tamal was tender and juicy and the masa was moist. The mole sauce over top was nice and mild.
The cheese enchilada was really good. Nice stringy cheese and a lovely red sauce over the top. I wished that my plate had another...
And then the beef taco, YUM! A crispy corn shell filled with slow cooked beef (not ground and not grilled), lettuce, pico and Mexican cheese... so, so, so good. I wanted to eat 10 more.
I don't really care for their beans. I learned this on the first visit, but that's just a personal preference. My husband enjoys them, so I give them to him. Their rice is a bit dry, but not unlike many Mexican restaurants.
The seasonings used on my husband's carne asda were great! I really enjoyed trying his dish.
To finish everything off we shared a serving of their rice pudding with blueberries and pickled cherries. It was garnished with orange zest and shredded coconut. A totally vegan/gluten free dish - thank you! This dish was served warm and we both enjoyed the unique flavors.
I just wished that they had flan on the night that I went... I really wanted to try it. Ah, another night.
I appreciate that this is a father-daughter owned business. The daughter was wearing a very large red chefs had and apron during our last visit. How fun. She seems like she really enjoys her job and likes owning a restaurant. When she came to our table she welcomed us back. We hadn't been in some time, so it was nice that she recognized our faces.
I'm glad to see that they're doing so well, and that they're on Opentable now.
I hope that business continues to do well for them. I really enjoy going to restaurants just like this one.
I definitely recommend this restaurant to others. -
Review from Allison B.
Pleasant Hill, CA
8/14/2011
I. Love. This. Place.
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Review from Gail B.
Pleasant Hill, CA
7/30/2011
Boring burrito, plan sangria & condescending service. The server, who I think was the owner, huffed at us when we asked for separate checks & then at the END of the meal, told us they only accept 2 credit cards per table. If I wasn't with my friends, I'd probably move to a separate table & demand that he take all of our cards. The only pluses is they have a vegetarian menu & I think you can bring your dog to the patio too. But this food isn't good enough for my dog.
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Review from Eileen E.
Benicia, CA
8/25/2011
This was the absolute worst service I have ever experienced. I went for lunch with a friend....we will not be returning. I had to get out of my seat twice just to get the servers attention. When I asked the owner if we could have a straw and some hot sauce he said "We are busy right now we will get to it". I was shocked by his response. We were the ONLY people in there. The owner was rude and really didn't seem to care if we were there or not. I have been in the hospitality industry all of my life....I wouldn't dream of saying to a paying customer 'I am busy" as if too busy for you. The customer is always right and should be treated with respect and common courtesy. The server was extremely slow, and we had to ask several times for the same thing. We never did get the hot sauce or the straw. Oh well.....very unfortunate experience.
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Review from Shar M.
Concord, CA
7/11/2010
Like half of the other diners in the restaurant this evening, we came here after seeing it featured on Check, Please! Bay Area on PBS.
Memo's is a small Mexican restaurant operated by a father-daughter team. But it's not just any Mexican restaurant. The dishes originate from Zacatecas and has a much different flavor than your typical Mexican meal. Our group of five tried a variety of dishes, from appetizers to desserts. A quick summary of what we ate:
* Nopal Cactus Salad - surprisingly tasty and light, served in a margarita-shaped glass with a cactus stem
* Combination Plates including sopas, enchiladas, and their famous Chile Relleno
* Tilapia Seafood Plate with Diablo Sauce
* Carnitas Dinner Plate - not the crispy re-fried type, but the tender kind that comes served as huge chunks of meat
* Carne Asada Plate - which is what I ate; very tender and flavorful
* Chocolate Cake - served with a hot chocolate sauce. The cake is actually made including chiles and is rich, sweet and mildly spicy at the same time. It's a a unique experience.
* Mexican Coffee Ice Cream - rolled in something crunchy, and with a surprising chocolate fudge center
* a pitcher of homemade Sangria (red)
Service was a little slow, with dinner taking about 2 hours for 5 people. I think they may have not been prepared for the rush of people coming to eat after hearing about the show on TV. As mentioned, both father and daughter are a big part of the dining experience. Adelio showed us to our seats and showed us the menus, while Ivalina placed our orders. The food came quickly after the orders were placed - she was taking orders from two tables at a time.
The portions are a good size for the price (approx. $10-16 per person, not including drinks). The food was amazingly good. I'm sinking into a coma, and it's hard to say if it's induced by the food or by the Sangria... maybe both! We were served by both the father, Adelio, and daughter Ivalina, which also added to the "homemade" dining feel.
Would I come back? I think so, yes. There are plenty of good Mexican restaurants in the area, but the flavor of Memo's is unique enough that I'm not sure where else I would go to eat something similar. If you're planning to eat here, I recommend making reservations, and saving room for dessert! -
Review from Jim H.
Walnut Creek, CA
7/31/2010
Saw this restaurant reviewed on "Check, Please! Bay Area" and decided to give it a try. Overall, we were impressed with Memo's and will definitely be coming back. Good food, friendly service, easy to find parking and only one block from Todos Santos Plaza.
We both ordered the Chile Relleno combo and were very pleased with the dish and sides. You don't get a huge bowl of chips and salsa and ginormous entrees like other Mexican places but the portions are just right and prepared with fresh ingredients. Enough food to not leave you feeling like you need to be rolled out of the place. The one knock against Memo's is the service was a little inconsistent. The chips and waters were served right away, as well as the entrees, but it took some time to take our order and get the check. However, the quality of the food and friendly service make up for the inconsistency in my opinion.
With the lack of any good Mexican places within 15 miles of Walnut Creek, it's nice to know we can always go to Memo's when that craving for Mexican comes! -
Review from James Q.
San Ramon, CA
9/27/2010
I don't get it! The reviews have been very good to outstanding for this place but our two experiences have not lived up to those kinds of reviews.
We tried it for lunch a few years back and I thought it was very lackluster and never went back. But, they continued to get good press and even appeared on our local PBS show where people go out and review places and then they are assembled in the studio (3 at a time) and they share their thoughts on camera. We saw it and the three people were so ardent in their praise that we began to suspect that things had improved, considerably, or we had a bum visit the first time. So, we decided to give it another try.
We went on a Wednesday night with another couple. We were in the mode expecting a good experience. Unfortunately, again, it was similar to our lunch of several years ago. The food seems to be nicely prepared with care and good ingredients. The flavors are fairly robust. But, it all seems to be lacking a sauce for finishing.
The Pumpkin Seed Chicken was one that all seem to rave about. We thought it to be interesting in flavor but too dry. It really needed a sauce and not just for flavor. It was just too dry. My wife had the Chile Relleno and that was very good and it did have a sauce but I felt that it was too thin and watery. I had the Carnitas. The pork was well seasoned, tender and fairly moist. But, again, no sauce and it really needs some sort of sauce for texture and contrast or augmentation to the tender pork. I also had a cup of Tortilla Soup and it was just OK. It did not have the nice, robust, bright flavors that I am used to for this soup. Instead, it had a dark color as well as a dark flavor. And, it wasn't very hot.
The rice and beans that came with all our dishes were just OK. The rice was pretty bland but it was fluffy. The refried beans, however, were a real disappointment. They had a very dark brown color and not much flavor other than the beans. It reminded me of canned, low-fat, diet version of the traditional dish.
And, while the chips served were nice and thin, crispy and even slightly still warm, the salsa comes in two very tiny little bowls. One is a red sauce and the other is a green tomatillo sauce. But, jeepers, two "thimbles full?"
One more comment about the food - the flavors in many of the dishes were similar. They all seem to share a common base for the marinating or seasoning during cooking.
We also had 2 of their desserts. One was their chocolate cake and the other was vanilla gelato. The cake was very good - good chocolate and moist with good texture, The gelato was not really a gelato. It was a fairly good ice cream.
Price-wise, I thought it was a little high priced, especially since the portions were not large.
On the plus side, the father (runs the front) tries very hard to serve everyone and is very personable. The daughter runs the kitchen and she is a petite, gorgeous gal in a bright red apron and Chef's hat and she does come out and check on the patrons., It's a nice, friendly touch. And, It's a small place and is a fairly intimate dining experience. It is even possible to carry on a nice conversation with your friends at the table without having to shout to be heard!
Bottom line, we have many other options for good Mexican cuisine so we won't be coming back, soon.
Jim -
Review from Heather C.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/11/2011
This place is smaller but super cute inside. Friendly staff. Coupons are usually on http://resturant.com
Fresh food, nice menu selections. Located on one of the less popular streets in Concord but worth a visit.
