Baja Cantina - Carmel

4.6

600 Reviews

$30 and under

Mexican / Southwestern

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 10 times today

Lively
Great for outdoor dining
Good for groups

Baja Cantina is a fun and energetic place that is known for its exceptional automotive memorabilia collection and excellent food. We have a large outdoor patio that is perfect to sit and relax on a sunny afternoon with one of our award winning margaritas. We have special events all year round, including our famous classic car gatherings, holiday parties, tequila tastings, and sporting events. ****We only accept online reservations during off-peak times. If you can’t find a time you want online, please give us a call.***

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican / Southwestern, Contemporary Mexican
Hours of operation
Weekend Brunch: 11:00am - 2:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 4:00pm, Saturday - Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm; Dinner: Nightly: 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Phone number
(831) 625-2252
Website
http://www.bajacantina.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Mauro Cuevas
Catering
We offer a full range of catering options from simple deliveries to buffets. Have one of our uniformed chefs come to your location and prepare our famous tacos and quesadillas on our custom built comal. We cater groups as small as 10 guests, or groups upward of 600 guests.

Location
7166 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, CA 93923
Neighborhood
Carmel Valley
Cross street
Valley Greens Drive
Parking details
We have both a private lot and plenty of street parking as well.
Public transit
Monterey-Salinas Transit stops at Valley Hills Center.
Entertainment
Live music Thursday through Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons (during summer months). We have a classic car gathering every Thursday night (also during summer months). All the best NFL matchups are shown on our multiple big screen televisions.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 600 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

California Central Coast
Kid-friendly
California Central Coast
Good for groups
California Central Coast
Great for outdoor dining
California Central Coast
Lively
Monterey / Carmel
Kid-friendly
Monterey / Carmel
Good for groups
Monterey / Carmel
Great for outdoor dining
Monterey / Carmel
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Baja Cantina in Carmel is beloved for its "amazing food and service" with a lively atmosphere that attracts locals and visitors alike. While the sunny patio and extensive margarita options delight, occasional slow service and seating issues have been noted. Still, the "festive and fun" vibe and tasty Mexican dishes keep diners returning.

600 Reviews

k
kimberlyf
Greater Boston
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was delicious and the restaurant was very clean. The staff was friendly and my husband loved the race car memorabilia.
Is this helpful?
J
John
San Francisco
111 reviews
vip
4.0
111 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Server is great, very easy to understand and with a smile!
Is this helpful?
D
Deanna
Portland
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 7, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was delicious. My toothpick that I ordered for my entree was served cold so I took it home for my lunch tomorrow. (We were with company so I didn’t want to say anything.)
Is this helpful?
G
Gustavo
San Francisco
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 21, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a a waiter that was very attentive to our needs. As for the food it was fair even though it lacked flavor (spices) due to the style of cooking, I can’t complain much.
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L
Laurie
Tucson
126 reviews
5.0
126 reviews
Dined on October 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous food, service and love their outside patio❣️
Is this helpful?
RD
RossD
Central Coast
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 13, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Celebrating a friend’s promotion at work. Food was delicious & our server was very good.
Is this helpful?
S
Suzanne
St. Louis
46 reviews
5.0
46 reviews
Dined on October 2, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I just love Baja Cantina! The deck, the food & the casual atmosphere make the choice easy! I do not know what seasonings they use on their fajitas , but it is my absolute favorite!
Is this helpful?
C
Cassandra
Central Coast
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 29, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
The chips were too heavily seasoned, the salmon tacos were extremely bland, and the rice and beans were blah. The burger was nicely cooked, but the onions were very inconsistently cooked. Overall, the meal was very disappointing. We have eaten here many times, and this did not live up to their usual standards.
Is this helpful?
W
Wendy
San Francisco
2 reviews
vip
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 24, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We scored with this place. The guac was on point and the chips were too good! They looked like BBQ chips - never seen that before. The waitresses were very attentive and friendly. We shared a burrito which was more than ample. The portions, apparently, are huge. The skinny margarita was really good, too. We’d definitely return. We ate outside and asked for a space heater which they delivered right away and hooked up for us. The bathrooms seemed very clean which was most aappreciated except they were missing the seat liners.
Is this helpful?
M
Michelle
Central Coast
20 reviews
vip
3.0
20 reviews
Dined on September 13, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
We live local and probably go here for dinner at least every two weeks, but I have to say the hostess is truthfully the rudest hostess I have come in contact with. We had a 5:15 reservation, and not in a disrespectful way but it was a week night and not yet full by any means, it was a nice afternoon, and we asked to sit outside. She said it would be 45 min to an hour wait. Which was honestly insane, because only 2-3 tables were even sat outside. Bottom line the food here is always great, and the servers all for the most part are kind and attentive! I think the host is just a really bad reflection as that is the first person you come in contact with. Would suggest maybe someone with more customer service experience.
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FAQs

Baja Cantina - Carmel is rated 4.6 stars by 600 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 10 times today

7166 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, CA 93923

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Valley Greens Drive
Neighborhood
Carmel Valley
Hours of operation
Weekend Brunch: 11:00am - 2:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 4:00pm, Saturday - Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm; Dinner: Nightly: 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican / Southwestern, Contemporary Mexican
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
We have both a private lot and plenty of street parking as well.
Public transit
Monterey-Salinas Transit stops at Valley Hills Center.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Mauro Cuevas
Entertainment
Live music Thursday through Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons (during summer months). We have a classic car gathering every Thursday night (also during summer months). All the best NFL matchups are shown on our multiple big screen televisions.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.bajacantina.com/
Phone number
(831) 625-2252
Catering
We offer a full range of catering options from simple deliveries to buffets. Have one of our uniformed chefs come to your location and prepare our famous tacos and quesadillas on our custom built comal. We cater groups as small as 10 guests, or groups upward of 600 guests.

Baja Cantina - Carmel

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 600 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Baja Cantina - Carmel restaurant rated?

Is Baja Cantina - Carmel currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information