The service is amazing, first and foremost! Our waiter was so attentive.
We had the:
Palemonito: mesquite grilled 8oz top sirloin topped with chimichury sauce, served with cheese enchilada, rice & vegetables - and it was amazing! cooked perfectly, wonderfully seasoned & that gosh darn cheese enchilada was just awesome
Two Item Combo: Chile Rellano + Beef Enchilada (comes with rice and beans) - the rellano was one of the best I've ever tasted, the beef enchilada was a big disappointment, super salty and mush, he sorely wished he got the cheese
Chips and Salsa were endless and delicious. The chips were light and crispy, salsa was chunky and a little spicy
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We liked the food so much we considered hosting our wedding here. They have a lovely courtyard and private room. We made an appointment with the wedding coordinator. The situation was slightly unprofessional in that we were ushered to their bar and left waiting an additional 20 minutes even though we arrived on time. No beverages offered. She showed us around the facility a bit more but after the breakdown of the packages I cant say I was won over. At the time they were actually setting up for a wedding later in the evening and wasn't wowed by it. The chairs, covers and cloths seemed rather cheap, even though she pointed out that these were special items and would be an additional charge.
so long story short, eat here don't wed here.
My wife and I recently made our third stop at El Adobe and look forward to eating there again whenever we are on our way to San Diego. This time we had dinner, but on our previous visits we had breakfast and lunch. They serve delicious Mexican fare that, thankfully, is not overly spicy. The portions are just right, as are the prices. During brunch on Sunday, a guitarist serenades.
Take some time to read about the history of El Adobe, which is printed on the menu. When Richard Nixon lived in the area, he frequently ordered from the restaurant. A portion of the building once was a jail.
Pretty sure I've had some good times in the front bar area on Swallows Day but my most recent visit has everything to do with a friends wedding... and it wasn't all that.
I know they were on a pretty tight budget so I will give them a little leeway but this venue would not be on my list of good wedding venues in OC. I'd rather get married on the beach where its practically free than pay any hard earned money for this place.
The ceremony space was the highlight.
The outdoor courtyard has a really pretty backdrop of the virgin Mary that makes it almost look like a catholic chapel. Â It is well lit and makes for really beautiful photos. Â I'm pretty sure the wedding I attended was no more than 80 people but this area could have accommodated a lot more.
The reception area is inside a private room.
Maybe its just me but I really don't like brown tile flooring. Â It looks so dingy and icky and I always imagine it hiding a myriad of sins. Â Anyway, this place is covered in it and I just didn't love the look of it. Â It didn't look vintage - it looked dirty.
What I did love about this reception area was that there were bistro lights strung across the room over the dance floor and like magic, the roof retracted! I was in awe! It was one of the best parts of the night! It was hot in there, then the roof retracted! Awesomeee.
The food wasn't all that. Â
I don't mind a buffet - I actually quite enjoy them because I am then in control of what I get but this buffet wasn't enjoyable. Â The servers were kinda rude. Â There was green & fruit salad, beans, rice, tacos and chili relleno all of which had the potential to be great from this authentic restaurant but all of which were just meh. Â I was really excited to see the chili relleno because I love that dish and had never seen it at a weeding but it was soggy and sad. No bueno. Hubs & I ate mostly fruit salad.
I liked that the head table was set up on one side of the dance floor and the guest tables set up around the perimeter. Â I liked that everything was all in one place and easy to navigate between ceremony and reception. Â I even liked that parking was free and easy (they have their own lot and there is overflow parking across the street behind the post office).
I was happy for the couple but I wanted more for them.
I might try it again for dinner or drinks next Swallows Day but this wouldn't be my first choice for a wedding... it needs some updating & the servers could be nicer.
It feels dated and not in a pretty vintage way.
I had a great lunch here. Love their chips and salsa.
When I first entered the restaurant, it reminded me a lot of the original El Cholo on Western Ave. in L.A. - historically old and dark.
I ordered a two-item combination: pork tamale and cheese enchilada. It came with the typical rice and refried beans.
I thought the food was above-average for Mexican fare. The tamale was presented with the corn husk opened and the masa scraped off to create a bed for the pork. I would have preferred it unopened but I guess that's just the way they do things here, presumably so it is less messy.
The hostess was bubbly and told us about the specials. Our server was very efficient and courteous.
The food is ok..not great but it is good. The reason I'm hating on them is because my bartender was so awful. Not at all engaging, didn't really acknowledge us, and she had an attitude. Two grown men order the tacos for two and it comes with a total of 5 tortillas! Even 6 isn't really enough, I say 8 is ok. Although I only asked for one extra tortilla I was brought a whole order of tortillas and charged for it. The charge got taken off but that meant having to interact with my bartender which killed the last bit of good time buzz the beer had given me. Thanks lady!
Review Source:This place is a little pricey for a Mexican restaurant. Â But the food is good, and the chips and salsa are great. Â So, far, I've tried the nachos, which are OK, but not great, the cheese enchilada, the chile relleno and the shredded beef crispy taco, all of which are good, not great. Â The beans are very good, and the rice is good.
But, by far, the chips and salsa are the stars here. Â About as good as any I've had in San Juan Capistrano. Â And so far, the service has been excellent. Â Plan on spending about $40-$50 for a dinner for two, but you will leave satisfied.
We just had our wedding here. Things went so smoothly and everyone had a great time. Everyone said the food was so good ... and it was! The value you get at this place for a wedding is awesome. Libby, the event coordinator, was really helpful and organized.
The patio and banquet room was just right for our wedding. I'm so glad we chose El Adobe.
This place is horrid, service is non existent, the host at front desk (if theres one actually appointed) is never there, and when she was present she was rude, and not very welcoming or helpful. The food is absolutely low quality, as a party of 6, we order various dishes so we actually tried most of their menu, and was the quality was less than below average for every meal, will not be going back and will not recommend.
Review Source:They do a very nice job at El Adobe,we have been coming here for a few years.
Last night we came in for an early dinner while out shopping. Chips and salsa are any Mexican restaurant's first foray and they are always good at El Adobe.
My wife loved her Skinny Margarita ($10), which is made with fresh lime juice, no pre-mix here. I ordered a Dos Equis amber draft and for $5, you get this goldfish bowl-sized schooner. Quite nice, since most places will charge you at least that much for a bottle of the same brew.
Our daughter loved her fish tacos ($16), nicely blackened, my wife's carnitas michoacan ($16) was such a large portion, she was sharing bites with us and the pork was tender where it it supposed to be and crispy where it should be, very, very nicely done.
My entree is called the Sonoran ($17) , which is a massive chile verde burrito (you can opt for carne asada) and a crispy chicken taco. A tremendous amount of food; half the burrito came home with me in a box.
Three dinner entrees, two beers, two margaritas, tax and tip was $98, a bit pricey for a Mexican restaurant, but again, they do a very nice job, are very consistent. They do a $1 Taco Tuesday thing, but we have found that to be a raucous crowd and not something you want to bring young children to.
We will continue to return to El Adobe.
Food was not so bad, but the main reason I'm giving El Adobe a one star is the HORRIBLE service we received, especially from the events coordinator. We have had our Holiday Christmas Party there over 4 times with approximately 190 people attending. The weeks prior to the party I was having a really hard time getting a hold of the NEW event coordinator since it seemed like she was always off. When I did get a hold of her, I was told the tables set up including the round mirrors would be done by 5pm since the party started at 6:30. I arrived at 5:30 and the set up was not ready, they made no room for the dance floor even though it was specified in my request, they left the raffle table outside event thought it was cold and wet, and they had no check in table like we specified. When I brought all these problems up to the event coordinator she just gave me major attitude and was reluctant to change the set up they had going. She FINALLY agreed to moving two tables so we could at least bring the raffle table in, and said she would allow me to move two additional tables after dinner was over so that we could have a dance floor. And to top it all off she LEFT well before the event even started. Overall I would say El Adobe is a good restaurant with good food, but their new event coordinator is a complete snob and definitely NOT someone I would want to work with. We will NOT be using El Adobe as our preferred venue again.
Review Source:Nothing special here...  with all the different Latino restaurants on this stretch this was not my favorite one.  While they had Victoria cerveza they had no Horchata or Aqua de Jamaica  :(
The chips were ok the salsa tasted bland :(
While the carnitas (plate) were nice and moist they were all shredded up and it was a small portion. Â The busboy nowhere's to be seen... Â they use food runners which i hate. Â Waiter was ok.
Wont eat here again, much better to go to Ricardo's Place across the street for real authentic Mexican food. Â This place is for Gringos.
Food good-Service bad.
Ordered Enchilada 9/10, Tamale 6/10, Rice 9/10, and Beans 8/10
enchilada was good, tamale was dry, rice was good as well as beans
Quesadilla Felix 10/10 mmmmmmmm soo good
El Adobe Burrito 9/10 too much stuff in it but still good
Fresh Pacific Ceviche 7/10 fishy but good enough
Buffalo Chicken Wings 7/10 why? soggy skin on the chicken
Classic Margarita 10/10 strong. during happy hour it is cheaper
we waited forever (10 mins) to be even greeted while the front desk girl was on the phone looking through a huge manual. Finally we decided to just eat in the bar so we could be seated in a timely manner and have a drink. It was the best decision because they have their own menu for the bar and it is cheaper for happy hour.
Also since we were by the entrance inside the bar we could also see that the greeter was also taking a long time to ring customers up and to get them seated.
i am going back next month hopefully i will be able to report back with better results.
overall food was good and the prices were worth paying.
Yes, it was pleasant and everything, but common, nothing less than $15 for lunch?! I know the locals love this place and recommend it, but I felt a little ripped off. Besides, it took forever to place an order, and our drinks were not refilled once. I think they were setting up for a wedding, and that reflected on their service. The food was quite delicious, but it was more like a one time dining experience...
Review Source:I'm a big fan of Mexican food and San Juan has a ton of solid Mexican restaurants.  El Adobe dishes out some great chips and salsa and their combination plates are one of the largest, if not the largest, combination portions I've ever seen.  The portion size is huge and a three item combination plate is more than adequate to satisfy any famished customer.  I ordered the three item combo which comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad which was okay.  My salad came with a bit too much Ranch dressing. For my entrée, I chose 2 chicken enchiladas and a shredded beef taco.  The taco was okay.  A bit oily for my taste and a bit skimpy on the shredded beef for my liking but other than that it was good. I liked the enchiladas much better, and the red sauce and cheese went well with the moist chicken and red bell peppers inside.  The size of the enchiladas are almost twice the girth I normally see in most restaurants which mean more to me to love...haha!!  The beans and rice were pretty tasty.  The rice was a bit dry, but the flavor was good. Â
Everyone at our table enjoyed their dinner. Â Our server could have been more prompted in addressing our request for salsa, but other than that he was nice. Â This place is very big so finding an empty table should be no problem even on a busy day. Â The ambiance is casual with a old Mexican rustic feel. Â El Adobe is the perfect place to dine with your family or group of friends after a long day and you're looking for a nice casual place to dine out. It can also be a cool place for a date but just be warned this place could get noisy. Â This place is not romantic in the least, so I would only dine here for casual dating only. Â Pricing for lunch and dinner is fair considering the quality and quantity of food we tried. Â I recommend giving this place a try if you haven't tried this place already. Â I'm positive you'll leave with a positive impression.
Came here last night for the first time and was happy i finally made it. Â it only took about 25-30 years. Â
 The hostess was wonderful and super friendly !  The chips were basic but good.  Salsa was ok .  Actually my El Adobe burrito was pretty good . I guess the three stars was because the service wasn`t fast or slow but rather on the slow side and chips never came when asked but the beer did. Guess it`s because they sell beer and could have forgot about the chips, don`t know but was disapointed (kinda like eating your eggs with no toast )...
 All and all it was good but nothing special . We will be back for another try and then take it from there.. Â
 Keep in mind you will be stuffed when you leave..
We have been coming to El Adobe to celebrate Mother's Day for many years. It has become tradition and all 12 of us love it. This year however, was a disappointment. First off they wanted to separate us between two tables. Seeing as we only get together once a year we wanted to be seated together, after all, I made this reservation two weeks in advance for a reason. Secondly, every year for the past 8 years all the Mother's received a rose upon arrival. No rose this time. It seems trivial, but the 5 Mother's in our group really love this touch. We take cheesy pictures every year of us with those roses in our teeth. Now the tradition is broken. The buffet is pretty much the same as always, except the prime rib was tough and the champagne was hard to come by. I hope management has a look at these reviews because if things aren't  changed we will be making a new tradition. Â
Thank you!
What a mess! First of all the hostess was less than friendly.  Should be the first clue.  Second, my 5 yr old daughter was eating something that came out of the chip bowl and suddenly she was spitting up black coffee ground looking stuff.  The waiter said the chip must have been burnt.  She was horrified.  No one seemed to be concerned at all.  Finally the food came and it was terrible.  My husband loves Chili Colorado and eats it at most mexican restaurants and he said it tasted like chef BoyRD (sorry sp.) The salsa has way too much pepper - ever heard of japaleno's people?  That is what makes the salsa spicy or some kind of chili.  We asked for hot sauce and got  Tobasco Sauce.  Does this place know what a chili is perhaps?  Sorry, but it was truly a disappointment folks.
Review Source:I really dig this place. I judge a Mexican places food based off of how good their beans and rice are and El Adobe had particularly good Beans and Rice (oh yeah and their Pozole was ridonculous!). If the beans and rice are homemade then the food usually is good. I mean come on, if your beans a rice suck you are only servicing tourists not locals who deserve good Mex. This is So cal, this used to be Mexico! Wait it still is LOL!!!!
Review Source:Mmmmmmmmmmmmm good. I had some wonderful steak fajitas here. Lots of steak, lots and lots of onions, hardly any peppers. The right amount of tortillas. Speaking of which, the tortilla soup was great...very tasty. And i loved their fresh salsa; good taste of cilantro with the right amount of heat.
Review Source:This is a really nice wedding spot. Close enough to a park where you can get married  in a large outdoor space as well as the cute kitsch of downtown San Juan Capistrano.
This is a review of the Palenque room which apparently seats around 250 people. I think there were about 175 at this particular wedding so people were well spaced out and had room to dance. The buffet was set up outside and was better than a lot of wedding food I've had and pretty good variety as well. The bar area is large enough for socializing with a lot of people.
Very attentive service. Clean bathrooms. The outdoor area is fun for doing group pictures and pinatas.
I'd say judging on the other reviews, El Adobe is good for weddings but not so great for having a meal.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with the whole set up. I did drink quite a few Patron shots though!
(3.5 stars)
I only come to El Adobe with out-of-towners (be it from LA or from Europe). It's a fantastic place to take people who are 1. into history, 2. love Mexican Food, and 3. want to see something different.
Food wise: 3 stars. Nothing has ever blown me away. I've enjoyed what I've had, but I've never felt the need to return, specifically, for 1 dish [and I've been coming here for a long time]. I usually like their ever-changing cocktails more than anything else. I could just come here to drink, have chips, salsa, guac, and their romaine salad with the cilantro pepita dressing; I'd give that simple meal 4 stars. Everyone that has been here would give their food 5 stars, so it's just a matter of personal taste.
Ambiance: 5 stars. El Adobe's structure has been around since 1791 (don't quote me--it's around that time) and has served as a residence, a jail, and a restaurant. Â It's famous and very cool to dine at for that reason alone (and, yeah, President Nixon loved coming here when he was in nearby San Clemente). Every time I've visited, there's been a wedding or reception going on, as well as, a party in one of the banquet rooms. There's also always been a guitarist playing inside at a level that allows for conversation. The lively, warm, and intimate atmosphere makes El Adobe a good date spot too. Â
Service: it's what I call "relaxed" service. Come with someone whose company you enjoy and at a time when you're not rushing to go anywhere. They check up on you enough, bevs & food comes out in a timely manner, but this isn't one of those places where there's someone hovering by at all times. Â
El Adobe isn't one of my main go-tos, but I DO like coming here. I know I'll return the next time someone is in town.
El Adobe is huge, I can see why they hold so many parties and group events. Â Came here yesterday on a whim. Â I thought the food was alright, it didn't really 'wow' me. Â The chips and salsa were good, nice thin crispy chips ( a little too salty though, they may want to ease up on that).
I had the one item combo: chicken enchilada, rice and beans. Â Not much to it so you can mess it up too bad. Â A little overpriced for one item at $11 but the area is somewhat touristy.
Average food, above average prices.
Went for Easter Brunch...
Gotta say I've had better... I didn't make the plans sooo I just "grinned and bared it"
Staff was helpful , but the food was basically on 'el torrito' par...
Brunch selection was ok.
At $34 PP, I'd do a bit more investigating and this place wouldn't be on the list ...
my buddy just got married and his wedding reception took place here. Â I must say the food they served was awesome. Â They served carne asada skewers with this green sauce (really good) and quesadila's for d'oeuvres. Â For the main course, it was chicken and shrimp with some amazing orange sauce poured all over it. Â
Also, I have to mention the venue. Â It is great for a small to mid-size wedding reception, birthday party...etc. Â The courtyard is very nice with lots of plants and trees. Â The interior is spacious with a bar and a retractable roof that opens the middle of the ceiling. Â Great set up and perfect for special events.
I attended a wedding here this past weekend, and thought everything was amazing!
The ceremony was in the courtyard. Â It's a very pretty enclosed courtyard. Â It was really nice!
There were passed hors d'oeuvres in the courtyard while the couple took photos. Â (It was a lovely back ground).
Then we went inside for the reception. Â The interior is very pretty, and during the couples' first dance the ceiling opened. Â It was very cool!
The food was served buffet style, and it was delicious!
This was a great place for a small-mid sized wedding!!!
We drove over an hour to go back here and eat for a second time!
Such a lovely place in such a historical Cali city. It is walking distance from the San Juan Capistrano Mission. The decor is quite charming and they have live music on the weekends. The venue is great for large parties!
Our waitress recommended the Tacos Tijuana platter (can feed 2-4 depending on your appetites) even though it wasn't on the day's menu. You get to choose your meats, and the platter comes with beans, rice and your standard mexican taco dressings. Â Do it!!
Title of this review....... "Blame it on the burrito."
This was our first visit, on a Friday early evening around 7pm... with a wedding going on in their large event room, and with no wait we got the table I asked for, in a corner of their central dining area. So no complaints about their willingness to please on seating. They have no booths, but tables against walls and in corners of various dining areas on various levels.... this is a big place! And btw... you could call El Adobe a "chick magnet".......... in that they seem to get alot of "wedding receptions."
The food? From the mixed reviews, I'm thinking I ordered the wrong entree? If you asked my wife and daughter... not bad. But my flavorless El Adobe Burrito certainly lacked spice and flavor, and for a food based review, originally drove me down to 2-stars. It had the spinach, which really didn't excite me, and very little chicken? This was a huge dissapointment. Out of guilt for spreading bad kharma... I cranked it up to a reluctant 3-stars. Service was OK, but don't expect great Mexican food. I've had better.
For $67 plus tip, we had the chicken fajitas, veggie fajitas, El Adobe Burrito, a "skinny girl margarita" for our daughter, and a strawberry slush margarita that my wife and I split.
What we liked? The bean soup and the avocado dressing on my salad. Margaritas were very tasty. Veggie fajitas come with a couple cheese enchiladas on top, and a generous helping of grilled veggies.
What I didn't like? The El Adobe Burrito, being the flagship entree of the house, had flavorless salsas, and no mole, and had no spice; very bland. No mole on my wife's cheese enchiladas that came with the veggie fajitas. I'd have served the enchiladas on the side so they could add mole, not on top of the veggies. Â Flavorless beans and rice. (I make Brasilian rice with browned garlic in oil, fry the raw rice for a few minutes, add water and garlic salt) Oh... and the dining area was really noisy. Even my daughter had to cup her ears to hear me. Â
I'm sure that if I had sampled the entire menu, I'd eventually find an entree with some notable flavors. But in the South OC area, I'll do Carmelita's in RSM if I'm hankerin' for Amer-Mex cuisine. At least there, they make it interesting from the start, and serve hot bean dip with their salsa and chips. And most important for me, their in-house moles are hugely flavorful. Â
Adobe certainly does not deserve bad press. But when I compare Mexican eateries, which I can't help but do, and based on this first visit, I was unfortunately thinking I'd just eaten at an Aculpulco or Don Jose's. And living in SoCal, which boasts some of the best Latin food in the country, with near infinite choices, from fast to sit-down to gourmet, that puts them low on my list.
The El Adobe is basically a historic institution nestled in whats ever left of the original 'downtown' San Juan.
The building itself has quite a history, parts of it serving as a courthouse and jails back in the 1800's until an adjoinging building (a home and restaraunt) were joined back in 1910.
The El Adobe, as it stands today, opened in its current incarnation back in 1948 and was made even more popular as a favorite place for then President Nixon.
Okay enough with the history lesson.
Today, the El Adobe serves up higher-tier authentic Mexican food amongst its rustic Spanish/Mexican inspired decor. Â We're not talking gaudy bright colors and velvet bull painting that are oh so typical of cookie cutter Mexican restaraunts. Â No, this place has a warm and sophisticated motif modeled off of what would be considered a regal Spainard home with lots of rich, dark wood tones, soft lighting, and iron accents.
You'll find many typical Mexican combination plates here such as taco's, tostados, salads, etc, but let me steer you towards the more advanced plates. Â Their sizzling fajitas (including lobster!) are probably the loudest sizzle I've ever heard come walking to a table ($15-19), and their Palemonito 8oz steak served with an enchilada and topped off with chimchury ($18) is a great start. Â Grilled chicken breasts with mango salsas ($16) is also good.
Ice tea is always fresh brewed and the real deal, as well as their table side guacamole ($11) and never ending homemade chips and salsa. Â Margarita's are always good here, and the real deal as well, no crappy industrial mixes. Â There are a lot of good dishes here and there is a difference between the lunch and evening dinner menus. Â Spanish rice is always moist, and beans are good too.
But the ambiance is part of the experience as well. Â Tables are initmate, and there are the occaisonal Mariachi's. Â They have a huge banquet hall that has a retractable roof....awesome for receptions, parties, etc. Â Decorations around the holidays add a nice spirit as well.
The jewel, in my opinion, is their courtyard/patio. Â It's a beautiful Spanish style garden set with a stained glass and marble altar (for Spanish style weddings) that can easily seat 150+ people. Â I know...'cause I got married there (2003) and couldn't have been happier.
Overall the meals and experience are above average, although a few points may be missed for a few generic plates, difficult parking, and some items are a bit pricier than they should be when compared to other entrees,.
I believe that this was my third visit to this restaurant . In fairness all three visits were for group events. It is convenient for our group in that we have people that come from as far north as Montebello and as far south as Chula Vista, so meeting for a nice dinner in San Juan Capistrano makes it so that no one has to drive too far.
Because we order from a fixed menu I will give El Adobe a fairly general review.
I would give El Adobe a five star for their central location and decent parking and the restaurant itself is beautiful. It is The prefect old California Adobe setting for a Mexican restaurant.
My issue with the El Adobe is that it feels lacking. It is like going out with a beautiful girl that you find lacking in conversation skills and personality. They rely on their beauty and don't try as hard on the important things that you look for in a good date or dining experience. In the end you are glad you went out but you know it wasn't as good as it could have been.
This is how I feel about El Adobe. The salsa and chips are good, the guacamole was freshly made and served in good portions but the nachos were nothing special, the drinks were not very good and the the entrees were basically what you could get at El Torito on a good night.
Add to that a service that on the surface is adequate but you still feel like you have to work a bit harder than you should to get refills and the servers attention.
I will not say that it was a bad dining experience I will say that it could have been so much better.
All in all a solid middle of the road three star restaurant.
Came for lunch with some girlfriends to enjoy some margaritas and mexican fare. I ordered the Farmers Fajitas (grilled veggies & 2 cheese enchiladas on a fajita skillet) and they both had the tropical ahi tuna tacos. Overall the food was good, drinks were decent but the service was a little lackluster. I imagine that's because our server was very occupied with his large parties.
TIP: Hot sauce/salsa does have a kick, so be wary if you don't like spicy salsa.
Amazing place! My Grandparents and parents were married here, so I am definitely fond of the place! I am also a huge historic buff so the location and building is just another bonus. The outdoor garden and banquet room is huge and beautiful. When going there for lunch, I got the Cilantro-Pepita Salad. It was good but HUGE! I also got the enchiladas, yummy!!! So that plus a margarita and it was a $30 lunch! Ouch. Definitely pricey. Thats the only reason I give it a 4 out of 5.
I went there for my birthday this year, had all my friends meet there during Happy Hour and it was awesome! We hung out on the front patio and had a blast. $4 Margs, $3 beers, $4 wells! Plus, great atmosphere and awesome location...ran to Swallow's Inn after.
Let's not forget about the spooky and awesome "wine cellar" that used to be a jail! So fun to see and you can have a private dinner down there if you want!
If you have a wedding or event there, they take the extra food over to the mission and feed needy families!
Nice decor but food was lacking...
There is this very traditional and intimate ambiance to El Adobe when you sit down, but anything pleasing stops there...
I love food and I don't write bad reviews just to write them or because I dont know what good food tastes like, and this place was not what I expected.
A friend took me here, said she loved this place when she came 3 years ago and said I would fall in love with it also. I have to admit, they have great portions, but size doesn't make up for flavor.
I ordered the Chile Verde - WAY too salty... I couldn't stop drinking my water.
My friend ordered a tamale and an enchilada - both lacked the flavor and richness I had expected which is surprising since my food had so much salt
One thing that got me was the plating - i looked at some of the other tables and they had nicely colored plates to match their meal. Mine was a bland off white (which honestly doesnt matter to me), but it had some name around the edge that looked like it was from another restaurant (???). I'm all about continuity and this actually made me pay attention to it in a bad way. Maybe they needed more dishes and bought them from another spot going out of business.
Oh and the prices are higher than needed... if they brought the prices down to around $10, I would have given them 3 stars.
If you dont believe me, go try for yourself
My friend Diane drove down to meet me in San Juan Capistrano and of course we had to go to El Adobe. Â (Apparently that's how far I have to drive from Carlsbad to get good Mexican food!)
We both had the vegetarian fajitas with two cheese enchiladas on top. Â Wow! Â When the plates came out we were almost embarrassed. Â What a pile of gorgeous yummy looking food! Â I had never noticed this on the menu but now this will be my fav, along with the president's choice.
There was really a PILE of beautifully sauteed, fresh veggies. Â There were so many that I took half of it home. There were lots of onions, green, red and yellow peppers (cooked well, don't like them raw), some cauliflower and broccoli and shreds of carrots. Â The two cheese enchiladas were sort of thin, and really more like two corn tortillas with a spread of cheese inside, but they were delicious!! The tortillas were both soft and toasted-tasting with melting cheese. Yum
And of course we had to have the flan which is the best flan this side of Mexico. Â Very thick, much thicker than most flan, with a delicious texture and taste and some burnt sugar sauce on top.
This is just one of the best Mexican food experiences. Â And only 1/2 hr from Carlsbad!
BEST meal I've had in a long time.
My husband and I love Mexican food, so we stopped by here last night and absolutely loved it. It's definitely our new favorite place. The ambiance is fantastic--I love the close, family feel inside and the decor is beautiful.
I'm a vegetarian, and was REALLY impressed with their vegetable fajitas. I didn't just get the normal peppers and onions, but I got broccoli, zuccini, mushrooms, squash...mmmm and on top were 2 sizzling cheese enchiladas. Definitely too much food, so I have leftovers for lunch :)
My husband got the steak fajitas and said the meat was so tender and juicy; he loved his meal as well. He also tried their el adobe margarita and it was perfect, strong, and only $7.
I guess if you go here on your birthday, they sing to you and they put a sombrero on your head haha. Looks like fun.
It's definitely "M'eh-xican." Â 8/
(Now it makes sense why this was one of Nixon's favorite restaurants!)
Nice decor and ambiance, everything is in place except great food...
('Especially for the prices.)
'Came here a while ago for the first time with my good friend, SP, who wanted to have her birthday dinner here. Â So, I'm thinking this place is going to be amazing!!! Â Fail. (shrugs) It's mediocre at best. Â Why would anyone want to come all the way down to San Juan Capistrano for so-so Mexican food?... Â 'And on your birthday?... Â 'Aren't we supposed to be celebrating?... Â 'Are we celebrating mediocracy?... Â 'A death?...
SP asked me what I thought and since we're good friends, I was quite honest as usual. Â Don't think she was too thrilled with my answer...
However, the chips and salsa were good! Â I just couldn't understand why of all places to go, she chose here?... Â I was expecting great but what I received was luke warm. Â Maybe this is what she considers "good?..." (shrugs) Â Who knows?...
I've been to several company holiday parties here and it does the job for the venue but the bottom line is always budget. Â Again, so-so food, served buffet style in warming dishes. Â The dining experience always feels rushed like cattle being herded... Â "Okay help yourself, the two hour countdown starts... NOW!" (sfx: Starting gun discharges) Â Yeh, rushed.
This may be a great place to come for their Cantina Happy Hour.
'Enjoy their tasty chips & salsa, a few beers or margaritas, and some decent priced Happy Hour Specials. (Maybe...)
Happy Hour Official Site: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eladobedecapistrano.com%2FimagesSA%2Fpdfs%2F27.pdf&s=f60c41dff66c012f3173f784400c7fd45a69e0b095f531de1b992b26881e99f0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.eladobedecapi…</a>
- Pau! (Done!)
Food: 2
Ambiance: 3+
Service: 3
Value: 1
I was meeting some family for a late lunch, and was looking for a place in south county. Randi B. recommended El Adobe.
Arrived here about 4 & only had to wait about 5 minutes for a table. Once we were seated, chips and salsa were promptly brought out to the table. The chips were warm & tasted pretty fresh. The salsa also was tasty, but not very spicy.
I ordered the chicken chimichanga & my entree came with a choice of soup or salad. I went with a salad & cilantro pepitas dressing, which was really flavorful. The entree, was good. The chicken was really moist and flavorful, but I was expecting the chimichanga to be much crispier. Granted, my chimichanga standards are pretty high, best ones EVER are at Tommy's on Geary & 23rd in San Francisco. But I digress, it wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting. The rice and beans were really good! They also provided generous dollops of sour cream and guacamole.
I paced myself, only ate about half of my entree, and saved room for the deep fried ice cream. SO GOOD!
Overall, the service was pretty good too & it was cool to have lunch in such a historic building.
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