Nice bar and great atmosphere. A bit pricey for the quality of food, not very authentic. Staff friendliness and service isn't as good as other mexican places in town. Although carne Asada, and bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are quite good. Only reason I wouldn't rate it two stars is because they make good drinks.
Review Source:We eat here a lot and love this restaurant! Their food is always delicious! My favorite is their seafood chimichanga of course. The best around. I always compare every other chimichanga to theirs and well....theirs is always the best! LOVE their new location and new building! Very nice :) service is great too even to my loud one year old! Lol!
Review Source:Food was good, but they put WAY to much cheese over the top of the enchiladas, burritos, etc.
Portions are HUGE. Even the kids. Sharing is good here.
All the food was good, but I didn't like that the black beans came in a pot of the black bean water. It was hard to fish out the beans. Haha.
Also: our server was a little awkward, didn't smile much, but still polite.
Overall, it was an average experience with good food.
They have done a great job with the move/remodel/design of this location. Â The place looks fantastic. Â The food is decent, but not nearly as flavorful as El Pueblito in the downtown area. Â However, it is much nicer and cleaner inside and I would be much more inclined to bring people here to hang out if tasty food wasn't my only priority.
Review Source:I wanted to update my post because I have been back several times since my previous post. I have to say they have a great happy hour and fun staff in the bar. I haven't been in the dining room since, not that I am a drunk or anything, but that seems to be where we flock when we go. I went recently on Wednesday May 8, 2013 and I had their Veggie Burrito which was AMAZING! I'm still sticking to I think their guacamole is from Costco, but I'm not going to hold that against them. I will be ordering that again for sure. I am happy that they have non meat options there that are actually good to eat. I also had their red sangria to drink and it was delicious. I am happy to have given it a new chance and I will return many more times.
Review Source:Our waitress was great, very attentive and accommodating, she liked her job and we could tell. GF got the chimeechongo, it was bigger than her head, I was told it tasted great and she devoured the salsa and pica da gallo. I got a combo burrito and a pork tamale, both great but the tamale was the best I've had. All the meat was very well seasoned as it was cooked I was impressed. My only complaint is "its too much food", if in the neighborhood again we'll return.
Review Source:My family and I have been here several times now since their remodel. We can all agree that it is incredibly beautiful, and a wonderful addition to Gig Harbor's limited restaurant listings.
Right after the restaurant re-opened, it seemed that the staff was really on top of things. The manager was frequently seen making rounds each night asking guests if they were enjoying their meals. I'd heard that this restaurant was the lesser of the two Mexican places in town because of the food, but for the first few times we tried it, the food was fabulous! We loved everything we tried.
However, even in this short time, it has gone way down in our opinion. I usually get the same order now, and each time, it has different ingredients. Something always seems to be missing, and never the same thing. I now feel like saying something like, "Oh, your cook forgot the red onions this time!" Or, "Gee, someone left off the corn..." But that would be a bit embarrassing!
Now that the shine is off of its new decor, even the service is not great: the waiter didn't get our order correct, and seemed miffed that we weren't thrilled when the food arrived not as requested--we had asked for no sour cream, and the guac on the side. It arrived with sour cream on the side, and the guac right on the top. We didn't complain, just sighed and ate it anyway. Two of our family members ordered the same dish, and one person got 2/3 less than the other. We couldn't believe the difference in amounts--and that they would think it is ok to serve food that way to the same table. Didn't they think we would notice that one person got more than twice as much as the other?
We do love Mexican food, and will probably be back, but definitely not as often. We do hope that they stop relaxing and get back to offering really great food and service to match their beautiful decor. Â Guess we'll have to go back to Il Pueblito!
This place has a whole lot of wrong going on. The service was terrible. Â The waitress waited far too long before returning to our table all throughout the meal. After we got our menus, it was probably another good 20 minutes before she returned to ask us what we wanted. Â And then she forgot to bring my husband his beer.
There was a piece of paper towel in our salsa. Â And I don't mean a miniscule piece either. Â It was a very large piece, probably about an inch wide and 3 inches long.
There were 5 of us and we were at a little table that would have been crowded for 3.
And the food was really bad. Â I had a chicken enchilada and a chicken tamale. Â The enchilada had no flavor, it tasted like it could've been a frozen entree out of the supermarket. Â I could only eat one bite of the tamale it was so bad. Â And I LOVE beans and rice at Mexican restaurants. Â I didn't think you could mess those two up. But you can and they did.
Honestly we were expecting another Mexican-themed chain restaurant. Â You know, where the blue eyed-blonde hostess says "Hola Amigos" as she greets you.
We were pleasantly surprised. Â The service was prompt and good (and no fake accents). Â The food was excellent! Â
We ordered a combination plate with a tamale and enchilada and a carne asada.
Most tamales that you get at "Mexican" restaurants are a part of a teaspoon of chewy meat wrapped in some tasteless dough. Â Not here.
The tamale was a delicious corn-flavored dough surrounding some delicious flavored meat. Â What a great surprise!
Carne asada was a tender marinated skirt steak cooked to a perfect medium rare, unlike the flavored shoe leather one usually gets.
We'll be back!
Service: Extremely poor for 2PM on a Saturday
Food: I got the Original Chile Rellenos and they were disappointing. The batter was super soggy, making them unappealing. I did not finish them.
Drinks: I got the Acapulco Margarita, which was tasty and not overpriced.
The interior and ambiance of the place is great. I think I will end up giving this place another shot, but not anytime in the near future.
A great new/old restaurant in the Harbor. They moved from across the street and left everything old behind. Fabulous tequila bar, great drinks and great food. My favorite are the Mexico City tacos in the bar during happy hour. Been there 8-10 times and never disappointed. Fresh chips, salsa and fast friendly service is why I continue to go back.
Review Source:Bf and I went here about 20mn before kitchen was closing at the tail end of happy hour. They rebuilt the location and it looks great! He had a daiquiri that was delish! I had the chicken taquitos, which looked really good. Until I ate them. The meat was dry =/ Bummer. But I ate them because just dip them in the sour cream and the issue was solved. He had the flautas and since I was hoping his would be better than mine, in fact they were amazing! I ended up eating more of his flautas than my taquitos! I've also had other good from there in which was delicious, but first time at the Gig Harbor location. Will go back, and make sure to order the flautas instead.
Review Source:We went to this restaurant on Saturday night.... and they were packed. Â But, sitting there, waiting almost 10 minutes before we are asked for our drink order is frustrating. Â And we were sitting right outside the kitchen, so the staff (including our waiter) were right there, chatting with each other.
I ordered their butternut squash taquitos off of the appetizer menu. Â We really liked them. Â I'm a big fan of that particular squash. Â
For dinner, I went with their Creamy Poblano chicken enchilada plate. Â It looked great, and tasted good...... that is until my first bite came with a HUGE chicken bone. Â We let another waitress know, and she was apologetic. Â I continued eating my chicken, trying to watch for bones. Â I got a little over half way through my first enchilada, to find another bone.... this one ended up in my mouth. Â Needless to say, I wasn't happy. Â When our waiter came by, he asked how our meals were, other than the bones. Â Not a "I'm sorry about this" but that comment in it's place. Â Our waiter took the plate and had a second plate made up. Â I'd lost my appetite by this point, so I told him to box it up.
The manager walked by, several times..... and finally stopped by with the check, informing us that my meal was removed from the ticket. Â That was the only saving grace, and the reason why I give this two stars instead of one.
Both my mothers and my wife's plates were good, and they left satisfied.
Other than the bones in my meal, we were all put off by the amount of "screwing around" by the staff, right outside of the kitchen doors.... with a FULL restaurant. Â They were laughing, dancing, blocking the door, eating chips and not paying attention to the customers. Â That, in my opinion, is extremely bad business. Â I understand that we all need time to unwind... but, you have customers to tend to.
Been a couple times now and my family and I are big fans. Looks great, food is very good and we will definitely be going back multiple times.
Molcajete was incredible, entire family loved it. Pollo a la crema was not the best I've had they use enchilada sauce in theirs which I am not a huge fan of, but very tender chicken.
The nachos grande are a favorite too, dang good!
Went with friends on a Saturday night. Were told it would be a 15 minute wait but lucked out to find a table in the bar. It is loud, but friendly. Margarita was OK. My chili relleno was pretty good, and my friends vegetarian burritos were great. For a big place it was good. I'd probably go back.
Review Source:Food & service & presentation excellent. Come before 6pm especially Friday or Saturday. 10-15 min wait turned into 30-35min for 2 people. There are 2 really small tables right where people walk into the dining area to the right. Dont get seated there. The rest of the seating looks comfortable but that was very uncomfortable! They should only put one person there! Better yet...take those wobbly tables away. Very disappointed! For such a nice place to squeeze people in....not very good sense. Looks like they just want to squeeze as many in as they can.
Review Source:Had a wonderful lunch today. The staff was so professional, and on top of everything. They. Refilled my drink even. Before it was empty. The manager was making sure that everyone got top service. The restaurant  decor so wonderful. A firepitinside makes it feel warm and cozy. It is nice to see a Mexican  restaurant that is decorated with higher end decor rather than sombreros and tucans. I had Pablo burritos  , For $8.49 And they were pretty good. The staff and atmosphere make this restaurant ,and not half bad food makes it even better.
Review Source:The atmosphere is great. There are lots of comfy booths, which I always appreciate, but they also have neat tables with great looking chairs. The lights and other decorations are beautiful and add to the overall appeal. They provide soft light at night that creates a cozy atmosphere without the blaring light of bare bulbs or fluorescence or too soft with just candles. They are also beautiful when they're not being used. Someone was very thoughtful with their choices.
Now to the most important part- the food. Not to be one of those people, but after moving here from San Diego, the Mexican food in WA generally just doesn't compare. But this is fantastic! I had the poblano chicken enchiladas and would definitely recommend them! I've had the enchiladas rancheros as well, and while they were good, they were missing something. The chips and salsa were fresh, tasty, and plentiful. I enjoyed a mixed berry pina colada as well, but I prefer a sweeter mix with a top quality spiced rum (picky? maybe). This is now our go-to place when we want Mexican food.
We had great service from our waitress as well as any staff who noticed that we needed something from chips to drink refills. Entrees were about $10-15, my drink was $7.50, and appetizers were $5-10. My only real issue is that there is not a lot of parking for how popular this place is! There are plenty of options close by, but their lot is on the smaller side and caused a little bit of confusion for some, um, older patrons when I came to pick up a take out order one night.
Best Mexican food place in Gig Harbor, if you have the money to spend. They are a little expensive but their portions are ridiculous and they know how to cook authentic Hispanic food. Being Hispanic, I know authentic Hispanic food when I taste because I grew up with it. So I give this place mad props staying with the basics but making them very modern with new twists! Maybe I'll go back on a payday
Review Source:This newly re- opened restaurant in Gig Harbor is the best!!! They have a lot of new and original menu items to offer, but still have everyones old favorites.... The scene is very fun and upbeat with a much needed hip atmosphere for this growing community....Every time I go there, I try something new and am never disappointed....If you have to wait for a table, well then I definitely would! It will be worth it.... The bar is also quite large, so there is always a chance of getting a seat there..... I have gotten in right away almost every time..Enjoy!!
Review Source:Since moving to Washington from San Diego, finding decent Mexican food has been a bit of a trial. We've eaten at any number of chains and local restaurants, but haven't found anywhere that really makes us say "¡auténtico!" Even asking locals, all we ever really get is a mumbled answer about "not really eating Mexican food."
Enter Moctezuma's. Granted, judging by Southern California standards, they don't quite measure up. But, grading on a Washington curve, they are one of the best. The food is fresh and tasty. Portions are generous. Chips are crispy and salsa has a nice amount of burn. This location, in particular, is very nicely decorated inside and it feels very upscale.
We've been in to eat, and we've done takeaway, and each time our food is tasty and well worth the price. This is my go-to Mexican restaurant.
Moctezuma's has been a childhood favorite of mine ever since they opened their doors to the families in Gig Harbor. Â Compared to the 'other' Mexican restaurant in Gig Harbor, this one's location was awesome, salsa incredible, and servers ringing with personality. Â I'll always have wonderful memories of the older location, as that's where Moctezuma's earned its place in my heart.
I want to start by saying that I'm no longer a local to these parts. Â I'm currently residing in California these days, where Mexican food is just about on every corner - whether it's in a truck, a small taqueria, a cart, or a restaurant. Â Many say that Southern California has some of the best Mexican food you can find. Â And I'd resonate that sentiment. Â However, Moctezuma's can go head to head with most of those places and win the bout. Â It's just that good. Â And did I already imply that their salsa is incredible? Â Because I meant to say legendary. Â Everyone I know down in Los Angeles from the Harbor not only knows of Moctezuma's, but celebrates it.
This new location is absolutely stunning. Â The decor is beautiful, and the service is wonderful. Â You can clearly tell that, even to this day, families around Gig Harbor fully embrace this business and its workers by packing the joint. Â They've made a great name for themselves throughout the last couple decades, and it shows.
Last night, I ordered the two-combination plate with 1 tamales de pollo, and 1 tamales de puerco. Â I also got a Cadillac Margarita Grande to go with it. Â The food came fast, and it was alright. Â The masa felt a little bit drier than I usually get - probably because the tamales I usually buy in Los Angeles are greasier. Â But they were still good.
A good thing about Moctezuma's is their friendly and fast service. Â However, I have to call it out - I do miss seeing the latino servers that used to work here. Â Maybe they still do, but I didn't see any familiars anywhere, which was a shame. Â I only see the Spanish speaking workers bussing the tables, refilling my water, and getting me more chips and salsa. Â The wait staff all seem to be caucasian now - which, let me say, is totally fine. Â But the latino staff formerly seen at Moctezuma's had so much personality oozing all over the place, that it made it one of the best restaurants to dine at in Gig Harbor. Â I just didn't see that last night from any server working there. Â The wait staff felt like any wait staff found at any restaurant. Â But perhaps that's just me.
Maybe I'm just a fan of the way things used to be, and should just let the past go. Â I do miss the older spot, and hope that this new location can be better than the older location I remember. Â Last night, it wasn't better - though not bad at all. Â But that could've been the case at any establishment just by statistics alone. Â Not everyone can be perfect every single time.
I wish you guys the best. Â You may even get a call from me in the future to ship some of that amazing salsa my way. Â :-) Â Best of luck in your new location.
Wow! Where to begin?! Moctezumas has been a favorite of our families for a long time....this new location just gives us even more reason to love them! They have done an excellent job of blending classic Mexican family favorites with new menu additions for those wanting something a little different. Then there's the atmosphere...LOVE it!! The owners went above & beyond when designing the new place. It's the type of restaurant I love to bring my kids for a family dinner in the dining room, but also the perfect spot to gather with friends or a date night with my hubby in the bar. Some of my favorites: Carne Adobada, Steak Picado, Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, the Torta off of the bar menu (we had the Carne Asada version..an excellent new menu addition!) and you can never go wrong with their Fajitas! Oh & the "house dressing" may as well be called Mexican crack sauce! I get a side of it with everything...tastes like a jalapeño ranch type combo & it is amazing! As far as drinks, I absolutely love the new coconut vodka cocktail!
The only negative to all of this is that if I ate there as much as I really wanted (everyday!!) it would not be too good for my figure...but then again they do have some amazing "lighter" salads on the menu...;-)
No such thing as too much Moctezumas!
Pros: Â
*All around best place to eat in Gig Harbor*
1. Breathtaking Décor/Atmosphere.  This ambiance is transcending.  You could be anywhere; a Mexican vacation, a trendy metropolitan hotspot or just a hot date night in Gig Harbor!
2. Service! Â Warm, personable and friendly. Â Staff takes extra care to personalize your food and drinks to your liking (they added heat to my hubby's Molcajete to perfection).
3. Food! Â The new menu items are a culinary delight! Â Shrimp/Chorizo tacos melted in my mouth. Â Perfect mix of exciting, forefront menu items along with delicious tried and true meals. Â
4. The drinks! Â Oh me, oh my! Â Let's start with the Blackberry Margarita; it was a party in my mouth for real! Â Jalapeno Margarita was a great mix of wet and spice. Â The coconut water cocktail was my favorite; I think I had two or more. Â It was addictive and very refreshing! Â
5. The Bar! Â Sexy, amazing lighting, dark booths. Â Great flat screen tvs. Â Gorgeous details!
6.Very family friendly!
7. The bathrooms are even stunning! Â
Cons:
1. If I went here every day I would be a lush and probably weigh 1,000 lbs. Â I better keep it to once a week!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
