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Baja Cantina - Carmel, Carmel Valley, CA

Baja Cantina - Carmel

4.6
4.6
600 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican / Southwestern

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2+ people
19:00
Booked 6 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
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00–14:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30–16:00 Sat, Sun 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (831) 625-2252
  • 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.
  • Area
    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

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Child-friendly

  • California Central Coast

    Good for groups

  • California Central Coast

    Great for outdoor dining

  • California Central Coast

    Lively

  • Monterey / Carmel

    Child-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
  1. kimberlyf

    Greater Boston

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    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.

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  2. John

    San Francisco

    111 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    111 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 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?

  3. Deanna

    Portland

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 7 November 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?

  4. Gustavo

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 21 October 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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  5. Laurie

    Tucson

    126 reviews

    5.0

    126 reviews

    Dined on 16 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous food, service and love their outside patio❣️

    Is this helpful?

  6. RossD

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 13 October 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?

  7. Suzanne

    St. Louis

    46 reviews

    5.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on 2 October 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?

  8. Cassandra

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 29 September 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.

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  9. Wendy

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 24 September 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.

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  10. Michelle

    Central Coast

    20 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 13 September 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.

    Is this helpful?

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 booking

2+ people
19:00
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for Baja Cantina - Carmel

7166 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, CA 93923

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Valley Greens Drive
  • Area
    Carmel Valley
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00–14:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30–16:00 Sat, Sun 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–21:00
  • 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
  • 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.
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