Arroyo's Cafe

Love this place! I always get the garlic shrimp, but grilled instead of sautéed. It's so delicious! I would add more garlic myself, but its still really yummy! Plus you can look at the fake lake and feel like you are somewhere else for a little while. The salsa is spicy for us, but we still love it. Everyone is really nice also!

Hands down the best Mexican cuisine in Stockton, I have been loyal for over 45 years, since they were downtown. Very friendly staff who are attentive, awesome fresh-made tortillas, and 3 types of salsa. Lunch portions are like a dinner and dinner is leftovers. lol

The fact that the place is absolutely full today already says a lot. This is one of my favorite places to come and just chill while having a home cooked meal (especially when I’m super home sick). This place is and will continue to be a community treasure in Stockton.

I’ve been going to Arroyo’s since I was a little girl with my grandma, still to this day I love eating here. The food is delicious, customer service is always amazing and welcoming. Today we went for Valentines Day and were surprised with mini cheesecakes which were absolutely mouth watering!

Arroyo's Cafe is a gem! The food is fantastic – their quesadilla special is a must-try, and the beef enchiladas are packed with tender, flavorful beef. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, making you feel right at home. The view of the lake is a great bonus, and the overall atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The prices are reasonable, and it's a great place for a family meal or a night out with friends. Highly recommend!"

The food is fantastic and we enjoy sitting by the window. Although window seats have become hard to obtain. The service is a real mixed bag but typically it's not good at all. We've had a waitress a few times who really just seems disinterested and inattentive. I was already a bit peeved when she walked by, saw my obviously low drink needed a refill, and just continued to walk on. We weren't the only ones getting the cold shoulder (a pair of people next to us waited an eternity before the waitress came back to just take their drink order). Other people were getting better service from a different waitress - lucky them - and the hostess even came by our table to check on us because she noticed our displeasure. It definitely kills the vibe and it will be a good length of time before we consider returning.

Excellent food, large portions. Excellent service, very friendly and attentive staff. Beautiful location on the lake. Beautiful scenery. Also, very affordable.

I am here on business from Iowa. We have a local small Mexican restaurant in our small town that is 10 times better than this place. Honestly the food was tasteless and horrible. It seemed to be old to me. I absolutely love refried beans, but theirs was horrible. beans from a can are actually better. I would NOT recommend. Service was fine.

I'd like to start by saying I thoroughly enjoy supporting local establishments. I would consider Arroyos a local Mexican restaurant that has been around for generations with a humble beginning. The food (5/5): I ordered the Chicken Enchilada Suiza. My partner ordered the Beef Enchiladas with their signature red meat sauce. I would say that what definitely gives this place 5 stars in food is the quality of the meat. The chicken in my enchiladas was very tender, large, juicy white meat. My partners beef enchiladas were incredible with huge chunks of beef with almost pot roast like texture that was very soft and juicy. Lastly I'd like to mention that the signature beef red sauce is wonderful. The shredded beef bits in the sauce are also of the same quality meat (NOT GROUND BEEF), also reminded me of pot roast like "chitlins". The service (5/5): Very friendly and attentive staff, we had an interaction with three female staff members and they were all wonderful and very pleasant people. Everyone was Very kind and greeted us with big smiles. I can tell the employees are happy and in their element. The food came out quickly, our drinks were never empty, and we were checked on at least four different times by staff. The ambiance (5/5), like your favorite local Mexican restaurant BUT BETTER, a phenomenal view of the lake with huge windows. For such a large establishment, it still felt cozy with the different levels and rooms with alternative seating. There is bar seating, diner seating, booths, tables. They could easily accommodate any group. All in all we had a very pleasant experience and I look forward to returning and supporting this restaurant and staff again.

The beef Fajitas were horrible and dry. Came as a plate with a little pile of meat and all the cold veggies around it that made it cold. If anything don't order the fajitas. Mabe it was an off night. Service was good. The ambiance was the place was not busy at all.

Arroyo's is a stockton staple that i've never had the chance to try until today. my boyfriends family comes here often for family dinners so we stopped by together for brunch. I love the decorations and atmosphere. Weekends tend to be busier but we came on a weekday afternoon. the water view is beautiful and adds to the pizzazz when you're eating with someone. it's the service was very quick and attentive. our server was so sweet! the food was also very good I would say not as salty as I would like but really good nonetheless, we both got deep fried quesadillas (yummm) and a horchata. they start you off with chips and salsa, love love LOVE the salsa it was perfectly spicy. the prices are also super good for the amount of food you get and the quality along with the service, we'll be coming back often :D

I placed a phone order. It was ready in 10-15 minutes. I ordered a beef quesadilla lunch. It was about $12-13 which is not bad for a full plate. I enjoyed it. The lady at the register was nice and offered salsa.

This was the place my boyfriend took me for our 1st date 4 years ago. The service was great and the food is authentic.

Great location. View of the lake. Margaritas were delicious. Service was a little slow and the food came out warm and not hot. But still delicious.

Ok first of all let me say we have been going here for years ! And food is a hit and miss !! Today we went and the service was great and my mechilada was excellent!!! Food was just ok!! Beef alil dry!! Salsa was great!! Tortillas was really good!! My granddaughter had chicken strip that were alil dry!! Ambiance water view always good!! Over all it was good and we will be back !! Like I said hit and miss so next time we hope better!! I'll put up pics so you can see!! It looks good lol but we love this place and will be back!! See u soon!!

My coworkers and I had a chance to stop by and have lunch at Arroyo's. We were sat towards the back with a nice view of the water. The service we received was great as the hostess and waitress were attentive and energetic. Our meal consisted of a quesadilla, chicken soup, a salad and taco lunch. The salsa had a nice kick to it with crunchy chips. All were tasty and of great prices. We spent less than $60 for 4 of us including sodas. I am sure we will return again in the near future.

Came here for my husband's team dinner, ordered a deep fried shrimp quesadilla it was more of an empanada but it was delicious. Service was good no complaints. Husband had shrimp cocktail and he said the flavor was good, could have used more shrimp for sure and a little less tomato juice overall good. Would recommend for quick dine in

This place is absolutely horrible. I called in and ordered 30mins before I arrive. They called me 20mins and said it was ready for pickup. The girls running the register were making multiple mistakes when I called to order... they kept getting my order wrong and it was a simple enchilada combo. I receive the food maybe 20-30mins after standing there waiting. There were no napkins, forks, or even chips and salsa in the bag. I guess now you have to pay for chips and salsa?? I get home to eat and I realize I waited all that time to spend almost 40bucks on two cold soggy beef enchiladas with nasty red sauce, hardly any beans and rice--I said extra beans and rice... Oh and they added salad anyways after I specifically said to the girl on the phone several times I wanted no salad! Don't even try their Horchata unless you wanna be in a diabetic comma. I beg of you newcomers to take your hard earned money elsewhere! The service at this place SUCKS, the service is very slow, and the food is just as bad--I'm actually considering Taco Bell over this place. Although very beautiful inside and has a great location, it'd be nice if a restaurant with satisfying portion sizes and good food could replace arroyos.

Wanted to update after we tried the burrito and it was almost inedible. Too much red sauce and the shredded beef was dry which is odd when it was drowned in their red sauce. I'm sad this place was such a disappointment.

I saw this place on KCRA last night, as they were doing a story about businesses who were having a hard time with the pandemic. I decided to come down from Sacramento for lunch. I could get out of the house, show them a little support,and make this my 200th review. I walked in, and everyone was very friendly. It's a large well kept space, and some of the tables overlook the water. They also have a full bar. The food overall was good. They started me with a big basket of chips and salsa. The chips were good, not greasy, and the salsa had good flavor, and a definite "zip" to it. It definitely got my attention, without making me sweat or blowing out my palate. I decided to go with the basics. I chose the 3 item combo with rice and beans. I liked the rice. It was not mushy or bland, and the beans were good, also. I liked the flavor, and they had just the right consistency. Not too stiff, and not too soupy. The best of the 3 items was the beef taco. instead of ground or shredded beef, the beef was cubed. It was tender, and had a good flavor. The chile relleno was excellent tasting, but the fact that the breading was a bit soggy brought it down just a bit. The least successful was the shredded chicken enchilada. The shredded chicken was tender, but it was bland. The enchilada needed more sauce. With some salt, it was better. Thinking back, I should have either used some of the salsa or maybe some of my beans to "zhuzh it up" a bit. I did eat the whole meal, and I was stuffed. Overall, it was good. Lunch and a soda came out to $20 before tip. Yeah, you'd pay a little less at a "hole in the wall" at a strip mall, but for a nice place like this, it was reasonable. I'd like to try some of the other items on the menu the next time I'm in town. Thanks.

Deep fried beef quesadillas!! Mmmmm Been going here for 20+ years. Right on the water.

So first of all let me say that this place used to be my favorite place to eat. I have given them several reviews over the past complementing on how great their food is. However, after my experience today, I will not revisit. We came out to eat with my husband, my mom, and my two kids tonight. They had their nerve to charge an 18% gratuity on our bill saying we are a party. WTF??? When asked what it was for, the waitress stated because we were a party! Whoa. Since when did they automatically charge a tip. I always put cash on the table for a tip so this was uncalled for. As you can see in the bottom of my receipt in the pictures, the waitress crossed out the tip choices and chose her own... This place must be losing money because they are ripping folks off. I tried not to make it about race but it's clear as day that my kids and my mom are African American and the discrimination was definitely present. When i asked to speak to the manager, I was totally ignored. Instead, she stated "if i didn't want to tip, i should have just said that" That's where i draw the line. And i started to snatch her up but my disabled mother was with me. And we ALL left her a tip anyway. Greedy ass people. I'd rather to go to nasty ass Cancun instead of this place ever again

The food has changed. I wasn't impressed. I felt like it was missing. Something service was great. Ambience was great. It's just the food I thought were cold. My chicken enchiladas had no taste.

It's been along time since I've been here and was I disappointed! I ordered a chicken enchilada / chicken taco plate. it was bad the meat was dry and the food was cold! If you haven't been here , stay away

Ambiance good, food good, waitress service very good BUT wrong sauce on my food. I asked for chili verde sauce and it was red. The food came within 15 minutes. That's good. Once before it took 1/2 hour.

Best food Great service .weather we eat in or order take out. Ourfood choices are plentiful and favorful. Owners and staff are very dedicated to catering our family food craving. Huge selection, great combo plates. Fresh salsa and chips. Wide range of beverages from bar . I grew eating at downtown location with my father. Now I bring wife and sons to our local spot. Great for watching games at bar or having family function. Great job Team Arroyos

I still like this place service under staffed but food was terrible everything over cooked and dry my wife couldn't eat the quesadilla it was beef and my taco was the same I can't recommend lunch there

I ordered the chicken quesadilla lunch (deep fried) it was not worth $11. This plate came with rice and beans. Not only did they give a small portion. The rice was kind of hard and the refried beans tasted like it was 2 days old. The shredded chicken wasn't bad just sort of runny from the sauce. Very bland flavor. Just not impressed overall!!! 2 thumbs down

Came to Arroyo's for the first and last time today. I had dinner here with my family therefore we ordered and tried a variety of dishes. Everything was bland and lacked any authentic Mexican flavors or spices. It was a complete let down. Our server was nice for that reason only I give them 2 stars instead of 1. Environment is average.

Such a cute little Mexican place by the water! My boyfriend took me here as it's his favorite restaurant and I have to say it's now my go-to for Mexican in Stockton. The servers are super friendly and I love the little sombreros and paintings they have on the wall. I love love love that they provide unlimited chips and salsa as an appetizer. My boyfriend inhaled three baskets of chips before his food hahaha. Arroyo's is very straightforward and no frills -- what you see on the menu is what you get. My boyfriend got 3 cheese enchiladas and I got 1 chicken tamale + 1 chicken enchilada; both came with beans and rice, and warm flour tortillas. The portions are pretty big for the price and considering the chips, entree, and tortillas, I left stuffed.

I've eaten before and while the food was good, I went with a crowd this time and we were told that they could not do split checks so with 11 people and probably seven different payment forms. We had to go somewhere else... I would think they would change that it's not that hard to write up multiple Tickets

Food was authentic. Chili Verde was red but excellent. The service was prompt and friendly. The best of all is that Arroyo's has water front dining. That was a big surprise.

So depending what you get the food could be a Solid 4, or an ok 3. I leaning on 3 for myself when it comes to what I got to eat. I had a beef taco, cheese enchilada (red sauce) and a deep fried Quesadilla. The deep friend quesadilla is Amazing!!! Love the flavor and I would order again, maybe add some gravy on top next time. Now the two was ok, nothing to rave about. Enchilada was a little dry, maybe because went late the sauce had dried up, but not what I'm used to. My grandma had the Chicken Soup, she loved it. My wife had the Enchiladas Suizas, she liked it. Overall we were happy with the food, service was sometimes slow, but they were busy to be fair. All the servers had smiles. Do recommend coming here if just for the Deep Fried Quesadillas and a drink. We'll be back for sure, decent food overall.

I used to love this place, but when I chose this place for birthday dinner, I was embarrassed I chose Arroyo's. Disappointed. My favorite beef tacos were terrible! How can you mess that up?? My friends weren't impressed either... what happened!?

I love this place. The food is good and servers Vicky & Becky are great. My family & I have been going there for years. Home made tortillas.

I have been going here since I moved to Stockton in '08. It is consistently great. I have read a lot of the 1 star reviews, and they do not know what they are talking about, and seem like the just don't like anything. The food is delicious. The service is wonderful, they are kind and attentive even when busy. I love the waterfront view. I love everything I order.

Niceeee place good food great customer service Niceeee place to eat and scenic view.

I picked up food to go. Was greeted by staff, very polite and friendly. My order was ready snd I was even helped to my car. - very kind. Lots of parking g. Nice size restaurant, good variety on menu. I picked up items including taco salad, tacos, burritos, guacamole chips, salsas. It was all delicious

I ordered two beef n cheese burritos extra tortilla didn't receive my extra tortilla besides that the meat was salty it just not taste the same any more I give them one star. Arroyos use to be my favored but not anymore the flavor is gone

In my teen years when arroyo was still downtown ... ....it was the best. Infact all the mexican restaurants in skid row made mamacita's cooking.....THE best. Today as usual the kids of arroyo who run it now have no idea what they're doing. In particular the burritos. They were juicy with fat left on the meat and had just a spoonful of rice and sobered peppers. Today the burritos from these incompetent descendants is like eating cardboard. The meat is obviously out of a can and is stringy and dry like hay. The rice and beans are not made from sscratch. They taste like out of a can. These assessments are just about money,just another ugly american putting g money over loyalty. Dear arroyo bros: not my money anymore and I have a big mouth.

Food was okay!!! Chili Colorado taste like tomato sauce... Overpriced and area looks disgusting.. The view was only the good part...

I grew up eating here and every time I visit Stockton I go here for enchiladas and taco combination dinner

I'm pretty sure they changed chefs, this was me and my husbands go to spot when we wanted to get some alone time. PROS: It's on the water so there's a nice view, the drinks are always delicious and have good/fair prices. The staff is always friendly and attentive. CONS: the food quality went down hill, it's not the worst of the worst but it's definitely flavorless now I'm not sure what happened so bring your salt shaker from home.

In with a party of 5 for an early 70th birthday dinner. We were quickly seated in the main room and presented with chips and a nice salsa. Drink orders were quick and dinner orders were quick. My order of a beef taco and relleno was just okay as was my friends of the same thing. Others had the chimichanga and a variety of dishes all okay but nothing to write home about. That said service was excellent, staff friendly. I would return if I was in the area, but wouldn't drive past some of my favs to get to it

The staff was very personable and attentive from the moment we walked in, to the time we left. The view looking over the water was nice and calming. The food on the other hand, was just ok. We ordered a quesadilla (unfried), chicken taco/chicken enchilada and red chili and chicken burritos. The quesadilla was ok, just a simple tortilla with cheese and grilled chicken pieces served with rice (bland) and refried beans. The combo plate was quite flavorful and quite filling. The burritos again were just ok. Nothing to share.

Food and service is very poor try to get the waitress's attention as she pays no attention and keeps walking then the red sauce that everything is smothered is watery and bland makes everything on the plate soggy. Even after the sad attempt to correct the soggy food it was still nasty and when speaking to the manager or whoever she was very rude and didn't seem to care. I would never eat here or recommend to anyone ever again.

Always constant with delicious food, been going here for over 15 years. I have used them for catering as well. I have used their area near the bar for work. Events pricing is great and the food is always delicious. The service is always been welcoming

I don't know why people give this restaurant poor reviews.The food is great & the Margaritas are great. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Sat at the bar - first time here. WOW. Everything was great. The food was amazing and tasted clean. (Not greasy or fatty). The margaritas were so refreshing! The bartender was very nice and welcoming. Will be coming back!

Service can be slow, but it's always good to go here when I'm back in Stockton. My family has been coming here for years and the food always reminds me of home!

So far so good the only knock is that the number on yelp is wrong more review to come after I eat standby.

I've just recently visited this restaurant and it's HIGHLY unseasoned. The chips and salsa was good but the hot sauce didn't even taste like hot sauce it tasted more of a charcoal and tomato paste. The meat was highly unseasoned and I believe the sauce was some kind of tomato sauce , I'm not to sure if this is the authentic way but I've been to Miguel's and it tastes completely different. The whole plate just had no taste to the beans , the rice and the enchiladas, at one point I thought I had COVID-19 because I couldn't taste a thing. I HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Service was great! Restaurant was clean and all staff masked up. Our server was very attentive! Fresh made tortillas! Atmosphere was cool. Food was really good EXCEPT for the beef in the crispy taco and in the fajitas. The beef was super dry n rock hard like it had been sitting out on a pan for super long. Besides those 2 beef items, everything was good.

I've been coming here since the early 1980s and their chicken deep fried tacos are my go to order for the most part. My last visit was disappointing as the server did not listen too well. I ordered the chicken tacos with a chile relleno like I always do. Since I come here so often and that's my normal order that's exactly what I ordered on this visit. In about 10 mins the waitress brought me two chicken enchiladas and a Chile relleno. I told her she had brought the wrong item and the server said I ordered chicken enchiladas! I'm sure the enchiladas are terrific but that's not what I ordered and would never order that. She hesitantly took them back to the kitchen and brought my fried chicken tacos! The food has been consistently terrific for 40 years.

The food is ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS perfect. The Cadillac Margaritas are the BEST in Stockton! And the SERVERS are polite, super friendly, never ever rush you. This is the ONLY place in San Joaquin County for true Mexican food! Thank you!

2/9/2020 - Someone mentioned Mexican Food Restaurants to me on Valentine's Day and I told them about the experience I had at Arroyo's on last Sunday. I had not been there in over three years. Usually when I have a bad experience with a place, I don't return. I have started dating again and the man I am seeing loves, loves Mexican food, especially tacos. But last Sunday he ordered enchiladas with beans and rice. He really enjoyed his and I have to say Arroyo's made up for my bad experience food-wise.I ordered a combination steak & shrimp fajita. I had so much food, until I had enough to snack on later that night! That plate was overflowing with food. When I asked for a box to take home, I moved our chips and salsa around to show him how much food I had left. He just couldn't believe it himself. I offered to give it to him too take home with him, but he said "I brought you here, so you take your food home!" The plate consisted of: 4 big shrimp, loads of steak, beans & rice, pico de Gallo, sour cream, guacamole & lettuce. My strawberry daiquiri needed a lot of help!! I had to wait for it to come since they were very, very busy!! I loved the whipped cream but my daiquiri was so watered down until it was like getting a strawberry slurpee and putting whipped cream and a cherry on top, that's the only way to describe it!!! Next time I will stick to a Pepsi. But it was an enjoyable dinner out!!! I almost forgot to mention, they had live mariachi musicians & singers so if you had something special you wanted to hear, you could request it!!

I gave it a one-star only for the view. But the food here is terribly. I'm sorry, but there is better Mexican/ Hispanic food around stockton. I ordered their Chili rellenos.