Cafe Capistrano

What a delicious meal we had here! We stopped there on the way to the Carmel by the sea and it was such a good decision! Perfectly prepared chicken, great veggies and amazing guacamole 🥑 (Chicken Fajita)

The location of the restaurant is super cute! Very reminiscent of Mexico. My boyfriend ordered the garlic prawns and I got the cochinita panuchos. The pictures don’t do the food justice! The prawns were well seasoned and the dish came with fresh tortillas on the side. I got the cochinita panuchos which come with 3 panuchos. It’s very filling! The bean stuffed maize patty is topped off with cold slaw and avocados. The service was okay. The prawns were the only fish option available which was unfortunate since one of us is vegetarian. Plenty of seating.

I almost didn’t go because I don’t *love* Mexican food in America but I saw reviews that said food is rly fresh and loved the variety of things I saw on plates so i went. Those reviews are 100% correct. Well seasoned, fresh ingredients FRESHLY prepared, and perfection portioned and served. Very friendly service, unassuming interior, very charming and unique atmosphere. Great for dinner for 1 or with lots of fam/friends. Server walked by to see if I liked the food, and all I could say was “this food is literally amazing” and I made eye contact with the chef!!! Highly highly highly recommend when in HMB.

The Yucatán plate had a nice mix of three appetizers, my favorite was the panucho. The cochinita pibil was solid, hardy and filling. The vibe was low key and homey.

Wow! We got off the main road in Half Moon Bay and found Cafe Capristrano in a quiet neighborhood on October 4, 2025. Don’t be fooled by the small older home-turned-quaint-casual restaurant. We were utterly blown away by the food. Best homemade chunky guacamole. The Mayan style chicken adobo was moist and tender. The garlic prawns were cooked to perfection. The cheese enchiladas with Yucatán style sauce were to die for. The Cochinita Pibil (pork slowed cooked in banana leaves) was tender and moist. Many of the dishes are served with generous and delicious portions of black beans, fresh salsa, fruit salsa, guacamole, rice, and Mayan coleslaw. The staff is friendly and make you feel right at home. We can’t wait to go back to try their other selections.

2nd time here and it still doesn’t disappoint! It’s totally unlike your typical very Americanized Mexican food. Had the most colorful and scrumptious appetizer to share and each of us ordered pork, steak and chicken dish separately. Amazingly each grill meat tastes aromatically different. The lady server was very friendly and we even went back to the kitchen to discuss with the also very friendly Mayan chef. He showed us the sauce used to marinate and cooked the grilled chicken with. We left satisfied to our taste buds and not feeling too heavy or too rich. Besides, the dishes are so vividly colorful with all natural ingredients! This place is worth coming back again and again.

We’re locals and we brought a visiting relative to Cafe Capistrano for dinner and it was a great experience. We had the Poc Chuc pork dish, the chicken enchiladas, and vegetarian quesadillas. It’s open for breakfast, lunch & dinner, and just 2 blocks off Main Street.

Finally tried this place for brunch and it was fantastic. The food is so fresh, with great flavors and huge portions. The space is a bit cramped and loud when it’s full, but that it feels homey and shouldn’t stop anyone from going. Looking forward to trying the dinner menu.

I still come here. I still recommend the pibil. GET THE SIKIL PAK. Thank me later.

My mom said that the veggie quesadilla that she ate here was the best she's had in her entire life. I also thoroughly enjoyed my chicken enchilada. The ingredients are really fresh, and the food is not only delicious, but healthy as well. Highly recommend! Besides amazing food, the setting is adorable. It looks like a quaint little cottage, with stunning flower blooms. There's an outdoor seating area, and an indoor seating area as well, with different rooms to choose from. It is definitely an intimate, seating arrangement because space is limited. But we came here on a Monday afternoon, and there were only two other occupied tables! The service was also amazing. Although breakfast stopped being served at 12pm, and we arrived at 1pm, the chefs still offered to make us any breakfast we wanted! Such sweethearts! Thank you so much Café Capistrano for a delightful family lunch.

This burrito was all rice, hardly any adobo meat. Will not return. It's expensive $21 dollars. And I Tipped this establishment. Unfortunate.

Our dinner here was outstanding! The food was flavorful without being too spicy. The flavor blend was excellent! Servings were substantial. The pork we received was exceptional, with a smoky flavor that went perfectly with the rice and black beans. The slaw had a fresh, slightly sour (in a good way) flavor.

So my wife and I were in Half Moon Bay and were hungry and decided we wanted to get off the main strip and Café Capistrano was the spot we picked. We both had the fish and chips, such a great choice. Had a great looking Mexican/Yucatán menu plenty of wonderful choices. Server was on point, my glass was never empty, didn't feel rushed. The ambiance was great, a converted home, outside seating as well. Very glad we chose to come.

This is a cute, quaint spot for a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner! There is a small team working to keep this place running, and they're all super friendly and welcoming. We all chose options from the seafood portion of the menu. The classic fish and chips were solid, with large, crispy pieces of fish. I loved my prawn fajita dish - the prawns were cooked to perfection in a buttery sauce. The rice could've used a bit more time cooking to get softer, but all the other sides were phenomenal, especially the fruit salsa. I wish they served breakfast all day, since all of their egg options looked delicious. I'd also love to try some of the more authentically Mayan dishes.

Boyfriend took me here on our one year anniversary because he had grown up eating at this spot often. Such good food and a nice time for us.

Casual cozy atmosphere, friendly and accommodating staff, and true comfort food! We were pleasantly surprised by this find given the inconspicuous exterior. We ordered the veggie fajita, cheese enchiladas, and chicken enchiladas. Ingredients were fresh, dishes were clean-tasting and were not overly salty or oily. Cafe Capistrano is a great option for fast, casual dining in Half Moon Bay while serving quality Mexican/Mayan food.

My go to spot for a delicious, health meal. The fish plate is the best fish tacos I have ever tasted.

We had the day off and decided to head towards Half Moon Bay area to enjoy new restaurants and the views of the ocean. After arriving to the area, we searched Yelp to help us find food! We found Cafe Capistrano with very high ratings so we had to check it out! Nice small town feel and off street parking. The restaurant looks like it was a home and converted into a restaurant. It's a family owned restaurant. The food is Mayan inspired Mexican food. Everything is house made and delicious!! We had the pork fajita and the Poc Chuc with coffee. It was so fresh and tasty. I love the fact that everything is house made to order. They even made their own hot sauce! Ingredients: Habanero chilies, Lime juice, and Salt. We cannot wait to go back for other menu options! We were greeted and seated quickly. Very cordial and helpful. A great find!!

This place definitely has your hole in the wall feel but with a little upscale. The poc chuc is definitely the thing to get, nice thin steak cut with a bunch of sides, even a little bit of mango. The fajitas were great, along with the soup! We came during lunch time on a weekday and it was very quiet. The perfect calm, relaxing, quiet morning.

I went here today and got the chicken fajitas. The flavor was very good. I was a bit apprehensive about the Mayan coleslaw at the beginning as someone who doesn't usually like coleslaw, but it turned out to be mostly just vegetables with a light dressing which was good. The service itself was prompt and the waiter was very friendly. This place is definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for Mexican food in Half Moon Bay.

The small back patio is cute and convenient for dogs and a toddler. The service was fast and the food was good. We ordered the chips/guacamole, panuchos, cheese enchilada, and kids bean burritos. The panuchos were flavorful and the cheese on and in the enchiladas was perfect.

Amazing food! I would have become a regular had I lived nearby. Definitely check it out if you're in the area.

What a find! This was my first time in Half Mo and the first time I've had Mayan food...let me just say we will be back for sure! The service was amazing and the restaurant was so cozy and charming. The food though...the food was outstanding! So flavorful and fresh!! I highly recommend this place if you're visiting Half Moon Bay!

Orders the pork fajitas for $19. I was pretty disappointed. The plate had 5 small pieces of pork. The entree should be called rice and beans fajitas with a side of pork. It was not worth the money.

The menu is interesting. We each got different items and each one was delicious. They all included rice, black beans, guacamole and this delicious coleslaw. All came with corn tortillas, which were also good. There was also a fruit salad. We had garlic shrimp, grilled snapper, chicken fajitas, and carne asada. Enough food to share and be full. We really liked it

This place is such a gem!! We come from San José all the way over here just for their cochinita pibil! It's absolutely delicious and they serve very well. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. We've been coming here for years and any time we make a trip to Half Moon Bay...this place is a MUST! My picky 8 year old loves it and there's very few things he actually likes lol so that just tells you it's delicious!!

We got the fish taco plate and the shrimp fajitas. Each plate came with 4-5 warm corn tortillas, some of the freshest pico de gallo I have had among in a while, and plenty of other tasty sides. The seafood had obviously been well marinated. I was pleasantly surprised by how rich and complex it tasted. The black beans were great too. The service was really friendly and they had a nice outdoor patio - good for those dining with dogs!

the restaurant is in a cute little spot in this residential area across from a school. outdoor seating is available if you wanna bring your furry friend or want some fresh air. the staff was v attentive to our needs and food came out relatively quick. i ordered the poc chuc at the recommendation of our server. the pork was v thinly sliced and i was afraid it was going to be dry, but i was pleasantly surprised and each side was juicy and full of flavor. the red snapper fish tacos were cooked and seasoned very well! the mango salsa added another layer of depth to the fish. each dish came with a generous portion of rice, black beans, and tortillas. was very pleasantly surprised by this find in half moon bay!

What a nice surprise! We were in the mood for Mexican food and had read that this place was a little different, but the reviews were very good, so we gave it a try. My husband is not terribly adventurous and ordered pork enchiladas. They were beautifully presented, and even better, he loved the flavor! I tried the poc chuc and it was SO tasty! Again, the presentation was beautiful, with the full rainbow of colors! Serving portions were good. We were really hungry, so didn't bring back leftovers, but another day we likely would have. Other reviews here warned about the grumpy guy at the counter (he was our server), so I wasn't put off by him - otherwise, I might have taken his attitude personally. He reminded me of Roy in the Ted Lasso series. We will definitely eat here on our next trip to HMB.

What a wonderful find this place is, a few blocks off Main Street in Half Moon Bay. I loved my Conchinita Pibil, a traditional Mayan dish. I had just seen a recipe for something similar to this and was very excited to try it. There were 7 components to the meal on my plate, full of color and flavor and beautifully composed on the plate. Even the pickled onions were delicious and each bite was different as I put bits of this and that together. Wow, really impressive plate, generous portions and a fair price for the quality and time that went into this meal. Service was good, food came out quickly and enjoyed the patio dining on a lovely week day afternoon. Can not wait to come back to try Their fish comes in fresh every day, so maybe the fish tacos next time!

We just stopped by quickly to have a snack on the road, and split the fish taco plate and I was blown away! I wished I was starving and had room for five dishes. Everything on the menu and coming out of the kitchen to other tables was fresh and colorful and innovative. Our fish taco plate came loaded down with mango, pineapple, black beans, fresh tomatoes, crispy shredded cabbage and more! Just gorgeous! The flavors were as rich as the colors. The fish was cooked with herbs and spices and served with a tasteful drizzle of sauce. I will be coming back every time I am in town.

Cafe Capistrano was wonderful! attentive service, a lovely restaurant and great food. Would definite return with family and/or friends when I am in half moon bay again.

The food was great. Very interesting bold flavors. I enjoyed all of it. I got the chicken fajita and my husband got the garlic prawns. Many items on their menu are naturally gluten free. The portion sizes were good. It seemed pricey, but really I think most places are in half moon bay. My one complaint was that the host mumbled his words, and wasn't very engaging. He wasn't unfriendly, but it definitely affected the whole experience.

I ordered the veggie fajitas & my hubby ordered the steak plate. Food was good, and we gobbled everything up. My veggies were perfectly sautéed and savory with rosemary (herb) and chunks of tropical fruit included, which enhanced the flavors. My only issue is that the habanero sauce is too mild. I wish the restaurant had more salsa varieties, like the ones in Yucatan or Quintana Roo. (Even a raw jalapeño or serrano would've made me happy.) To the restaurant: Please add more heat to the salsa, or better yet--create 2-3 salsas for customers to choose from: mild, medium, & hot!

I truly enjoyed our dinner. The decor was fitting and quaint. Service was great. The food was very flavorful. The food was cooked to order, not premade microwaved food. I ordered the prawn fajitas. Delicious and flavorful. The coleslaw was delicious too. Very tasty. We will be back.

My Husband and I were out for a drive and wanted to stop and have lunch. We were curious about Mayan cuisine so we popped in. We had the appetizer trio and the thin sliced grilled pork. Both were excellent, especially with the house made hot sauce! The Service was lovely and the Food was delicious! Kudos to the Father/ Son duo who were running the place... I hope they can have their espresso machine restored, as we wanted coffee and were told that their machine had recently been destroyed by a careless repairman.

As a vegetarian, when you see a meat based menu doubts might be raised. The veggie fajitas were the best Ive ever had, the panucho's were easily made veggie, and the HOT SAUCE was perfect, nice heat but not enough to sweat. We ordered a bottle and they made it ON THE SPOT!! Hi rec

This place is a hidden gem. The beans are life changing. I get the cocinita pibil, my wife gets the fish tacos and my daughter gets the bean and cheese burrito- her favorite dish in the world.

Tried this place when I was in half moon bay with my friends today. We ordered food at the restaurant for takeaway and it was ready on time. We tried the fish tacos and the chicken adobo entrees. Everything on the plates were delicious. The tortillas on the side were soft and warm, the rice and beans flavorful and the mango a good compliment to the meat. Their hot sauce is pretty hot and I really liked it. Definitely recommend this place for when you're in the area!

YASSS! This place brought me back to Mexico. Talk about some mouthwatering dishes. Their chips and salsa is a great starter. Their chips are freshly made and does not come from a bag. You can totally taste the difference. For our mail entree my little one got the chicken and rice. It was served on a cute little plate. It came with Spanish rice and shredded chicken. The chicken was full of the right kind of flavor. My little one made little tacos out of it and loved it. My hubby got the pork adobo burrito. It was a huge burrito. The pork had a nice crunch to it. I didn't pay too much attention to his entree because I was busy devouring mine. I got the Conchinita Pibil. It's pork slow roasted wrapped in banana leaves. Holy moly was that good or what? It came with beans, rice, salsa, guacamole and some type of slaw. It was a perfect combination The pork melted in my mouth. This place is the real deal. I can't wait to come back.

Food was good! Love the flavor. The mango salsa was delicious! The only con was.. my pork was a bit dry and my corn tortillas has a bunch of holes in it so it made it hard to eat it as a Taco. Other than that it was good. Habenero sauce is a must with these

My wife wanted to explore Half Moon Bay and wanted to try a restaurant for lunch. Yelp is our go to for the best restaurants and Cafe Capistrano was on the top of the most popular restaurants. It's a cute house with outdoor seating and a very casual atmosphere. The host showed us where the menus were and it was open seating. I've never had Mayan cuisine and selected the thinly sliced Pork Adobo. It's nothing like Filipino pork adobo. These were to thin slices of marinated seared pork and can make four tacos with the rice, beans, salsa and guacamole. My wife had the chips and guacamole. I have ti say the guacamole was fresh and the item we enjoyed the most. I was glad we were able to broaden our horizons and enjoy a cuisine we never had before :)

Very good food, unique flavor of Yukatan/mayan cuisine, and nice service, exceptional hot sauce. Definitely coming back when nearby!

This place was super cute and the food was delicious. We had a big group and tried a few different items: fish tacos, garlic prawns, conchita pibil and chicken adobo. Everything was really tasty and seasoned really well. The food came out promptly and they were great about letting us add to our order when we realized we didn't order enough dishes. The meal was very affordable. I would definitely come back here the next time I'm in town.

Food is outstanding. No frills place, dishes are extremely affordable. Recommend going to get some excellent, affordable eats.

Went here after a hike in the area and it hit the spot! Appreciate applicable items being labeled GF. The chicken fajitas and the pork adobo were both delicious. House hot sauce was bright and hot and we took a bottle home. Tortillas were warm, chips were great! Will return.

Hidden gem a block or so off of Main Street. Our breakfast was delicious. The chorizo con huevos will keep you coming back for more. Best chorizo con huevos around! The pancakes are really good too. Coffee is served in a big mug and has a bold flavor. It's a great stop to fill up before head down Hwy 1 for the beach or coastal drive. We have had several lunches and breakfasts here and the menu is really enticing. It's not the boring or expected Mexican food. Friendly staff actually take time to check on you and talk with you. Check it out and you will not be disappointed.

I came here over the weekend. I would give this place a 4.5 stars if I could. Ordered: chicken adobo plate and chicken adobo burrito. The chicken was so moist and cooked the perfection! I loved that my plate was so colorful. Price: $36.49 for both plates and a sprite. We were also charged $0.75 for a side of sour cream. Service: The gentleman who helped us was a bit quiet, reserved, but nice. If it was closer to home I would come by a lot more often!

The food is always fresh, good portions and tastes great. I usually order take outs. Never had a bad experience.

After spending a day at the beach, we were hungry for dinner and found this spot on yelp. The staff were really friendly and the food was delicious. We ordered the fish tacos and veggie burrito - both had loads of flavor and super fresh ingredients. We will for sure be back!

We went here for lunch on a weekend after half moon bay beach with another family. They were able to accommodate all of us inside the restaurant, which was cool and the ambience is very family friendly and cozy. We got the kids been burrito, prawns fajita and side of beans and rice. They loved gheir food and gulped it all. We got the tasty poc chuc, red snapper filet plate and chicken enchiladas. The chicken enchiladas were tge best with an amazing sauce that we haven't tasted before. One could skip the fish plate though as it was just it was ok. The poc chuc was not bad and was very tasty. The staff here is friendly and they allowed us to being our own non-alcoholic drinks. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for a family friendly and tasty dining experience.

My first time here, and I'll be back. The garlic shrimp plate was fresh, yummy, and well balanced, with lots of veggies. They easily worked around my allergies, too.

Came here for lunch over the weekend. While the service was good, the food was just ok. We started with a spicy margarita. It was good. The guacamole and salsas were yummy. However, the main courses disappointed. We had the fish tacos and found them slightly soggy with minimal flavor. The chili verde was bland. The quantities were large and the sides of rice and beans was good.

Amazing food ! Cute place at Half moon Bay , courteous staff We got Vegetarian Quesadilla - Chicken Enchiladas - Burrito Wrap They also gave us Habanaro Spicy Sauce , which made everything better!

I had a beautiful lunch on the outdoor patio. The cochinita pibil was flavorful but not spicy, succulent and delicious. Service was warm and prompt. Can't wait to come back!

Food was good but the grumpy kid that runs the counter is always so crabby... its almost comical... He was so rude you almost feel like you are on a hidden camera show! Had told a friend they made good food but the guy was such a crabby patty my friend refuses to ever go back

We got two burritos to go. One was a veggie burrito - my girl really disliked it, and one was a cochinita - and I thought it was just OK. For the price, I wouldn't go back - a tad expensive on the burrito-cost-meter, if you ask me.

Walked by on a nighttime stroll and decided to go the next day. It is inside a house and the interior is cozy and full of Mayan art. They have a patio, which is great for beautiful weather or wanting to eat outdoors due to covid. Food was amazing, as was the service, which was quick. I had the garlic shrimp and it came with delicious Rice, Beans, coleslaw, fruit salad, and tortillas. My boyfriend got the pork and the hot sauce was delicious too.