Cielito Lindo

Delicious, authentic Mexican food! Would highly recommend.

Cielito Lindo is my go-to spot whenever I’m in Belmar. Always the perfect stop after an afternoon swim 👙, consistently great food, my friend and I love it!

I had a pleasant dining experience at this establishment. The waitress was courteous, and I enjoyed the queso fundido and tacos de pastor. The food was flavorful, and the total cost for four people was $88.

Food was delicious and the server was really nice! The flan is to die for

We were on a road trip and stumbled upon this mexican restaurant, people are smiling, I love the mexican flavor here, the food is fresh, they serve me fresh cactus with my steak, i like the freshness, the appetizer and crispy nacho. They have a parking at the back. I hope to come back

The restaurant is colorful in nature inside and out. The thick wood tables and decor give you a true authentic mexican vibe. The menu has many options including veggie. The server offered a pleasant greeting and after requesting our drinks got the chips and salsa out asap. This is a BYOB. Even with a lil language barrier she assisted and ensured our requests were met. The complimentary salsa, verde and chips were tasty. We ordered the enchiladas. One veggie and one shrimp. Waiting for the food gave us enough time to enjoy the basket of chips/salsa and enjoy the environment and kill a few Corona's. When the food arrived it was smoking and the optics where eye popping. It looked like a masterpiece and was worth the wait. The molé sauce was superb and kept me asking for more! The veggie came with red sauce on the side as requested and had the heat. Perfect tly cooked. I did notice a few things on the menu that I would like to try so we will be back. This is not the average taco joint. It is a foodie delight! Enjoy

Chalupas are delicious, it’s a buttered and grilled flour tortilla. Get red sauce, it’s spicy. La gringa is also yummy. Table chips and pico and green crema

Caldo de res and fajitas with beef, shrimp, and chicken took over 30 minutes to arrive. It seemed their business wasn't streamlined, as I only saw two other parties that came after we ordered, so it wasn't clear what was causing the delay. However, you could probably bring your laptop and do work while waiting. They let us sit anywhere. The tables are a little closely arranged, which would probably suit larger parties well. It is comfortable inside. The food was under $40 for two people and lasted for over two filling meals. It tasted great, including the complimentary salsa and chips.

Tacos Al pastor is my go to here. Great food great prices! Service is great and there is outdoor seating. Free chips and salsa!

I've been eating here on and off for years. This is a great Mexican restaurant. My personal favorites are the burritos. This is the classic ethnic restaurant with many actual Hispanics eating there which screams authentic food. Go in and try it yourself and enjoy.

After more than 6 years, this is still one of my favorite Mexican places. Everything is consistent and delicious.

I honestly don't have anything bad to say about this place. Found them on Google maps while leaving the beach and it was the perfect place for my group of 6. It's BYOB and you're given fresh chips and dip upon arrival. The food is pretty good and the speed of service was normal, and as expected. I don't live in the area so I probably won't visit often but if ever at the beach I know where I'll live coming afterwards. We had a great time!

If you like authentic Mexican food this is your place. Has the best ceviche like appetizer served in a large cocktail glass I have ever had. I don't see it on the online menu but it's on the printed menu they handed my party. I went with the Chilli Rellenos dinner and it was delicious. Please note that they do not have a liquor license. There is a package store next door where I found decent margaritas in a can. Waitress was the only one in the restaurant so it was a little slow but nothing to complain about. Overall excellent food and experience.

What can I say, the food is amazing! Everything about the place was amazing the decor, the service, the prices, EVERYTHING 10/10 would definitely come back if I'm in the area. Cielito Lindo truly is beautiful. The food truly is heaven.

Cielito Lindo is a special local spot that has amazing authentic food and a fun atmosphere. I have tried restaurants in NJ, MD, and PA (limited I know but oh well) and nowhere has chicken enchiladas that compare to the ones at Cielito Lindo. I have been coming here since 2016 and am satisfied every single time without fault. The staff is pleasant, the food is amazing, and it's BYOB (liquor store is next door if you need it). When eating in, you get chips and salsa too. Something I love about Cielito is that it is truly authentic and the flavor of everything has depth. Meals are not rushed out and I can tell are made with care. If you want to try something new, I suggest going for the mole sauce. It is indescribable! The chicken enchiladas with red sauce are my favorite (clearly) and have a perfect amount of spice. Not too mild, but not crazy spicy to the point that I'm sweating. The chicken is shredded and mixed in with the sauce before being put in the tortilla for added flavor. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Note that it is street parking and there is no parking lot. If you're looking to be in an out of a restaurant, this might not be the place for you. Take your time here and enjoy!

We enjoyed our dinner last week at Cielito Lindo. This was our second visit here this year. This time we sat outside. It was a lovely night, we had great service. We enjoyed cabrito con peppers, and veggie enchiladas with green sauce. The tortillas, beans and rice as well as both of our dishes were excellent. The portions were large. The salsas were great! Our server was attentive. Great dinner!!

Coming from California and being Hispanic myself, I am a snob when it comes South of the border restaurants and frankly, after my horrible experience at Juanito's in Howell.. Unless I was cooking the meal, I would be hard pressed to try another Mexican Restaurant in NJ. But this gem!! is gold! I ordered the Chicken Mole- delicious, was it as divine as my Nana Bea's??? Noooo but let's face it, her mole has 26+ ingredients, LOL but their mole, made me smile and I ate it all!! and that shouts volumes!!! My husband had quite a few tacos and he loved them and of course Horchata is a staple in our house so he was so happy that theirs was a close 2nd to mine. I can say that we have ordered to go a few times since and dined in as well... I give a sound 5 Stars and am so happy to say that most of the other dishes I have tried have surpassed my expectations and the freshness of the dishes is fantastic and you can taste it in every bite. It is B.Y.O.B

There is love and care in every ingredient in every dish at this place. Unreal! This is the best Mexican I have had since I was in San Diego years ago. The tortilla is homemade and delicious, the meat and fish are fresh and delicious, the sauces are fantastic, and you can tell this place has its regulars and you get the feeling that many people in here can probably either cook this on their own or know someone who can, but they still come here. That says it all. I will be back, and often.

Delicious authentic tacos. Best I've had at the shore this summer. They make in house tortillas and specialty cabeza and barbacoa tacos. Their al pastor is a standard and very tasty. The wait is more than usual, for both takeout and dining. But the tacos are worth it. Three per order, the standards start around 2.50/taco and go up from there. Overall: 4/5 tastiest tacos on the shore. Enjoy!

Ordered this but chips were very soggy and the chicken was bland. Rice did not have any flavor. The sauce was not spicy or flavorful. Very disappointed. I had better at different places. Service was very good though.

After a recent weekday on the Belmar Beach, my girlfriend and I were looking for a place to grab a quick meal. Had I read the reviews in advance, we would have known there was nothing "quick" about eating here. We waited at least 15 minutes for our waitress to take our order, after I flagged her down. And then we waited at least 45 minutes for our dinners to come out. So, about an hour after arriving, we finally got our meals. And mind you there was no table ahead of us. The fresh pico de gallo and guacamole were quite tasty. However, the tortilla chips were stale, so we didn't really get to enjoy the sauces too much. We ordered the Pechuga a la Mexicana and the Molcajete. I thought my Pechuga dish was fantastic. Flavorful, spicy and the portion size was extremely generous for a $10 platter. My friends Mocajete was an enormous creation of mixed meats cooked and served inside a stone bowl. If this place could speed up their waitress and food service, they could easily start achieving 4 star status, because the food has great potential.

Note: This restaurant has moved from its old location at 1110 Main St. and is now at 1510 Main St, Belmar, NJ 07719. We enjoyed a second visit last week for a quick lunch. Cielito Lindo is a colorful local restaurant serving authentic Mexican food. If you are a little adventurous, tripe, pig's head, tongue, pig's ears, and pig skin are options for fillings. I loved the taste of the side of [black] beans that I ordered with my tacos. And big bonus, they make fresh juice beverages. On the day we stopped in, beets were available for the juicer. Forget the juice places on the Boardwalk that serve a glass half full of of foam and dilute everything with apples for $$. You will get a real glass of beet (or other) juice here. It is difficult to give an accurate review based on a couple of tacos and enchiladas, but everything coming out of the kitchen looked great! We certainly savored our meal and look forward to investigating the platters and sandwiches on a future visit. UPDATE: We stopped in again on August 16, 2017. Unfortunately, our appetites were too shallow for the platters, but we had some cracking good tacos: campechanos (pork skin, pork ear, and pork meat) and suadero (brisket). Plenty of juicy meat on both, plus sliced radish, sliced pickled cactus, and spring onion as accompaniments. Also indulged in another glass of fresh beet juice. I'm elevating the rating from four stars to five - the tacos were that good. Here's the menu: http://www.cielitolindomexicanfood.com/menu

I never write reviews, so that alone makes this worth reading. I just paid over $80 for the worst takeout meal I have ever had. It contained hard shell tacos that were basically hard cannolis stuffed with dried out beef and nothing else; a steak dish that was nothing more than the same dried beef with some overcooked peppers; shrimp tacos that were made wrong and were hardly edible snd some other dish my son in law ordered that I can't even tell you what it contained. The only things edible were were the chips and guacamole. Will I ever order from there again? Not a chance.

I can't get enough of Mexican food, one of my favorites. Service here is attentive and fast. I enjoy eating my food and being able to taste the freshness of the ingredients. It makes me feel like I'm eating healthier even if I'm not lol.

food tasted like pure grease my friend threw up at home after driving back Tacos were drenched w liquid it almost felt like grease running down your throat 0/10 don't recommend save yourself some money and go somewhere else very expensive for the poor quality food you get

Shrimp quesadilla was delicious. Service was a little slow but the delicious food made up for it.

Visited this place during a weekend stay in Belmar and I was not at all disappointed. The service was awesome; my waitress was nice and attentive. I didn't wait long at all for my order, which consisted of two barbacoa and two pastor tacos. The goat was tender and the pork was flavorful. I also enjoyed their aguas frescas, the melon & Jamaican (hibiscus) flavors were a refreshing complement to the meal. Though I wasn't in a drinking mood I did notice that the restaurant is BYOB, so definitely take that into consideration for your visit. I also ordered chips and guacamole to go and it made a delicious late night snack. Whenever I try new Mexican restaurants, they must be authentic or else I'm sorely disappointed. This was as authentic as you can get and I was more than happy with my meal!

Came for dinner with our friends the other night who have been here before. There are pro's and con's here. Our waitress Francesca gets 5 stars. She made recommendations, could communicate well (none of us speak the language), friendly and made us feel very welcome. Enjoyed all the dishes we had. We shared a few app's and each dinner was very good. Three of us had #54 carnitas con rajas and this trip the jalapeño was very mild so everyone added a little hot sauce. Last trip they had this dish as well but the jalapeño was on fire so it depends on the pepper that day. I had the #69 Cameron's a la meixicana, not spicy at all, actually quite mild but again the jalapeno's were quite tame this evening. Next time I will try the spicy sauce (La Diabla). The last dish was the steak, not sure which number he had but I have put up a photo. It is a very thin cut of steak but he said it was tasty. BTW we ordered a plate of sweet bananas, wow they were fantastic! They are not listed on the menu but they make them, just delicious. Lucky enough to have the big table up front where is was a little cooler. The air conditioning is slight at best so if it is a hot night it may not be so comfortable to eat in. We also had to deal with a lot of fruit flies and I think it is because of the machines with the fruit juices running up there and the place being a little warm. SO overall, we would go back (on a little cooler evening), we want to try more dishes and we loved Francesca.

Good Mexican food. Something that is actually harder to find nowadays. Surf taco was too crowded so my friends and I decided on this place. The Horchata is delicious. Our food took a long time, it was busy. I had a chorizo torta and a taco al pastor, my friends had burritos. Portions are large, the food is pretty good. My taco al pastor was a little dry though. The ambiance was another story, kind of dirty, paint chipping, saw some ants. Our server was very busy, but still felt slow. I recommend just taking out from this place, might be better off.

$20 gets you tons of food for two! Upon being seated, chips with regular salsa and salsa verde are brought to the table. The chicken chimichanga is fantastic! Everything is made to order, but totally worth the wait. Also BYO :)

This place is absolutely delicious, beyond reasonable prices and extremely authentic! Their sweet plantains are amazing! (Its hard to find good ones in NJ like it do in FL) and their salsas they give free when you sit down are wonderful! And the tacos were very good as well and a decent size :) not the extremely small ones you usually get for that price. Do yourself a favor and check this place out if you like this type of food :)

This place is not that fancy but once you try the food you realize that is the most important and best thing at this spot. They start with chips and salsa and the green salsa is so perfect and spot on. When you walk in there's a sign that says fresh tortillas and they meant it. I've never had tacos with such a perfect tortillas they were soft and not too thick and they held all the parts of the taco well. I enjoy getting tacos al pastor and these tacos were on point. Sometimes tacos have too much oil or too much onions and cilantro but there was enough meat and onions/ cilantro ratio and it was not too oily. My family also ordered food, they got the burrito, torta and Chile rellenos and there was nothing to complain about all of it was delicious. If you're looking for an authentic, cheap, and tasty Mexican spot this is it!

I ordered a vegetarian burrito for pick up, when I got home I found multiple small pieces of chicken throughout the burrito. Never returning.

I've come here a few times and love the food. Tacos, sopes, flautas (tacos dorados); they all great! When the day large orchata, they really mean large! The green salsa is pretty good, it has just the right amount of spiciness. There is a bit of a wait, but the fresh tortillas are worth it.

keep coming back because the food is supper yummy! & prices are poppin.. consistent!

Food took forever to get delivered. Almost 2 hours. Chicken was dry and cold. No good. Tacos al pastor were tasteless and needed salt. Tasted like yesterday's leftovers.

WOW WOW WOW!! The pork red pozole was out of this world!! Perfection, on a cold December evening in Belmar, NJ. My friend and I were looking for a delicious soup in the area. I suggested looking for a good Mexican place that serves Pozole. We stubbled on this place and was NOT disappointed. I highly recommend!!

This restaurant has been our go to place for years. And on a Sunday they were to deliver in an hour....1.5 hours later we still had no food. We called to cancel and they say ok. But 2 hours later were still trying to call for delivery. We had to leave and since the order not being delivered on time it was their fault, we have been back. However this evening we placed an order to have them call and say they will not deliver to us any more. Worst customer service ever. You don't deliver in the time frame you stated and you want your customers to sit around waiting for 2 hours when we have jobs to get to? Never again will I eat here and never again will I refer business to these assholes

After spending a day at the beach, we wanted to go for authentic Mexican food. We thought this restaurant was the best choice; the menu looked promising. However, after waiting 30 minutes for a table, we were seated and waited an additional hour for our food, mind you, the waitress suggested to order as we waited so we thought the food will be ready. I order the mixed fajitas and it was a good choice and the price was not bad, but my husband ordered the sopes and poof, he found a hair, not on top of the food, but interlocked with the food. The place is great, i just think they need to ante up on the staff to get a faster and better service. PRO: BYOB, you can bring your alcohol and they wont charge you.

Huge portions, delicious food, nice restaurant, and friendly staff, all for a good price. Will be going again!

After trying almost every supposedly good Mexican restaurant in the eastern Monmouth County area, I've finally found gold. This is a true hole in the wall. The place is ugly and there's no way around that. But the service is decent, the prices are great, food is excellent, and it's BYOB. I had chicken enchiladas and a ceviche tostada. I was so happy that my ceviche was as good as any in LA. Enchiladas were delicious with perfectly seasoned rice and beans (a generous portion, as well). My husband had a seafood platter which was also excellent and overflowing with shrimp, clams, and calamari. We strolled in a bit after 9pm and did not feel rushed to leave at all. They close at 10. The whole while, they were doing a very brisk takeout/delivery service. All you need to know is the food is authentic and there's nothing in the area that compares. Don't be put off by lack of decor.

I'm from the southwest so satisfying Mexican food is hard to find. This place sufficed to say the least. I was able to get one of my favorite Mexican dishes- a Chile relleno and it came with black beans and rice. It was a bit different than what I'm used to, but in a good way. It came smothered in a really good Chile sauce and it was a huge serving for a good price! We also ordered quacamole and even had enough to take home. The only complaint is that the food took a really long time to come out and there was probably one other family in the restaurant.

Absolute worst service I've ever had in my entire life. The waitress forgot our chips and pico..after asking 3 times. Forgot refills on waters. when she finally refilled she didnt even put ice In the glass. She brought wrong entree for the birthday boy yet still brought all the rest so by the time his correct entree came ..we were putting food in to go containers. All in all we never recieved apps. Drink refills were iceless tap water. Dinners took an hour plus One entree took almost 2 hours. And after all of this nothing was offered to compensate ruining a birthday dinner. Sucks bc the food is authentic and fresh...the best mexican food around for great prices. they need to work pk on customer service before they lose alot of customers.

In the realm of authentic, rustic and affordable Mexican restaurants, this place is mad good. Everything is scratch made, service is good, prices are beyond fair and the food is great. I got the pig's cheek tacos and a carnitas taco as my apps then the steak ranchero entree which I had to take home because I was already stuffed. You should def try this place out its great for when you want something fast, affordable and you don't want to look presentable. Also try the seafood soup. Its spicy and tastes great and cures a hangover like no other. Also, Mexicans claim it enhances libido in men.

Traveled from Morris County to bring my sweet Mexican mom who loves this food. It was worth the drive! The menudo (sopa de pancita) is 100% authentic like the rest of the food. Large portions. Try the Aguas Frescas - my favorite is Jamaica. I've tried other plates here and this place never disappoints (my bar for authentic Mexican food is very high). Will definitely be back!! Muchísimas gracias y que sigan triunfando con esta comida deliciosa!!

The food was good and the portions were fulfilling. The service was a little slow but they were courteous and welcoming. I would recommend this place if your looking for authentic Mexican food and a good atmosphere.

Absolutely nothing fancy about this restaurant. Just good food and BYOB! A favorite of all of the locals who want real mexican food without the fancy price. It's very small, so you might have to wait or get your food to go. The tacos and cow head are excellent!

Original salsas...seems authentic. Friendly staff. But small - and if 3 adults and 2 children, ordering burritos, can't get served in less than 45 minutes then you don't have a restaurant. You have cannon fodder for Chipotle. Lots of take out business going on around us while we sit, waiting. Will not return.

This place is the best. In an area where it seems like all there is to eat is Italian, this place is a gem. Everything is basically from scratch, prices are amazing, and the food is even better. Everything I've had here has been delicious and fresh (tacos, sopes, tortas)

This is our go to spot for Mexican takeout. Their brisket tacos, shrimp fritas quesadilla and steak burritos are great. Not sure how they make their salsa verde but it is incredible! Would give 5 stars if delivery was quicker (have waited up to 2 hours). We just order on the earlier side to be safe. Food has always been hot upon arrival.

I love the food here, but the delivery service is absolutely horrendous. This is my second time ordering delivery and I have been waiting for 1 1/2 hours. The first time I waited about an hour. Thought it was a fluke, so decided to give it another shot. Now I know better. You guys have awesome food- but this is a huge hole in your business. Please figure it out.

Affordable and delicious food. I went with my two small children and got quesadillas, tacos, and rice and beans. Very flavorful salsas and good horchata. I would definitely come back again and hope this place does well.

The food isn't any good avoid drinking at the bar the the bartender avoid charging at the time and later ask you owe the bar more than you owe it's a dishonest place avoid this place at all cost Jackie was bartender tonight

Okay so here's the thing: cielito lindo has banging food for crazy cheap prices. The tacos are like $2 a piece, and awesome quality so authentic (porks my fave). HOWEVER this place will make u wait. I'm talking like 50+ min for two people for simple taco dishes. It's good food the service is just terrible. Such a shame bc with good management I feel like it could really take off.

If you want Authentic Mexican, come here. We were the only non Latinos in the place. The service was friendly and attentive. Every thing was prepared fresh, to order. If you're looking for Surf Taco or On the Border you'll be disappointed. They have all authentic and traditional dishes! Delicious!!! I've never seen a Mexican restaurant in NJ serve cactus!!

The horchata was great, the tacos fantastic, and the restaurant's specialties were delicious as well. The restaurant is small with about 6-10 tables, plastic table covers, and a single unisex restroom. Although it is small, it is clean and the service is attentive. Everyone is very kind and they remember our orders now fairly well. It's nice to be remembered. The breakfast meals are my favorite things to have on a Sunday morning after church and the people who work there are quite friendly. The food here is authentic and delicious. We are new to the area but have already been there once a week since our arrival. It is that good! Try the marinated pork tacos, horchata, and the breakfast. You will not be disappointed.

We were always taught that it's not the cover of the book but the content within the book that truly matters. Cielito Lindo's cover does not lack for character, but the true gift of this place falls upon your senses when you begin to get inside its rustic cover. Here are a few quotes from the diners at our table: "THE BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER EATEN !!!" "The food was absolutely fantastic, everything ordered was delicious! " "The staff is helpful and friendly. You'll want to order every thing on the menu!!!" "It's so good :)"