El Adobe de Capistrano

This was a nice Mexican Restaurant. Great Margaritas, tasty Watermelon Margaritas. Table side Guacamole was delicious it was made to order mild or hot whatever is your preference. The Shrimp Cocktail was delicious! Lobster tacos were also very filling and a good size if you are looking for a nice filling lunch meal. This was great place can’t wait to go back and try more dishes!

Been a staple in south Orange County for decades. Food is amazing if you can make it i. For happy hour or taco Tuesday it’s a must. Servers are all friendly. They also have ado up pleat private dinning rooms and a great facility for big events like weddings and special celebrations.

We had the great pleasure of hosting our daughter’s wedding at the El Adobe this year! From the very first meeting with our event coordinator, Daniel, I knew we were in the right place. In addition to delicious food, experienced and efficient servers and bartenders, the attitude was always positive, always “yes” to making our dream for this wedding coming true. I couldn’t be more grateful and recommend the El Adobe highly for any event, thank you to everyone and especially our family favorite Daniel!

I do remember how tasty the food was here during a reception from a wedding that I was photographing. I loved how this venue had an outdoor and indoor area with the roof retracting!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at El Adobe and I can't recommend it highly enough! (Side note: This was Richard Nixon's favorite restaurant, they even have a photo over his favorite seat and offer his favorite meal) From the moment we walked in, the server was friendly, attentive, and made great recommendations. The food itself was absolutely excellent; every dish was bursting with authentic flavor and made with fresh ingredients. What's even better is that the prices were very reasonable, making it a fantastic value for the quality of food and service. Finally, the atmosphere was just perfect – lively and welcoming, with beautiful decor that really made it feel like a special occasion. If you're looking for delicious Mexican food, outstanding service, and a great overall experience without breaking the bank, this is the place to go!

I attended to a wedding here and this is a wonderful place to celebrate any special day here especially if you want to enhance the experience with classic Mexican food. The staff was amazing too. I can still taste their incredible tortillas and guacamole

Presdients plate - remarkable sauces for enchilada and chile relleno. Chips and salsa - perfectly crisp and seasoned chips Blackened chicken tacos - delicious sauces Great service and the atmosphere is superb. We love this restaurant now. One of the best for us based on what we ordered. We ll be back for sure.

Dining at El Adobe was a pleasure. I recommend it highly. The food was outstanding and we enjoyed the live musk.

A dog peed on my bag in the waiting lobby. I'm disappointed on the way staff handled the problem since it happened after I paid the bill.

We were in the area for my son's birthday and had to go here for lunch. We were very intrigued with the history Restaurant is beautiful Customer service was excellent Food was delicious and drinks were great We loved how fast the service was and that each person we came in contact with was so friendly and helpful They told us a few ghost stories and we got to go into the wine cellar and check it out Would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone

Beautiful surroundings, it makes you feel like you were in Old California. The service was great. Our waitress was so nice to us. We felt at home. The pictures on Yelp and the reviews were impressive. We ordered Empenadas and Fajitas. Everything looked amazing. The Fajitas came out sizzling and smelling fantastic. We started to feast. The taste of the food set us back. Everything was bland. The salsa was just okay. The fajitas had no seasoning on them at all. The food tasted bland. The empenadas were room temperature on the inside but hot on the outside. That makes we wonder if they used a microwave? The food here is just okay. Everything else is five stars.

Went for lunch and everything was great. The place looks and reminds me of history. It's obvious it's been around a long time, not because of being old, it's seriously kept up and clean, but because the food, service and decor is all perfect. Both me and my buddy's food was perfect. I've seen, many times, guacamole made table side but still, this guacamole was great...10 out of 10. And the food (see pics) was all 10 out of 10. The hostess was nowhere in sight. A waiter came and asked if we've been helped and the , get this, in this day and age of awful service everywhere, this guy took care of us. AND he stayed and was our waiter even though it wasn't his section (obvious because he was in his section waiting on people when he came to help us and there was a waitress helping everyone else where we were).

I love El Adobe, a sit-down Mexican restaurant in San Juan Capistrano. I've only eaten here for private events with set menus but have thoroughly enjoyed my meals here and would happily come for a meal. The set menu began with chips, guacamole, and salsa spread on the tables and I had to slow myself down for the entree because they were so good. I also loved the salad because of the pepita and dressing. The entree was the star of the show though and each component was delicious. The Carne Asada was beautifully grilled and flavorful. I also loved their cheese enchilada as their sauce was so good. I enjoyed the tamale, and the beans and rice paired with the main course so well. I was astounded by the servings and enjoyed leftovers the following days. I've tried 2 of their desserts and preferred their Churro over the Tres Leches Cake, but both were so good. Highly recommend!

OK, so here's the scoop, my favorite Mexican restaurant in Sa. Juan is a five minute walk from here but will it be after this meal let's find out together. Firstly, my favorite item is basically two things flan and a chili Riano. I pretend that I'm an expert on both of these especially because most of my students parents and the PTA would prepare these authentic food items for the staff! Well, the chips arrived, and I wasn't too thrilled with the taste of the salsa. Chips were warm salsa did not have chunks of fresh tomato. Please keep in mind. These are my personal Preferences / flavor, palette in regards to Mexican food. Carne Sada taco, spot on yet it was warm and not hot. The Chano aesthetically was very beautiful once again not hot, just warm. Taste was good, but you could tell it was a "safe taste". The best part of this experience was the waiter. I believe his name was Luis, charismatic made the margarita and the rest of the families margaritas perfectly not too strong, not too weak. The flan dessert was great, probably the best part of the meal with the restaurant, making the cream topping themselves from what I hear and the flan in the restaurant as well. In conclusion, taking into consideration, my two favorite items, flanand chili Reno, the charismatic waiter/bartender, cleanliness, the price/budget. In all honesty, I would have much preferred to have taken the five minute walk to go get the hot and messy, flan and chili Riano, from the place five minutes away! They get four stars. I should make it three because I don't like hearing how wonderful their food is and how they've been there 70 years multiple times. Usually I see a line outside, and I'm glad that I finally went here, because I'm fairly sure now what I like. The other place would've been at least $20 cheaper. And the food would've been super hot, steam coming off of it, and I would have to let the plate cool down, the complete opposite of this place.

As always, food service ambience was excellent. Can't find a better place to eat Mexican food in Orange County.

Today was the 3rd time that it took over 25 minutes to be served any form of drinks . Sat at 1242pm and left at 120 after zero interaction from staff. Clearly running a skeleton staff. It's too bad as the food is good but the prices are going up and the service is going down. Will likely go to Ricardo's down the street instead moving forward

I've always loved this historic restaurant. The food has never been bad, it also has never been outstanding. I really like the black refried beans. I mainly go for the history of the place and ambience. It's also a great location for an event. I feel it's definitely worth a visit.

I have not been to this restaurant and probably 15 years... I was that we stopped in for lunch. It was delicious. We had the table side, guacamole, and chips . I'm a mole girl so I had it and I loved it ! service was fantastic tons of parking in the back

Service is always consistent in a place that is busy almost all day. Today, Ignacio, Christian and Vicente were very attentive and on top of the busy bar and patio and bar area. The new happy hour menu features a $10 nacho plate with shredded beef or chicken. It is an excellent dish and always more than two of us can eat. A top dish for us is the Molcajete, which also is more than large enough for two of us.

My wife and I visited El Adobe for Easter Brunch and it didn't disappoint. The buffet had quite the variety of options and the service was top notch. They even had mariachis playing throughout the restaurant. The overall setting was perfect!!!

Came up from San Diego with high hopes to meet my son and his wife after reading the history of this place. It was our first time there. The main problem here was the service it ruined everything. The waiter was missing in action most of the time and I had to flag out other people to try to get anything. Couldn't get our drink orders in until we finally had to order food and it took forever for them to come. Our food ihaf obviously been sitting out for a long time because it came cold too. Fajitas tasted very cold. I asked for flour tortillas and I got two small size tortillas not enough to handle the fajitas. No waiter to ask for more. No waiter to ask for anything. This was the worst service I've seen in a Mexican restaurant in a long time. They just simply acted like they didn't Care and didn't want to help. There was no friendliness, no talkativeness no nothing. I guess things have changed since President Nixon came. Too bad I won't be going back.

Visiting a friend who bought the "WISH" house in San Clemente. After seeing the castle, like 16000 sq ft, went to lunch. This Mexican restaurant was busy at 1 pm. Good sign. Service was great and food the same. Historical place that Nixon used to eat at. Had his fav plate. Taco chix Enchilada Chili Relleno and beans rice. Very good. Chips good and salsa tasty. Recommend

Funny aftertaste after my taco meal. Mediocre service.Excellent margaritas and lovely patio. It's a SJC institution but not the best restaurant for authentic food. The prices, however, are very reasonable and the portions are large.

Our favorite Mexican restaurant. El Adobe is in a quaint historic building in beautiful San Juan Capistrano. The restaurant is large, and very nice. We have celebrated various special occasions at El Adobe and it's always been a good experience. Our guests enjoyed the food and the ambiance. Their service is always very good and their food is great. A special place, love the President's platter, named after President Nixon.

Still stand by my previous review; food just average. Shrimp taco ok, fish taco not so much. Guacamole was the only thing that was good, but 16 dollars is a hefty price tag for Guac-

Delicious. We walked over from the new shopping/eating area for some classic San Juan cap eats. Everyone really enjoyed their meals, ceviche and margs! Service was quick and super friendly.

We had a great pleasure of hosting our daughter's wedding at the El Adobe this year! From the very first meeting with our event coordinator, Daniel, we knew we were in the right place. In addition to delicious food and experienced and efficient servers and bartenders, the room look beautiful! The attitude was always positive, always "yes" to making our dream for this wedding come true. I couldn't be more grateful and recommend the Adobe highly for any event. Thank you to everyone, especially our family favorite Daniel!

Went here on a double date. We had reservations. If not for reservations there would have been a wait. Busy restaurant, however the service was great and efficient.The food and drinks were good. I ordered the carne asada. The meat could have been seasoned a little more for my taste, however it was tender. I would recommend this restaurant.

So, I ordered the President's Choice plate today. I asked for a shredded beef enchilada, and let me tell you, the shredded beef is always a hit. But Today, it had a bit too much fat for my taste. Lot of pieces of fat. On the bright side, the service, food, and atmosphere are always top-notch.

It'd been years since I stopped in San Juan Capistrano, and upon doing so, we soberly stumbled into El Adobe one Sunday afternoon. The building seemed vaguely historic, but the historic dates didn't seem to match on the various signs, a conflict probably completely ignored by the famously historically-challenged denizens of Orange County. But I digress... The place is very cute, but it was slightly odd that we and everyone else were all seated in what was by far the least interesting of the various dining areas in this quirky building. Although this space wasn't unpleasant, you would think that the restaurant would want to highlight it's best areas when it wasn't particularly busy. Our server was very funny and nice, which was refreshing in a touristy place like this. I ordered the enchiladas suizas, which were good but not amazing. My girlfriend very much liked her fish tacos. The cilantro cucumber margarita was a very well-done and refreshing take on an old standard. It's a great hot day drink, and both of us would order it again in a heartbeat. On the downside, the salsa was very tomato-y and the refried beans quite sub-par. Another oddity -- the weird square plates were way too modern for place that is leaning on a sense of being historic. It seems like a small detail, but is very jarring in this environment. After eating, we poked around the rest of the space and found a pretty cool bar area and an interesting event space. All in all, El Adobe was a bit of a mixed bag, but I'd go definitely back if I was in the area.

Friendly, accommodating staff and delicious food. The historic charm of El Adobe adds so much character to the experience. highly recommend!

Great Authentic Mexican food, friendly servers, impressive happy hours and the ambience is beautiful. Must try the blood orange margarita--amazing!!

Here before a pregame tailgate. Geez, haven't been to San Juan Capistrano in... well let's say it was much smaller town then. Everything we pass has the look of early Spanish architecture including this place. Once inside the interior was vintage. It's been around for awhile - there's a photo collage of Richard Nixon while he was prez on the wall. It's plenty large with an area that could hold a large group. The outdoor patio is a nice venue, they were setting up for a wedding when we arrived. We ended up in the bar for their happy hour specials - the adult beverages were surprisingly reasonably priced. We got the Carne Asada street tacos off the happy hour list. The meat was tender & flavorful, toppings were served on the side. Unfortunately while the meat was delicious it was overly greasy. Hopefully this wasn't a representation of their sit down food.

There's something magical about El Adobe de Capistrano--where history, hospitality, and heritage come together under one roof. I've had the honor of seeing our tequila poured at incredible spots--but to enjoy it here, in such a legendary California landmark, was something truly special. The ambiance? Timeless. The food? Bold and full of heart. We started with their famous table-side guacamole (made with flair and fresh lime), followed by the sizzling fajitas and the carnitas platter--both packed with deep, authentic flavor. El Adobe doesn't just serve food and drinks--they serve an experience steeped in tradition. If you're looking for a place that honors both its past and present, with world-class service and premium tequila in hand, this is it. 5 stars, without hesitation. Salud!

Stopped by for lunch after visiting the Basilica. Food was delicious and the server was very nice. The ambiance was wonderful.Definitely will be back again. We plan on coming back tomorrow for happy hour!

I hosted a 40th Birthday Party on a Monday a few weeks back, and it was both smooth and amazing! Javier and the staff were perfect, their food options were endless with plenty of options to choose from. Staff was on point from beginning to end. I decided on a taco bar with rice and beans. Staff were very accommodating with no host bar. Would definitely recommend this as an option for any aevent, plus they were kid friendly

This Mexican restaurant is a classic in San Juan Capistrano and it is located within a historic site. The atmosphere checks all the boxes for an authentic Mexican restaurant experience. The mouth-watering guacamole and chips was a great way to start. I wish the chips would have been a bit saltier but that's just my preference. I ordered the two enchilada salad. Basically they just substitute a Romain lettuce salad with pepitas for the rice and beans. It was good. Not the best enchiladas, in my opinion, but ok. Our server was attentive. There was no shortage of drink refills which is always a plus. Don't forget to have some dessert. It's definitely worth it to eat here for the beautiful decor and ambiance.

Amazing food. Amazing Atmosphere. Amazing bartenders. I come from north OC. 10/10 going to be a regular.

This is a beautiful historical restaurant, amazing service and delicious authentic Mexican food!

Amazing food great service I had left my credit card and they held it for me Real old town Mexico ambiance

Food is prepared with a lot of TLC, fresh ingredients and reasonable portions and prices. Drinks are solid! The location is great as a base for restaurant and neighboring bars to check out.

Good Mexican food in San Juan! Tastes authentic, the location is beautiful, and the service is exceptional. We stopped in for lunch on Monday, 11/.25, and we sat out a two-top in the corner, which was nice and quiet for us to chat. I ordered the elote as a starter, and it was so good! The corn was sweet, with a little char, and the light mayo had some tajin. For lunch, I ordered a cheese enchilada with rice and beans. Great food and salsa. I would come back here again!

Super special spot, very old and historic building. We came on new year's eve last year and Christmas eve this year. The presidents favorite dish was huge, enough for two meals. You get to try a bunch of different things with it. Mariachi band was excellent, really added to the ambience. Service was a little slow but not horrible. Overall a great place for a holiday dinner.

They have a large parking lot and beautiful ambiance. The restaurant is well lit. Service could be better. The server seemed impatient and kept on hovering around us after we told him we needed more time to decide. We felt pressed to order right away just so he would leave us alone. And while we were dining, he kept on interrupting when we were mid conversation. I understand that he needed to do table touches but we would have flagged him down if we needed anything. Reading the room goes a long way. Food was just ok. Nothing stood out. They have the same side condiments for the appetizers so everything seemed to taste the same. Nice restaurant if you're a tourist.

Absolutely love this restaurant! Great food and great service! The bar and restaurant are very inviting. If you have a banquet or wedding they have a beautiful very large courtyard off the ballroom.

I was really excited to try this place and ordered the carnitas--one soft taco and one hard taco. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The meat didn't look fresh and had an unappetizing appearance, which took away from the experience. Hoping this was just an off day, because I had high hopes.

Adorable ambiance. It feels like you have entered an old Spanish era. We came here super early in the morning so we got seated very quickly. The restaurant did fill up closer to 12 pm. Our server was pleasant. We got the skinny margarita and the fall sangria to drink. The margarita was decent. The sangria was delicious and very light. The alcohol content was pretty low overall. The complimentary chips and salsa were ok. I would've liked the salsa to have more of a hit. For food, I got the blackened fish tacos and my friend got the President's choice combination plate (chilli relleno, enchilada, beef taco with rice and beans). The tacos were delicious and definitely filling. I only ate one of the two. I got the Spanish rice with chicken broth and it was so so yummy! Highly recommend that option over the white rice option. The chilli relleno was excellent and not spicy. The enchilada was also delicious. All in all, a good experience. I would recommend this restaurant to people exploring this area.

Sat at the bar and had the worst plate of nachos. I can't believe I was at a Mexican restaurant. I've had better at an Irish bar. The cheese wasn't completely melted and there was this nasty brown demi glace sauce on it like you would put on a steak. I barely touched it. I think people go here because the prices are cheap especially at happy hour, but if you want quality, authentic Mexican, this ain't it.

Good service and good. I'd heard of this place from some coworkers, one even had their wedding here, so when we were going to see a show nearby, I made a reservation for lunch. The food was really good, good sized portion too. My only complaint, is that the mariachi's were loud in the small room. They played well and sounded great, just loud...so was hard to talk with people at my table.

The best authentic Mexican food in Orange County maybe even Southern California. Always fresh organic food prepared my great Mexican chefs. Beautiful restaurant with plenty of parking in the back in downtown San Juan Capistrano. Everything on the menu is fantastic. They make their own salsa tortillas and pastries and they're all fantastic. One of my all-time favorites is their huevos rancheros. Yum Yum. Of course they have a great bar with fantastic mixed drinks and Mexican beers. Of course the service is fantastic. Everybody is friendly . They have a huge banquet room for special celebrations and weddings. It's an Orange County treasure.. if I could give it 10 stars, I would

We decided to give this restaurant a try. They had live music which got our attention. We were seated within a few minutes. We were also on a time crunch so we were ready to order all at once. Our food got to us before our drinks. Our server was very nice but I feel like she was MIA most of the time. We flagged down other servers for certain things cause our server was no where. The food was okay. It did not taste authentic. It was more Tex-Mex. We still ate it, it was edible, but could be better. Our drinks finally came. It was waaaaay too strong. Not enjoyable. We had to ask for more juice. We were ready to pay and again, our server no where to be found another gentleman grabbed our card an said he would give to our server. I wouldn't recommend this place. Everyone was very kind though.

We were in a hurry and received speedy service. Generous portions. Good salsa! Hadn't been at El Adobe in years and it is still excellent.

This used to be our favorite restaurant 15 yrs ago! since then it has gone down hill fast! I had a family reunion at the El Adobe about 5 years ago, it was the worst experience ever! the staff was so rude, just awful people! they just spoke Spanish in the corner & never took our orders. I promised myself I would never to go to this restaurant again. you are better off going to another Mexican restaurant until they change managevent. maybe one day they can bring the restaurant back to its glory! but until now go elsewhere!

Our server was friendly and attentive. He was even good natured about me practicing "mi español". I had the Mole enchiladas and blackened shrimp tacos. The tacos were good, but nothing spectacular. I really like the mole though. It had a great flavor balance of sweet and savory.

El Adobe is a cool spot with pretty good food. Here's how my first time went: When you get there, there's not much parking but luckily we circled around and found the only open spot. We walked in and checked in (we had a reservation) and it took about 5 minutes to be seated. There's live music playing and a lot of tables in different rooms. The music was loud but luckily not too loud to where to you can't have a conversation. We sat at our table and were quickly given waters, chips and salsa. We ordered pretty quickly and the food came out quickly. The enchiladas suizas were pretty good. The fajitas were really good. The bill is given with a QR code on it so you can scan and pay from your phone using Apple Pay which was actually very convenient and easy. Wouldn't say it's the best Mexican food in the world but the service was good and it was an overall good experience.

Fantastic food and service!! Went there for a rehearsal dinner. Private room, food was terrific.

Service was great and the food was excellent. I had the carne asada combination plate. Chips and salsa were really good too, I almost got full on that before my meal came lol.