Fish Gaucho

I was pleased with the quality of the food — the dishes were well-prepared, flavorful, and clearly made with fresh ingredients. However, the service delay was notable and quite uncommon based on my experience. At the end of the meal, I ordered a dessert, but the check arrived before the dessert was even served. It took approximately 15 minutes for the dessert to be brought to the table, which disrupted the overall flow and closing of the dining experience. With more efficient service, the level of hospitality could truly match the quality coming out of the kitchen.

Met some local friends while passing through Paso Robles and they recommended this place. We enjoyed the great service, the pleasing atmosphere, and the delicious food. I have to knock a star off, though, because the table was unpleasantly sticky. I think this happens when varnished wood tables are cleaned with the wrong type of cleaner? Also, there was no salt on the table and the freshly made chips needed salt. These nit picks are really just for the purpose of making an excellent place even better. Another suggestion: please note that the fish in many of the fish tacos is deep fried. I should’ve asked, but just didn’t think of it. I just assumed that it would be grilled fish. So I was disappointed to find that both my taco choices were deep-fried. That being said, they were scrumptious. Especially the pineapple salsa and the pickled red onions.

Outstanding food. The enchiladas were my favorite! We also loved the shrimp ceviche and nachos. Friendly wait staff and food came out quick! One suggestion is to be more upfront about the cost of bottled water, they have complimentary water…but I felt it was a little sneaky about how it was framed at the start.

Excellent halibut tacos - among the best I've eaten. Then why knock off one star you ask? This time it's for value... An order of 4 tiny soft tacos $36 and at that price, a tiny cup of hot sauce (again excellent) jabbed and additional $2. Really? Remember - they open at 3 pm on weekdays - it took us months to finally drive through Paso Robles at a time when they're open!

Absolutely flavorful delicious food & great cocktail mixology. Service is excellent, I love the way, even when another waiter walks by, they pick up what’s finished, even if not on there tables. Fabulous team work & training, with has to be excellent management. Everybody is so ☺️ young and they work so hard.

Fish Gaucho served innovative fresh Mexican food. Don’t miss the chicken burrito. Great tequilas. But that said, please stop charging me extra for a small bowl of salsa to accompany an entree I already paid $33 for. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. That said, I would return for the quality of the food.

Amazing Mexican restaurant! Food was fresh and delicious with plenty of GF & vegetarian options. The mezcal craft cocktails were also excellent! The staff is very attentive and friendly. Of note, the patio is dog-friendly. We highly recommend this restaurant and would definitely return.

Fish Gaucho has good food and large portions—but let’s talk about the prices: absolutely ridiculous. It’s the kind of place where you pay for chips and salsa, and everything feels a very overpriced for the vibe. That said, the food itself was solid. Fresh, well-prepared, and flavorful. The margarita was fine—not bad, but definitely not worth the premium price. Minimal pour, minimal booze, maximum cost. Overall: it’s good enough that we’d come back, but the pricing makes it feel more like a splurge than a casual Mexican spot.

Date Night, M got us tickets over at Villa Robles Amphitheatre to see and hear "Happy Together" a sixty and seventies concert for our generation. First was dinner here at the Fish Gaucho, one of my favorite restaurants in the county. 5:30 reservations on a Sunday was a good idea too. We parked a couple blocks away and waited about ten minutes for "our" table. Okay, we sat inside, too breezy for the patio, plus we're goin' to be outside for the show so...I had pulled up the menu from our Yelp app and pretty much decided what we would like for dinner. Drinks first, M passed and I ordered a mango iced tea. Honestly there wasn't much ice and pretty much no mango, I didn't bother to look at what that cost me. Dinner was ordered, we started with shrimp ceviche. Oh my was that ever good. Two corn tostadas piled high with a mixture of shrimp, fish, avocado, and pomegranates. Soon enough came the pozole soup for M and the short rib enchiladas (3) for me. I especially liked the enchilada sauce, not too spicy, defiantly made in house it had a good rich flavor that complemented the short ribs. That was a meal I would enjoy every day if I could make it myself...most excellent! We scarfed it down with plenty of time to catch the show, which we also enjoyed. A great date night I highly recommend dinner and a show, it pleases every time. Foodguy-Martin

Fish Gaucho is definitely one of those "bougie Mexican" spots that looks cool on the surface but falls flat on flavor and value. I came in excited to try the tacos, but honestly, they were street taco-sized with a fine dining price tag -- totally not worth it. On top of that, they were dry, which made them even more underwhelming. What really threw me off was the $3 charge for salsa. I don't mind paying for good salsa, but this wasn't it. Pretty basic quality for what they're charging -- feels like they're just tacking on fees because they can. The whole menu feels like they're trying too hard to make Mexican food "elevated" by throwing micro greens on top of everything and calling it gourmet. It's giving more style than substance. Plenty of better, more authentic options around if you're craving tacos -- this one's a skip for me.

Enjoyed a busy Downtown Paso Friday evening sampling Fish Gaucho- started with the shrimp ceviche, citrusy/tangy and sweet, then the fantastic wagyu beef nachos and queso fresco with pickled onions on top, and then enjoyed some grilled halibut fish tacos, also tasty. The Gaucho Cadillac margarita is not to be missed! What was missing, (and disappointing) the Churros for dessert! Apparently they were removed from the menu... (as a trombone: wah, wah, waaaahh... ) All in all, a great night, good food, atmosphere and service. Would recommend!

Wow what amazing time we had. Food was delicious I order pozole and omg AMAZING flavors ! All the food was delish the service is A plus ! The place is well keep and tables are well spaced . Love the ambiance and the music . Miley was wonderful and on top Of everything we neeed iHere are some pics of the food my family order as well !

Nice decor and comfortable seating. Very good service but felt a little forced. I kept feeling that the answers to any questions we had about the menu were designed to upsell us. Ultimately, the food was just "okay". We had some really good ceviche as an appetizer, but the remainder of the meal wasn't as satisfying. I'd had high hopes for a Lobster Enchilada that sounded delicious on the menu, but fell a little short with not too much lobster in a pretty one-dimensional filling. I didn't dislike it, but definitely didn't feel like I was eating a rich and succulent seafood dish either.

Came to Paso for a girls weekend and stopped in at this place with a party of 4. We were seated at the bar, but it did not disappoint the service and food/drinks were so good. Definitely get a reservation prior to coming with a big group. 10/10 recommend the Jalapeño margarita and halibut fish tacos. I asked for spicy house salsa and it was so hot it's made w ghost peppers.

This is one of our go to places in Paso. Definitely recommend getting reservations here. Cocktails are fantastic and have something for everyone. Food is a little pricey but I call this style fine dining mexican. Our go to is the enchilada soup and you get a ton of soup. Very good quality and full of flavor. We never leave disappointed and hungry. Service is always very good and efficient. Definitely recommend checking this place out.

We were in town for one night and came here for dinner. They have great patio seating that is also covered (it was a windy night), which was perfect for our dog. The inside ambiance looked very nice, and there was a full bar, too. I had their meat tacos, and my husband had shrimp tacos, and for an app, we ordered ceviche with the day's fish. The ceviche was good with a generous portion. My tacos were also very tasty; the meat was tender and flavorful. I think it was a bit overpriced for these 3 dishes, and tips ended up being around $100 for dinner without any drinks, but maybe that's an average price for around here. The service was good, and the food came out quickly. Overall, we had a good experience, and if you want some good tacos with a bit of a fancier/nicer atmosphere, this is a good place to come.

I'm brutally honest and I believe my judgment is valid as I am Gen Z and I'm a stoner and I am a big foodie. First things first I was definitely skeptical about coming in here because I am Mexican and this is a white version of my culture so I did have my doubts, but it was actually pretty good. I got the Chilaquiles, my friend got the Chile verde and the pazole. The chilaquiles were so good definitely couldn't mess this up and you have to ask for a side of sour cream to really balance it out. The chile verde was questionable because it had mashed potatoes but the meat was really tender and we enjoyed. As for the pazole the cup was a perfect amount so you don't get too full but overall I give it a 7.5 maybe an 8/ 10! Good job and the decor is super nice.

My significant other chose Fish Gaucho for their early 1/2 bday celebration & it was splendid! Prices were a some what steep but the quality & time between friends & family are priceless(: Honestly never order the pork chop(pictures below), but i was delighted i did. Moist, juicy & lean. Usually i dont even like brussel sprouts but that plate was bare when it left the table.

The family and I had dinner at Fish Gaucho on New Year's Day. This place has been on my radar for a long time and I was looking forward to trying it. Our reservation was for 6:30 which, by the way, I very early for us to eat dinner. We arrived around 6:20 and were seated outside on the heated patio. Daniel arrived to take our order. The Mrs. and I started out with The Gaucho, which is the house Margarita while we looked over the menu. Fish Gaucho is a Tequila bar so if Tequila and Mezcal are your thing, this is the place for you. Personally, Señora Mezcal and I don't get along and Señorita Tequila have a love/hate relationship. We stuck to ordering appetizers. To start, we ordered the Morro Bay Guacamole. I've never had named guacamole and wondered what made it Morro Bay Guacamole. However, I decided to let the guac remain mystery rather than ask Daniel about its origins. I have to say it was pretty darn good guacamole. The next dish we ordered was the Wagyu Tartar. Which was 4oz. of finely chopped Snake River Farms flat iron, topped with a farm fresh egg yolk, Felipe's hot sauce, chive oil, cilantro, chives, and beet purée, served with toast points. I'm a HUGE fan of steak tartar, but I really didn't enjoy Fish Gaucho's version. I feel the amount of heat brought on by the hot sauce took away from the Wagyu. Next was the Shrimp Ceviche which consisted of marinated shrimp, grilled mango salsa, avocado, pomegranate, cucumber, chive oil, lime, lemon, micro greens, cilantro and parsley on crisp corn tostadas. The presentation of the ceviche wasn't what we were used to. Overall, it was a good dish. I just think it would be better served with chips rather than stacked on a tostada shell. For our final dish we ordered the Carnitas Tacos. Which were pineapple carnitas topped with pineapple pepper salsa, cabbage, Oaxaca cheese, micro greens, served on corn tortillas. They were good but just a little too sweet for me. The food at Fish Gaucho to me was good but not great. However, the service we received from Daniel and the rest of the staff was great.

The Nachos were very, very tasty. I would suggest it to two people if you're a smaller eater, as I had to take some home, but that's not bad. If you love pickled onions, you will love this! I ordered a custom drink as well, a Midori sour. It was delicious, and I definitely would order this again. The service was excellent! The server we had was Millie, who was very attentive. The only thing is they forgot to give us our chips and trio dip, but we were full after eating, so it's alright. Overall, the inside of the restaurant was lovely and chatty, with a rustic design.

The Palamo & the Jalapino Margarita were stellar! Could have partaken in 6 of these!! We heard their short rib dishes were on point! That was no lie!! Chile Relleno fundido appetizer could be a meal! Then we shared the Chile Verde de Gaucho! Everything was amazing!

Came here because of the good reviews and they have an outdoor area for our dog. We called to make a reservation, we were 5 min away at the park, and we were seated without any issues. They're known for their tequila/mezcal so we got a margarita and a Paloma. The Paloma tasted stronger than the margarita. We got here around 1pm so we took advantage of the lunch menu/special: half order of nachos and mix n match tacos. The green sauce is amazing, I poured that on everything. Definitely recommend if you have a dog and want good food and drinks!

We were craving Fish Tacos on the way down to Los Alamos,, and Yelp! guided us to Fish Gaucho. We shared a cup of pozole, which was a very generous portion, and we ordered the mango cod tacos and the ahi tacos. The cod tacos were good, but they were a total, messy pain to eat. The ahi tacos were DELICIOUS! This place definitely delivered on what we were craving.

2 stars for the food. The service was poor enough to remove the other 3 stars. Out of state party of 7 that had booked a reservation based on a recommendation from a winery. Waitress did not review the specials at all and merely came by to take the order. They brought another table's drink to our table. No big deal. When ordering, a member of our party was on the mend from major dental surgery and had specifically asked the waitress of the Alaskan Halibut with Elote had any spice, including black pepper. The waitress stated that there were serrano chilis in the Elote but they could remove them. Perfect. Dinner is served and after a few bites, the party member is in severe pain. Turns out they blend an entire jalapeno in the sauce that is covering the entire dish! Our party member is unable to eat for the rest of the night due to the pain. Waitress never returned to ask about refills or if we wanted to order another drink. She didn't inquire about dessert and just left the check. Maybe it's because she was guaranteed a 20% tip due to the restaurant policy that she just did not care. Definitely spreading the word to all friends and family that visit Paso to avoid this place as they deserve to be treated better for the kind of money this place was asking.

We were in town last weekend and made a reservation we felt rushed the whole time we were seated at a tiny table close to the bar but it was so uncomfortable. We had the pozole which was good and the taquitos which were really good and flavorful we were never asked if we wanted chips or salsa my drink finally showed up when my pozole came something was just off and it wasn't even busy. We love the ambiance and the restaurant but this time it was a miss for me

Great service, however the food was ok, I'd recommend the happy hour if you're looking to experience and explore the menu. We made reservations based on high recommendations and while I really wanted to give this a better rating based on the initial attentiveness of the server, unfortunately, my main entree was a huge miss. Next time I'm in the area, I'll be back for the ceviche as it was wonderful; and think this is a better choice for happy hour. My entree was beautifully plated but unfortunately, the flavor was a huge miss. The scallops were cooked perfectly however the rest of the flavors of dish did not work well together. Maybe it's me but I think scallops on their own are sweet and delicate and the puréed sweet potatoes with coconut did not work together for my palate. The broccolini was also covered in oil which made it inedible for me. My partner made a better choice as he ordered the short rib enchiladas. Another unique dish but in this case, it worked. The short rib meat was tender and well seasoned. They are rich in flavor so he was only able to eat one and took the other 2 home which allowed me to try them the following day.

Friendly staff and food was great. Had the mango taco and steak tacos, ceviche and Brussels sprouts.

Fish Gaucho's patio was the perfect spot for a weekend lunch. There was some sort of happy hour food deal going on, so we got the half order of nachos ($14) and the surf and turf tacos ($24). Service was great. We were sat right away and checked on throughout our meal. We stopped in for a bite in between wine tasting, so we didn't try any of the cocktails -- I'll have to do a follow up visit!

Went for happy hour and started with the nachos, and they were so good. Super flavorful, loaded with toppings, and honestly one of the best I've had. I don't usually like beans, but they were actually amazing on these. The tacos were smaller than I expected for the price, but maybe that's just because it was happy hour? Either way, the short rib taco was the best, super tender and flavorful. Also, if you're looking for something different and fresh, I'd definitely recommend the ahi tuna dish!

I think my family members over hyped this spot so I came in with high expectations. I got 4 tacos, 2 fish and 2 brisket. They were good but not incredible. I found the ingredients to be a bit bland and the flavors a little out of balance (e.g. way too many pickled onions dominating the fish). Brisket was the better of the 2 tacos I tried. Overall would return but wouldn't seek out.

Food & service was wonderful! Great food and atmosphere at Fish Gaucho! Service was good, but a bit slow. Still loved it!

Located right in the heart of Downton Paso, Fish Gaucho is one of the more popular restaurants in the area. They have a beautiful bar area with an extensive list of tequilas. They offer both indoor and patio seating options and it was honestly pretty busy on a Monday evening, but luckily we were seated right away. // COCKTAILS // Watermelon Mint Margarita: Locally harvested watermelon, fresh mint, agave, lime, tequila, chile salt. Fresh and sweet watermelon juice mixed with the normal margarita ingredients made for a perfect drink to go along with the food! 4.5/5 The Jalepine Margarita: Fire-roasted jalapeno and pineapple, tequila, agave, lime, chile salt. Garnished with a roasted pineapple and actually spicy jalapeno, this was a nice twist on a normal margarita. 4/5 // FOOD // Morro Bay Guacamole: Fresh and served with tortilla chips. 4/5 Chile Verde de Gaucho: Braised beef short rib in a salsa verde sauce over jalapeno mashed potatoes, farm fresh egg, served with grilled asparagus and flour tortillas. A large portion of short rib which was cooked perfectly. I honestly didn't taste any of the jalapenos in the mashed potatoes which was slightly disappointing. The grilled asparagus provided some nice veggie addition to the dish since it was pretty dense and heavy. 3.5/5 Alaskan Halibut con Deconstructed Elote: Street style corn, spring pea puree, mezcal brown sugar butter. Perfectly prepared halibut - nice and flaky and not dry at all. The pea puree and corn were sweet and provided a nice texture to the dish. 4/5 Overall, I thought the food was very good at Fish Gaucho. They have a lot of other options on the menu such as tacos, enchiladas, steaks, seafood options. Our server let us know that their tacos are about the size of LA street tacos and is served with 4 of them. I will definitely come back here the next time I'm in Paso to try some of the other dishes and cocktails.

Visited during happy hour and was quite surprised at how pricey it was. We ordered guacamole, ahi crudo, mango cod tacos, and nachos. The food was mediocre. The guacamole was pretty basic--nothing special. The ahi crudo was refreshing and tasty. The mango cod tacos were good, though overfilled and difficult to eat. As for the nachos, I wouldn't recommend them; they were unpleasant and looked unappetizing. The drinks were decent but didn't feel worth the happy hour price. Given the high cost, I wouldn't return.

Service= 5 Food=4 Value=3 Ambiance=4 Tequila selection =5 Hannah took great care of us! We loved the service and the vibe was great. It was just shy of a 5 for us, food wise. We have already recommended it to friends for service and tequila.

The food here is spectacular. The short rib tacos are some of the best tacos we've ever eaten. The chips were delicious and the drinks were perfect. I wasn't a big fan of the lobster enchiladas because the kale gave them a bitter taste. I've never seen kale in enchiladas and I personally think they did not add a good flavor.

Lots of choices to choose from Fish cerviche, quinoa ahi salad, and sea bass/mushrooms/carrot puree/broccolini were delicious. Atmosphere is casual, and service was excellent They also have a huge selection of tequila, margaritas & a full bar.

Fish Gaucho's is a twist on Mexican food & has a large tequila selection. My favorite item on the menu is the nachos! The restaurant is lively & the perfect spot for a margarita & bite!

Overpriced bland Mexican food. You're paying for the atmosphere. Wouldn't come again.

One of favorite spots in Paso! The fish can't get any fresher, the drinks are always perfectly balanced, the food is just next level! Highly recommend trying a fish/taco as well as the short rib tacos!!( not pictured because we ate them so fast!) PS they just opened a tiki bar right next door, go check it out!

Had a great meal at the Fish Gaucho. Chips and 3 kinds of salsa and guacamole welcomed us. I had the sea bass which was delicious. Hubby had the ahi quinoa salad which was amazing. Great variety on their menu.

Got here without any reservations, luckily early enough to get a table. The hostess wasn't the friendliest. However Pablo, our waiter, was very attentive and friendly and made up for the unfriendliness. Loved their chips and salsa trio, the food was okay, but not impressive.

Fish Gaucho is in the heart of downtown Paso Robles, a nice place to stop for dinner after touring the many wineries in the area. However, if you're expecting mind blowing food, this isn't the place. The food had nice presentation but was not impressive in flavor. The seasoning tasted quite literally like salt and pepper. Although the menu names were interesting, there was nothing unique about it. - The chile verde de Gaucho was $36 and had 4 tortillas, an egg, sauce, asparagus, and braised beef on mash potato. - The flat iron carne asada was $33 has 4 tortillas, bell peppers, and 5 pieces of steak on mash potato. -The fish ceviche was $16 didn't have enough chips for the amount of ceviche. I've had much better ceviche for half the price The price was too expensive for the portion size and the complexity of flavors. The total plus tip came out to $107 for 2 people with no left overs. I expected more for the price I had to pay. The atmosphere was alright. I sat at the bar and it was entertaining watching the bartenders make drinks. They had a huge selection of alcohol on the shelves and even had wine on tap (an uncommon sight). Things I wish I knew before going: - Arrive early to put your name down. I went around 6:30pm and had to wait 50 minutes for 2 seats at the bar - Parking on all streets are pretty full during dinner time, so expect to park 5-10 minutes away as needed - Service is slow and not attentive. We waited 30-40 minutes for the entrees to come out

I don't know if we managed to pick some of the absolute worst items on the menu or what? They have an extensive cocktail menu and wine list. Possibly, the drinks are the strong suit here. I ordered the mango agua fresca ($8.50) and my bf ordered what the DUCK!!! ($18). We were both happy with our choices here 4/5. While we ordered drinks, our server asked "do you want chips and salsa too?". It would have been nice if she told us there was a charge ($6.50) for this just so we had a heads up. The aguachile of the day was halibut sashimi in a sweet chile sauce ($8.50). The halibut was fishy and weirdly sticky and the chile sauce was overpoweringly sweet. We asked for some limes (it desperately needed some acid in the mix) and we received them, but they were super dry. We managed to squeeze a couple drops out, put it all on a chip and managed to get it down. This was a huge miss. 0/5 I ordered the halibut con elote ($37). The halibut was so dry and overcooked, it was stringy. It was also totally unseasoned. Mixing it with the elote and sauce helped with the flavor and dryness, but the elote was so spicy from all the intermingled peppers, I could only do so much of that. My bf, the human garbage disposal, didn't even want to touch the rest. We always take leftovers home so we don't waste. Nope, not this! 1/5 The bf loves chile verde so the chile verde de gaucho ($36) caught his eye. The short rib and sauce were not particularly flavorful. The asparagus ends were so tough and fibrous he had to spit it out. 3/5 The presentation of the drinks and food were very nice. The decor of the restaurant was also cool. Service was present, but it felt pretty cold and methodical from the host to our server. I had Fish Gaucho bookmarked since our last visit to Paso when we went to dinner across the way at the Hatch (see my five star review, btw) and saw lots of people waiting for a table. Made reservations on Tock as soon as I planned this trip for our anniversary. (We did receive a happy anniversary card at our table when we arrived, which was a nice gesture.). Suffice it to say, we won't be returning.

The food wasn't authentic. The service took 30-40 minutes. The ambiance was just fine. We had the asada and halibut and it wasn't good

Fish Gaucho is a really cute restaurant in downtown Paso Robles! The decor is really rustic and cute. We came on a Saturday for two and there was no wait. Plenty of people enjoying their afternoon inside. I ordered the strawberry basic margarita, the mango cod tacos, the Brussels sprouts and the chips and guacamole. The chips and guac were good, you can tell the chips aren't stale. The guac is is on the creamier side instead of the chunky side. The mango cod tacos were good but nothing to write home about. The Brussels were okay, a tad dry. Overall it's a cute place to visit if you're in town but it's definitely your more polished Mexican food.

Had a great New Year's early dinner at Fish Gaucho today! Had a reservation but ended up getting there early, we were still seated very quickly with essentially no wait. Hubs ordered his fave chili verde de gaucho and I decided to try their waygu burrito special. We always visit fish gaucho despite living a few hours away and the staff noticed we didn't order our typical salsa trio with guac and came to double check on us. The best part was they remembered that I enjoy sliced cucumbers instead of chips. The level of care and customer service here was exceptional considering we only visit 1x a month to every other month. Just shows they care about their people Anyway food was great per usual, way too much but done oh so well!

We come to Paso Robles at least twice a year and we ALWAYS have dinner at Fish Gaucho. The waitstaff are attentive, the food is consistently excellent, and we love sitting near the bar to watch the amazing bartenders create a wide array of adult beverages. The short rib tacos and guac with chips and salsa trio never disappoint. We are forever customers at this local treasure.

We were in Paso Robles wine tasting and this place was highly recommended for their cocktails, so we stopped by for some HH drinks and a quick bite. You're able to enjoy HH anywhere in the restaurant, but it was pretty busy so we sat at the bar. We tried the Cadillac margarita and mach1 margarita, both so good. The fish tacos and ahi tuna were very fresh and flavorful. The only thing we had that wasn't great was the salsas, those lacked any flavor. Service was fast and friendly. Overall a really nice place. Would recommend if you're in the area and want Mexican food.

Had the mahi prawns. I'm usually not a fish person but the fish was very well cooked. Everything was so good!! Our food did take a little long to come, but our server was so nice that she brought out some complementary chips and guacamole for the table. Pleasant experience!

Fish Gaucho in Paso Robles = instant good time. Rolled in deep with a party of 12 and somehow, the vibes stayed high and the wine stayed flowing. The team didn't flinch--service was smooth, friendly, and impressively fast considering our crew basically took over half the restaurant. The food? So good. Fresh, bold, and packed with flavor. The ceviche was bright and zesty, the fish tacos were a hit all around the table, and the guac disappeared in seconds. Don't sleep on their tequila selection either--it's deep, and the bartenders know their stuff. Perfect spot for big groups, celebrations, or just catching up with friends over solid food and cocktails. Fish Gaucho knows how to throw down without trying too hard--and that's the magic.

Food is very good. Very nice fish and Southwest fusion, with many delicious choices. Can be loud in there and reservations are usually a must.

Assistance - Balance - Cleanliness - Deliciousness - Environment + Full version: Assistance - We arrived to find our reservation was missing. The hostess aregued that we must not have made one. So we waited for a table to become available, in the rain. Eventually we got in. Our waitress told us no on every request and did not accommodate. "Could we get some plain guacamole without anything but avocado and salt?" -"No we make it all mixed, you can order a side of avocado" "Can I get a small bowl so I can mash the avocado myself?" -"No it comes on a side plate." "Do you have salt?" -"No, I'll get you a bowl of salt from the kitchen" "Can we keep a menu at the table in case we want dessert?" -"No we don't do dessert." I wish I was kidding. These were the actual interactions. Then we ended up waiting for a long time as our waitress decided to hand out and chat with some people at another table, RIGHT NEXT TO OURS, SHE STOOD THERE CHATTING AND IGNORED US AND LET OUR ORDERS GET COLD! So Assistance... Double triple bad marks! Balance - Quantity was far surpassed by Price. I've endured many tapas restaurants, even the best of French Cuisine, and they still had more food on the plate than this place. Not to mention the quality... Cleanliness - Our table has crumbs and a wadded straw wrapper, the shared bathroom was disgusting, no soap, the restaurant itself was a total mess. Not great. If all that wasn't bad enough, when we did get dessert, which they did actually server, contrary to our incredibly rude all-knowing waitresses commentary, she decided to stack one ON TOP OF ANOTHER TO CARRY IT ALL. Not on a platter or her arm, but ON TOP OF THE OTHER FOOD! Deliciousness - What food we did get was spicy, over cooked, the fresh tortillas were stale and dry, one dessert was like eating brick and mortar, the waiter we flagged down for service since our waitress was busy chatting for over half an hour at one table (we timed it after waiting for what felt like forever) told us it was a "dense cake". It was stale dry brick with syrupy mess drizzled on it and whipped cream... Environment +/- Although the restaurant seemed more like a dance club, music so loud we couldn't hear each other half the time, a bar so packed they had rows of people surrounding it, an open kitchen that people could walk into, the actual themed design of modern cowpoke was not lost. Altogether, with a lack of quality, quantity, cleanliness, and HORRENDOUS service by an angry Boomer, I'd steer clear of this restaurant until they get their act together. The bar and boogie scene is for clubs, not restaurants.

Fish Gaucho was by far the best Mexican food we've had in California. Service was wonderful. They greeted us with champagne. We stated with the ahí crudo and it was a true explosion of flavors to the palate. The short rib tacos were exquisite. The meat was incredibly tender. The picked red Fresno added just the right kick. They have the biggest selection of tequila and mezcal. Haven't seen that in other restaurants around the area. Highly recommend the Paloma- very refreshing. I suggest making reservations, they get very full.

The double cut pork chop was a bit too dry. We were told it was sous vide. The Halibut was definitely overdone and we were told it was waiting on the pork chop. The kitchen did not handle the timing properly. They were not too busy yet, as we were there at 5 or so. I did not complain as we just wanted a nice stress free dinner. The server was very friendly.

From service to quality of ingredients to the execution; pure perfection. We dream of this place. Travel from Monterey often and come here, Every. Single. Time. And never regret it. And you won't either.

3.75 stars rounded up. Fish Gaucho brightens up the corner it resides on with its rustic charm & lively atmosphere. Though I could've gone for seafood, as the restaurant name suggests is their speciality, I wanted nachos (as I often do) & theirs came with turf rather than surf; the cleverly-named Oaxaca Flocka Nachos ($20.50) was topped with wagyu ground beef which had a strong, beefy flavor. I also enjoyed the Oaxaca queso blanco, which was a bit spicy & melted beautifully, as well as the chunks of fresh avocado & pickled onions which the rich dish desperately needed. High praise from both my bf for his Flat Iron Carne Asada ($33) after he added S+P & for our dining partner's Ceviche del Dia ($16) made with halibut. Non-oily chips & well-made guac appetizer ($12.50.) Strong tequila-based Watermelon Mint ($16.50.) Refreshing agua frescas but a little light in flavor -- Mint Limonada & Tropical Mango were $8.50 each. Pretty good modern Mexican food, albeit smallish portions for the price. Satisfying first meal at Fish Gaucho but doesn't call for a second visit, as I've tried everything I wanted from their menu.

Didn't have much food, just a shrimp ceviche that surprisingly was a great portion from the appetizers section. Came for the mezcal and didn't disappoint. Bartender is super nice and attentive! Great vibes also.