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Mexican food restaurant est. 2013 in the New Monterey area. Casual, colorful decor. Order at the counter, and food is served in to-go style (disposable ware). Menu is all-vegan and uses some faux meats. Dishes offered include crispy potato tacos, fajitas with side of rice and beans, tortilla chips, taquitos, tamales, and combination platters. Horchata and cake available. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-8:30pm, Fri 11:00am-3:30pm, Sun 11:00am-8:30pm.
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791 Foam St, Monterey, California, USA, 93940
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 17 Jun 2024 by Guest
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365 Reviews
First Review by magickbaby
Corrigan
Points +465
Great Mexican food - Edit
Crispy potato tacos are a must! We also had the chicken burrito which was also fantastic
Read moreGuest
carokris
Points +93
Large tasty portions! - Edit
We really enjoyed our lunch here on a recent visit to Monterey. The portions were very large; the chips were fresh; everything was prepared to order. There are a lot of “alternative meat” options, but we stuck with the mushroom filled empanadas (which came on a huge platter), beans and rice.
Read moreGuest
Freckles_
Points +659
Home-style Mexican Food - Edit
This place checked all the boxes for a regular quick-service mexican restaurant. The vibes were nice and the place was running smoothly. The food was the best I've had. I ordered the combo #1 with the chicken tamale and green sauce enchilada. The tamale was outstanding but the enchilada stole the show. I would come back and order the enchiladas 100%. Other people in my party ordered the combo #3 and the burrito with cactus which were also very good! We also tried the blue zones inspired dish resembling a Mexican pizza which was also pretty good for being healthy! Would definitely check this place out over the aquarium 🤫.
Read moreGuest
NathanielLegg
Points +3214
Amazing! - Edit
Absolutely amazing vegan Mexican restaurant! I haven’t had vegan Mexican food so good since I was in Merida, Mexico. Everything was fresh and delicious. We tried a ton and really enjoyed it all. There was a decent amount of seating inside and some outside. Also some parking available out front. My only concern is the not reusable dining items, such as plastic utensils and paper plates. I would definitely recommend coming here!
Read morePros: Delicious authentic food, Fun atmosphere , Great staff
Guest
hetalshah24
Points +1554
So, so difficult to choose - Edit
This is a small informal restaurant close to Cannery Row with an extensive menu. I might have taken 10mins just to decide what to eat as everything sounded so good. Finally, our group went with Veggie Supreme burrito, Chilaquiles with the salsa verde, Tamil Rajas, Fish Baja Style taco. We had horchata for drinks which were excellent. My favorites were the veggie supreme burrito and tamal. We did have the red spicy sauce on the side and it was really good. Overall loved the place, people and food. Would definately come back.
Read morePros: So many vegan options, Good food, Good staff
Guest
Mimi710
Points +693
Okay food, might be overhyped - Edit
I was excited to finally try this place. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. I've had much better vegan Mexican food.
Read moreGuest
tofutii
Points +71
Everything and more! - Edit
Coming from Germany, I’ve missed good authentic Mexican food, and since I’ve been vegan since 2020, getting any in or outside the US has proved fruitless. Getting to visit El Cantaro was a delight, I took my wife here (who has never had authentic Mexican food) and she told me that this is now her standard, everything was so amazingly delicious! I got their plate with the enchiladas and tamales. OHMYGOD their steak enchiladas are to die for, and not to even mention their cherry chocolate ice cream… UGHHH!! I would give a kidney to have one of these in Germany, please El Cantaro, you’ve got a market!!! 🥹🙏
Read morePros: The food was amazing, The staff was super friendly , Food is made all in house, everything is fresh
Cons: I don’t get to have one of these in Germany 😭
Guest
veganByTheWay
Points +38
Menu has no skips! - Edit
Great food, big portions, expansive menu. We had the nopales tostada, steak tacos, and chile rellenos (and don’t forget the Horchata!)
Read moreIt’s been a couple of years since we were last here, and it lived up to our memories! Great food and beautiful setting.
Pros: Big menu, Big portions, All vegan, no menu guesswork.
Guest
amithi
Points +33
Best vegan taqueria I’ve been to - Edit
Everything is just so good and I love the huge menu
Read moreGuest
prez
Points +874
Highlight of our Monterey visit - Edit
Flavourful, uses organic produce, portions are big and it’s affordable. Literally can’t fault it.
Read moreTried the fish taco with pineapple salsa, steak taco, chicken taco and steak burrito, all amazing.
Guest
rfkaufer
Points +591
Yummy salad - Edit
 I wanted something light, and the tortilla jalapeño salad was just the ticket. I didn’t taste many jalapeños in it, but it was quite good. My Omni friend who came here with me loved the tacos.
Read moreGuest
Interstellarqueendom
Points +612
Sooooo bombbb - Edit
Really tasty fresh ingredients
Read moreGuest
VeganCatzo
Points +179
Disappointing - Edit
After all the good reviews we decided to give this place a try.
Read moreUnfortunately we were quite disappointed by the service and the taste.
The staff wasn't really responsive to our questions. I simply wanted to know if the dish we ordered would have cilantro in it and the staff didn't answer my question but noted down without cilantro. I thought that's fine if they can make it without cilantro. Once the dish was served it was packed with cilantro. They made another one without cilantro but the sauce was still made with cilantro.
Also the place was extremely smelly due to the frying.
I would have expected that my clothes would smell a little bit but this was really extreme. After we left the place our clothes were smelling as if we were the ones who prepared the food. I had to wash my hair 4 times until I got rid of the smell.
So even if you decide to eat there, I wouldn't recommend to eat inside.
Pros: Fully plant based
Cons: Bad service , Smell, Rather expensive
Guest
StevenHernandez
Points +51
The food is delicious! - Edit
I tried the enmolados which are vegan enchiladas with chicken and cheese and Coloradito mole. I had them with rice and black beans. The enmolados were the right amount of spicy and sweet! The food was cooked just right and flavorful. Service was quick too. Not too sure about the prices but I enjoyed the food.
Read moreGuest
mspatswan
Points +43
Great vegan Mexican food - Edit
Entire menu vegan! I had the crispy potato tacos (you get 4 small ones). And they were SO good! Beans great too. I’d like to try everything on their menu.
Read morePros: Fast, courteous service. , Great food.
mspatswan
They use compostable utensils & paper along with reusable baskets.
Read moreGuest
Anca_Egger
Points +238
okay but nothing special - Edit
The food is quite overpriced and it's nothing special. Had high expectations based on the good reviews. Rather tasteless and carelessly prepared. I also find it questionable that you eat organic food with plastic cutlery.
Read morePilot.lj
1000000% agree with your review. Confused why they have such good reviews. Very mediocre
Read moreGuest
Davegen
Points +38
Perfect 🤩 - Edit
Excellent authentic Mexican cuisine✨
Read moreDon’t miss this one !
Pros: Service , Staff , Food
Guest
footiezeke
Points +51
Amazing selection and flavor! - Edit
This was such a treat for the family as we visited the aquarium. It’s a very short walk away and the food was delicious. We tried the kale salad, tamales, a wet burrito, mole negro, and the kids had a grilled cheese. Everyone was so happy and we just wish we had bigger stomachs so we could try everything else on the menu. We would definitely come back and highly recommend this to anyone visiting the area. We can’t wait to come back!
Read morePros: Amazing variety , Friendly staff, Fantastic flavors
Cons: Can’t eat the whole menu
Guest
Montereylady
Points +108
What a gem - Edit
I've always had wonderful meals here. The chicken enchiladas are great and the burritos are heavenly. Tacos excellent too.
Read moreThe outdoor seating has a bay view and is relaxing.
Pros: Black beans are yum, Love the rice
Guest
CutiePig
Points +126
Comfort Food - Edit
I'm always in the mood to support all-vegan eateries and Mexican is my go-to comfort food. This was the only all-vegan option available in Monterey when I visited (Rock N Roll Donut Bar was closed for some unexplained reason).
Read moreThe menu is vast and I had no idea what I wanted so I finally settled on combo plate #2: two tacos (one steak & one chickn'), black refried beans, rice, and a spinach enchilada; I opted for the green sauce. I ordered jamaica to drink as an afterthought.
The food was delivered to my table in less than five minutes (!) and there was a soccer game on the TV to boot so I was quite content. Everything tasted good and the entire meal was very satisfactory so, no complaints. The beans and rice were authentic as far as my tastebuds were concerned. Of course, there's always room for improvement (as another reviewer mentioned, more seasoning & ingredients in the tacos) but overall, I have no hesitation in recommending El Cantaro!
Pros: Menu variety, Authentic Mexican dishes
Cons: Price is expensive
Guest
EmTak
Points +61
Ok - Edit
I’m from LA so I’ve had a lot of vegan Mexican food. The food was meh, decent but not a lot of flavor. The salsa is just spicy but no flavor. For the price I was expecting more.
Read morePros: Nice people , Good view
Cons: Food lacked flavor
Guest
veggiesandstuff
Points +125
Fully vegan Mexican restaurant - Edit
The food here is really great and the menu is huge! There are many foods that are rarely found as vegan options, so it's a lot of fun for a vegan to try them. Service is friendly and fast food is made to order. The empanaditos are also very good, and the desserts are also very delicious. This restaurant is centrally located and can be busy at times. If the parking lot is full, there is usually free street parking just a block or two away.
Read morePros: Full vegan menu, Offers food that is normally not vegan, Desserts
Cons: Small parking lot, Occasionally crowded
Guest
Tadegan
Points +82
Fast, friendly & good - Edit
Had the “fish” burrito and it was tasty!
Read morePros: Fast, Friendly, Affordable
Guest
hailseitan9
Points +325
Hands down the best Mexican food - Edit
This place was the best Mexican food I’ve had in a while. So authentic and delicious. The torta was probably my favorite. Highly recommend ordering. My goal is to go back and try all the menu items
Read moreGuest
Cyclingbro
Points +40
Love! - Edit
So much to choose from, went with the Mushroom Mega Quesadilla. Was amazing, with a homemade fresh tortilla and the portions with everything in it was perfect.
Read morePros: Quality, Quantity, Location
Guest
natgabs
Points +233
Love the vast amount of options - Edit
The chile relleno here was sooo sooo good! Great variety of options. The faux meats were okay in my opinion. They were out of horchata both days I was here which I was bummed about cuz I really wanted to try it. I had the cheesecake and ate it with the churro ice cream and that combo was to die for!
Read morePros: So many options , Chile relleno , Cheesecake
Guest
holyfire
Points +56
So la la - Edit
My expectations were quite high because of all the raving reviews. I'd say, it's okay but at the same time the least tasty Mexican food I've had so far. It wasn't super fresh, and also quite oily. It's great that it's all plant food.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-12-21
Guest
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