El Lugarcito Restaurant

When people come to town and want a great burrito I always direct them to El Lugarcito. Their carne asada burrito is my favorite. Whenever my out of town friends drop in they insist on going here at least once.

I would probably give this a 3 and a half if I could. I am pretty picky about my Mexican. There was nothing wrong with this place it was just average. We stopped here after finding it on Unilocal after a long day. They were close to closing during the week. We could tell it was a locals place which was great! Exactly what we wanted. We got free chips and salsa to start. The salsa was very hot. I ordered 2 carne asada tacos and 1 carnitas taco. The onion that came on them was red onion. I have never had that before. It was good. There was plenty of meat (see picture). They didn’t have any other salsa or taco sauce to put on there other than what we had gotten with the chips and that was a bit too hot to put on in the amount that I like, but they did provide a giant lime so I just squeezed that on instead and it was great! The carnitas taco was too dry and I wish I would have skipped it and just gotten 2 steak. My husband got the 1 burrito that came with rice and beans. He said the burrito was a 3, but the rice and beans were a 4.5! In the end, our server was more concerned with cleaning up and doing her end of the night things and left us sitting there way too long. We really wanted to get out of there to get back to the hotel, our food had come out so quick so we thought we would be on our way but… oh well. It was still a decent meal for a good price so if you are looking for authentic Mexican I know our service issues had to do with being there at closing.

We stopped at this cute Mexican Cantina on our travels on Hwy 101 because of the reviews. It was well worth it. We had the Shrimp Cocktail and Carne Asada plate. Lots of shrimp and the Carne Asada was very tender.

The first time I went there was with friends. I’m not really a fan of Mexican food but when I tried their tacos it was really delicious. I highly recommend it to my friends.

A little pricey for what you get but i was happy with the food. Good fresh salsa good chips and wonderful home made tortillas! I had the garlic shrimp and my wife had the carnitas plate both plates came with delicious french fries. Shrimp are cooked well still have the outer skin/​shell attached. The Carnitas were overcooked for what you paying you expect a little bit better. Waitress was very nice.

We went their for the first time as we traveled on highway 101. Thanks to Unilocal we discovered this place. There were 4 of us and we all loved the food. I had the pastor burrito combo and it has to be one of the best pastor burritos I’ve ever had! The beans and rice were also very good. When ever we pass thru king city, we will for sure go back to this place.

Excellent Mexican food. Lots of flavor in everything. The refried beans were outstanding. Some of the best I’ve ever had. I will stop here again when I come through King City.

Best Mexican food we’ve had along the 101 in NorCal. Good vibe in the dining room, great service, outstanding cuisine. Sabor!

Very good food… the salsa is a little spicy but very flavorful! Chile Verde was excellent! Hubby really enjoyed his Carnitas! Huge servings. Very clean and south of the border deco. If you are on the 101, you need to eat here! Broadway exit King City.

Me and a co worker have been in King city over a month working a remodel of the local rite aid. since we are usually on the road we try to find a restaurant that serves something home cooked or close to it… well we found that restaurant here. the portions are huge .the carnitas plate here is outstanding. .crispy on the outside and soft and not dry inside beans and rice were great and cooked perfectly. the carne Assad plate is very good as well. the shrimp cocktail is very good and is very flavorful dosent have a ketchup taste like a cheap restaurants. and please try the large michelada wow so good two tecates in their house sauce with shrimp on the rim of a frozen solid glass. .this spot is definitely a must stop if youre in King city

We were driving down to the fw101 and looking for a place to have a fast lunch (hopefully not a fastfood!). Thanks to Unilocal we came up with El Lugarcito. So far one of the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been, and I love Mexican food.
The atmosphere is like being in a real Cantina Mexicana, very nice and easy place.
The staff is friendly and helpful, we’ve made a mistake ordering a Tostada instead of a Burrito and they change it with no charge, despite the plate was already ready. The service was pretty fast too, it takes just few minutest for the dishes to be ready.
We tasted: burritos, tacos, tostada, carne asada e chili, all of them was really good; some comes with French fries, beans, rice and salads. A good word has to be spent about vegetables too, soo fresh!
Last but not least, the price was very well balanced with food quality.
Definitely recommended!

I walked in and was greeted by a woman with no smile or expression… did not even get up off of her chair… That was very awkward, kind of uninviting. I ordered food after sitting down. Salsa was not impressive. Food seemed… Meh. Burrito was about 4 inches at most. Pre wrapped… much smaller then what it could be. Rice was super bland. Maybe there is some better things on the menu that they succeed in, i could not try everything. It is better then fast food.
It is close to the high way making it a convenient stop going up or down 101 thru king city, CA. The waitress was very attentive and had a smile almost always.

Best authentic Mexican food I’ve had in Northern CA (grew up in Ventura County). Possibly the best refried beans I’ve ever had. Possibly the best chile verde I’ve ever had. Cannot miss the ceviche tostada. Even the rice is special. Dinner for two, with tip, under $ 20. This place is a gem.
Those who question the lack of orange cheese are ignorant. Be open to trying authentic, regional Mexican cuisine instead of the Americanized stuff and you will love this place. There’s a time and a place, of course, for cheesy enchiladas, and hey, even a drunken college kid needs Taco Bell sometimes, but don’t discount this place because of that.
I cannot wait to return to try to cocteles, we were too full. Beers were only $ 3.50. Drive past Carl’s Jr. when passing through King City, you will be glad you did. Honestly, we got our food faster than you could have at a fast food place anyway! This is the winemaker’s hidden gem (lots of grapes come from the King City area). Now they will be mad I told you…

Stopped by for breakfast with the family. I love this restaurant because it’s small & they definitely take care of you. Had the chile verde with beans & rice on the side & corn tortillas. The chile verde was so tender & flavorful. Portions were pretty big & worth the money. Great place to stop by with the whole family. The chavelas by far are the best part of the experience; so if your 21 make sure to order one.

Great find thanks to Unilocal.Easy access off freeway. Very authentic, very good food. Simple, not Americanized and very affordable. Just order it as you see it — don’t expect Taco Bell. Awesome and satisfying.

Not a good place for vegetarians. There isn’t a single menu item that doesn’t have meat or fish in it. They don’t serve quesadillas or serve anything with cheese in it, either, so that’s a dead-​end.
That said, the food is pretty delicious. I had the two-​taco combo with carne asada tacos, and they were pretty delicious. And the beans. The beans! I don’t want to know what was in them, but they were delicious. Very deep and salty flavor.
The place is very laid-​back, the service is friendly and fairly prompt, and it’s pretty convenient to the highway. I’d go again in the future, but leave the vegetarians at home.

PIT STOP — GOOD MEXICAN FIX
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in the Middle of 101 No-​Where
…downtown KING CITY! Ugh! NO Kings, here!
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great pit stop on the long hundred + mile «forever» road from GILROY to (SLO) San Luis Obispo (Central Coast)!
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but closes at 9 PM…
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it is about 2 miles away from the 101… BTW
so use your GPS… easy to miss off the 101 since the road forks after «spinning under the S101 underpass (go right)!
(NOTE: I REALLY HATE WHEN THE Unilocal PROGRAM DECIDES TO LOWER CASE EVERYTHING… UGH…IF I CAP TOO much :) !
Since the selection of mexican food in SLO is generally pathetic & if you are unfortunate to be driving too late at night, since by the time you get to SLO, if will be too late to eat a big meal…& digest it properly!
This hole-​in-​the-​wall mexican place that lots of Unilocalers like, sure hit the spot one night, but they do close early!
Nice clean place.
good food selection,
but mostly seafood & meat.
Their seafood SOUP was outstanding!
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with great flavor & huge hunks of fresh veges!
CARNE ASADA was yum too!!! see pics! :)
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NO cheese at all, IMHO, kind of weird for a mexican place.
For Veges, my wife had to get a Vege Burrito, Beans… so almost no Vege selections.
It is probably the best place in this one horse town!!!
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Other Pit-​stops includes Fast-​Food places, Amero-​Chinese, or Starbucks in the other tiny Mexican Farming (Or Prison) towns along the 101 (e.g. Soledad)

Bottom line; great little local Mexican spot! How come I didn’t know about this place 10 years ago?!
I have been stopping in King City for essentially my entire life and I wish I had known about this place a lot earlier. I hate fast food and I hate big corporate eateries even more. Support local business!
So this time when passing through we did some research and came up with this place and we were so happy that we did. The carne asada place is awesome! My family really loved this place and we will be back many, many times in the future.

When coming through King City there is only fast food and gas at the freeway, and a Denny’s if you call that eating (?) well for me I take a drive up Broadway (only a mile or two) and find a gaggle of Mexican restaurants, taco stands and I think a chinese food shack too. I always giggle as I pass the 98 cent store, undercutting the 99 cent stores who undercut the dollar stores — oh my competition!
but back to Lugarcito — It was first recommended to me by a long time resident, and as far as King City this is the place. The service is nice, it you speak Spanish it helps, and the chili verde is smooth and goes down easy. The sauce has enough bite for me and I /​We will stop again in when the travel through King City and the timing is right!

I smell celery in the air. Ahhh. No wonder. We are in King City, once known as Hog Town, famous for nothing. Land of overturned dirt!
Surely you must know, King City is NOT a haute cuisine capitol. That’s ok. Because, for those with grumbling tummies, I have found just the place for you!
Doing a search on Unilocal,and a drive thru, I found that the town consists of 99% Mexican restaurants and markets, and possibly one Chinese restaurant, and a pizza joint. Odds were pretty good we would have Mexican food. But the Lugarcito reviews turned my head. Mostly written by non-​locals, the reviews proclaim their loyalty and intent to return. Good enough.
The drab outside of Lugarcito does not prepare you for the cutely decorated, tropical Mexican patio inside. Fresh paint. Clean. Friendly. Two TVs going with two different stations on. Bathrooms, entry from the outside.
Camaron al mojo de ajo. A plate of 4 butterflied, shell on, shrimp, roasted garlic cloves, refried beans, pink rice, and salad. A quarter of an avocado, AND last but not least, french fries. Oh. Duh. Tortillas. Anyone who thinks this is not enough food for about $ 13 must need a lobotomy. I am here to report: excellent.
Shrimp cocktail. This is a typical Mexican cocktail, with medium shrimp, served in a cool spa of tomato sauce. The sauce had cucumber, chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro in tomato juice. I like mine with a kick, so spiked it up with some of their spicy salsa, lime juice and a little more salt. Again: about $ 13.
My only regret was the complimentary chips were overcooked.
Excellent meal. And coming from a hometown where Mexican food is stellar, I tend to be quite biased.
Total $ 27.89. And two happy tummies.
Yes, I too would look forward to coming here again if passing thru King City.