Turtle Bay Taqueria

I was a regular here for over ten years and always enjoyed everything on their menu. Menu items were fresh, tasty and fun.
It had been a couple of years since we had been in and we were in the area and decided to grab dinner on a Sunday night.
The place was empty which should have been all we needed to see to realize things had gone downhill. The other clue was a generally worn out and the now out dated interior. Keep in mind this place used to be packed every time we went in the past.
We ordered our food and waited. And waited. Another group came in after us and got their food and we were still waiting.
We were runny out of time so we finally asked what was going on and learned our order had been lost. Not sure how that was possible considering the place was empty but at that point we left without getting our food.
The only thing we did get to eat was the chips and salsa and I found the salsa to be bland with no distinct flavors.
They really need to raise the bar to get customers back in. Gone are the flavors I came in for.

I recently tried several items from the menu here and found the experience somewhat underwhelming. As an East Coast visitor, I’d come to expect every average Mexican restaurant in the Bay Area to out-​compete whatever we have to offer with ease. Turtle Bay is one of the few instances I’ve been proven wrong! The fajitas, tacos, and salsa tasted bland regardless of the meat or ingredients. The staff were quick, nice and accommodating which is reason enough for one start and the fish was at least fresh which merits a second star.
Overall… not impressed!

Ugh! What is the restaurant, Mexican or hawaiin? Food is bland and salsa is not even close to hit. The shrimp bowl was mush. Black beans were straight out of a can and filled with mostly rice. We wanted to spice up the bowls to give it more flavor, but even the habanero salsa was mild. I recommend eating there if you want bland mush. Nothing exciting about the food.

They have a habit of periodically putting coupons in the local weekly, but when you bring them in, the servers conveniently «forget» to apply them to your tab. Food is still good, but for the love of good, please, Turtle Bay, go back to the service model where customers order at the counter. The service your staff provide and the atmosphere are not fine dining or close to it.
The food is still pretty darn good.

Come hungry! My mushroom burrito was so big, I barely ate half.
The waitress was friendly, although she told me the burrito was «not that big»
The food was quick and came hot.

We ate there last night and I have spent the whole morning throwing up. The salsa was sitting out unrefrigerated, there were bugs in the dining room, and in hindsight the bowls we ordered were a little questionable. I wish we would have followed our instincts and left but we gave it a shot. Please do not make the same mistake and eat here.

My family and I have been coming to this place for years, it’s really good food at a decent price. They have remain consistent over the years as well and have great choices of salsa. I’m a little disappointed at how rude they are when an hour from closing. At 20 minutes to closing, they made me eat my food standing, and where very rude about it.

The location is convenient if you’re downtown. Sad to say, but the food is bland, which is inexcusable for a Mexican restaurant. I had the fish tacos, which was served with a ton of lettuce and cheese that served no purpose but to make it look like you were getting a plateful of food. They charge Monterey prices for what seems to be very little effort, and sub par ingredients. This place was a major disappointment considering the cost, so no, I will not be back.

Very sweet and palm tree filled restaurant with beautiful etched glass portraying all the marine life in the area. The tacos and guacamole were excellent especially the tilapia taco. Everyone was courteous and upbeat. Casual and fun.

Service was ok. We sat near the door for lunch and we were getting the sun and heat. Nice on a cool day, not on a warm one. So we’d sit further in next time. The food wasn’t good. My partner had the chicken burrito and I had a few tacos. My plate was overloaded with cheese and lettuce. Salsa and chips were ok. Not much else, so it was an OK place overall.

This is a decent little Mexican place. It’s a little pricy for what you get but that’s to be expected in Monterey. The service was extremely slow but friendly. The tables with the long booth are incredibly close to each other and when a party of 8 sat next to my gf and I, I felt very invaded of my personal space.
I got a steak quesadilla and took full advantage of their salsa bar. They have some habenero salsa and it is pretty hot. We came pretty late in the evening and the salsa barely looked touched. And no, they didn’t just refill it because the top was stagnant looking. I pride myself on being a connoisseur of everything spicy and I must say the salsa was some of the hottest I’ve had at a salsa bar. My steak quesadilla was excellent and not greasy at all which is a HUGE plus. The gf got the steak fajitas and those were not greasy either.
Overall, solid 3 stars. The food is good and somewhat authentic. The only gripes I have are the service is slow and the seating arrangement could be better. Also, they don’t give you free chips and salsa. What sit down Mexican restaurant doesn’t?

Ate lunch here. I thought the food was tasty and hot. Server was a little slow, the restaurant was full. Parking is limited to two spaces and one handicap space. No TV, just music. I think this place is more suited for take away than sit down eating.

The best food I think I’ve ever had its called the trio fajita and it was amazing and worth the price. Our waiter was so nice and came multiple times to check on is and answer any questions we had. If you are looking for a restaurant that is worth the price it’s this one. Family friendly and delicious food what more could you ask for.

I am too busy eating to even write a review. Just know the Shrimp Quesadilla with habanero and sour cream is amazing!
Fresh !! Perfect! Clean place! Great service!

The food needs a little more love and flavor.
If your strong seller is the tacos then make them taste good with fresh ingredients. Not dry cabbage and black cilantro.

I don’t know why anyone would go to Chipotle when they can get a delicious burrito, quesadilla, fish taco or any kind of Mexican food you’d like at Turtle Bay. the food and ingredients are fresh, the portions very generous, and the staff are friendly and helpful.
And the prices are very reasonable. I had a steak burrito for $ 8.50 that was a solid «10». My partner had steak fajitas and was stunned by the portion size but ended up eating the whole thing because it was just so delicious.
Their complimentary salsa bar offers three styles of salsa– yummy fire roasted (not hot), a green avocado type o e that my sweetie loved, and a third one we didn’t try that was labelled as very hot.
This place is owned by the Fishwife. We haven’t eaten there yet (just moved to Monterey two months ago) but we heard it had an excellent reputation and indeed they have a winner with Turtle Bay Taqueria.

NOT MEXICAN food… We found this place on Unilocal,under mexican food but found out real quick it was not. It is carribean food. Nothing like mexican. The server was really good, but the food was bland and boring, and pretty pricey. $ 12 for 3 small flautas… Crazy! Not the best. Sorry…

Had a recommendation to try this restaurant and I’m glad we did. Had a few beers and some chips and salsa which could use some help. The salsa is simple with no kick and the chips were not warm and kind of stale. I ordered the chicken bowl which was DELICIOUS. It came with chicken, brown rice, a black bean purée, and guacamole. Holy shit this bowl was good. My co-​worker ordered the chicken tacos and said they were very tasty. Service is friendly and the prices are right.

Not the most authentic Mexican but definitely not the worst. The service was good and the food was filling. Their portions, especially the tacos, are HUGE!
The food was fresh and the taste was pretty decent. Not much to ask for.

I guess I have been so psychologically scarred by San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf that I just figured Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf would be the same and not have a decent place to eat. Y’see, Jamie W. and I got tickets to go whale watching down there and had an hour to kill before our three-​hour cruise, so we sauntered over to Turtle Bay which was quite busy with a lot of families. It felt more like a suburban mall set-​up with the beachy colors not feeling terribly authentic as Mexican places go (photo:
).
To their credit, they had quite a robust menu of items more akin to a Chevy’s if that thrills you (photo:
). It didn’t us, but we went a bit gluttonous considering I was just minutes away from a very rocky boat trip. Jamie ordered the $ 13.95 Pescadero Platter, which was quite an extravaganza of dead seafood — grilled wild salmon, tilapia and shrimp with chipotle aioli and a roasted tomato sauce on the side. It came with sides of rice, mashed black beans and fresh salsa with three corn tortillas (photo:
).
That was a lunch fit for a truck driver with a muffin top as he was crossing the border patrol. It was satisfying enough but hardly a standout considering the ingredients and awfully bland. I went for a large $ 7.50 bowl of Sopa de Lima, chicken soup garnished with lime and shredded cabbage (photo:
), and then the Grilled Shrimp Salad with tossed romaine, radishes, shredded red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and salsa fresca (photo:
). It was OK with plenty of popcorn shrimp, pretty much what I expected.
FOOD — 3 stars… passable Mexican fare could use more spicy kick in their dishes
AMBIANCE — 2.5 stars… feels like a mall eatery
SERVICE — 3 stars… kinda on automatic pilot
TOTAL — 3 stars… if you’re craving a Chevy’s like Mexican meal, this may be your spot