Ernesto's Mexican Food

Ernesto's is advertised as a "healthier" Mexican restaurant, which I don't really think it is. Yes they... more

We love the food here. There is a great variety and the portions are good; prices are reasonable. On that note, the down side.....the service is and always has been terrible. We have made up our minds that if we eat here we are going to have to suffer service. The last visit my husband had to ask our tablemates for their water; no refills offered on iced tea; no tortillas with the fajitas. We did eventually get the tortillas but our server was absent most of the meal. Music is very loud; you can't talk so it forces you to eat quickly; great table turnover strategy! more

BEWARE! Waiter stole from us. We will never be back. Here's what happened. My wife and I went for dinner with another couple. We sat outside, it was a beautiful night. Mimo, our waiter was freindly and was always there to check up on us, our drinks were always full. Here's where the problem is. The bill was 50.00 for the four of us. My wife put in $25 cash( a 20 and a 5), the other couple used thier credit card for the remaining $25. We then left a $5 tip on the table(20%), the other couple left $6 tip on the card. We didn't realize until we left what Mimo our waiter had done. He must of pocketed our 5 dollar bill and charged our freinds an extra $5 on thier bill. So he made out with a 16.00 total tip. We are absolutely sure this is what happened. We didn't tell our freinds, because it would have ruined the night and the experience. Pros: Great food Cons: Waiter stole from us more

Get the chimichanga with carnitas the best ever!!!!!!!! Also ask if you can get it with carne asada not on menu!!! They will hook you up. Very resonable prices and great service. They beans and rice are also very good. They will have you coming back for more... First timers get the CARNITAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Best carnitas and carne asada ever!!!!!!!!!!! Cons: Can't get there as much as I want to. more

GREAT tequila. the bartender did not know hwo to make a few drinks we asked for.It was really crowed and busy. Kind of expensive, we had a good time. Should hav Mariachi on SATURDAY/SUNDAY ! Pros: GREAT TEQUILA! We are at the bar last night! Cons: No that much parking, kind of expensive more

I have never been more wonderfully surprised than the evening my family and I went to Ernestos! From the very start we were greeted by two beautiful women with great smiles. Although the wait was about 20 minutes it worth waiting every minute. The environment was rich, exciting, warm and so friendly. From appitizers to dessert the bill was more than reasonable and ensured we would visit again in the very near future. I wish we could remember the waiters name but he was tall, handsome, a great smile and very attentive to us and my family. Go to Ernestos and experience a great night in ""Mexico""! Provecho! Pros: Everything. Treat yourself and your family to a fabulous evening Cons: Parking but really no big deal more

I?ve eaten here several times. The food was alright, the signature drink was ok but what I remember most is the noise. It?s always loud in this place. I?ve only eaten inside so maybe its better on the balcony but even on days when the restaurant was nearly empty the atmosphere was crowded with noise. It?s not a good place if you expect to have dinner conversations with out a lot of ?what did you say?s. Other than that the food was average, Mexican city tacos were pretty good and they offer an interesting bean dip to compliment the salsa and chips. Over all though, I?d have to say it?s only average more

Where do I even begin. First of all, when you first get there they ask ""do you want guacamole?"" and don't mention that its extra, you find that out when you get your tab. $6 dollars for a small plate of guac! We were a table of 5 with more people expected to come, they gave us a table for 10, and rudely asked for half of the table after being there for 10 minutes. We said they could take it but they never took it but still charged us the 18% gratuity just because we had the extra seats (even though we said they could take back the extra seats). We were there for a birthday, so they gave the birthday person a flan dessert, and then TRIED to charge us for it. They TRIED to charge us for 5 margaritas, even though two were previously paid for at the bar. We had to get our check fixed TWICE! The waiter was snippy and was rushing us out. It seemed liked we were bothering the waiter. Waited 20 MINUTES for my drink. The only nice person there was the guy who refills your water cup. My friend was in the bathroom & the waiter put his food in a to go bag even though he wasn't done, and we told him he wasn't done. The only good thing was the mariachi they had there. They WAY OVER PACK the place, it gets too loud, not a comfortable restaurant to go to if you want to be able to talk to your friends. After this experience, i am NEVER going back or recommending this place. \r \r PROS: Mariachi on Friday nights\r CONS: crappy crappy crappy CRAPPY service, place is over packed. Pros: Mariachi Cons: Bad service!!!!!!!!! Snippy waiters! more

Tried Ernestos for dinner, lovely restaurant, great atmosphere and the service was good. The food was disappointing. Sort of uninspired and bland. Sad! more

I love this place. It has great food and I love the atmosphere. The drinks are also good and the service is good as well. A must try place for anyone living in Sac! Pros: great food and atmosphere Cons: wait time more

The husband and I have recently discovered the awesome experience that is the Ernesto's weekend breakfast. You start with chips, salsa, and bean dip (complimentary). The breakfast menu has a pretty wide range of choices. I whole heartedly recommend the Huevos con chili verde. Delicious!!! 10 out of 10!! The pozole is also fantastic. The full menu is available as well. Breakfast starts at 9am Sat & Sun.\r \r And as always, the dinner and lunch menu is great as well. My favs are the carnitas taco salad, the carnitas plate, and the variety of shrimp (camarones) choices. Service is always great. Outdoor seating is great. Mariachi Fridays! All in all one of my favorite places to dine downtown. Not too fancy, but upscale enough for a date. Good value for the portions and quality. Thumbs way up! Pros: Food is always great! Service is fantastic. Love the decor. All around great place! Cons: None! more

ERNESTOS HAS BEEN A FAVORITE OF OURS FOR MANY YEARS, BUT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED. WE THINK HE HAS TOTALLY FOCUSED ON ZOCALOS . THE LAST THREE TIMES WE HAVE BEEN THERE WE HAVE WAITED A VERY LONG TIME TO BE SERVED AND THE PORTION SIZE HAS GOTTEN SMALLER WITH EACH VISIT. WHEN I FINISHED MY DINNER I FELT LIKE I HAD EATEN A APPETIZER AND WAS STILL HUNGRY. EVEN MY HUSBAND AND A FRIEND COMMENTED ON HOW LITTLE FOOD WAS ON THE PLATES.THE LAST TIME WE ORDERED A CERVICHE AFTER DINNER . IF YOU WANT A DECENT DINNER WE WILL CONTINUING GOING TO VALLEGOS OR NOVILLEROS. HEY ERNESTO!, PLEASE FIX THIS SO WE CAN COME BACK ONE DAY. Pros: MARGARITA Cons: SERVICE, VALUE more

(Before reading this, I will let you know that I am Mexican and have a life long experience with authentic Mexican foods. Now with that stated, here is the experience my significant other and I had recently at this establishment) We were looking for a new and great authentic Mexican food experience. One site had favorable reviews so we gave it a shot on a Saturday (to see how great the food truly was). The place was fairly full and it seemed ""starbucky"" in atmosphere (trendy, and not very authentic Mexican). Upon being seated (which was great because there was no wait), we were asked if we wanted chips and guacamole dip; I replied yes, and they were brought promptly. Along with the guacamole, they brought salsa too. We ordered our food and tried out the guacamole dip; i've never had guacamole dip so horrible, it was beyond bland. The salsa; it was very bland and runny, we quickly ceased in eating it. Within an acceptable amount of time, our vera cruz shrimp arrived. It was not very impressive either and as such, we did not bother trying to finish our meal. When the bill arrived, I was surprised that the guacamole I was asked if I wanted, was $6 (they never stated if we would like to order it, only if we would like some; the way the question was phrased, made it appear it was complimentary). With our experience, we are never returning to the restaurant. If you enjoy a trendy upscaleish Mexican restaurant for the decor more than eating itself, then you are in for a treat. If flavorful food is more important to you than trendy decor, then this place is not for you. Pros: Quick seating, Polite service, Trendy Cons: Food (taste and quality) more

Nice inside, loud chatter spot. I would say it caters to the stuffy type, that don't go for the food. We had 5 people eating all said the same thing, bland food, saving grace was the carnitas.\r \r Wait staff seemed like we were bothering them. \r Pros: Nice inside Cons: Bland food, snooty more

Ernesto's is a great restaurant to eat before a heavy night of drinking. Not expensive at all, and endless salsa and bean dip! Pros: Customer Service, Food, Location Cons: Make a reservation, it's a popular restaurant more

I've been heading to Ernestos for years. Each experience drives a high tab because of their great margaritas... but, their food has always been bland. Their service is great, but I'm always disappointed by the food--even after a few refils of their classic Cadillac Margarita. Pros: Margaritas Cons: Bland Food more

I had an enchilidad combo with a tamale. The sauce that the poured all over the plate was to die for! It's one of those things where it tastes sooo good, that it HAS to be terribly bad for you. I would defeinitely go there again for the enchiladas. The tacos and fajitas did not look as appetizing. Pros: Good value, enchiladas, ambiance Cons: loud, parking more

I had heard only good things about Ernesto's, however, the taco I ordered was awful. The chicken was dry and had no flavor at all. The atmosphere and the margarita's were good but did not come close to making up for the quality of the food. Our waiter was not bad but was a bit pushy - tried to get us to order things we didn't want. Overall not worth it. Pros: margaritas, atmosphere Cons: food more

Great food, Great Service, and Great Prices. Check out the Mariachi's on Friday Night! Pros: Great Food, Fun Atmosphere more

I have frequented Ernestos over the past few years, and I love it. The atmosphere is great, and even though the place can get loud and rowdy on mariachi nights, I've never found it too obnoxious. The food has never disappointed me, the servers have always promptly replaced the chips and salsa when necessary. I don't think I've ever waited longer than 10 minutes for my food once I've ordered it. And the green iguanas and fruit margaritas are absolutely stupendous. Pros: Inexpensive, Food and margaritas, Quick service Cons: Tight seating area more