Recommended 10 Dinner Spots Near Salinas, California

Amy Minnick Wow, so good! I ordered a Chicken Quesadilla and the flavoring is something Ive never tasted before. Very unique to me and I will be eating here again if Im in the area. Good selection of beer. The staff/owners are very friendly. Its a small building across the street from the Pilot. Thanks for a delicious meal!

Pietsch Walter “Wally” Colorful hole in the wall, conveniently located close to 101. Large parking lot with handicap parking in front of the entrance or street parking. Very friendly and helpful staff, warmly greeted. Delicious, authentic food dishes from Hidalgo and Oaxaca. Extensive menu with vegetarian section. Very tasty, big portions, reasonably priced. We got take out (due to late arrival) and returned two days later for dinner. Yummy, highly recommended. Best Mexican food I recall. Apparently a family run business, lots of local patrons. Very busy in the evening, but order was served quickly. Must have restaurant stop when transiting or coming to Salinas!

Andrew Suh Amazing burritos at an affordable price. If you saw my review from 2014, the burritos used to be about $3. Currently, burritos range from about $7 to $10, still very affordable for all homemade ingredients including the tortilla. You can watch the worker press each tortilla as you order. You can also buy fresh homemade tortillas to go, 4 in each pack! Burritos can be on the smaller side, so order 2 or 8. You can get other sides they sell in the store, like a mini mini-mart. Highly recommend the chili verde burrito and the carne asada burrito, although Ive enjoyed every burrito Ive tried at El Charrito. They forgot the hot sauce on my carne asada burrito last visit, but the burrito was still tasty. Order ahead if you dont want to wait and itll be ready for pick-up!

matthew villegas Black bear is pretty consistent with their food and it’s good. Our server tonight was Bradley and probably the best service we have had. He greeted us as we walked in and sat us immediately. Introduced himself and told us about the specials and difference in menus, got us started on drinks and came back to take our order. This guy had multiple tables but consistently checked on us for any refills and how our food was tasting. I saw him and heard him giving the same service to every table. Excellent service and wished us happy holidays and thanked us for coming in. Hopefully Bradley is your next server.

MJ Brewer Incredible dining experience with the most personable waitress you’ll ever meet. She makes you feel like she’s been waiting for you all day and is happy you’ve finally arrived. Even without hovering, she’s there when you need her. (Tip her well—she’ll earn it!)

MJ Brewer New to Cali and checking out the restaurants. Boy, did we hit the jackpot on this one! Birthday celebration couldn’t have gone any better. With meat that literally melts in your mouth—I promise, you’ve never had it like this! Our server made sure that every need was met, accepted a challenge to select my food, and did a fabulous job at it. Moreover, she wasn’t circling like a seagull, so we had time for a private discussion.

R Temp Nice little BBQ joint. I ordered the brisket, burnt ends, and the tri tip. The tri tip was a little dry for my taste, but I loved the brisket and the burnt ends. The brisket had a good smoke ring and was really tender. The burnt ends tasted like I was eating meat candy. The meal came with 2 sides, so I picked the Mac and cheese and the potato salad. Both were tasty, but Ive definitely had better. Finished the meal with the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Much like the sides, it was tasty but Ive had better. With all that being said, I would go back just for the brisket and burnt ends.

Atliftoff Okay, so I didnt actually go in here. I slept outside in my VW van on my way home from Seattle to San Diego, but Applebees is my home away from home. I use my credit card points to buy Applebees gift cards and I love their salmon plate. So when Im in the road, I see Applebees and I say, "Hey, Im home!" Thank you Applebees Salinas for letting me rest there!

Griselda Garcia Just had dinner with my daughter after not being here for 2-3 years! The food was really good and fresh with a side of great service! I will definitely be coming back :)

Iris Venegas On 11/26/2025 my daughters and I went to have dinner. It had been years since I went to Red lobster. Since we walked in to the restaurant we were treated amazing. The hostess greeted us, the waiter was fantastic, and then it ended with the manager being so kind and treating us so well. It was a great dinner experience. I wish I would have got their names. They all had the best customer service.