Playa Chac Mool
105 D St, St. Augustine, FL, 32080
Playa Chac Mool Menu
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Address :
105 D St
St. Augustine, FL, 32080 - Phone (904) 471-1131
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Vinca R.
This was a great find while on vacation. Ate at several local restaurants in St. Augustine and this was by far the best food. Had fajitas, taco salad, and quesadilla in our group. All were great.
(5)Shreya L.
Yummy! But... - Slow service - trying to order ahead on the phone was pointless, even with lots of notice - the margaritas are too sweet. I would call them saccharine - Taco salad was tasteless - BE CAREFUL WITH THE HOT SAUCE. SO HOT.
(4)Thomas C.
Went to Playa Chac Mool last night for my son's birthday. Walking in, you know it's one of those places where you'll leave completely satisfied or completely disgusted. The outside is yellow, like man with the big yellow hat, yellow. Inside it's clean, yet nondescript with a lot decorative things on the wall that might be seen in someone's home. Nothing special or fancy about it. There's a nice little screened in patio area off the main dining room that looked like it would be a nice place to sit on a cool evening. There were a few other people eating when we got there, but it never got extremely busy and we were sat immediately and drink orders taken. Chips and salsa followed. The salsa is great and obviously made in house. Not spicy, but I can overlook that as it was very flavorful. We ordered our meals and the food came out piping hot and fairly quickly as well. I ordered a spicy steak dish and it was amazing, I can't remember what it was called as I asked our server to bring me their best dish that was a lot of food and also spicy. That's what I got and it was exactly what I asked for. My wife got the chicken soup and it was on point as well. She did mention that she was hoping for more of a shredded chicken instead of the chicken breat pieces, but she ate every bit of it and enjoyed it. The kids got tacos and our oldest son, a bit of a taco snob, devoured his saying it was the best carne asada tacos in the Jacksonville area. He's 14 so take that with a grain of salt, but every taco was eaten. I don't really have much of a criticism for Playa Chac Mool. Their food is great, the people were super friendly and accommodating despite our having two toddlers who get loud at times. The prices are fair and the value in both portion size and taste is right on. Would I take the trip down to St. Augustine just for Playa Chac Mool? Maybe. It was good and I would plan a day down there and include it in my plans. It was delicious and if I want Mexican and I'm in St. Augustine, I won't go anywhere else. Kudos, Playa Chac Mool.
(4)Bob E.
We usually love this place, maybe this last visit was an off night. The food was bland and they only brought us chips and salsa after we requested it. The things that used to make this place charming, just weren't there this time.
(3)Meghan S.
I was visiting St Augustine and found this gem on here so based off the reviews we had to try it out. After reading the review of a fellow yelper we started with the queso with chorizo... omg I don't even care how bad it was for me it was amazing. I really enjoyed it with the flour tortillas as well as the chips. I then tried the chicken chac mool (thanks for the recommendation fellow yelper) and it was another cheesy yummy goodness. The food was authentic well made and delicious... This is one of those places I wish was nearby so I could become a regular (although my waist is thankful that it is not).
(5)Mansi R.
We grabbed lunch here when we visited St.Augustine. We were in the mood for some authentic Mexican food. To start off we got the Mexican bread with cheese. The bread was soft and yummy. I also loved the Mexican sangria. It was on special for $3! Can't beat that. The fiancée got their eggs with chorizo. He loved it. He's been on a chorizo kick lately. I got the fish tacos and they were alright. Try their homemade jalapeño hot sauce. It's amazing and has a nice kick to it. The restaurant is a small family owned joint. Service was good. I recommend stopping by if you are in the area.
(4)Doug D.
Absolutely amazing and authentic family run joint. We are moving here to St. Augustine from the foodie town of Louisville, KY so being a foodie snob my standards are pretty high. This place delivered. The house made salsas, including a secret sauce made by the owner were awesome and the dishes just great. We will definitely be back! I docked one star because they have margaritas but since they don't have a full liquor license I found out they are malt liquor margaritas, which resulted in me waking up with a horrendous headache the next day. But go for the food!!!!
(4)Alphachef G.
Excellent and authentic Mexican food. A little out of the way but worth the effort. Genuine and warm hospitality, freshly prepared scratch cooking delivering rich balanced flavors. Can't wait to return
(5)Rohit R.
Before writing anything about the food, i would like to say that the owner is an amazing person. He treats you well, sets the mood right, make you comfortable and enjoys conversing, he even sang for us with his guitar .. great person. Coming to food, its authentic, its tasty and the quantity is good. Try all sorts of option but dont miss the fried ice cream there, its the best .. If you are in this area, do not miss this place .. its soon going to be an attraction :) ...
(5)Eleanor W.
Food was wonderful. The salsa had a lovely flavor and is made there. The owner will occasionally pick up his guitar and serenade the customers with his wonderful voice. Thoroughly enjoyable evening.
(5)Chris K.
This is the best Mexican place i have been to! My woman and I go into withdrawals for this place. It's located on Anastasia island on the corner of A1A and D street and is within a few minutes of the beach. The location sticks out like a sore thumb and although modest usually is brightly lit with a bold sign that says MEXICAN RESTAURANT with it's proper name in smaller italic font. The building itself is quite interesting. When you enter you'll be in the main dining room, a small festively decorated room with about 10 tables. Attached to this is a larger outdoor dining area which has a screened in porch. This screened in addition is an awesome place to eat when the sun goes down in the summer, or in the spring or fall any time of year. When you walk in you'll often be greeted by the owner or his wife while the rest of the family hangs out by the bar and attentively scans the room for those needing service. The owner was born/raised in the Yucatan peninsula and the variety of Mexican at Playa is respective of that - he's a hilarious short man with a love of guitar who never fails to have a beaming smile. He will remember your favorite table and greet you excitedly with a handshake. He explained to me that he once was in a mariachi band with his brother and that he still loves to sing and play - so much so that he'll often serenade the room while you're there. I usually disapprove of this sort of distraction while eating but the charm of the owner, the comedic tone and the energy of the room will usually result in the whole restaurant clapping and singing along. This is the ambiance of Playa Chac Mool - in some ways festive, and in other ways feeling like inclusion into a big Mexican family. Now to the food. You'll start with complimentary chips and salsa. SO good! The chips are served warm and the salsa is fresh and delicious. It says on the menu that only one serving is complimentary but we always ask for 2nds, or 3rds, and have never been charged. We almost always get one of my favorite things on the menu as our main appetizer - the choriqueso. Unlike crappy Mexican places that have thin, watery queso, the queso here is thick, and they mix in oily Mexican sausage to both break up the consistency and smash you in the face with immense flavor. There has never been a time I haven't scraped the entire bowl clean with my fingers! Goes extremely well with the chips/salsa too! For entrees I recommend all of the house specials - all the menu items highlighted in the yellow boxes. My favorite is the "chac mool" and the Lomitos Valladolid, both of which are specialties of the Yucatan peninsula. The former is the signature dish of the restaurant and will be a meat of your choice served in a rich cheesy, smoky sauce with just enough kick. The sauce is so flavorful! It's served with rice, salad and beans, as well as a couple tortillas. Ask for more chips and use them to scoop up whatever is left after you've exhausted your tortillas. The Lomitos is hard to explain but is a sweet-spicy pork dish served in a red sauce. Arguably even more flavorful than the chac mool, but I probably prefer the chac mool on most nights just because I love cheese. One of my other favorite dishes is the Burro Nocho (spelling?), a large burrito covered in queso and filled with either chicken or steak. I usually get a mix of both. Lastly the chimichangas are the best I have had at a Mexican place! If you like Ceviche you should come here immediately. Personally... I find ceviche pretty nasty, but my girlfriend would stab a small toddler to eat it here. As a final note if you want to try a few different things do not gloss over the combination option on the bottom left side of the menu - it's quite well hidden. You can arguably get the most and largest variety of food there for a lower price than other entrees on the right side. This long review is already too long - but i'll finish it with a note on the service and desserts. The service is great and if you become a regular like us expect to be enthusiastically greeted every time. We also got the fried ice cream here once and it was mindbogglingly amazing. We were able to split it easily. The overall price of Playa is very cheap, especially compared to the other more expensive Mexican places nearby which have inferior food.
(5)Jennifer W.
We took the advice of other yelpers and gave this Mexican restaurant a try. If you like your beer served in a ice cold mug out of the freezer, this might be reason enough to visit. My husband seemed to think this was a wonderful perk, especially after a full day on the beach. We ordered combination plates and hands down the chicken chimichangas were the best! I also liked the guacamole, not too onion-y. Probably the best part of the dinner however was the friendliness of the waiter. I'd go back just to see his cheerful grin again. Nice dinner experience in St Augustine!
(5)Sarah S.
Everything was very fresh! The special hot sauce was fantastic!! The owner even serenaded us!
(4)Daisy D.
This would have barely been a blip on the radar if not for Yelp. We were on our way home from Orlando and wanted to stop and grab a bite to eat in St. Augustine. Craving Mexican we were not sure if we had very many options in front of us. We found this one & decided to go for it. Playa Chac Mool is on Anastasia Island and - like a few mention - if you blink, you'll miss it. Upon entering it's pretty easy to figure out that many moons ago this might have been someone's house. If they were inviting me over for the kind of Mexican PCM puts together, I would go every time! Having been at the park all day, we weren't honestly THAT hungry, but knew we should eat something. We shared an order of guacamole and the fish tacos. It comes with three and you can order one additional, so we did so that we would each have two. Two fish tacos and a couple of bites of beans and rice later and I was a happy camper. The fish was fresh and (being a skeptic) I was quite satisfied with our order. Cute little family run place. Definitely telling the 'rents about this one since they live down there now.
(4)Trent W.
Shrimp diabla was buenÃsima! Very authentic. Taco salad is a good portion. Staff was very energetic and friendly. Chips and salsa were warm. Did you know that chipotle is made from smoked jalapeños? There was also a really cute baby in the restaurant that we estimated was 6-8 months.
(5)Candace M.
Followed the recommendation of other yelpers and stopped in for lunch. My husband and I sat in the screened in porch area. I had chicken flautas and he had beef tacos. Both meals were very tasty. Staff was very friendly send attentative. We would return again when visiting the area.
(5)Frank m.
This place is great, from the screened in outdoor area, to the owner on site talking and meeting everyone. Prices were great food was FANTASTIC! We stopped overnight for a stay and came across this restuarant after a search online. The reviews talked us into trying it and we were not disappointed. Chips and salsa, taco salad and steak faiths is what we ordered. Hot fresh food and quick. I HIGHLY recommend. Checking this place out!
(5)TiffySaurus R.
Being a California native me just say...."WOW!!!!!" It has been a very long time since I've been able to find decent street style tacos. I had the carnitas tacos, carne asada and tacos de pastor. They were ALL well beyond decent. The bf and I were looking for a good Mexican restaurant and passed several mexican restaurants in downton St. Augustine. We drove out of our way to eat here because the reviews were better than all of the fancy restaurants. We are very very happy. The owner is also from California and it was nice to eat some authentic Mexican food. The atmosphere was welcoming and laid back. I cant rave enough about this place!!
(5)Aidan M.
Quite literally THE best Mexican food I've ever had. I had no idea that a bean & cheese quesadilla and chicken burrito could be so flavorful! The rice and beans were delicious, and they offer a variety of Mexican sodas as well. Best guacamole I've ever had, too! And get this - In the middle of our meal, our waiter comes out with a guitar and starts playing and singing for us! I didn't know what to expect at first, but he was really, really good. An amazing experience!
(5)Christy K.
Wonderful!!!!!! The best is when Javier takes out his guitar and serenades you!!! Food is great! I love the enchiladas suiza is fabulous!! Can't go wrong with anything here!! Service is great. Best Mexican in saint Augustine !!!
(5)M D.
The BEST Mexican restaurant for all of St. Augustine hands down, family owned and operated. It's as authentic as you can get for miles around. Fairly priced and deliciously made. 10x the quality and not over priced unlike most restaurants in town.
(5)D.j. K.
The restaurant is a great place to visit. The owner personally came out and gave recommendations and thanked us for visiting. Highly recommended anyone that is in the area to visit. Food and drinks were great and the prices are good as well.
(5)Ben G.
Great, real Mexican! Owner is extremely friendly and makes you feel like you're a guest dining at his home. Did I mention he's an excellent guitarist as well.
(5)Katherine S.
Great Mexican. A must try!
(4)Benjamin S.
Service was bad, had to track down the waitress to get more chips and refills. Chips were stale. I ordered the pastor quesadilla. It was bland and soggy. I find a lot of restaurants on yelp and almost always have good experiences. Not the case with this place. Not sure how they got 4 1/2 stars, something seems off.
(1)Chris R.
My family and I frequent here often and love it. Food is authentic and service has always been fantastic. The owner will often sing and play his guitar for patrons which our son loves. It's clean and has indoor and screened outdoor seating. Pricing is reasonable and portions are generous.
(5)monisha g.
A small little authentic mexican restaurant! The ower was so accommodative to all our requests and made sure we had enough vegetarian options as well! The food and drinks all were awesome!!definitely worth a meal if ur visiting st augustine!!
(5)Michelle L.
This is an amazing authentic Mexican restaurant. The food is fresh and delicious. It is family owned and run. We had crane asada and nachos. Both were delicious... The steak was juicy and tender, and the people could not have been nicer. We will come here again before we leave St Augustine!!!
(5)BigDaddy -.
We have been coming to St. Augustine for years and by some stroke of bad luck have never been here. So we decided to go because of all the good reviews on yelp, we'll believe the hype! Great service, great food, definitely cooked and prepared with fresh ingredients. Happy hour is s definite plus with two for select drinks. I highly recommend eating/dining here.
(5)Don C.
I'm from Texas and we had a craving.......we gave it a shot- what a shame it was so quiet. The food was great and homemmade. I have had bad Mexican food- this was not that. It isn't tex-mex either- it was real mexican. Some girl talking about Kraft singles??? Uh no. Delicious white cheese jalapeno queso. We will return next time we are in town and need a fix!
(5)Ann D.
All 4 of us thought our entrees were delicious. Chicken mole was generous in portion size and mole sauce, fish tacos were fresh with lots of well seasoned fish. The only item we weren't impressed with was the molletes appetizer. Service was wonderful and timely. Very friendly staff. Found this place through yelp after being sadly disappointed to find the Oasis closed for renovation during our annual visit to St Augustine.
(4)Cynthia R.
This place looks run down and old and doesn't look like it even open anymore, we went by it at 5 pm on a Saturday and they were closed and didn't have any tables inside.
(1)Ginny P.
Definitely some of the best Mexican food I have had in Florida! And the owners are super nice... Just loved it!
(5)Net S.
Awesome food and service but tiny place. Fills up very quickly. They should expand it will always be busy.
(5)Amanda G.
Great friendly staff!! The BEST Mexican food I HAVE EVER HAD !! Great prices! Make sure to save room for dessert!! A hidden pearl at the beach!! :)
(5)Jamison P.
Quality Mexican and wonderful service!!! We are from New York City and were looking for great authentic Mexican, and we found it!
(5)Alex E.
Ceviche and carnitas for the win !! Homemade pico de gallo was amazing and super fresh . Another great Mexican restaurant in a random spot
(5)Dave M.
Playa Chac Mool was very good. The chips and salsa, and guacamole appetizer were tasty. i ordered the chile relleno, which was appropriately peppery and cheesy. The rice and beans tasted good, and not like they'd been reheated from a can or box. My companion ordered a dish which was like chicken fajitas in an oversized, grilled taco shell. She was pleased that all of the vegetables actually tasted like they should - something you don't always find. Service was friendly and attentive. All in all, an enjoyable meal. If you're curious, Chac-Mool is the name given to a type of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican stone statue. The Chac-Mool depicts a human figure in a position of reclining with the head up and turned to one side, holding a tray over the stomach. The meaning of the position or the statue itself remains unknown. (from Wikipedia)
(4)Shelley S.
What a find.., the dishes were so tasty and fresh. The service was friendly. Happy hour afforded $3 margaritas and wine. Sitting out on the screened in patio was very pleasant. I highly recommend this eatery!!
(4)Eva-Tanja H.
We looked for a Mexican restaurant & came across this place on Yelp. Cute little place. The combination plates are very filling and very tasty - great value for your money. The guacamole is very delicious and fresh....free chips & salsa with entree. HaPpY hour from 3 - 6 pm!
(5)James D.
Very nice and uniquely Mexican. Try the Tacos al Pastor : you won't be disappointed. The choriqueso (queso blanco con chorizo) was a nice starter, although just a little salty. We'll definitely be back!
(4)Tyler K.
After reading reviews decided to give the place a try and we must say it was everything we hoped. Prices were reasonable given the tourist location, staff was very friendly and helpful, probably the best of our trip. Highly recommended
(4)M K.
Being from Texas I am inundated with Tex-Mex food. There is a difference between Tex-Mex, Mexican and what I call Mexican street food, taqueria. This place is more like a taqueria, light and fresh, not covered will a ton of sauce and cheese. They use Mexican white cheese which is not "Kraft Singles" as someone had stated earlier. One of the best ways for me to judge a Mexican restaurant are the chips and salsa. The chips were fresh and warm and the salsa was home-made. You can tell the difference between something fresh cut/chopped and "out of a jar". Yum The queso is Mexican white cheese queso with jalapenos diced up in it. Smooth with a bite. True the place is small but cute on the inside. The service was exceptional, fast and friendly. I echo the comments, "I will be back when in town".
(5)Jane W.
We had four people, two had tacos one had the chimichangas and one had the enchiladas. The chimichangas and the enchiladas were very bland. Tacos were tasty. I was disappointed with the margaritas as they were very weak. Definitely not fancy but loved the owner playing the guitar and singing a song in Spanish. I will try it again before giving up.
(2)Laura H.
This place is so freaking cute. Family owned. Off of A1A down the street from our hotel. I spotted it on the way to Publix our first night when we were loading up on booze and snacks for the room. We arrived to eat a late lunch on a Saturday around 3ish and had the place to ourselves. My guess is during peak times it jams hard. Our waiter/owner was very accommodating and very fun. Very welcoming and we had a blast with the food and his service. DEFINITELY when you do the St Augustine trip try to go for these local places. The owners/staff will appreciate you and you will be glad you did.
(4)Joe P.
Definitely a "Mi casa, su casa." experience. wonderful food and a congenial staff. We will go back before we have to go home.
(5)Katie B.
Giving them 5 stars because they offered exactly what I hoped for, we ad great service, and I completely enjoyed dinner there tonight. Pretty small restaurant - has that sort of "hidden gem" feel, and I think the owner was our server. The service was great - prompt and he was very helpful with our toddler (which is always greatly appreciated). Chips were tasty and warm, salsa was fresh and had a nice kick to it. Our child got a cheese quesadilla - that was perfectly cooked and warm, but not scalding hot (unlike many other restaurants do when bringing kids meals). My husband and I each ordered tacos and shared with each other (I ordered the fish tacos, he ordered the meat tacos - pollo asado, carnitas, and chorizo). Having had the opportunity to have proper, authentic tacos from both friends from Mexico and from a wonderful, local dive place near home, I know our tacos were pretty authentic. The fish tacos were great, but the carnitas taco I had was AMAZING and probably my favorite of everything. I'd love to go there again if we are traveling here in the future!
(5)Anthony C.
My wife and I tried this place after reading favorable reviews here on yelp. Our experience at Playa Chac Mool was a disappointment. We ordered appetizers, drinks, and entrees; the only part of my meal I enjoyed was my Corona. Service was prompt and friendly though.
(1)Jack H.
excellent food and service, great cheap eats here!
(5)Janey S.
The BEST Mexican food in St. Augustine. The BEST service in St. Augustine. My husband & I eat here every time we are in town.
(5)Nikki S.
Great location- easy to see from A1A. Excellent food and very friendly service. Went with our daughter and the owner helped her with her Spanish throughout the meal. We had the bean burrito, chicken fajitas, chicken chimi and it was all outstanding! Will be back when we come to town!
(5)P M.
Ate here on the way to Orlando. As soon as we stepped in it was like we were home. Not only was the staff nice but they easily shared their recommendations. We had spicy shrimp and the recommended shrimp dish. Both were excellent! We were with the kids and they loved it as well. It is a small place but big on food and service!
(5)Amanda V.
This place had the personality of no other Mexican restaurant in the area. The dining room is quite small (6 tables) with a screened in area as well. The portions are perfect! not too big but I wasn't hungry after either. I even ventured into the realm of dessert- the flan was quite tasty! My burrito, the vegetarian option, was tasty but nothing out of this world. I'd be willing to go again for sure. When the waiter felt comfortable with only 2 parties left in the restaurant he began to perform any acoustic song we could think to request. This was a very wonderful surprise...Who doesn't like dinner and a show?
(4)Karen G.
Loved it! Went for happy hour while vacationing in st. Augustine. Cheap margs, sangria, and beer. Ceviche was delish! Carnitas was juicy and flavorful. Service was a little slow but she gave us the happy hour price past 6 so we were cool with the relaxing pace.
(5)Jim C.
Fantastic, authentic Mexican food. When we saw white queso we knew it had to be good and we were right . Wife had bean burrito and nachos, and I had a chicken chimichanga, beef soft taco, and rice and beans - truly delicious. We will definitely be back!
(5)Emily Y.
Very good home made Mexican food! The fajita is amazing! The owner is nice. Good atmosphere!
(5)Zoe B.
One of the few super authentic Mexican places in the area that isn't primarily Cuban. We walked in and the owner was sitting down playing guitar at one of the tables. It's never busy when we come here, but don't let that scare you away. Salsa was properly spicy, not mellowed out for white people. Chips were warm and crispy. Husband's tacos al pastor were phenomenal. I don't remember what I got, not because it wasn't delicious (it was) I just can't remember the name.
(5)Rachel P.
Worth the visit if you are in the mood for good mexican food. Also, great prices!! I would definitely get the queso app with the sausage!
(4)Michael K.
Shrimp tacos delicious. Excellent service for our large group of 11 guest. Feels like a hidden neighborhood gem.
(5)Rod R.
Mexican food by Mexicans from Mexico (Yucatan, actually). Doesn't get any better. I had chiles relleno, Cindy had shrimp with mojo. Both superb offerings. Nice guys running the place. We'll make it a regular stop when we're in the area.
(4)Jennifer E.
Had lunch at Playa Chac Mool today. What a great experience! This place is right along the beach road in St. Augustine Beach-- though a little hard to see from the road, unless you're looking for it. There is plenty of parking out back. The place seems to get a good amount of traffic, but was not too crowded. They have a small indoor dining room plus a screened in porch. The manager was our server. He was wonderful! Answered several menu questions for us, and really made us feel welcome. It seemed like the whole staff was family. The food was so good. Some of the best guac I've ever had in a restaurant-- and of course the chips were so fresh they were still warm. I had a chicken taco and a chimichanga, both of which were great. Others in my party had pork tacos, 3 ways, and a taco salad. Everything was fresh and prepared with care. The highlight of the meal came when the owner brought out his guitar and played a few "Yucatán" songs, as he called them. It was so fun! We may go back during our weekend here.
(5)Pete R.
The food here is REALLY bad. My wife and I ordered takeout to eat at our hotel 5 minutes up A1A as the reviews were good. "Is this a Kraft cheese slice Enchilada?" was her first comment. Seriously, how do you screw up melted cheese in a corn tortilla? K's enchiladas (one beef, one chicken, one cheese, one bean) were equally terrible. On the upshot, the salsa and guacamole were decent. The owner was nice, but had an apologetic air when taking my cash. Bad sign.
(1)Kelly R.
We visit St. Augustine Beach quite often and we love Mexican food, so when I saw all the positive reviews on Yelp I was pretty darn excited. It lasted about 5 minutes, until we were seated. I guess living in Texas for so long as spoiled me because this WASN'T the "excellent, outstanding" Mexican food described by so many Yelpers. The lot was nearly empty with two other tables besides us. We sat down and after about 10 minutes the server (who clearly had better things to do) finally came to ask what we wanted to drink. He was looking all around and not paying attention, I have no idea what the issue was. On to the food. We got the chori queso, some shrimp fajitas and carnitas. Out of everything the chori queso was the best, and even it was way too cold. It arrived with four lumps of chorizo which was quite tasty..but the cheese had a skin on it and you could tell it had been microwaved BEFORE they heated up the queso in a pan. I guess they thought the hot chorizo would melt the cheese, but that's not what happened. The Shrimp fajitas were bland. The onions had carmelized good on the fajita plate but the shrimp was too over cooked and didn't have any seasoning on it. Sure, they were a reddish color but they didn't taste of anything except shrimp. Disappointing since it was $13.00. The carnitas was ok, but bland. It was pork TIPS, not shredded pork as is the norm. They were a bit dry and nothing to write home about. A couple things I judge a Mexican restaurant by, and one is their salsa and chips. This salsa was so bland and the chips were thick and cold, almost stale. I really couldn't get over how the salsa basically tasted like ground up tomatos and nothing more. Gross. The beans and rice were just the same, bland and straight from a can. Save your money and head elsewhere, all these people leaving 5 star reviews either don't know good Mexican food or had an entirely different cook than us.
(1)Madeline G.
Excellent. Very small place and it is only run by a few family members, but our party of 15 was treated very well and they worked as quickly as they could. Food was outstanding....and I am spoiled with LA Mexican food. The family was very friendly...the husband even brought out his guitar. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Judy M.
Looked this place up on Yelp last evening and the reviews were good. I had the enchiladas verdes special and hubby had his usual chimi. The verde sauce was delectable. The margarita was great. It's just a pleasant little place for good Mexican. I highly recommend.
(5)Michael P.
Good food. Fun little family restaurant.
(4)J D.
Great food and service. I would say, "best Mexican food in St. Auggie". The only Mexican place around that helps me forget all the great food back in NY.
(5)Bill B.
Great mom and pop restaurant. The food was excellent. The service was fast and courtesy. We will be back.
(3)bob h.
Great food with authentic mix of spices and favors. Nice family restaurant atmosphere and quaint place for a group of friends. Beer is better than margaritas. I'm a fan and have been back twice with friends since my first visit.
(5)George G.
Some of the best Mexican I have ever had!!!!! Little mom & pop, great service, great food!!! Try the chicken chac mool. Yelp helped me find it on a weekend stay & now I will visit anytime I'm up that way
(5)Pete M.
Very homey. Best fajitas I've found due to lack of grease and good spice marinade. My wife goes there for the chili rellenos.
(4)Jason C.
Food was good. Great portions and the flavor was good. Could have used a little more seasoning in my point opinion. My one complaint was the service. It was that dead time between lunch and dinner when I got there. There was only one other table with two people eating. I ordered, the food came, and that was the last I saw of anyone. No refills no making sure it was ok. Nothing. I had been done eating for 5 minutes. I was about to go looking for someone when the server finally came back. Someone walked in while I was eating the was a friend or relative. Evidently they were more important than a customer.
(2)Dena T.
Great authentic Mexican restaurant at the beach. Best Mexican food and best guacamole!
(4)Jennifer H.
Thank you, Yelp, for leading me here. In a tourist town with a crap ton of restaurants, it's hard to know what to pick...but this one was a winner! We were there during happy hour, so I partook in a few $2.99 margaritas (tasty!). The chips were warm and salty and thin, the salsa was just right (consistency and spice), and the choriqueso dip was good, though not as awesome as I've had other places. But the service was really top-notch and all the food was good (our table was all happy). I'm knocking one star off for being just a bit on the expensive side. Yes, overall it's inexpensive, but I felt like maybe the dinners we had were slightly overpriced for what we got. But I'd still go back in a heartbeat.
(4)Tina B.
Amazingly good Mexican food, family atmosphere, run by family with love and pride. I am very reluctant to try new restaurants, especially Mexican, but this one was very worth it! We will definitely be back!
(5)Mr. G.
Best Mexican Food in St Augustine hands down!! While the restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, trust me when I say that you'll love the food!
(5)Kathy S.
Delicious! Went here after reading reviews on Yelp. We were on vacation. Fabulous dinner. You can't go wrong and affordable. Small place. Go now!
(5)Ray B.
It is a cute little place and we were excited for some good Mexican food after reading all the great reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately both the wife and I were majorly dissatisfied with the appetizers, entrees, and service. All the food had the same flat taste. We had the chorizo and queso appetizer which was just okay. It did not have enough spice for my liking. Unfortunately the entrées didn't get any better. My wife had a chicken chimichanga and found that the chicken was very good but overall the dish was bland. I had a combination with the tamale and chicken flauta. The tamale was like mush. Our server was a very friendly older gentleman who seemed to disappear halfway through our meal. Overall it was just very disappointing.
(2)Jay B.
Outstanding Mexican. Very non-descript place but don't let the exterior fool you. The service is extremely attentive without being overbearing When there is a lull in this otherwise busy but small place (maybe 10-12 tables) one of the waiters plays a terrific guitar. This is authentic Mexican priced reasonably. There is no reason to go elsewhere for Mexican in this part of St. Augustine even though there are at least a half dozen other choices. This is what you want especially if you've ever sampled Texas Mexican. The real deal.
(5)Jessica S.
We decided to check this place out based on fellow Yelp-er recommendations, and as usual, the reviews were spot on! So, when you pull up to this place, you may see an open sign, and no cars in the parking lot and think that you are in the wrong place. Have no fear! It just means you'll have this fantastic place to yourself! There's nothing like a clean, family run restaurant with free parking. The building doesn't look like much, but there is an inclusive menu, the food is fantastic, and the service is top notch. If you're lucky, Javier (the friendly, charismatic owner) will entertain you with his guitar while you dine on authentic Mexican food-- not the Tex Mex that I've found pretty much everywhere else. He was so kind to my children, too, his charm made the meal that much more enjoyable. The prices are reasonable, and they have specials every day, including drink specials such as a $2.99 Margarita that I couldn't resist tasting for myself (really generously sized, and tasty!). Their salsa was perfect in spice and consistency. It was the best Mexican food that I've had in ages, and wonderful, personal service that you definitely will not find just anywhere. Highly recommended.
(5)Isidro M.
Great food, great service. I was going to give 4 stars b/c no one is perfect, then they had my favorite tamarindo soda.
(5)Rebecca O.
After searching for quality Mexican food in St. Augustine I finally found it. Even my children were impressed and they are hard to please. The only thing I would have enjoyed that I was unable to was a good Mexican/Spanish beer on draft.
(4)Edward J.
Food was pretty good. The waiter was cool, he had a minute so he broke out a guitar and played a few songs. It was Xmas time so I'll let you guess what he sang. It was fun.
(4)Todd M.
Took the family in here while on vacation and it was well worth the trip. It is very small, very intimate and very much a family atmosphere. The food was fresh and well prepared. The queso was very yummy, the salsa very fresh and my chorizo tacos were very good. The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the pricing was a tick on the expensive side, but I'm alright with that as the food was very good and it was clearly a family operation. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
(4)D Y.
This little 'blink and you'll drive by it' place on the right on D Street in St. Augustine Beach, FL is a small hidden treasure. Authentic Mexican fare with its fresh ingredients and delicious flavors keeps you wanting more. Bean are freshy made, guacamole was mmmm very tasty. The SO ordered a 3 taco dinner. It had 2 Al Carbon (pork) and one carne asada. Comes with rice and beans and guacamole. The SO has eaten alot of authentic Mexican food in Mexico and recommends this dish as he said the Al Carbon is muchos deliciosos! I had the chili relleno, which was very hot, crunchy on the outside, and with tons of melted white cheese oozing from it. I think I'm just in love with the cheese! Tea kept on coming so no matter what the temperature of the food, you won't have to ask for a refill. Check out their weekly specials! They have 2 per day. They are open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday thru Saturday 11am - 9PM and Sunday 12am to 8pm. Outdoor seating is in a screened in patio.
(4)Chris W.
Fantastic food, highly recommended. Watch wild chickens out the window while you enjoy the best shrimp in the StAugustine area. Fish tacos are excellent.
(5)MS D.
Just ate here. Kitschy decor ,but great food. Generous portions and friendly staff.
(4)Jerry B.
Very small, very casual, family run, and absolutely delicious. We stopped by on our way to St. Augustine and couldn't be more thrilled with this find. From the appetizers to the margaritas to the entrees, everything was freshly prepared and very flavorful. The service was top-notch and very friendly. I highly recommend Playa Chac Mool as possibly the best Mexican restaurant in which I've ever eaten.
(5)Bill K.
great authentic Mexican cuisine, served in a small intimate cafe setting, by super friendly staff. After the meal the owner came out and thanked us for trying his family restaurant. My wife had the chicken tacos and I had the Mar y terria(sp?) (garlic shrimp and steak) it was fabulous. Our guests had the fish tacos and a humongous burrito they said was great also. Very clean environment and helpful wait staff.
(5)Angela S.
I love this local mexican restaurant. The food is fresh, salsa is terrific, and they make excellent margaritas!
(5)Jessica E.
Delicious food, great service, best Mexican in St Augustine!
(5)Danielle B.
We were just in town for a night and wanted a quick easy place to park our RV outside of the downtown congestion. The previous reviews on Yelp were great. Javier, the owner, served us and was one of the nicest waiters is ever had. Good food, neat little dining room, and reasonable prices. We would definitely go back!
(4)Scott W.
This place is amazing! I grew up in Chicago, where Mexican food is great. This is the best Mexican food I've had since leaving Chicago. The people are super nice and helpful. Try It!
(5)