Manzanilla — Restaurant in Ensenada

Restaurant Review: A Disappointing Reality Check

As a critic, I walked into Chef Benito Molina's restaurant with high expectations, given his reputation as a MasterChef judge known for his stringent standards and meticulous eye for detail. Unfortunately, my experience was an ironic and disappointing juxtaposition of the persona he portrays on screen.

The restaurant itself is a shack in both appearance and execution. The lack of basic hygiene was alarming—tables were sticky, the ambiance was unkempt, and there seemed to be no semblance of cleanliness in the dining area. The dishes served to me were visibly dirty, with oil smears and stains that should never have made it past any self-respecting kitchen, let alone one run by a self-proclaimed perfectionist.

The food was unremarkable at best. The flavors lacked depth and creativity, with nothing to justify the chef’s highly critical stance on the culinary efforts of others. If Chef Molina holds his contestants to such high standards, why does his own menu fail to meet even the basic ones?

Adding to the disappointment was the palpable arrogance in the atmosphere, as if the mere association with a television show was enough to compensate for the lackluster experience. It’s a pity that someone so vocal about excellence fails to translate it into their own establishment.

In conclusion, the restaurant is a glaring example of how words can often outpace actions. Chef Benito Molina may have the platform to critique others, but it is evident that his own house is in disarray. I would recommend that he spend less time criticizing and more time embodying the standards he so adamantly...

I wish I have read the reviews first before driving 5 hours to see this famous restaurant. Unfortunately this restaurant was a disappointment. The food was good but the service was extremely slow. Got there by 3:00 today. Then a very friendly bar tender suggested a drink that was delicious btw. And then it’s like we disappear. There were pretty much empty, never had offer another drink or even water. They seemed to ignore us, texting on their phone, making videos. Cute. But not when you hungry. Was until 30 min later that they ask us if we want something to eat. We ask for the soup of the day and the mussels, the 3 of us got the same, so was a fairly easy order. Ordered bread never brought it. Food came 1 hour later. I felt so rude being on my phone out of boredom, but I was mad, and didn’t want to cause a scene. We wanted the fish too but rather just go to another restaurant. There were a lot of flies too. I understand is the beach but at this point I was just annoyed. The soup was delicious. But the service need to improve big time. Not...

This place has been in Ensenada for quite some time and it is very well known. I like that they keep changing the menu and bring in guest chefs to make you want to come back. The service really needs improvement though, we had to ask for drinks and the bill several times and sometimes they would just forget the drink order all together. The staff was really friendly and welcoming though. The food was excellent. The oysters and the lubina sashimi we’re both really fresh and tasty. The abalone tostada was so good we ordered it twice. It was just so tasty and the chipotle sauce complemented it perfectly. The chilaquiles were delicious and just the right amount of spicy. The lamb ribs and the pork were cooked and seasoned to perfection, they didn’t even need any sauce. The sides were all delicious as well. I was a bit let down at the end with the desserts, but most of my friends did enjoy them. I would...