Mi Jalisco Restaurante — Restaurant in Vallejo

I went here twice within a span of a few days. First time tried the birria tacos with consome. The second time tried the quesabirria tacos with consome. Neither are on the printed menu, you have to ask for them. Both times I had a tamarind margarita.

Both times I was greeted almost immediately and told to sit wherever I please. Also both times it took around 10+ minutes for the wait staff to come by and ask what I'd like to drink or if I was ready to order. That's a long time in the restaurant industry, especially when the place isn't packed. The staff was friendly and welcoming but certain serving aspects were hit and miss.

First time a full basket of fresh chips and the house red and green salsa bottles were brought to the table. They never offered or brought any little bowls to put the salsa into so the chips could be dipped. The second time the basket was less than half full, it literally almost looked like leftovers but this time she offered bowls for the salsa.

First time the tamarind margarita was devoid of any tamarind flavor and so strong I literally made the sour pucker face. It was also missing the salt rim. Second time the margarita was great and included the salt rim. Not sure who is making the drinks but some training to ensure consistency might be in order.

First time when the food was brought out, utensils were brought as well. Second time, I waited and waited, then finally had to get up and ask for a spoon.

Both the birria and quesabirria tacos were served with grilled onions and fresh diced onions. The consome is not included which I found out after ordering the first time. The first time when I asked for the consome, it was brought out in a Styrofoam cup. Uhhh not really conducive for dipping tacos in. The second time, when I knew to order it with my tacos, it was in a proper ramekin that I could easily dip my taco into.

I will say I enjoyed the quesabirria tacos the best. Tacos were super messy but delicious. As a fellow Yelper said "cheese makes everything better". Love the thin chips and house salsas. The red is spicy and smokey. The green is more mild and has a wonderful bit of tang to it.

Overall I would give them 4 stars but the inconsistency with the drinks and lack of attention to details from the servers knocked it down a star. I'm hoping everything improves so the next time I go I can change my rating to 4.

Pros: friendly welcoming staff, good food, love the house made complimentary thin chips and red and green salsas, tamarind margarita is great when made properly, clean establishment

Cons: lack of attention to detail from wait staff, margarita flavors are inconsistent

P.S. CASH ONLY and the menu...

Disappointed by a Good Spot That Needs to Take Cleanliness More Seriously

I've been coming to Mi Jalisco Restaurant for a while, usually with my wife or family. The food (especially the ceviche) has always been a favorite of mine. On this visit, I came alone, craving that same ceviche I've enjoyed in the past.

Everything started off well. My waitress was polite and attentive, and my order came out quickly. I was really enjoying my meal... until something unexpected and disturbing happened.

As I was eating, I saw something crawling along the edge of my table and toward the back of my seat -- a cockroach. I was shocked and grossed out. After a moment of panic, I managed to kill it with a napkin and brought it to the attention of my waitress. She apologized and said she would inform the owner. I told her I was going to wash my hands and would return shortly.

When I got back, she apologized again and offered to get me some boxes. However, what surprised me most was what didn't happen: -There was no effort to comp the meal, -No sincere or detailed explanation of how this issue would be handled, -No reassurance that this was being taken seriously.

I paid the full bill at the front and left feeling extremely disappointed.

To make matters worse, this wasn't my first encounter with pests here. Just last month, I noticed a trail of ants along the window baseboard on the opposite side of the parking lot. I didn't make a big deal of it at the time, hoping it was a one-off. But now, after seeing a cockroach at my table, it's clear that cleanliness is a recurring issue.

I still like the food, and the service is generally decent. But what happened today shows that the restaurant needs to take much better action when it comes to food safety and customer care. No one should be seeing insects while dining and if it does happen, it needs to be handled with urgency, transparency, and responsibility.

Until I see improvements, I'm sad to say I won't be returning...

I was so happy to try this place. It is super cute and in the old IHOP on Tennessee Street. The first time we went it was pleasant we stopped on our way back from an errand. It was decent enough that we thought to try it again if we were in the vicinity. Stopped back in and was greeted in an unpleasant manner and told to get any table that was clean. No one came with a menu or to check on us for about 15 minutes. Person finally came didn't get our order correct brought loads of inappropriate expensive dishes we had not ordered. The enchilada sauce tasted like spaghetti o sauce and even had a sprinkling of Parmesan on top. It was peculiar and unpleasant. Finally asked for a box to pack things up and try and eat it later. Was not given a check. Went to the register and was told it was $45 for two people for an order of enchiladas with rice and beans and an order of tacos plus two coca colas in a bottle. We paid $50 and left. Having worked as a waitress for many years I normally will give a place more than two tries. But being as that $50 of food ended up in the garbage I don't think I'm going to...