Tequila’s Chophouse and Cantina

We stopped into Tequila’s for dinner after a long day on the beach in San Clemente. All of us were very hungry and craving some authentic Mexican food. The atmosphere here was much better than expected. After a few rounds of Kick-​Ass margaritas (they TOTALLY lived up to the name) we orders a ton of food.
From what I remember we had steak & chicken fajitas that came out sizzling and were full of flavor.
One of us ordered the Tequila Pasta, which came at the recommendation of the server. Definitely not something that I would have ordered, but it ended up being delicious.
We also had the enchiladas de mariscos which were by far the best thing on the table. There was a ton of shrimp in them and the flavor was on point.
Overall, this place was perfect for the 4 of us. We were all hungry and left full and satisfied. Anyone looking for a great local Mexican food restaurant should definitely give Tequila’s a shot. We will be back for sure!

Just enjoyed a great lunch at Tequila’s. Fabulous carnitas salad & stuffed chili relleno. Yum! (Ps great margaritas)

Hello my Unilocalies,
Came here for the first time since my friend knew someone who lives around the area and thought why not try something different. Parking is a little difficult since they don’t have a parking lot, but there are some public parkings around the area. We were lucky enough to find a spot on a Saturday night.
This place’s decoration is definitely on point, I love how it has a homey yet classy feeling when you walk in. Since it is Christmas season they have many Christmas decorations around the restaurant which definitely puts a huge smile on my face since I’m such a sucker for the Holiday Seasons. We came here just for a quick bite and some drinks, my friends ordered some margaritas while I order a dark beer since I’m not a huge fan of margaritas. All the drinks have average price, I believe the beer we got was $ 7. This place is perfect for a Friday or Saturday night fun and chat with some friends.
We decided to grab some light bite before we head to a karaōke bar, We all got the tacos with bean and rice. I personally got the chicken one, it was average to me but my friends love it very much. I thought the chicken was a little dry and not enough seasoning but the rice and beans were very delicious. One thing I love the most about this place is their salsa for the chips, the salsa was super well made, the tomato onions and cilantro adds the perfect crunch to the salsa. It has a hint of spice which I kind of wish it was a lot spicier but they made it so it’s perfect for each person. I would definitely come back again for their chips and salsa because I finished 50% of the chips just by myself (yes I regret it the next day lol)
The service was magnificent, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I was very happy with how they split the checks because some places doesn’t like doing that because it does take a lot of effort to do so, but they were happy to help us with whatever we need.
Overall, 5 stars for service, 3 stars for food and drinks, 5 stars for decorations and environment and 5 stars for cleanliness. I will definitely come back again in the near future if I am ever in the area again.

Tequilas is very accomodating for any events planned and the owner goes above and beyond to make sure each event is spectacular and beautifully put together! Ive also found that any situation that arises the staff comes together and assists not only the guests but also each other… Great family place!

1 star is being generous. As of thirty minutes ago when we left the restaurant for my brothers rehersal dinner, an ambulance had already been called.
Let’s start at the beginning…
1. My parents were throwing a party for my brothers rehersal dinner. The owner Pete was being difficult as 2 hours before the event when my parents had gone to set up a few decorations, the place was no where close to being ready and was set up all wrong from what they had requested.
2. Once at the event, when they started serving food, as people were going through the buffet line, the restaurant was taking forever to replenish the food in the warmers, then when it came time for dessert, the owner was not prepared. After speaking with him, his only response was to blame the customer as she (my mom) had not ordered dessert, even though she tried to several times and there was no text response from the owner who «happened to lose his phone.» So we skipped dessert.
3. When trying to settle up, the owner kept asking what we wanted him to do for his poor service. At that point we wanted a 10% discount on the overall bill, which he gave us after much hesitation. So we settled up and called it a night as everyone was saying their goodbyes.
4. This overall venue has a multi level design with restrooms downstairs. My uncle happened to be going down the stairs when he missed an unmarked step and twisted his knee so bad that an ambulance had to be called. Prior to calling the ambulance, we requested that the restaurant do it as it was their step that caused the issue in a poorly lit area and without markings (ADA Violation). When we asked after 10 minutes if they had called, they laughed and said you should probably call. So we did. My cousin (uncle’s son) tried to confront the owner to discuss things as to why he didn’t call, but the bartender and her sons tried to start a fist fight with other customers in the restaurant.
The owner at this point was trying to instigate more of a fight and his bartender kept egging on my cousin and being confrontational. (Update. .the owner also went after my cousin with a kitchen knife)
This place needs to be shut down and the owner should be thrown in jail for how he conducts himself.
As far as I’m concerned, Bernie Madoff was a better man.

I have never written a review until today! This place gets ZERO STARS
I went for here for lunch yesterday with a friend and the food was absolutely DISGUSTING. Ordered the chile relleno. Our plates came out within 7 minutes and mine had this watery substance??? The guy claimed the plate was hot but the food was NOT. The beans were nasty and the chile relleno was NOT stuffed with cheese but had a blob of cheese on top. Not only did I send the plate back immediately but I WILL NOT be returning. Do yourselves a favor and pass go and collect your $ 200. This place is not worth your time!

Came here Friday night with my husband, we live in San Clemente but haven’t been here before! Tried going to South of Nicks, they had an hour and a half wait so walked over to Tequilas and we are so glad we did!
The service was great, food was delicious. We shared ceviche, I had the veggie tostada and my husband had the chicken fajitas.
Sat outside, had excellent service. The ambiance outside was so nice, lots of twinkle lights and cozy spots to sit. More people should wander a little farther south of Del Mar, it’s right across from Goodies so you’re still close to Del Mar :)

The rehearsal dinner for our son and future daughter-​in-​law on October 16, 2015 was wonderful. The dinner was on the lower patio for about 30 people. The weather was nice, the chimmi’s for appetizer was great, and the taco bar and fixings was very good. Beer, margaritas, and drinks were great.
Pete the owner was great to work with for this event and provided exceptional service as did our waitress. In fact, Pete went across the street to a store to get chocolate milk for my granddaugher and niece. Wow… that was service. I asked Pete if he made churros as they are a favorite of my son and he added then into the dinner!
We looked at many places and most places were way beyond the budget. If you are looking for a very reasonable and nice venue for an event give Pete an opportunity to serve you.
Thanks to Pete and his staff!

Wonderful location, great atmosphere, delicious food! Hidden gem for sure. Been to a few special events here, and they really know what they’re doing. You are lucky to be invited to one here, or stop by for lunch or dinner… I recommend the tortilla soup, SO good.

What a beautiful venue for an event, especially a wedding. The décor is truly authentic and has so much character. The upstairs patio is in a class of its own and takes you far away to old Mexico. A Perfect venue for any themed wedding or event. Before you book your wedding at one of the other venues or restaurants in San Clemente, make sure you check out Tequila’s first.
As far as dining, the food is amazing and the owner is super friendly. They could use a hostess or someone to greet because this place is a hidden gem, and easily missed. We had my grandmothers wedding here and next will be my daughters graduation this June!

This place has a great outdoor patio area and good food but the service is unbelievably slow.

We arrived for a reception and they were not ready for us. Do not know if they were slow or we got the time wrong. In any event, lots of us got there and got to wait.
Once organized, they did a nice job. Good food, good service and a good time. Nice location. Great event.

Came here for a large family late lunch, early dinner. The food tasted great and was out in a reasonable time considering that they only had one cook on a Sunday afternoon. Service was great the waitresses we very friendly. My only complaint was that they were out of shrimp before 4 which is one of the main ingredients in the fairly small menu available. I would recommend it for small parties or dinner dates.

Fabulous lunch, ambience and location. The Boiling lava bowl was the BEST! SiZZLING fajita mixture came out in a pig shaped lava bowl that was boiling. Loved it. Great way to spend our first day being empty nesters!

Started our order with margaritas, one house & one Cadillac. Think they forgot to add the tequila! We ordered the guacamole, very nice. We then ordered the fish tacos (tried to order shrimp fajitas but they were out of shrimp) and the chile relleno. Both plates were ok, but nothing to get excited about. Our waitress Erin was very nice & service was great! Such a shame, cute little restaurant, great location, but food was blah & margaritas were like juice! Now we know why we were only ones here

I would definitely give NO star if I could.
Horrible experience.
Horrible service.
Don’t ever have a special event at this place.
Sorry to say but this place let me down completely.

The place is adorable, the atmosphere sells this place.
2 stars for poor service. The server attendant removes the water glasses, chip basket & salsa bowls in order to provide refills.
When dropping the food, they auction. They aren’t very friendly, the experience lacked introductions.
We ordered the fajitas which were a ⁴⁄₅. Everything is a good value. Flavor lacks authenticity.
They have an adorable rooftop that is sadly only for events. You could be making bank.
They failed to drop a drink menu which leaves me guessing if I should bother with a $ 12 mediocre margarita or not.
This place has so much potential it’s heartbreaking. Some simple changes can make a huge difference starting with guest service and maybe a little bit of salt.

Cute little Mexican restaurant in downtown San Clemente! They have great outdoor seating, delicious drinks, and authentic food… you’ll feel like you’re on vacation in Mexico! :)
We had the Gordo burrito & mushroom quesadillas which were both super yummy. I’ll defintely be returning!

Made a reservation for our group of six in the Romantica Room. Once again great margaritas, homemade chile relleno (my mother in law said it was the best she ever had), great soup, wonderful salads, and fajitas. We tend to go earlier in the evening (around 6:00) and we are served quickly and with smiles.

We had a great experience at Tequila’s. Good for super fresh delicious and came quickly. We sat on the beautiful patio. Would definitely return again.