Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant

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8471 Garvey Dr 113 (at Durant Rd)
Raleigh, NC 27616

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(919) 872-1127
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Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant - Raleigh, NC
Reviews
( 30 )
( 2 )
( 5 )
( 3 )
( 3 )

Best

The food will have you coming back with your Family and Friends to show off this Great Place to eat. I am glad that I stopped in and tried the food now I can't wait to return for ...

Worst

Had the review been only about the food, I would have given it 4-5 stars...but the service sucks. I moved out here from CA, and could not find a decent mexican place...especiall...

Great Place to take a Family 1/26/2012

Our family goes here fairly regularly, and we have always had a positive experience. The food is better than any Mexican restaurant I have visited in the area (we love the guacamole), the service has always been great, the food comes in a timely manner, the atmosphere is family friendly, and prices are reasonable. They are even great about working with allergy/dietary restrictions. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a family night out, but it's not where I would go to celebrate a special event. more
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Good Mexican Food...LOUSY service!!!! 5/11/2011

Had the review been only about the food, I would have given it 4-5 stars...but the service sucks. I moved out here from CA, and could not find a decent mexican place...especially one that had great pintos & cheese burritos (my favorite in CA, and on virutally every Mexican a la carte menu). Well, on Cinco De Mayo, we finally tried out the food at Cafe Capistrano...and we were pleased! We had great food, great Salsa (we even bought some to take home), great Guacamole & chips, great service and I got my bean and cheese burrito that I had been longing for since moving here.Although it was not on the menu, they told me they would make it for me and charged me the price that would be expected if I ordered one on an a la carte menu. My new favorite restaurant...wait a minute. I was so thrilled with this place that we just came back this evening only 6 days later. This time, me, my kids and my husband ordered the exact same thing, but now my bill was A LOT more, my burrito was 1/2 the size(a kids burrito size)...and the waitress was SO RUDE!!!!! WTF???? My new favorite restaurant??? NOT!!!!!!! She tried to charge me $12.95 for a kid size Pintos & cheese burrito. Can you effing believe it??? For pintos & cheese??? What??? Even my husbands plate with 2 tacos, pintos and cheese was only $10.95. When I brought that to her attention, she DID NOT want to reduce the price, even as I pitched a fit in the middle of the restaurant. She told me that it was an adult burrito price!!! What???The size of a child burrito WITHOUT any meat. She then told me that if she reduced the price, the owner would take it out of her paycheck...PULEEZ!!!! My new favorite mexican restaurant is now the #1 restaurant to avoid at all cost!!!! If the manager was smart he would get rid of her!!!PRONTO!!!!! more
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Great Food, but do not get take out unless.... 8/20/2010

Terrific food, but the last 2 times I ordered take-out, I was told it would be 10-15 mins. I waited 40 mins and 55 mins, respectively from when I called it in...which is silly. But worse is how much packaging they use for the take out that you throw away. Huge plastic containers, plus a big styrofoam case of tortilla chips for EVERY entree you order (way too much) and all packaged in a shopping bag the size of Macy's shopping bag. No wonder its so expensive. If you go, eat there, do not get take out unless you like killing the environmment quickly. The food is good. more
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One of Raleighs Best 12/23/2009

The food will have you coming back with your Family and Friends to show off this Great Place to eat. I am glad that I stopped in and tried the food now I can't wait to return for the 20+ times. Pros: Only go if you like good Food & Freindly People Cons: I have not found a con yet more
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The best! 10/6/2009

This place is great! The portions are huge and the quality of their ingredients is second to none. I visit the North Raleigh location and find the staff very friendly (and accommodating to our toddler!). Pros: Quality of Food, Quantity of Food, Friendliness of Staff more
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live music 9/24/2008

This was my first time. Pros: hi quality food Cons: sangria was too sweet, but the waiter gave us some red wine to rectify this more
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Fantastic! 7/12/2008

I'm picky. Giving anything 5 stars means I was impressed. This place was a terrific dining experience. The staff was hospitable, they were fast, and they were thorough. We ordered the guacamole, mango tacos, and quesadilla. All were exceptional. Granted this was in the early afternoon on a saturday when the restaurant was sparsley occupied so it might have been a different story during a dinner crunch. But from this on trip I have nothing but but praise. Also have to recommend the Mexican Wedding Cake for dessert, OMFG this was the BEST cake I ever had. Absolulety check this palce out. Pros: Service, wonderful food Cons: Don't have any this time more
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Mahi Taco Heaven! 6/27/2008

Capistrano was recently rated ""Best New Restaurant"" in Wake County and they really deserve it!! I'm a tough nut to please. Their fish tacos made with Mahi Mahi, fresh cabbage and a delicious and creamy citrus sauce of some sort are wonderful, but don't think you won't clean your plate. The beans and rice are delicious and so flavorful, a perfect accompaniment to the tacos. If you have any room left, try the Wedding Cake (Tres Leches) its the best we've ever had. Owners are friendly and approachable, decor is simple, not garrish, very warm. Happy eating folks! Pros: Everything on menu is fresh and delicious Cons: Closed on Sundays more
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Best Mexican Experience Hands down 6/9/2008

Cafe Capistrano is an amazing Mexican experience, I will not even say ""just a restaurant"" The Staff is warm and fabulous. I enjoy so many of the different dishes I have a hard time deciding what to eat. It is ""my show off place to eat"" meaning when I have company in town I take them to eat here, b/c they will be _WOWED_by the mango shrimp and pork tenderloin...LOVE IT! I have used them for take out and for catering a shower for me as well. I can't say enough...but when my husband says...where do you feel like eating tonight.??..it is hard not to KEEP saying Cafe Capistrano! Great Place, Great food! more
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Amazing service and foods. gotten to know waiters and manager! 6/3/2008

This i have to say it the best restaurant in the city. The combination of fresh delicious ingredients and great prices makes this place a personal favorite. My family has been going there every Thursday night for a year. I strongly recommend the tacos with as much Santa Fe sauce as possible. As for desert i cannot recommend the wedding cake or fudge brownie. The waiters are quick and nice. I cannot recommend any restaurant more! Pros: Great for anyone, Delicious food and great service. Cons: no cons more
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Had my birthday dinner here and loved it 6/3/2008

I have been eating here since they have opened, so I decided to have a birthday dinner at Cafe Capistrano. There was about 18 of us so i made a reservation. When we got there they had a bunch of tables pulled together and had everything set up for us. The waitress got our drinks to us promptly and we ordered Guacamole, Queso Blanco, and Mango Shrimp. The Guacamole was the best I have ever eaten. We all ordered a bunch of different meals, I have to say the burrito is the biggest burrito I have ever seen. If your hungry defiantly get it. I can positively say that the food was terrific and the waitress was very on top of everything and made sure we had everything we needed. At the end she brought me a piece of wedding cake for my birthday and it was wonderful. Alot of my friends were from out of town so I am glad we went there because all my friends want to come back in town to go to Cafe Capistrano. Thank you guys for helping me have a great birthday. Pros: The entire menu Cons: ???? more
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Best Mango Shrimp and Enchiladas 6/3/2008

My family and I love to eat here. We go at least twice a week. I have to have the mango shrimp everytime I go for my appetizer. I promise it is to die for. My husband loves the enchiladas with the pork tenderloin and I crave the fish tacos. I guarantee its the best in Raleigh. We have tried almost all the mexican places in Raleigh and Cafe Capistrano is seriously the best. The service is awesome and the gooey cake is worth every penny. I cant think of one bad thing to say........ wait I know, they are closed on Sundays. Pros: Mango Shrimp, Fish Tacos, Gooey Cake Cons: Closed on Sundays more
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I got a Spider for Free 6/2/2008

I have eaten at Capistrano's on a couple of occassions, and thought the food was fair. There are alot better Mexican places in the Triangle, but maybe I just don't really LIKE this Cal. Mex. concept. I want Mexican Mexican. Anyway, today I ate there with 5 of my office mates for lunch. I took one bite of my taco and sat it down to chew. As I looked down at my plate a very large black spider crawled out of my taco. Needless to say, I was speechless. My boss called over the server who grabbed my plate and ran. Then I just sat there, for several minutes, while everyone else laughed and tried to eat. Mostly they were looking thru their food! A few minutes later, the manager came over and apologized and offered me something else but I declined. Call me ""jaded"" but that's my last meal at Capistranos. Pros: cute little girl helping her mother wait tables Cons: a spider in my food more
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All Mexican restaurants should be THIS FRESH !! 5/25/2008

I flew into Raleigh to visit with my college girlfriends and they had Cafe Capistrano cater our dinner and I can say this is the best mexican food I have ever had. We started off with chips and the best salsa I have ever eaten. The guacamole and mango shrimp were out of this world. FRESHEST tasting food !! Then we had a Chicken taco bar. I was skeptical at first since I have never had a chicken taco, but oh my was it good !! All I know is when I visit Raleigh again, I will definitely eat at Cafe Capistrano. more
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LOVE IT!!! Sante Fe dressing is awesome, Quesadilla is the BEST! 5/24/2008

We go almost every Saturday for lunch. The service is fast and friendly and the food is AWESOME!!! We order the chicken quesadilla most of the time which has a great blend of cheese and chicken and topped with their fantastic Sante Fe dressing. The lime dressing is also good. My husband does not like Mexican but loves their pork tenderloin wrap. If you have not been to Cafe Capistrano you MUST give it a try. Don't expect authentic mexican, EXPECT BETTER because it is soooooooooo good. :) The atmosphere is very nice and the restaurant is clean. I have not been at night but I hear it is a nice romatic setting. ENJOY!!! Pros: Great food more
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Our new favorite mexican restaurant 5/23/2008

My partner and started eating at Cafe Capistrano over 6 months ago and eat there almost every Friday night. I dont really care for mexican food but this place won us over !! I eat the Burrito every time we go and it is truly awesome. The shredded beef Burrito is my favorite. My partner has tried everything on the menu and has never been disappointed. His favorite meal is the pork tenderloin enchiladas verde. You just dont find Fresh food like this anywhere else. The margaritas are to die for. They are made with wine which is definitely different, but the food is definetly different as well. The guacamole and salsa are hands down the best we have ever eaten. The salsa is so good we buy a pint to take home. The service has always been very pleasant and efficient . We are usually too full for dessert but we have tried the wedding cake and it was so good I asked for the recipe. They wouldnt hand it over . Pros: the best mexican food more
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Don't Waste Your Money 5/6/2008

My wife and I went to Cafe Capistrano for the first time on Saturday for an early dinner. Neither of us was tremendously hungry but we knew we wanted some nachos. We did not have reservations but we were seated immediately. We ordered the nachos and a burrito to share. The nachos arrived in a reasonable amount of time. When I saw them, I said to myself, ""Only chips and cheese?"". On the nacho plate was a good amount of chips, perhaps a quarter of a cup of lettuce, salsa and chopped beef. There was a good amount of cheese but it all appeared beneath the chips. I did not complain to the waitress because I did not want to embarrass my wife. We were less than a third of the way into the nachos when the waiter brings the entree (burrito). Now, a reputable restaurant knows better than to bring the entree before the appetizer is complete. Once again, I chose not to complain. The burrito we ordered was with beef. If you read the description of their burrito, it sounds quite scrumptuous. Howeverr, when I divided ours for sharing, I realized it was 99.9 percent white rice. There were no greens, no refried beans, no salsa and I found one small chunk of beef. Now, I had heard that Costco and Sams Club were limiting customers to to amount of rice sold per person, but I had no suspicion that perhaps Cafe Capistrano was hoarding the rice to put in their burritos. I have eaten in many Mexican Restauants in California, but I don't see how Cafe Capistrano can claim to be an authentic California Mexican restaurant. So, this was not a good experience at all. I hope other customers fare better. For us, we will not eat there again. Pros: We were seated without a reservation Cons: Poor timing with courses; poor food preparation more
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2nd Best Mexican Restaurant in Raleigh 4/11/2008

We tried Cafe Capistrano after reading all the good reviews. We love all kinds of ethnic foods and were psyched about potentially finding a great Mexican place. We were seated quickly and our waitress was friendly, helpful and professional. The decor is a little spartan, but clean. I am a fresh salsa junkie, and I like it HOT. I cook with lime and cilantro frequently, and like those flavors. However, the salsa was so overwhelmed with the flavors of lime and cilantro that it just wasn't enjoyable. Not a good start! We ordered the mango shrimp appetizer. It sounded great, but it was sloppily executed. It was tasty, but I think it could have been a lot better - the shrimp were a little sketchy, if you know what I mean. My husband had fish tacos and very much enjoyed them. I had a nightly special (exactly what is escaping me - I just remember that EVERY aspect of it was heavily seasoned with cilantro), but I didn't really like it. The side of beans were excellent, tho. I was really bummed about our experience because this restaurant got such great reviews. We figured it must have been an off nite, so we went a second time a month later. Pros: fresh tortillas, great beans Cons: did not like their salsa more
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Excellent California-inspired Mexican. North Raleigh's Best Kept Secret! 3/30/2008

On the recommendation of friends, my husband & I dined at Cafe Capistrano last night & were totally blown away. We arrived at 6:30 & were seated fairly promptly, which was pure luck as the place was swamped 5 minutes after our arrival. My husband had the chile relleno (& a side order of fish taco just to see what all the hype was about & I must say, it did not disappoint). I ordered the pork tenderloin enchilanda on the recommendation of our waiter. WOW....both were out of this world! Our waiter was prompt, attentive, & a HOOT to talk with. After reading some of the previous reviews, I must disagree with the Reviewer comparing Dos Taquitos to Cafe Capistrano....the 2 restaurants are not on the same playing field. Dos Taquitos has that ""funky/eclectic"" vibe going on (with a disgustingly grungy ladies' room). Their food is good, authentic Mexican but my husband & I both agreed Los Tres Magueyes is better. Cafe Capistrano's isn't fancy, but it has a simple, quaint atmosphere that makes you comfortable. Most importantly, the food is fresh & absolutely divine. On the weekends, I'd recommend getting there early as I think we were just lucky not to have to wait long. Good kids' menu. Pros: Food is divine! Accomodating to kids. Cons: Small restaurant so get there early to avoid long wait. more
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Great food....great everything! 2/14/2008

We have been to this restaurant many times.....and it is wonderful.....obviously we keep coming back each week! Initially when we moved to Raleigh, we tried a lot of different restaurants. We loved Chipotle. We loved Moe's. But we LOVE Cafe Capistrano. We keep coming back for the food, the chips and salsa, and the staff. We are so happy that we live so close....so we can get our cravings satisfied. We've gone with couples who have kids and they are able to accomodate. Pros: Menu, Drink list, ambience, service, etc. more
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Menu for Cafe Capistrano Mexican Restaurant


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Mexican Restaurant located in Raleigh, North Carolina specializing in California Mexican Cuisine

Owner Message

  • Cafe Capistrano takes great pride in serving delicious California Style Mexican Cuisine. Named after the beautiful Spanish Mission in Southern California where the swallows flock every spring, Cafe Capistrano serves fresh, flavorful, delicious and healthy mexican dishes in a relaxing and appealing atmosphere.

    At Cafe Capistrano our food, salsas and sauces are made FRESH, twice daily. From our fabulous appetizers and entrees to our incredible desserts, all made in-house, to our vast wine menu ... you're certain to enjoy your dining experience at Cafe Capistrano! Bienvenidos!

    At Cafe Capistrano our food, salsas and sauces are made FRESH, twice daily. We promise fresh food, delicious food ... made daily, made healthily in relaxing and appealing atmosphere. Salud!

Editorial

  • In Short
    Casual Californian decor fits in well with the corporate types, families and couples that enjoy chimichangas, with a contemporary twist. Start with some mango shrimp and continue...

  • 10/23/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-2:30pm; 5pm-9pm Sun, CLOSED
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express
  • Neighborhoods: Northeast
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