Castillo’s

This place used to be our favorite lunch stop to and from Yosemite, so much so that my kids seemed to look forward to food here more than their time in Yosemite.
On the visit today, things were very different. While the place was still packed, our food was absolutely horrible. On the Veggie fajita plate, everything was floating in teriyaki sauce loaded with salt.
Kids still liked their food, so two stars.

First of all if I could leave no stars or negative stars, I honestly would leave 100 of these. This is not authentic Mexican food at all, and I know this because I’m 100% Mexican and this puts authentic Mexican cuisine to shame. It’s expensive, tasteless, and horrendously Americanized. I get it, it’s a small town and the majority of the population is Caucasian. Which is why, if you have never had REAL MEXICAN FOOD, OR IF YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH TRUE MEXICAN FOOD, please don’t open a restaurant and tried to sell food from a cuisine and culture you’re clueless about. Mexican food has an extensive variety when it comes to meats and ingredients in general. It’s not just ground beef and chicken, smashed avocados, and water down salsa. And did I mentioned cheese must always be fresh and white for Mexican food, not yellow and synthetic? And please don’t even get me start on the tortillas… saddest thing I’ve ever seen in a place that calls itself a Mexican restaurant. Just don’t even think about eating here. If you’re super hungry, better starve because if the food doesn’t make you cringe, the bill for sure will (most expensive bill I have ever paid for the most disgusting food I have had).

I have been a resident for 15 years, eaten here many times with average to good plates of food. Today however was the worst! I only write this because of the service.
Never in this chain have I sent food back. After 2 bites of my chicken burrito, I noticed that the burrito was cold and had an overwhelming flavor of mold.
Both my dad and I shared this burrito and at the same time we decided we didn’t feel comfortable eating this.
Our waitress (not really friendly) asked us what was wrong. I didn’t want to sound like a disgruntled customer but I felt that the most important issue was the moldy flavor over the temperature. I would have eaten it fine cold but not happily.
I went on to just complain about the mold flavor.
She argued with me and went on telling me that it was the green Verde sauce because it is salty. I said that the sauce tasted fine, it was definitely something inside the burrito either the beans, cheese or other items inside the burrito. The chicken tasted fine but something was wrong.
After 15 minutes, she then asked us if we wanted something else. I said yes, and we were served a new plate of food. After we were done, she took our plates then tried to discuss the burrito again. Since she asked, I thought it was a good time to also mention that the burrito was also very cold as if it had been in the refrigerator. She was annoyed and left our table with our empty plates.
As I stood up to leave, I hear her saying to the cook that I had changed my story of what was wrong with the food.
I never changed my story, just decided to agree with her since she was dead set on the idea that I had a problem with the sauce instead of the fact that the burrito was cold and tasted moldy. She also said nothing was wrong with the food It was a mute point to argue with her then just to agree with her.
The point is, don’t argue with your customers and don’t talk about them in a negative way so they can hear you!!!

Me and my husband decided to eat hear for dinner after our day in Yosemite and I have to say their food was delicious ! I ordered the beef tacos with beans and rice and he ordered a steak burrito ! Food was amazing ! And staff was extremely polite and attentive

Just a hundred feet off the main beat through town but definitely worth turning for. Hands down, One of the best chili verde I have had anywhere! The family all tried different dishes and no one was disappointed. Everyone left full and happy. Friendly fast service at a great price for some really good eats.

Food was good, not great. What really turned me off is no handsoap in restroom. When I asked for soap, they informed me they were aware of it, but physically did not know how to change out soap box. Attempted to change out for them, but they did not have the right soap box for wall container. I asked them to cut the one open so I could wash my hands and they went to look for more soap. Finally brought one that fit but had enough soap to wash hands 2 to 3 times and left this on bathroom sink for all. I feel this is a huge issue and unclear how they washed their hands if they went to the restroom that served both men and women customers and the employees. Will not go back as hygiene, cleanliness and prevention of diseases to customers seems of no concern for this establishment.

My sister and I were a pair of weary travelers on our way to Sacramento after a day of driving from Sonora through Yosemite. Mexican sounded good so we asked for a recommendation at the local gas station. The young man said Castillo’s was the best. We went directly there and we both ordered chile rellenos and chicken enchiladas.
Food was great. Wine margaritas hit the spot. It’s a small restaurant with local charm. Service was pleasant and prompt. I would recommend Castillo’s to anyone who asked.

By far, the best Chile Verde burrito I’ve had (and I’m Oakland.) And the salsa was fresh, delicious and made here as well as the chips.
This is a hidden gem!

Meh… kind of says it all. The service was outstanding very friendly and attentive. The food was not quite as good as stuff you can buy from the grocery store. Salsa is mostly water and the chile verde was tough. It was ok if you added enough sour cream but again meh is the word.

I ordered a Chicken Fajita. The chicken was extremely dry and tastless. I can do a much better job then the chef, whom came out and talk to me about the dry meat. The servant was nice. But I will not come back here again.

The chips and salsa were good and the service was very friendly. The chile rellenos were well-​prepared, but there was an aftertaste of rancid oil, so they must be sure to keep things fresh. Otherwise, a pleasant experience. Agave wine margaritas.

Disappointed when they sat us next to the bathroom… we were here before a larger party… but they got table preference. I would have walked out but rest of my party were complacent. …never again.

We were previously told by a sever that the rice was vegan. This time, an honest server told us it had chicken broth in it.

They have the BEST Mexican food in Mariposa. I have never left there disappointed. Awesome home made salsa and their chile rellano is the BOMB! I Highly recommend them if you’re looking for authentic Mexican cuisine.

Sorry visitors! Go across to any restaurant on Hwy 140 instead of eating @ Castillo. The chips were semi burnt, the salsa had been diluted with excess water, the tamale was hard, semi cold as if it had been defrosted! My wife ordered a couple of tacos and they were, well, tasteless, cold and totally avoidable.
Stay away! We will. Oh and did I mention that this place is very expensive. Bad food, but at least it is expensive.

Stopped here with the family after a day of exploring in Yosemite, so needless to say we were hungry. Castillo’s satisfied our appetites and more! The food was fantastic and so was the service. Ever large portions and very reasonably priced. It is a very small place but clean and a nice atmosphere. Don’t keep driving through Mariposa, stop at Castillo’s!

Been here several times by now, and have been satisfied. I think the trick to enjoying this place is ordering the right items. From what I can tell, it can be hit and miss. The enchilada sauce is very delicious if you wanna go down that route, and the Chile Colorado burrito is probably one of the best meals you’ll find in Mariposa. I love it.
The staff is pretty friendly, too. The only downside is how slow the service can be. It usually takes a while for your meal to come out.

I agree with the other comments about the salsa, but that is a minor thing and it is really a personal thing not a bad thing.
I had the house special, grande burrito, and it was amazing. My wife had a Chili Reno, and my son had beef tacos. All of the food was wonderful.
The wait staff were nice, prompt, and kept coming back to see if we wanted anything else.
Overall I would come back. Hope you enjoy.

As visitors in Mariposa for a couple nights, we were torn about where to eat, and when we decided on Mexican, there was a decision to make: Castillos’s or Salvador’s. Both sounded relatively inauthentic, so we eventually opted for the former, based on its proximity…
The fellow ordered a vegetarian chimichanga and I opted for a chili rellano-​filled burrito. In the meantime, we munched on chips and salsa, which (as Tiffany K.) points out, is fresh but runny.
When the food arrived, it looked average, and truth be told, it tasted average. While it may be good Mexican for Mariposa, that isn’t saying much. I enjoyed my meal alright, and have to give the restaurant props for a semi-​creative menu and a handful of good veg options, but it was essentially boring food.
As for the service, the place was packed but our servers were attentive and our food came super fast, so I have no complaints there. Conversation that evening at the bar revealed that neither Castillo’s or Salvador’s are best, but rather Sal’s Taco Truck is the place to get your Mexican fix. Good to know.

Castillo’s
Mariposa, California
11am Sunday 22 April 2012
Five Stars
This was a fantastic Mexican food located over 400 miles from the Mexico Border. The chips were freshly fried and came with two different dipping choices: Pico De Gallo and a Sour Cream Bleu Cheese concoction. Both of these tasted amazing. I ordered the Number #1: Beef Tamale, Pork Chili Verde Enchilada, a Shredded Beef Taco, Rice, and Beans.
The Tamale had a delicious brown mole sauce. The meat had a ton of flavor, but there was too much surrounding rice which dried out the dish. The Enchilada with Chili Verde Pork was a homerun. The pork was succulent. The green salsa was tangy and spicy. The Shredded Beef Taco topped with some of their spicy red salsa was wondrous. The crispy shell, the tender meat, and fresh lettuce were everything I had wanted.. The Rice and Beans filled the rest belly satisfactorily. My friend Brett has been raving about this place for 6 years and I can now say he is not a liar (in regards to his Taste for Mexican Food)