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Meany
Nomad
Posts: 455
Registered: 2-14-2009
Location: santa paula,calif
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Mama Espinoza Restaurant report!
Sad Loved eating there over the years.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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That is really sad to have such a historic place fall so low. But I guess the family did not have the same feelings for it that mama had.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65068
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Nothing (almost nothing) stays the same forever.
I wish Antonio could get his Baja Cactus restaurant open as fast as he got fire engines!
I guess Ed's Baja's Best is the spot for breakfast burritos still? Tacos Mision is gone, until Hugo rebuilds it again. The Sinahi (formerly La Bocana
Beach) Restaurant was good a while back. There are many other places... We need more Nomad restaurant reviews for El Rosario!
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BajaRat
Super Nomad
Posts: 1303
Registered: 3-2-2010
Location: SW Four Corners / Bahia Asuncion BCS
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Mood: Ready for some salt water with my Tecate
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Feliz Ano Nuevo Udo ! Did they sell the motel and property or the restaurant as a concession ? I think Rolie and the Fam do care, hopefully some
negative feedback will help.
Lionel 
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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I always felt the best part of mama's was browsing around all the off road memorabilia, not the food!
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carlosg
Senior Nomad
Posts: 504
Registered: 5-28-2012
Location: chula vista, ca
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Mood: Just like in Baja: No Bad Days...
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Quote: Originally posted by Udo  | After a 50+ year tradition ...it's a historic stop, but since the matriarch passed away last year, the restaurant took a major downhill!!!
...When we stopped for breakfast at about 8 a.m. we were the only ones in the restaurant and two huevos rancheros breakfasts took us an hour to get
from the kitchen. And on top of that the eggs were served cold. The only food item served warm were the tortillas!
...since Mama Espinoza passed away, the restaurant was sold. They changed the iconic menu and all food items.
Therefore my recommendation for this restaurant is a no-go. Buy your gas at Baja Cactus, and perhaps spend the night there.
The local taco stands are probably better than the restaurant!!
| Quote: Originally posted by carlosg | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | Motel Turista (at the far southbound end of town near the bridge) has been the #2 choice, we stayed there twice when Baja Cactus was full.
Across from Turista is Ed's Baja's Best Bed & Breakfast + Restaurant and Bar. You may want to check out his place if you like B&Bs? I think he
has 3 or 4 nicely furnished rooms... Price is higher than Baja Cactus or Turista, but it includes breakfast!
The motel with the RV park behind and restaurant in front is the Motel Sinahi. Maybe rated #3 or 4 in town, depending if Mama Espinoza's Las Cabanas
motel condition is good.
[Edited on 9-4-2015 by David K] |
We stayed at Mama's motel about three years ago and the rooms were as awful as it can get: roaches, ants, spiders.. it was a zoo, dirty toilet and
shower, cigarette butts on the floor, stinky room... the following two years we have stayed at BajaCactus and what a whole difference it is and for
the price it's a no brainier at all!!! the place is awesome!!! However we would like to try another place this year, I think its the Sinai that I
recall from a post earlier this year here on the forum, it seems like they have good food as well.
Unfortunately Mama's restaurant is not "what it used to be" and the service is very poor, worse as time passes, its a great place full of
memoirs but I think that unfortunately the grandson that has taken it over just doesn't care that much for the place... no hay amor... |
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We stopped eating there about three years ago when the grandson was supposedly running the place... running the place he was ...but into the
ground...!!! We had an identical experience as Udo.
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 909
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
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Yes, I haven't really been impressed the last few stops there either. I've been holding out to Rosarito south of Catavina for Mauricios.
In that pre-Google Earth and social media epoch, The Code was adhered to. It was based on a simple verity: if a locale had been transformational for
you, and you had put the hard yards in to get there and to learn it, to know it, why in god�s name would you broadcast the news, thus ruining the
future experience not only for yourself, but for future adventurers?
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carlosg
Senior Nomad
Posts: 504
Registered: 5-28-2012
Location: chula vista, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just like in Baja: No Bad Days...
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| Quote: Originally posted by BooJumMan | Yes, I haven't really been impressed the last few stops there either. I've been holding out to Rosarito south of Catavina for Mauricios.
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Just south of Mauricio's there's La Suegra on the east side of the highway: its a truck stop dinner, we stopped there for fresh
"caf de calcetn" or also some call it: "caf de talega" (fresh brewed pour over coffee) on our way back during Thanksgiving and the
place was packed with what seemed locals and of course many truckers... it was morning and watching the breakfast plates served on the tables was very
tempting, looked delicious and the portions were big... but we were headed to Mauricio's for burritos on the go...
[Edited on 1-4-2017 by carlosg]
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
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Mood: lleno
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Sadly reminds me of another institution you "old timers" may remember - Carmelita's tamales in Jesus Maria. Many a cold winter I started dreaming of
her tamales soon after leaving El Rosario. One really cold windy winter afternoon I sat with her in her camper while she fed me hot wonderful tamales
and sang me a song. Her son runs the "operation" now and it's truly dreadful.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65068
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by weebray | | Sadly reminds me of another institution you "old timers" may remember - Carmelita's tamales in Jesus Maria. Many a cold winter I started dreaming of
her tamales soon after leaving El Rosario. One really cold windy winter afternoon I sat with her in her camper while she fed me hot wonderful tamales
and sang me a song. Her son runs the "operation" now and it's truly dreadful. |
A look back... first two photos from Bob H
Then she expanded beyond her van...
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6361
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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I did not ask that question, therefore my answer is I don't know...I apologize!
| Quote: Originally posted by BajaRat | Feliz Ano Nuevo Udo ! Did they sell the motel and property or the restaurant as a concession ? I think Rolie and the Fam do care, hopefully some
negative feedback will help.
Lionel |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Sigh... the end of an era. Her lobster burritos were decadently delicious: dripping with butter, served with rice & beans, big enough to provide
an additional "to go" snack to eat down the road...
My cholesterol levels increase just reminiscing about those meals.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
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Mood: Weary
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Good one..RE: Cholesterol!
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ELINVESTIG8R
Select Nomad
Posts: 15882
Registered: 11-20-2007
Location: Southern California
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I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience Udo. Mama's has been run by mama's daughter Roly for years and she still runs it. I was in El Rosario
during November and ate in the kitchen every day for two weeks. The same cooks who have been there for a long time are still cooking. I personally did
not see a problem with the cooks or wait staff while I was there. I did notice that prices had gone up and the lobster was a little more scarce than
normal. I hope you don't give up on mama's place and give it another chance. David.
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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We ate there about a month ago when we last drove North and it seemed pretty much the same. Same staff that we are used to and the service was
acceptable (about as good as it ever is at Mama's) and the food was good. Still an easy dinner when staying at Baja Cactus so I hope it manages to
maintain acceptable quality/service. Once we settle into our room it's nice not to have to get in the car to drive anywhere for food.
Living Large in Loreto. Off-grid and happy.
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3291
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | Nothing (almost nothing) stays the same forever.
I wish Antonio could get his Baja Cactus restaurant open as fast as he got fire engines!
I guess Ed's Baja's Best is the spot for breakfast burritos still? Tacos Mision is gone, until Hugo rebuilds it again. The Sinahi (formerly La Bocana
Beach) Restaurant was good a while back. There are many other places... We need more Nomad restaurant reviews for El Rosario! |
Antonio is building a restaurant? That's great, I don't know of any really good food available in ER. Let's hope his restaurant construction goes
better than the infamous bathroom remodel.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65068
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yes, now with Mama gone, I think Antonio feels no disrespect in building a restaurant with a real restaurant manager and quality chef. As you all
know, when Antonio does something, it is done to a high standard.
The Pemex bathroom expansion would have been completed long before it was if there was not the bureaucracy of a HUGE government controlled mess that
is Pemex, holding up this simple expansion.
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BajaNomad
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Thread Moved
1-4-2017 at 08:04 PM |
bezzell
Nomad
Posts: 444
Registered: 11-30-2014
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the food there's fine you first-world prima donas!
("omg. my chicken's muenstration wasn't runny & oozing" :lol
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 19121
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by Udo | After a 50+ year tradition of making several stops there on our trips North as well as South, we have to stop going there for food.
I know it's a historic stop, but since the matriarch passed away last year, the restaurant took a major downhill!!!
We stopped there dozens of times, in the past, for their crab soup, which in my opinion was one of the best and iconic foods in Baja.
When we stopped for breakfast at about 8 a.m. we were the only ones in the restaurant and two huevos rancheros breakfasts took us an hour to get from
the kitchen. And on top of that the eggs were served cold. The only food item served warm were the tortillas!
I returned the eggs and they warmed them up in the microwave which did heat them up, but then the yolks were hard-boiled.
We paid for the food and left disgusted.
I asked one of the locals as to what happened to the restaurant, and was told that since Mama Espinoza passed away, the restaurant was sold. They
changed the iconic menu and all food items.
Therefore my recommendation for this restaurant is a no-go. Buy your gas at Baja Cactus, and perhaps spend the night there.
The local taco stands are probably better than the restaurant!!
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The food and service were abysmal 10 years ago, and you have been warned many times in review here and I am sure elsewhere. You are lucky you did not
get a case of the trots!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Food and service has been crap for years at Mama's. In fact, I don't recall ever getting a meal worth its value there.
If you want a great meal in El Rosario, head east out of town. On the south side of the road, past the old military complex, you'll find La
Pasadita...unless of course there are a few tractor trailers in front. The ladies have been cooking for years now and the place just keeps growing.
You will get a great meal and a very good price.
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