301 Cafe

By far the best Mexican food in North OC.
The 50’s/60’s vintage restaurant reminds me of my Grandmas house, and it is owned by an nice lady and her husband. They do all of the work on their own. They’ve been in business 75 years and it shows. The building is old, sure, but the cooking is tried and true homestyle Mexican food that you can’t get at any other place around here. Don’t be turned off by the lack of a big fancy sign or the old school wooden door. The place doesn’t look inviting, but inside it feels like you’re visiting family.
It pains me to see a place like Pepe’s doing so well, while less than a mile away is this diamond in the rough. Great vintage atmosphere, great service (but don’t expect «fast» food!), a wonderful small family owned business. Most importantly: amazing Mexican food.

OMG I can’t move I’m so full. It’s like coming home for moms cooking. If you want fast go to Taco Bell. But if you want food that’s made and served with love then this is the place. Don’t plan anything after you eat here though except a nap. Everything is nostalgic including the prices. Love it Love it Love it

There is nothing that I could ever say about this place. I went there when I was a kid growing up in Placentia, and it is still just as dive he and amazing! Celebrating over 75 years, 301 he is as good as it gets! Authentic Mexican food treasure!

my wife and I had lunch the other day at 3 01 we had a great time very cozy and they made us feel like we’re having food made by our grandparents awesome service awesome food

This place is good… but is vintage looking. I had hard tacos and Chile rellano… salsa is amazing! I like it better compared to El Farolito.

It’s my first time here. I saw the great reviews and wanted to try the place out.
So I felt the reviews were all lies. Very slow service and the food wasn’t even that great. We waited over 40 minutes to get our food.
The water even tasted disgusting so I order a Fanta instead. We were constantly waiting for everything… our paycheck, a to go box, our chips and salsa, etc. It shouldn’t take this long every time we ask for something.
The only thing I like about the place is the atmosphere. It has this vintage feel to it. However, when the jukebox finishes playing its song, everything goes quiet. *crickets*

Love this place. Slow service at times but completely worth it. Yummy. Family owned and operated. Great place!

Service was fine. The owners are probably enjoying the «vintage» vibe you get when coming here, which a lot of people seem to like (from the reviews I’ve read). Me personally, I think it’s just old. The place looks more than just a little dingy.
As for the food, the chips, salsa and a little guacamole on the house to start were good. They gave us a huge bowl of salsa, like at least 10 ounces. I’m wondering, do they throw all that out when the guests leave? What a waste! Only other possibility is they keep reusing it for new tables, which is really disgusting if that’s the case. Furthermore, the basket they serve the chips in didn’t have a paper in it, so it was just caked at the bottom with grease and salt (and who knows what else, since they probably don’t get washed that often).
I had a wet shredded beef burrito, which was supposed to come with rice and beans inside. There were beans, but no rice. The beef had a burnt taste to it, and I’m not talking charred like over an open fire, I’m talking just a slight bad burnt flavor. The sauce that covered it was excellent.
I also ordered a chicken enchilada on the side. It came out as a cheese enchilada, no chicken. It was good, but I wanted chicken. Oh well.
My friend ordered chile rellenos combo, which she said was really good. She also ordered a ground beef taco on the side, and said the ground beef tasted like it was from that fast food place with the clown in the box, not very good quality.
This is definitely not a 4.5 star restaurant, but it wasn’t horrible. Could have been worse. Is it possible I happened to be there on one of there off/​bad days? Yes. Will I be back? No!

Long before there was Phở 1 thru 98, 99 Ranch, 118 degrees, Class 302, and Forever 21, There was Café 301.
Its situated in the heart of Old Town Placentia. Its an old school, mom & pop family run Mexican joint,
A great hole in the wall place where you can get a great meal of Gringo-​ish Mexican fare at a modest price. A piece of nostalgia, err should I say throwback to better days gone by.
THE PLACE
Elva and her husband run a great little spot. Don’t be intimidated by the neighborhood. It was once very bad but things are now looking up. The store front still shows the bars and scars of this once rougher neighborhood.
Inside you’ll find the restaurant that time forgot. Complete with leather tuck n roll upholstery, vintage wooden fridge full of beer and a manual cash register that works!

So as you get yer fanny parked into one of the real man-​sized booths or belly up to the bar you will most certainly be greeted by Elva or one of her daughters. Her hubs runs the kitchen. They run a tight ship and make sure that every customer is happy. Think the love boat of Mexican food joints. And I don’t think they have anything on the menu that goes north of ten bucks either so your wallet will thank you.
THE FOOD
I’ve tried a bunch of stuff at 301 and haven’t found anything I didn’t like. Disclaimer. This is not some fancy pants gourmet taco place or a street wise taqueria this some down home cookin’. A modest menu with lots of good stuff.
For starters they bring you a basket (s) of fresh chips, some good green (mildish) salsa, a bowl of pickled carrots (delish carrots), onions and peppers and some bland guacamole. The Guac is the only thing I don’t care for at 301. Get yourself a cold brew and your ready to begin.
Tacos, I’ve had shredded beef, and chicken hard tacos.
And for a buck and change you won’t find better. The shredded beef is moist and tasty. The Chicken was chunky and had just enough spice to make it a winner as well.
Wet chili verde burrito was another hit. The tender pork inside was great as its slow cooked flavors (cumin, pepper, garlic+?) oozed out with every bite. The sauce, beans and cheese made this a home run for me.
So was this wet burrito
Good stuff!
Asada burrito was my sons fav
while my little one loved the tasty chicken soup. I did too!

Steak Picado had a nice blend of spice and serrano peppers was a big tasty meal.
Chili relleno had this with other combo plate stuff
and solo but I like the way the mild enchilada sauce and the chili/​cheese mix on my tongue. A Mexican hat dance for Roy’s mouth!
can’t get enough of those chili’s
You know I’ll be back for some more of Elva’s home cookin!

Always the greatest food! Good prices, fast service. They give chips, salsa, guava and vinegar jalapeño carrot appetizer. It’s an authentic Mexican restaurant, very casual, outdated Décor but it’s awesome just the way it is! Try the tamales, my favorite!

Love the food try the chili Verdi. Best Mexican food around very good. Also try the pickled carrots. We go at least once a week. Family business so be patient. They work very hard

Very authentic mexican food. It’s a small place but, the food makes up for it. I just wished they stayed open on Sundays :)

One of the best mexican restaurant hands down. The food is authentic, taste Great and the prices are to surely win you over. Highly recommended.

Although it seems like it takes years to get the menus, your drinks, your food and your check; the food taste pretty good. Not worth the wait, though.

I have been going to this place for about 35 years., I grew up on the border of Fullerton about a mile away. We used to ride our bike over there. when I went to Cal State Fullerton one of our history teachers used to hold a class, optional of course. the food is memorable. The atmosphere is the same as it was a long time ago. and the prices aren’t different, maybe I’m just getting old, but I still love this place. With a prolific proliferation of Mexican, so called Mexican restaurants around, this is the real deal.

⁵⁄₅ salsa packets awarded to this unassuming dive along a lonely Orange County strip. The Chile Colorado burrito can’t be beat. Many delicious options under $ 5. A definite win.

A trip back in time both visually and price wise. This place ROCKS!!! The BEST Chile Relleno I have ever had. Nothing disappoints here.

My family can’t get enough of this place. Elva is delightful and she and her husband make real home style food..

The Restaurant Unilocalers Don’t Know About!
Back in the day, there was no Unilocal.Coupons in the Pennysaver and word of mouth were the only ways news of a good restaurant got around. This restaurant is a reflection of those days. The décor, while newer, is the same as it was 40 years ago and is back in style now! This restaurant is living history. Situated in the heart of Old Town Placentia, this is a must stop for any foodie.
~Family Love and No ‘tude Here!
You will not find people in skinny jeans here. No conversations based off of information obtained via Google, no IPAD ordering system and you most certainly wont find people texting and surfing the net.
What will you find? You will find locals, decent food, reasonable prices and a restaurant full of love. Great conversation flows through this establishment and the locals will know you are new. The locals approached us and sparked conversation that resulted in a warm family atmosphere for the two of us.
~A Cool Name and Unilocal
Cool name huh? 301 Café? It does spark ideas of the various Phở joints with different numbers and Class 302 that all Unilocalers know about. However, the name is not too clever but originates from simplicity. It does not take a rocket scientist or Google search to figure out where the name came from. And, this restaurant was actually searched for and found on Unilocal by my little one. It was her treat for an early birthday dinner for me. She ordered for me. She paid the bill with her $ 5.42 and I secretly covered the remaining $ 20.
~Reasonable Prices
Yup, 25 bucks for dinner for two with two milks. The most expensive item on the menu was $ 10.25. I had the Steak Ranchero and milk. She had the Enchilada combo and a milk. The bill came to $ 20. I also heard the bartender mention $ 2 draft beer!
Take a step back to a different era and experience the 70’s in person. Welcome to 301 Café. Put a dollar in the Juke Box, enjoy three songs and have a beer, warm meal and some old time love!
301 Café, Placentia. another reason the OC is the best place to live!

301 Café is most aptly described as the restaurant that time forgot. Walking into this place (if you can figure out which door to walk through), you are transported back about 30 – 40 years. It is almost a surreal feeling, and seems to be something you would find off of Route 66. As I sat in the nougahide booths, I felt strangely like I was in a Quentin Tarantino film. Aside from the nostalgic feel, the prices here also seem like they were frozen during the 80s.
This is definitely a place that you can see locals who have been coming here for decades. You wont find anything fancy, it is just simple home-​cooked Mexican food at ridiculously low prices. You are immediately greeted with basket of hot tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa verde, and pickled jalapenos/​carrots. Try the nachos, that come standard with their spicy chile verde made with chunks of beef that have the requisite tenderness when cooked all day. Their wet burritos are covered in cheese and then doused with their sauce, a bit more tomatoey than chile, but surprisingly good.
I can see how people have become a fixture here. A place that serves decent food, beer, and great prices is destined to have many of its patrons become a fixture. I was amused that some of the regular customers would stop by our booth and ask how everything was, and made sure we were doing well. A place that has their own customers providing quality service speaks for itself. So if you miss your abuelita’s home cooking, you can come here to get a reminder of the days of your youth. And if you never had an abuelita that cooked Mexican food like this when you were younger, well, now is your chance to find out what you had been missing out on.