By Madi Andrada
The long-awaited opening of the new Mexican restaurant, Los Molcajetes was on March 20, 2026. The new restaurant is located in downtown Benicia on 1st Street. The restaurant had initial hopes of opening in the fall of 2024, however they ran into some problems with permitting and construction requirements for the building. The restaurant chain was founded in 2015 by Jesus Reynoso. They’re open everyday from 8AM-10PM.
With the restaurant opening up many students and citizens in Benicia think that another Mexican restaurant is unnecessary since we have many Mexican restaurants already. Benicia High student Heidi Jackson (12) says, “I think it’s unnecessary to have another one, since we already have Chicos, Sandavals, and Elviarita’s.”
When I first walked into the restaurant there were many customers, so I opted to just order take out instead. The customer service was very good, “…that’s probably the highlight of this place,” Kevin from yelp says about their customer service. The worker who assisted me was very hospitable and helpful as he guided me through the large menu since it was my first time there.
Since their featured menu had very flashy pictures, names, and descriptions I decided to just order a regular grilled chicken burrito for $15 which came with chips and salsa. The burrito itself was fine, the chicken was seasoned nicely, the beans were bland, and the rice was dry and tasted a little stale.
Most of the flavor of the overall burrito came from the pico de gallo and was a little overpowering. Scarlett Tarango (12) went there and had their chicken tacos, “The tacos were dry and I needed water to wash them down.” Compared to a regular chicken burrito I had from Taco Jalisco, located at 457 West E in Benicia, the burrito from Los Molcajetes lacked flavor in the rice and juiciness of the chicken.
There’s many different reviews and opinions about this new restaurant in Benicia, so definitely pay a visit and check it out for yourself.
beniciapaw.com 