El Alteño Authentic Mexican Food

Name: El Alteño Authentic Mexican Food
Address: 323 Main St, Watsonville, CA, 95076, US
Telephone: 831-768-9876
Price range: $$

Mexican$$

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Tue–Sat 11:00am–8:00pm, Sun 11:00am–7:00pm, Mon Closed

323 Main St, Watsonville, CA 95076
831-768-9876
Last verified: August 2026
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Appetizers

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Salsa$4.50 / $6.25
Small / large
Chicken & Cheese Flautas$6.95
Three crispy cooked corn tortillas filled with chicken, cilantro, green onion & lime, served with sour cream and guacamole
Shrimp Tostada$3.50
Lime marinated shrimp on a corn tostada
Fish Ceviche Tostada$3.75
Fish ceviche on a corn tostada
Aguachile
Spicy, lime-marinated shrimp
Molcajete Especial Tostadas$9.95
Three corn tostadas with shrimp, octopus & white fish ceviche

Menu items and prices are approximate and may have changed — call the restaurant to confirm.

Dishes to know on this menu

Tostadas: Corn tortillas cooked or fried until crisp and used as a flat base for toppings. Beans, shredded meat, tinga, ceviche, seafood, lettuce, crema, cheese and salsa are all common possibilities. Unlike a folded taco, a tostada stays open-faced. Eat it with your hands and accept the crumbs. On this menu as: Shrimp Tostada · Fish Ceviche Tostada · Molcajete Especial Tostadas.
Burritos: A flour tortilla wrapped around a filling. Northern Mexican burritos are often relatively slender and focused on one or two fillings such as beans, machaca or a guisado. In the United States, the form developed in several directions. San Francisco's Mission burrito is large and typically includes rice, beans and numerous fillings. San Diego's California burrito famously adds french fries. A wet burrito is covered in sauce and eaten with a knife and fork. On this menu as: Tacos, Burritos & Tortas · Burrito.
Torta: A Mexican sandwich, usually made on a bolillo, telera or another soft roll. Fillings can include milanesa, ham, carnitas, al pastor, eggs, avocado, beans, jalapeños and cheese. Several regional sandwiches belong to the larger torta family. Guadalajara's torta ahogada is "drowned" in sauce. Puebla's cemita uses a distinctive sesame-seeded roll and may include quesillo and pápalo. A pambazo is dipped in red chile sauce and griddled. On this menu as: Tacos, Burritos & Tortas · Torta.
Ceviche & aguachile: Ceviche combines seafood with citrus juice and ingredients such as onion, chile, cilantro and tomato. Recipes vary throughout Mexico's coastal regions. The acid changes the texture and appearance of raw seafood, but it does not make raw seafood microbiologically equivalent to cooking it with heat. Aguachile, particularly associated with Sinaloa, is commonly made from raw shrimp dressed shortly before serving with lime, fresh chiles, cucumber and red onion. It can be seriously hot. Cóctel de camarón is a shrimp cocktail commonly served in a tomato-based sauce, while campechana usually combines several kinds of seafood. On this menu as: Fish Ceviche Tostada · Aguachile.
Molcajete: A molcajete is the traditional volcanic-stone mortar used to grind chiles, spices, salsa and guacamole. On restaurant menus, the same word can refer to a dramatic mixed dish served sizzling in a heated molcajete. Depending on the restaurant, it may contain steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, cactus, cheese and salsa. One word, two things. Context will make it obvious. On this menu as: Molcajete Especial Tostadas · Molcajete.
Birria: A richly seasoned meat stew associated with Jalisco, traditionally made with goat but now frequently prepared with beef as well. The meat is braised with dried chiles and spices and may be served in a bowl with broth or used as a taco filling. Modern birria tacos are often griddled after the tortillas are dipped in the cooking fat. Add cheese and you'll commonly see the name quesabirria. A cup of consomé for dipping often comes alongside. On this menu as: Birria Seafood.

How these dishes compare

Burritostypically $10.45 across 263 menus
Flautas & taquitostypically $11.49 across 188 menus
Tostadastypically $9.50 across 175 menus
Fajitastypically $15 across 175 menus
Ceviche & aguachiletypically $16 across 170 menus
Birriatypically $14 across 138 menus
Tortatypically $12.50 across 113 menus
Pozoletypically $14 across 86 menus

El Alteño Authentic Mexican Food on our other sites

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El Alteño Authentic Mexican Food

Menu

Appetizers

Salads

Entrees

Tacos, Burritos & Tortas

How these dishes compare

El Alteño Authentic Mexican Food on our other sites

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