Barra Barra

You had me at complimentary *seasoned* chips and salsa. We sat outside and really enjoyed the colorful atmosphere and stunning decorations. We ordered the nachos and the fajitas and both did not disappoint. Even though Old Town was packed (we were lucky to find a parking spot near the restaurant), we were seated immediately which was nice. Really enjoyed our time here and spent some time walking around Old Town after our meal to try and burn off some of those chips and salsa.

I've been to Barra Barra many times and their highlight has always been their overall food quality. I've enjoyed everything I've eaten there. However, my absolute favorite thing they serve is their chips, salsa, and black bean dip. Especially the chips! I had a combo fajita order with chicken and beef. The taste was amazing. The portion was perfect. My nephew got the mole which had amazing flavor as well. The price was reasonable for the service and quality of food we got. The staff was very friendly. It wasn't very busy at the time but for some reason never got our water refilled until we asked for it. Otherwise, no complaints. I do highly recommend Barra Barra as the best place to eat if you're in Old Town!

It’s been years since I last visited this restaurant. We came to celebrate my birthday and this restaurant did not disappoint. I can say this restaurant has not lost its favor! Victoria was our server and she was wonderful. She the most upbeat and bubbly personality. She brought out our drinks and the margaritas were just as delicious as I remember. Service is fast here. I enjoy all of the Hispanic decor. You several areas of dining to choose from.

We saw this place as we were in Old Town area. What are two nieces.. they had the kids eat free with the purchase of an entry. The chips and salsa were great..Ice tea was good as well. Had the steak burrito and chicken tacos. It was very good. Service is good. Both flour and corn tortillas are made fresh. Service was good as well. This is in a tourist area, so it's good still. But since the prices are bit high we won't be back soon. Other than that it's recommended. 👍

First time dinning 🍽 at this restaurant in Old Town San Diego. Nice atmosphere and the food is surprisingly 👌 very tasty 😋 The chips and salsa was very good 👍 with just a slight spiciness and also served a side of black beans 🫘 I ordered the 3 combination (no cheese on my plate); beef tamale, chicken enchilada and carnitas taco 🌮 this plate 🍽 had really good taste 😋 the beef tamale 🫔 was good but had just a small 10% amount of beef and about 90% masa. The chicken enchilada was very good 👍 with plenty of chicken. The carnitas taco 🌮 was delicious 😋 with the right ratio of carnitas and veggie toppings. I ordered the flan 🍮 for dessert and was disappointed 😕 they added whipped cream and chocolate syrup to the flan 🍮 and a cherry🍒 on top as if it was an ice-cream sundae... WHY? 🤔 flan 🍮 should be served alone with the caramel syrup only! Now although the staff was professional they lack humor, laughter and interaction with the guest's. The waiter came by a few times to see 👀 if everything was okay 👍 but they never asked if we wanted anything else, more drinks 🍸 or water 💧 and never asked if they could remove our plates 🍽... actually we had to move them to the side so we could finish enjoying our drinks 🍹🍸 That's why I gave only 2 ⭐️⭐️ stars for service. On a side note... Food wise, I recommend this restaurant 👍 over the other busier restaurant next door, Casa de Reyes. The food next door is not so great... they lure their guests with music and friendlier staff but the food is not great and the rice tends to be dry and most of the other dishes lack taste. I should know because I would take guest's there 🤦

This is in one of the best locations in Old Town San Diego. It has an outdoor patio seating area, perfect for people watching. It has really cute old west decor and even an antique wagon in the center of the patio. The complementary chips and salsa come with black bean dip which when served warm is delicious! The service is decent and the menu options and prices are typical for a tourist place. The food is also what you'd expect at a touristy restaurant. What this place has is location! It was a nice day and we enjoyed our lunch.

Sat at the bar and had a cold one. The chips and salsa come with an amazing bean dip. I had the pork pozole and it did not disappoint. Great service from the bartender, I will be returning soon!

Very delicous food and nice staff, extremely filling. This place is a sister shop to Casa de Reyes and at this place kids 10 and under eat free. Have always loved the authentic Mexican food and vibes of Old Town San Diego. Their black beans are so creamy. It can be a bit pricy but it's worth it.

El mejor restaurant familiar en old town, Servicio exelente y comida deliciosa, el personal simpre muy atento.

Yolanda was attentive and gave great recommendations (menu & local restaurants)! Yolanda told us about happy hour and made sure we got our orders in before happy hour ended. Food was delicious, too! It didn't taste cheap (like Chevys), fresh ingredients with homemade tortillas. Decor was beautiful and festive. As a Mexican, I recommend this place!

The food is good, but it's always very delayed and they don't have enough wait staff. I often wait 10-20 minutes just to order, but the food is good so I've gone back.

Visited Old Town SD today and we were hungry so decided to come here for dinner. Here's the reason for my overall rating: 2 stars: Delicious barra barra pork carnitas platter with flour tortilla. Enough portion to share for 2 people. Definitely worth getting again. Tender carnitas meat with plenty of guacamole and refried beans and rice. Upon being seated by the manager, he quickly brought out complimentary chips, salsa, and warm black bean dip. This was nice as the black bean dip was delicious. The chips also had this seasoning that was delicious. This manager was friendly and greeted us and even gave us a selection of tables to choose from. 1 more star: Busboy Omar gave us refills on our chips, salsa, and black bean dip without even asking. He even refilled out drinks without even asking. Reason for 2 less stars: Then came our waitress.I didn't get her name but she was totally absent and when she was present she was rude and had attitude. Took her a long time for her to approach our table and get our order. When I asked her for extra napkins she looked at me as if I had asked her to do a lot of work. Then she just plopped them down after waiting for 5 minutes. When my hubby saw her interactions with other guests at other tables, she was actually pleasant and checked in on them often. When we tried to flag her down to get refills of water she completely ignored us. Then when we tried to get her attention, my hubs had to call out loudly to her and she paused before she turned around and slowly came towards us. This was just one table away and I was the one that saw her roll her eyes and sigh before coming to our table. Please note that we didnt trouble her at all because we knew she was unpleasant and absent with us to begin with. We only flagged her down to get the check and leave. Definitely docked her on her portion of her tip. Also there's an automatic 4% surcharge to cover for their operational cost. Whatever that means. I missed getting our waitress's name...otherwise, I would have told the manager directly about her extreme lack of service. It was getting late and we wanted to go back to our hotel to rest. Overall I would say come here to good tasting food and TGTO try their delicious black bean dip. Hopefully other people will get other waiters that actually care about your dining experience.

We came back again having flown in from Hawaii for a conference. This time we sat in the front and for whatever reason, it was so much better than inside. The food was much better than 2yrs ago, more flavorful and much approved. I remember ordering the tamale 2yrs ago and it just wasnt good (hard). This time wanting to try something different, the veggie burrito did not disappoint. It was flavorful and so much that I took back half for later that night. We were the last patrons to enter with the restaurant empty but they still took care of us without making us feel rushed.

Came here for lunch and it definitely made me appreciate Mexican cuisine more! Authentic, delicious food just like you'd hope for. It was a hot day, so we sat outside. It has a clean setup and super friendly service. I don't have a ton of experience with Mexican cuisine besides Taco Tuesdays, but everything we ordered was tasty. The flour tortilla that came with the dishes were freshly made, soft, chewy, warm and huge. Could've used a little more spice here and there, but hey .. Tapatío to the rescue! Would definitely come back to try more dishes!

Beautiful decorations throughout Old Town and along Barra Barra patio for Día de los Muertos upcoming celebrations. Restaurant has good food choices, super friendly service and comparable prices. Try the Indian bread tacos, carnitas or homemade flour/corn tortillas..... delicious!

It's been years since I last visited this restaurant. We came to celebrate my birthday and this restaurant did not disappoint. I can say this restaurant has not lost its favor! Victoria was our server and she was wonderful. She the most upbeat and bubbly personality. She brought out our drinks and the margaritas were just as delicious as I remember. Service is fast here. I enjoy all of the Hispanic decor. You several areas of dining to choose from.

We stopped in while visiting old town. Great outdoor seating to enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather. So delicious and plenty of gluten free options. Our server Yolanda was friendly and knowledgeable about celiac and options. We enjoyed beef enchiladas with a read sauce, it was a nice flavorful enchilada and tender shredded beef. The carne asada tacos were delicious and a corn salad in lieu of beans with a nice level of spice! All of us enjoyed the food, and the kids too!

We rode The Coaster down to San Diego Old Town and after a short walk from the transit station we wound up here for lunch. Sure glad we did. Finding something to eat for the picky eater can always be fun at a Mexican restaurant but she likes the carnitas from Chipotle so we gave the Pork Carnitas Platter a shot with the request that everything but the pork be on the side. :-) They delivered perfectly and the roast pork was flavorful and not spicy. She loved it and I had all the other "stuff" available to me if I wanted it. I ordered the Tamale, Taco and Enchilada Combination and it was a great choice as well. Pork tamale was tasty. Pollo Guisado Indian Flatbread Taco was tasty and I loved the softness of the Indian Flatbread. Beef Machaca Enchilada was tasty. Sides were good and it was all very filling. We sat outside on a pleasant day and the service was worthy of a generous tip. The only complaint was that the hard wooden chairs were a little hard on this old boy and I was a little stiff standing back up. We enjoyed ourselves enough that I would gladly take The Coaster again just to dine here and order the same things again.

LONG WAIT. But I think that's only because we went día de los muertos weekend. They kept telling us a different time but the time came and went. I ended up talking to an older worker who sat us down as soon as he cleared a table because we had waited for almost 2 hours. Really appreciate him. Once we sat down we ordered and the food was good

Barra Barra Saloon is the neglected middle child of Old Town San Diego. Next door is the much more beloved first child, Casa De Reyes Restaurant: popular, energetic, people packed, live music, surrounded loving aunts and uncles, I mean cute little touristy shops, fun, beautiful and very successful. Barra Barra Saloon is actually owned by the same people, the menu is nearly identical to Casa De Reyes, and the food is just as good. Since Barra is less busy, there is usually no wait to get a table and the waitstaff are far less busy and therefore give you lots more attention. Ambience isn't as a epic as her older sister Casa De Reyes, but it's still nice enough. $23 3 Item combos are fantastic, no matter what you choose. You'll be stuffed! Give Barra a chance, especially if someone one in your group is "hangry" and must eat immediately.

Awesome customer service by Vicky and her staff. Very attentive and kind. Food was mediocre, a 7 out of 10. It wasn't bad but didn't stand out. I had their barra barra California burrito. It was about $22 and was average. The chips, salsa and black beans were delicious, I don't think I will be coming back with other great restaurants around.

Not only was all of our food delicious and came out fast, our server, Vicky was sweet, attentive and took great care with everything! The patio has such a fun and beautiful ambiance, highly recommend. The Barra Barra burrito was seriously delicious, and I loved the rice.

Food came out super quick! Kudos for that, portions were generous, service was formidable. Would have liked a little bit more flavor on the fried beans though. Tortilla chips were warm and delicious! So as the salsa to go with them, pretty tasty!

Great food, amazing hosts, and servers helping us immediately. We had the barra barra platter along with drinks, and couldn't have had a better time. Great area by the historic old town entrance. Will definitely comeback for more potato flautas!!

Good food, came out fast. Very impressive staff (but the host), working so well in sync and friendly and professional to each other. Very loud but being Day of the dead celebration, it's understandable. We were told an hour wait but it turned out 1:20. The fried ice cream was underwhelming

Overall great experience! Food was good and big portions. The service was great as well! Yolanda was helpful with questions on the menu and even gave us recommendations for other places in the area as we're from out of town. :)

Great food, great ambience, great service by Pedro! Highly recommend this place! Spacious area, indoor and outdoor dining! Doggie friendly restaurant! Their fajitas were tasty and good for 2 people to share!

Seriously the best chile relleno I've ever had. To the beans, rice, and tortillas. Even the price was good for being in old town. Amazing service, a few people checked up on us. And ever attentive. We sat on the outside and it was extremely nice with lights and fireplace. Overall amazing and will be going there again.

Decent food. High prices, they scammed us on the kids eat free. They wouldn't let us claim kids eat free though we purchased 3 adult sized meals. Charged $10 for a small kids bean and cheese burrito with no sides, was supposed to be free. When we asked it to be discounted, they said they would then didn't. They also had a surcharge. We ended up paying, not tipping, and leaving frustrated. Also never got refills on water or other beverages.

1 Paloma and 1 michelada cost $34~ The Paloma taste like juice and nothing more. There is a 4% charge on all orders to "keep up with operational costs" Robbery. Would not recommend

It is 4am as I write this. Came here to eat yesterday with my partner and child. I cannot sleep, my gfs stomach and mine are in shambles. We both think it was the rice it was it tasted stale and old. They garnish the plates with a slide of Watermelon Radish ours which was really old and dark and old. We literally left most of the food on the table It is not worth it at all. That's just the tip of the iceberg Main reason for the review DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS EAT HERE THE QUESADILLA IS LOADED WITH HARD OLD CHEESE (not even melted) OUR SON ALMOST CHOKED ON IT It is the most plastic like cheese I've ever seen. I am not joking it was the biggest scare we have had. (We were in at 3:45 ish PM yesterday 1/5/25) check your cameras @barrabarra I am not joking or exaggerating. Do yourself a favor if you have a younger kid DO NOT EAT HERE! Food is a 0/10 Server Juan was nice though I think the food here is dangerous Avoid.

The food was splendid. I got a bean and cheese burrito which was very tasteful. The chips and salsas were amazing. And the orange rice with beans was excellent. The service was awesome with good waiters and a short wait time. The Ambiance is interesting and cool with it having Mexican like artifacts.

The outdoor patio is very nice, plenty of seating which was needed for our party of 10. On a summer night it was really perfect for us. Service at the start of when we sat down was slow but when our waiter came the food and drinks came out pretty quick. We ordered large margaritas which were very disappointing, the size was small in compared to the large price of nearly 18 dollars. Not often do I see my drink order come very close to my food order in terms of price. As for the food I ordered a Baja Fish Burrito and I found it to be delicious. The plate was large and the fish was well fried, definitely a highlight and the rest of our group enjoyed their food for the most part. The food didn't really blow us away but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Really why this isn't rated higher is because we were so shocked at the margarita size for the price, otherwise this is a nice place to grab a meal in Old Town.

We have been coming to this establishment since 2018 and never once had an issue. Yesterday we asked about a typo in their menus and we were yelled at by the manager. Every table was looking our way as we were scolded by this man, very embarrassing. It was a simple question that needed a simple answer. The service definitely needs improvement. The cherry on top; we were overcharged! Sad because we won't be returning to one of our favorite restaurants in old town.

The night was perfect there! The weather was perfection-sitting out side you can hear the fireworks from the padre's game. Steak fajitas are always a hit! A ton of meat and great fresh tortillas! Yolanda-always attentive and her bubbly personality just adds to the service! Kids under 10 eat free! Really goes a long way!

Barra Barra is a colorful but tourist-oriented restaurant that is a hit in Old Town. The ambience is nice and the service is good, but the food is nothing exceptional. That said, portions are generous and the meals are filling, just not gourmet. For many foreigners, it might be their first experience with Mexican food. We sat somewhat uncomfortably next to a Japanese family of four last night at Barra Barra. They spoke no English, and it was interesting to watch how they ordered. Barra Barra provides lovely chips, salsa, and black bean dip for the table when you arrive. These folks were not too sure what to make of that. They tasted the bean dip and mild salsa tentatively, dipping the tiniest corner of the tortilla chip into the sauce as if it was pure ghost pepper sauce. When the meal arrived, they stared at it curiously. Like, where to I start. I had never seen a rice taco before, but the teenager made one - whatever. They devoured every scrap of food, which was amazing given the portion sizes. Anyway, it was interesting to discretely watch and made for an entertaining dining experience. Barra Barra is a solid choice for some decent Mexican food. Old Town does not go out of its way to provide superb cuisine, but this is to be expected in a tourist area, I guess.

We had a party of six plus a baby and a dog. We were seated right away in the pet friendly patio right behind the hostess stand. Our server came to us right away and took our drink orders. Shortly after our drinks were brought out, we were immediately helped out with our food orders as well. Here's what I ordered for myself: **Michelada: You can choose any draft cerveza and make it into a michelada for an additional $2.50 so I chose modelo especial. For a sit down restaurant, it was really good. They were very generous with the tajin rim and had the perfect amount of spice. (5/5) **Chile Relleno Tradicional: One of the best chile relleno plates I've had in a very long time. The pepper itself was very flavorful and was stuffed generously with cheese. The ranchera sauce was delicious! The beans and rice were also very flavorful. To top it off, the corn tortillas provided were great as well! (5/5) There's an unlimited amount of chips served with salsa roja and a bean dip available so make sure to munch on those. The salsa was average but the bean dip was delicious. The service was on point. Our server was always around the corner and stopped by many times during our visit. Come here for authentic Mexican food for a fair price if you're in the Old Town area. I will definitely consider coming back here next time I'm in the area!

Came here for Dia de la Muerto celebration. We expected long wait time. It was 2-3 hours wait but it ended up to be an hour and half lucky for us. Super busy night but our waiter,manny was so kind and calm and answered our questions. He didnt rushed us. Homemade tortillas hands down life changing. The carne asada was well seasoned and tender. The queso which we were told was made from jalapeño jack was amazing. Even tho I'm not a jack cheese fan but melted and served hot was the way to go. My gf loved her potato flautas. Crispy and well seasoned. Lots of food of course and ended up taking so many more home. But def just come and enjoy the homemade tortillas is well worth it.

Visited Barra Barra this weekend. Has an amazing time. Food was really good. Ambiance was exceptional and our server Alexandra was amazing. She was very attentive and made our experience better.

The perfect place for dining in Old Town! Beautiful restaurant with large indoor and outdoor dining spaces. The staff from the host to the servers were all so extremely friendly and helpful. Our service was quick, our server came around many times for drink refills and checking on us. We all loved our food, beef fajitas, Carne asada burrito and shrimp burrito. Prices are a little high but average for a tourist spot. We highly recommend.

We like that its never as crowded as Fiesta De Reyes so its quicker to get a table. Food and service however are average. The free chips, beans and salsa are good. We got the veggie fajita, it was not bad but also not the best we have had

Food and ambiance was alright, not too busy for Labor Day weekend. The waitress, Alejandra wasn't very pleasant. We would ask her something and she was very dismissive. Not helpful at all. This was not the first time we have been to this restaurant and I feel like there has been a decline in customer service and food quality over the years. I can't say, I would recommend this place anymore.

Came to taste Pozole at Barra Barra Saloon. It was actually really tasty. Ambiance and decorations are nice and cute. Is like visiting Mexico.

Best posole in town! And our waitress Vanessa was amazing .... She was quick and informative! Very sweet as well.

Everything about Barra Barra was beyond what I expected. My friends shared with me that there's a mass birthday celebration every 5th day of the month. Unfortunately they got covid but I invited another August birthday friend and definitely enjoyed ourselves. We sat outside and had a nice breeze throughout dinner. Our server was very attentive and made sure we were well taken care of. My friend order a combo enchilada plate which she loved. I got my usual fajitas plate but this one had the works and it was much better than I expected. So delicious and so fresh, like homemade Mexican food. Looking forward to coming back again!

We decided to try a different restaurant while in Old Town. I'll start with the Pros: Kids 10 and under eat free, their complimentary chips and salsa were good, and the outdoor patio was nicely decorated for Dia Del Los Muertos. Cons: 1) Upon checking in the manager told us there was no wait and asked our party to take a seat while they cleaned up a table. While waiting we noticed that other groups who arrived after us were being seated, so we decided to check-in with the hostess again. The manager told us we never put our name down but he never asked us for a name when we checked in. We waited about 25 min to be seated at our table. 2) They never handed our party menus to look over but luckily, we had grabbed one menu while we were waiting outside, which we had to share the menu for our entire group of 6. It took them almost 15 min come to our table to bring us some chips and salsa. It was another 15 min until the server came to take our order and offer us some water. 3) There was a HUGE spider directly above our table that kept coming down and swinging as it was building its web. Yes, I know we can't control nature but it would have been nice if the manager would have offered us a different table after seeing how uncomfortable we felt every time he passed by our table. The manager was also informed by one of the servers who also appeared a little bothered by the spider as he was laying our food on the table. 4) they messed up on my order and at that point I didn't want to request them to fix it because the food was not tasty as I had hoped it was going to be. Would I eat there again? Sorry but nope.

Decent spot in the heart of old town. We stopped by just for some appetizers and drinks. The food was good, nothing to write home about but hit the spot. Next time would probably try a different spot in old town.

We were hot so we opted to sit inside. Really cute deco. Fun seats and very clean. Kind of funny because we were the only patrons not sitting outside. Waited a long time for someone to take our order. My husband tracked someone down and reminded them we were here. Lol! I think they forgot. Server was very nice. Took our drink and food order. Caddy margarita was wonderful. Chips and salsa was so good. They also bring out a little pot of beans and yum! I had a chili cheese tamale and fish taco. Absolutely wonderful!!!

Amazing!!! 3rd time visiting San Diego & I always stop here. Loveeee the outdoor seating area. Great service from the waiters, and the food is spectacular! Lots of flavor and authenticity. The vibe was great, and the location is right at the entrance of Old Town. Decent parking.

I reserved this venue for a social event for 75 people. Lisa was a DELIGHT to work with- super responsive and flexible. The evening was perfect- great food and service and amazing atmosphere- just what the group needed after a long week of intense learning. Well done!

Went with mom here for dia de los muertos. The wait was long but it was definitely worth it! We were served by Yolanda who was probably one of the best waitresses ive ever been served by! From the beginning she was very kind and took great care of us. She suggested the fajita plate and it was a lot of food, enough for my mom and I to share and take left overs! The food was amazing, but the service was even better!! Will definitely come again when I am back in san diego.

First time here and all the hype is around this place and its neighbors casa se reyes. Okay since we were disappointed with casa de reyes, we thought we would try this place. we later ound out the hard way they are owned by the same owner, hence why flavors were similar First attempt my food was smothered with sauce. we then ordered everything on the side. Basically we added what we wanted to each item Pros: nice ambiance and decoration, staff is nice, - flour tortillas like casa de reyes were delicious we ordered a side of avocado To go with them - beans both black and pinto were good Cons: - tamale simply masa with a slice of chili which is the base for all 3 options, then they add the protein on top and pour the same sauce used for the enchiladas. That's not a true tamale. And really, the masa was dense and no flavor - the Indian flat bread taco it was more like a pita bread and nothing blackened about the fish. (We have had indian flat breas out a native american pow wow events and what they serve is not Indian flat bread - cheese enchilada was disappointing, the true process is you lightly fry your tortilla, then run it through the sauce and add cheese or cheese and your protein, a little cheese on top and if need a little more sauce. What we got was grease drenched over cooked tortilla and again same sauce that gets pour on top - chicken nuggets lol was a safe bet for our daughter again We've been disappointed so many times and this takes the cake 2 establishments in one day. Will i come back definitely not.

Old Town San Diego is one of my favorite stops when traveling close to the border. Barra Barra Saloon is definitely a must visit. Food is very good and the staff are very friendly. Especially Vicky!!! Friendly and made us feel at home.

Stop by to try this hidden gem in the middle of the park, I tried the Carnitas platter my wife is celiac so Guadalupe recommended some Carne asada tacos and the tortillas came in special packaging. The food was great amazing service. The servers have knowledge of customers special needs which shows the importance they give to us. I recommend this place very attentive service and great ambience.

Managed our expectations given the tourist location, but the food was mediocre - like frozen Trader Joe's level. I also didn't love that people were allowed to bring their non-service dogs inside. That said, kids eat free and the ambiance is cute. If you want legit delish Mexican food, you're not gonna find it in Old Town - but if you're not picky and need a family-friendly spot in the area, then this is a decent option.

On my way back to Oceanside I was on the trolly and missed the I believe the 1:40pm Coaster so I took the trolly to the Old Town Station (next train North was at 3:27pm). I figured to walk around and check out the shop then I started to get hungry. I went to Barra Barra and had some chips and salsa for starters and the main dish was the Barra Barra Macho Nacho. Nice relaxing place as well as the service. Alexandria was a wonderful server. I hadn't been there in several years so it was a great time to break a streak. I don't get down there too often but when I do, I'll be sure and stop by for lunch or and early dinner. Thank you.

Kids eat free ! Cristal gave great service Recommended flan great taste. Chicken enchiladas have a great white cheese sauce. Thinking of catering here.