Birrieria Don Rafa

This has got to be my favorite Mexican place in San Diego. Oof their Birria de chivo is 🔥 and their pozole is amazing! I ate this last weekend and am craving it since then. Their salsa is so unique - very spicy yet flavorful. I am definitely gonna come back! One suggestion I have is that I don’t understand why we have to order at the door and then go sit. It does not make sense to us as customers. We anyway ordered more food after we sat down. If it is for takeout, it makes sense.

My family and I ate here. Service was good. It was awkward to order before being sat at our table. We had never felt rushed to order at a dine in restaurant before. I got the quesa birria tacos and wife got chilaquiles, kids just got bacon and eggs. The chilaquiles and 3 quesabirria tacos came out first. Took 10 minutes from that point to get my kids eggs. I believe they forgot but failed to apologize or even address the fact that eggs were delayed. We got there right at open and restaurant was already hot. No air flow or AC. Our total for 4 drinks, chilaquiles, 3 birria tacos, 2 orders of eggs with bacon was $70+. Food was good. Host was friendly. But won't be coming back.

Service is great, good variety and they have coffee from the pot.

Really good birria..from the I.E... was in town... this place is really good.. will be coming back to try different menu items.. so if you're looking for some good birria tacos.. this is the place to go.. nice atmosphere good customer service...nice prices...

We tried the Menudo Rojo with hominy, and the Quesadilla Ahogada de Chivo(goat). The Menudo was good with lots of hominy and came with corn tortillas. The Ahogado was very good, but not as large as expected. The goat meat was lean, tender, tasty, and not gamey at all. The birria broth was very good.

My wife and I visited Birrieria Don Rafa on Sunday 1/14/2018. Both of us have been here before but this time around we ordered something different. My wife ordered menudo and I ordered carne en su jugo. My wife said that her menudo was excellent and very tasty. My carne en su jugo was good too but a little bit salty. Put a little bit less salt and it will be perfect. Service was great. The menudo plate was huge !!

Amazing food!! The goat Birria is well marinated and delicious!! Also I ordered the goat quesadilla, delicious! Will come back again for sure. The only little thing, the portions are a little bit small, but with high quality!

Birria was good, but served with bad tortillas, prob a few days old, tasted rancid. Ruined the whole meal.

Been a long time but finally made it back. Born and raised in southern San Diego I have tried many and many places around. Nothing compares to the food and service this place has. Their birria has a rich full flavor and their salsa is very spicy and tasty. Not a fan of the flour tortilla quesadillas but their corn is really good.

They took 48 minutes for my to go order and the agua frescas had Zero Flavor and still charged me for them and to top it off a lady blamed me and told me I should've told her sooner when a different employee had taken my order and given me my bill. Customer service sucks , but the food is good.

The food is amazing! The waitress was friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the details they put into the decorations. If you are looking for delicious traditional food on this side of the border I definitely recommend

Worst chilaquiles in San Diego. My husband used to love this place, we decided to go so I could try it out and that was definitely my first and last time there. Cold and soggy chilaquiles, no coffee, slow service, my plate came out and my husband's came 10 min after. We had to get up and leave.

We just had lunch here. It was very good! The birria de res and frijoles and corn tortillas were excellent. Everything tasted homemade and fresh. The young man who was our server was helpful, took our order promptly, checked in to see how our meal was going and, overall, did a great job. We did not experience any of the poor service others have noted. I'd go back.

This is a new birria place I tried yesterday. I got one birria taco with cheese and a side of beans and rice and an horchata. The taco and the consume was really tasty! The waitress was really nice and friendly. It was 12$ for one taco not counting the beans and rice. I feel like they is too much for a taco. The rice was super good, it's actually really hard to find food Spanish rice. So the price, bad parking and the fact that I felt sick to my stomach driving home were why I took away stars.

The service here is really horrible. I have been coming here for several years and within the past few months it's really become an unpleasant place to get food. I tried to place an order over the phone so by the time I got there it was ready (I was driving from Mira Mesa). They kept me on hold for 23 minutes and once I arrived they took another 10 minutes to take my order. I asked to speak to a manager and was told there was no manger on site. The women who took my order was extremely dismissive. At this point I had to wait an additional 20 minutes for my food & wasn't even offered a cup of water while I wait. It's extremely disappointing that the recipe is good but the service makes you steer away from visiting again.

If i could give it zero stars I WOULD . The food was good but the SERVICE SUCKEEED !! I dont know if the owner hired all his NEPHEWS AND GRANDSONS, but i would fire all of them if i want mt business running. You go in and nobody greets You, You have to order before you sit down ? It doesnt make sense for someone who has nver gone and people are behind , 3 tortillas for 2 orders of birria so i guess u have to get one tortilla per person and share the other one. SERVICE HORRIBLE HORRIBOE HORRIBLE ! DUEÑO SI LEE ESTO , despida a su FAMILIA del negocio porque no sirvenn panadaa

I almost cried the birria was so good. After falling in love with the dish my husband and I decided to try 3 places in one day as a 'tour' in San Diego. Hands down their chiva/goat is the best. So tender, crispy on one side with perfect tortillas and this consume that you want to drink. Fun drinks and plenty of options to chose from (there's birria chilaquiles we're coming back to get) and they have beef birria too. Isabella was a perfect and welcoming waitress. Cute and calm inside. Will definitely be back!

Love the food !! Birra so good I come back few time a month every thing on the menu is so tasty , and the michys are bomb.com

The customer service was horrible. The waitress had a terrible attitude. Food was decent but not worth the crappy customer service.

The food is great! The service is bad. Since the girls stopped being waitresses the service has gone down hill. Be prepared to enjoy your food but being frustrated with the all men servers.

The Food here is Beyond Amazing! I had the Carne Se Jugo which was Literally One of the Best that I have Ever Tried! And I have Tried a Lot! From here all the Way Down to Guadalajara Mexico! The Service was Outstanding! It was So Good that I came here Yesterday and I had to Come Back again Today! 2 Days in a Row, and Many Many More to Come! Everything on the Menu is also Amazing! My wife had Enchiladas De Pollo and she was Born in Mexico! And she couldn't get over how Delicious it Was! They also Specialize in Birria Both the Res/ Beef and Chivo / Goat, finding Both of those in the States is a Rare Find in itself! And their Prices are Very Reasonable and they give you a Lot! Not to Mention the Homemade Tortillas! Keep in Mind this Review is coming from a Gringo that has been Married to a Mexican Woman! So again I/ We have been eating Homemade Mexican food for Well Over 40 Years! And this Place and Food Really Stands Out! It is Located on Broadway in Chula Vista and if you Blink you May Miss It! Now, let's talk about the Amazing Service! Not to Mention that would almost be a Criminal! Lol! Our Server Celia was So on Point! She Didn't Miss Anything! And considering it looked like she was the Only Person Serving Tables! Nobody Waited! She would Bounce back and forth from Table to Table and Never Lost Her Beautiful Smile, she Never Seemed Overwhelmed! A True Professional with a Servant's Heart! The Chef's in the Kitchen are Truly That Chef's! They are Not Just some Cooks in the Kitchen! No they are Chef's That have Mastered True Art of Mexican Cuisine! As you can probably see that I could go on and on about this Place! But, Please don't just take my Word for it! Try it for yourself! I Promise You that you Will Not Be Disappointed! I am Very Very Picky! And I Rarely Write Reviews, it takes a Lot for me to! Seriously! But, I just Didn't Want to Keep this Little Gem on Broadway a Secret for Myself! Enjoy! I know that you will! And please Don't Forget to Ask for Celia !

Birrería Don Rafa review 2022-08-06 After watching Gareth Leonard's YouTube video of San Diego taco shops, we decided that today it will be Birrieria Don Rafa across from Chula Vista Mall. For first timer's like us, here are two must-knows straight away; Parking entrance is a narrow edge between Family House of Pancakes and Din Rafa's more accommodating for smaller vehicles. Next, an interesting ordering process. As you enter, you must look at the menu first and make your choices then, next to the table-placed menu is the podium where you give the lady your order. If it's your first time, it feels rushed. And with customers behind you, better be quick. It's a small "foyer" so, you may stand in the doorway holding the door open like I did. Then, after you order, you can take a seat at any available table. I ordered the Tametada de Res $12.95 and Quesadilla de maíz con birria de Res $6.99 and my #1 ordered the same Quesadilla in both ahogada and not drowned. My plate with beans also came with 4 corn birria tortillas. These are thicker and splashed in birria juice (consumé) on the grill. For drinks we each had an Agua de temporada. (it's the green cucumber juice). $3.50ea. So, how did it taste you ask? It was delicious. The meat is tender and a rich deep color from its juices. I added all the condiments; white onion, cilantro & hot sauce to my plate and mixed it all up before making my tacos. Before the first bite and each one after, a quick dip into the consumé. I did make 3 good tacos from my plate and the last tortilla I needed so I could clean up my plate. There are beans on the plate but, its not a memorable serving. If you would like to order more food or drink, the servers are diligently attending their patrons so, you just ask for more. Overall, I'd agree with yelp's current 3.5/5 stars. What would make it better for me? I'd like more time to look at the menu and not wait in the tiny doorway.

Food was great but service was not. We waited so long for everything and had to constantly remind the waiters for items.

La comida está buena, pero el servicio está pésimo, pésimo.... yo tengo tiempo viniendo a comer aqui porqué la comida insistió esta buena, pero el servicio al cliente sigue igual o peor lastima que no mejoren y los meseros no trabajen por sus propinas. lo que dan a recibir desafortunadamente. yo doy mi propina según el servicio no lo que se impone.

It's pretty pricey for the amount of food you get. The service sucks. The food isn't any better than the service. Overall, it sucked. There's better places to go to!

Food taste good. Especially white menudo. Service sucks. Given 3 tortillas only for 2 people ordeeing 2 menudos. I guess 1 and a half each. No spoon for salsa so we used our menudo spoons. Contaminated it. Hope they throw it away and not give to next guest. The cilantro was mixed with rotten cilantro. Black pieces. Quite a bit of it. A bit pricy but gotta say the flavor was delish. We asked for more tortillas. Im still waiting for them. Im home now. Parking also suks. Probbly not come again.good luck. Pancake house next door has a long line of customers. Maybe nxt time ill pay attn to the signs. And whn u walk into this place u have to order before u are seated. So look at the menu quick because others are waiting on you to be seated.

When I was a child I looked forward to the drive south to Chula Vista. My brother worked at Hom's Teapot Inn. A few times he took me to visit and the owner would have his chef make something delicious for me. I miss Wendel Hom and his Teapot Inn. It's been years since I've been in this part of Chula Vista. Sears across the street was the only location that had sandals I was looking for. I didn't know there was a Tacos y Gordo's on this block. Birrieria Don Rafa was fairly busy for lunch. My friend Omar invited me here to try the birria. I ordered a birria taco. Corn tortilla had a mild corn flavor while the birria had a hint of sweetness and a rich savory flavor. Birria was extremely tender and juicy. I also ordered a carne asada taco. Same mild flavored corn tortilla with delicious tender beef. I liked the char and the seasoning on the carne asada. Place has some very lovely artwork. Our server was very nice and efficient. This was my first time eating birria and I really enjoyed my tacos. 4 made for a very filling lunch. I look forward to driving south to Chula Vista again.

ZERO STARS!!! Long story short, DONT GO! They are literally stealing customers money for what they spit out of that kitchen!!! WHAT A JOKE! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!!! TRUST ME AND DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE. We had a take out order of over $100 and did not even get $10 worth of food. The Tortas no meat, tacos no meat, flavor is bland. Just DONT!

Good food. No one speaks English. The menu is in Spanish. I asked for a menu in English, the waiter just smiled. Its a little hard to order when you have no clue what the menu says. Waiter was no help

Not exactly the way I remember. Something has happened to the restaurant. The food was good our last visit but today, it was just ok. The birria tatemada de chivo was burnt on both our orders and the tortillas were hard. We took one to go for the kids and what we received was just short of charcoal.

When we first arrived we are told we order first then take a seat... how would I know what I want if it's my first time here... secondly when we wanted to place our order no one would come over to ask if we were ready, I had to ask the waitress. Thirdly once the food arrived we weren't given any silverware so again we had to ask for it. The flavor of the food was pasable however the side garnish given for our food order are terribly cut. The onion look like an unexperianced prep cook just didn't know what to do with the onion. Same thing with the cabbage . For crying out loud find better everything . Not worth the $58 we got billed. Very disappointed all around . Will not be returning.

Let me preface my review by saying that my first visit took place during October 2020, so full COVID precautions were in place. We parked on the street since there are tables in what normally is their parking lot. The tables are well spaced, they were sanitized before we sat and we were asked to keep Our masks on when not eating. The restrooms were spotless. They had a little Clorox smell. You know what that means? They were cleaned recently! The staff was super friendly and welcoming. The food: the chivo (goat) birria was delicious, the portions are generous. I tried one order of birria in a bowl, so it comes with broth and it's "soupy". My wife tried birria tatemada (charred, bone in) with the broth on the side. I love that the tortillas are heated with some of the meat juice. Delicious! PRO TIP: If you go with kids, they could easily split a plate. My daughter got a torta and she could've easily split that with by son. (They are 9 and 7) My wife ordered a tamarindo margarita and it was super tasty. Payment: They accept credit cards Bathrooms: they have 2- single stall bathrooms. Definitely will be back!

The best family owned restaurant I've ever been too. The service and food is amazing , the food is the most authentic Mexican food I've had in all Of San Diego. They also make the best Horchata and the best micheladas . I have been coming To eat here for the last decade and will continue to recommend and support.

Food was not very flavorful I ordered menudo no real Chile. Hubby order a carne asada quesadilla and a pozole that looked more like a mole it was so thick. The guy that took our order was nice and accommodating. But the food was just not good at all.

Excelente servicio y excelente la comida de birrieria don rafa. Volvería a venir por mi tatemada de chivo, las aguas están exquisitas!!!

This place sucks, service sucks, food sucks! I rather eat pozole from a can. I rather eat del taco. I rather starve. Enjoy if you go.

This place has the best Birria and hands down the best spicy salsa!!! The salsa is spicy though, so make sure to start light. The service is great and everyone I recommend it to, loves it. It becomes a go to spot for them.

Absolutely LOVE this place! I ALWAYS get the pozole and it is just wow. I'm in love with it. It comes with the usual condiments and everything is just fresh and great. Never salty!! Service is always great and the servers are always so polite! Can get super busy at peak times.

First time eating here and absolutely love it! Small place, but great customer service and quality food. The chivo birria is delicious!

Brought my mom and brother here for lunch. The restaurant was clean and spacious. We were seated immediately. I ordered the birria de chivo and it was absolutely fantastic. Lots of meat and the flavors were exquisite. Good service, great food, and fair prices. What more could you ask for. I will definitely be back.

Amazing food ! I drive over an hour just to eat here . Birria from Fernandez was my favorite but the wait was just too much during covid so I explored . So grateful to find this place . Cafe de olla , tacos , aguas , margaritas , all insanely delicious

PLEASE READ 0-1 REVIEW: I have been a long term customer and always order the same dish: Orden de Tatemada de Res - Beef. Today I ordered 2 of the same dish. Always was fantastic until today and you have lost a customer. It was my birthday and it was a huge disappointment to see my favorite dish in the conditions I received it. No where near like the past. I ordered through DashDoor for pickup and wish I didn't realize this until I got home or else I would have returned this dish if it was inside restaurant. After today I won't be coming back. Here's why and hope this restaurant takes action or else they will start to lose customers just like myself: 1) The two containers where the Birria came in it was all filled with globs of fat in grease. There was literally no meat involved in either container. It had 4 tortillas each order total of 8. We only made 2 tacos because it was all fat and rubber. Zero meat. $40 is unacceptable. 2) The texture of the birria in both containers was like rubber. And that was the very few pieces I was able to save from all the globs of fat. Birria meat should be tender and soft. Instead they were very tiny, burnt and hard as a rock. Meat shouldn't be like rubber or it was either old. 3) The quality went down the hill and they are now using low quality meat probably the cheapest to cut down in costs most likely due to Covid losses but this is unacceptable since people won't come back. Quality is much more important and keeping customers than instead staying open to just sell fat and rubber texture hard meat. There's many birria options in Chula Vista and much affordable with higher quality. Giving my business elsewhere. What a disappointment.

I think Birrieria Don Rafa deserves 5 stars! The food and service is amazing and always consistent. I honestly don't know why they aren't rated higher. They'll always be one of the best birrieria spots in my book.

The biggest disappointment ever!!! Nasty as fuck... been here before when they first opened and was nothing like this. The representation it self speaks for the nasty food. Not even no lettuce or cheese topping. Beans taste like can and rice is old not worth 30 dls is ridiculous worst money spend ever

Took more than 30 minutes to receive our order, hips and salsa were never brought to the table until we reminded one of the waiters to do so. Food was bland. I was really excited to try the birria but it just tasted like meat. No flavor, I had to send it back. We had to flag down the waiters every time we needed something. There was no 1 waiter for a section it was pretty much who ever is there can help you if you flag them down because they don't check on you. I don't recommend this place. Not organized and the food is bland.

This place is consistently good when I visit. I've had the birria tacos, birria tostadas, and the quesabirria. All have been delicious. Reasonable price and portions. Recently we ordered to go and they were prompt and professional. Highly recommended.

Got some take out since we were picking up tacos next door. Had high hopes. Other comments regarding staff not being friendly is true not the best vibe. I can overlook that if the food is worth it. I ordered menudo since I have been craving it. The menudo seemed like it would be amazing and they gave me a good serving of very clean meat and the side dressings were pretty good. My biggest complaint is that it was obviously watered down. What a disappointment as I could see that it must have been good at some point. This caused the broth to not have any flavor. I get that these are tough times but if you do not pay attention and give people your best product people will look elsewhere.

Absolutely delicious. Been to many Birria restaurants in San Diego and this is hands down my favorite. They have friendly servers, draft beer and some of the hottest salsa you could ask for. Would give a better rating if i could. I always get the chivo (goat) which is a unique taste you really can't get everywhere. The family always goes for the beef which is a little more mild. All in all 5 stars.

They messed up my order and put beans inside the tacos since they messed up they made me new ones and because they were upset I'm thinking they didn't put any meat in the tacos keep in mind I spent $100 at this place for these tacos and 4 quesadillas it's extremely expensive which I don't mind it's good food but for them to do this after I spend $50 Saturday and $100 today I am very disappointed I also drove from Clairemont for this well they lost a good customer because they decided to rip me off this way never again!

Everything we ordered was good! I loved the pozole, it was exactly what I was craving

Because I'd previously enjoyed several meals at Birrieria Don Rafa, including Birria de Chivo (goat); Quesadillas Ahogada (a sort of beef stew quesadilla); and several antojitos; and since I knew Don Rafa makes both menudo and pozole; I made the run on a recent Saturday morning, down Broadway in Chula Vista, searching for the best pozole rojo in the County. People line up to get into the place on weekends, so I made a point of arriving early, which proved smart. I enjoyed my coffee and waited for my meal, while folks stood on the sidewalk out front, kids running around, and Don Rafa's waitresses switched to that funny walk-run they do when things get busy. The floor manager did a great job of managing tables and the crowd; the kitchen did its part; and my food arrived in a reasonable amount of time. My pozole was very good, but not great. It was loaded with hominy and included two patas (pig's feet) and some espinazo (spine) in the bowl, but, as was the problem at other places I tried in my quest for the best, Don Rafa's broth was thin and watery. Properly prepared, the red chile, corn and pork soup/stew helps farmers and construction workers get through the day, when the day is against them. I don't work nearly as hard as those fellows, but I do love pozole, and I encourage our local cooks to spend the time required to get it right. Simmer the fat and bones, I say, to break down their collagens, releasing gelatin into the water and developing a super-rich, elegantly smooth soup that when chilled, incidentally, has no fat on top, but jiggles like Jell-O. It seems that many places, Don Rafa included, rush their pozole, which is probably more efficient, saving the restaurant time and money, but those kitchens' shortcuts shortchange their diners. The good news from my recent visit: Don Rafa's table offers an outstanding, fiery salsa, and I purchased a side Taco de Chivo, the simple wrap all buttery and sweet, still and always the best thing on the menu. In other news: my waitress, Ilse, was charming, fast and funny, and as I noted on the photo I posted of the way she arranged my table, I believe Ilse to be the most organized waitress in Chula Vista. Check the photo and tell me I'm wrong. ****************************** Here are the places I visited for pozole since November, in my order of preference: - La Sierra Café (Highly Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-sierra-cafe-national-city?hrid=gUZ84p70_7oW8Dh4WjDHCw - El Borrego Restaurant (Highly Recommended): http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-borrego-restaurant-san-diego?hrid=w-LD2Pf5egJWK_3n_Y2cNg - BIRRIERIA DON RAFA (Recommended) - Canela Mexico City Cuisine (Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/canela-mexico-city-cuisine-el-cajon?hrid=rbiUdWqdQhGnQBdvDh6ldA - Pozoleria Doña Maria (Recommended) https://www.yelp.com/biz/pozoleria-dona-maria-chula-vista?hrid=0GBcMNB2MEwgnKi9AtfSEQ - El Comal (Not Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-comal-san-diego-3?hrid=KxfuMoyYdAUd5rnEJd1ORg - Birrieria Y Menuderia Guadalajara (Not Recommended): https://www.yelp.com/biz/birrieria-y-menuderia-guadalajara-chula-vista?hrid=mi8Zc9riCySRfXC-vY_HVQ

Pedí birria con costilla y mediaron lo que quisieron y llegando a casa para comer no me dieron mis tortillas. Creo que no volveré a ir.

Super birria! Primero, las quesabirrias, wow! Luego, el menudo, uffff!!! Y la agua de horchata ni se diga. Pero al fin just a good meal.

Horrible service and cold tacos uncut silantro I ask for a horchata with no ice in give me the horchata almost full of ice Unprofessional waitress with attitude is will never come back here really bad experience i tray to talk to the manager and the manager just ignore me lol

My husband and I went to this place for lunch on 3/16/21. We were go into find a seat when we were stoped. We were told we have to place our order first and pay before sitting. We did not know what to order since it was our first time their. We were sat had our lunch. Caffe was horrible and the birria had a bad flavor to it even I ordered the beef one. When waitress Britt our check on the bottom it shows a gratuity of 18% and 20%. What about the 15%. No where to be shown on check. How about I don't want to tip 18 or 20%. So I wrote 15 % tip, and that's what I gave the waitress. I have the app of my bank and wanted to see all my transactions and on their it shows the payment of this restaurant but with the 20% tip added on to the bill. So my reg bill was 35.76 and left 15% of 5.36 total of41.12. When I check with my bank it shows the amount I was being charged if42.91. They automatically added the 20%. I called waitress and she said no. That my bank had done that. . How is my bank going to know. I called my bank and was told the restaurant/ merchant inputs the amount. I was so mad because is up to the customer to leave a tip and how much not for a restaurant Always check you checks with you bank .

I drive 45 minutes to go to this place. It's delicious! I was introduced to it by a friend of mine who goes weekly. Well he used to at least. It's family owned and the food tastes like it too. It's like they stuck their grandma in the kitchen whose had years of perfecting her dish. I try ordering something different every time I go and have yet to be disappointed. The staff is friendly but you have to be patient too! I have yet to go there when it isn't busy. One time I showed up at 5:45pm not knowing they close at 6pm and they still served me. I assumed they'd rush me out of there but they didn't. Definitely a must try!! Ps the salsa is spicy! Taste great but be careful.

The food was alright. Nothing to really wow over... and my husband got mad because while the server was bringing over our birrias this girl was on the phone and trying to handle food and spilled some of the hot caldo on him. Thats super unprofessional. Food is ALWAYS first in the food industry anything else can wait. The food tho was alright and it was kind of pricey. We went late cuz we wanted some tacos dorados for my son but all they had was birria. They're beers on draft tho... I'm not really a fan of Mexican domestic beers but these mugs were huge !! Refreshing. my daughter had the menudo rojo and I was pretty upset when she let me try some, it didn't have much flavor and there was no meat in it (unless she had ate it all) but for the price we paid.... I don't think it was worth it... idk if I would come back here ever again oh well

Ordered to go and waited over an hour. Asked the waitress about the eta of the Tatemada we ordered. Never got an update. Never got the food. Asked for a refund If you have time to kill to wait for 3 1/2 star Birria, then this is the place for you.