Cenote Grill

A very American Mexican food place. We got seated right away. They brought chips and salsa right away. The salsa that came with. It were very light in heat so I asked for something hotter and they brought two delicious much spicy salsa. Ordered the taquitos à la cart and they were on very thick tortillas And we’re OK. Ordered the shrimp, agave lime dinner platter and they were very sweet and shrimpy. Also ordered the chili Riano and it was 10 out of 10 stars. Absolutely delicious. Also tried the margaritas and they’re a bit sweet.

Food is exceptional and so very authentic. Be very hungry when you go here. You'll want to eat everything. Every item is a step up from what you'd find at normal Mexican restaurants... not that all others are bad, but Cenote Grill is just an amazing WOW.

This place really needs to get a lit sign or at least point a spotlight on their banner otherwise it's tough to find. This is a great little place that was recommended by a friend and it didn't disappoint! The burritos are awesome, and the staff is incredibly friendly. We waited a while for our food but it was worth it. We all got burritos, and we also got the flan which was by far the best I've ever had and that's saying something. I also highly recommend the poblano soup! It's very rich so a cup is probably fine. I couldn't imagine getting a large bowl of it unless you're sharing it with like two other people and eating something else to mix it up. But it was excellent! Highly recommend this place

THE BEST.. by far! To place by all of our friends. Try the cilantro lime chicken salad & Thai chicken wrap sandwich.. my wife and I eat half and take the next half home for lunch the next day super great place. Not fancy but quick service. Check out the ladies shop next-door that my wife loves

Center is our go to fire high end Mexican food. The restaurant is quite nice and locally owned. We highly recommend it.

Cold food, dated cheap ambiance, nice staff. My husband lost his restaurant picking privileges. After choosing this place. We wanted to give a new Mexican place a shot and the photos looked pretty okay. We Go, and from the minute we walk into the minute we leave. We are the youngest people there by about 20 years. It was packed with white people and every one of them was over the age of 60. When your Mexican restaurant and not a single Mexican person eats there, there's a problem. The staff was actually very prompt and courteous and got us seated. The booths have impromptu pads being leaned against them like they are waiting for a real shipment of booths to come in. Also some weird mother earth art on the wall is best as I can guess. But nothing that distinctly said a Mexican restaurant. Immediately gave us free chips and two different kinds of salsa. One tasted like watery tomato paste. The other one tasted vaguely like someone had waived tomatillo at it once and it's life. You order up front. I don't have a problem with that. Our food arrived within a solid amount of time. But my meat was cold to the touch. As if they had made it this morning (gosh I hope it was that morning and not the night before). My cheese was also barely melted. I got a burrito fresco and took two bites and didn't want more. My kids got a shrimp burrito and a fish taco. There was no spice other than cumin in the shrimp burrito. But considering the age of most of the patrons, I'm pretty sure that was on purpose. My other child's fish taco had the batter slide right off of it but it was perfectly fine otherwise. My husband and I were glad that we only had a few bites of our food. We felt queasy the rest of the night and kept chugging Gatorade and burping suspiciously. It would have been a lot worse if we would have actually had more than a few bites of our food. At least with Taco Bell I would have gotten some hot meat and some packets of spice along with my indigestion. I get to pick next time, sorry honey.

Cenote grill has very good food specially the spring rolls also the bread pudding is really great and especially for dining I’d say that’s what really makes the restaurant to go back. It’s not just the food went to that restroom and the restroom is very clean so I gotta say they keep a good clean, clean restroom and it looks like their kitchen is clean cause it’s an open kitchen from where customers can see it. Everyone’s very friendly and I gotta say I’m when they come back and it’s a large portion of food for good price but always try to remember to call head if we’re gonna get takeout cause they’re very very busy!

Very delicious food! I got the Agave Lime Shrimp Plate and it was sooo good. The wait time for seating and for food was long but we went on a Friday night at 5pm so it makes sense. This place constantly had a line to the door so you know it’s good! Will come again but earlier and not on a Friday.

For sure another staple in North county. Offering a different take on hispanic food, its a delight other than the same ol'. Service is on point old school ordering counter but always welcomed with a smile. Sweet little dinning room and gives you the feel your in someone's house verses a large chain restaurant.

Our favorite Mexican food restaurant. Good authentic food at reasonable price We come here every time we are in the area

We are a long time favorite of this spot. The food is fresh, the portions are good size and they have sangria, which is a nice change to beer and regular wine. My husband loves the burritos especially the chili verde, while I love the chili rellano(which you can have chicken stuffed and your choice of green, red, or home made mole sauce) You place your order at the front then seat yourself. Complimentary chips and salsa are included. This is our go to Mexican restaurant!!

Picked up food ...we were having lunch with a friend for her birthday....they have a nice menu...server was nice....however..when we got to our friend's house...one of the meals was missing....had to back to the restaurant....she didn't realize that she forgottoorderwhat she wanted...the restaurant itself is nice and clean. My food was ok.

Our first time at Cenote Grill was a good one overall. No qualms about the food; everything tasted fresh and flavorful. We sat out front on the patio with our pup, and we were forgotten about after margaritas were delivered, but at least we had drinks to keep us company! Eventually decided to go inside to order. From the fleeting views I got of the interior, I'd say it's a typical Mexican American joint. I will note that 5pm on a Friday had MANY in attendance, as Cenote is directly across the street from a LARGE seniors-only mobile home park. We would go back, but perhaps on a different day of the week and time of day.

North county Escondido Mexican food Fish tacos (swai) Complimentary chips n salsa Amex accepted Restrooms inside Outdoor and indoor seating Vegan and vegetarian options Check in at the counter before seating Long wait during rush hour for food and seating Everyone friendly Small dinning area so it gets loud Sells beer Various menu options Parking available To go available

The staff were really friendly, but I was so disappointed in the food. It's giving "white people taco night" but again I should've known when I saw the buffalo chicken burrito. I had really high hopes because we waited 40 minutes for food (no hate cause they did inform us).

It is ALL outstanding...... really!! Food excellent. People very nice and do a great job! Place clean and " smells nice"

One of my favorite lunch spots. Family owned. Great southwest mexican options for a ladies lunch. They have a burrito and or tacos with carne asada and bacon which was delicious. But my all time favorite is the cilantro lime chicken salad.

I placed an order for pick up over the phone and right off the bat, the customer service over the phone was great. Usually folks skip the pleasantries over the phone but whomever the man on the phone was, he was very patient and kind when taking my order. This was my first time eating Cenote grill after years of hearing that they have the best Mexican food. When I came in to pick my order up, it was very busy and the entire restaurant was bustling. On a Wednesday night at that! The decor is very mom and pop and it feels like a cozy restaurant. I sat down and waited for my food and it wasn't long before the worker came up to me to give me my food. I probably waited less than 10 minutes. I wish I'd taken pictures but I ordered the fried fish burrito and a side of chips and salsa. The burrito was fresh and delicious! And huge. The only thing I would say is that while the salsa was delicious, it was not spicy. I was hoping for some kick to it, but neither the red or the green was spicy. All in all, I'm going to come back and eat at the restaurant next time! One of the best Mexican food places in Escondido for sure.

Good home like made food, very friendly atmosphere, can be very busy, not always opened weird open hours

What a pleasant surprise! My husband and I wanted to try somewhere new and chose this restaurant to eat dinner. The food was fabulous and the staff is very friendly. We will definitely be back!

Excellent food and quality customer service...personnel are very professional and ensure customers are well taken care of in a timely manner

The food is delicious. Heathy choices. This restaurant never disappoints. Staff friendly

Best Mexican food around and if you do not want Mexican try the Chicken Lettuce wraps with two Thai sauces. Pork Carnitas are hubby's favorite.

I used to love Cenote as our go to authentic Mexican cuisine. Last night was disappointing food wise. This out of the way restaurant needs to go back to its old ingredients and service. It is really disappointing to have to go order your food at the counter at a nice place like this. The food was beautiful coming out plated but out of the 8 of us who were eating together, one thought their meal was good. Such a shame. I lovedddd their chile rellano before and now it was filled with weird cheese that wasnt melted and i miss the hominy that used to be a surprise inside. Sorry Cenote. Please use better quality ingredients, get a real liquor license to serve real non wine based margaritas and have servers take the customers orders at the table.

My burrito was pretty tasty, but the waitress's service was not so good. First, she made me pay her before I sat down to eat in the restaurant. What's up with that? I wasn't ordering food to go. I saw that she didn't make any of the other customers pay before they sat down. It's not like I looked like I was homeless. And never once did she make eye contact or check on me to offer me water or more chips, or anything. She literally treated me like I was invisible the whole time I was there. And I was there for nearly an hour. 30 minutes to get my burrito and 30 minutes to eat it. And not one word of acknowledgement for the waitress. That waitress might want to consider a different vocation. Sorry, but I won't be returning. There are plenty of other restaurants that have happy and friendly food servers.

We tried this place for the first time in years. It's getting good reviews, so we decided to give it another try hoping to add it to our neighborhood rotation. It seems that the place could use a bit of facelift in interior decoration, but the place has a cozy atmosphere. Ordering is at the cashier. They will bring food to the table when it's ready. The food was fresh tasting and satisfying. I had a shrimp burrito, which was a pretty good size and had hand-battered shrimp with thin batter, healthier, NOT frozen battered shrimp that I expected. My hubby also had shrimp burrito but asked for "wet burrito" in spicy sauce, which came out super too spicy... Cenote Grill is a nice casual neighborhood cafe-like option between fast food and sit down restaurants. We will be back.

It's a unique restaurant. Its hours are a bit funky and closed a closed days a week. But the food and service is on point. You have to get or at least try the battered fish tacos, they're amazing. I don't think there is any tequila drinks which is a bummer. The ambiance, that of an old walk in dominoes or round table converted to a Mexican restaraunt/ diner vibe. Very locally feel .. I mean, don't go for ambiance. Go for good food.

Been going often since we discovered this place :) Food is AMAZING, service is always friendly, professional, polite and efficient. Interior is very well-cared for, clean. Great fish tacos and lemon butter sauce. Clearly they have a great system and great standards in operating this place! Happy to support

This place is like Cheers - everyone knows your name. Just an incredible experience coming and eating here. It also has the Cheers-style ambiance, just no counter. The first time we got here we were told there was a 45-minute wait, but other than other places, waiting meant "sit down, let us bring you some chips and salsa, would you like a drink? Appetizers? " The 45 minutes passed by in a jiffy. The coup of soup as an appetizer came out immediately, so did our draught beers. Brendon came by, introduced himself, and made sure everything was cool. When we got our dinners, the food was exceptional. And the portions were so big that we got a full second meal out of it. There is some authentic Mexican food on the menu, but a lot is fusion cuisine. I absolutely loved the Thai chicken burrito from my first visit, but the Sonora Style Enchilada I had during my second visit was just as good. Back to Cheers - a week later, during our second visit, Brendon did address us by name. Talk about personal service!

Good value, good food, great service, great atmosphere. One of the few places in North County I've seen with a consistent group of "regulars" (frequent customers). Business hours can be a bit confusing, make sure to check their website, don't trust google, apple, etc.

Five stars for food. One star for customer service. As I mentioned in an earlier review, I recently moved to the area and was looking for a new Mexican restaurant fix. The food fit the bill. I learned from our last visit that it must be good to be a regular customer to get excellent or fair customer service. When you enter, a sign goes along the lines of, "Wait to be seated." The gentleman manning the register was having such a long conversation with the customer at the front of the line that it expanded out the front door. Even the people waiting to pick up their to-go orders gave surprised side-eye looks while watching this unfold. Out of the blue, a couple comes in, goes to the front of the line, and waves to the guy at the register, who waves back and directs them to go ahead and take a seat. You should have seen the look on the faces of everyone patiently waiting in line. And yes, the couple was served, finished their meal, and was out the door before ours was delivered. To top it off, the "Original Register Guy" accused my wife of not paying for a drink which was very strange for they only serve you the drink AFTER you actually pay for it. He rudely asks her for the receipt saying he never rang her up. Confused she replies and points to the gentleman manning the other register and says, "He rang me up." Unsurprisingly, no apologies were given for wrongly accusing her of stealing. The crazy thing was we were being patient and respectful during this whole encounter. It must be good to be "El Rey y La Reina."

The food is amazing. Went there for birthday lunch with my boss. I tell people all the time they need to try Cenote. We love the employees they are so friendly.

I found this place on Yelp while visiting Escondido. It had great reviews and now I understand why. First off, the service was impeccable. We were greeted at the door and seated right away. The server was very accommodating and sweet. Our order arrived sooner than expected without any errors. I highly recommend the Baja fish tacos, Delicious! I will definitely be back.

Cenote Grill serves up a tasty California burrito. The carne asada is juicy and flavorful, the fries are crispy and seasoned, and a balance of cheese, guac, sour cream and picante. Everything tastes fresh and the portion is generous. Friendly staff, quick service, and a burrito that hits the spot.

And it shows how they don't care I'm shocked the manager didn't contact me about my negative review. Thank God I have a big mouth and will tell everybody about the shitty service I got at this restaurant.

Food is great. Very friendly service. Great prices. Kids love it too. Lisa is an amazing server.

I have been here twice now and it's definitely worthy of 5 stars. It's been open for a long time and I barely tried it for the first time fairly recently. I remember seeing it growing up and being curious about it. My friend recommended it and insisted that we go so we did. We both got combo plates and I got the tortilla dumpling soup which was so good! My friend loves their sangria. I was surprised by the drink selection. Their menu is unique and it's really cute inside. You order at the counter and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. The food came out fast and has been delicious each time. I have been telling people to try it now that I know how good it is. You already know I'll be back! Thanks Cenote grill!

Love this place.... Been coming here for years and it never disapoints..... My fave is al carbon tacos

Sorry, it just did not live up to my expectations. I will not be returning. Self serve and they asked for a tip..

You know that Mexican Restaurant that spoils it for all other Mexican Restaurants... This is that one! The moment we walked in a patron on his way out said this is the best food in the area. Boy was he right! The service was excellent, the food was absolutely amazing! We will be back! Oh, and you should too! This is a combination plate with a Chile relleno and cheese enchilada. Yummy!

This little place has become a top 5 fave. I've been coming here with girl friends for months and recently came for a dinner date with my husband who had never been. He was so impressed with how friendly and awesome the service was. Food was excellent as usual. Very clean, very quick, very reasonably priced. All the staff is great. Looking forward to trying more items on the menu if I can ever stop getting their enchiladas. The red and the green are both delicious.

Great food, good service. New hours is better. During the Saturday rush, they should have more than one person serving the entire place. The atmosphere is relaxed and at busy times it can get noisy. I do recommend this place to everyone.

Always good food. Patience is required as this is a locally owned small business so show some kindness and respect and relax. Take a moment to appreciate the small businesses that are still around after the pandemic.

You know what's good about Cenote? EVERYTHING. I've been coming here for years - and can't believe I haven't reviewed this amazing place yet! My go-to is the cod in butter/caper/lemon heaven. It's outstanding. Camarones modelo, combination plates, tacos, burritos, margaritas - it's all really good! I often bring my 90-year-old Grandma who has a sensitivity to anything 'spicy' (that includes mild food, folks) but they always accommodate her and dial her food down on the spicy scale. Today we went for my sister's birthday and Hector and the team were fantastic. We all really loved the special birthday treat Flan too!

I've been sleeping on this place... cenote grill has some incredible Mexican food and great service. I can't believe I have not been here sooner. We ordered a variety of entrees and everything tasted amazing at incredible prices. I'm very particular about enchiladas, but this place has hands down best enchiladas in town. I also highly recommend the house margarita. Perfect place to meet friends or family for dinner. This has become my "go-to" place and can't wait to come back. Amazing food and great service!

Good service friendly service and good service I haven't tired much of their food so I can't say much off their menu! Yesterday I was their and my enchilada plate was called. The cheese inside wasn't even melted. I'm getting very disappointed with Cenote

Super delicious food! The grilled fish tacos were the best I've ever had! It comes with this chipotle sauce - that's so addictive!!! The lime chicken salad also amazing! Tortilla chips come free- and the salsa that comes with it does not disappoint. It's pretty packed. Prices are super cheap!!! Drinks are strong and on point!!!

Cenote Grill has what I call my "death row" meal. You know, the last meal you want just before you die ? This is it for me. A chicken enchilada topped with traditional mole sauce and a fresh poblano chile relleno stuffed with carnitas, topped with homemade salsa verde. Black beans and white rice. Mind blowing. Really. 5 star.

Let me start by saying the service was amazing! Our waitress was nice and took the time to get to know us. She went above and beyond to make sure our order was correct and made sure our drinks were always full. The chips and salsa were okay, but the mole was some of the best mole I've ever had. My mom and I shared the combination plate with 6 tacos and an enchilada. Overall I had a positive experience and would definitely come back!

There's an item on their menu, Swai filet in a lemon cream sauce with capers. It's so good that I can't even order anything else when I go there. Melts in your mouth!!! Plus, the special dessert, Bread pudding with Carmel sauce, well, I'm trying to figure out how to buy it by the tubful. And, the staff is so kind and accommodating!!! I swear I'm not the owner writing this review, but I'd buy stock in my two favorite items!!! Love you, Cenote Grill!!!

Havent been here in awhile The Poblano Soup was just as good as I remember. Quesadilla with sour cream REAL GUACAMOLE and pico de gallo Outstanding this place has Quirky Hours but it reeks of QUALITY

Cenote Grill is amazing!!! Pupusas and Chile queso were to die for! Cilantro lime chicken salad was on point!! Cheese enchiladas with rice and black beans oh my! Great sauce! So thankful we found this place driving thru town. Will definitely be back! The owner, Pam, was so sweet and welcoming!

Service was terrible. Over crowded and understaffed. Cream of Poblano Soup was disappointing. Grilled spinach salad was very good!

Never again. After that Carne Asada Fresca, my son and I both felt terrible several hours afterwards my guess is cross contamination from raw chicken to our burritos. So after 12 hours of diarrhea and vomiting. Never going there again !!

The food is good but you better not be in a hurry. You may sit for 30 minutes before anyone takes your order. But the food is good.

After years of going to this place and having good food and service, tonight four of us went and were very disappointed. The staff was new and not trained, and two of the four meals were overcooked and dry. I sincerely hope this is an off night, and that the food will once again be delicious the next time we go.

Expectations were for a nice sit-down Mexican restaurant. I twas not expecting to order at the counter. I expected the burrito plate to come with rice and beans. It did not making it a bit dry. The servers were very nice and helpful. The food was just okay.