Cocina del Charro

First time here, and it didn't disappoint. The food and drinks were delicious and the service was impeccable! We will definitely be back again... soon!!

A very nice place to go out and eat. Sadly I did not like my cheese enchiladas. The sauce tasted like it came from a can. I know it did. They should at least try to make it taste authentic. The chips for the salsa were greasy. You guys need to do better. Don't let this place go down. It is one of a few restaurants that have a great space to go out and eat Mexican food.

Great spot for a happy hour in the bar, as well as meals. Delicious guacamole (not over-salted/garlic) served with flour tortilla chips that are crisp and pillowy. Perfect accompaniment to their homemade salsa and fantastic house margaritas. 🏆 You can order these excellent Margaritas to-go as well! 🥳 I've been here many times over the last several years, including booking a big anniversary party. Food and service are always excellent.

No greeting or smiles as we entered the restaurant. The server was rushing us and was all over the place. But he did his job. He didn't check on us as much as I thought he should, didn't clear our finished plates, so they piled up and sat as we enjoyed some girls' day out conversation. Being with my friends is what made the day. Not sure I will visit this location again. But I might give another chance , just because I understand how we all can have a bad day.

Nothing special about this restaurant. The food is fine but the dessert is great! The service was horrible. The worst was the final bill. At the bottom of the receipt where they give you the 15%, 20% and 25% tip as a guide. Out of curiosity I calculated them and they were completely wrong! 15% tip guide was actually closer to 22%! I would have told the waiter but he was no where to be found. Anyone who uses this guide will tip more than desired. Be aware!

My mom and I were seated as soon as we walked in and presented with freshly made tortilla chips and some fresh mild salsa. I appreciate that the salsa is not automatically served so spicy it burns my taste buds. Just because you enjoy Mexican food doesn’t mean you want everything with a ghost pepper effect. The service by our waitress, Rachel, was spot on. The plates were so plentiful of food, that mom and I could have shared one plate and still been stuffed. We ended up taking half the food home, which by the way was excellent the next day for lunch. The atmosphere is inviting and calm, we were not forced to listen to loud, obnoxious music like some places, and you couldn’t help but watch the place fill up. When a restaurant is steadily busy, that tells you that their reputation precedes them. It’s always a good sign. We will definitely return for more great food and one more those oh so attractive margaritas! UPDATE (2/18/24): We went for Sunday Brunch and it is the most spectacular spread I have ever seen! So many options from a variety of fruits, enchiladas, tostadas, desserts— you name it. Everything on the menu is at this all you can eat extravaganza! Oh my oh my… gotta go back again and again. I have never been to a brunch that goes all morning until 2 PM! Have you? Most end by 11:00, but not this one. They have a kids table as well if picky eaters prefer kid style foods. Marvelous! Absolutely delicious!!

My family and I go there every week for dinner. The food is good, not exceptional but good. The service always great and the atmosphere very welcoming. We love the outside area when the weather permits. Salsa and chips very good and the mini margaritas very refreshing.. we have tried most dishes and we have not found anything we didn’t like.

Everything was so good, especially the margaritas. They were so tasty, the flavored ones you barely taste the tequila which I loved and the Cabo one was a little strong for me but perfect for my dad. He had a second one(not pictured) with roasted pineapple jalapeño infused tequila and he loved that one better than the first. Nice little kick from the jalapeño. Overall great, the service was also amazing. Definitely going back.

Food was great. Service was efficient and our drinks stayed full. We didn't get any, but it looks like they have a fun drink menu with a few Hawaiian inspired items as specials. They also had a family meal option, which we might consider for takeout in the future.

I thought I'd try this place, work close by. Ordered on line for curbside pickup. I arrived a bit earlier that the time I chose. I called the number to let them know I've parked. 1st gentleman was nice, then transferred me to another, maybe the hostess, she was surly. Was informed they'll be bring out my order shortly....20 mins I'm waiting and it's hot in the car even when the AC is running. I had to walk-in to get my order. They had to get the hostess, and she seem annoyed that she had to do her job. Order was beef enchilada and rice - is was not even hot anymore. Flavor was BLAND - definite NOT authentic Mexican. Even the salsa for the chips was meh. They say first impression lasts - I will NOT be back and told my family members no to bother either. I'd rather have street food...hot, flavorful, authentic and inexpensive.

Margarita was good, guacamole was huge and nicely done, beans weren't to bad but the chili relleno was putrid. Salsa was lame gringo style. I suggested arresting the cook for selling foe rellenos. I should know better than to order that dish at a Bar imitating a Mexican food restaurant. Wife liked her tostada Service was good Go for the margaritas, and guac, bring you own salsa.

Yesterday was the first time my bf and I tried this place. We decided to go for dinner. When we entered we were greeted and we got seated right away which is good Once we sat on the table we were looking at the menu and sometime later we got our chips and salsa. The salsa was ok didn't have too much flavor, the chips to me were also stale. We were looking over our menus and for about 15mins or more no one took our orders until we were asked if we been helped already and I said no So we ordered shrimp chimichangas for an appetizer-( they were good), I wanted to try the albondiga soup-(it had good flavor but overall just ok), my bf got a beer and I ordered a margarita which was good at least For our entrees I ordered the enchiladas suizas and he ordered the carne asada burrito We both thought our food was so so, to me the enchilada sauce had no flavor which is why I didn't want to finish my food and the burrito was also ok To be honest we've had better from other places we been to I did like the ambiance of the place and music but overall I just wanted to try this place to see how the food was.

Family owned and still great. Moves out of the area so it has been a while. Still good food and service. Pricing is fair for what you get. The "Chile/Chile" is not on the menu but get it. Amazing. Verde and Colorado. Yummy.

We came here after massages at a place in the same shopping center. The patio was so nice and our server was really friendly and attentive. Parking is so easy. I ordered the trio fajitas and a margarita flight, both were great! I do wish the fajitas had a touch more seasoning/flavor, but overall it was great. Chips and salsa were a hit!

Modelo Tap beer was flat. A/C was not working well. Why so expensive? Happy hour bar menu was no bargain.

We absolutely LOVE Cocina del Charro! I swear I DREAM about their cochinita pibil; it's out of this WORLD! The service is always great, even when they're busy. Excellent, classic, homestyle Mexican restaurant vibes.

Food: 5/5 Portions: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Speed: 5/5 Price: $$ Takeout: yes and catering Outdoor seating: yes ADA access: yes Restrooms: yes M/F Dogs: no Kid Friendly: yes Vegetarian options: yes Vegan options: few Ambiance: casual, great for large parties Pros: delicious food. Complementary chips and salsa Cons: bar area gets busy on weekends

This restaurant has become just like every other Mexican restaurant. It's always busy. The staff is always nice and helpful and it always appears to be clean. But the truth is there was only one dish that I always enjoyed coming to this restaurant for and went out of my way to come to this restaurant for And that was a dessert deep fried cheesecake bits with ice cream But now they no longer sell that and because their food taste just like all the other Mexican restaurants I am no longer going out of my way to eat here

Ah man I REALLY wanted to like this place..my family & I came by on a Thursday afternoon and we were seated right away. There seems to be quite a large menu so maybe we just got incredibly unlucky this day. Our server was fantastic & on top of the tables (4) request. Nachos supreme with chicken: 1 star. Unfortunately, they look A LOT better than they taste. Each person only had a couple bites. Shredded chicken tasted like it had been marinating in chicken broth and brought no authentic taste to the plate. It was quite flavorless. Quesadilla: my husband ordered this and it was such a large size, which was fantastic! He only had one slice and his stomach was messed up for the last two days. Luckily the leftovers we did take home he didn't eat otherwise I'm sure it would have prolonged the upset stomach. Chile verde: I ordered this. Anytime I don't know what to order at a Mexican restaurant this is my go to. It was just okay, tastes better with some of the white cheese. Unfortunately, I too ended up with an upset stomach and ended up spending most of my Friday in the restroom. Parking: plenty of it as it shares a huge lot with other stores. 2 stars because the server was great. Other than that, will not be returning and will try another place in the area. Really unfortunate because they have some nice sized plates, awesome specials, & by the looks of it some delicious tequila flights.

Cocina del Charro has been a North County San Diego institution for 40 years. With two beautiful locations, they are a second-generation family run Mexican restaurant that prides itself in serving their community. One of my favorite things to order here are their excellent tamales, beautifully presented in a corn husk. I usually get it in a combination plate with either a taco or enchilada. The tamales here are very well balanced with a nice amount of meat filling inside the tender, moist and tasty masa.

The only Mex. Restaurant I have ever been to where they had "Run Out" of simple chips & salsa...WTH ! Granted, it was later in the evening, but COME-ON...NO Bueno. Have been coming here for many years. Service was good...food was good...beer was cold. If this happens again, will not be back. A little planning goes a long way

Great overall experience! Food was great. And our server Tim was amazing! Dude was on it with our drinks, food, and was really nice to my parents. Even though my parents don't speak English. Tim and the rest really made them feel welcomed!

I go here for the drinks most of the evening , this time I tried the breakfast. Some portion were done but they replace them super fast so nothing to worry about. Food was delicious pretty much tried everything except for the grill tacos or I'm not sure what it was but def was good. Service was great they always attend us food there.

There carnitas is nothing but dried shredded pork not moist with no guacamole or sour cream to moisten it up The beans had no flavor. Tasted like cooked beans simmered in water and the portion was tiny for 18$. Not going back. This was my second trip there.

Go to place , friendly staff , food is fresh and taste is great . Let my dachshund on the patio and make him a chicken pup cup lol and the Cadillac margarita was great good job

Staff is absolutely amazing! Bianca is awesome and bartender Juanito youre incredible! Do not sleep on the brand new skinny strawberry margarita! It is insanely good! Chips and salsa are good the salsa is nice there isn't much fluctuation unless you like really spicy. Rice and beans are delicious I always pay attention to the rice the beans and the salsa. The flan is going to be the deciding factor on if I come back again. I'm getting it to eat here and I'm getting taquitos to go. Reason being is that I ordered the Carne Asada tacos and I was impressed with the very small plate especially for the price! It was like a child size portion but in adult size pricing. I would say you're going to do the carne asada tacos you wanna have a larger plate a little bit more flavor to the steak on the Carne Asada. Has a lot of potential special with the rice and beans but the pricing point is just not where it needs to be. The best part about the location are the staff drinks the mild salsa the chips are good and it's conveniently located. Flan is good and homemade. I would come back but it would be more like a drinks and maybe I'll try a burrito kind of a thing. staff was ridiculously awesome so that is a huge push for me. Would not recommend the Carne Asada so we shall see about the rest next time!

We are in Escondido on vacation at a resort. We searched for Sunday buffet and found this place. We walked in and were seated right away. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The buffet has a wide selection. There is pineapple water and H horchata. The waitress Andrea came to our table promptly. We ordered a pepsi. She brought it out quickly. Excellent service. The place is clean. There is music playing. The music is at the perfect volume not too loud. I definitely recommend this restaurant. We will come back when we are back in town.

We really love their chicken soup! Probably not better than the place that starts with an L but its still good. Really comforting during the winter. The portion is sizable and a good price! We love service at the Bar. They are very attentive. Chips and Salsa are fresh. This place is very popular. I recommend going early to avoid waits.

Stopped by after our Copa America 2025 win Héctor was quick to take our drink order. I started with the margarita flight and if I had the time, I would have ordered another one. All of the flavors were unique and tasty, very hard to rate on deliciousness. He brought us freshly made chips and salsa. The kids did not let those go to waste! Food was authentic in taste: beans, rice, meats, salsas. SO GOOD!! The ambiance was nice and quiet nothing too crazy or too packed down. Over all we enjoyed our meal, drinks, and excellent service Hector provided

this spot is legit !! the chips and salsa are addicting Cancun burrito was top notch and the grilled fish tacos have sooo much flavor you gotta try them

It's our "Go To" Mexican restaurant! The Chili Verde is always delicious and my husband loves the Chili Relleno :) The chicken burrito with extra ranchero sauce is our daughter's favorite. Service is great & margs are strong!!!

Tonight we had the family Carnita deal and picked it up curbside. The Carnitas family deal that feeds 3 to 4 people came with nice portion of pulled pork, a large container of beans and rice, a container of freshly made guacamole, pico, fresh salsa, and homemade tortilla chips. Not to mention deliciously warm tortillas. I chose the time of day I wanted to pick up and my order was promptly ready. I can see that they packed our meal with care and it was absolutely delicious. For $35 this was an amazing meal. We will definitely be ordering again.

I ate here a week ago and the food was good. I recommend the enchiladas! I had other things, too, but that was my favorite. The environment is pretty inside, but a little loud for people with noise sensitivity (bring headphones or earplugs). There is also outside seating. The staff are nice, and the restaurant is clean.

Nice inside and our servicer was on it for us. She was friendly and great! We always get the Cadillac margaritas because they are so good. This time they were just ok. I also tried the flight of margaritas and didn't like any of them. My wife didn't either. Personal preference. Us and our friends shared the nachos supreme and they really are good. We've shared them before with them last time there. My wife and friend's wife got the a la carte cheese enchilada + added a side. My wife got the side salad and it was big and had lots of fresh veggies and tomatoes on it. Me and our other friend got the a la carte carna asada tacos and we both liked them a lot. Nicely seasoned & cooked perfectly, large portion in the corn tortilla and generous portion of guac.

We eat here frequently for the BUFFET brunch, and sometimes dinner. I particularly like brunch. Who has a buffet anymore? It's so nice. All you can eat and lots of great choices for the whole family! The carnitas enchiladas are my favorite, but there is plenty of choices with fabulous fruit, Mexican specialties, and omelet bar, and amazing fresh deserts. They also have corn dogs, fries, mac and cheese etc for the kids., The food is awesome, but the staff is also great. In particular Azael (or AZ). You can see how much he truly enjoys taking care of people. Taking care to make sure he does things just right with a smile on his face. He's a bartender- and last time we sat in the bar so we could watch sports and he waited on us. Any place can make good food, and a buffet, but the whole atmosphere changes for the better when you have a gracious host and staff who smiles, and truly enjoys serving people. $10 bottles of champagne with choice of juices is a great deal for mimosas, but watching AZ make margaritas and talk about the different tequilas will make you want one too. This brunch is great for celebrations of any kind, or any kind, or just because it's Sunday!

Food and service is consistently great. I have friends from out of town who always want to come here for lunch. The Enchilada Suizas are the best!

I had never eaten at this restaurant before, but placed an online order for a party package based on a recommendation of a friend. The website was easy to use, the descriptions were clear. About a week before my order I called and asked a few questions which they easily answered and added to my order. Day of, Jarexi called to confirm order, pickup time and type of tortillas. At the time of pickup, everything was smooth, the food was brought directly to my car in good travel containers. At the party, the food was a hit. I would highly recommend this restaurant for its great customer service and wonderful food.

Updating my once 5 star review to a 1 today. The San Marcos location has been great, not sure if the owners are the same. But this place has been my favorite in Escondido since I was a little girl. It's really a shame but everything has gone downhill. Went today with my family around 3:30 and my enchiladas were cold, and the beans looked and tasted like they were scraped out of the bottom of a pan of what was leftover from the first part of the day. A majority of my plate was room temp. The service wasn't bad, I've had the same server the past few times and she's very attentive. but I'm paying for the food. And the food isn't what it was. Moving on now to other places I've discovered here in town to replace this one.

Good food, ambience, and still fair pricing. Thank you for that!! Enjoyed the chips and salsa. Chips were extra good!!

Had lunch here today for the first time. Not bad but not the best Mexican I've ever had. Chips and salsa were good. Chips were hot but a little stale. The salsa was good but not quite as spicy as I like. It was perfect for my wife though. Our server was quick and took our drink order and lunch order at the same time. Food was out with in about 15 minutes. The place is smaller than it looks from the outside, probably because the bar area is fairly large. Plenty of parking though. Staff was friendly and the food was good. Again, I've had better Mexican since I've been in SoCal my whole life but it was good enough to visit again if I'm in the area.

Went with a larger group and the staff was very happy to accommodate us. They gave great service considering we had a few kids running around and had some specific requests with our orders. The food was delicious. I got the chile verde (w/ rice and beans) and it was super good! I requested it to be spicy and they definitely delivered that, definitely finger licking good! I also was able to sit at the bar for a while and the bartender was very kind and gave an amazing recommendation of tequila based off ones I've tried before that they didn't have. Overall great experience and would definitely recommend if you're in the area.

DO NOT EAT HERE. The service was great. the food was awful. I ordered a chili relleno and it came out of the kitchen within 5 minutes and it was a pile of mush that had clearly sat under a heat lamp all day instead of being made to order. the fish taco I had was so blah. this was truly the worst mexicanfood I have ever tasted. DO NOT EAT HERE.

Good portions of food and friendly service but nothing we had was phenomenal flavor-wise.

The food was bleh and very bland. The meat tasted not okay. The texture was chewy and stringy.It tasted like old meat. The veggies was good. The portions was good. The service was less than optimal. Our server checked on us twice the whole time we were there. It took two times for me to go get her to pay for our food. She took time to give us our sauce almost done with our food for her to give us what we need. The ambiance was loud, people were so loud, kids screaming so we didn't enjoy our lunch.

I came here with my mother for lunch on Friday and had a delightful experience. I'll preface this review with that this was not my first experience with Cocina Del Charro. I recall eating at the old location years ago when they were located off Quince and I've come here dozens of times for business lunches and a few other times on my own accord. The service here has always been outstanding and all the different dishes I've tried over the years have always been quite delicious. This past Friday while dining in with my mother we were waited on by Diana. We showed up right around the lunch rush, but we were able to get seated right away. I ordered the Chile verde this time which is one of my go-to dishes when at a Mexican food restaurant and my mother ordered a chili releno and a cheese enchilada. Both meals came out quick, fresh and very hot. In addition to my plate, my flour tortillas were brought out in a separate tortilla warmer which I liked because not only did it keep them warm, but it also kept them from getting sloppy on my plate. All of our food was amazing and we both ended up taking about half of our meals with us to go to eat later. Although I finished my tortillas and had plenty of food left, I asked for a few extras to take with me and Diana was kind enough to bring me a couple extras wrapped in foil to take with me. We both had a fantastic time at lunch, enjoyed our food and we had great service from Diana! I'm fortunate to work as close as I do to Cocina Del Charro because it makes for a quick and delicious lunch.

Went here for dinner when I was visiting Escondido. The servers were frequently and recommended some options feom the menu. Ordered the the chicken soup and cochinita pibil. The chicken soup was very good and had that homemade warm feeling to it. Cochinitia pibil was excellent!! The pork was well cooked and marinated really well in the flavorful aromatic sauce. It is a bug portion so definitely can be shared between two. The ambiance is casual with traditional mexican music playing.

Food was bad my wife got really sick after eating her meal. I had the Diablo burrito and she had the enchilada suizas. We believe that the sour cream that was on the food was tainted or bad causing her to get so sick we almost had to go to urgent care.

Wow homemade tortillas! A little too small for me but extremely delicious! Both the flour and corn were delicious! We had great margaritas and the food was delicious. We had a carne asada burrito that was huge and very filling. We also had beef and chicken and shrimp fajitas that I shared with my hungry grandson. One order was enough to split with him. My son had carnitas and seemed to enjoy them. My wife had albóndigas soup and didn't like them because no vegetables were in the soup and only three small meatballs with little taste were in the bowl of soup. That was the only downer of the night. The service was excellent with hardworking and caring waiters and servers.

Rachel is the best waitress, hands down!!! I had the best experience. She was a lot of fun and the food was great! Also they had the cutest authentic feel. Definitely recommend to anyone that wants good Mexican food with a lovely server!!

Hard to mess up Mexican food, and they don't. We've returned many times because we enjoy their fajitas and the speedy service. It seems they are a bit tight on the few tortillas they serve with fajitas, but more appear upon request for a surcharge. All in though, we keep coming back.

Love this place! Great authentic Mexican food, with great value! Cold drinks, fast food service, and happy smiling waitstaff keep us coming back 2-3 times per month.

While visiting So Cal with my very sick son, I was frantic to find some fresh daily made soup, with only a handful of hours of sleep, I called Cocina Del Charro - a very nice gentleman answered my call and even though they were not opened for another hour- (and I didn't even notice) - they still offered us to pick up the food before opening. Thank you! They saved the day and their soup is AMAZING. I will be coming back to this place when I visit again!

Great happy hour! The beans are really good . Good service too. Lots of gluten free options .

Food was pretty good, service was about average, the atmosphere was nice. So why only one star? When I received the bill, I added a tip like usual. However, someone at the table said to check your bills because the vendor might have automatically added a tip. Sure enough, there it was. I had already added a tip, so I destroyed the card receipt and requested another copy; hence the "reprint." Most guests, like me, would not catch it and end up double-tipping. BUYER BEWARE!

i order enchilada and chile relleno and i did not like the taste, not even the rice and beans where good i will not be returning disappointed

Ethics - I recently tried to order the family combo + other items for a Super Bowl get together. I called earlier in the week on at least 3 different occasions and was told they were busy (different times of the day). I offered to call back out of courtesy since they "were busy". When I called on the Friday before Super Bowl, I was surprised they had raised the prices substantially the day before. I explained to the manager Brandon that I had tried to order previously and would he honor the prices of the day before. He said he couldn't. I am not wondering if they did not take my order on the three other occasions because of the forthcoming price increase. We were angered over this. They lost us as customers.

We always have a good experience when we eat here. The food, portions, and atmosphere are great. Our visit for this review was on a Saturday and they were still serving Breakfast/Brunch. The hostesses greeted us as we came in and we were seated within minutes. This place is very family friendly. My kids enjoyed the crayons and place mat to pass the time. My son ordered eggs and pancakes from the kids menu and it was perfect. My daughter has a thing for breakfast burritos these days, so that came off the regular menu. The burritos are large, she got about half of it eaten. My wife and I ordered off the Breakfast menu (pictured). She ordered the Machaca and I ordered the Pezole. The Pezole stole the show... which means my wife stole my bowl. It's really good and we both highly recommend it. We eat here every so often. We've been here when it's busy, when they have been hosting large parties in their banquet room. I can't say the service has ever changed... slow or busy, the food is always delicious and the service on par. They are really good at keeping drinks full. Five stars for a great menu and great service.