El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering

The El Indio Mexican Restaurant always seems busy whenever we go by it. I had eaten there once before several years ago. I wasn't impressed then. And I'm not very impressed now. Overall, the food was good. I enjoyed the beef machaca plate. I like eggs, the low level of beef in meal was disguised. I dont eat rice so I skipped that part. The beans were tastie. The meal came with steamed tortillas and I selected the corn. They were okay. We ordered a bag of fresh plain chips. All of the precooked chips were seasoned. I'm not a fan of preseason chips. They cooked a small order of the plain chips. And here was the item that I didn't like from our previous visit. Only different. Last time, the chips were heavy, under done, and chewy. This time they were hard. Not crispy. Tough. Hard. Like, becareful you don't crack your crown, hard. We took the leftover chips home, but no one wants to eat them. When we eat at other Mexican restaurants and bring home the chips, they don't last two days. It's been two weeks. The service was adequate. You order at the register and you pick up your order at the register. It's all self serve. The atmosphere! Since the pandemic, El Indio created more tables outside, across India Street. And the restaurant installed loud speakers to call out the name attached to the order that can be heard from across the street. And it can rattle your ears from inside the restaurant's dining room. 2 stars for the interior dining. Will we go back? Skip the chips. The other food was good.

I had high hopes for this place. After an over night, this where I wanted to go because of the ratings and reviews. Well, seeing and tasting it for myself, I couldn't get anymore disappointed. My plate looks good, but the asada was tough, it was really dry, the taste is there though. The only thing I really like was my churro it was good, crisp and hot.

I feel betrayed by Google. This place has always been terrible, but I thought I would give it another go since it had a 4.5 rating. I got the surf and turf burrito for about $18. There was a puddle of grease in the burrito, I had to spit out about 1/4 of the meat because it was tough gritle and the worst part, the guacamole was from over ripe avocados, sweet and disgusting. You know what I mean if you have ever had bad guacamole before. I don't understand why there are always people there. There are a LOT of better, cheaper options in San Diego too. So sad.

The burritos are really good and the tortillas are some of the best. They also sell bagged chips that are really tasty and went awesome with the salsa I had at home. Their sauces are self serve if you dine in or take out. They had a pretty moderate line of 8 people during the lunch hour but we still didn’t wait too long for our food. The parking lot is across the street and not super obvious if not for the signs

For out-of-towners this is probably a great place, but we're super picky locals and decided we won't be going back. Last time we were there we had regular nachos and they were fine. This time he had an adobada burrito, and was very disappointed that it was full of beans. That's not the way we do burritos in San Diego, we don't add rice or beans. Some places do, but we don't like those places. I got a cheese tamal with green salsa, but the salsa was too bitter. It felt like it wasn't cooked long enough to lessen the tomatillo sourness. It came with lettuce and black olives, of all things. No no no no no no. Still haven't found a decent tamale in San Diego, so we don't have high hopes, but this just wasn't edible. The red salsa we got from the little salsa bar wasn't tasty either. So it's just a no. No more El Indio. Love the history, love the neon building. They probably have good food in general, and again, if you're visiting, it's probably a good place to try.

Breakfast burrito was lacking flavor. The “steak” was thin and tasteless. The “hot” salsas were nowhere near spicy. Definitely will not be back. I don’t get how this place was featured on TV.

In San Diego, we were hungry after four hour flight from Detroit decided to find a place for some Mexican food and found this place. It was very good.

Amazing food, some of the best I’ve ever had. The carnitas burrito was delicious. Great atmosphere and service all around.

Ordered this years masa from El Indio and our tamales turned out amazing! Thank you El Indio for providing a crucial ingredient to our tamalada. I called ahead to place an order for 15 lb. When I showed up to pick it up they didn't have my name down, however they were still able to sell me the masa I needed. They were very busy on a Saturday morning. The tamales I made at home turned out fluffy as the masa was very fluffy! I will definitely be back next year!

Used to be great, but other than tortillas or maybe tamales, the food and service is very bad. You can do better at virtually any local taco shop. It's not just average or so so, most of their food is pretty bad and at this point it feels like they are competing with Taco Bell and not actual Mexican food restaurants. El Indio has been around for ever and is an institution in this town which is why we've given it the benefit of the doubt over and over again and kept trying. They've been riding their reputation and legacy for years but it's been many years since their food and service were decent. I'd love to see them reboot that place and live up to their legacy and now unearned reputation. Side rant - that parking lot they have is a crime. I don't know how they haven't been sued for that hot mess. I don't go often anymore (see above) and in the few times I've been there, I've seen multiple fender benders, and people driving off the curb damaging their cars.

Was so excited to finally be stopping here again. Hadn't been in years but my last experience was awesome. Unfortunately we got here close to closing, 7:48 pm to be exact was what the receipt said. And our experience totally reflected that. The young guy at the register was nice & helpful. The receipt said his name was John. This was probably our only good experience here. There was someone cleaning the dining area and had the chairs on all the tables. There were two 2 person tables open and the two other tables occupied. There was a lot to choose from on the menu. We went with a #2, #6, a bag of chips, a dozen tortillas to go and a mexican coke. Yes, I realize it's a lot of food for so late but the plan was to take some to go. The food so reflected the fact that they were closing. It was lukewarm and tasted like it was microwaved food. The chips that came on the plate were so hard and had a greasy old taste. It was like they were from the bottom of the frier. The tamale on my plate was ok. The green sauce on top of it though was sour. It reminded me of when green sauce starts to go bad. My husband's enchiladas were even stuck to the plate some. The bag of seasoned chips we also bought tasted as thought they had been over fried. While we were trying to eat, you could tell everyone was ready to go because they all started standing in the lobby/dining area. Now before you come at me for going into a restaurant right before closing, we weren't the only ones. There was maybe 20 more people that had come in after us. One group ate rhere but the other people got theirs to go. If you want to close and go home right at closing, then lock the doors a half hour before closing or put a sign on the door stating no food orders after a certain time. Major disappointment.

El Indio is Spanish for The Indian. El Indio is on India St in midtown Mission Hills restaurant row. Has been open since 1940's as a tortilla factory and later morphed into a famous Mexican food restaurant made even more famous when featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. A dedicated parking lot across the street offers free parking. Next to the parking lot is the outdoor patio seating with umbrellas and blooming bougainvillea. The restaurant is casual. Upon entry, you order at the counter with the menu board on the wall, pay and your name is called to pick up your food and find seating indoor or outdoor. There's a self serve salsa bar and self serve soft drink station. The interior is not fancy, looked dated and the tables and seating area desperately needed cleaning. The staff were helpful, nice but needed to follow up on maintaining the restaurant's tabletops, floors and overall cleanliness, they need to clean up immediately after diners finished so new diners will not be turned off by the presence of dirty debris. The outdoor patio area was cleaner, but the freeway is kind of close. When our order was called to pick up the food from the counter, everything was in plastic plates with plastic utensils, which further decreased my dining indoor experience. Ordered flautas, which are similar to taquitos but instead flour tortillas are used, filled with sautéed shredded chicken and topped with salsa, sour cream and shredded lettuce. This dish was tasty, but if I had to order again, I would prefer to order without the salsa on top, because it made the would have been crispy flautas soggy. The Chile relleno plate included rice, beans and shredded lettuce and olives for garnish. The actual chile relleno had the right flavors but it was as fluffy as I prefer. Rice and beans were ok not great. Next time I would order the chile relleno a la carte, sans rice & beans. The agua fresca of Horchata, a rice water based drink with vanilla and cinnamon was refreshing. The food was good not great and has the potential to be great, but having been around since the 1940's perhaps Change is not imminent and leaving things as they are as this restaurant would qualify as a landmark 'Dive' that's a worthwhile try, when you're in the area on India, stop inside at El Indio! Recommend

The food is fair. Service is good. Inside is nice and clean. They have indoor and outdoor seating. This place has been around about 70 years and the shop gets packed! Lol They got a lot of hype behind them . Maybe because the take credit for being the originators of the "Taquito" I tried some and they were pretty good. Also tried a few tacos and a mini burrito. All in all, I would return just because the prices are pretty good for the amount of food you get. Not because Guy Fieri says so!! Lol Its worth trying for yourself!

My friend and I came here for lunch. Service is super quick. They have plenty of tables inside and out. I eventually decided to get the beef enchilada & tamale combo plate. I personally preferred the enchilada. The tamale is super thick and super filling. This plate in general is super loaded! So much meat, rice, beans. They have really good portions that will keep you full for hours. We were both so bloated after our meal. I enjoyed their chips - super crunchy. I also love their salsa bar. They have excellent spicy salsa and jalapeños. As someone who loves spice, I kept going back for refills. These sauces and toppings made the meal even more flavorful.

This review is strictly for the tamales. The tamales are pretty good here I usually get the chicken which I really like. I typically get the plate with rice and beans as well which is a good combination. The tamales themselves are pretty decent with a fair amount of filling and less masa. To be honest the rest of the food here is pretty tex mex. But I usually just order the tamales. The service is pretty good there can be a line from time to time they usually goes quick because there are several registers to order from. The seating on the side of the building where it is shaded has a pretty nice ambiance as well. There's also seating across the street.

El Indio is definitely a go to, but their food has underwhelmed me last couple of times. The adobada street tacos were incredibly greasy today and loaded with a lot of pieces of fat. The chicken chimichanga plate was tasty although the beans were pretty dry and their new plates they are using are incredibly flimsy. I still do love the mom & pop feel to the location and their chips are always spot on.

Food has gone downhill unfortunately. Under seasoned and the worst "guacamole" this Latina has been served; runny, no visible avocado just gross. Maybe just appealing to tourists now and not locals who know good authentic mexican food.

El Indio has been around for decades. We haven't been here in ages and decided to give it a go for old times' sake. They do have their own parking lot plus plenty of street parking. Their parking lot does fill up quickly especially around lunch time. Customer service is quick and efficient. They have a self-serve salsa station which is nice. The bar offers hot/mild red salsa, green salsa, roasted peppers, and sliced jalapeños. We decided to try new items instead of getting the norms we have gotten in the past. We ordered: Carne asada torta - good Fish burrito - not a fan Surf & turf burrito - good Unfortunately, nothing we ordered had a WOW Factor. Torta was just good as well as the surf & turf burrito. Surf & turf burrito had veggies that came on the side which was a bit different. What was disappointing was the fish burrito. There was not enough fish in the burrito to start! You take your first 3 bites and you'd barely get a taste of the breading of the fish, not actually the fish! You will get a mouth full of sauces and veggies but not fish. Until you get to midpoint of the burrito do you finally get to taste some fish. I had higher expectations of El Indio being they have been around for ages and is a well-known establishment. Sadly, we've had much better elsewhere.

I have been coming to El Indio since I was a kid so seeing that I haven't written a review was quite surprising. It is a staple in San Diego. Located right off the 5 and Washington Street, there is a dedicated parking lot kitty corner from the restaurant. There is also street parking. I have seen the line out the door and down the street but on my most recent visit I was lucky and was the only person in line. I was happy to see that one of my favorite items was still on the menu. The mordiditas - rolled taquitos and nacho cheese. The combination sounds strange but it works. I couldn't settle on chicken or beef taquitos so I got them mixed. Just as I remember it - yummy. I ordered that for my dinner. I needed something for lunch the next day. I was assisted by Alan. He was a super helpful in narrowing down what to order. I got a combination # 6 - chicken enchilada and beef tamale with rice and beans. And I couldn't go home without the chips! Those are the main attraction. Super crispy tortilla chips with lots of paprika. You must try them. I got a small bag so they only last three days before they were gone. There is a large interior dining area as well as an outside patio across the street. The key is visiting here is during off hours when you don't have to wait in long lines and fight for a table.

Gawd I love this place. Reminds me of the old school Mexican restaurants I had growing up in Phoenix, AZ. While they don't have a cheese crispy, their burrito style quesadillas are unique and delicious af. Service is prompt and friendly. Plus if they make a mistake they own and correct it. Love them for this. They also sell their house made tortillas which are perfect for burritos, enchiladas, etc. if you've never been El Indio is definitely an old school place to try.

All the good staff is gone except the manager and Rosa. I have been coming here for the past 30 years and for the first time the potato tacos don't taste good. When we call in a large phone order to go, the manager has a big problem in giving us extra sauce, cheese or for example doesn't give us a container to put the tostadas to go. Hopefully the manager chills down and get the quality of the taste up! Please work on the food to make it as good as before!!

Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 We were meeting an out of town friend for dinner and she was wanting their vegetarian burrito. When she suggested the restaurant, I immediately thought it was going to be crowded and parking was going to be impossible to find. Fortunately, our Friday night turned out to be awesome! Plenty of parking was found in their private lot across the street. The restaurant itself was also surprisingly not crowded, so we got inside seating and got our food quickly. I had the chicken flautas combo which really hit the spot. Also at the table were the vegetarian burrito and the tamale/enchilada combo. The restaurant is super casual, as expected for a typical taco shop. We loved the chips so much that we bought a bag and some salsa to take home. It was too cold to sit outside, but there were a few tables for when it gets warmer. We'll definitely be back... gotta try the flan!

El Indio is a solid spot in San Diego. Located at the foot of Mission Hills, it's a little piece of history in this area surrounded by some other local favorites like Lucha Libre, Shakespeares and Blue Water. El Indio has all the classic Mexican dishes you'd find at a taco shop. Their chips are usually the star of the show! I don't know that I'd go out of my way to come here, but there's some nostalgia with this spot that brings me back, especially when out of town visitors come by. Parking can be a little tricky since it's so limited in the area.

Probably my favorite Mexican restaurant. Every time I come here the food service and ambiance is incredible. Only thing I would like is more chips with the meals.

Can't say enough of this place! Food never disappoints. Great service over all and ambiance! Highly recommended any day!

The masa was fresh which provided the basis for the homemade tamales. Service was spot on and friendly.

I left a review here years ago and the food quality definitely use to be better. The last few times I've ordered carne asada burritos the food has been extremely greasy. Just feels like I'm eating an oily burrito with meat on the side. Pretty unhealthy if you ask me. Make cleaner food and maybe I'll consider coming back. Got the worst stomach ache after eating here last.

El Indio....Our getaway from Palm Springs, CA. Every trip with family and friends when we visit San Diego ....includes a stop here for lunch or dinner! Food is awesome! A Must for Mexican Food and a local hot spot!

Wow, has our perception changed. What once was 'the' Mexican restaurant to visit and get your Mexican on, turns out to be nothing more than an iconic and historic landmark . . . nothing else. It's just not as good as we had once believed. Food was ok with nothing from our chili relleno, beef taco or the bean tostada that would make us ever return. Nothing special here. Everything was just ok Mexican. Even their notorious chips were nothing more than "the lords chips" (Nacho Libre, 2006) that we get from our local Mexican market or even Albertsons or the local Vons. Salsas and such from the salsa bar were just ok. Service was fine and attentive, but the atmosphere seemed to be more nostalgic in every imaginable way. Prices were fair and in line with any other Mexican take out in San Diego. There is a decent sized free parking area across the street, so don't immediately search for a street spot with meter. What once was a place for a date, is no longer something to look forward to. Dicks

Growing up in San Diego, the El Indio shop is an institution. Great food, no matter what you order. Very authentic and tasty. I no longer live in San Diego do don't get there often. I recently got to drop in for my birthday to grab a few bags of chips. Haven't had their tortilla chips in a very long time but the are still the best anywhere. Made from their Masa and house made tortillas, they are seasoned perfectly. Don't forget to buy a couple bags of chips to go!!!!

This place is Heaven on earth. My parents have been going here for 20+ years and it has become our family tradition everytime on the way in/out of the airport. If you order ahead, make sure to call in your order so they get the full pay and it doesn't go to a delivery app! The service is outstanding and they get your food out quick. Casual, typical Mexican spot. The beef tacos are unreal. So crispy. Definitely add sour cream. Bury me in all of their salsas - especially the green. Need to also order the chips with their special salts and seasonings on them. Literally the only bad thing I have to say about this place is that they only have Pepsi products and not Coca Cola, but I'll survive

Friendly staff and I have much respect for the history of this restaurant, but the food is very underwhelming. I tried the taquitos, because you really need to say you have, but there isn't anything that sets them apart. And the "world famous" chips are, sadly, not very good. But I am happy to have checked it off my tourist list. Decor-wise the most interesting thing was the poster of Guy Fieri featuring the restaurant on his show.

Been coming here for years and I love this please. Recommend going in over ordering takeaway because it's not the same for some reason! The outdoor seating areas are great for a quick meal and you can usually find parking not too far. Everything is authentic and made from scratch daily. Love the chips all the salsas, the fruit burritos etc. I usually go basic with the taco enchilada combo and it always hits the spot. No alcohol served here.

This place is a little gem in San Diego! We were vacationing in SD and whenever we are down this way, I always stop in. Everything on the menu is always on point; my hubby is dairy-free and they were very accommodating...all we had to do was ask! Had combo plate #18 with a tamale and a crunchy taco--DELICIOUS, and we couldn't leave without a bag of buñuelos as a sweet treat. You can't go wrong with this place!

Service was great but the food has gone downhill. Ordered the carne asada street tacos. The meat was dry and chewy like beef jerky. The carne asada fries were more of the same. I ve had much better at taco trucks throughout California. It is too bad that this historic restaurant has gone downhill. I remember lines out the door. Not anymore I gave it two stars for the service.

Surely a "joya" in San Diego!!! An iconic Mexican restaurant that makes its own tortillas has the making of an enjoyable eating experience. I remember coming to San Diego in the '80s and straight from airport this would be my first stop. Great selections to choose from and very generous portions as well. The prices are very reasonable. Very friendly service at the counter. You can sense a good vibe with the employees. Lots of tables and chairs inside, however, love the outdoor patio where you can enjoy the beautiful weather that San Diego is known for. And ample free parking. In the fall, look for the rise of the pumpkin burrito. And there's lots of sides you can take home as well.

I am inlooove with this place. I have such a hard time finding good tamales, and they sure have the best ones. Service is quick, but they usually have a line, very busy spot, with parking across the street. Inside is not very big so we normally sit across the street.

Food is average at best. Prices are nuts. Should be much better food for the money. Used to be far better.

This is upscale hole in the wall Mexican food which is my wife's favorite. It's a Mexican diner that Guy Fieri has visited. El Indio has amazing crispy carne asada fries. The hard shell tacos are authentic and the salsa bar is delicious. You can sit outside or in and they have gender neutral bathrooms that don't require a key or code. They have a parking lot which is great because it is a very busy area. Will definitely be coming back!

Outside seating, free parking lot, dog friendly. The patio across the street is great.

Place is not so good and going downhill. We ordered our usual -- bean tostada, cheese enchiladas, bean and cheese burrito, and bag of chips. Food was rather bland...not enough salt for sure...and even the chips which are usually great lacked salt and were not oily whatsoever. I agree with other yelpers who said "food lacks flavor." We got something new--flautas and taquitos--beef. Both came in an order of 3 each. (It's almost same price if not cheaper for two a la carte orders instead of combo plate which comes with rice and beans). You get sour cream, guac, lettuce, cheese on top -- all of which was generous and made it more filling. So while I expected flautas to be on the softer side b/c they are rolled flour tortillas deep fried, I did not expect the taquitos--rolled corn tortillas to be soggy. They needed to be fried longer so the shell is crispy and crunchy. I would have preferred longer for my meal. So we were disappointed in our meal. The positive parts are that El Indio has its own parking lot (odd shaped triangle); the ordering is pretty fast even though it's a single line; salsa is still decent; and the food comes out in reasonable amount of time.

My go to favorite for Mexican in San Diego. Consistently excellent. Carne Asada quesadilla and Carnitas Taco were fabulous.

The Real Deal! I've been coming here for over 20 years and it's good. They make fresh tortillas on site as well as fresh salsas, spicy carrots, roasted jalapeños, and chips. Food is all of good quality. Try the tamales. Fish tacos are also very good. They've been in the same location since the 1940's. This place has character and charm. And you get a lot for your dollar.

Love the breakfast burrito with bacon and the chicken enchiladas. Order this every time and if never disappoints.

We ordered it to go. They forgot 2 of our tacos but were adamant they put them in there. The cheese enchiladas were ok, not the best I've ever had; some of the onion chunks were way too big. The fresh chips and salsa weee really good we got the "hot" it was more medium but still good. The potato taco was meh mostly lettuce, the shredded beef taco was ok but again mostly lettuce. Can't rate the chicken tacos because they didn't give them to us lol the fish tacos were on point and def recommend those.

Came in cause we were recommended this place and I love Mexican food. This place had a delicious Chile Relleno plate which I would get again and a great salas bar with a good variety to choose from to have with chips and the food. One thing I was disappointed in was the taco. I love tacos but this place just had regular big tacos that I don't like I'm more into street tacos. I tried the taco to see how it tasted and it was ok but not as good as the chile relleno. Overall I'd go back if I was in the area again to try other options too.

First time here. Ordered a California burrito. Added guac and sour cream to it as well. Extra charge for them. It was pretty decent. I would get it again. It didn't make me full surprisingly as to I almost ate the whole thing. The ambience was pretty cute. I had no idea this restaurant was part of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. So more people came in after 6pm and it was a little busy. Other than that, I would come again and try something different.

OMG you gotta be kidding me! Moved to SD from LaLa Land and I'm super pumped about finding this gem! I'm forever in love.

We got nachos and they were terrible. They microwaved the food, which is fine for speed. But none of the cheese made it to the chips and it was a solid mess attached to the bottom of the plate. Apparently the secret, according to a friend, is to ask for creamy cheese, which isn't an option on the menu so unless you already know this, you're going to end up with cardboard cheese.

I've been going here for well over 50 years. Taquitos are the best. Love the Buñuelos. This is my best friend's favorite restaurant so we stop after picking her up from the airport each time.

The food was delicious! Great old school . Crispy shredded beef tacos, chile relano, enchiladas, soft tacos were all great plus the rice and beans!

First and last time ordering from there. Stay away from the Carne Asada Tacos. "NAUGHTY ". Never again!

Delicious, home style Mexican food. Right off the freeway and a huge parking lot. Fast and friendly, lots of outdoor seating and dog friendly patios. Prices were reasonable, we left full and happy!

We had food catered from El Indio for a celebration and everything was perfectly delicious. Highly recommend. We had fresh made tortillas, carne asada, Al pastor and pork carnitas and all meats came with containers of traditional toppings the roasted salsa was my favorite and possibly "hotter" than their "hot" salsa. You can order fresh made tortilla chips (which are warm and amazing) but I thought they were a bit pricey and I was serving 40 people so ended up with store bought chips. Also, this place offers chafing dishes to rent as well as full set up and take down but I have my own so did it myself and all worked well. I did pay a $50 delivery fee but was well worth every penny to stay present for our party. All in all, a must visit authentic place.

This is the 1st time Diners, Drive-ins and Dives has let us down, we ordered the Deluxe Nachos with carne asada, cheese quesadillas and fresh tortillas. The food was okay, the carne asada was cold, the chips were overcooked, the quesadillas had too much cheese, we lost our appetite when a fly landed on our food. The fresh tortillas are good. It could be just what we ordered but not impressed.

So I get this place has some history behind it and all that but I wasn't super impressed. Nothing special about the location and ambiance. It was clean and your typical hole in the wall restaurant. The food was mediocre? I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again but I also wouldn't shy away if I happened to be in the area. Prices were reasonable and the service was quick.

The taco shell is the freshest I've ever had. They're perfectly packed yet simple so it's not a flavor overload. We also tried the soft shell carne asada which was splendid as well. They have a very deep menu as well so if you're not feeling tacos, there's definitely something else for you. From an operations standpoint, they have a ton of seating - both indoor and outdoor. The orders move super quick and if you're sitting outside, they announce your order on a microphone which is so nice. Definitely will return when back in San Diego!!