El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove

Someone in my burrito group on FB recommended this place and since I don't live far , I went and checked it out. So glad I did! Food was awesome! Had the 619 Mysterio Burrito...carne asada , pollo asada , shrimp , guac , crema and cheese! Good portions , very tasty , very flavorful. Salsa was good. Will definitely be back soon.

this will always be my favorite Place to go for Mexican food. I’ve tried the other locations and they taste great too but the one in lemon Grove is just immaculate for me. It’s always busy here. The food is always so flavorful and fresh. It feels like you have walked into their kitchen and dining room room literally

Best Mexican food in the World!! I been to alot of places and this is the best place in the world. Get their catering, o my everyone loves it.

Food was delicious. Indoor and outdoor eating areas. Friendly staff.

Delicious chicken Tacos, Rice and Beans. Everytime I drive through San Diego I have to stop and get my fix. Come with an appetite.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m all about hot sauce—and let me tell you, El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove is a go-to spot for serious flavor lovers. We went all out and ordered the Sy Mikey Fries, California burritos, shrimp burritos, chicken quesadillas, and bean & cheese burritos—and every single bite was 🔥. Let’s talk about the Sy Mikey Fries—hands down my favorite. They were absolutely stacked with carne asada, pollo asado, chorizo, shrimp, bacon, jack and cheddar cheese, rice, guacamole, and sour cream. Then I topped it off with the Beatriz Orange Extra Hot Sauce, and let me tell you... it was the bee’s knees. Smoky, bold, and packed with just the right amount of heat to keep you coming back for more. The sauces here are on another level. The green sauce paired perfectly with the bean and cheese burrito—it added a bright, spicy kick that elevated every bite. The red sauce, a little more mild but still super flavorful, was a perfect match for the pollo quesadilla, complementing the juicy grilled chicken without overpowering it. Every dish was loaded with flavor. The carne asada in the California burrito was tender and rich, the bean and cheese burrito might be one of my absolute favorites in East County, and the chicken quesadilla? To. Die. For. Everything was hot, fresh, and made with care—and the staff was friendly and welcoming. If you're anywhere near Lemon Grove and craving something bold, satisfying, and full of flavor, El Pollo Grill is where it’s at.

Got them nachos. hUGe plate of food and couldn't have stopped at half a plate. Should have stopped at 3/4 of a plate. But finished the whole plate. Food came out sooner than verbally told. Place was busy still at 730 on a Saturday. Maybe it was a 10 minute wait. Salsa were pretty good. Some had some heat and if I were a local I'd be coming back to try out their menu some more. Place was clean and parking was easy too. Service was good too. My only complaint really was that my carne asada meat was cold. Not partially warm but like cold. It was well seasoned and I did get a heaping but oddly cold.

The food is so good! The staff is really friendly and the place is really clean. I ordered two pieces of chicken with rice and beans, with corn tortillas. We bought the bottled cucumber drink but it was too sweet, we asked for a courtesy cup for plain water and diluted it. We are don't like very sweet things.

Not to be confused with El Pollo Loco, this is a family owned and locally run business, 100 X better. Came here and got the Special D combo ($16), a half roasted chicken, fries, and salad. The chicken is moist, flavorful and has a nice crispy skin from being slowly cooked over a flame. The salad is very tasty and has multiple components like feta cheese, red onions and dried cranberries. I don't think I can recall a better roasted chicken in San Diego except at a high end restaurant where you pay twice the price, even then its very close. It also comes with tortillas and there is a salsa bar if you want to eat it taco style. If you prefer that, I'd suggest Special C which comes with beans and rice instead of fries and salad. They have a regular tacos and burritos menu but oven never tried it, they are really well known for their flamed chicken. I'd go with a family deal or individual plate combo. Its not a fancy place just, your neighborhood family owned type of establishment. Service was prompt and friendly. Theres lots of street parking in front of the place but I could see how they might get taken up quickly by some of the other business near by too. I've gotten meals catered from them multiple times before and they are excellent. The chicken travls well, the rice is flavorful. Id suggest the flamed chicken with salad or the beef and chicken fajitas with beans and rice. Don't do the Italian, the noodles just soak up all the sauce and the breading on the parmesan just gets bready and falls off, it isn't that good. Why would you order Italian food from a Mexican establishment anyhow? For catering I feel its very reasonable and the quality is good. Easily the best flame roasted chicken in San Diego

We have been coming here for over 15 years. This review is a combination of the last 3 visits. We usually order or food to pick up. 1. They always have 1 person taking orders, this person is also packing up orders. This takes away from providing good service. The line can get pretty long 2. My Order is ALWAYS wrong.the receipt is right. Rolled tacos only cheese with guacamole on the side. 2 orders. What we got was 2 orders both with no cheese on the rolled tacos, but on the side and ONLY 1 guacamole. the last tree times this is what happened. Good thing they did get my extra guacamole that I paid extra for or we would not had enough for the two of us. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ENSURE WE GET OUR GUACAMOLE 3. They have a new salsa bar, even if you are picking up you order you have to use this new system. I had to hold my drinks, bag of food and try to manage to put salsa in tiny cups and add lids. I might add the lids would not fit properly. My last few experiences have left me feeling very stressed while there. Service is not what it once was. The food was only so so (not like it used to be). There are hundreds of other places to get Mexican food and we will be utilizing going forward. Maybe one day we will come back, but for now. NOT ANY TIME SOON..

Stopped by to pick up some lunch for myself and hubby. He got the pollo asado burrito and I got the carne asada chips. Fast service, good food. I recommend this place.

We always go here and the service is normally great. We went and put is to go order. A 2 taco combo and a carne asada salad. Simple right? We waited 30 minutes for a meal because they were busy fulfilling delivery orders. The lady was rude when I asked about our order. The lady at the counter just shoved the food at me. So this is rare, but it gets worse. My taco shells were stale and cold. My husband's salad had rice which is not supposed to be in this salad. The atmosphere was hectic and customers that were coming to get food got no attention. Cold food, being ignored, rudeness. They get an F from us.

After visiting another business that specializes in flame-grilled chicken (not El Pollo Loco), we came to El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove. There was dedicated parking behind the building, but plenty of diagonal spaces were available out front along Broadway. The inside was long and narrow with sufficient seating for close to 50 customers. The service counter was to the right when you walked in with the menu screens hanging above the grills. The left screen displayed the chicken that was offered as family or individual meals. On my first visit, I picked the Half Chicken with Mexican rice, charro beans, and flour tortillas. The chicken was noticeably juicier here than the other place I recently tried. The kitchen likely monitored the cooking more closely to ensure a consistent sear over the flames without overdoing the meat and drying it out. The other two screens listed standard Mexican fare like breakfast plates, burritos, tacos, etc. The next time I came, my choice was a Carnitas Plate that was served only on weekends. Mexican rice and tortillas came with the order, however the beans were refried while guacamole and salsa were also included. The cut of pork had plenty of fat which made the meat very succulent and flavorful. If you asked me to choose between the two proteins, then the pork had an advantage over the chicken. The serving size of the plates was solid for the price although I am sure the value was even better during pre-pandemic times. If it wasn't for the long driving distance, then El Pollo Grill would have my patronage more often.

We had the 2 piece chicken salad and charro beans! Excellent! We also had the carne asada burrito...good size and very tasty. We also had the fish tacos combo with beans and rice...good flavor but rice was a little over cooked. We also had the carne asada fries and it was great size but the meat in both the burrito and carne asada fries was a little overcooked.

I really can't speak about some of their actual mexican food or even their service, so please don't take this review for that, But I can speak as an expert on their chicken. This is what El Pollo Loco legitimately wishes it could be, but never will. Their grilled chicken is easily among the best I've ever had from a restaurant; it's tender and juicy and delicious and beautifully cooked. They also truly give you what they promised and their 12 piece meals always have enough of every portion to make everyone happy (especially my family which only eats white meat). I've never had a bad meal from there and the food whenever I bring it home always remains hot and delicious and usually enough for a few meals. But what truly makes it an amazing value and puts it over the top are their sides. Their charro and refried beans are absolutely delicious as is their rice, and their tortillas are phenomenal. But what blows me away is their side salad, my goodness a beautiful salad with nuts, cranberries and even multiple dressing options, for most places that would be nothing but a throw away. For EPG it's truly something delicious. if you've ever liked (or eaten and tolerated) El Pollo Loco, you owe yourself an opportunity to try the best in El pollo grill.

Hidden gem, casual vibes with creative menu options I haven't seen at other SD Mexican restaurants. San Diego burrito and 619 burrito are must tries! Rolled taquitos are very crunchy and tasty too.

Last night we brought home a feast from this restaurant. We were so hungry and it smelled so amazing we dove in before we got any pics. First off, let me start by saying I'm not a huge fan of chicken in general so I wasn't thrilled that we ordered take out from here. What I can tell you is that their chicken was so fresh and juicy that I couldn't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today (and I typically don't do leftovers)! The tortillas it came with were fresh and I'm pretty sure were homemade (at least they tasted like it-both the corn and the flour). The rice and beans were super delicious and apparently on Mondays they have a family special $29 includes whole chicken, two sides, salad (yummy with walnuts and cranberries), fresh warm tortillas and salsa. I definitely recommend this place if you are looking for something fast, filling and flavorful!

Love this place ! But they disappoint from time to time ! Today is the day ! Inflation has hit everyone but what's fair is fair , and a Special A for a man just isn't enough when you get chicken that looks like it's set for a toddler because a teenager definitely needs more than that as well . The size of the thigh is juts pitiful. So, Dear Cook can you kind of use your common sense of either not serving that piece or for god's sake add a wing or something !! Honestly I think my chicken bowl prolly has more chicken than those toddler pieces of chicken .

The grilled chicken is amazing very flavorful a little pricey, but well worth it. Fish tacos are excellent. I buy them on Tuesdays, but will buy them through the week. Also, the people are very friendly. S

Super bummed, this was one of the worst taco shops I've been to as far as quality. Rolled tacos were hard as a rock and very little meat in them... some areas seemed to be 3-4 layers thick of just tortilla!! My boyfriend had the 619 mystique burrito- I'm slightly guessing on the name, might not be exact - but the point is it was a $17 burrito because it has a signature sauce, highly seasoned meats (steak, chicken, bacon, and shrimp) and sour cream/guac IT HAD NO SAUCE, GIAC, and SOUR CREAM. It had 2 shrimp in it. The biggest bummer ever.

Pissed right now because my son comes home & unwrap my so called carne asada taco & all it is was 3 corn tortillas. So he paid $3.99 for corn tortillas & it was suppose to be my taco & ain't nobody trying to go back up there .. Smdh I always tell look at your stuff before you leave these places .. ugh Smdh

Came here to get a California burrito for dinner. Staff was really friendly and patient considering how long the line was. For the price of the burrito, it's worth it. It's pretty packed with meat, not like some other places who pack it with fries and a little bit of meat. I would share the burrito or if you're really hungry, just eat it by yourself for lunch and dinner.

Wonderful Mexican option if you're in the area - great tasting food and service. Good sized portions.

Great food, indoor seating and fast service. I do tend to call ahead since they can be very busy especially after 5 pm and on weekends. My pops love's their grilled pollos! We have never been disappointed.

This Restaurant roasts their own chicken and I'm assuming that's what's in the rolled tacos. They and the rice were delicious. I've never had rolled tacos with Carne Asada on top. It was tender and well seasoned. I'll definitely be back! The salsas are tasty as

Really good chicken. Better than El Pollo Loco. You only get 1-2 containers of salsa though for half chicken order. Busy at lunch time so had to wait a little bit. Will come back again.

Yay we are able to eat in the restaurant again! The food just taste better when you can eat it while it's hot and I think the portion sizes are bigger. Just look at the mountain of carne asada fries Still stand by my statement that this place has the best chicken in San Diego. Delicious. Also the friendliest staff!

I'm giving 2 stars for food is always great. The customer service is the issue! I purchased two family meals and I had to request dressing for salad purchase. It didn't just come with the Two salads I purchased. I asked 3 employees ( one that didn't speak English, one that didn't give me a chance to speak or get my request out and the last one just said sorry) for small containers to get salsa from the open bar that everyone use. I didn't want to fix 20 mini containers. Now Doing cv-19 they had these items packed and now you have to do it yourself! I just think a family meals should have these items included. Please hire employees that spoke English please!

Great spot in lemon grove, CA. Takes awhile for food to be ready but so worth it. I love the carne asada salad/ bowl. Both are delicious!

​Ordered a veggie Bowl and found Carne asada and Apollo asado in the bowl. It's very upsetting I called and they said they prep the food near the meats

I was in Spring Valley and wanted a burrito. Where do I go? El Pollo Grill, of course! This was my spot back in the day when I lived in San Diego. Best pollo asado burrito in town. Happy to say, it is still the same! I went with my usual order of a pollo asado burrito (pollo, guacamole, salsa and cheese) and an order of chips. Total was only $11.59 or something like that. Their menu board said their burritos were $9.99 (well worth it at that price), but it rang up as $5.95! Jackpot! Not sure if it was a Thursday special, or what, but I was pleasantly surprised and happy (same workers that worked there back in the day, are still working there...good sign!). Took my burrito outside to the car and dug in. Here is how it was.............. Pollo Asado Burrito- Bomb! Bomb as F! Todays burrito may have been the biggest pollo asado burrito I had ever received from here, too. This thing was massive! So delicious. Just jam packed full of grilled chicken, guacamole, really good salsa and some shredded cheese. A perfect burrito and my favorite one I had all week in San Diego. Bag of Chips- When you order chips "for here" they serve them to you in a basket, and honestly, they are a bit skimp. If you order them "to go" though, they stuff a paper lunch sack full of chips. You get way more in the to go order. Their chips were a tad different than I had remembered (used to be a little less brown, different tortillas?) but they were still fresh, crunchy and delicious. If you are in East County and need a pollo asado burrito, this is your spot. Don't pass go, just come straight here. Old school, and delicious!

Very good, one of my favorite places to eat in San Diego. Some of the best refried beans on the planet. Good for dine in or take out. Take out orders are packed up very nicely and I appreciate that. Great customer service. Returning customer.

This location is having issues. Come here many times over the years. Excellent food. Ordered and was told it would be 30 minutes. This was for the half-chicken combo - El Pollo grill - hello!! Pretty sure new owners OR the old ones stopped caring OR having serious issues getting/keeping employees. The atmosphere has completely changed. Previously their service was spot on. Always been a go-to stop when in Lemon Grove.

Still as good as the first day I came here many years ago, prices are steep but you actually get a lot. I always loved the chicken here, I prefer this over fried chicken any day, bean n cheese burrito is great, hot sauces are good too. Now I had to take away a star because the rolled tacos that we got were very weird, the guacamole was on the side like a dip, then the cheese was cold and not melted and the actual rolled tacos themselves didn't taste like anything. For the carne asada fries the carne was pretty burnt and dry and they didn't salt the fries. Small parking lot but somehow I always get lucky and find a spot.

I'm in my hot car with a few "sketchy" people around me. Instead of driving off, I'm determined to leave this review: DO NOT EAT HERE! I don't think I've ever said that about a place, even if I didn't like the food. When I walked in, I thought "This place is familiar...I belive I was food poisoned from this spot, many years ago (back in college)." Still, I ordered. I waiting for over 30 mins (there weren't too many people). I finally asked about my food...The woman taking order said that "THEY FORGOT TO MAKE IT." I got my money back, after already leaving a tip in the jar when I forst ordered. I would look just as "sketchy" as the people outside of this establishment if I were to reach in and grab my dollar bills! Sigh...my loss. NEVER AGAIN!!!

10/7/22. Ate there for lunch because supposedly their signature dish of chili rellenos is the best in San Diego. I went there at 11:30. A good stream of persons going in. Guess these are offered only on Fridays and the sell out by 3pm. We will see. Positive- Total cost was $14. It comes with 2 chili rellanos and 2 tortillas. I ordered double Refried beans instead of the rice. I do this just in case the meal sucks and it will fill me up. Tortillas were very good. Negative- watery refried beans. Not like the 1st time I came here. Chili Rellanos was not good. 1st, there are 2 but layered in sauce that made it wet and soggy. Chili Rellenos are suppose to be crunchy with the breading. Not slimy! DO NOT order this dish. Very disappointed and shocked. Should have went back for a refund. See photos.

Excellent food!!! Great quality!!! Amazing service!! Highly recommended !! Chicken is amazing also had the shrimp bowl very tasty

I came in here to eat today as I normally do. The Customer Service in this place has really started to diminish. I waited at the register for literally 10 minutes as one worker a swerved the phone and the other was doing GOD knows whatever with her Cash Register. This use to be a great place to eat and the food still is, but the Customer Service is getting TERRIBLE!!! I really thought one of the first rules in Customer Service was to take care of the Customer in front of you and ask the person on the phone ro please hold.

I love this place! Their staff is always friendly and their food is consistently amazing! My favorite thing I order is the 5 beef rolled tacos with carne asada and their creamy guacamole! YUM! It's SO GOOD. Only negative is you can't get 3 rolled tacos with carne you have to get 5. It's so much food you have to share it or you waste alot. The grilled chicken is amazing too. So flavorful and moist! I love when they serve carnitas too; I think it's only on the weekends. Honestly I LOVE the whole menu! Portions are huge! Definitely give this place a try if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed.

Very good food and the portions were pretty big. Service was nice. Will definitely be back again soon!

I was so disappointed when I went in to pick my order up and saw the price on the menu was $10 less than what I paid to place a pick-up order through GrubHub on Yelp. It was absolutely some f*ckery on GrubHub's part and was no fault of El Pollo Grill. I just came to say that dinner was delicious, the staff was very polite, helpful and attentive with explaining why there was a price difference and even offered to make up the difference, which was totally nice especially considering it wasn't their fault. It was busy too, so the fact that they took the time to address my concern left me very impressed. I will 100% be supporting this business in the future with my CALL IN ORDER. Never order through GrubHub for pickup unless you want to pay fees hidden in the menu price. $10 lesson learned.

The food here is really good. The portion size is quite large so a good place to go if you want to feed your whole family.

We came in today for lunch and tried the 5 roll taco plate with guacamole, sour cream, cheese and carne asada on top. The combo came with rice beans and a soda. The combo plate was huge and the portions were very generous. They piled large amounts of fresh carne asada on top. It was fantastic! The guacamole was flavorful and the two types of cheese was delicious. It's made for a bud appetite. These were the nest roll tacos in town. The tacos were very meaty and crispy-crunchy. Service was very friendly and helpful. We loved our lunch and will be back! Great job!

We started going to El Pollo Grill about 2005. I wrote a four star review in 2009 and a five star review in 2013. In the following years we went there sporadically, and it was consistently good. During the COVID interval we stopped going going completely. Today we went back and had a good and a bad surprise. First the good: They are as efficient as ever. We went to the restaurant and ordered a ten piece chicken dinner to go. It took less than ten minutes to have it ready for us. The chicken is better than before. They must have altered the recipe because it's more garlicky and with a more pronounced citrus flavor. Well cooked and fresh. The quality of the chicken seems to have improved as well. Both rice and beans were very good, fresh and well made. A surprise was the pico de gallo which used to be watery and on the bland side. Now it's less watery and has a nice kick to it. The flower tortillas are amongst the best I've had in San Diego. Really tasty, nice and thin and perfect for the this dinner. Now the bad: When I reviewed El Pollo Grill last in 2013, the ten piece dinner was $19.49. The price is now $32.99! This is a difference of over 60%. I can understand prices rose and costs went up, but 60% is excessive. I cannot think of another restaurant that has raised prices like this. Think about it, ten pieces of chicken, a pint of beans, a pint of rice, a half pint of pico de gallo and a half dozen flour tortillas. Their cost can't be more than $10.00. We were really taken aback by this. I can still recommend the food, but what used to be a deal is no longer so. So sorry about this because we have gotten carry out there a lot over the years (my check ins don't reflect how many times we've gone there). We even used them to cater a big birthday party at our house for over forty people in 2007. At those prices that won't happen again.

Probably the best in lemon grove/spring valley area! Staff is always been extremely helpful and accommodating and food always comes out great. Not a fan of the roll tacos but everything else yes! Absolutely! Favorite has been the 619 burrito and a basic plate of roasted chicken with beans and rice!

This place is a nice hole in the wall lunch spot , service is pretty fast and the food is definitely fresh and on point . There hot sauce is on point that makes a Mexican place what it needs to be , there a bit pricy I'm my opinion but it's definitely a place your gonna leave full , love supporting places like this

Best chicken in San Diego Marinated to perfection and more than finger licking goodness.

This place will always have a special place in my heart. My friends brought me the Carne Asada Chips to eat after laboring for over 24 hours to give birth to son back in 2012. This visit I shared the carne asada fries with a friend which is the ONLY way to do it because they give you so much food. I realized I'd never had their actual chicken before so I ordered 1/4 plate to go. I of course wasn't hungry the rest of the day so I reheated the chicken in an air fryer the next day. It was DELICIOUS! It too was enough for 2 meals! I can't recommend this place enough. What I love is when you dine in, they serve your food on actual dishes. Not just regular dishes but beautiful plates. That is such a lovely touch! The services was amazing too. Since I was taking my food to go I asked them not to finish putting it together until I was leaving. They had zero problem doing this for me which I thought was a bit pushy of me. You will not regret your visit here!

This place was jumpin'. Plenty of people eating there and even more waiting to order or for their orders. It's a no frills kinda place. Friendly atmosphere. It reminded me of a modest family restaurant in Tijuana. The food is sooo good! I've only had the chicken so far but I saw Thursdays they have carne de puerco en salsa verde. So I know what I'm eating next Thursday

Family friendly, great food and amazing music. I love walking in there and hearing Carlos Santana playing. Thank you for being awesome to Lemon Grove.

a bean tostado I ordered had a very thin watery layer of refried beans that then was piled high with shredded lettuce and a fair amount of cheese. Paying $5.39 cents seems high for very little bean

My first time here. I heard it was delicious and it was good. Wasn't the best I ever had however it was good. It was pretty big, probably two people could eat and be satisfied. I was a little disappointed because I only got red salsa, which was ok with a good level of spice. The ladies at the front were great and I like the courtesy I received. I appreciate that you can call in your order and it was ready when I came to get it. It's clearly a busy location but they handle it well.

We were actually on our way to a breakfast cafe but the wait time was 15 minutes so we started walking around the area and found this Mexican restaurant who specializes in grilled chicken. We walked in became we saw also serving breakfast and there was no long wait. We was hungry so decided to order the bacon, egg, potatoes breakfast burrito, chorizo burrito, and chillequilles which came with beans, potatoes and eggs. Our burritos were massive. My son said that this was the best chorizo burrito he had over my homemade! I didn't believe him so I took a bite and it was bomb lol they win. My breakfast burrito was also very good. It was basically my Breakfast and dinner because it was so big and good. My husband loved his chilliquilles. We were all stuffed when we left lol definitely recommend and we will be back because we need to try their chicken!

Best Chicken and salads in San Diego. Salads are made fresh to order. The staff is friendly and attentive to picking up.

Always my favorite spot to eat for Mexican food in San Diego ca. No better place then EPG

I ordered the chicken and it was so bland and plain. The service was decent. The place was a bit dirty but not bad at all. I would not go back here. The price to an unseasoned chicken wasn't worth it.

Solid EPL location. Good service and the food you would expect. Stopped getting the chicken on the bone but i like their tostada salad and burritos.

The food here could be better. I went for taco Tuesday about a year ago, and the tacos were atrocious! The small, corn tortillas were thin and tore apart easily, causing the taco filling to fall out of the taco. The pollo asado appeared and tasted old, dry, and bland. It was more like chicken jerky. I decided never to return simply based on that. I mean, if a place can't get tacos right... This year, I decided to give them another go since they were hosting a great teacher appreciation promotion, which offered the option of either a California burrito or a pollo or carne asada plate. I opted for the Cali burro, which was a decent size and didn't taste too bad. PROS: -The flavors were there. The carne asada was flavored beautifully. Nothing was bland or too salty. -The meat to fries ratio was perfect! -The size. The burro could easily provide 2-3 meals. -The flour tortilla used was sturdy, yet soft, pliable, and tasted amazing. Despite being heavily filled with meat, cheese, fries, crema, and guacamole, the tortilla held up wonderfully! CONS: -Unfortunately, the carne asada was not juicy and tender. It was horribly dry, and I felt as if I was chewing leather with each bite. -The fries were undercooked and their consistency was similar to mashed potatoes. Not sure if that's what they're aiming for, but I definitely do NOT care for mashed potatoes on my Cali burro. Fresh, crispy fries accompanied by guac and crema are what goes so well with the grilled flavor of carne asada/pollo asado and gives Cali burros that special, signature taste so many of us Cali locals crave (IYKYK)! In the end, I must admit, I ended up tossing the burro in the garbage after a few bites due to the poor quality of the meat. I just didn't have it in me to chew each bite for 5 minutes. FOOD-the flavor was on point, but the carne asada was over cooked and terribly dry, not fresh at all, and the "fries" were more like mashed potatoes. SERVICE-I absolutely LOVED that the staff were super friendly and greeted customers with smiles, especially considering so many customers were present exclusively for the FREE teacher promo! AMBIANCE-nothing special or fancy. You definitely know you're in a taco shop and not a Mexican restaurant. While spacious, tables and seats are cramped in to fit as many patrons as possible. Dim lighting. Tables and floors were dirty. Flies were flying around, and I found myself swatting at them often as I waited for my order. Very hot inside! Not sure if the have AC or not. There's a dated old barred type of screen door they keep open. Definitely not a place I would choose to stay for dining in. Despite everything, I received great service. Just wish I could get some fresh carne asada that didn't remind me of beef jerky. I'd like to add, the food and ambiance of the Bonita location is MUCH better! However, service with a smile is sorely missing there.