Emma's Mexican Food

This mexican taco shop is hands down the best in Santee. My go to was bad hombres, but when I came across this gem! I fell in love with the food and the salsas are A1! Remind me of my mommas salsas. Very friendly and very clean, the quality of the meat is top notch, prices are the best in san diego, my go to is the California burrito and the fried chicken tacos! So so good. Thank you for your great food emmas! Sincerely, The Sharp driver :)

From the looks of the outside, Emma’s Mexican Food place is really a mom and pops taco shop and not a full service restaurant. Wanted to give it a try after doctor’s appointment since it was right across from the hospital. Nothing fancy to note, but nice staff, clean tables, calm atmosphere, decorative and spacious areas between tables. Food prices were reasonable. Our order was cooked in no time. Fresh and hot. My rolled tacos’ portioning and presentation was so-so. Avocado looked like it was spread on, barely had any. Cheese looked skimpy. Compared to rolled tacos in Southbay, the rolls are larger in size and fixings are plenty (ie avocado, lettuce, cheese, cotija cheese, and sour cream). The breakfast burrito was smaller than expected but was good. I had the other half the next day and it still tasted good. I was bummed to see an empty salsa cart but I must say, the home made hot sauce was the bomb. It not only tasted delicious, it’s smelled good. Lots of parking. Recommend 👍🏼

San Diego is in NO short supply of Mexican Food Shops, and an overlooked gem of East County resides in Emma’s. What stands out about them is their affordable prices while maintaining solid and consistent quality.

A classical family owned Mom and Pop home style shop! No gimmicks, traditional food that reminds you of your Mom, grandma and aunts taking over the kitchen or all you Dad & Uncles bqq'ing in the back yard drinking Modelo. The service is on point and they will do custom orders if you ask. If all the locals are eating there you know if it's a good spot.... Been around for a long time. That being said it could use a mild uplift in decor but that is minor if you have too nit pick. Like I said , some of the best Mexican food in east county that has been around for quite some time.

Good Mexican food. Carne asada is delicious. 😋 Reasonable price. Nice service.

A nice restaurant. The location is not too busy or crowded. Limited parking but the lot is never completely full. The place was not busy when I went around afternoon lunch period. The service was quick and timely during the ordering process. The food came out within minutes from ordering. A good sized meal. Only bummed that they did not have horchata at the time i was there. Definitely recommend tho. Bring a friend or have a family meal. Definitely a place to gather and enjoy some food.

For $12+ the burrito shouldn’t look like a quesadilla. Put some food in the tortilla.

Great food! Good prices and friendly service! We go there so often the owners already know our order when we call! So happy they extended their hours again!

They use real potatoes in the burritos not French fries unless it's a California style Burrito! One of the best hidden gems in East County. Highly recommended !

11/29/25 - This isn't for their food quality. I can't leave feedback without placing a star. They are closed for Thanksgiving for a few days. Very good for them. I called several times today, Saturday. No answer and no voicemail set up with something like we are closed for the holidays and we open on Monday. I was trying to call in an order for 5 people. I drove there in person and they were closed. A small sign outside. See the photo. I recommended to either update YELP out re closed, it had you were open and/or leave a voicemail message you are closed to avoid customers driving there in person. Another person was there as well outside complaining.

This was the best chile relleno burrito! Fresh and a good size portion. Very nice people.

Very non-conspicuous corner restaurant, nothing pretentious about it, but the food is always amazing, love taking my family there from out of town. I've never had a complaint about the food excellence. Excellent glad they extended their hours.

From the looks of the outside, Emma's Mexican Food place is really a mom and pops taco shop and not a full service restaurant. Wanted to give it a try after doctor's appointment since it was right across from the hospital. Nothing fancy to note, but nice staff, clean tables, calm atmosphere, decorative and spacious areas between tables. Food prices were reasonable. Our order was cooked in no time. Fresh and hot. My rolled tacos' portioning and presentation was so-so. Avocado looked like it was spread on, barely had any. Cheese looked skimpy. Compared to rolled tacos in Southbay, the rolls are larger in size and fixings are plenty (ie avocado, lettuce, cheese, cotija cheese, and sour cream). The breakfast burrito was smaller than expected but was good. I had the other half the next day and it still tasted good. I was bummed to see an empty salsa cart but I must say, the home made hot sauce was the bomb. It not only tasted delicious, it's smelled good. Lots of parking. Recommend

I've been coming here since I was a teenager in the late 90s. This place is so nostalgic for me and even the quality of their food has stayed consistent over their nearly 30 years of business. (Which speaks for itself) My family and I used to eat here once a week when we lived locally but now sadly I'm only able to eat here when I'm in San Diego. This is a must stop for me EVERY SINGLE TIME. Not only is the food delicious but the owners are so kind and down to earth people. I absolutely love this place. A true gem!

San Diego is in NO short supply of Mexican Food Shops, and an overlooked gem of East County resides in Emma's. What stands out about them is their affordable prices while maintaining solid and consistent quality.

Solid Mexican taco shop located in Santee..good size portions and overall good food.. this time went with chicken tacos ..perfectly cooked and great taste ..friendly and quick service ..have had the burritos before and they are good size ..:they are not open as late as most places ...recommend

Food 5/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 5/5 Speed 5/5 Price 5/5 Outdoor seating? No Wheelchair access? Yes This place is perfect for a quick bite to eat. Super affordable with huge portions. Great customer service and plenty of seating indoors. Highly recommend.

Nice family run Mexican food place. Great crunchy beef tacos . Great place for a quick meal. Service was great . A hidden gem and you can tell that its frequented by locals.

It's been 13 years since I was in Santee for a school clinical. I ate a California burrito 2-3 times per week from there. 13 years later and I still dream about them!!

Stopped in for a quick bite. Located in Santee in a small shopping center so parking is available. I was greeted by the nicest gentlemen who took my order. I ordered the 3 rolled tacos with guacamole. He offered to add lettuce and tomato at no extra charge, so I agreed. Glad I did cause their salsas are freakin delicious!!! So much flavor and good amount of heat. Especially the green sauce! Usually the red is hotter than the green but not at this spot. I will definitely be returning to Emma's whenever I am in the area to try more of their dishes.

Wow. I can not believe these people had to close due to employee shortage! No one wants to work anymore! This is the best Mexican food in town and this awesome family had to shut down important hours for their business. This makes me so sad. If you can, make sure to stop by for lunch or even breakfast. Family owned, family ran. Best Mexican food around!

Emma's Mexican food is some of my favorite Mexican food in all of San Diego California. They have the best tasting refried beans anywhere. I just had a burrito and a shredded beef tacos with guacamole

Great Mexican food and good service. The people are friendly and good cooks. A small place with lots of tables. Order and sit down and they serve you.

Ordered rolled tacos and carne asada fries for the kids lunch today. The rolled tacos were super greasy with no flavor. The carne asada fries were bland, their food used to be pretty good with best prices in town. However they closed for awhile and prices went up and food isn't good.

Since they were closed yesterday decided to give the a shot for lunch. When I walked in they were PACKED which is a good sign. I got helped pretty quickly, I ordered flautas and Carne asada fries. I've never had such a roller-coaster of emotions over food before. The flautas were huge (or at least bigger than what I'm used to) and was super excited over then because I LOVE flautas but then eating them there was too much tortilla and not enough meat. Such a shame. Over all they were still good and filling. They came with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The Carne asada fries were just meh. I heard a lot about their salsa and was excited to try it but the turned the salsa bar into a Christmas nativity scene. Oh well maybe next time

Las mejores flautas de San Diego !! Usan carne de la buena y siempre están frescas y crujientes!!! 10/10! siempre vengo en mi lonche y todos son muy amables Best rolled tacos ever!! They use real shredded beef and are very tasty and crunchy!!! 10/10

Everything. Good food, good service, owners are so nice. I relax here with my daughter here at lunchtime. Ambiance is perfect. Love it here. I'll be back when I'm in Santee again. See ya soon...

The Best Mexican Food around in my humble opinion. We are vegetarian and eat here frequently.

Great taco shop one of my favorites in santee. The rolled tacos and carne asada burritos are awesome ! Clean and friendly !

Came over to get food while waiting for my car to be smogged and it was delicious! Me and my son shared a bean & cheese burrito, beef taco, & 2 rolled tacos for $10. Great price, yummy food, will be back for sure!

This is a cute taco shop located in a small shopping center . I've eaten here many times over the years . The food is average and the portions are on the small side . The thing that's above average to me is their salsa . I'm such a fan of their salsa . It's bomb . You won't be wowed here or disappointed.

I spent sometime in Santee recently and this restaurant was suggested to me by a close friend. Situated in a small strip mall on Buena vista drive right off the 52, was a hidden treasure !!! My friend and I went thru there about 11. It was quiet and lunch rush wasn't far away. We were met by Emma no less. Having run thr restaurant for 26 years, they had this place called in for sure !!! The kitchen crew were non stop !! She quickly took our order and passed it on to the cook. Our two orders came out and as we sat in the dining area, a non -flow line of take out orders came thru the front door. The food is amazing although I never ate chorizo with a side salad ( I think that's what a pile of lettuce with a slice of tomato is ) That aside, the beans were just like Moms ! Chorizo was cooked just right. I was just passing thru Santee and found a gem. Great food, great ambiance, great service !! 'll visit this next time I'm here. Tony Valenzuela 760-497-1217

Great homestyle Mexican food. Everyone working there is great and always very nice. I love the green sauce. My go to order is either a veggie burrito or a quesadilla with rice. If you are looking for good mexican food for lunch, this is a go to.

Great service and consistency. This is the most reasonably priced taco shop in town. One of my favorites is their fish burrito. Nice white meat fish that's never fishy, cabbage, white sauce and a little pico for 8 bucks. The Machaca is pretty good also.

I ordered nachos and it was a full order of $11 and the cheese that they put on it was from a can of Velveeta not cheddar cheese ..... absolutely terrible. I also asked for a side order of pico de gallo, and they did not have it. They don't use it. Which I'm very surprised. Regarding the Velveeta cheese, I guess cutting corners is cutting quality as well.

Do not order from this place. Came with two friends. We ordered separately, I ordered first and got my food last. Then when it came time to eat. HAIR was in the burrito. Not just one or two. Stay away

The best Mexican food you're going to find!!! Drove all the way from Rancho Cucamonga (two and a half hours away ) to eat here!!! And I will be back! Carne, asada burritos and taquitos are awesome!!! Everything is value priced and not too expensive and the food is excellent!!!

Always good. We love the rolled tacos and enchiladas. Staff is friendly and parking is easy

Today I ordered 3 rolled tacos with everything, pico and extra cheese, this is the second time I paid for extra cheese and was not given extra cheese, in addition there was no pico, and maybe a teaspoon of guacamole. When I called the gentleman was apologetic and some what helpful however at one point decided to hang up on me. On another occasion a co worker had some tacos and found a worm in his taco, when he showed the owner they simply pointed out that the worm was dead, as if that justified a worm being in his food.

Really glad I tried this place recently. Love the tortillas and large tostada salad. Plan to get takeout there again very soon.

I had a very nice breakfast for a very good price here. I had the Huevos Mexicanos with rice and beans with four corn tortilla for $4.96 including tax. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/emmas-mexican-food-santee?select=4fAdIrXZWnJEBDw6lIf4ow#sK8IOZKL1EzG4SatpaMpsQ) The scrambled eggs came with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. The scrambled eggs were great. All the ingredients were fresh and well seasoned. I used the very good corn tortillas, (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/emmas-mexican-food-santee?select=4fAdIrXZWnJEBDw6lIf4ow#LTPW1CpvcrquvHE_OO0ThQ) to make breakfast tacos, some with the red sauce and others with the green. The red was my favorite because it had better flavor, and had a better kick. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/emmas-mexican-food-santee?select=4fAdIrXZWnJEBDw6lIf4ow#V7FaevklLNJcENfeJqxgcw) Great breakfast tacos. The re-fried beans were great. They well very well seasoned and had dynamite flavor. The rice was good, but it was a little bland. It could of used some salt. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/emmas-mexican-food-santee?select=4fAdIrXZWnJEBDw6lIf4ow#Z9G1gaVvrrKjcnSa2aDZ9Q) The people who work here are very friendly and polite. They were very happy that I enjoyed the meal. I can't believe that the meal was only under $5. Great price and some very good food is a winner in my book!

Very nice people. Very nice food. Very nice and tidy dining room. I always liKe their California burrito and carne asada fRies. They always make their food ffresh. Of out of the Mexican fOod in santee, I say this one is top 3, no question!!!

This is our go-to Mexican place in Santee. Nothing super crazy or fancy here just reliably delicious, classic Mexican food.

This used to be a awesome lunch spot . Has really went down hill. They blame it on the not having employees to run. I've been a fan for a long time but after the last vist. Very scared. 3 people Cashier. cook. A lady filling soda refrigerator. And not 1 customer in the place at 115 in the afternoon...so me and my boy order. 2 carna asada burritos. 2 cokes. Carrots. Sit down. Food came to table. Smallest burrito s I have ever seen there. All tortilla. Tough as hell meat. Sour cream. Tasted bitter. Guacamole.Tasted like frozen pulp. From bag. Now the kicker. Note on window. About hours. No help. Short hours. So what. It's every where. That's no excuse for your food being terrible it's the owner that don't give a shit. What they serve. Quit blaming the help. Take charge of your business before you loose it

I was excited to try the Cabeza mini tacos and they did not disappoint. They make a great snack for any time of day.

Coming from the name, you wouldn't really expect much from here, but it turns out the food is decent. The space is pretty large with a lot of seating, but it's not the most modern place to visit. The kitchen area is pretty small, the staff is alright. I got a breakfast burrito, with egg, beans, and cheese. It was made very quickly, the tortilla was soft and the ingredients tasted fine. There's 3 salsas that are okay. Overall, I don't think it should be passed up on if you're around.

Best tasting tortillas!!! yum the food is always tasty and cooked to perfection! They have salsa in back fridge ask for the amount you want! The staff is super nice and they have canned drinks inside!

Our favorite place in SD to get beef tacos! Best pico I've ever had!! Been going to Emma's for 10plus years!

Still the best food in town. I have been eating here for over 20 years & this is the BEST MEXICAN FOOD in San Diego county. Plus the owners, Pedro & Emma are the best & nicest people in town. The cooks are amazing. Here are my plates, before & after. Beans are delicious, tacos, burritos, carne asada fries all are amazing. Brought numerous friends here & they all love the food, atmosphere & the crew. All food made from scratch. Always fresh, tasty. Enjoy!!

I have to update this review. I cannot in good faith continue with a five star rating....it's with a heavy heart I announce the official rating of 3 stars....the food is still good but not nearly what it used to be. The owner/management seems upset and crustier than the meat they have been serving lately. There used to be a man in his 30s working the cashier at nights, a modern day martyr of the Mexican food industry. Unfortunately, I have yet to see him in my last few ghastly visits. However, fret not! Estradas right down the road will be receiving my 2019 east county south of the boarder award! They have 10/10 sauce and Mexican cuisines. Recommendation: Estradas: California burrito, destroyer burrito or chilaquiles.

I love this place for many years. Open for dine in now, great prices super tasty food and his red sauce is bomb!

Customer service is great, and the food is good. Nothing fancy , simple place but good food overall.

Worst Carnitas taco I've ever had, meat was hard and dried like it came out of a forgotten corner of the refrigerator. My dog liked most of it. I had been there before with no complaints, it's conveniently located near my favorite smog shop, but won't be returning.

Unfortunately, this place (our favorite) is no longer open hours we like to go. Dinner mostly. They are now only open for breakfast through late lunch. I called a week or so ago to see if they were going to bring back the old pre-covid hours. They aren't. Not even a couple of times a week. The fellow I talked to said they would have to open all evenings if they opened any. I didn't get that unless it's due to staffing issues. I think that's why they cut the hours back to begin with. We are now on a hunt for a new favorite that's open in the evening. I used to stop on the way home from the office as we live just up the street. We could buy on Saturday if I am not working (they have never been open Sunday) but my attitude is that if they can't be open more and I am going to have to find a new place anyway, the new place is going to be where I am going to go. Too bad as we had been going there as long as they had been open. Many Many years. 30+.

Heard a lot of people like this place and I can't see why. I ordered a breakfast burrito that was tiny and mostly tortilla. I asked for bacon and they just put huge, chewy pieces of ham in it. Unfortunately thats not the same thing and was gross. The tacos were nasty and just thrown out. The meat was terrible and chunky, they couldn't eat it. Exact words were "I can't put myself through that, im sorry", since I paid for the meal that no one could eat. Ive had food ive not been happy with, but this was pretty bad.

Lived in Santee for about 7 years. Always saw this place. Finally after moving to Spring Valley for 2 years. Had to being my puppy to the vet and decided to stop in. Read reviews and did it. Oh my goodness. Chorizo and egg burrito for under 7 bucks. It was amazing Red and green salsa so good. Will try to come back everytime I'm in Santee. Must try more of the menu. Beats most taco shops in spring valley. Thank you for the great food.

Let me just say MY FAVORITE MEXICAN FOOD PLACE FOR A CALIFORNIA BURRITO!! My husband has been a fan of this place since he was in high school. He bragged about it for 7 years until I finally drove from La Mesa one night to Santee to try this beloved place. That was one of the best decisions ever!! Now, I'm hooked. The food and prices are amazing. Thank you!!