En Fuego Cantina & Grill

Very nice place with two distinct levels. I would recommend the lower level to get a better view of the restaurant. I imagine with its popularity it might be loud inside but it was perfectly quiet on a Sunday evening. The food servings were massive plates. The Carne asada was not really carne asada but instead a thick slab of meat. It was cooked like medium rare but it was good. The carnitas were not overly seasoned nor greasy but that said they were slightly without seasoning. It was still good though. It seems like a good place to revisit.

Great guacamole. Great tortilla soup. Manager was present and helpful. Staff was present and friendly. Super inviting. Good food. Good margaritas and a variety of them. I will be returning.

Sat top level outside with a tree and plants around. It was lunch time, seat yourself. It can be warm in the summer ( no fans). Food and drinks are great. You get chips and salsa right away.

Very cool dining location. Came on a not-busy evening. Service was almost non-existant. Food and drinks were good when they arrived. Got one water refill from passing employee, our waiter never came back. Took forever to cash out. Hostess got our check but couldn't ring us up.

We recently came in for dinner on a Thursday night. No wait. Everything from the Calamari to Carna Asada to Baja Tacos was fabulous. Street corn and churros also exspectional. Next time we are in Del Mar we will be eating here again.

We had our engagement party here with about 40 guests, and it couldn’t have gone any better. Madison was extremely helpful and communicative throughout the planning process, and the staff on the day of the event were accommodating and easy to work with. Our guests raved about how delicious the buffet was and how beautiful the venue looked. We had originally just booked a small room in the back, but they went above and beyond and reserved the entire bar area for us to ensure we had adequate space. They also allowed us to bring in our own decorations, which was an added bonus. We would highly recommend En Fuego to anyone looking to host a party!

Just here to leave a little tip for the owners/cooks. Either learn how to make a proper chicken tortilla soup or take the one that you have off the menu. It’s not good at all… Try the one from “La Especial Norte” about 20 minutes from you guys, so you can see what it’s supposed to taste like. Once you try it, you will be ashamed that you ever served your version of the soup. I mean this with no disrespect or hatred I just wanna help. Because why even have an item on the menu if it’s not a quality product you can stand behind? It also gives the dish a bad name to people who try it. Atmosphere and service was great. Wish the food could match the outstanding vibe and service.

Absolutely a must go. Great location, and the guest ambassadors were over the top friendly and helpful. The Management, stopping by every so often to ensure everything was good and inquiring if we needed anything. The drinks were perfect for a Sunny California day. If you're in Del Mar, you'll regret it if you don't stop by.

5 Stars - Patio, Margaritas & Vibes! Went to En Fuego for a much-needed coworker catch-up, and it did not disappoint! The patio is fantastic--warm heaters, live music, and a great atmosphere. Carmen was quick and friendly, keeping us well taken care of. We ordered from the happy hour menu: chicken nachos, carne asada fries, fish tacos, beef taquitos, and guacamole--all fresh and delicious. The skinny margaritas were perfect, and the mango tajín-rimmed margarita was a standout. Great food, great drinks, and the perfect place to unwind. Can't wait to go back!

Great authentic Mexican food in a wonderful atmosphere. The seafood relleno is very good and unique

This place was a lot of fun, I like the way the restaurant was designed, with the seating all outside but you feel tucked away. The tables are set up either up or down the stairs. Delicious beans! And the fish tacos were my favorite things of the night, we went in a group and everyone agreed the order anything with the grilled fish, it's delicious. The nachos weren't the best and there was a few items that were a little disappointing to a few others on our group, but over all worth going and order grilled fish items!

My wife and I were wandering Del Mar and decided we needed some margaritas. Ran across En Fuego and turned out to be the perfect choice. Bought a couple rounds of margaritas which were excellent, plus chips and salsa and some veggie black beans to dip. Great spot -- we'll be back!

The food here is great, like Ponce's or better great. My seafood enchiladas reflected some of the best I've had in San Diego. The interior is more authentic than Del Mar gentrified which was nice. There were however a lot of trouble spots operationally. 1 they sat us but didn't give us menus for 10 minutes. 2 minutes after we received our menu (12 minutes after sitting) the server came by. It took about 22 minutes to get chips, our first round of beers, and waters. Food took about 35 minutes. This is fine if you're on a romantic coursed date night but when you have kids, it wasn't ideal. I also would not recommend getting the Guacamole. It comes in some fancified tortilla situation and maybe 1.5-2oz of guac for $15 bucks. Our kids demolished it while my wife and I + grand parents each got 1 chip and dip. It's a tough mix. If you like authentic decent mexican food this is the spot. If you like relatively below average service this is also your spot. I dunno if we'll be back. Monarch will always win.

En Fuego provides a secluded indoor-outdoor natural vibe that's more unique than other restaurants in the Del Mar area. That being said I was underwhelmed with the food. We went for a corporate lunch and most the dishes were bland including the guacamole. The "melted" queso was a generous description as the texture was more like rubber and lacked the smooth cheesy taste. The rice and beans were also flavorless but the chicken in the tacos was packed with so much heat that's all you could taste. Based on this I'm not surprised we were 1 of 2 tables filled at noon. The ability to accommodate a large group on short notice and the large portion size for the price seem to be the only positives. I wouldn't bother spending my own money to eat here.

My husband and I popped in here for the first time on a late Tuesday afternoon. Given the hour we came it was pretty quiet but we made our way downstairs to the bar area and were happy to find heat lamps to get cozy under, as their downstairs area is an indoor/outdoor blend. We were happily attended to by Logan who welcomed us in, gave us a proper introduction and helped us navigate the menu - not only was it Taco Tuesday but we also had access to the Happy Hour menu so we were not without options! What really stood out was their many cocktails that featured Mezcal. We learned that Xicaru, Herradura and Dobel Maestro make special bottles just for them - pretty cool! For drinks we ordered: Ancho Problemo (ft. chile liqueur), Ready Fire Aim (ft. pineapple), Mezcaloma (ft. grapefuit) and a Mezcal Old Fashioned. I was so impressed with every drink, none were too sweet or syrupy tasting because they only use lime juice and agave as their base. For tacos we tried half the menu and were surprised to find out of all their creative creations the baja fish taco was our favorite and notably one of the best baja fish tacos we've tasted in a while. Although I was initially most excited about the swordfish taco it was really dry and probably the worst of the bunch. Our second favorite was Cardiff Crack or Al Pastor. With access to so many Mexican restaurants in the region, En Fuego stands out for too many reasons to count!

Immaculate vibes and even better food! John, the owner is delightful and Rodrigo is the go to guy on taco Tuesdays.

Dog friendly and Mexican food? Count me in! Dogs can sit on the front patio or in the downstairs section. There was a TV downstairs if you want to watch the game while you eat. It gets busy sometimes, but the food is delicious And the servings are generous. I normally get the steak fajita and ask for double meat in my fajita. It's cooked perfectly. The wait staff are always so kind and attentive. The location is convenient and it's a great walkable option if you live in or are visiting Del Mar.

I wish we had chosen to eat elsewhere. We got here at 6. Not even greeted by our server until between 6:10 & 6:15. It took until 6:30 to even get our drinks. Ambience is cute/fine. Chips were described as warm in other reviews. Ours were not warm. We appreciated having the overhead heater. It got chilly. I would like to give you a review of the food, but, sadly, we are still waiting for it! I wish we had just left after having to wait so ridiculously long for any service and/or or drinks. Hostess was not friendly. Not rude, but she was far from marvelous. My special needs son is so frustrated with this absurd wait that he just exclaimed, "Are we going to sleep here?!?!?!" My youngest just cried, "Can't we just LEAVE & FORGET ABOUT OUR FOOD!?!?!?!" Other child agreed, "LET'S DO IT"!!! Enough said. Not coming back. Never. Cross this place off your list. Came back and edited my review because when we FINALLY got our food, it was tasty. Rice was yummy ... not too sticky/not too spicy. We were offered to-go cups for our sodas which was nice. Also, on our way out, the owner thanked us for coming.

Bummer. I remember this place being SO yummy back in the day but overall this time was disappointing. My husbands chicken mole tasted pretty burnt (probably from simmering for a long period of time). When we mentioned it to our waiter he offered us to order something else, but we were on a time crunch and didn't. Our waiter wasn't around very much and I had to ask for water multiple times. The salsa was delicious, my fish taco was delicious and so was the chile relleno but that was about all. The service went great and the place looks a lot more run down than I remember. I hope someone does a little overhaul on this spot because the location is incredible!

The complimentary chips and salsa were my favorite dish from our afternoon meal. Warm and flavored tortilla chips and not-too-spicy salsa. The goat cheese salad was a very small portion with the goat cheese was clumped on the side. The dried tomatoes and sunflower seeds didn't fit the greens or dressing. I could probably throw together this salad in less than 5 minutes at home.

I booked a celebratory dinner here for my family and we all were disappointed for many reasons. First, they tried to seat all six of us at a table that the view for half our party was of under the deck- where the other half was basically under. I requested to move. We were then seated in a nicer location, however they were experiencing issues with their lighting. As it proceeded to get dark they didn't bring anything out to help. My dad's order was forgotten so they had to make it while the rest of us were eating. We requested more chips and salsa, she only brought out one salsa. By this time we are now eating in the dark. When we were almost finished they brought out two candles. When something goes wrong, it is best to make it right, which they did not do. I hate to complain, but paying 20% tip was too much for our experience. Nothing was comped- my sister owned several restaurants, and that would have made it better. This unfortunately isn't the spot for celebrations.

We stop by for appetizers, everything was good Tortilla soup was delicious Queso fundido was good Calamari was tasty Our waitress and everyone was really friendly, love the Mexican decor, bathroom looks so cute and clean. Definitely we're coming back

I been in this place a lot of times but lately it's been bad, no flavor tacos, cold food, no presentation, crew don't seem happy to take of the guest. I will not come back again sorry it's time to try New Mexican restaurants around the area.

No Bueno! Sent the ceviche back, replaced with dry nachos! the only good thing was the happy hour drinks.

The food is pretty good; with so many other options for great Mexican food around, the competition is tough. But where En Fuego truly shines is with its ambiance, layout, bar, and staff. There are 4-5 distinct dining areas, depending on how you count'em, and they're all outside unless the adjacent "tienda" room is open. The place has a treehouse-like feel to it, with roots extending down to the lower bar area and trunks extending through the street-level dining decks. There are covered areas and heaters for those times that mother nature decides the trees need some watering. The taco Tuesday specials are generally good; even the al pastor tacos come out reasonably well despite that lack of one of those rotatable gyro-like skewer things (TJ has spoiled me). I usually limit my En Fuego eating to Tuesdays: the bartenders and staff are always super fun and engaging, and there's always an eclectic crowd of tourists, locals, transplants, and their assorted pets to keep things interesting (i.e., yes, Ava approves). The scene amps up considerably nearly every day during racing season. Pre-pandemia they had bands a couple times a week and a DJ on Friday nights. I hope all that comes back soon. In the meantime, En Fuego will still remain an important piece of any local bar crawl.

10/10 food, drinks, ambiance, and location! Our waitress Carmen was so welcoming, fun, and informative. Must do in SD.

I stopped by here on a Thursday brunch with my roommate. There is plenty of seating, which is great for large parties. I enjoyed the chips and salsa provided before receiving our entrees. Compared to the prices at other Mexican restaurants, I think these were priced fairly well for the large portion you're receiving. All of the servers here were friendly and were able to check on all customers even if we're sitting far apart. I enjoyed my grilled fish tacos and asked for some habanero sauce on the side and it paired nicely. The views of this place are great and I love how there isn't a long wait!

I can't believe I have not review En Fuego after going there for at least 20 years! This is a staple in downtown Del Mar, a restaurant I usually only go for group gatherings and initiated by someone else. I am not fan of their generic, bland Mexican food, but I am of their space, the awesome live music and the feeling of being in a lively patio surrounding by always happy people. Not the best place for real yummy Mexican food but great overall atmosphere if you are into live music where you can dance to.

We were one of the only groups here during lunch, and the service was insanely slow, took about 40 minutes for the food to come out. We were a group of six and seated under this super bright yellow skylight, and kept having to ask the waiter to bring us things that they had forgotten to put at the table. There was also a 20% surcharge because our group size so that's probably why they didn't care about good service. The mango margarita was really good that's the only reason it's not a one star.

Private! It's small and roomy all at the same time. Carne Asada Tacos are my go to - easy and light! There's two sections upstairs and a downstairs area with extended seating towards the back. It feels like Acapulco or Ensenada, Mexico :) The service at the bar downstairs is a hit or a miss. If there's a blonde more mature woman working you're going to have a great time. If you want to change up the vibe there are a few other great spots walking distance down the street.

In Del Mar we found a lunchtime parking place in front of this cantina. So in we went. Welcomed to the pooch friendly colorful shaded lower dining area. Greeted by the effervescent Logan who gave us meal recommendations. We ordered both shrimp and carne fajitas. WOW! Exceptional delicious generous portions good prices OUTSTANDING lunch best meal of our trip. Why did we never know about En Fuego previously? Highest recommendation.

Yikes this place was not fuego. My shrimp taco was cold and the seabass taco was basically straight from the Dead Sea because it was drowning in salty guac and crema. How do you mess up tacos?? That said, the place was packed for Taco Tuesday so maybe I just ordered the two worst things on the menu. Or maybe everyone was just there for the margaritas which thankfully were solid enough to make me briefly forget about my tragic tacos

Nice restaurant. Standard Mexican food prepared in a delicious way. I enjoyed my seafood enchiladas very much. The chips were fine and the margarita excellent. Easy parking nice ambience of outdoor patio and inside seating. My group of six enjoyed their meals and drinks very well.

The table was sticky (gross) and the food was not good. They also got my order wrong twice. We won't be back.

Rodrigo is the only bartender in Del Mar that can actually make a classic Hemingway Daiquiri! A classic! Then give him the opportunity to serve up the Elixir Melecoton! You will swear that this is the classic and the craft cocktail haven you've always wanted on the coast. Not to mention the fact that the comfy chairs, the casual but sophisticated bar and the overall coastal sexy vibe welcomes you the moment you walk in! It's everything you want in a locally owned and attention-to-craft-and-detail bar! It's local! It's amazing! La Tienda at En Fuego on Camino Del Mar is a must! p.s. If you spent your formative cocktail years at En Fuego - this new edition is going to take you back and bring you to the present! Just FYI- John, the proprietor, has been here for years and is an incredible host and local business owner! Tell John & Rodrigo & Logan we said, "Hi!" Cheers!

This place is a Del Mar landmark and has been here forever. John the owner is a great guy and is a solid member of the community. Their mango margaritas are ridiculous. All the Mexican joints in town have their own personality, if you read the negative reviews, haters gonna hate. They may not have your Tia's menudo recipe. Maybe Fidel's or Juanita's does.

I live in Del Mar and have been here 4 times now, and it's great every time. Awesome happy hour, good food, good service and the outdoor patio is great

Randomly strolled in here one afternoon and it was a delight! The place itself is massive, when we were being taken to our table I couldn't believe it continued! The decor itself was so cute, we sat in an outdoor covered area that had great plants and vines. I was truly in awe of my surroundings! Our server was great, very kind and we were served quickly. The food was pretty good, I got an enchilada and my friend got the tacos.

En Fuego is a fun and lively place with delicious food- you have lots of options and their La Tienda is a great bar with lots of cocktails to choose from. I love going here because everyone is so friendly and it has a fun vibe- What is not to love!!

I just loved this place. The atmosphere feels like you traveled out of the area. It is funky, fun and authentic. Our service was fantastic, as was the speed of getting our drinks and food. The food is good. The food is not the best I have ever had, but the pricing is very fair and the combo of the food and atmosphere is 5 stars. If I was ordering takeout, I might choose another spot but the total dine in experience is great. They also have a huge list of tequila and I found my favorite, Adictivo, which I haven't found at other restaurants. I am going back for sure!

First the good news. This place is as cute as can be. All of the seating is outdoors and with the decor, it feels like you are actually in Mexico. The server was ambivalent - not friendly, not unfriendly but not super helpful. The bad news: The food was HORRIBLE. I had the worst fish taco of my life here. They must have used the cheapest fish on the market. When we asked what kind of fish it was I had never heard of it. It had a strong very unpleasant taste and smell. I thought for sure I would get food poisoning from it but thankfully did not. My water glass had a big chip out of it and the beer was so-so. The chips were not homemade. I will not return here again nor would I recommend it to anyone unless you just go for drinks and the cute ambiance.

Lots of tequila/mezcal to choose from. The list of cocktails on the menu may not seem a lot, but if you know what you want, you can simply ask the bartender to make one for you. Unfortunately, the drinks weren't consistent. Throughout the night, some of our drinks were good, some not, some were strong, some were not. I got the seafood chile rellenos and it was fine. I wish that the portion is bigger considering the price (small compared to most Mexican eateries I've been at).

Looks like a local classic in Del Mar! Upon arriving in, we encountered a mix of young professionals and retirees, as well as many dogs. The decor is festive and I commend the collection of tequilas. The shots were great. The mixed drinks featured generous pours. The food buffet for our event was solid. A classic mix of appetizers and fajitas. The flavors were as expected - nothing life changing.

En Fuego is a multi-leveled Mexican sit down restaurant in downtown Del Mar on the main strip about 10 min walk from the powerhouse park. We got the host to make room for a table on the end since it was crowded and booked up on a Saturday night. Even though it was busy the food came out incredibly quickly. Almost 5 min after we got our drinks. I'd say the portions are big and enchiladas were tasty. Definitely recommend a combination plate too. Margaritas were decent but nothing too special tbh. Fun decor, good location, happy staff, filling food! Give it a try!

We decided to try this place out despite the fact that it had three stars and I can say we were not disappointed. We were immediately greeted with fresh tortilla chips and flavorful salsa. The water was fresh, cold and definitely filtered. The mangorita was very good and had a very fresh mango taste to it. Additional the carne asada salad was loaded with the standard topics and came with a generous portion of meat. The meat itself was cooked to perfection and was incredibly flavorful. I find that in the area it's hard to find tasty carne asada cooked this well. The salad was refreshing and had the perfect amount of dressing. I will absolutely come back to try some more dishes.

If you haven't been to En Fuego, have you truly experienced Del Mar? The answer is, not yet! En Fuego has been around since the 1930s, and is widely appreciated by locals and visitors alike. While the food is not extraordinary, it's of a decent quality and pairs perfectly with the laid back, yet upbeat, community ambience and a wide selection of margaritas. Not sure which drink to order? Try a Cuervo Shaker! I recently had dinner at En Fuego and thoroughly enjoyed every second. In full disclosure. I'm slightly bias because I previously lived in Del Mar for 5 years and ate here at least once each week. Regardless, En Fuego continues to check all the boxes for me. The staff was friendly and attentive, the music was great and I've always appreciated the open air layout. My grilled fish fajitas were served on a sizzling skillet and paired with, tortillas, rice and beans. The fajitas were a bit over seasoned for my taste, but overall they hit the spot and perfectly complemented the Justin Cabernet Sauvignon I was drinking. The next time around, I'd order the tacos. You can never go wrong with those. In conclusion, go check out En Fuego at least once. It's a must do! Pro Tip: Stop by for the daily Happy Hour, Taco Tuesday, or Live Music on Wednesday nights.

We got happy hour beers and fish tacos. The beer was good, served in cold glasses. The second fish taco had too small a piece of fish. The prices are a bit high for happy hour, especially with the location being further from the ocean. They have an outdoor seating area, which is good, but the service is very slow.

Overall experience was good! We sat outside it was a beautiful day. The chips and salsa were good not too spicy but pretty flavorful. Got my free drink with check in, my husband got the margarita. We ordered happy hour special two street tacos one Asada one Baja fish. And the grilled fish taco. The Asada was definitely the winner. The other two fish tacos were alright, not so much flavor and not sure If it was the oil they were fried in but had a certain taste. The waiter was very friendly and nice. We plan to come back!

For months I was trying to drive to this place and I couldn't, but finally I was able to stop by, disappointed and I will never try again, Went there on Thursday afternoon and found nobody working with a sign saying telling me to find a table, we tried seating downstairs and a rude waitress told us to leave because all the tables were reserved,and the place looks like filthy, Well I told my husband that I wanted to leave Not recommend it at all

The atmosphere is nice BUT the wait time for your food definitely needs attention too! We had a party of 6, we had to ask for chips several times and 15 mins later we finally got it. Our water glasses went dry and stayed that way for well over half of our visit, half of our order came out then 15 mins later the other half. The last dish to come out was a Caesar salad!! Needless to say we ate in shifts! They definitely need more help, but the food was good!

En Fuego is a classic resturaunt in Del Mar. It's not the best Mexican food I've ever had but it's pretty good. The food is probably a 3.5/5 however the service is great. I come here often for team dinners and I have to say, they are very good with large groups. The tacos and fajitas are pretty good along with the Paraiso Salad. The shrimp is huge and seasoned pretty well. I've always had a good time at En Fuego. The atmosphere is very chill, they occasionally have live music, and overall pretty relaxing.

Our family enjoyed having dinner here! The decor is great with a really neat indoor/outdoor feel. The servers are very kind, though service was kind of slow the night we were there--but I think they were either training someone new or they were short staffed. I won't hold this against them :-) We enjoyed the food--my husband also loved the Tequila Sunrise drink he got. The prices were good for the amount of food you get, though there wasn't anything about the food that made it stand out too much. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience!

Great atmosphere, good food, meh service. They were overwhelmed and understaffed. We got one menu for our party of seven and the food came really slowly and wasn't always the right order. But the mole was really quite good. I'd go again for sure

Big miss today!! Came to celebrate my wife's birthday and the team was just not on it today. First, we got pushed into a small table, my drink was plain and not at all what I expected. I guest it's consists is the name of the game.

I haven't been back here since the 90's when I lived in Cardiff. It's just like I remembered it! The food is still amazing as ever and the service is just as good! Our server Kennedy was knowledgeable on the menu and recommended the No. 5 combo with the en fuego margarita to pair with it.

Absolutely the best spot in Delmar! Fantastic atmosphere, fabulous food, and drink. It's the best!

Taco Tuesday is a good deal. $5 tacos and $5 house Margs. El pastor tacos are Get there early as the patio fills up quickly. Only negative are the flies around the bar area. They just need a large fan to keep the airflow going and help keep the flies off my Marg!