Guadalajara Mexican Grill & Cantina

A LOCAL TEMECULA FAVORITE! Guadalajara is a Mexican restaurant known for its authentic food, vibrant happy hour, live music, and souvenir photos. It’s right off the 15 freeway, just five mins away from the entrance to Old Town Temecula. It’s got a great amount of seating, plenty of booths and comfy cushions. Guadalajara features Mexican seafood options, iconic fajitas, yummy burritos, fresh tacos and plenty of adult beverages. How was the food? The table chips were great, I ate the whole basket. As for dinner, I highly suggest the Shrimp Fajitas, they had perfectly cooked shrimp and a nice mixture of fresh veggies. My order came with 3 homemade tortillas. Live music is played after 6pm on select days and it’s a HIT! I saw so many people lined up to eat and enjoy. I’d categorize this spot as family-friendly, it’s clean and inviting! I didn’t see people drinking irresponsibly or acting a fool. The staff were pretty nice, although we didn’t get refills in a timely manner. I loved the souvenir photos that are offered. A sweet photographer was taking pics of various tables and was selling 2 pics with covers for $25. We bought a pair, because they were nice shots!

A return visit here was much better than my last visit. We expected a wait since it was the weekend, but we seated in a reasonable amount of time. The food was good and plentiful. I ordered the Birria tacos, and it was enough to share. My guest ordered the large platter with skirt steak, shrimp, rice & beans. All very tasty!

We stopped off at Guadalajara Mexican Grill & Cantina in Temecula for lunch. I had the 3 item combo crispy chicken taco, chile relleno, and cheese enchilada. The chicken taco was seasoned just right and crispy . Both the chili relleno and cheese enchilada were delicious. The beans and rice were also very good. Our second dish was the Chipotle Seafood Enchiladas. The enchiladas were flavorful and smothered with a creamy chipotle sauce and Mexican cream. We preferred the grilled shrimp enchilada over the shredded crab. This plate was also served with beans and rice. We did ask for a spicier salsa to go with our chips and meal. Friendly staff and good atmosphere.

Great Mexican Restaurant! Delicious food, amazing service and affordable. I highly recommend this place. I had the trio fajitas that was only $20 and it was so much food. Their house margarita is $6 during happy hour. Or you can order any other margarita for $9 which is not crazy expensive either. The service was awesome, as soon as we sat the waiter took our drink order and brought chips and salsa. I ended up paying around $50 for two large meals and a maragarita. I'll be coming back here for sure. Thank you.

The service and the atmosphere were all good. I was served fairly rapidly. However, my issues lie within the food. The food itself was all right, but not very authentic Mexican food. The meat itself in some tacos I ordered had the taste of roast beef. For tacos (though in a reasonably sized plate with beans, an onion, and rice), I hadn’t expected it to be as such considering the $20 price tag, though typical of California prices. The beans were really the only good thing on my plate; the rice was good but not to a high standard. Green onion, when served, should be grilled thoroughly but it had a very strong onion flavor. In short, the food is alright but what happened within roughly an hour was that I vomited. I was fine beforehand, so I reasonably suspect it was the food. If you absolutely know a good dish here, try it as you like, but I did not feel like paying for my food at all. My partner also gave a dislike to his meal.

My wife and I recently tried Guadalajara Mexican Grill & Cantina, a local spot we’d driven past countless times but finally decided to visit—and we’ve been hooked ever since. Every visit has us ordering their Supreme Fajitas for Two, and it never disappoints. The fajitas are perfect for sharing, with a sizzling mix of chicken, beef, shrimp, and grilled vegetables that are packed with flavor. The portion is generous, leaving us not only satisfied but with enough leftovers for a second delicious meal at home. The seasoning is spot-on, and the fresh tortillas and toppings make every bite a treat. The warm and attentive staff only add to the experience, making us feel welcome every time. And we can’t forget their margaritas—refreshing, perfectly balanced, and an excellent pairing with the meal. Whether for a cozy date night or a casual dinner out, Guadalajara has become one of our go-to spots. We’ll definitely keep coming back for those incredible fajitas!

Went there to celebrate a birthday. I ordered the Asada Burrito for $18.99 I was so disappointed. The burrito looked like it was just flopped together. The lettuce and guacamole on the side of the burrito looked like someone just threw it on. There was only beans and sliced asada. I asked the waiter if rice came inside the burrito and he said no. There were more beans than meat. Everyone else’s plates looked very tasty. I should have taken a photo of the full burrito but didn’t want to distract from the celebration so I took a picture of what I didn’t eat when I got home. Note this is half of the burrito. Never again.

Our first and last visit, our food wasn't even warm to put it mildly. I should have asked the waiter to return it ! I am always fearful as to what may happen to our food, so I didn't say anything. Then we had to hurry home and and go straight to the toilet, this food did not agree with my wife & I. We did enjoy the ice cream, only my wife & I without alcohol beverages and our bill was $75.oo and we did get sick 😫. I definitely won't be back nor will I recommend anyone to go to Guadalajara. So disappointed to say the least.

Guadalajara Mexican Grill & Cantina in Temecula knows how to bring the fiesta. From the moment I walked in, the energy was electric--vibrant décor, live music in the air, and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like family. The food was incredible. I had the carnitas plate and it was done just right--crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful inside. The mango habanero shrimp tacos had the perfect kick and were gone way too fast. I was also excited to see AsomBroso Tequila behind the bar! I went for a Reposado margarita and it was everything I hoped for--smooth, fresh, and made with care. Huge shoutout to the team at Guadalajara for keeping the flavors strong and the drinks even stronger. I'll definitely be back. -Rick

The experience was a complete letdown from the moment we walked in. The restaurant was unbearably hot and stuffy, making it uncomfortable to sit through the meal. Margaritas were served in pint-sized beer glasses--hardly the presentation you'd expect--and things only went downhill from there. I ordered the Enchilada Del Mar, which the menu described as being filled with "large shrimp and crab." What I received was a sad excuse: two tiny bay shrimp and absolutely no crab. When I brought this up to the manager, he tried to convince me that large shrimp shrink to bay shrimp size when cooked. I wasn't buying it and asked him to take the dish back. My wife ordered a chicken enchilada, and the chicken tasted old and off. Unfortunately, she ended up with food poisoning that night and into the next morning. The meal came with chips and salsa--the salsa was the only redeeming part, fresh and flavorful--but the chips were greasy and unpleasant. Service was inattentive and dismissive throughout. Given the poor food, uncomfortable atmosphere, and lackluster service, we didn't leave a tip. This was hands down the worst Mexican food experience we've ever had.

Okay maybe perhaps it's cuz it's the holiday weekend for most of my review but here we go... Food: the food had no seasoning at all like where do they do this at a Mexican Restaurant like seriously disappointing smh. I found myself eating the tomatoes and onions nearby and I absolutely do not like tomatoes and onions but I was trying to find flavor from somewhere. Service: well let's just say it must've been BUSY BUSY cuz umm I guess our waiter tried ‍ Ambiance: Now the set up okay it was cute not mad at it it's a pretty cute set up and the bathroom was clean that's always a plus! I guess overall unless there's an event my parentals are going to like tonight I'll come back but if for my friends or something nawwww no way! This experience was NOT IT! I should've eaten in n out would've been a happy camper and cheaper option frfr smh

Been on the look out for a Mexican restaurant that can satisfy my random mole cravings and this place popped up. First off this place gets busy!! We were on the waitlist for about 30 mins before we got seated so do come early! When we got seated the servers were pretty busy so it took awhile for us to get our orders in, but when we did our food came out pretty quickly. I ordered the Enmoldas and it was OK I've had better mole and the chicken was bland. Not sure if I would order it again. The Sizzling fish on the skillet came out sizzling and it was dry and salty. Carne asada tacos were solid (not pictured) Overall experience here was OK with the way the food tasted and how busy the restaurant gets.

A LOCAL TEMECULA FAVORITE! Guadalajara is a Mexican restaurant known for its authentic food, vibrant happy hour, live music, and souvenir photos. It's right off the 15 freeway, just five mins away from the entrance to Old Town Temecula. It's got a great amount of seating, plenty of booths and comfy cushions. Guadalajara features Mexican seafood options, iconic fajitas, yummy burritos, fresh tacos and plenty of adult beverages. How was the food? The table chips were great, I ate the whole basket. As for dinner, I highly suggest the Shrimp Fajitas, they had perfectly cooked shrimp and a nice mixture of fresh veggies. My order came with 3 homemade tortillas. Live music is played after 6pm on select days and it's a HIT! I saw so many people lined up to eat and enjoy. I'd categorize this spot as family-friendly, it's clean and inviting! I didn't see people drinking irresponsibly or acting a fool. The staff were pretty nice, although we didn't get refills in a timely manner. I loved the souvenir photos that are offered. A sweet photographer was taking pics of various tables and was selling 2 pics with covers for $25. We bought a pair, because they were nice shots!

Love Guadalajara! It's our family week night outing! Always ask for Frederico, he's the best! Best chips n salsa and best Mexican food in town! Love the service and ambience! Place is always packed so you know it's good!

Went here on Sunday 6/22 with a big party. The service from Tony was awesome, he was super friendly and attentive to our large party. He made sure all our food came out correctly and stayed on top of everything. The food was good, everyone including the kids loved their food. We will definitely be back soon and ask for Tony. Drinks from bar were also very tasty. We shared the fajitas for 2 and they were great.

We decided to try this place based on the good reviews. This was the worst Mexican food I have ever tried. I ordered a combination plate that included Chile Relleno and cheese enchilada. Both were cold. When I got the attention of the waiter, he took the plate without saying anything, and a few minutes later, he brought back the same plate that he had reheated. Who does that? My husband ordered the steak fajita. The only thing that was edible was the beans and the rice. Even the salsa is awful, and the chips were stale. This is subpar Mexican food for people who want quantity over quality.

What a great place. A very popular spot in Temecula. The wait was about 30 minutes and well worth it. The place was packed and standing room only. We secured a high top table at the bar area after about 15 minutes. Ricky was very helpful and took our drink order with my wife having the blended margarita and I had a Cadillac. Ricky brought them to the table within minutes and had chips and salsa delivered as well. Alfonso was our other server and took our order. My wife and I both had the enchiladas suizas and I also had a dinner salad as well. The food was fantastic. Kat came by regularly to check on us and make sure everything was going well. The teamwork service is terrific. The ambiance is very positive and has a cool vibe as well. Highly recommended

The wait time wasn't so bad. The food was good. I really did enjoy the birria but the queso fundido fell a little short. Overall, the restaurant was very clean and they have great seating options outdoor an indoor. Overall good.

Alot of reviews is why my brother chose this place. It was pretty standard to my tasting. Good but not great! Service was good, food was a bit slow but he did warn us and that didn't bother me. We got to sit outside and the weather was great. We got all sorts of food, tamale, chile relleno, rice beans, the meatball soup, menudo, all good! portions are pretty big had a little leftovers which is a treat. When we left we did notice the huge wait, must be a local favorite. nice to see them playing soccer on the TV outside. Good enough parking seems to be part of a office business plaza.

My husband, Randy, and I, were in Temecula for the last couple weeks staying at Pechanga RV Resort. Our friend, Christine, came up to visit us last Monday and on Tuesday the three of us went to Guadalajara Mexican Grill. Randy and I had been before but it was the first time for Christine. She had a ground beef taco and a potato taco and Randy and I shared Fajitas and they were great. The portion was huge and we had plenty left for the next day. Already looking forward to our next visit hopefully late this year or early next year!

Visiting the West Coast! Family dinner! Place was extremely busy! Constant flow of customers. Parking lot on site. Happy hour 3p-7p. We had reservations and were seated right away. We had to ask for utensils a few times! Party of seven- only 2 sets of utensils on the table. Food was served on huge platters not plates! Table a bit crowded with all the entrees. Typical Mexican food. Great catching up with family! Love Yelp perk when I checked in! Complementary cheese crisp! It was very tasty!!!

Steak & Shrimp Fajita Platter was excellent: A+ except the tortillas came out and were served after much of it was eaten, so more like a bowl than a fajita. Our server did not notice we were without tortillas for awhile. The dish was excellent and cooked perfectly. The ambiance is cool and relaxed. My spouse got a chile relleno and taco and she said she'll order the fajitas next time. They were only $21 so that price is more than fair.

This place is always busy, so make sure to make reservations. The service is top-notch, and the food was simply amazing. Prices are reasonable.

I'M ADDICTED TO THE MOLE!! This is one of the best Mexican restaurants that I've experienced - and living in SoCal I've experienced quite a few!! Service and Atmosphere are exemplary but for me the absolute BEST is their homemade Mole Poblano. I am honestly addicted it is so good.... But don't just take my word for it - see for yourself. As Reagan said; "Trust - but Verify."

Not sure how long I should have to wait for a waiter to take my order in the bar area but it seems that unless you are a "regular" your service gets handled when they are ready to take your order. I have no clue how the food tastes but if I have to wait more than 20min to have someone bring me water and take my order, I don't need to be there. Kudos to the peach margarita for tasting really good. Shoutout to the mango margarita for being strong. It's still not enough for me to EVER come back. I'm sure they don't care about my money being spent there but if my ass comes all the way from Los Angeles...I guess my expectations were too high. I could've had better treatment if I just my own damn self to Mexico. I won't make the mistake of coming back. Off to the wineries I go. Lesson learned.

Our new favorite Mexican restaurant. We originally came for lunch with my in laws and ordered fajitas for two. It was good so we of course decided to come back. We came back for a dinner date night and discovered that they have a weekend dinner menu. The Acapulco grill combo seemed too good to be true because it said for $54.99 you get steak, chicken and lobster with veggies. Plus side plates with beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream, and an orange slice. We always have food left over to take home. I wasn't too impressed with their drinks the first two times but the last time I ordered the watermelon margarita and that is now my go to drink there. I wanted to order the flight but you aren't able to select the flavors. The server said it's just whatever they have at that time so I decided to pass on it. I decided to order and try the cheese crisp and forgot to check in on Yelp. Reminder to not forget to check in on Yelp to get a complimentary cheese crisp. It's almost like a quesadilla. Every time we've visited the service has always been good. They have been friendly and efficient.

Love this place! The combo plates are delicious and very reasonably priced. The drinks are great and the mariachi band was really cool.

Yesterday we had the combo fajita plate for two. It was steaming smoking hot ! Good job. Really it's for 3 people at least !! Rice and beans on the side were so good but not very warm. The guac and sour cream went great on the fajita tacos. We appreciate the chips served hot with salsa. Yum. I will say we had a very odd vodka martini. It was ordered " up" with olives. Just gonna say it definitely had some kinda margarita mix in there. Vodka iffy. I may have had a tequila martini? Not good. Please make note to bartender. Thanks.

Came here with a friend a couple of months ago - sadly before I found out i have to change my diet :( But I think I can have a few things on the menu. We both had the albóndigas with rice, flour tortillas & non alcoholic drinks. It was during weekday lunch and though quite a few people, not overcrowded like the weekends. The server & staff were wonderful. The restaurant is nicely decorated that you feel you might be in Mexico. Definitely coming back, everything was perfect!

Best place to be in a Friday after a long week! My husband and I enjoy this place! Great service, great and amazing staff.

Good food. And flavorful drinks pretty good prices for margaritas could have been stronger, lucky I got the floater shot also. Hearty portions got to take some home. Chicken not so fun was chewy and dry. Only brought 3 small corn tortillas for all this food maybe should provide a couple more. May go back again but no chicken just stick with the beef. Nice decor and friendly atmosphere.

On Saturday May 17th we threw the best graduation party. I just want to give Peter and Jimmy and Guadalajara's staff that helped with our event on the patio a huge shoutout!!! You all made our event very special. The food was fantastic the service was amazing the music recommendation was great!!! Loved having our own space to ourselves it was perfect!!! Our graduate had the best time and all who attended. The Pratt family loves Guadalajara's Mexican grill and would recommend your venue to throw a party to anyone!! I loved being outside!! Thank you so much!!!!! ‍

Ambiance: 5/5 Can be lively due to live music performers. Very welcoming. Food: 5/5 Everythhing we have tried from traditional street tacos, chimichanga, albondigas soup, taquitos, fajitas, and on and on are always tasty. Service: 5/5 Always have had great service here. Very accommodating if you have specific requests. Drinks: BOMB...DOT....COM In today's times you definitely get more than enough compared to what you pay.

Service was good and friendly, I liked the atmosphere a lot which boosted this score up a bit. The food felt average, but I would be willing to try it again if in the area.

This place is great - the food is always consistent and the drinks are super good. Ive had the burritos, the chile verde, chile colorado, the flautas, and the rolled tacos (taquitos). All are good but i think the chile verde and the flautas are fantastic. Portions are huge so for the higher price i do think its worth it as ive always had left overs to take home. Ive tried 3 of their flavored margaritas and 2 slushies and they are super tasty and STRONG. I like a house marg personally so thats my go-to here. The waiters have always been super nice and pretty good about telling you up front if theres going to be a long wait which is cool. It gets packed here in the evenings, weekends, and holidays so expect a wait during those times.

Yesterday 8/31, I picked up catering of combo fajitas, rice and beans for a birthday dinner. I go to Guadalajara all the time, and ate the dish many times. However, when i got the dishes home, the fajitas had 95% vegetables and a handful of meat, another tiny amount of chicken, and ZERO shrimp. So the embarrassment of feeding our guests vegetables, rice and beans was terrible. This morning, i just called Guadalajara to speak to a manager to let him know what happened, and to say he was unprofessional is a total understatement. He denied that even happened, I was not looking for a refund, so I would have no reason to lie, it was simply to communicate the unsatisfactory order, when he was rude, I then told him i would post a bad review since he didn't want to hear it, he said he couldn't care less and hung up on me. JUST WOW. So much for trying to take the high road and hopefully better service next time. Will not return here. Ever. To the owners, do better. To the manager, learn some people skills. If you are looking for great service, food, and ate more authentic lively places, pick Panchos in Temecula, soooo much better.

Discovered this place about 3 years ago during Covid. They were one of the only places still open for dining on the patio. Greatly appreciate that they continued to take care of the community even during such unprecedented times. I've visited a few times since then and enjoyed each meal. The albondigas soup is so flavorful. Can't go wrong there. My go to meal is the Guadalajara Grill! Grilled chicken breast, grilled steak and shrimp served with rice, beans, side salad and warm tortillas! It's a huge portion that could easily be shared. Sadly, I've finished this darn thing by myself!. Soooo good! The steak was super tender. Ask for more tortillas if needed to finish off the beans and rice. Keep on Yelp'n!

Really good Mexican restaurant with good service. We got lucky because they had a live 2 man mariachi band on Friday night at about 7:00pm. The beans were really good. Chips and salsa were fabulous. We will be back to try more things.

Everything went well no waiting for lunchtime service excellent food was good service very pleasant service big variety of drinks the ambiance was very friendly

Finally tried this place, since I was craving Mexican food. The chips were good but the salsa was just meh. I had the beef crispy taco which was tasty (hard not to be) and the chili relleno. Very disappointed in the relleno. The chili was very light green and mushy, definitely not a pablano, almost like it was canned. No stem. Coating was soggy and unflavorful. Ambiance is cute and festive, with nice outdoor seating. Service was okay, although not a fan of the handheld card machine. Won't be back.

Amazing food. Super great portion size. The service is incredible from the Monet you sit down to leave they are attentive and friendly. There are a lot of Botha for comfy sitting and easy to fit in families.

Pretty delicious is all I gotta say! There is plenty of parking in the dedicated lot. We had several people and a reservation, reservations recommended! Lots of novelty decor. I ordered the birria tacos and they were absolutely excellent! Service is very speedy and the staff friendly and kind. Be sure to roll the R's on those birria tacos when you order them! Lest your companion may make fun of your gringo Spanish!

This place was cute. I'll start out with the customer service. The service was good. Everyone was nice from the moment we checked in. The wait was only 10 mins on a Sunday so that was nice. Our server was pretty busy so she didn't come to our table at all for about 10/15 mins after we were seated. Usually that might have been a little annoying but with the system they have in place we didn't mind at all. As soon as we sat down a sweet older lady brought us chips and salsa and waters for everyone. That kept us all busy. Food was Good. I had ordered my carne asada to be extra crispy since that's how I like it, and it came out the exact opposite of that. I didn't mind because once I took a bite I thought the flavor was great. All in all we all enjoyed our food. I really liked the flavor of the salsa and the chips were so fresh they were still warm when they got to us. I would definitely come back and try other things. I also really enjoyed the flan!!

We were early on a week day for dinner. Service was fast and efficient. Salsa was hot the beer was cold. I had the Chili Verdi, lots of good lean pork. Too mild for my taste but OK. The reason that I didn't give it 5 stars is my wife ordered all beans instead of rice and beans. She has done this in every Mexican restaurant for decades. Well there was an extra $3 charge for a side order of beans (they kept the rice). They should have told us up front. It is just a small irritant, but it says a lot about the restaurant management. Probably won't be back lots of other Mexican restaurants to try.

I know how to make Chile Verde. I don't have the patience, nor know how to make my favorite dish though... Chile Colorado! I had it to go tonight, and it was excellent!!! Made my night! Definitely recommend this place for both. We had three of their Chile Verdes to go as well. Muy deliciosa!

Guadalajara is one of my favorite spots in Temecula! Every single time we go, it's delicious! Fresh, hot chips and tasty salsa! I always get the shredded beef taco and cheese enchilada! You can't go wrong here! Service is great and its always busy, especially in the evenings! The ambiance is fun, it's a cozy place and the food always hits the spot!!

Terrible First Impression We came here for brunch and sat down to wait to be seated. Five employees walked past us, and not a single one acknowledged us for over 10 minutes. It wasn't until another couple came in and asked if we were waiting that when we realized how bad the service really was. I had to go find someone just to tell them how disappointing their service is. There was no one at the front, and it felt like we were completely invisible. This was our first time here--and definitely the last

Great mexican place to eat. Love everything about it the whole vibe is awesome. Service is great the food, drinks and foods. Yumm

Great food everytime!! We hold our Costco retirement parties there. They handle a large crowd than. Still awesome service!!

Hubby and I were looking for a Mexican restaurant with great ambience, friendly staff, and tasty food. The beans and rice were seasoned and I enjoyed the enchiladas. We will definitely be back.

Service did not check in on us. The food was just not it. I am surprised this place is still in business. Ordered a carnitas burrito that was mainly beans and chunks of onion and 2 small pieces of meat. Someone else ordered the sea cocktail that was mainly bad ceviche. The margaritas were also not as tasty as I was told they were.

Have been coming here for years and have loved it always! The margaritas are to die for at extremely fair prices! Food is always good with huge portions! Sometimes there is love music and service was very good. Large menu so take your time looking at it and sometimes there is a long wait so the earlier the better if say!

My husband and I finally tried Guadalajara, and we're honestly kicking ourselves for not coming here sooner! We've lived in Temecula for a few years now, and coming from San Diego--a city overflowing with incredible Mexican food--we've been struggling to find anything that compares. Well, Guadalajara has officially ended the search! The food here is nothing short of authentic and absolutely delicious. From the perfectly cooked meats to the fresh, flavorful entrees and incredible salsa, every bite was a reminder of what real Mexican food should taste like. You can tell they take pride in their recipes, and the flavors are spot on. If you're a local or just passing through, Guadalajara is a must-try. We're already planning our next visit and can't wait to explore more of the menu. Easily the best Mexican food we've had since moving to Temecula!

We came here to celebrate a birthday! Seated 8 immediately! Chips and dip right away! Ordered the birria tacos! SO DAMN GOOD! We also had bean and cheese burrito, carne asada fries, chimichanga, and taco salad! EVERYONE loves their dishes! This place is super fun, fast service, great music, clean!

We came to visit family from San Diego. What a wonderful surprise. There were so many people I didn't really get a chance to take pics. Everyone enjoyed their food, including all 8 of the children. My husband said their Carne Asada Chimichanga was the bomb. He never uses that word. I only ordered rice and beans because I wasn't feeling great, and that was amazing. I don't just like anyone's beans either lol. They have the coolest outdoor patio that we all ended up playing in after eating only because no one else was there. I don't really remember if the service was good or not so I won't speak on it. There were about 15 of us so, I am sure she did her best. I will definitely come back here again when on this end of town.

Mother's Day: I want to give a shout out to the entire staff at Guadalajara's. The waitresses, the bussers, the cooks and the hostesses. Plus the bartenders who were cranking out the margaritas. As a mom, it was a very special day and the service was wonderful. Not to mention the nice rose I received. I have to say, my enchilada suizas were the best they've ever been. Even as busy and crowded as it was our tortilla basket was always full. Thanks for making Mother's Day so special.

Food is not good. I would say margaritas are good but food is cold and not well done. We went for the mariachi and it never arrived. So the ambience was not good either. No a don't approve this place.