Murrieta's Mexican Restaurant

This place has quickly become our new favorite neighborhood place to dine out! The food is great and the margaritas are even better. My husband and I have had Enrique as our server each time and he is the best! We will be coming back more often.

Enjoyed the food and time with family. Enchiladas de la crema and Carne asada burritos. Also liked the salsa and spiced carrots. A go-to place for us when visiting Bonita! 7/11/2024 - Another great family lunch at Murrieta's. Atmosphere, food, service all made for a fun time! Really enjoyed the pickled carrots and peppers, and especially the green salsa.

Stopped here for lunch. The food was very good and the service was fairly good. The surroundings were great! I enjoyed roaming through the various areas/rooms to explore this interesting place. We'd definitely come here again when back in this area👍👍👍👍

Great Mexican Restaurant... I will be returning... Food was so good I forgot to take pictures and started eating right away😂😂 Will return soon.

This is a quint little restaurant that serves good Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, beans and rice, etc. They serve drinks as well, margaritas and beer. Nice atmosphere.

This is a true hidden gem, from the decor to the amazing food. The first time I came I had enchiladas con mole and my husband had the Sonoran chicken. The chicken was the winner but I enjoyed every bite of my enchiladas. For our second visit we had flautas and el comal, and they were excellent.

I haven’t been to Murrieta’s in about 32 years (they’ve been around a long time). My parents enjoy going, so we decided to join them this evening. Everything was delicious (see photos)… from the crispy chips and two different kinds of salsa, the marinated carrots, the margaritas (regular and tamarindo), all of our entrées, and even the churros (filled with vanilla). We sat on the patio and arrived at 4:00 PM, strategically before the dinner rush. We were offered heat lamps if needed. As we were leaving around 5:20ish, there was already a line of cars pulling into the driveway waiting for parking spots. The staff and specifically our server, Valeria, made this such a great dining experience for me and my family. Valeria was friendly, attentive, accommodating, and on top of everything. If only we could experience this type of customer service everywhere we dined. Thank you Valeria, we’ll be back! I took off one star for the temperature of our food. Valeria kindly reheated my mom’s albondigas and a couple of our other plates were room temperature. It still tasted good but would have been better if it was hot. Overall, I was highly impressed!

We ate here for the first time. And this place was great! We ordered the comal which is carne asada, chicken and shrimp on a bed of grilled onions on a hot sizzling cast iron skillet with half an avocado on top with pico, delicious. We also got the queso fundido (ps we ordered the queso well done) which has so much flavor! My wife ordered the large margarita... Be warned large should be labeled MEGA, definitely not for one person size of like 3 margaritas in one. Overall great place nice solo guitar singer and friendly service!

Good food, friendly/ pretty fast customer service and comparable prices for restaurant. Much better than any place in Old Town (don't hate me) , normally go with the comal but friends/family have gotten a variety of other dishes and overall always is a hit. Have tried their margaritas and overall solid and consistent. Customer service normally very friendly. We haven't hit long wait times and waiters are pretty on top of it with checking in on you (highly appreciated when you have a bigger party or kids with you). Top contender for Mexican food if you're near South Bay.

Service 0/5 - servers took over 20 mins to take our order. When we were done, the server put the check on the seat divider behind my boyfriends head and didn't tell us that it was our check. We asked another person for to-go containers and she never brought it. Food 3/5 Ambience 5/5.

Great atmosphere, excellent customer service and delicious food. A weekly visit to Murrieta's Mexican food is must for my wife and I and are never disappointed. Every interaction has been positive and now, we are often recognized as regulars. Try it out, excellent food at reasonable prices. I never cared much for Mexican food until we started going there. excelente comida mexicana!

I've been wanting to try this place for a long time and now I am mad that I waited so long. The restaurant makes you feel like you are in Mexico. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed beautiful and festive music. The inside is very comfortable and has a great vibe. The food was so good. We had the sampler plate and the shrimp cocktail to start. Two of us had the Champagne Showers Margaritas and the other had the Strawberry Margarita. Drinks were just the right ratio of liquor and very tasty. Our party ordered the chimichanga, chipotle enchiladas, and a make your own combo with a chicken enchilada and chili rellano. The food was so flavorful and the wait staff were very attentive and welcoming. This is definitely a favorite! They offer a Champagne Brunch on the weekends and I am definitely coming. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and I would highly recommend.

Murrietas has been around forever. I go once to twice a month. The service is always excellent. Valeria is fantastic!! Even when crowded I have never felt rushed. I have discovered great items like Chile Colorado which has a deep richness that reminds me of unforgettable meals in Mexico City.

Today for lunch my husband and I decided to give this place a try after driving around. The minute we came into the place the lady greeted us with a smile and walked us to our seat. As we walked through the restaurant you can see the Mexican vibe throughout the restaurant. The lighting was just the right amount of ambiance for dinning in the afternoon. As we looked over the menu the gentleman came with the chips and salsa with side order of carrots and jalapeños. The chips was warm and so crispy . The food in general was amazing from start to finish .

POLLO SONARA: WHERE CHICKEN AND MARGARITAS TANGO Murrieta's truly offers a home-away-from-Mexico experience. The broiled Pollo Sonora was incredibly succulent, and its medley of seasonings elevated the dish. What impressed me the most was how the juices from the chicken blended seamlessly with the rice, creating a mouthwatering fusion of tastes that added a deliciousness to every bite. MARGARITA I complemented my meal with a big azz pomegranate margarita with tajin rim which was so refreshing on this warm day. AMBIENCE I sat on the bar side which is a cozy ambiance but dark. Really, is this batman's corner? I used to struggle at Mexican restaurants because I overeat. But this perfect half chicken with little beans and little rice settled well in my stomach. What a flavorful meal and a warm atmosphere. HIGH FIVES Parking Wheelchair accessible entrance and parking Located in first floor Family, groups, solo, couples "Ven y come un poco. Acuérdate que las penas con pan son buenas

We brought a party of 20 here after my mom's funeral. The staff took such good care of us. We were seated on the patio so we were able to gather in private. The food was excellent.

I haven't been to this traditional Mexican American restaurant in many years - it is exactly as I remembered it, the decor exactly what you expect for this sort of place before the chains ruined this adapted Mexican cuisine. The food is excellent authentic Mexican, toned down for the American pallette- I had the fish soup, served with tortillas, rice and avocado slices - an appetizer that could easily be lunch for two and was very delicious and fresh, a tough feat for any restaurant. They have a good menu with the standard Mexican as well as creative entrees- glad I came back.

Waits are too long for average food. 30 minute wait for a table. 15 min wait for water and to place order then 45 min for the food to come out. Ordered the combo fajitas. The chicken was better then the steak, the guacamole was turning brown and their rice and beans portions were so small.

I've been coming to this place my entire life, because it's a bonita staple. I have two major things to recommend. The chicken tortilla soup will heal you, whatever sickness you have. It WILL make it go away. And the margaritas will get you wasted. Never combine the two, but individually both are iconic in their own way.

I have been to this location several times and have always had a good experience but today was different. As it has been getting cooler outside soup sounds good so I thought I'd stop in and have a bowl of caldo but to my surprise my caldo de res came out cold! Now I'm not sure if it is frozen and then reheated or if it is made fresh daily but either way this bowl of cold soup was unacceptable. I also asked for a iced tea and was brought a cup of hot tea and when they did bring the iced tea it too was not iced and was warm. The entrees I have had in the past are good but if you are looking for soup I'd suggest looking for someplace else. They wanted to comp me but I insisted on at least paying for my warm tea.

I dont know where all the good reviews are coming from for this place. I ate there for the second time last night and it was bad. The food is just not good. The first time I ate there a couple of months ago i had the queso dip. Worst queso I have ever had! It seized up and was so hard I couldn't even pick it up. When i asked the waiter about it, he said that's normal! UHM no its not! Anyway, the only reason I came back here was because it was my friends birthday. Last night I ordered the garlic shrimp. While the flavor of the garlic butter was good, the shrimp was not cleaned. It was disgusting. Also, the rice it came with was hard and crunchy. The only reason im giving a star is for the service last night. We were a big party and the service was good. I wont be back to this place for food. Maybe a drink, but food is out.

I hate to leave a negative review since Murrietas has been around forever, but the service has been so poor during our few recent visits. The last time we dined in person, the staff didn't bring a high chair for my toddler until half way through our meal, despite us asking multiple times. When we've ordered take out, they quote us 20 minutes, then we show up at the designated time and have to wait an additional 30. When we placed an order the other night for guacamole, the hostess we were speaking to was absolutely puzzled by the order. We had to explain that murrietas has a guacamole appetizer. We love the food, the waitstaff just needs to get it together.

Food was good, service was decent considering it was so busy (and loud). Reason for poor review was that a gift that was left at our table was thrown away!!! We went back within 5 minutes, front desk was useless, waiter was busy but finally, here comes the trash can with the gift on top!!! Waiter said it looked like trash but dude, the bow was still tied on. Regardless, it should have been taken to the front, opened or not. Poor poor service on that. I called to speak to a manager and was told, call back on Wednesday. What, a manager isn't available all day?

Food was delicious and well presented. The entertainment was delightful and made the ambiance so pleasant. Service was wonderful. Our waiter had a sense of humor. Beto was amazing. Ask your waiter for the spicier sauce if you want a little more heat for your nacho chips.

This review is based on a mid-week lunch visit. In the years I've lived nearby, I'd only ever driven by (apparently it's a popular local nightlife spot) and hadn't tried Murrieta's until recently. Our group of about a dozen came to eat here after attending a memorial service down the road. I don't recall if a reservation was made but they were able to accommodate us out on their patio, which is shaded. The service was attentive and decent, as were the portions. Our orders included burritos, quesadillas, sizzling plates, flautas. I can't really use the term "enjoyed" for this particular meal because of the somber moment, but I know most of us were able to eat most of what we ordered, and if not, the food was still good enough to pack for dinner. Chips and salsa (verde was nice and spicy) were good too. I realize the atmosphere would be different between daytime and evenings, but this is a place I'd consider returning to for the quieter times if I came across it again.

Late night acceptance of a party of 7 was no problem for Murrietas Went to this restaurant not sure what to expect but found the decor festive and well thought out, the Padre game was on and the staff was so friendly and on top of things. Everything that was ordered looked wonderful and we were all satisfied and know we will return the chicken soup is next for me since it looked so nourishing hearty and homemade

Murrieta's bartenders go crazy with it! But wow they take their alcohol seriously here. Extensive options that are jam packed with the good stuff. Ordered the Mexican coffee (comes with tequila inside) thinking it'd be a slight splash but definitely got my moneys worth, next time I'll have to be more mentally prepared to conquer that challenge. Ok, got sidetracked a little, overall a great local place- let's dive in Food 4/5: El comal 4/5: Great family style choice that comes with shrimp, chicken, and beef on a bed of caramel used onions with rice, beans, tortillas on the side to make tacos. Overall a great choice and Great portion but not a perfect 5/5 since the chicken/ beef were slightly over cooked. Mexican coffee 3.5/5: A little strong but wasn't prepared, I'll come back again- mark my words Ambiance 4/5: Cozy family style decor, service could've been a little better though considering there wasn't many people during lunch time

I've been to Murrieta's quite a "few" times in the past couple decades. I don't think I've ever been disappointed. The food is always great, my husband and I like to share the molcajete. Their service is good and consistently so. We've had large (10+) groups meet here, been here with just one other person too- always satisfying and a good time.

If you're looking for a nice, family friendly restaurant with good food, Murrieta's is definitely the place to come! One of my close friend frequents this restaurant and always had good things to say about it. She wasn't lying. This is now our meet up place to catch up over food & drinks. You can't really go wrong with anything you order, it comes out hot and delicious and pretty fast. The customer service here is great! Everyone is always smiling and so nice. All around warm friendly atmosphere. A must try business, if you have not yet been.

The food was good and the ambiance was crazy. Super busy the night we dined here. The service is good but they keep Coming to take your plate. They watch you like a hawk when you are trying to have conversation and dining. Feel a little rushed.

Lovely "old-school" Bonita... dependable, tried and true menu that never disappoints! Great margaritas and Happy Hour. Easy access with private lot parking. Always like coming home to family!

This restaurant, according to one of my best friends, is an "institution" in Bonita, California. Classic Cali-Mex food served in a family setting (we went late at night, but it was like going into someone's house, honestly). After visiting during a recent San Diego trip, I can see why! Service was professional and efficient. The enchilada and tamal combo #10 is an old fave, the fajitas were beautiful, the tamarindo margarita...all were delicious! My friend and I said "cheers" because it had been a while since we last all came together with the hubs times two! So missed her and our adventures together! Been a while since I've been to a restaurant like this...let's keep supporting local, small businesses and restaurants wherever we are!

Food was good. Service was A1. Keep up the great work Ambiance was nice outside on the patio, lots of space, and nice old school feel metal chairs.

Always loved this place. Great atmosphere and great service. The food has always been good but it wasn't as good as I remember, but still good. My wife got the wrong order but didn't want to say anything and mess up the mood since we were their for our birthday with my parents. Still a great place to go and a long time staple of Old Bonita!!! One of the places that hasn't change or closed down.

It just feels super cozy here, the atmosphere, the service, and the food. Such a great place to sit and have a meal and/or drinks with family and friends. The cocktails and the servers are equally friendly!

This place has the best margaritas ever! Also the chicken mole is pretty good as well! Just yummy

Horrible service, extremely long wait to be seated, we had a large party of eighteen and checked in two hours in advance. We waited over an hour for a table, almost two honestly. Once seated we waited over a half hour for drinks to come out, then another half hour to take our order. Had to flag down servers for drink refills. Food took forever to be served and it's nothing to rave about. I would say it's okay. I definitely would not recommend this place. The staff were very friendly but extremely slow and poor service. Very unorganized.

I know myself and many have eaten here for years. More often then not, when I have eaten there, the carne asada and shredded beef for tacos has absolutely no flavor. It's always bland and has no taste. Even after you try to add things to it, its absolutely horrible. The staff apologizes, but it never gets corrected. And for the price thwy charge, that too is horrible. My kind boyfriends dinner was much better and he spent well over $50, not including drinks. It's sad that people rave about food that has no taste, and you can't say it's because you have to cater to those who can't have salt in their food.

If your looking for amazing food amazing service and everything always on point check murrietas we come here twice a week and it's so worth it everything on the menu is a must try if you like great drinks wow margaritas and the lemon drops wow all the staff is so polite and helpful with the menu betito is so amazing and always lots of parking space

Been there several times over the years stayed pretty consistent. I heard the real Owner recently passed so I will give it so and tested again. Make sure the food still good you The service is wonderful, always I've been there. Nice food too. Sorry for the loss.

First time here. I recommend the enchiladas de mole and the chicken Sonora. Tastes authentic and very flavorful.

I was here recently with a group of 20 people to celebrate a special occasion. I have to say that the name of this business includes "Mexican" so I had high expectations when I knew I was coming here as I had never been to this restaurant. After getting seated in the patio, I noticed multiple booths that had the appearance of being no less than 20 years old. Luckily we were seated in the middle of the patio and had decent tables and chairs. Service started somewhat rocky. More than one servers attended us and provided a basket or two of their chips and salsa. I was expecting plenty of baskets available for the size of the group, so we had ask for additional baskets to allow everyone to have some. Our assigned waiter to our group finally shows up minutes later and takes our drink orders. The following was the highlight of the visit. We ordered margaritas, micheladas and tap beers which were refreshing and tasty. Now to the food, a complete disappointment! Among the 20 people, we all had the same plates, enchiladas, chimichangas, carne asada tacos and "comales" which is a skillet with shrimp, carne asada, chicken and carnitas. Appearance was not there when being served. We were advised that "plates are hot." Yeah, plates are hot because the plate after being served is placed under a heat lamp, this to make sure the food remains warm. What happens with the food? It gets dry! It's appropriate to serve your entire party at once but at this restaurant, they are risking quality when they do that. Most likely there's not enough cooks to accommodate a large order. Food was bland and lacked seasoning. In regards to my order, the skillet had no more than 2oz of meat, the chicken and the carnitas were dry, and my three shrimp looked abandoned. Mind you, the protein included in this dish was laying over a large amount of grilled onions. It was apparent that the amount of onions was more than the protein. I paid $30 plus dollars for this lame dish. Not to mention that a couple of people got their orders mixed up and the server simply switched the plates even after one of the dishes had already been touched instead of offering to remake the dish. I will NEVER return here and would never recommend this place to anyone. There's a local taco shop down the street that is far better than this restaurant. If you want to settle for poor service and mediocre food, then this is your place.

We have been going to Murrieta's for years; actually since we moved to Chula Vista back in 1996...so for a really long time. The food and service has always been great and I have to say I don't think we've ever had a bad meal in all the years we've been going. We went again yesterday and had one of our favorite meals, the Chicken Fajitas. Our server, Chivo, always gets our order just as requested and takes really good care of us. The fajitas are sooo good and we highly recommend them. We will continue to be loyal customers. Thank you, Murrieta's, yesterday was a pleasure as always.

Food was great, service was great! Quite a few good vegetarian options, food was very flavorful. We had margaritas as well, they were pretty good! Big portion too!

The food has a lot of Great flavor, true Mexican cuisine, Not only do they have great food but great service that are helpful friendly most importantly they don't ignore you . I'm a big fan of going to Old Town to get Mexican food but now that I have tried this place it is my new Favorite Mexican Restaurant without the problems of OLD Town . There Ambiance is great with a very long history. I would highly recommend this Restaurant to anyone. Great Atmosphere and fun .

Muy rico, comida muy deliciosa excelente servicio del personal las bebidas exquisitas recomiendo mucho venir aquí en familia o amigos

Been coming here for over 30 years. This is Old Bonita and comfort food for me. Not much has changed looks wise or menu wise since I can remember, everything good here from the chips and salsa at the beginning to the crispy cheese quesadilla which i got this go around. Friendly and quick service. This is not a place you go out of your way to find but if you are local to South Bay it's a must try. Recommend!

We came here for dinner on a Friday night and there was absolutely no parking, we had to go in the lot down the street and walk to the restaurant. The restaurant itself wasn't super busy as we got seated right away. The food was good and they give huge portions. We ordered steak fajitas and the #13 enchilada & taco plate. They offer a complimentary photo as well which is nice. I'm giving it 4 stars because of the parking and the food didn't necessarily stand out to us to come back.

Hi family, my name is Elena, I'm so grateful to Murrietas restaurant owner for having such an amazing beautiful person name Diego making a difference in this beautiful Universe , he's our Super Man,he always makes us feel at home like family when we walk in and sit at the bar, my husband and I meet here 14 years ago. .We made a beautiful connection that day, we have been married now 10 years February 14 . I believe in the Universe law, I feel this would be a safe and positive place to meet for the first time and let the magic begin, good luck I hope you find your one and only love here at Murrieta's in Bonita.. Remember love must always win.......

My 40th Bonit Vista High School reunion was held here in 2021. They have an outdoor patio and it was a perfect location! Since then, I have taken my mom, my friends, and siblings there to enjoy the authentic Mexican food. It is better than Old Towne restaurant food. The ambiance is like Old Towne. The service is a little slow but they also didn't rush me/us out.

Great atmosphere. Terrific food. My family and I live close by and have tried several times to enjoy a meal there. Very disappointing.

The food is good and ambiance is great! My favorite are the carrots they serve with chips! And Enrique is the best server!

Food is excellent. My wife and I have been here around 6 or 7 times and the food is always on point. I had steak fajita's last night and they were the best I've ever had (anywhere). The only reason I'm giving Murrieta's a 4 star instead of 5 is because the service was just okay. This rating is based on all visit's. It wasn't bad service, but just average. Tough to find parking as they have been busy every time we have been there. Again, the food is excellent.

Food is outstanding! We've been coming here since our move to San Diego more than a year ago and can't recommend it more. Beto and his son Betito are two of the best servers anywhere. Friendly, on top of their craft and great people are worth the visit alone. Add to that amazing authentic Mexican cuisine make this place one of the best!

You get what you pay for here, in a good way. Great service. Waiters are always friendly and very warm. Food is decent. When I'm craving Mexican food this place cures that craving. Love the tamales, quesadilla, queso fundido, and the enchiladas. Rice and refried beans are quality as well as their pinto beans. The tortilla chips you get at the table are actually some of the best ever. Also the salsas that accompany them are so addicting. Can't forget, the MARGARITAS. They don't skimp on the alcohol in these. It never fails I always feel how one should feel after a big marg. The frozen peach and strawberry ones are refreshing. The classic Cadillac is a favorite as well and if you're feeling wild, add a coronita for an extra buzz.

Went here after work with a coworker for drinks. The atmosphere was nothing fancy and a bit similar to an El Torito or Tio Leo's restaurant. There were many graduates celebrating during our visit. The place was packed! If you are looking to enjoy good conversation, this may not be the best choice during a Friday evening. The best way to describe the noise level is to say it was LOUD! Live guitar was played throughout our visit, and we were there for several hours. Also, the patrons were all really loud due to large group sizes as well as the need to yell to be heard over the guitar playing. My friend and I had to yell and repeat most of our conversation the entire time we were there. Despite all this, we had a nice time. The service was absolutely amazing! The servers were attentive, but not overly so. They regularly checked on us, and if they saw us engaged in deep conversation, they would look our way, allow us privacy, and return a few moments later. The margaritas were strong and went directly to our heads a few moments after sipping. The chips could have been warmer and/or fresher, and although I did not care for the green salsa, the red one was very yummy. We weren't planning on ordering an entree, but we kept smelling the delectable scents of sautéed bell peppers and marinated beef and decided to split an order of steak fajitas, which was served with refried beans, rice, guacamole, and flour tortillas. The peppers and meat were heavily marinated and salted, but the flavor was definitely on point, and despite my friend ordering well done, the steak was tender and juicy. I skipped on the the sides as well as the tortillas. I prefer my tortillas to be made with lard, which these did not contain. Overall, I would visit Murrieta's again based on the drinks and service alone! Definitely worth a try!

Came to a birthday dinner with my family, they took a little while to bring out the food, but when they did it was hot and freshly made, you can't expect for a good ass Mexican plate to be done quick. The food was delicious and the people where really nice, especially the older gentleman with the red/maroon shirt, he would walk around to check on their customers and you could tell he had regulars coming in because how they would greet each other. Definitely a warm, friend vibe.

I was there recently and the food was poor. We sat in the bar section. Good ambiance. Waited for our food for close to an hour. Then was cold. Had beef fajitas, beef was tough. Was disappointed but will go again.