Por Favor El Cajon

Charming Mexican restaurant with a large outdoor patio. Dropped in for lunch and was surprised at the lack of vegetarian options. The waitress was very helpful in making a recommendation and the food was promptly served.

Best Mexican food in El Cajon!! The fajitas were perfectly seasoned . The beer was cold and the staff was excellent. They were having an awesome car show out on the street and were extra busy.

Delicious food and drinks served super fast and everyone is really nice. Literally never had a bad server there once. They're all so great. Their carnitas fajitas are AMAZING. And their margaritas are beyond tasty. Honestly never had a bad experience and I have enjoyed ever plate I've ever had.

We had a group dinner last evening. Waiter was very efficient with our large group. Beautiful outdoor dining area. The coconut margarita was so good! Everyone loved the food.

I would like to say that it was great but I can’t. Reasonable prices nowadays. Maybe it’s because I am accustomed to Tex-Mex but this wasn’t the best. However please don’t let my review prevent you from trying this place out. Friendly staff and great atmosphere.

The food has always been good, but the service recently was less than attentive. From seeming like we were being ignored for seating to after the meal we felt like we were being hustled out the door. In between the waiter didn't seem to want to engage with our table at all. It wasn't busy so very surprising at the attitude.

The service was excellent. The food came really fast and was piping hot. The food was amazing. There’s a reason that Por Favor has been in business for Six decades.

My boyfriend and I went to Por favor on Saturday, 9/21/24 at around 3pm. We were so excited because we loved the La Mesa location but since it closed down we decided to come to this one for the first time. When we first arrived, there's a huge sign that says please wait to be seated. Mind you, it was not busy whatsoever. My boyfriend and I waited and the server (short/older woman with blonde hair in a bun) walked past us and completely ignored us. She walked back again and said "you can sit anywhere" with attitude. We were never once given menus or utensils and then she never came back. We waited for a good 10-15 mins until someone finally asked if we've been helped. Obviously visibly upset, I said no. They eventually had a completely new server come help us while the other server who wasn’t welcoming towards us was serving every other table in sight. I loved the outdoor seating and food was alright but came out cold. Margaritas were okay.

We love this place because: 1. The outdoor patio is beautiful, and quiet. 2. We never have to wait and it is never crowded. 3. The food is really good my favorite is the fish tacos. 4. No complaints about the service either. Julia has become our regular server and she already knows want we want and which table is preferred. All in all this is a nice place and I would recommend it.

Went here for a birthday party on Sunday afternoon. It was a buffet that cost $24 per person. The food was terrible. I've had better food at Taco Bell The service was ridiculous. Our main waitress was rude and chewed me out for buying 2 drinks at the bar while waiting for service to start. She also tried to rip off some of the people in our group by over charging them. She took a $20 bill for a soft drink that was less than $3.00 and didn't return with the change. We ended up having to call manager to straighten things out.

As someone born and raised in San Diego, I have a deep appreciation for traditional Mexican food and restaurants, so I was excited to check out Por Favor in El Cajon. The restaurant is spacious, with both indoor and outdoor seating, offering plenty of room to relax and enjoy a meal. Unfortunately, there was no music playing during our visit, which would have added to the atmosphere. Por Favor is closed on Mondays but offers happy hour Tuesday through Sunday from 2 PM to 6 PM (and all day on Tuesdays!). My friend and I stopped by during lunch to celebrate her birthday, and the customer service was fantastic. The chips and salsa were just okay--I wish the salsa had a bit more heat. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the generous portions and the fact that our meals arrived hot and tasty. That said, we both ended up adding salt and pepper to enhance the flavor of our dishes. Overall, I'd say the food is average for someone familiar with traditional Mexican cuisine. If you're new to or not as accustomed to authentic Mexican food, you might find it more impressive. While I wouldn't rush back, it's a decent spot if you're in the area.

Very satisfied with this place. Por favor, Shrimp fajitas were delicious!! Esta bien rica la comida.

Went to this location, because we had previously gone to the La Mesa location. Should have paid attention to the other 1 star reviews. They were SO ACCURATE!!!. Slow, despondent and inattentive wait staff. Soggy oversauced generic food at best. The only thing that wasn't mentioned in the other reviews that I will mention is that on our visit there was a panhandler INSIDE the restaurant going from table to table asking for money($5 minimum). One lady offered him food and he said he wasn't hungry and just wanted money. Restaurant staff was clearly aware of his presence and did nothing. By the way the transient was way more attentive to the guests than the waitress was!!! Go to this posthole if you dare!!! Bring your money for the panhandler , but save the rest of your cash for Filibertos where the food and service is 100 times better!!!

I'm being gracious with Por Favor. I could easily give it two stars but some superb courtesy by my waitress saved this Mexican restaurant from that fate. This is a surprise because this large restaurant that has very sizable eating space inside and an outdoor area should be one of the best of its class in El Cajon. But I'm sorry to say, at this time it isn't. I ordered the huevos rancheros because I felt like having a breakfast for lunch. But even before that, I found a long hair in the salsa while eating my nacho appetizers. This was quickly fixed but not long after came the problem with my main course. I desired to have my meal with scrambled eggs vice the normal soft yolk variety that comes with this meal. I do believe that the waitress alerted the cooks - but the result was soft yolks anyway. Well, fix-it part two came but they really didn't fix it at all. I have to say I was disappointed in my experience here. I am, once again being gracious. I see this restaurant as one of great potential that isn't living up to what it could be. I do hope it will take my review as an encouragement to step up their game to ensure every customer is fully satisfied and every mistake is fully corrected. At this time, I couldn't visit Por Favor again - which should make it two stars. But my heart says show some grace for now. Recommend: LOW

A fantastic time tonight. Open faced chili relleno with shrimp was amazing. Serrano Margarita delish. The best food we have ever had at this restaurant. The best part was our server Julia. She made our day. This was a very different experience than we have had in the past. Whatever changes have happened... well done

Danny at the outside bar very helpful, and supper nice. Helped me order an amazing drink, Forsure coming back and telling friends about this place!!!

What was once a fine neighborhood eatery, with a fun outside patio is now not. The quality has definitely gone down since the pandemic. The food is just ok but the margaritas are premade, pour out of a refrigerated pitcher and taste mostly like melting ice/water and flavored syrup. I couldn't taste any tequila. I barely tasted the strawberries. But I could definitely taste the water. One of our margaritas was served with a severely chipped glass along the rim. Our waiter was very nice though

Great service! Nice atmosphere! The food has always been amazing and pleasing. There's enough food for the price. The margaritas are in a really nice size glass nd enough really for 2 people. We always have to order another shot to throw in there. Other than that it's a very enjoyable place to take a date, family nd friends.

My boyfriend and I went to Por favor on Saturday, 9/21/24 at around 3pm. We were so excited because we loved the La Mesa location but since it closed down we decided to come to this one for the first time. When we first arrived, there's a huge sign that says please wait to be seated. Mind you, it was not busy whatsoever. My boyfriend and I waited and the server (short/older woman with blonde hair in a bun) walked past us and completely ignored us. She walked back again and said "you can sit anywhere" with attitude. We were never once given menus or utensils and then she never came back. We waited for a good 10-15 mins until someone finally asked if we've been helped. Obviously visibly upset, I said no. They eventually had a completely new server come help us while the other one who had terrible service was serving every other table in sight. I loved the outdoor seating and food was alright but came out cold. Margaritas were just decent but not worth the price. Service made it everything in my book. Definitely would not recommend.

No one at the restaurant on a Saturday night is a bad sign. Every margarita tasting awful another bad sign. Messed up several orders, final straw

Food was bad man. No joke some of the worse Mexican food in San Diego. Might as well go to a taco shop cause it'll be cheaper and better.

We (my brother and I) were going to Golden Coral but there was a long line so we left. We drove around and found this restaurant, Por Favor. Man, we were ecstatic when we took our first bite... it was a mouth full of goodness . The house chips came warm and fast. We even asked for seconds, and the nice waitress brought it over in record time. As for the 2 entrée plates, OMG, love the food. We made tacos and nacho (without the cheese) out of the carnitas plate. The restaurant decor is very pleasing. And if it wasn't fie the rain, we would have loved the patio seats. Give the restaurant a try, you won't be disappointed.

I have been coming here to eat for over 20 years and it was one of my all-time go-to, favorite places to eat and have a cocktail , between the atmosphere, the food and the service. Even the chips that came before dinner were fresh and delicious. I understand the price increases that have happened throughout the economy, but this place has really jacked the prices while also skimping a bit on portions. Even the chips were cool and slightly stale. I wish I could cook my own food and bring it here to eat in the nice environment while enjoying a tasty margarita and talk to the friendly staff, because the food coming out of their kitchen has become the weak point. Maybe the good cooks quit or something? Anyway, we do not plan on coming back here to eat.

Four of us sat in their really nice outdoor patio. Sadly the service was terrible but the food was good. And it wasn't busy inside or outside so that wasn't it. The server was very nice but had to ask for too many things over and over again before getting it. After being sat and asked if we wanted drinks, we ordered 2 margaritas, asked for water too because it was a warm evening. Asked again the next time he came to the table, asked again when he brought our drinks and asked again when we asked for more chips & salsa 2x to get those. After 20+ minutes, finally got waters after our food was brought. Our friend asked for some sour cream when she ordered dinner, asked again when it came, asked again when it didn't come. Finally asked another waiter who was bringing our orders out, didn't come and ask again. Finally came. All four of our entrees were really good and very large portioned and full of flavor & fresh toppings - diced tomatoes, lettuce, cheeses & really good quac.

the restaurant is beautiful the outdoor space is so pretty, the food was okay and i would probably not come back bc it was not memorable or something that i would want again. i got fish tacos and they are on the very low spectrum, the fish inside my taco was minimal and there was more tortilla and cabbage a fried bread then anything. i ended up combining my two tacos into one. they lady that served us very very nice and she was doing a great job. just the food and drinks were not worthy of coming back:

So me and my girlfriend, we go to the por favor all the time our experience today was not good. We sat inside because it was so hot. We got chips that were all crumbled up put them in front so the server would see him. She didn't even notice it or asked if we had our chips we got our food. She never came back until, our food was all done and we were ready to go and step back. I wanted another Beer. She seemed like all she cared about was her large party so I don't think I got any service

Was staying at Courtyard Marriott and wanted something close by. Came across this place in Yelp and decided to give it a try. So glad we did as the food did not disappoint! Had the mini taquito appetizer for lunch and still couldn't finish it, there was so much on the plate! Menu has quite the selection, so there's something for everyone. If you're in the area or not, give this place a try!

I absolutely love this restaurant! The food is fresh and made fresh on site, and the servers are always prompt and polite. And the fact that they have both an enclosed patio where you can enjoy the little birds that live in the bushes nearby *plus* a streetside patio where you can view the people coming and going is a bonus. And the portions are fabulous! My husband and I split their Chimichanga, and have plenty to eat. I highly recommend this restaurant. And, if you come Friday nights from May to September, you can enjoy the El Cajon "Dinner and a Concert" series, where local or cover bands play for hundreds of people in the Promenade. It's a win-win!

My biggest take away from this restaurant is their Mexican salsa.. not the stuff they put on the table with your free chips, this is the GOOD STUFF! We asked for hot sauce and they brought out a ramekin of this delicious goodness that I would definitely buy on the side to being home. Beyond the salsa, I got a margarita and some enchiladas, which were both good and flavors were as expected. The food was hot and well made, but since it tasted like most other Mexican restaurants I couldn't give it a 5-star, especially for the price. I recognize that this is a prime location so prices need to reflect that, so I'm not mad at it. my friend got Enchiladas Suiza (chicken enchiladas) which were completely stuffed with a moist filling. overall it was a good place, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to come and eat here.

A mediocre quesadilla isn't worth (combined with tax) 14$. Be better next time. Besides that, the service was extremely poor. The person I spoke to was very belligerent. In no way do I intend to come back here and I recommend other people don't come here either.

The waitress was rude, shouted at us for requesting separate bills (there were 12 of us), older lady not one smile. the place was pretty and attractive. they need to remove that woman from waiting on customers. I don't think she liked her job.

Food did not taste good. I had the fajitas & they tasted as if the meat was cooked separately from the veggies. No flavor. The tortillas for the fish tacos fell apart. The service was ok except the Waitress was a bit argumentative. I definitely will not b going back. Sorry, I didn't get a pic

Felt like old times in visiting por favor on a Friday night. The place was hopping, Mariachi's included. Plus we had the concert across the street. I love seeing locals support our local restaurants. Ok, Back to PF, where Gabe and family Are always consistent. A great Cadillac plus today was shrimp fajitas. Which is a perfect Dish to share if you're feeling like a Lighter meal. Come down and re check this place out and if you're not feeling Latino, simply the sister rest. Downtown cafe

Terrible place and management. I saw the manager yelling at an employee because a large party was asking a server questions during there order and the manager said she took to long. The server was doing their job and got In trouble for that? Very unprofessional. Food was cold, drinks were weak, and the bathrooms were disgusting. Wouldn't spend another dime here and the manager needs to get booted. The worst leadership I've ever seen in an establishment. Lupe is the owner and the health department needs to go by this place, disgusting.

Walked by saw there was Happy Hour Wednesday's-Sunday. Waited 15 minutes to get seated and once seated waited another 10 minutes. Just came to get drinks, draft beer and margarita, simple. Looked very unprofessional, waiter was confused and thought we ordered a burrito(we didn't) Once we got our drinks the beer was super flat and when we told our waitress she already knew it was flat so she gave us another one. If you want real Mexican food go to Tacos el Gordo

I can't give three stars. The service was excellent. The kitchen was off. I'm not sure what I had. It's been too long.

So Ms. Badpenny and myself decided to go out for our FIRST dine in meal since the Corona virus started back in beginning of March, and I'm happy we picked Por Favor, El Cajon! First off, very clean, and they take all precautions seriously. Our waiter was more than amazing and the food was off the chain! I ordered the Grande Avocado Chicken Salada in the big edible tostada bowl, and Ms. B ordered the Mahi Mahi fish tacos. Ice cold bottomless ice tea and a Coconut Margarita, and we were set! Also, you can bring in a 64 oz growler and have them fill it with craft beer for $10

Went to this restaurant today and it will be the last. The food was terrible! I had Pollo Asado Burrito and it was horrible. ( That's probably how the prison food tastes like) their chips were stale. And to top it all, there was hair on it! We paid $90 before tips for a crappie food. I will never recommend this restaurant.

Irma was super nice and attentive, the decor beautifully represented mi Mexico querido...solo falto el Mariachi

Called to make reservations. Someone picked up the phone and then hung it up. It was left off the ringer as I tried to keep calling back it was busy. Tried, back a few minutes later it rang again, someone picked it up and hung it up again. Great service before we even got there. ‍

Met a couple of buddies at Por Favor in El Cajon for a couple of beers. They offered COVID-friendly, very well spaced patio seating. The table was clean and freshly sanitized. We sat down and immediately we were greeted by our friendly server (I didn't catch her name). She brought us chips and salsa for the table and took our beer orders. Two large Pacificos $12 ea. and a large Coors Light $9.50. They were served in a giant schooner glass. Giant. We also ordered a plate of nachos to share. A pile of chips covered in beans, chorizo, shredded cheese, sour cream and the Ortega chili in it was a nice addition. We ordered the guac on the side as I am allergic. The service was great, the chips and salsa were tasty, the nachos were decent, the beer was cold. Por Favor is not super high on my list of places to go. In fact, we went there only because Downtown Café didn't open until 2:00 PM. But I would go there again if I had a hankering for Mexican food and was in the area.

Cold beer. Great outdoor seating. A family ritual for getting together for Mom's/Dads day, birthdays. Margarita's are delicious and I personally love the combo #1 tacos. Just the right amount of food. Love it.

Beyond exceptional!! Food absolute 10.. but the service was amazing .. our sever was Galilea! ... made our evening a special event! best service during our little trip to the Magnolia Theater. Request her on your visit!

Really unfortunate the deterioration of this long serving restaurant. Have been coming here for years. Today is the last visit. Although the car show is going on now, the place is not staffed properly. The food was horrible. Service worse and no attempt to rectify the situation. The Margarita was absolutely the worst I've ever had. Tables aren't being bussed people are waiting for service and food is not appearing for a very long time. I would think that this restaurant is more than aware of the number of people that come during the car show event yet, here we are waiting for the kids' ice cream. A wait of more than 30 minutes. The entire visit is more than 2 hours and we're still waiting for the check. An awful experience. Stay away.

Frequent Customer of 10+ years, so disappointed. The entire restaurant is filthy. Husband & I walked in looking forward to eating a delicious dinner and as we walked by the many empty tables and chairs every table inside had food particles, wet drink circles & soiled paper napkins across the tables & booths. Bathrooms were disgusting & needing the tile floor to be steamed clean. Please invest in some bleach to eliminate the spread of germs. All we could think of what's it like in the kitchen, are they dirty in there too? I hope the owner reads this and sets some higher standards with their employees. We ended up at Hacienda in El Cajon with great food, service and cleanliness!

This place is NOT DOG FRIENDLY at least the head waiter he let our food deliberately after we ordered sit cold. So by time we got our food tonight the top fuel drag cars were at the El Cajon car show were on display. We had timed our dinner to have been gone an hour before they stated. Our dog was scared half to death and all he could say was sorry about the food. He knew damn well what he had done. He should be fired !!! If you ever go there and he is your waiter either get up and leave or request a different waiter one of the girls. P.S the food is not that great there anyways

Really great experience. Sat outside on their large patio. Service was great, professional and quick. Server was very attentive. Probably some of the best Mexican food in San Diego. Shredded beef enchiladas were delicious. First time visit but won't be our last.

Food was good but service was pathetic. I was served one Glass of water my whole entire meal. Three of us everyone's drinks empty the entire time. Waitress never came back the entire time. And their not even busy. My daughter even called out to our waitress and was totally ignored. Place is gone down hill.

Food was terrible margaritas were terrible. This used to be a great spot and we used to go here a lot but never again. I don't know what happened maybe new owners.

I haven't eaten there in quite a while because honestly I didn't really care for their food or their margaritas. But yesterday I had a Chile rellano and Hubby had the cheese dip/flour tortillas and everything including the Margie's was great! Have to keep going back on a regular basis now!!

We tried this restaurant out during the busy classic cars show so it was extremely busy. We waited quite a bit of time to receive and chips and salsa/drinks I'd say probably an hour into sitting down. The waiters were in a rush so we had to keep flagging them down to get water and napkins. When we ordered most of our party was able to order food but one person was not able to order food because the waiter left without asking if there was anything else we needed. The customer service could be improved. It was rare that the waiter checked in on us. I was surprised that this Mexican restaurant did not offer traditional augas Fresca like Jamaica or horchata. The attentiveness to our party was missing. The salsa is not traditional Mexican red salsa it is a very bland version. Our food came out hot which was nice but some of the rolled tacos we got were burnt. And the kids burrito could have been cooked a little longer since the tortilla wasn't cooked all the way. I got a Chile relleno and a green enchilada but the salsa verde on the enchilada didn't taste fresh. We ordered jalapeños on the side and they tasted off. We spent a lot of time waiting to get food that wasn't authentic Mexican food. A lot of the food was covered in lettuce to hide the burnt taquitos and covered in cheese to hide the dish. This place could be cleaner as well.

The atmosphere is cool, service was good. I ordered Fish Tacos which is one of my favorite dishes and I found it weird that it doesn't come with any sauce on it at all. It's a piece of fried fish with tomato and cabbage on it. The fish also did not taste fresh. And for $16 at most restaurants you'd be getting rice and beans with that at least. But it was just two dry tacos for $16. I did try the carnitas and that was really good. The restaurant Is ok but for the price, there are many other restaurants I'll be going to before I come back here.

We are here Wednesday last night. Service was slow, the waiter treated us like we were leper's. The food was fair at best and a beer and Margaritas were $19. Not go here again for a while maybe it was a bad night. But find somewhere else on Car-show night. Don't waste you time or money.

Great taste! Awesome customer Service and Michelle was super nice and made us so welcome also we asked if they can hurry with the food because we only had 30 minutes break and food came so fast and good! Thank you

This place was very nice and had a great atmosphere. We were able to sit outside by the street. There was a lot of foliage and a fountain. The chimichanga was so huge that it was food for two days. Staying in a hotel, the waitress was nice enough to also pack a fork, knife, and napkins. The staff was very friendly and service was fast. Great relax restaurant.

Wow! Service, food and drinks were phenomenal!! Sylvia and Trevor took great care of our party of 11. Definitely will be back for the Carnitas and the Long Island iced tea. Also, their Happy Hour menu has great deals.

Visited this restaurant for the first time for an office baby shower gathering. It was 10 of us and the service was horrible. Our server Julia forgot to bring out drinks, took so long to take our order and never once came back to ask if we needed anything. Someone in my party was asking her for something and she turned her back and walked away nodding her head like she was still listening but that is not good customer service. The worst part was it wasn't even busy, the patio was empty. Most of my party enjoyed the food which is why I'm giving 2 stars but the service always makes the experience. Gratuity was included because of the party size but she did not deserve 20%. Management should have a talk with her.