3-4 stars. I think it's best to eat it at the location rather than order on DD. I'm not sure what happened but we asked for extra (3) green salsas and was only given 1. We also got a super spicy one, and sadly not the creamy chipotle one. Before they used to give variety of each salsa. The burrito came cold and it's only a short drive away! The wrapping of the carne asada burrito needs work since there's too much tortilla overlap, imo! The packaging is much different now as it's in a plastic bag rather than paper. They do have a cute sticker saying thank you for supporting local/small business! The meat is cooked well and it's not too salty. Pico is fresh and delicious. It would definitely be much more tasty if it was hot or even the slightest bit warm. I've ordered from them before and the food always came piping hot-- so it was def a surprise today. Luckily, you can't go wrong with Mexican Coca Cola! My dad always would order one when we got Mexican food. read more

See all

I've always done take out from Acapela Modern Mex and everything has always been well packed and seasoned. The service is always kind and I've been fortunate enough to try their elote despite it not being on the menu. I hope they end up adding it to their menu as they applied a generous layer of mayo, cheese and lime, making it quite tasty. Unfortunately I tried ordering their agua frescas multiple times and they're always sold out. *Carne Asada Burrito: nicely toasted tortilla wrapped around tender carne asada, guacamole and pico de gallo. The pico de gallo is always juicy and fresh. The burrito is filled well with meat and the ratio of carne asada to toppings is ideal. I often find carne asada overly salty but the seasoning here is just enough. *Large Adobada Fries: a saltier and drier option. The fries are already seasoned so the overall combination with the adobada is too salty for me. The creamy guacamole, sour cream and cheese counteract that profile but I wished it also came with pico de gallo. However, this was quite hefty and filling compared to other fries. *La Mesa Fries: an even greater hefty mix of asada and adobada atop fries. In addition to all the other toppings, there's also chiptole sauce and cotija cheese. Once again, I wanted pico de gallo to offset the salt content. I'm appreciative of how much meat is included. *Horchata: the only agua fresca I managed to try and it wasn't my favorite. It was on the watery side and there was minimal cinnamon flavor. *Ceviche Tostada: the tostadas are made inhouse but they're on the greasier side. The ceviche came with plump shrimp, onion, tomato, cucumber and peppers. The lime marinade was refreshing and sour. One of their few seafood options and it was enjoyable and light. Although the sauces cost more online, we were given them for free in person. The red and green sauces were classic while the habanero hot offered an even spicier option. The chipotle was creamy, spicy, and smokey. Overall, the fries are a bit too salty for me but every other dish was one of my favorites. La Mesa is truly fortunate to have such a tasty and consistent Mexican spot. read more

See all

Stopped in today for their $5 bean and cheese burrito special. The gentleman at the counter was SO nice and helpful. Took his time telling me about all their specials, what day they were on, gave me some coupons in my bag.... Opened my burrito in the car and the wrapper had the sweetest "thank you for supporting my small business" sticker on it. My burrito was great, piping hot and fresh, that yummy authentic tortilla and good amount of bean filling. Highly recommend! read more

Acapela Modern Mex - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

Stopped in for breakfast and was impressed! I had the carne asada fries with eggs on top -- absolutely delicious, with plenty of guac and perfectly seasoned steak. My buddy got the fish tacos, which were generously sized and topped with an amazing chipotle sauce. If you're in the area and looking for a quick, tasty meal, I definitely recommend this spot! read more

Acapela Modern Mex - FISH TACO and Carne Asada Fries - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

The service and the food were both really good. I got a two fish taco plate and I definitely could've been full with just one fish taco. It was really delicious. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - Fish taco plate - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is really good Mexican Very flavorful and very nice staff I always see the owner and he is super nice! They always give out chips and salsa while you wait which is so kind. My boyfriend and I love their adobada fries read more

Acapela Modern Mex - STREET ADOBADA TACO - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

This has become one of our favorite places to grab food. I always picture the modern taco shops (like this one) to not be authentic tasting but don't let this one fool you because it definitely is tasty! We get veggie burritos sometimes and it is the freshest tasting veggie burrito I've ever had; I love the creamy (chipotle I believe?) salsa with it. The red salsa is good too! read more

Acapela Modern Mex - CARNE ASADA BOWL - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

Had to knock some stars because their hours are sooo inconsistent despite having them posted on their own damn restaurant front door!! THREE times we have shown up and they are randomly closed. Two of those times we just went to Sombrero's down the street. Come on Acapela do better!! read more

It's our "go to" Friday night feast. The service is always friendly and the food is consistently good. They don't use lard in the beans and that's a big deal for us. Thumbs up read more

Food was awesome! Help support local small businesses! They are a keeper! Try their chipotle sauce on your burrito!

After 3 bites my husband & I were running to the bathroom with our guts on fire & explosive diarrhea!! They did nothing but make excuses & condemn me for raising my voice. Never stepping foot in this place again. read more

I came here 4 months ago and tried their fish, shrimp diabla, and adobada tacos. The shrimp diabla was huge and so loaded! It was spicy and full of flavor. I also got a tamarind and strawberry agua fresca, which are made daily. The strawberry one was so creamy and refreshing. Before I left, I decided to get their pollo asada fries and these were so addicting. I loved it! It was so delicious! Service was so friendly and the staff was helpful with their recommendations. read more

See all

What I ordered: Hashbrown Burrito, Carne Asada Burrito, buñuelos , Horchata and Jamaica aguas frescas. Food Presentation and Flavor: Food was tasty with good flavor. Everything tasted fresh. The green and chipotle salsas had good taste as well. I did not like that it was more tortilla then food in the burritos I ordered. Food was well packaged and I thought it was good that they add their stickers with their name and info on them, it shows they care about their business want to get known. Price : It was a little pricier than other Mexican Shops I've been to. For the price the burritos should of had more food in them. Parking lot: Lots of parking spaces but sometimes that parking lot gets packed due to other businesses around location. Ambiance: Looks clean and very cool decor. It's small but cute. Customer service: The guy who gave me my togo order was friendly and I felt welcomed when I entered the shop. read more

See all

Looking for taco Tuesday and found this small place close to home. Greeted by a friendly girl. We were happy to hear they have Tuesday Taco specials. We ordered the fish, carne asada and adobada (extra crispy) tacos. They come with cilantro, onions & guacamole. We passed on vegetables and only had guacamole. Accompanied with a lime. Tacos are street taco size. Tasty tortilla and nice portion meat filling for $1.85 each. Fish tacos are not in the Tuesday special they are regular size with cabbage and crema inside. Fish was a little thin for a taco. Mostly vegetable but was good. I would recommend a bigger piece of fish for tacos and it would be perfect. They offer 4 different salsas. chipotle, habanero, green & red. They also have complimentary chips and salsa for dine in. For a Taco Tuesday special this place is good for the price. read more

See all

Ermahgawd. The Diablo shrimp tacos are amazing. I've tried sever bowls, surf and turf chips and tacos but this is my go to. The employees are usually pretty nice and I've never had issues with online order pick ups. Super small place but that's ok it's down the street from my work so I usually just get it to go. Quick tip: the Diablo taco is amazing but messy beware if you're a messy eater. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - SD DIABLA TACO - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

I like to review after I have been to a place a dozen times. Today is that day. This is my go to place for burritos. They serve chips and salsa if you eat in and the burritos are tasty. It's clean and the staff is friendly with great energy. Give it a try. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - Chips and salsa with pineapple aqua fresca. - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

Acapela Modern Mex occupies a suite in the middle of the Baltimore Plaza in La Mesa. One of the walls was plastered with photos of famous singers from all genres of music. That seemed to be the link to 'Acapela' in the business name. Three tables and a countertop made up the inside seating so we're talking limited capacity. Parking was also constrained in the shared lot. The menu offerings were typical of a fast-casual Mexican joint with burritos, tacos (standard and rolled), fries, bowls, salads, and quesadillas. Four plastic barrels containing agua frescas were on display at the service counter. I chose three tacos (adobada, carne asada, shrimp diabla) along with a cup of strawberry agua fresca for my meal. These were regular sized tacos with the first two on the same plate with tortilla chips. Several kinds of hot sauce were provided. A separate plate held the shrimp taco and more chips. The beef and pork were cooked properly without being dried out. The grilled shrimp had lettuce, cotija cheese, pico de gallo, and a special sauce on a corn tortilla. The diabla was the sauce as it packed the heat of a habanero or serrano chile. I wish I had sampled the other sauces, but my tongue was burning after tasting the special sauce. Prices were a reasonable value for a newly opened eatery, and the service was courteous. If Acapela Modern Mex wasn't so far away from my regular hangout areas, then I would certainly make a return visit. read more

See all

Casual 92119 / 92120 Taquerias ranked: 1. Vallarta Express 2. Acapela Modern Mex 3. Cotija (Santee) 4. Primos 5. Taco Fiesta Acapela brings some fresh flave to the neighborhood. Acapela shines is in it's freshly made sauces. The guac, the pico, all of the hot sauces were amazing. The preparation of the food was so-so to pretty good. Unfortunately chicken rolled tacos do not exist, the beef ones though were fantastic. My chicken quesadilla was pretty standard, tons of cheese, tons of chicken, but the no-sauced bite was maybe a 7/10. All in all still not our go-to our or closest taqueria but is definitely one of the better ones around, check it out! read more

Acapela Modern Mex - rolled tacos: 9/10 - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

Having just opened, Acapela is a great option for sure. I found this little place tucked in Baltimore Shopping Plaza and was excited to try. My husband and I ordered a plethora of items, in hopes of getting a full rounded taste test. Glad we did. I ordered the Shrimp Diabla, fish taco, adobada taco. He ordered the California burrito with a side of seasoned Serrano chiles. Listen... we go hard with Mexican food. No doubt about that. Shrimp Diabla: okay.. so we all know by now that i'm a picky eater. But I can handle the spice... I ordered this baby with no Pico. Unfortunately it came with Pico.. so I had to ask for them to correct it. I think they just moved off the top layer and called it good. There was definitely Pico still in the taco but whatever. I'm grown. I'll pick it out. Now this thing was intense. If you're not ready for that Diabla sauce... then good luck. I was definitely sweating after the first bite - which definitely was a punch to my tastebuds. That thing is HOT!!!! Like fire water hot. But it's so good, so I couldn't even complain other than my sweat glands. The shrimp was somewhat hidden amongst the toppings - so it felt really sparing when I'd take a bite. Overall, I'd probably not get this again for the simple fact that it was mainly tortilla and a TON of cabbage. Fish Taco: this thing was also insanely loaded with cabbage. I really didn't feel like I was able to taste the fish without having a whole salad in my mouth. I ended up scooping half of it off, which sacrificed the majority of the sauce they included. Luckily their chipotle sauce was pretty good... so I substituted with that. Their fish wasn't really flavored. I feel like it was previously frozen at one point.. I might be wrong but it just had that store-bought fish stick type of taste and texture. Adobada Taco: this thing was legit. The Adobada was great and the chipotle sauce accompanied it perfectly. Small and simple. The California Burrito was the size of my forearm but lacked flavor. The cheese wasn't melted so that was a bummer. There were more French fries than meat... which is a huge reason why I dislike potatoes in a burrito. I don't need potato as a filler. Gimme all the meat! The carne asada kind of lacked flavor and was a little dry. Overall the burrito wasn't very hot and it was just okay. Serranos we're exceptionally hot as always and perfectly seasoned. The char made them kind of dry so that was a bummer. Hot sauces.. I wish they would've included green/tomatillo sauce with our order but we didn't get lucky enough. The chipotle was great. The habanero was kind of off tasting. I couldn't tell much differences between the reds. They looked and smelled the same with the exception of one smelling more smoked than the other. So I stuck to the chipotle sauce. The space is super small, so I suggest getting your food to go. But don't forget to look at their 90s legends on their wall. I'm reeling a patron looked at Pantera and thought it was System of a Down. Probably the most appalling thing I had witnessed this week lol. It's a great source of brief entertainment while you wait for your food for sure. Overall, I'll be back if in the area. But I wouldn't go out of my way. If I do come back, for sure trying a breakfast burrito without potatoes... and asking for like 1/3 of the cabbage they put on the tacos. The prices were decent, no complaints there for sure. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - California Burrito stamped with their logo - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

I had a good bacon and eggs breakfast burrito for this new Modern Mexican Eatery. They served their breakfast burritos all day which always cool. The breakfast comes with fries, but I asked for them on the side, I prefer regular potatoes in my breakfast burritos. I do wish they carried them. Anyways, the burrito was medium size and came with a very good amount of tasty bacon. The eggs were well scrambled and tasted good, but I thought the burrito needed one more egg in the mix. The flour tortilla was of good quality. It was soft and offered a light buttery texture. I liked their green hot sauce. It had good flavor. The red I thought was okay. I didn't get to try the creamy one. I would definitely consider a white vinegar base hot sauce for the eatery. The fries that I had outside the burrito and served on a plate were good. a little salt and pepper would of gone a long way however. For a beverage I had the Strawberry water or agua fresca which was terrific! The young lady working the counter, I wish I would of gotten her name, was super nice and helpful. I look forward to returning to try some of their lunch items. read more

See all

Slam dunk late night dinner with the kids. We decided to dine in and the two people working behind the counter on Saturday were effortlessly grinding. The complimentary salsa and chips were perfect. Honestly blasted me back to Chicago with the think cut tortilla chips and rustic salsa. The carne asada fries were delicious as the fries were the good quality kind and the carne asada was juicy and plentiful. Last but not least -- the churro was perfectly sweet -- light and crispy with a moist texture. read more

Wow! Acapela just had a soft opening this week and is located off of Baltimore in La Mesa and I highly recommend it. There's taco shop food and then there's Acapela. Their portions are huge, their ingredients are fresh and everything is beautifully presented and put together. My hubby and I swung by and ordered two fish tacos, a carne asada quesadilla, rolled beef tacos and a cucumber lime agua. The fish taco was enormous and I could've easily split that into two and had just that for dinner. The fish was crispy, flavorful and toppings accompanied it nicely. The rolled tacos were crispy, seasoned perfectly and topped with the crispiest freshest romaine ever with finely shredded cheese, guacamole and sour cream. The quesadilla though...it was huge and sooooo good! The creamy chipotle salsa was magnificent and was a creamy salsa with a kick. They gave us a taste of all of their different homemade aguas and while the strawberry was my absolute favorite, I ordered the cucumber lime so I would take my time drinking it. Check out this new establishment and give them all your business! I highly recommend it if you're looking for great food and exceptional service. read more

See all

Brand new Mexican joint with made from scratch salsas and fresh drinks daily. They apparently will eventually have churros, but currently the menu is pretty standard. They serve breakfast all day which is a plus. It's kind of funny to have yet another Mexican restaurant in the area since Sombrero's, and Los Pinos are basically across the street, but options are good! The service was friendly and fast. The food was pretty standard. I had a California burrito with guac added and it was very filling. The spicy salsa was quite hot, and we had assumed it was the darker one but it was not. I will have to try the breakfast burritos next... Welcome to the neighborhood Acapela! read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem. Best carne asada fries in the city. Almost don't want to leave a review so I can gatekeep it, but the staff deserves recognition for their hard work. They're always so friendly and accommodating, the business owner has even given me free dishes to sample when I'm torn on what to order. Love this place. read more

Stopped in here when visiting friends and was surprised by the food. Initially I thought we would take the food to go, but the service of the staff offering chips and salsa while we waited led us to dining in. I ordered street tacos that had a great flavor! The salsas tasted great as well. The walls are decorated with famous singers and given the name of the restaurant, it all made sense! A great spot to stop in for some solid Mexican food. read more

Just found this great place! The place is tiny with only a few window seats and two tables inside. No outside tables at all. Service was helpful, prompt and friendly. I had the adobada salad bowl. It's not on the menu but they made it for me. It was delicious!! It came with fresh lettuce, some cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. I got it without dressing and sour cream and put some of their fabulous homemade salsas on top. Fabulous and reasonably priced!! i'll definitely be back!! read more

See all

Whommmmp-whommmmppp! ACAPELA, since you've opened, you've had great food! One of my favorite menu items is the surf & turf fries, extra crispy. And the reason they are my favorite is because ACAPELA is one of the few Mexican restaurants who still use SHOESTRING FRIES!! So, it's my go-to because you all do the S&T fries very well. However comma... tonight, I was dismayed to find out, at pick up, that the fries are now thicker cut fries like everyone else uses. Boooo. But what the issue is is that these fries are doused in sodium already before they even get into the bag-- and that flavor (yuk!) and extra thick potatoe-ness drowns out the flavor of the tasty carne asada, shrimp, chipotle sauce AND guacamole--all which you make very well!!!! But these fries ruin the whole flavor experience, in my opinion. Aside from that issue, I'm glad I ordered 2 fish tacos for the first time cuz they were very tasty!! And, as always, the Jamaica, is crave-worthy and so refreshing!! Please tell your vendor or delivery people to get the fries right. I know some folks probably dig the thick fries... but I don't. Because the reason I choose ACAPELA over others is because of THE FLAVOR!!! Pues..., please bring back he shoestrings ;) Gracias read more

Acapela Modern Mex - Kind of a waste of $16+, right? #BringBackTheShoestrings - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

I'm not from this area, and randomly picked up lunch from here. Food was fresh. The man behind the counter was very very friendly!

When did this place start to cheap out on the meat?! I would usually order a California burrito from here every so often because they packed their burritos. But today?! They really gone cheap. Look at my photo. I ordered a California burrito with no sour cream. They gave me a tortilla, cheese, barely any meat and bunch of soggy fries. They used to have crispy fries now they are soggy. The quality isn't consistent. Now they lost me as a usual customer. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - CALIFORNIA BURRITO no sour cream. Barely any meat. Soggy fries. Cheese was non existent. They've gone cheap on us. - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

Carne asada tacos were awesome. Reasonably priced. Great taco Tuesday deal. Great Service as well! Nice place.

I always get the veggie taco or veggie tostada. Delicious! Lots of flavor, very filling, tastes fresh. The tortilla chips are yum too. Guacamole is just ok. It's kind of watery mushy guac. And I didn't care for the fries. But overall it's a good spot where they seem to care about making tasty food. read more

Excellent carne asada chips and really friendly staff! I think I have a new local place for Mexican!

Food is very good...customer service sucks. Two bad experiences. I usually never give bad reviews, but when it happens twice I think it's worthy. First time they got my order wrong, and made me come back the same day to get a new order, or I would lose my credit. I was already home and didn't have time to go back out. Second time I ordered a SoCal taco and substituted the flour tortilla with corn. In the past they have given me two corn tortillas because they are smaller; when I called in the order, I confirmed that it would come with two corn tortillas, because they are NOT consistent.. When I picked it up, it had only one, when I told him, he said, you have to tell me when you order. I said I did. Yet he only said "I'm sorry." Yes, the service is "sorry!" read more

Acapela Modern Mex - SO CAL TACO with ONE tortilla. - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

This place is very good and I'd give it 5 stars. But this is the second time I've driven to the parking lot and find out they're closed. They need to better communicate on when they are opened or closed. I understand it's hard to run a business, but why would anyone franchise with them (as their IG advertises) if they are inconsistent on hours of operations. Highly suggest you call before showing up to make sure its not closed and mis-aligned with their advertised hours read more

Amazing,fast,clean so good I would recommend this place to everyone. They did a great job!

I've stopped here a couple times when looking for a quick meal, and it's never been too crowded. This is a plus because they're in a plaza with a small amount of parking for the total businesses there are. The menu is relatively simple: tacos, burritos, and fries/nachos. If you want something other than that, you'll need to head to one of the many other Mexican restaurants on Baltimore/Lake Murray Drive. Prices aren't the lowest or the highest- about $10-12 for a burrito. They have freshly made agua frescas as well, which sets them apart from the competition nearby! They also have a unique creamy chipotle salsa which you should give a try. Staff is kind and professional, and the tables are always clean. I only wish their menu was larger! read more

Acapela Modern Mex - CALIFORNIA BURRITO - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

I've been driving past this place to go to my local jeweler (shout out to J.Dery Jewelers) for a while now. I finally decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad we did! Namely what makes this place different than all of the other run-of-the-mill Mexican food sprinkled all over San Diego, is how FRESH everything is! Everything down to the salsas and avocado, the quality was great! I would detract one star, not based on quality, but because we were charged for surf and turf nachos, but didn't receive any shrimp! It *was* a pickup order, however, and we should've bothered to check our order before leaving. So, if you're doing takeout, I'd recommend double checking. I do understand businesses get incredibly busy and it's easy to miss a detail! I can't wait to try more menu items! Food was outstanding! read more

I forgot to take a picture of the fries I bought. I got the surf and turf fries for my boyfriend. He thoroughly enjoyed them with the Chipotle and salsa verde. I ordered their food on a Friday night around 5p-6p. They're super close to where I live and I decided to finally check them out. I'm so glad I did! I ordered to go. The place is pretty small. I can see them being packed during peak hours and having zero space for people to sit. The girl who took my order was suuuper nice and very helpful when I had questions about the menu. The food did not take long at all to be made. This area of La Mesa is pretty quiet and when the sunsets, there's a good view of the outside and the light hits this area and it's just beautiful. Rolled tacos were perfect. I love sour cream and I don't like at other taco shops, if I request it I have to pay extra. I'm not mad I have to pay extra. I just wish it came with it already. The agua fresa was BOMB ! Usually the only place I get this at and it's soo good is at a taco shop on 47th. This is just as good. I'd come here just for this drink alone. If you've never had it, it's a creamy (probably milk based, just FYI if your lactose intolerant) strawberry drink! And they use real strawberries. You can taste it as you drink it. If you don't like some strawberry chunks as you drink it, you may want to strain it when you get home. I'm not taking away a star for this, but rather as an FYI to other people who check reviews. Compared to other taco shops down south, this place would be considered "expensive." However, keep in mind given location, it's decent, in my opinion. It's hard to find a taco shop that is really good. I've been to many in La Mesa and this is one of two that I've found to be really good and worth it. read more

Acapela Modern Mex - 3 ROLLED TACOS - Tacos Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

Very clean and fun decor. The service has always been swift and the food is fresh quality. It is a go to for my partner and I. I highly recommend the La Mesa burrito. It has cabbage in it that gives it a crisp light texture that we love. read more

I've encountered multiple instances when I tried to visit Acapela at 5pm or 6pm, only to find the lights off and the establishment closed, despite their website stating they should be open. It's very frustrating to make the trip only to find them closed. read more