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    Ama’s Cocina

    4.1 (42 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Ama’s Cocina Takeout or Delivery

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    AMA’S COCINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Ama’s Cocina

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    Beef taco
    Jason D.

    Delicious tacos and great vibes! Stopped in for a quick bite and everything was excellent. I got the pastor tacos, my girlfriend had a birria taco and a beef hard shell, and every single one was packed with flavor. The horchata was perfectly sweet and refreshing -- highly recommend! The decor is super cool and the staff was friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!

    clean cute restaurant

    i LOVEEEEEE coming here! the food and service always top notch !! clean space and the front girl is always so nice. The food is seriously so good not like all these other taco shops that make the food fast , this is more like home style authentic mexican food.

    Gordita de chicharon
    Victoria R.

    Authentic Mexican food made with love. Family owned place with great service, and even better food. The potato rolled tacos are my boyfriend's favorite. Today I wanted to try a bunch of menu items I've never tried before. I asked them which gordita is their favorite and got that one, chicharon prensado gordita, plus a chicken Huarache, and a pambazo. The Pambazo is like a torta, but the telera bread is dipped in a tomato based sauce and grilled, then it's filled with a mixture of chorizo and potatoes, and topped with shredded lettuce and crema. It was really good! The bread was so soft and flavorful from the tomato sauce. The Huarache is kind of like a sope and a tostada had a baby. It's a flat, oval shaped fried masa base that's pretty large, topped with refried beans and your choice of meat, plus shredded lettuce, cheese, crema, and onions. This was my favorite of the three items. The shredded chicken was in a sauce with stewed onions, it was moist and flavorful. The beans were creamy and perfect, and the masa base had a great texture. Less crispy than a tostada, more like a really thick corn tortilla that's still soft in the middle, but crispy on the outside. The gordita was really good and not what I expected when I heard chicharon, but I was really pleasantly surprised by the filling. It was really crispy on the outside and soft inside. A nice, simple, satisfying dish. When I was waiting for my order I saw they have a dessert that has platanos in it. I can't wait to try that next! And of course the churros too.

    a mexican restaurant
    Yoceline G.

    Cashier was very nice Mulas are super good Cute spot for a quick bite I will definitely be back !

    Jack M.

    I had a breakfast burrito from this newly opened Mexican eatery in El Cajon. I ordered the ham, egg, cheese and house potato burrito for $8 and some change. The burrito was okay but definitely missed on a few levels. First of all, the burrito came with way to much potato and the potato pieces were way to big. The burrito had so much potato that I could not taste the ham, eggs, nor the cheese which was not even noticeable. Now if this was a potato burrito, then it would of been just right, but the burrito needed more eggs, ham, and a lot more cheese to make it a good breakfast burrito. In addition, they should also consider peeling the skin off the potatoes, unless they are using a red or yellow potatoes and crisp them up a bit! Also, they need to scramble the eggs separately first in a container, then pour them into the mix with the rest of the ingredients on the hot griddle. The eggs were not well scrambled. I did like the way they toasted up the flour tortilla on the burrito nicely on the griddle. I tried both of their hot sauce, the red and the green, and they were both quite good. I favored the red because it had more complex flavors and a touch of heat.

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    8 months ago

    Our favorite spot! Carne Asada Fries with chipotle sauce 10/10!! And the Cali Burrito. Always fresh pico!!!

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Friendly people and really good food. We usually get our burritos from here. Sometimes we sit and eat as well and the service is great.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food and service. This place has always been my favorite little taco shop in east county.

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

    Fantastic customer service and the Taco's were delicious! I will 100% be coming back!

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    2 years ago

    Amazing homemade taco shop. Everything is great here!! The mulitas and pambazo were fantastic! Highly recommend trying.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Beat tacos in East county, hands down. Handmade tortillas, great hospitality, and overall a fire mom and pop shop. Highly recommend

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    4 years ago

    If you want good birria I recommend driving a few minutes down to Chula Vista, even the tj 664 birrierias have better food.

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    Photo of Rene M.
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    4 years ago

    3rd Mexican restaurant that opens in this location and the food is great. Gorditas and tacos al pastor are a must!!

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Panchos Mexican Restaurant - Sizzling chicken - it had steam!

    Panchos Mexican Restaurant

    4.3(246 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Great Mexican food. Friendly service , I will be returning to order more food.the inside was ok.read more

    A couple of friends lured us here. And thank goodness for it. I have driven by a dozen of times and…read moredidn't consider stopping in. Walking into Panchos, you are immediately greeted by a bright, colorful and welcoming scene. It gives you the feeling of walking into your tía's favorite old school restaurant. The tables and benches are dark wood. And there is papel picado hanging. It's charming. You get the feeling that Panchos has been around for decades. Apparently, the restaurant has been open here since 2004. And the real star? Our server, whose name I cannot recall. He was equal parts waiter and comedian, a very kind man who was highly attentive and extremely helpful. If you like spicy salsa, be sure to tell him to bring you the good stuff from the back (after he offers you bland Tapatio). The menu is absolutely massive. They have breakfast burritos, breakfast plates, chips and fries, shrimp plates, soups (check with the team about offerings, like caldo de res), tortas, quesadillas and a kid's menu and more. I highly recommend the cheese enchiladas and the chile relleno. The chile relleno is especially good. It isn't your soggy, cafeteria-style relleno drowned in red sauce and regret. It is the best comfort food, and Panchos does it well. There is a generous melt of Oaxacan cheese, the batter is very light without being greasy. And then there was the ranchero sauce! Tangy tomatoes, a hint of garlic, and a tiny bit of chili. So very good. Also popular on the menu is a pitcher of margaritas, which you should plan on sharing with three others. The mango margarita is also quite nice. And they also have a Baileys & Coffee. And you can easily get a delicious, filling meal for $20 or less. All around, a great place.

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    Panchos Mexican Restaurant - Flowers in parking lot !

    Flowers in parking lot !

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    The Burrito City - Chicken Enchiladas

    The Burrito City

    4.5(167 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Service - I've read the previous reviews mention that service was bad and orders were not correct…read more I've eaten here three times now and have not experienced bad service or any incorrect orders. The service was nothing to praise but it was just a simple take my order and get me my food with a welcoming. Cost - The cost is a little bit less than average to average. The big thing for me is the burrito sizes are large. They're more long than bigger in width but they're filled with whatever you order. They also give you a free side of tortilla chips on the side which is a great addition. Food - I've tried a breakfast burrito, a steak and bacon burrito and the hot Cheeto burrito. The quality is great, meat is juicy and flavorful. The bacon came out crispy in my breakfast burrito but not too overcooked. The hot Cheetos burrito was done in a way where the chips don't get too soggy and this makes for a great experience. The side salsa bar has a great selection of salsa and toppings to add to your burrito at no additional cost and all have great flavors. The tortillas have a great taste and the burritos themselves are not super greasy on the outside but have plenty of sauce on the inside. Quick Summary - The food honestly just hits the spot and especially for the price and free chips with the selections at the salsa bar. Can't go wrong here and haven't had any service/wrong order issues.

    I stopped by after work around 9:00 pm, absolutely starving, and was relieved to see they were…read morestill open. The restaurant sits in the Vons shopping center, so parking was easy. As soon as I walked in, the modern Mexa-inspired vibe stood out--the place was spotless, including the salsa bar. The cashier on duty was genuinely friendly and helpful, which made the experience even better. I ordered the Surf and Turf Burrito and a large Jamaican drink, which came out to $22.72. The burrito was incredibly moist and flavorful, with shrimp cooked perfectly. We paired it with the green avocado salsa and the habanero pineapple salsa fresca--both delicious, with just the right amount of heat. The Jamaican drink was refreshing and not overly sweet, which I appreciated. The only letdown was the zanahorias; they were bland and tasted mostly like vinegar. Aside from that, I'd definitely come back.

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    New Dinning Area

    The Burrito City - Chicken Bowl with Chipotle Sauce on the side.

    Chicken Bowl with Chipotle Sauce on the side.

    The Burrito City - Burrito California + chipotle sauce

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    Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos - Campechana Fríes

    Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos

    4.4(331 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $
    Vegetarian friendly
    Grab-and-go

    Squeezed into a small shopping center on the corner of Washington and Magnolia sits Chuy's Taqueria…read morey Burritos. Needed a quick bite to eat so to Yelp i went ... saw Chuys had some good looking food and reviews so we took the 9 minute drive from Parkway Plaza after some holiday shopping. Upon walking in there is about nine bar stools aligned the L shaped bar table for sitting along the left wall/window. Place was spotless, super clean with pretty dope street art to your right! The woman at the register was very nice and the cook seemed to carry a great attitude as well. I noticed many customer coming were returning customers which is something I always like to see. California burrito was packed with meat and cooked to absolute perfection. I could actually taste the carne asada over everything which is honesty rare for me. The guacamole was not oozing out nor was it overpowering the taste of the whole burrito. The size of this thing was as about the size of my forearm! Filled me up for sure!! 6 rolled tacos with guacamole, sour cream and cheese was also perfectly cooked. Perfect amount of crunch on the ends and not too soft in the middles. Plenty of meat in the rolled tacos as well, which you could also taste well through all the toppings! We'll definitely be seeing you again soon Chuy's!!!

    Chuy's doesn't bother with theatrics. It's a straight shot of San Diego comfort: a counter, a warm…read moregriddle, and a crew that treats your custom order like it's the most natural thing in the world. I ordered a California burrito and asked to swap in adobado pork. No hesitation, no side‑eye, just a nod and a "you got it." That alone puts them ahead of half the shops in the county. The burrito itself delivered. The adobado came through with that deep red glow and smoky tang, the kind of flavor that feels like it's been tended to, not rushed. Fold that into fries, cheese, and a tortilla doing quiet, reliable work, and you get a bite that hits all the right notes. Rich, bright, salty, satisfying. It's a simple thing done well, which is exactly what you want from a neighborhood taco shop. Chuy's isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. They're just making a damn good burrito and treating you right while they do it.

    Photos
    Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos - Pork belly tacos

    Pork belly tacos

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    California Burrito

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    Yesenia's Mexican Food and Seafood

    Yesenia's Mexican Food and Seafood

    4.3(63 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Nom nom nom!!! One…read moreof the first things I do when trying a new Mexican restaurant is to try the rice and beans. If they're good, the rest of the menu seems to be too. Well, Yesenia's has magical beans and rice! And guess what? Everything else is delicious too! I especially like that their refried beans have some whole beans left in. The rice is moist and flavorful. I would be a happy camper if all I had for dinner was the rice and beans but... My hubby and I are slowly going through their menu! So far, it's all fantastic! The food is very fresh, portions generous, and just tastes soooooo good! I can't wait to try the pozole next. A lady near our table had an enormous bowl of it the last time we were there and it looked delicious One of everything please! They also have a salsa bar with about 5 choices along with hot carrots/peppers, pickled onions, and limes. They have many tables and ample parking (strip mall). Everything has been clean and has a nice mix of dine-in and takeout orders. They do a great job - thank you! V & K

    This Yesenia's Mexican restaurant is associated with one in Claremont Mesa called harvest, a place…read moreI used to go to when I worked in the area. So glad I found them now in East County. Today I walked in and saw a breakfast burrito special on the board, including mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, eggs, and cheese. Delicious! The mushrooms were sautéed perfectly and blended well with the other sautéed vegetables, egg and cheese. The salsa bar is legit offering mild to spicy red and green. A word of caution, the jalapeño salsa is fire! But it taste so good. I kept going back for more punishment ha ha ha. Come in and see for yourself, the food is good, quality ingredients, and super nice people. You won't be disappointed. The restaurant was clean and tastefully decorated and the restrooms were clean and cared for. Definitely adding this to my go to quick Serve Mexican restaurant.

    Photos
    Yesenia's Mexican Food and Seafood - Order counter

    Order counter

    Yesenia's Mexican Food and Seafood - Chicken rolled tacos

    Chicken rolled tacos

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    Ama’s Cocina - mexican - Updated May 2026

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