We tried the fish tacos, and they were honestly some of the best I've had from a taco shop! If you don't feel like turning on the stove or cooking after a long day, this is definitely a place I would go. The cucumber water was delicious as well! My daughter ordered the carne asada burrito and absolutely loved it! Of course, we also had to get the onion rings because I'm a huge onion-ring fan--and they did not disappoint. They were perfectly crunchy, not oily, and tasted even better with their delicious chipotle sauce. Prices are a little on the higher side, but with the economy these days, that wasn't much of a surprise. The food was fresh, flavorful, and satisfying, and I would definitely recommend giving this place a try. We'll be back! Sorry...no photos we ate it too quick! read more

Yooooo! Don't sleep on Cali Mex Cocina. Large menu with fresh ingredients, breakfast burritos with multiple options, friendly staff. I ordered Breakfast Burrito with Longaniza and all vegetables. Perfect balance of all ingredients. Melted cheese, excellent breakfast potatoes, longaniza was a nice change in protein. A D, you get a delicious cup of fruit. Salsas are deep in flavor and excellent consistency. Red salsa gives you a little heat, green salsa is mild and delicious. Excited to try the test of the menu. read more

See all

Quick ordering, pleasant service, and the food was delicious. While waiting you have the option of sitting at the tables located outside. A clean eating environment that gives you the chance to people watch if you want. Very colorful and easy to see what is offered food wise. read more

See all

Great burger at a very decent price, huge onion rings so crispy and yummy. Patio now has privacy and a cute atmosphere. Very friendly service and fresh food delivered to your table promptly. Not your average taco shop! read more

See all

I was really excited to try this place! Especially since it is close by so I wanted to add it to my go to restaurants when I am feeling a bit lazy. However, I ordered adobada tacos and carne asada fries and unfortunately, they were not as yummy as others I have tried. They were lacking a lot of flavor for my taste so I was pretty bummed out. The reason I am giving this a 4/5 though is because the service was quick and easy and the persons working there were really nice. They also do have an extensive menu so my review is strictly on the adobada tacos and carne asada fries. I personally do not recommend those plates but, I would go again to try other plates they offer as well as sit at their outdoor dining area. read more

The Green Chilaquiles and breakfast sandwich was delicious. Service was amazing, they filled up our water bottles with ice and water for free on a hot day. Super hospitibal for us. Seating outside was quiet and peaceful. Would definitely recommend stopping by for a bite read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

This place is delicious! I stopped in on Tuesday and ordered their Taco Tuesday Special: three tacos with homemade corn tortillas with the protein of your choice for $9.99 plus tax. The protein choices are carne asada, adobada, beef birria, carnitas, lengua, and pollo asado or grilled chicken. First of all, the corn tortilla with the griddles cheese on them were fantastic. I liked that they were thick and tasted of that great natural corn flavor. The beef birria was tender, juicy, and delicious. I liked that they placed nice large tender pieces of the beef in each taco. The tacos were eating with the beef consommé. The tacos also came with house made guacamole, which was very well made and tasty. Each taco was topped with chopped onion and cilantro. On the the side came freshly sliced radishes and lime wedges. The red salsa I asked for was very good and offered a nice mild heat. The service was very good. Alicia in the kitchen is makes delicious food and she is on it. They offer covered outside seating only. This is a great new eatery. read more

See all

Newly opened family owned restaurant in Lemon Grove. I ordered the Taco Tuesday special, 3 tacos for $9.99. Unfortunately, they all have to be the same for the special. I went with Adobada, no pico. I should have asked, the guac had tomatoes in it. I just picked them out. My food smelled amazing, I almost took a bite in the car! The tortilla was homemade, nice and thick. Tables on the patio if you want to eat there, street and lot parking. Customer service was amazing. Cash or card. I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Ok folks, this place is an absolute gem and is my new fave taco shop. Their food is absolutely delicious! Everything is fresh and with very friendly service. Over the few weeks that they have been opened we have ordered their tacos which are soo good. We've had the birria ( and they have the consommé !) the pollo asada and the carne asada. I believe they make their own tortillas and they are absolutely yummy. They do not hold back either, generously filled with meat, all the fixings and guacamole. I like that they give slices of radishes. Also, to note, the lime they give isn't all dried up like many taco shops have, fresh limes are so appreciated. Friend had the torta and said it was very good. I ate the fruit that came as a side, and their fruit was very fresh as well - had blackberries my fave. Carne asada quesadilla was also very good and was large enough for two or for dinner later. The carne asada fries were so good! San Diegans are so damn adamant on who has the best fries so I would def say come check them out and doubt you'll be disappointed. My favorite thing I've had so far though, is their ceviche that comes with a side of tortilla chips. It was absolutely delicious. They had it last Friday as a special and hope they continue to carry it as a special. I also loved their agua fresca. Also made fresh daily, I've only had their Jamaica but it hit the spot. I don't eat menudo but my mom does and she liked theirs. Friend had the surf and turf burrito and he said he def would order again. There is parking directly on the street or a few spots where Coops is. Has a covered patio with a lot of seating and heaters for when the temp dips. Follow their IG as they have been posting what their specials are . So glad this new spot is here and I hope they thrive! read more

See all

This is my third time visiting. I've been disappointed all three times. I tried different menu items each time hoping to find something I would love because they don't use lard and they're close to my home. I had been out running errands and I was really hungry. Just needed something to eat. The customer service was horrible. The first lady could not speak English. I understand it's a taco shop, lots of Spanish-speaking folks I get it. Then I had to wait for the second woman to come. She did speak English, however they did not seem to understand the words coming out of my mouth. I bought a Jamaica so I could get some sugar into my system as I was waiting for my food. They couldn't even seem to do that correctly. The non-English speaking person said that she had charged me and handed me a receipt, but not the actual drink, the second lady said that the first lady did not charge me correctly and I had to pay again. (I may have been charged twice.) I told her to just add it to the food and hand me the drink it took several more minutes and several more times of me asking for my drink before I even received it even after I paid. I ordered the fish tacos trying to get a fish taco plate like I thought all taco shops serve. I guess not this one. They told me I could get the tacos in one or three I wanted two so I ordered three. I again asked if they could make it a combo with rice and beans. That seemed to confuse them. I asked if they had any other sides than fries. The second woman finally told me they did have rice and beans. I told her that I would like rice and beans with my tacos plus a med drink $30 . I would probably overlook a multitude of sins if the food was delicious. I had the steak and fries the first time, the steak was tough. I had breakfast the second time, I don't remember which breakfast it was, I just remember it was not yummy. Today tacos with rice and beans. The Jamaica was yummy a little less sweet than everywhere else which actually pleased me. However, the tacos and beans tasted burnt. The only thing that was really edible was the rice. Overall I was disappointed. If I hadn't been so hungry, and if that Jamaica hadn't already been poured, even though they weren't going to hand it to me, I would've just walked away. I will not be back. read more

Cali Mex Cocina - I asked for beer, battered fish they gave me grilled, and the fish was burnt too - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

See all

Love the food and the cashier is nice ....... . . . read more

I don't know what happened. This spot was a hidden gem maybe five months ago I don't know if they went under new management but something changed. The food is definitely taking a hit I got my surf and turf and I seen how small the shrimp are now maybe they are trying to save money possibly but if you missed the first version of this place, you really missed out. I probably won't go back. read more

We tried the pupusas and they were definitely 10/10 . Everything was fresh and delicious. Service was fast and they were super friendly! I will be recommending Cali Mex Cocina to everyone I know! read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

See all

First time I tried this restaurant despite my hopes it failed I ordered a breakfast burrito with sausage and I thought eggs. There was one egg in the entire huge burrito. The tortilla was burnt on the sides. And the sausage seemed to be re-cooked from another day. The salsa was actually decent. And the fruit was cute. But all around no I won't be back. I really wanted to give this place a good rating. read more

Seriously everyone stop going to Starbucks and come here for their horchata with iced coffee!!! I cannot get over how delicious this is!! Also literally everything we get here is so good! We really need to support this place and keep it running because it's a gem! read more

One morning on my way to sprouts I noticed that a new Mexican spot has popped up. A few days past and finally decided to give it a try one morning after visiting Home Depot. I have to say that this is by far the best Breakfast burrito I have gotten in this area. The choice of ingredients are great. The burrito has great flavor and is not super greasy like other places. I got a bacon/ham combo and to my surprise it comes with a small fruit bowl which my kids loved. I will definitely be coming back and try another item on their menu. A+ for service and prices. read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Breakfast Burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

This was my 1st time going Here, I wanted to try a different Mexican place to eat. I ordered a fish taco which was good. My husband ordered 3 beef tacos. So when he was putting his order in he Specifically said to the lady 3 time no Guacamole and no pico deguao. And the lady repeated 3 times no guacamole amd no pico. When we got home hos tacos had guacamole and pico. Omg! My husband was pissed. I told him scrap it off and just eat it, he said hell no that's not what I ordered. Since I didn't make dinner he scrap all the stuff off and ate it. He was impressed with the meat to. He asked me to try the meat it was hard and had no flavor. I was surprised because Mexican food like the meat us always tender and good season. Not this one. So I called back and talk to the cook. His name is Neri, he was very nice I explained what had happened he remembered the order he said we can bring it back or if he ate it I'll give you a discount. I said he was hungry so he scrap the top part off and ate it. Well I will go back to get something later for my husband. If Neri give me a good discount I will change my reviews, if not I will keep it the same read more

See all

We were hungry for Mexican food so based on prior reviews we thought we'd try Cali Mex Cocina. This is a very small restaurant with a walk-up window and outside seating only. The outside patio was covered and all the tables were very clean. The menu isn't just Mexican, they offer salads, onion rings, and a breakfast menu. My husband ordered the surf and turf burrito. This was a HUGE burrito weighing in at a whopping 1 lb 10 oz (see pics)!!! This delicious burritto was stuffed with chopped carne asada, several JUMBO shrimp (see pic), minimal rice, some pico de gallo and chipolte white sauce. We asked for all 3 of their salsas to try. We liked the green salsa the best. The red salasa was the most mild, then the green had some kick, watch out for the dark red it is muy Caliente but good! My husband scored the burrito a 5. I ordered the 3 tacos; you choose what meat you'd like. I chose a carna asada, a beef birria, and a pollo asada. The tacos are served on homemade corn tortillas, with cheese, pico de gallo and a pile of "guacamole". When I first opened my box, I couldn't believe the size of these 3 tacos... they were huge (see pic). But sadly these tacos were not very tasty. The homemade tortilla was very thick and rubbery...I was looking for the cheese that was advertised as being in the tacos, but it had been grilled onto the inside of the tortilla (maybe to help keep the ingredients from softening the taco shell??) Of the 3 meats I tried, I liked the flavor of the beef biŕria the best. Now I have something to say about all that guacamole that was over-piled on to each taco. The guacamole had an overpowering lime juice flavor with no flavor of avocado at all... also lacked some salt. I think maybe someone forgot to taste-test the guacamole before serving it to customers. This was a huge "miss" for me. I love guacamole and tacos, but this was not tasty at all. I ended up scraping the guac off all my tacos and eating just the meat with some green salsa. The corn tortillas were just way too heavy for my liking and the grilled cheese on the inside was odd. I scored the tacos a 2. We also ordered onion rings served with a creamy chipolte sauce, these were absolutely delicious! We scored the onion rings a 5! We will be back to try some other menu items. I hope the guacamole was just a recipe error that night. read more

See all

Went here for dinner tonight, OMG I've never had a cheese quesadilla that was so good.They put cheese on the inside obviously but on the outside never had it like that. It's a game changer for sure it was soft and crispy at the same time. Green salsa was also good not too spicy. Next time I will be trying the smash burger which looked so good. They even have a Philly cheese sandwich that looks good. So many options read more

Everything we had was so good. The tacos and the mulita were HUGE and super filling, and you can tell the tortillas are made fresh. The guacamole was creamy & flavorful. The jamaica was cold and tasted homemade. The fruit salad was also a favorite really fresh with a great mix of fruit. Wonderful service always. We left full and happy and will definitely be back. Love this place! read more

See all

Outdoor seating only, you order through window. Fast friendly service. First time here and definitely will be back to try other items on the menu. Solid tacos stuffed with plenty of meat and generous with the guacamole. Visited on Sunday for brunch worth a visit when your in the area. Ask for the salsa matcha if you enjoy the spicier stuff. We decided to stop in because we noticed it was a new to area and wanted to try out something we have not yet tried. Im glad we did, this will be in our local area taco rotation for sure! read more

See all

Amazing food! I had the carne asada burrito and it was perfect. Quick service and great staff! I would give 10 stars if I could. read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Staff serving customer. - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

We decided to try this new place, the experience was awful ..3 tacos for $12 with barely any meat, we order carne asada. Then we order the surf and turf burrito, it was pure guacamole..then they forgot to gives the French fries we order, so we decide to go back to pick them up and the fires were burnt and we had to return again ...we end up making 3 trips to get our order correct. I would definitely not recommend going there. read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

We're fortunate to live nearby and our family is STOKED Cali Mex Cocina has opened up in Lemon Grove. We haven't been that happy with the quality of the Mexican cuisine in this neck of Lemon Grove (Cali Mex blows the doors off of Santana's). Everything on the menu so far is delectable and gives off the aura of being cooked with skill, enthusiasm and passion. My daughter describes the Mulita (w/Adobada) as "heaven on a plate." My son is a chicken tender aficionado and gives the Chicken Tenders w/Fries "10 stars" (he's eight years old). My wife loves the pollo, carnitas & carne asada tacos. Me? I'm a sucker for the specials; in fact, I actually got my Facebook back up and running just so I could check out what the daily special is! From Pupusas to Enchiladas, they're always made fresh with a lot of love and attention to detail. If you live in Lemon Grove or find yourself nearby, treat yourself! You'll thank yourself later. My daughter would like to add, "I would give them 100 stars if I could!" read more

Cali Mex Cocina - My daughter's note she wrote on the spot after devouring a Mulita! - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

We decided to try this place after a friend recommended it on instagram. We had the chilaquiles and added carne asada. Total was around $15. These were some of the best chilaquiles I've ever had. The portion was huge, the sauce had some kick and had a good tangy flavor, and the order came with 3 eggs. My gf and I were able to share the one plate and both were full before we even finished it. The carne asada had a good char as well. Will definitely be back read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Chilaquiles with carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Really really good tacos! Can't wait try other items! Super friendly staff too. Crispy carnitas, bomb adobada, and thick cut carne asada! Homemade tortillas with cheese fried in each one, and tons of guacamole on each taco. Bigger than most street tacos, the plate of 3 is super filling. They have lots of agua frescas made daily, I had the gaunabana and it was so good! Took it to go and each box was clearly marked for each of us, but there's plenty of clean outdoor seating too. read more

See all

Such a great find! The fish tacos were absolutely delicious -- we tried both battered and grilled, birria and they were fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. You can really taste the quality. We also had the rib eye breakfast sandwich, which was amazing and very filling. Everything we ordered was on point, and we're already planning to come back to try more items on the menu. This place is truly a gem, and to top it off, the owner was kind enough to come out and chat with us. Highly recommend checking this spot out! read more

I have been there 3 times and the food has been very good. Service is also very good.

I had the carne asada and it was excellent -- super tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. It came with fresh radish slices and a couple of lime wedges that had clearly just been cut, which made a great touch. The guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsas were all packed with flavor and really fresh. Everything tasted homemade and authentic. I'll definitely be coming back soon! read more

Service was excellent. The food amazing big large plate. I hope you come hungry. Prices are very read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Calimex Mexican restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

no words, came loaded, well done, crispy & WAS HEAVVYYY super worth it! great pricing (this is now my new and fav mexican place) read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Carne Asada Fries - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Omg, they are so good!!!!! I love this place. Everything is so fresh, well seasoned, cooked to order. They have the best quesadillas I've ever had. I can't put my finger on it why, but they are delicious and so satisfying. The pupusas are delectable, including the sauce and pickled salad side. The jicama salad is so good. The pineapple is always freshly cut, not canned. I add mango when I have it. This salad goes well with the shrimp burrito (the extra veg makes you feel better about yourself). And the salsas are all delicious and all distinctly different, made in house. I'm still working my way through the menu, but it's all been remarkably good. Including the daily selection of aguas frescas. The service is always super friendly. I am usually a bit of a PITA when it comes to ordering and they are always very kind with my subs and additions. read more

This new Mexican place is incredible! It's an odd location in lemon Grove across from the trolley tracks, but don't let that fool you. They are cooking up absolutely gourmet food at reasonable prices. Tortillas, salsa, etc everything made from scratch. I had one of the best bacon burritos I've ever had and it came with a huge side of fresh fruit. I've been here three times now since they opened and I will keep coming back to try everything on the menu. read more

First time. Saw they had fish tacos on yelp but they don't. We wanted 2 orders of the Tuesday taco special with mix of protein. Guess there was a miscommunication because order was wrong. Good portions but did not like the tacos here. Could do without the tomatoes and guacamole on top. Tortillas too thick and meats lack flavor. They have a variety of things on their menu to try. Nice to have a restaurant other than fast food in the area. read more

Their food never misses. Huge portions. I actually wish they'd give us the options for half sizes. There's no way I can eat all the chilequilles with 3 or is it 4 fried eggs. I just can't. Share with another hungry friend or two. read more

This is the best spot for food in San Diego, the service is amazing as well the prices it has everything you need. 10/10 must go read more

Cali Mex Cocina - Carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

My daughter and I have decided that these are the CARNE ASADA FRIES that we have had in a very long time. We shared it. The sauce does not look spicy, but it has a little bit of kick. Not sure what to try next because I am trying to stay away from red meat as much as possible. We probably will never get CARNE ASADA FRIES anywhere else unless we are too far away. They were so good. read more

The guy at the front is very nice and accommodating. The food is very authentic and yummy no matter what you get.

My family and I visited for the first time this evening to get food to take home and had a wonderful experience. The food is a unique combination of fresh salads, Mexican, and American food. I enjoyed a fresh Thai salad with chicken, which exceeded my expectations with both perfectly crisp veggies, flavorful dressing, and moist chicken breast. My wife's monster taco had a perfectly made and cooked huge corn tortilla and delicious chicken with guacamole and fresh spicy salsa that all went so well together. My son's chicken tenders and fries were super crunchy and tasty. The ordering process and open air seating is unique and very well suited to families and big groups. I also had the chance to meet the owner, who is a Lemon Grove local, and he was so nice and friendly and helped answer a question regarding tree nut allergy concerns I had for my son's food. We love to support local businesses and will be back soon! read more

Im soo glad these wonderful people opened! santanas went completely downhill but cali mex is here to save the day! just wish they were opened a little later for the late night fix. read more