We sit in the lounge area. Less crowded and faster service. Grilled fish tacos were superb and the rest of the food scored high marks as well. Fresh made tortillas are a hit and the salsa is amazing. read more

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My best friend and I came here today to have a girl date. We ordered a shot, a margarita, and an appetizer. We were having great conversation and catching up, just the normal things you do when you have a "girl date". Anyways, we ordered another shot to take as we were vibing out and enjoying our ceviche when we were told that "we've had too much", since we had not yet ordered our entrees. I have been here more than 20xs in the last 6 months. I've been HAMMERED, I've been sober, you get the point. Never once have I been told of this "policy". Never once have I been cut off or warned. From the second we got here, the bartender was rude. He wasn't the main bartender, but that's neither here nor there. Every interaction we had, he never made eye contact, never engaged, never NOT seemed annoyed to be there. Anyways, after being told that we needed to order entrees before we were able to get another beverage, I asked to speak to the manager. She came over a few minutes later trying to explain responsible service to us...my best friend and I are bartenders and have been since we were in our 20's. We're now in our 40's and are not sloppy. Anyways!! I am not sure where this came from; had we been acting intoxicated and embarrassing, not another word would have been said. We would have left with our tails tucked and many apologies would have been given. We will never go back. This "policy" has never been enforced in all of the times I have patronized the restaurant, and this fully ruined our evening. We understand responsible service and how to appropriately gauge a customer's level of intoxication and never once were we acting in a manner that would warrant such actions from their employees. Very disappointed by this experience. read more

It's a big restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. They had a band playing music at table side when I visited. It's in a plaza so there's plenty of parking. We came as a big group. The staff were nice to put multiple tables together in the bar area for us. The service was slow as we waited for a while to put in our orders. I ordered a sampler platter. It came with taquitos with three different meats, quesadillas and chicken wings (which is odd to have wings there. They looked like buffalo wings but didn't taste like it). Margaritas are good. There are many flavors to choose from. Overall, the visit was average. read more

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The food is okay. Nothing to go crazy about. I order the Chili Poblano every time because it's consistent. My pops ordered the fajita trio and it only came with TWO corn tortillas. An entire platter of fajitas and only two tortillas for $36.95 is crazy to me. The service was lackluster at best. Our server was an older man and he was pretty rude and didn't come around often. He actually picked my menu up off the table then put my silverware/napkin down and sat the menu on top of the exposed silverware. Gross! I probably won't be going back. $115 for lunch for two and I could have gotten way better food from a whole in the wall taco shop. read more

Casa De Pico - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Food hot fresh tasty chips, and salsa, enchiladas, shrimp, steak, tacos, beans, and rice yummy. Margaritas were strong. Great service fast and efficient. Ambience, nice decor seating noise level not extremely loud. Overall, I would go back and I recommend this place. read more

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Stopped by Casa de Pico today and arrived early, so we sat at the bar area. Juan took great care of us, he's very professional, friendly and he made our drinks worthwhile. Even though we only had chips and salsa, the service and atmosphere made the experience enjoyable. Always a good time here and we'll definitely be back again. read more

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My mom, her friends, and I came here on a Saturday night. We didn't have to wait to be seated. I've been coming here for awhile. The chips and salsa are good but the salsa comes in individual small plastic containers that aren't even filled up. Service was really slow. I kept having to ask for water and more salsa. Food is good but service needs to be better. read more

Casa De Pico - Street tacos - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I always partake in SDRW and I wanted a budget friendly place to take the fam. I've been going here for so long, ever since they were in Old Town! I'm surprised that I never dropped a review of this place. This used to be the IT place for Mexican food but with so many restaurants, it's stiff competition. Before, seating was an issue for a big party, but that wasn't the case when I arrived with 6 ppl on a Monday night and only a 10 min wait. This year's SDRW menu was three course for $35! Pretty good deal. From host to servers, the service was on point. However, they did ask for our dessert choice while we still eating our appetizers. I would have preferred they ask either in the beginning or wait until we are at least eating our entree. I liked that they each gave us our own salsa when the free chips came out. Portion sizes are huge! The salad I chose was so big, which was larger than the usual side salad serving that I was anticipating. I liked the tequila lime shrimp which had plenty of shrimp, rice and beans. Of course, the homemade tortillas are always delicious! The flan was smooth and not overly sweet. I did get the medium Mango Margarita which was larger than I anticipated. I couldn't finish! It was pretty good though. Loved the cozy atmosphere and I saw lots of families celebrating birthdays. Nice to see that many locals still love this SD staple after so many years. Definitely will return again! read more

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Always excellent! We love the tequila lime shrimp. Excellent flavor, perfectly cooked shrimp. Flavorful rice and savory black beans. Love the margarita menu! Our favorite is the Sauza Cadillac! The warm fresh chips and salsa are excellent! Love the colorful decor and Mexican embellishments! The mariachi band makes for the perfect ambiance. Service is terrific! read more

Casa De Pico - Tequila Lime Shrimp - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I've been here a few times and it was always a good experience. There's plenty of parking in the lot and there can be a short wait on busy days. On this visit we ordered the fiesta sampler to share with a party of 5. It was good but ended up being a lot more food than we needed, on top of our entrees. I got a mango margarita, which was good. I forget the flavored margaritas are slushies though, so I'll prob stick to the original margarita next time. For my entree I shared the shrimp Caesar salad and carnitas plate. The salad was fresh and shrimp cooked well. The additional quesadillas made it a lot of food! The carnitas plate was very good. You assemble your own tacos or burrito with fresh, warm tortillas. Overall both entrees were more than enough food. The chips and salsa are one of my favorite things here. The salsa is so addicting the tortilla chips are made super fresh. Service is good and quick. There is also a live band that plays music around the restaurant. You can request songs from them as well, which is fun. Overall always a great time here with good food and a fun atmosphere. read more

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Great food, great service, great atmosphere! Cool spot to watch the game at the bar. The drinks yum!

What can I say about this spot? I must have had a million great memories and a million great margaritas to go along with them. The food is amazing, the strawberry mango blended margaritas with tajin and chamoy on the rim is definitely numero uno! And the service is top notch, the servers always seem to remember my order without ever writing it down. I have been coming here for years and the food and service here never seems to change nor disappoint! One of my favs is the sampler platter and the tequila lime shrimp. If you haven't tried Casa de Pico you must come and check it out. The tortillas are so super fresh and the atmosphere is such a cool vibe! read more

Casa De Pico - Best place ever! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

We hadn't been to Casa de Pico in years. We arrived with a group of 9 but ran into two friends and added them to our group. We finally ordered and everyone had orders with specific additions, substitutions or deletions. Jose Luis got every order perfect and everything came out together! I ordered a Todo el Mundo tostada that had a fantastic salsa for the dressing. Everyone raved about their food and the service! read more

A day of celebration for Cinco De Mayo meet with more of attitude like day of the dead. The staff was dressed to represent authentic Mexican heritage but the hospitality was more like a meeting between the leaders of Iran and the US. Food was midrange at best and the Michelada was more tomato than anything. However, the drinks were cold and the place was clean. This is not a place you mark on your calendar but...if you're in the area and want a snack give it a try. Rated 6.7 read more

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Great ambiance! The restaurant was nicely decorated for the holidays. The food wasn't as good as I remember but it was still tasty. The waiter was not very personable but he was quick. The best part was the tasty flour tortillas. We had a shrimp combo, fish tacos and beer! read more

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After walking around the Grossmont shopping mall me and my girlfriend wanted to grab I bite to eat. After seeing the food court at the mall wasn't to our liking I went to Yelp and found this place had some decent reviews so we decided to check it out. -Upon walking up to and into this restaurant... it really gave off that authentic Mexican cuisine vibe. Plenty of art and decor to set the vibe for dates, family dinners and even work gatherings. Place was immaculately clean I mite say. They offer inside and outside seating as well! -I had what the Carne Asada Salad as shown in the picture...I loved it!! Perfect ratio of meat and greens, comes with a green sauce to drizzle over and that made it absolutely amazing! I wasn't left with a bunch of greens like some salads I have had from other places. My girlfriend had the fried fish tacos and she loved em, I was able to try one and the sauce on the tacos was absolutely delicious! The fish tacos are of a good size so it will definitely fill you up along with the sides of rice and black beans. -I awarded 4 stars simply because the service was bare minimum for it being not so crowded and we were minimally waited on. We seemed to be an after thought for the waiter. Refilled water once and checked on us once all in the same time. I did observe another waiter serving his table and he seemed to actually enjoy giving good service so that was promising. We just weren't so lucky haha. For the healthy eaters, the "Healthy Dining" portion of the menu is MACRO friendly meaning it's got you CARBS, FATS, SODIUM AND CALORIES which I thought is really nice! I love the gym so that's a big deal for me. Thank Casa De Pico for the great food! read more

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Wow what an experience! Absolutely beautiful restaurant with so much color and so much to see! There was a live mariachi band which was so fun, we really enjoyed it! The service was absolutely wonderful, our serve was the perfect amount of attentive (not hovering, but not having to hunt her down if we needed something). The food was very good! Chips and salsa at the table while you wait for your food. They have a generous sized kids menu as well. They also have a selection of non alcoholic drinks which is always fun, I had a virgin pina colada and it was really good! We really enjoyed Casa De Pico and the whole family is very excited to come back. read more

Casa De Pico - Grilled Salmon Salad - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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My family has been going to Casa De Pico since the days of it being in Bazar Del Mundo. I adored it then and it is still very good! I like their margaritas. They have so many flavors! The atmosphere is pretty neat. It feels like walking into a Mexican Hacienda and is always welcoming. The staff are great. The tortillas are my favorite. I swear they should do a meal of just tortillas with toppings. I would be really good with that. However, the food is also good. It's nostalgic for me. As a San Diegan, it is the Mexican food I grew up eating when we weren't going to taco shops. It is still very good and I would absolutely return! :) read more

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Food was delicious, music was good. Loved the homemade tortillas! Service was quick even though they were very busy.

I've been back a couple of times and had the perfect experience each time. The chips & salsa were perfect, as was the Shredded Chicken Burrito! This is now one of my favorite "nicer" Mexican restaurants in the San Diego area! read more

Becky had a craving for a margarita so we went to Casa De Pico for a drink and some chips and salsa. We sat at the bar and were helped pretty quickly. A marg a beer and chips and salsa and we decided to order the Queso Fundido appetizer (Melted Oaxacan cheese with chorizo and green chiles. Served with handmade tortillas). Holy shit! The absolute worst Queso Fundido ever! The "melted" cheese had the consistency of bread dough. Seriously, you could've put it in the oven and baked a loaf of bread. There was no way the chorizo could mix in. It was impossible to dip a tortilla chip. It was like trying to dip a chip in taffy. $17.25 for this ridiculous excuse of an appetizer. Took the "fun" out of fundido. In hindsight I should've broken my rule about not sending food back. This definitely needed to be replaced. Instead, I took it home and tried to fix it. I put it into a mini crockpot with a splash of beer. It heated through and became more like a dip, but still had an odd lumpy consistency. We tossed it. An extra star. Becky enjoyed her margarita and my beer was nice and cold. Service at the bar was pretty good. Certainly not worth the $47.74 we paid though. read more

Casa De Pico - No fun fundido. - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

We came in for a quick lunch. We were in the mood for fajitas. We ordered steak & chicken and the guacamole. The food was good. Service was okay. I liked it better when they were located in Old Town. The vibe in Old Town made you feel special and more of a vacation feel ambiance. In location in La Mesa just doesn't have the same feel. Yes! I'd come back because they're a San Diego staple. I love all the colorful decorations and the patio is pet friendly. Usually there's a mariachi band playing but they left as we were coming in for lunch, or maybe they were playing inside the restaurant. ‍. read more

Casa De Pico - Concha de Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came here to celebrate a birthday. Started with chips, salsa, and guacamole. The guacamole wasn't anything too memorable and the salsa tasted watery. For the entrees, we ordered Tequila Lime Shrimp and the #2 Combo (taco, tamale, and enchilada), chilaquiles, and enchiladas. Pretty standard "chain restaurant" type of Mexican food, but the Tequila Lime Shrimp was good. Service was attentive and no problems parking, with the restaurant being on the outskirts of the shopping mall. read more

Casa De Pico - #2 Combination 2 (Taco, Tamale, Cheese Enchilada) - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Beautiful outdoor seating and the service is top notch! The food was excellent and it paired perfectly with the amazing live music! read more

Casa De Pico - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Very cute atmosphere in here. The waitress was very friendly and the gentleman sang to our table very nicely. The food was okay. I think it is pretty overpriced, but the experience was nice. read more

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First off the food is good , prices are normal compared to other restaurants. We sat outdoors which was clean and many umbrellas for shade. Indoors is also nice with a lady making homemade tortillas. Parking can be hectic at times because it is in a shopping mall. One thing was the service was a little lacking. The place was not busy and no one bothered to come by and ask for a refill or anything. Sat there for a while and was wondering was anyone going to come by with the check. Other than that we have been coming here for years even when they were located in Old Town. Hopefully service will be better next time. read more

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Excellent service. Had the tequila lime shrimp and the flavors were amazing. Excellent Cadillac margarita. Loved the house made chips and salsa! read more

Casa De Pico - Few - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Wonderful SD Restaurant Week Menu!! I love to take pics of my dining experience, but I was either really excited or really hungry or both! I ate before I realized I forgot to take pics!! Order the 3 course meal! My advice- Course 1-Apps-Skip the quesadilla and get the shrimp ceviche. Huge!! Course 2-Main-If you love shrimp like I do, you won't regret the garlicky shrimp with bursts of flavor! 12 huge shrimp!! The garlic sauce seeps into the Mexican rice-so delish! Course 3-Dessert-you can't go wrong with either the fried ice cream or the homemade hot churros!! And treat yourself and get the margarita! My dining partner and I had 3 between us! We loved the live Mariachi band! read more

Husband's favorite place since he was young is a must visit when we come to San Diego. Really felt my age when we showed up for an early dinner and got an early bird menu. Menu is large, chips and salsa are delish, and drinks are as big as your head. Our waitress was super kind and food came out quickly once we ordered. Interior is fun, very colorful but they also have a great outdoor patio. read more

Casa De Pico - Mango strawberry margarita. - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Always such a great experience here. The staff is very efficient, attentive, and they know everything about the menu. We came on Halloween Night to welcome a family member who is visiting. They had the nicest Día De Los Muertos display and tribute setup. The whole atmosphere was very celebratory. The hostesses at the front had on their costumes and they were super professional. We were seated immediately, with chips and salsa for the table. We also noticed that in the dining room there was a live mariachi trio making rounds to tables to sing beautiful Mexican folk songs. Our server was Manuel. HE WAS AWESOME. He checked in with us often and he was veery patient and helpful with us while ordering. Our dinners ordered: 1 guacamole bowl & chips appetizer, 2 of the super combination fajitas with steak, chicken, and shrimp and Pico's Chimichanga (wet with enchilada sauce). The food was amazing, as usual. They have a specialty Margaritas menu and it is delicious. I had the melon (honey dew melon) margarita, it was blended, which is not what I wanted, but it was good. They also have non-alcoholic blended slush drinks. The Mango Tango is delicious. Our dinner experience was awesome! Her you will find Delicious, Authentic, Traditional, and perfect Mexican food! You will have a wonderful dining experience. There is also an outside patio with umbrella seating and beautiful decor. read more

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Nice decor and atmosphere, but the food didn't really deliver. The chips weren't great and the salsa was just okay. My chicken burrito was too salty, and while the chicken mole enchiladas were decent, they didn't stand out. The refried beans were also not the best. Overall, I loved the look of the place, but I wouldn't return. read more

We've been diners at Casa de Pico since the days when they were located in Old Town. They were recently voted the Best Mexican Cuisine, the Best Margarita, and the Best Outdoor Dining in the Best of Readers Poll from the Mission Times Courier. We agree with the poll results. We come for lunch at least 2-3 times a week. We have several favorite menu items, but the menu is extensive and everything is flavorful. The servers are all so friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Don't forget to try their desserts. Fried ice cream, chocolate lava cake, and flan are just a few fabulous offerings. We love Casa de Pico! read more

Casa De Pico - Salmon Fresco - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Big drinks, big dishes, big environment, Casa De Pico is a party inside and out. To celebrate a long weekend I decided to go have a margarita and a nice meal. The Patron Margarita was pretty good sized for it being their "small" and it was delicious. The seafood chimichanga was big and had plenty of shrimp and fish inside. Our waiter was super nice and very attentive. He made sure our special request was taken care of and gave us a heartfelt story about his family too, great guy. If you haven't been here before, they have a live mariachi troop that walks around playing music throughout so it is a bit loud but that's what you come for. In the end a great dinner. read more

Casa De Pico - Patron Margarita - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This is one of my favorite restaurants!!! I took two patients and one of my fellow care givers accompanied me. Our orders consisted of beef and cheese enchiladas, chile rellano, street tacos special and a house salad. Everything was delicious!!!! Our server was named Yesenia. She was very professional and efficient. One of my patients insist on telling stupid jokes. Our server " toook it in stride" The manager Hilda came by our table to make sure everything was good. A good day was had by all!!! Great staff!!! read more

Boss wanted to eat here for her birthday! No reservations were made because we went a little after opening and they were not busy at all. Casa De Pico is located in a mall and next to another restaurant. Parking on this day wasn't bad but it can get difficult around dinner. The 5 of us were sat right away and on patio. It was a nice sunny day. Lizzete was out waitress. She was great and attentive. The food came out quickly and smelling delicious. I enjoyed my beef enchiladas and rice. I wasn't too impressed with the beans. read more

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First off when you walk in you're surrounded by the same beauty as Casa Guadalajara in Old Town. Servers smiling waving and greeting you happily. The food has always been on point here it's good go to for guaranteed family fun. read more

Casa De Pico - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Our family was celebrating our father's birthday and our mothers Mother's Day. We were set pretty quickly. Service was good food on the other hand was just OK. My wife ordered the Carne Asada with the tequila lime shrimp. Carne Asada came out lukewarm had no flavoring and the tequila shrimp had no flavor whatsoever just tasted like regular shrimp. I ordered the Ropa Vieja. there were more vegetables than shredded meat. my mother ordered the street tacos and yet again no flavoring. We'll not go there again. Lino, the restaurant manager got a hold of me, apologizing about the quality of their food and comped one dish I mean, I describe two other dishes that were horrible. This was unsatisfactory. I'm not gonna go back there and waste time and money just for a free dish for me my wife and my mom. read more

The quality of food has declined significantly, food came out warm not hot, tortillas were cold on top of that the portion of the food was not worth $25. Drinks were watered down. Save your money. Way over priced. Only two tortillas for a plate and a 4$ charge for extra tortillas is insane. This is not a quality Mexican restaurant. read more

My friend and I have been dining here monthly for lunch, for many years... and there is a reason for this - it is consistently very good. The waitstaff is always friendly and take good care of their customers. The ambiance is traditional Mexican decor with all the vibrant colors of the Mexican culture. They have both wonderful outside patio seating under colorful umbrellas, as well as a warm and inviting inside dining with booths and tables. Once seated you will be immediately served a fresh basket of tortilla chips and salasa - this is at no charge to the customer. They have been serving free chips and salasa to all their customers since they were located at Bazaar del Mundo in Old Town many, many years ago. Today, I ordered the Chopped Mexican salad with chicken. It is a generous sized salad made with fresh vegetables, black beans, corn, grilled chicken, fresh avocado, served with a wonderful side of Cilantro dressing. This yummy salad is presented in an edible crisp flour tortilla shell, see photo below. My friend ordered the Chicken Flautas with flour tortillas this generous plate is served with beans and rice. Both of our meals were delicious and we order them often. One of my other favorite menu items is the Shrimp and Avocado Cheese Crisp... so so delicious! Portions are always generously sized. Try Casa de Pico you won't be disappointed. read more

Casa De Pico - Chicken Flautas served with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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My family and I have been coming here since they were located in Old Town. I also frequent their two other locations, one still in Old Town, the other in Encinitas. Unfortunately, my family (and everyone I would bring here) will most likely never be back again to any of their restaurants after the latest experience, which sadly was the culmination of several mediocre to poor outings there. I ordered take out today and was told it would be ready in 15 minutes. I arrived a few minutes beforehand to make sure I got the dinner as fresh as possible. I was told they were just waiting on one out of the two items I ordered. Ok, cool, sounds great. After 20 minutes of waiting, after a few unsolicited updates about a busy kitchen, and continuing to "wait on one dish," I asked for the manager who said they would check on my order. I was told they were going to remake everything and it would take 2 minutes. They forgot about it, essentially. After 5 or so more minutes of waiting, I asked for a refund as I didn't want to wait any longer and was already well behind schedule. The supervisor, Jacqueline, took about 5 minutes to refund my order, despite me saying I wanted to leave, seemingly just spitefully taking as much time as possible to delay even getting me my money back. At no point did she offer anything, or even apologize, and when I asked why that was the case given the level of service, she just gave me a blank stare and said she was going to offer something, but I asked for a refund and now I'm out of luck. She basically let me know that she could have done something (despite at no point offering), but is choosing not to despite wasting an hour of my time with waiting and 30 minutes of driving. I doubt I'll soon forget the glazed over, almost dead inside (you know that empty stare) look of contempt. It was as if there wasn't a single strand of care about the situation in the slightest, with that type of response and behavior apparently normalized. It's a rare thing to see that sort of detachment from any level of normal service industry empathy. Mistakes happen, but utter disregard for an hour of a customer's time is a clear sign that my 35+ year long relationship with this restaurant ownership group is over. There's no reason overpriced Mexican food is worth the bad attitude, terrible customer service, and cold entrees. I'm tired of defending this place, the nostalgia from what it used to be is too worn out. It's just not worth the nonsense to pay almost $50 for two undersized items sitting under a heat lamp for 20 minutes while they figure out what they're doing for the better part of an hour. All in all, one of the worst take out experiences imaginable. To leave without the food and without even an apology? It's a joke. I wouldn't risk it if I were you, try something more authentic, or of better value, or really any place that values your service beyond giving you blank stares while metaphorically shrugging their shoulders at ruining your night, as if that's just how things operate around there. Receipt is attached to verify. The $5 tip on two items maybe wasn't enough and offended their sensibilities with take-out tipping, who knows? Goodbye Casa De Pico, you were sliding by on being mediocre, but mediocre with attitude and inconsiderate behavior just doesn't cut it anymore! read more

Casa De Pico - Refunded order 44 minutes after ordering after waiting half an hour - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California