I'm a little late in writing this review, but I wanted to take the time to share my experience at Casa de Reyes on September 16, 2026. After a long day at work, I stopped by Casa de Reyes hoping to relax and enjoy a good meal. It was a very busy evening, with many customers waiting to be seated. While I was waiting, I noticed a young man whose name tag read "Rolfo." What stood out to me immediately was the way he greeted every customer, including those who were frustrated and asking how much longer the wait would be. Even when some customers were rude or impatient, Rolfo remained calm, respectful, and professional. He never lost his composure and continued to reassure everyone that the staff was doing their best to seat guests as quickly as possible. As customers were seated, I noticed that Rolfo continued checking on each table to make sure everyone was comfortable and had everything they needed. When it was finally my turn, he provided me with the same exceptional service. He was courteous, patient, and took the time to explain the menu items and drinks, even though he was clearly very busy. I have dined at many different restaurants, and I can honestly say that Rolfo provided some of the best customer service I have experienced. His attitude, patience, and genuine care for the customers really stood out. I even told him that I would be coming back--not only because the food was amazing, but because of the excellent customer service he provided. He made me feel like more than just a customer; he treated me with the same kindness and respect you would expect from someone who truly cares about making guests feel welcome. Casa de Reyes is lucky to have someone like Rolfo on their team. Thank you, Rolfo, for making my evening special after a long day at work. Your hard work and dedication definitely did not go unnoticed! read more

My sister's and I had lunch here today. I ordered the enchiladas en nowadays which I have always wanted to try. They were great! A light, somewhat nutty taste with pomegranate arils scattered on top. Our server, Erica was friendly, hospitable and helpful. Would definitely come here again when visiting San Diego. read more

We came here to see the Day of the Dead festivities and stopped here to eat. My mode had the Chile Riano with steak and rice. I had the chicken quesadilla. Daughter had the steak salad, and my mother in law had the stuffed shrimp. All were very very good and tasty. Steak was very tasty, quesadilla was really cheesy, and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. Only reason this is not a five star review is that the wait was a little too long. We were there and during the whole time there were several tables that were empty with no customers and we had to continue to wait. Knowing this is busy time, staff she be the same accordingly so you do not have people wait as long. read more

I found this location on TikTok and was really impressed by its Día de los Muertos theme. My family and I drove over 100 miles from Santa Ana, CA, to visit, but unfortunately, we left extremely disappointed. This location needs to improve its customer service. I understand that this can be a very busy time, but being busy is no excuse for treating guests rudely. When we checked in, the host seated my family and me at a table directly in the sun, even though there were five empty tables available. The sunlight was shining directly on my kids' faces, so I politely asked if we could move to a table in the shade. The host refused, stating that the other tables were taken. However, another family experienced the same issue and was moved to a shaded table by the waiter managing that section. This was frustrating because it felt like we were being treated differently despite making a reasonable request. Our waiter took our order and recommended the Mar y Tierra plate, describing it as one of their specialties. The rest of my family ordered enchiladas. Unfortunately, the food took a long time to arrive, and when it finally did, everything was disappointing. The food was completely cold, the rice was chewy, and the frijoles charros tasted sour. When our waiter returned and asked how the food was, I honestly told him it wasn't good. Instead of addressing our concerns or offering to help, he walked away. We then overheard the host and waiter discussing the situation, and the waiter made a comment along the lines of, "Well, too bad, their loss." Hearing that kind of response from staff made an already frustrating experience even worse. At that point, my family and I were so disappointed that we just wanted to leave. We asked for the check and paid approximately $150. Before leaving, I explained to the waiter that we were unhappy with the food. He responded by asking why I hadn't told him sooner. I reminded him that I had already told him the food wasn't good when he asked, and he had simply walked away without addressing the issue. I then tried to find a manager to discuss the situation and request a refund, but I couldn't find one, and no other employee offered to help. After driving more than 100 miles for what we hoped would be a great family experience, we were left with cold food, disappointing service, and the feeling that our concerns didn't matter. The Día de los Muertos theme initially attracted us to this location, but the customer service and overall experience completely overshadowed it. I would not recommend this location based on our experience. Management needs to take a serious look at the quality of the food, how customers are treated, and how employees handle complaints. Customers deserve to be treated with respect, especially when they take the time and spend their hard-earned money to visit your establishment. read more

Casa de reyes is in a prime spot within a heavy foot traffic area of Old Town. I wanted to mention that when we were first seated by our hostess after having waited 30 mins, the table was visibly dirty. There was salsa and water all over the table. She returned a few mins later to wipe it. The menus were also soiled. We got our drink orders taken by someone else who didn't take our food order, which we were confused about. It was 15 mins before we met our actual server. The Mar y Tierra was nothing special, an average dish.y friend got the enchiladas which were salty and oily. All in all, I'd say this place is great for the ambiance with the old town vibe but did not meet my expectations for food and service. read more

This is not worth waiting for. We waited 45 minutes but I know others were told the wait would be one hour. I get it it's in a main tourist spot but there are better options if you walk a few minutes to the main street where there are other restaurants. Don't be like us - look for better places to eat. I will say our server was great. It's not his fault the food and drinks were, well, terrible. The bacon wrapped shrimp was premade and lukewarm. It was also very salty. The Caesar salad was doused in dressing and the lettuce was soggy. And the margarita was no bueno. read more

Casa De Reyes - Margarita - I do not recommend this. I couldn't drink it. I tried! The mix was too strange. It just did not taste good. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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The place was fairly busy for a Thursday. It's an outdoor seating type and we waited for 10 minutes. Service was good and great vibe. Food however was just ok. I didn't think there was a lot of options or maybe they didn't serve what I was craving for. Everything was positive with the exception of the 4% service charge. Why not just raise the price by 4% instead of charging your customers and taking the money away from the server tips. This was a turn off for me. read more

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We came for the carnitas , I thought I had left a review so it's been atleast 2 months since our visit. The carnitas were soft tender and crispy. I enjoyed my tilapia plate. It's such a fun atmosphere with all the Catrina's and DDM decorations. Lots of plants everywhere. Tgey took a minute to get to us, but once they took our order our food came out pretty quickly. read more

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We came here for lunch on a Saturday and it was busy but we were able to be seated right away and we did not need to wait long for our food! The chips and salsa were both good! The chips were warm and I enjoyed the salsa! We were given a high chair for our toddler and they made sure to sit us where the sun wouldn't hit us. My mom got the sangria and I got a strawberry margarita with no alcohol. We both enjoyed our drinks! We all decided to order tacos and I got the fish tacos, my husband got the shrimp and my mom got the chicken! We all enjoyed our tacos and my toddler enjoyed the rice! I love that this restaurant is located in the middle of everything! Our waitress was sweet and kind! She was attentive and helpful! read more

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When an absolutely fun experience if you're in old town, San Diego. I had friends in who wanted some authentic Diego Mexican food and they suggested we go to old town from the vibe to the live live music and mariachi outside. Everything was great. Personally I loved my Paloma and the shrimp that is crab, stuffed, and bacon wrapped at life altering. Be patient and enjoy the experience. Servers are busy because it close to October and all the festivities read more

Casa De Reyes - Paloma- sorry it was too good not to take a sip before I took a picture - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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It's fun, it's festive, there is usually a line, and it's sort of just normal mexican food. Look, this is is San Diego. Marriages have broken up over who has the best tacos. So, a lot of pressure on this place. However, service is consistent, friendly, the food is above average, and the atmosphere is pretty fun. If you're visiting, it's not far from major hotels and there's stuff to do around there that is fun for the family. read more

Fun day... we took the train to Old Town... had lunch at Casa De Reyes... The place was packed and still the sever was happy and attentive... food is great... read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is always crowded and I was hoping the reason would be the food. Sadly, it seems that they just have a great location in the middle of a bunch of shops and live music nearby. The food leaves lots to be desired, especially for the high price. They don't have hot salsa, which is extremely sad and the chips weren't hot. We got the Shrimp Ceviche and the Carnitas Platter. The ceviche was pretty good, but the chips were the same tortilla chips that came with the salsa. Why am I being charged for chips that were already provided to the table for free? The carnitas were good, but soaking wet, which made the texture gross. The rice was soo salty, I had to spit it out. Plenty of things they should work on in terms of their quality. Doesn't seem like anyone actually cares though based on the employees' behaviors. Quite sad. Not sure why you wouldn't want to strive to get customers to come back rather than be a one-time thing. 2.5 overall. read more

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Came to Case De Reyes for my daughter's 18th Birthday lunch celebration with several of her friends. We were seated within seconds of walking up and greeted immediately by our server with chips and delicious salsa. The unbeatable outside seating, and Mexican ambiance is what did it for me. They had music playing in the background, live greenery, and shops that surrounded the entire area, making it a great spot for weekend drinks or a lively dinner out during the week. I ordered the pozole verde. It was a perfect portion, served with a side of rice and beans. It had the right amount of hominy, chicken, and cabbage. The green chile flavor, along with a fresh squeeze of lime made it flawless. Top notch service, and the perfect atmosphere will definitely have me back to order a different dish. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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The art was definitely eye catching. I enjoyed the atmosphere as well...perfect outdoor seating. The food and service were also great. read more

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Great restaurant! The food was very good. The tacos were cooked perfectly and I didn't feel like the shrimp was overcooked. It gets very busy due to being located in old town so I would arrive early. Parking was around $25 for 3 hours so it's best to take the trolley or arrive early for street parking. The dining area is mostly outside so plan accordingly. However, I enjoy the outdoor seating to have a constant change of scenery. read more

Casa De Reyes - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Unfortunately, I was beyond disappointed. We came to celebrate a birthday of a friend on a Friday night. We watched the live music as we waited and got seated as soon as our reservation started. They were able to accommodate to our reservation party being a lot larger than our reservation, which was appreciated. When we were seated our waiter said he would return to take our drink order. He returned 15 minutes later, took our order, and then was never to be found. We had to ask another server for the waters we had ordered. We then asked for straws 3 different times until we finally received 1 straw and had to ask for 4 more. Overall the ordering process was very stressful. When we ordered food, they returned 15 minutes after giving us our straws to take our food order. At that point half the table decided to not order food. Which we then just ordered two appetizers. They were decent. Wouldn't say the food was fresh as it came out rather cold haha. read more

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Really good food with generous portions, so you definitely get your money's worth! The atmosphere was great, especially with a live band playing Mexican music, which made the experience even better. Prices were fair, and overall, it was a great experience. Service was good as well. I'd definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

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The food is pretty authentic and legit!! I went with a few friends and we all got different dishes and they were all good: the Chile Relleno, Mar y Tierra, Chicken Mole, and Chicken Pozole Verde. I highly recommend the guacamole, it was very good. The Michelada was good and the house margarita too! The service was very good and nice to us! We ask to get move from one table to another, and they did with no problem! And the ambiance was great! We could see the stage where the Mariachis were gonna sign for Dia de Los Muertos! read more

Casa De Reyes - Guacamole (a must have)! House Margarita, and Michelada - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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We love this place! Something about it...I think the atmosphere and how it sits right in the middle of the courtyard of Fiesta De Reyes. This has always been our destination after riding 105 miles from Fullerton. We get a beer, something to eat, and then jump on the train to head back home. The service is always the best! No matter who our server has been, they have always been top notch. If you are in the area, this is a neat place to check out and grab a bite to eat. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

We had a Sunday lunch here back in April. Old Town was our last stop before heading home to Las Vegas. It was a really nice time. The food and service were good. I remember the waiter giving the perfect attentiveness to letting us chill service. I don't love dining al fresco usually, but the semi-indoor of Casa de Reyes was working for me that day. Light breeze. Warm. We had a walk around afterward, got some candies and SD trinkets. Old Town was a a sweet end to a great trip. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Atmosphere was great. Right in the middle of a very cute and decorated plaza. Surrounded by a lot of little shops. Waitress was really nice. Food was okay. The food and drinks were a bit overpriced for what it was. Probably won't go back. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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First time visiting Casa De Reyes. We stumbled on this plaza as we were following the live music. I honestly never seen or been to this plaza. It's so cute! So many small shops, from olive oil to chocolate. It was very busy when we visited as the Cinco de mayo festival was happening. We still only waited about 8 minutes for a table. Our waiter came soon and we quickly put our order in. The food came out just as quick! I had the surf and turf. The meat was good, nice and charred. The shrimp were wrapped in bacon and although good I decided to share them. The pico de gallo came with some nopales (cactus) which reminded me how good nopales are! The frijoles puercos were definitely tasty but not needed with this very flavor forward meal. Unfortunately the corn tortillas were a bit of a disappointment, mainly bc they were on the thicker/bigger side and got cold pretty quick. The pork with salsa verde dish was really good. The pork perfectly cooked. Note: definitely order the freshly made flour tortillas when dining here. The have a lot of fun margaritas to choose from. I feel like you can't go wrong. The staff is friendly, the food is good, and the atmosphere is lively. read more

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Great for birthday drinks! We only came for the giant margarita. We chose the house margarita on the rocks although they had many other flavors. It was a little pricey at $50. But, it was worth it being that it tasted delicious and was a whopping 88oz! Cheers! Took 1 star off since we weren't allowed to sit at a table. Instead we were shown to the bar which does not have bar height seats. They were very low and you had to stand up every time just to take a sip. Also my friend ripped a hole in her pants since the chair had a nail sticking out of it on the seat part. This could be resolved with new bar stools. read more

Casa De Reyes - House Margarita 88oz - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Today I just felt like being a tourist and hit all the spots you're supposed to visit when you go to san diego! Lol. Ive lived here 30 years and many things have changed or it doesn't have the spark and gatherings it used to have. I remember going to old town and it being more lively and festive. Now its quiet and not as robust as it was before covid. However, I see where all the people went. They are all at the casa de Reyes restaurant where the live band is! I really enjoyed myself here. Ive eaten here a long time ago and had the tortillas made by the women in that little area. Now, it is different. You order through the bar for the food and drinks. It was really nice bc I didn't have to sit down and eat. I went straight to the bar and ordered my long Island iced tea double shot. It was 20$. Im not used to paying for drinks so I was shocked at alcoholic beverage prices! Nonetheless, my drink was tasty and very enjoyable. The bartenders here are very nice and fast at making drinks! The sweet part was I was able to take my drink to the benches in front of the live band. It was a great atmosphere and lovely Latin music. Its just a great time here at casa de reyes. read more

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I rarely give bad reviews and sadly this is one of them. First off - they don't understand the concept of Customer Service. There is 1 guy that was nice to us and accomodated our request which was as simple as literally moving 2 chairs more! Food was not extra ordinary. Their virgin margaritas versus the reg margarita was a lot more and I did not taste the tequilla. Portions were tiny. Overall, I would not recommend and there are far more better places to check out and try out. read more

Casa De Reyes is located in Old Town in San Diego. We were exploring the town a couple times while visiting California, and Casa De Reyes was the perfect spot to grab a drink or two when we wanted a break from walking. We can't speak to the food because we didn't eat (although we totally should've cuz it smelled delicious). Both times we came we were able to snag a seat at the bar quickly and the bartenders were all very warm and inviting. We got simple beverages (coronas and a shot of tequila) but we saw some super impressive margs being made. Definitely would come back for the giant one we saw being crafted! The vibe here is great. I love that it's outdoors and in the open air. It felt lively and everybody was in a great mood. Overall this is a solid spot for a quick drink in town - I just wish we were gonna be back to try the food sometime soon. :) read more

It's just okay to dinne in here, not a perfect clean place but it's a good spot in the middle of the little shopping stores and we could enjoy with show. (Mexican tradition dance) Came here on Halloween, it's kinda crazy packed up and long line to get the seats. Foods are decent compared to other modern Mexican restaurants. Service is okay, due to holiday season. However, we did enjoy our meals. read more

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Disappointing Experience I understand how overwhelming it can be for a restaurant to handle large crowds during festivities, and I respect the long hours employees work. However, after a confusion with the waitlist, Manager Robin kindly clarified the situation and seated us. Unfortunately, our server, Rodrigo, accused us of seating ourselves simply because we didn't have menus, which made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. The food was also disappointing, tasting more Americanized than authentic Mexican cuisine. I understand the restaurant was busy, but good communication, hospitality, and food quality still matter. Overall, our experience fell short of expectations. Thank you Robin, for taking the time to accommodate us and making the effort to turn the situation around. read more

After sight seeing the Mexican Navy Cuauhtemoc Battleship, my family and I were hungry looking for a good Mexican restaurant. Finding the beautiful pictures on their site seemed promising however when seated at our table the waitress continually forgot our service. The food came before the drinks we requested twice to several other staffers, her pace was slow. The food presentation looked very promising but it came cold and flavorless. Just as the appetizers did which were a simple dish of chips and salsa, the chips were stale just as their tortillas and the salsa was never refilled till we bothered another waiter. Food wasn't hot or warm, the atmosphere is beautiful and lively but not worth it. Their servicing isn't reassuring to make up for bad quality food either. Wouldn't come back here again or recommend. read more

Great. A little pricey but you are paying for the service and the ambience, which is great. Love the tacos and the enchiladas. Horchata is amazing and tastes like authentic homemade horchata. Sometimes the wait is a little long, but well worth it for the food. read more

I saw this place many, many times on social media when searching for places in Old Town, so I assumed it would be a great place after a nice long Amtrak ride! Arriving here, though it was pretty hot outside, it didn't feel like it under all the shade and breeze this place offered, so that was lovely. The service was also pretty friendly, so that was another plus during our time here. Since we came before breakfast ended, I contemplated getting the breakfast burrito as it looked yummy, and honestly I probably should've gotten something else as it was a let down. I felt that it was made pretty lackluster with all of the ingredients falling out of the tortilla. We also ordered a blended margarita to share, and that was not done correctly, and the taste wasn't very good, which led us to just order regular mango margaritas, which were fine but absolutely not strong. As we spent more time here, I started to realize this was very much a touristy location, from the higher prices to the presentation of food and taste, and it was definitely overhyped. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

ROACHES. And have the nerve to charge a 4% fee on top of that. I would like to add the menus and tables were u clean despite us coming in the morning. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mold? - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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What happened to this place? I live in OC but anytime I would visit San Diego this was a must on my list. Been doing so for years. But the last few times the service has gone so downhill that I can't begin to recommend to anyone. Our last visit, getting on the waitlist and getting our table was fine. But then a woman said she was our server and that she'd be back shortly, but then immediately someone else came and took our drink order and said she would be helping us out. No smile, no greeting, just came up, "*I'll* be helping you. What do you want to drink?" Caught us off-guard and super confused especially because she barely made eye-contact with us. Was always just looking off at every other table but ours. But then we had multiple confusing interactions with other team members. While eating the chips and salsa, a worker stopped and asked if we were all right. We requested more chips and salsa. He never came back but kept bussing the tables around us. We didn't flag him down or anything. He initiated contact, but why ask if he wasn't going to do anything? Then later after we ate, my family went to go wash their hands. A different guy locks eyes with me, "Did you need something?" I got confused but did ask for a to-go box. Then I saw him disappear to a different section and he never came back. What kept us coming back was the great ambience of enjoying meal outside and the great food. But the best food is not nearly worth the entirely uncomfortable experience we had. But even the food this time was not great. I got molcajete and the chicken was dry dry dry. The carne was fine. But since we could barely get the attention of our server, I'll just box it up and move on with my life. In fact from my vantage point, I could see the server grabbing a chip and serving herself some salsa more times than she actually visited our table. I'll admit to the experience being so bad that I stipped the tip but she saw that and still made a sad desperate plea before we left to tip her. That was the fastest round between visits our whole experience. This was our most recent experience, but the last few trips have been similar and I've had enough awkward, uncomfortable experiences for a while now. read more

Casa De Reyes - Molcajete de la Casa. $26.99 at the time of this review. The carne is great, but the chicken was horribly dry despite being covered in sauce - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here with a group for networking. Super cute outdoor patio seating with a a lot of cute shops surrounding the area. 3.5/5 Guacamole & chips. Creamy guac with decent flavor and portion. 4.5/5 Chile relleno à la carte - giant serving and good flavor. 3.5/5 quesadilla w/carne asada. Jack and cheddar cheese. Fairly average but nothing special. 4/5 vanilla cream churros - filled with a cream and came with chocolate dipping sauce. Extremely tasty! Came on a Sunday afternoon and they had live folklorico dance performances going on, which was fun to watch. Manager and staff service was excellent as there was a mix up with the event we were attending and they were all eager to help! read more

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Service was friendly and quick. The sample platter was what you expect from a Mexican restaurant with your helping of nachos, quesadilla and taquitos. Nothing that stoodout. read more

Casa De Reyes - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

We've been going here dor quite a while now. Food is always great and very tasty. Staff are very nice especially our waiter Erica. Beautiful and fun place to eat. Amazing ambience as well read more

Casa De Reyes - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped here because I wanted a light lunch but there was nothing light on the menu. A simple taco would have been great. Instead I paid $22 for a two taco meal. Another $18 for a margarita. The food was OK, nothing special. The service started out good but then I sat for a long time waiting for a to-go box and my check. read more

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Update: I reached out to Casa De Reyes via email as requested by the manager. I spent at least 15-20 mins detailing my experience and did NOT receive any acknowledgment. This place wants you to believe they care by sending a form response but take NO action. Food was absolutely disgusting and overpriced. Rice is old and dry. The shredded beef is definitely frozen. They have no reason to make improvements since it's in a tourist area. There were seven of us in the party. Two of us are vegan and no options.. even though the menu said vegan options. The refried beans had pork and the rice had chicken broth. Oh, there were black beans.. no, thanks. We had a plate come out with hair and they took it back and wiped the hair off. Um, okay. I definitely would not go back if you paid me or recommend to my worse enemy. The only good thing this place has going for itself is the live band but you are charged a 4% service fee for that. Our waiter Rigoberto worked hard so that was appreciated. The hostess didn't add us to the waitlist and after 30 mins we came back to check. She couldn't find us on the list Taco Bell is ten thousand times better, I'm sure. read more

First time here while visiting the Midway Museum with family, and we were looking for a good Mexican restaurant. We found this place on Yelp because of the great reviews, and it definitely lived up to the hype! We ordered a combination of different dishes, and everyone in our party loved everything. Great food, great experience, and we would definitely come back next time we're in the area. read more

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