The service throughout was excellent, with all staff being helpful, respectful, and accommodating to food preferences. The drinks were refreshing and the food filling. Beautiful restaurant with a calm yet colorful ambiance. I loved artwork throughout the place. My friends and I were satisfied with our time here and would come back. read more

Casa Gabriela - Mama Lopez's Huevos Rancheros Baja Fish - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Went on Cinco de Mayo with a group of ladies after hearing they had $5 margs all night. We got seated right around our reservation at 7:30. The restaurant was busy when we got there but was pretty quiet by the time we left. Love that right when you get there they drop off chips and salsa and they never hesitate to refill as needed. We got a round of margs and was happy that they could make it spicy at no extra charge. Delicious as always. The reason for the low rating this time was my food. I got the panela a la plancha, super excited to try this grilled cheese in a salad. First, my food came out significantly later than my group. The waiter even made a comment and had to go back and check in. Second, when I got it there was no cheese to be seen. It was pretty much a ton of arugula and a small amt of toppings. Pretty disappointing. read more

Casa Gabriela - Happy hour drinks as of 12/26/25 - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Been wanting to try this place for a long time. Finally did. It was just okay. When my family made the reservation on Open Table they indicated it was for my birthday. Perhaps that information isn't passed along to the restaurant but there was no acknowledgment of it--which was fine for me, but my family was a little disappointed. Ideally we wanted to wait until our Chase Sapphire credit was available, but decided to go without that due to the occasion. Even with a reservation we had to wait quite a few moments to be seated. When we were seated our party of 5 was sat at a table that was inadequate for 5. There was a chair pulled into a small booth--so my wife had the pleasure of staring at the wall all night. The table was crowded--not much elbow room. Drink refill service was slow--and mostly when we asked, not a lot of anticipatory skills demonstrated by our waiter. And it seemed like every time anything was brought to our table it was by a different person--I counted at least six people involved in serving our table. This loses any effect of building any rapport or communication with our assigned server. We sat inside and the music blaring was way too loud. It became a chore to even try to have conversation at the table as unless you were seated directly adjacent to someone it was difficulty to hear anything. Even my teenage kids who hear everything and certainly have no aversion to loud music were annoyed. It's not a concert venue, it should represent as a fine dining establishment, in my opinion. The food was creatively served and was good, but I'd hesitate to say it was unique or fantastic. Anyway, it was a nice place to try and glad we did, but not left with the impression we need to hurry back. I'm excited to explore other restaurants located in this area on La Mesa boulevard. read more

Happy hour here is a must do!!!! Come early, it can get crowded. But my oh my is it amazing!! We love to sit outside, but have sat inside also and it's still perfect!! it can be kinda pricey, but they do have an amazing happy hour special menu I recommend. The Chicken Barbacoa nachos are a must try!! read more

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Keeping the Mexican food theme going today. We checked off another place from our list. Love the atmosphere at Casa Gabriela. Beautiful lighting & the music was a vibe. The hubby and I made it for HH. We shared the Queso Fundido & The Enchiladas Marisco Suiza. We finished it off with an adult beverage. He had the House Margarita & I had the Cantarito. Another wonderful restaurant. So glad we finally tried it. Great customer service. #DiningWithTheAndersons #ComidaMexicana #SundayFunday #TryingNewPlaces read more

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Oh dear!! What is going on with the service here??? We had a pretty rough brunch here on Sunday. We ordered the waffles and the ceviche at 12:50. At 1:40 after seeing tables that arrived well after get their food we were casually notified by the server that they ran out of waffle mix. Had they told us within 5 minutes after ordering that would have been fine but it was nearly an hour after we ordered. The waitress asked if i wanted anything else. I said no. Then one of three managers came by to tell me that they did get the waffle mix so i went ahead with the order. Then the waitress returns and asked if i was certain i didn't want anything else. She had no clue the waffle mix had arrived. I notified her. Finally at around 2pm my waffles arrived. The waitress brought me a free coffee. Then the full bill arrived. no discount offered. Had to flag down the second of three managers who apologized and comped our meal. The food here is yummy as is the ambiance but they need to get their act together or they will have problems. Surprising for a cohen restaurant. read more

Casa Gabriela is part of the Cohn Restaurant Group (Coasterra, Island Prime). Was craving chips and salsa but jokes on me, they're not free! Ordered the guacamole with chicharon and mini tostadas and frankly, that was the best guacamole I've ever had in my life. No kidding. Ordered the chicken molé chilaquiles and the chorizo breakfast burrito with rice and beans. Burrito was very good with a crema sauce on top and sweet spicy chorizo. The beans were delicious and the rice was moist and tasty with sprinkles of white corn. The chilaquiles were fire. Literally. My mouth was on fire and I couldn't finish because it was so spicy. The shredded chicken sat on top a bed of crispy tortillas then was topped with two fried eggs, the molé sauce and a crema sauce. Very tasty...just way too spicy for me. Hubby enjoyed my leftovers though. Also ordered their basket of baked goods..Chef Gaby's Pan Dulces...yummy mini banana loaf, berry scone and another scones that came with an apple butter and berry preserves. Servers were amazing. Very attentive and checked on us often. Advise you check your bill before paying. 5% added for supplemental costs that you can request be removed from the bill. I always ask because I prefer giving the full tip to the servers. Another tip is to join the CRG Rewards Club. It has come in handy because there are so many Cohn restaurants in the area! read more

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We sat in their outdoor patio which was very pretty in the evening with the lights. Our server was great throughout the meal as well. We started with the Queso Fundido which was good and very filling. We got both flour and corn tortillas to enjoy and I this was my favorite dish of the night. I got the Enchiladas Pipan Rojo which was very underwhelming. The flavors weren't all that great and the more disappointing part was the enchilada and chicken both being very dry. My partner got the chile relleno and she thought it too was not very good. They overly dressed the chile with way too much cheese and so it threw off the balance of the dish. I almost always take leftovers home, however I really wasn't too keen on doing so this time. read more

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Superb food! Sunday brunch on mother's day! Family vibe. Jeremy was attentive and informative. Highly recommend and am looking forward to returning! read more

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Everything was good fast service when you eat at the bar the food was amazing. Everybody's so nice. I'm pretty drinks. read more

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We were there to celebrate my in-laws' wedding anniversary. We were a bit disappointed that we mentioned this when making the reservation, but it was never acknowledged, nor were any congratulatory words offered. We thought the outdoor garden area would be nice and beautiful, but it was actually quite chilly at night, even after they turned the heater on. I would highly recommend reserving an indoor dining area if you're planning to have dinner there. Parking is limited to paid street parking, and the meters turn off after 6 p.m. Be prepared to park farther away and walk a few blocks. The food was pretty good and had great flavor, but we weren't fans of the cactus in one of the dishes. Dessert was the highlight--great portion size and tasted amazing! We had the cheesecake flautas and would love to try out some other dessert if we ever go back. The staff were friendly, but it seemed like they were a bit short-staffed. It sometimes took a while to get our water refilled and to receive all the service we needed. read more

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This restaurant is massive! It's part of the Cohn Restaurant Group. The patio is spacious. Upstairs can be an event space. The patio is more laid back and loud. The dining room is like eating in grandma's kitchen. We ordered: Started with complimentary chips and salsa. Salsa had a nice kick, we loved it but the chips had a roasted nutty flavor that we didn't like so much. Horchata ($6) - not too sweet Red sangria ($8) - strong not fruity Guacamole ($14.95) - interesting twist served with chicharrones and pumpkin seed. We used the roasted chips to dip and they were over powering and took away the rich buttery guacamole taste. Corn ($16.95) - grilled corn relish, buttery Flautas ($23.95) - 3 large thin red flour tortillas filled with lobster and black beans chipotle. Honestly, all I tasted was mushy black bean paste. Saw a bit of red lobster meat towards the middle but not enough to taste it. Fish tacos ($19.95) - on flour but we asked for corn tortillas. Nothing special but it was fully loaded with toppings. Birria tacos ($19.95) - comes with corn but we asked for flour tortillas. Amount of birria was generous but taste was bland. La jefa asado ($52.95) - served in a Mexican mortar was my favorite dish out of all. Came out piping hot with slices of flank steak, very tender juicy pieces of chicken breast, shrimp, sausage, nopales (cactus pads). The juices all meshed together into this broth-like liquid that was delicious with chunks of chorizo. The jalapeño gave it a spicy kick and the panela cane sugar balanced all the flavors. This dish was meant for two but it can be eaten with 3 or 4. All the entrees came with rice and beans. Happy hour is M-F 3:30-5:30. Parking meters are along the streets and in the back lot. Fridays are Farmer Market days which becomes harder to find parking. If you want the pretty yummy drinks, I would suggest to sit at the bar or patio. We didn't get offered or have that experience sitting in the dining room and service was lacking. I didn't know how great their bar was until I saw their social media when we left. For a restaurant this big, they have a shortage on restrooms with 2 unisex in the back and another 2 by the waiting area. The one upstairs was locked the entire time we were there. read more

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We came to Casa Gabriela for dinner early Sunday evening after a kids ballet showing. We were seated right away. Plenty of free parking since it was Sunday. Love the elevated rustic feel of the restaurant. See my breakdown of the food below. Portion size is generous here. Service is as a little slow. I think our server was just overwhelmed with all the tables she was covering. There was a helper who kept checking on us but didn't really make up for the lack of attention from our server. Overall, I was disappointed in our experience here especially since our friend kept talking it up. Bottom line, dishes were not balanced and service could be improved Queso fundido - refried beans on the bottom took away from the star of the show . . . The cheese! Pozole - husband really like this one, has a good kick Chicken barbacoa - very generous portion of chicken, needs something fresh like avocados and cotija cheese Flank steak tampiquena - steak was good, too much going on with the cheese enchilada and potatoes Ceviche trio - didn't try it myself but was told it had "too much tajin" Cheese quesadilla - "fries were not crispy and cheese was not the stringy kind" exact quote Chocolate bread pudding - good, not overly sweet Churros - legoland is better Red sangria - refreshing, recommend read more

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Great experience here on a warm day. The decor at this place is amazing! The patio had fans and mista available. The service was exceptional. The chips and salsa were YUMMY. We arrived at 3:30pm in time for their happy hour. Their menu is very reasonable. We tried the flautas which had 4 total (2 potato & 2 sweet potato) & also shared an order of nachos. I had their cantarito which I wish wouldve been bigger, and my friends ordered a margarita which was a good size. The chips and salsa are legendary. Looking forward to going back when I'm on town again! read more

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Great ambience Great service Great food My friend from out of town wanted a fun place to have dinner. After 3 seconds of thinking I suggested Casa Gabriela. They serve hot and tasty chips to snack on while waiting for your food. Then my mole tacos arrived and I was beside myself. Our server was having fun the whole time and there is no shortage of things to look at. I love how it's in downtown La Mesa as well. Such a cute little area. read more

Food is decent, service is absolutely terrible, and atmosphere is good. The happy hour food is pretty good and decent portions. I liked the chicken nachos, the esquites, the queso fundido, and the breaded cauliflower. I also liked the ceviche, however, it was an incredibly small portion with about two small pieces of fish in it. Churros are ok - little too oily which probably means the temperature of the oil it was fried in was too low, allowing the churros to absorb too much oil. They also have a very refreshing and tasty Jamaica juice. The main issues that service is terrible. After being seated, it took 45 minutes for someone to come and take my order. Another issue was that my water was never refilled even once during my meal. My water was empty pretty early on and remained that way throughout the entire meal. At the end of my meal, my waiter never came by, so I started asking other staff walking by if I could get my check and head out. They kept saying they would ask my waiter. It took an additional hour after I was done the meal for the waiter to actually come. The service was so bad, so if you come here, expect to be greatly disappointed. And the restaurant was not even busy! This was around 4 PM on a weekday. read more

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Such a beautiful and clean place. I was exciting to come here because my name is also Gabriela. We ordered the following, I will place our rating next to each dish. 1) Fish Tacos Plate 7/10 2) Enchiladas Suizas 9/10, and Ceviche Verde 8/10. My sister had a mocktail, but I don't remember the name. I had the horchata cocktail 10/10! The decor is unique and beautiful. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating area is very cool, has a resort feel. Service was great, our waitress was kind and patient. You can make a reservation through open table to avoid a long wait time. read more

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Ambience: The restaurant is beautifully decorated and very inviting. Service: attentive and excellent. Our waitress was knowledgeable about the menu and made sure to point out the spice levels of different dishes. Food: Portions are generous. The La Jefa Asado has a nice kick--the spice lingers in a good way--and pairs perfectly with the rice, beans, and tortillas. The serving size is ideal for 2-3 people. Food is a bit too salty to our taste though. We had an enjoyable meal and look forward to returning to try the weekend brunch. read more

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We stopped by Casa Gabriela for the first time to contribute to the fundraising of La Mesa PD's Fallen Officer. We were met by a lovely host, and may I say the decor and music of the restaurant really fit that Spanish background. We were seated and the waiter was prompt with our drink and food orders, as well as providing complimentary chips and salsa. The food was good, just not out of the ballpark I expected with the pricing of the food. The lobster and black bean taquitos were good, just didn't get that wow factor. We also ordered a molcajete for two. It was quite delicious, probably our favorite dish of the night. The Mar y Tierra burrito was also "ok", the shrimp in the burrito were over salted and killed the dish. Overall, service was great and the drinks were amazing. Just wasn't blown away by the food. I'm glad the restaurant was able to contribute to the fallen officer. read more

Casa Gabriela - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Delicious Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown La Mesa. This place is definitely vibes. With indoor and outdoor seating it's a great place for gathering with friends and family. The staff is so nice. This is your friendly neighborhood restaurant. read more

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Came in during Oktoberfest. Casual vibes. It's actually bigger inside than it looks. The servers were dressed in the theme with Oktoberfest. The bar has some open windows patio seating too which got cold for me at the end of the night, but I bet that breeze feels good on a cool day with margs! The food took a little while to come out(it did note that on the menu for the La Hefa). But the empanadas came out almost right before the main course. The empanadas were extra cheesy, I would've have liked to taste/see more chicken though. They kinda skimped a bit on that.. But the cream/sauces that came with it, blended well with the overall The La Hefa was bold&spicy! It had a little mix of everything: chicken, steak, sausage, queso, nopales, shrimp& chorizo! Definitely star of the night. The Tres Leche Cake, I for sure disliked the most. The cake was grainy. The flan was kind of bland. Major disappointment. The server kind of got caught up in her convo with another staff member at the end of the night but she was cool otherwise. read more

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Casa Gabriela's is one of my absolute go to spots. Anytime a friend comes to visit, this is one of the first places I bring them because there's truly something on the menu for everyone. The vibe is great the dining area is decorated super cute with fun pieces on the walls, and even the restrooms are adorable and well kept (which says a lot about a place!). It's perfect for catching up with friends or hosting out of town visitors.The margarita pitcher is always a table favorite, and if you haven't tried brunch with mimosas, you're missing out. Also, huge shout out to Carlos. Even when the restaurant is slammed, he somehow always manages to take care of us and get us seated quickly. He goes above and beyond to make sure our experience is great every time. Great food, great drinks, great service we keep coming back for a reason. Gracias read more

Casa Gabriela - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

"I had a horrible experience at this restaurant and would not recommend it to anyone. I went with three of my friends, and we all felt the same way. The food was incredibly disappointing: one friend ordered the enchiladas, which were way too salty, another person's seafood dish was poorly prepared, and my chile relleno was a complete mess. To top it off, the place is very expensive, and the service was terrible. The staff even cleared our plates before we were finished eating without ever asking if we were done." read more

We are happy returning customers! Servers are always so sweet and we have never had bad service. Julia was our server for our most recent dining and she was wonderful. My husband and I have been coming since it opened and always love the food, drinks, and service. They also have a lot of nice outside seating! Favorite menu items: queso fundido and Enchiladas Marisco Suiza read more

8-1-2025, Friday. Our first time there. Well we didn't know about the Friday night street fair! Parking was bad. Once we were in it was fine. We have reservations at 5:30pm. Table was ready and service was good. Menu, was ok. We ordered several dishes. Tacos with fries was very odd and wasn't good. We ordered sirloin enchiladas. They came with three. Had more spice than we Expected. Waitress was nice. We asked does the items come with anything else? She told us no. All arrived with side of beans and rice. We would have adjusted our orders if we knew it had sides. 3 stars over all. See the bill and the photos. Over priced for the quality of The food IMO. 3 stars over all. read more

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I've been coming here with my wife since they opened. Food is excellent, ambiance is excellent. Our most recent visit was on a Friday just as the farmers market was wrapping up. We were fortunate to find seats at the bar and I am so glad we did. Julia took our drink and dinner order and could not have been nicer. Service was perfect! We can't wait to visit again! read more

We were excited to try this spot after a friend's recommendation. Overall the staff and restaurant were very nice. We had a large party so we got to try a little bit of everything. Unfortunately for me the flavors were a little too mixed on the plates. I felt there was just too much happening. The Flank Steak Tampiquena had amazing flavors for the steak but that got lost next to the enchilada and the roasted peppers just seemed to not have a place on the plate. However, the pozole and the TJ dogs were delicious. They also have a happy hour menu for both food and drinks. As a whole, I would recommend checking them out for an upscale take on Mexican cuisine. read more

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Went for Saturday brunch with my family for a couple birthday celebrations! It was a great time, we ate on the patio and had Savanna as our waitress, who was the best! I had a Bloody Mary which quickly became a hit, with my aunt & uncle also ordering one. We got a couple queso fundidos for the table which went down quickly. I had the Panela salad and a side of candied habanero bacon. The bacon is a must try in book, my dad and uncle both said wow! The chilaquiles were ordered by multiple people and everyone said it was delicious. We definitely enjoyed everything and loved the atmosphere of the patio for brunch. We definitely will be revisiting in the future! read more

Casa Gabriela - Candied Habanero Bacon & Panela a la Plancha with a BLOODY DE LA CASA - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

The service was great. Our server was very friendly and took good care of us. The dinner came with chips and salsa which was delicious, and they brought out more. All of the food was great and came with lots of food. Most notable were the chicken rings tacos; the drinks were also pretty strong which was nice! It also has really pretty outdoor seating area read more

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Beautiful and artsy ambience. Delicious menu. The shrimp coconut ceviche was unique and very tasty. Homemade horchata and margaritas were A+. Flank steak tampiqueno (amazing!!!) and the tabla of assorted appetizers (wow!) were our mains and plenty of food with leftovers. A great dessert menu - we had the warm churros with caramel sauce and ice cream (perfection) and the ancho chile bread pudding (decent). read more

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I've come here a few times and each time, hands down, is amazing. I try something new each time and every plate I have had is excellent quality and more than enough food to split. The service is always very friendly. I love dining outside because it feels so nice and fresh with all the greenery blocking the surrounding streets. It can be a little pricey but I truly feel the price reflects the quality. This is more of a special occasion place but it is definitely worth it every time. Also, i love the cafe de olla read more

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Enjoyed brunch last Saturday here. The service was flawless, everyone was so attentive! I had the birria sopepita benedict. The eggs were perfectly poached, the sopes were crispy on bottom without being dry, birria was well seasoned. The black beans were a nice surprise as well. My Michelada was a little light on the miche but our waiter brought us another shot of the sauce. The restaurant decor was beautiful. read more

Casa Gabriela - Birria benedict - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I had no idea this place had opened up, so was excited to try out. First impression, staff was very nice and welcoming. I love the decor and the patio area is beautiful. Menu is short and to the point which I appreciate. It was 5 of us, husband and 3 kiddos. I ordered the Chumbera (sp?) which was very sweet and VERY strong. Kids got horchatas (Delicious) For food we had the huevos rancheros, steak and eggs, chilaquiles and waffles. My favorite out of all were the waffles. Overall it's a nice brunch spot. I don't think it was worth what we spent, I'd say is a little pricey for the actual taste of the food, but server was very nice and attentive. I really appreciate that a lot of their food options are gluten free. read more

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We visited during Restaurant Week and had a mixed experience. Our server, Jeremy, was the highlight of the evening--he was wonderful, attentive, and took his time explaining the menu and our options. His service was thoughtful and genuinely appreciated. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to expectations. With a limited Restaurant Week menu, I expected the dishes to showcase the restaurant at its best, but that wasn't the case. The guacamole was bland, the carnitas were dry, and many of the selections were much spicier than expected--even the Caesar salad had a noticeable kick. The restaurant was not very busy, which, after our experience, was understandable. While the service was excellent, the food itself left much to be desired. read more

I have to say, favorably impressed with this place. Great ambience, decor, friendly staff, and great looking menu. We started with a couple of margaritas, I opted for a spicy, jalapeño one. The server brought chips and salsa, and we took our time looking over the menu. I opted for the fish tacos, which were delicious, my date chose one of the salads. We sat in the patio and it was moderately attended, so the food was out relatively quickly. I felt like the food was a little pricey, but definitely was good quality. I see this place is being an excellent spot for happy hour, getting together with friends, or a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Will definitely be back read more

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Modern Mexican restaurant Casa Gabriela is serving innovative Mexican dishes for brunch, happy hour, and dinner. AMBIANCE Spacious, bright, and open with a second level for interior dining and an outdoor enclosed patio. There's a touch of culture with Mexican decor, painting, statues in the space and flowers on the menu. SERVICE I found the staff to be very personable and super courteous. FOOD 5/5 Chicken Barbacoa Nachos: flavorful and big portioned with pico de gallo, candied jalapenos, asadero, cotija & oaxaca cheese. The candied jalapeños deserve an award, they're just the right level of sweetness for me and retain the taste of jalapeño without the heat. PARKING By the commercial or residential streets read more

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Such a gem of a restaurant in the heart of La mesa! They have a great happy hour menu that starts at 330 pm-530 pm as well as a brunch and dinner menu! They start you off with their complimentary chips and house salsa. The chips were still warm and super fresh/crunchy and their house salsa tasted fresh and flavorful. We ordered: 1) Pescado à la plancha- adobo glazed white fish with cilantro rice and a grilled nopales salad 2) coctel de Cameron- chilled shrimp with fire roasted cocktail sauce, horseradish crema, and charred lemon 3)) la Reina mariscos molcajete - shrimp, scallops, octopus served in a bubbling hot garlic butter sauce with a side of rice and beans and fresh flour tortillas 4) tres leches dessert. Everything was delicious and fresh and perfectly cooked! Portion sizes were very generous and filling. Chef gabby even came around to all the tables dining that night to check in on her guests, which is such a personal touch to our dining experience! There's metered street parking right out right or free neighborhood parking a couple blocks away. The vibe is relaxed yet lively and bustling with happy patrons. A great place to enjoy date night! read more

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The FOOD was GREAT! We had the guacamole and chicken empanadas as appetizers! Delish! Our table had the crispy carnitas, birria tacos and steak enchiladas...everyone raved about their meals. Service was very friendly. Love the decor - Gabriela stopped and introduced herself. 10/10 can't wait to return. read more

Weekend Brunch. First time visiting. The venue was super cute (modern Mexican aesthetic) but so hot inside. Service was all over the place. We had two people serving us. Our main server was so nice, but I went without coffee for 30 mins before she noticed it was never brought over and my husband went without a refill for the same amount of time. The coffee was luke warm too which was a bummer. I was already getting annoyed but didn't say anything about that. I finally had enough when the runner brought out the food - I ordered the waffles with chocolate and berries, and they brought over caramel sauce and berries. Two completely different flavors. The runner said they ran out of chocolate sauce after I asked what kind of sauce was on the plate. I was more annoyed at the fact that they were just hoping the customer didn't say anything. I did address it right away, and the two servers were on top of it and super apologetic. They corrected everything and made things right. I super appreciated that! Waffles - They were good, but I wouldn't say award-winning as it's claimed on the menu. Overnight oats - Five stars! Absolutely delicious oatmeal with all the goodies including a brulee'd banana slice. Chilaquiles - Five stars! I'm usually not a fan of chilaquiles but these ones changed my mind. We did half red and half green sauce. Both were delicious! Breakfast burrito - Good but not great. It was huge! I would definitely return. I really did enjoy the food and ambiance. read more

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absolutely a gem. i love la mesa and the restaurants downtown. they have this charm that you just don't find anywhere else in san diego. HIGHLY recommend the appetizer sampler. it has something everyone will love. everything is priced well and the inside makes you feel like you are in a TJ or Encanto restaurant. a must go! read more

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