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Cocina Tex-Mex

4.5 (64 reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Cocina Tex-Mex Photos

COCINA TEX-MEX ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Cocina Tex-Mex

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David M.

Must stop friendly, clean & good homemade food. We stopped here for a quick bite while camping at the mountain. Potatoes were so good just the right amount of cheese. Not sure but I think the tortillas were home made they were super fresh and food. This place is clean had picnic benches to eat outside with a tarp for shade. You order your food and they bring it to your table. Everyone here is friendly and the prices are not bad.

Breakfast
B B.

Breakfast and the staff was wonderful and the food was wonderful and I would highly recommend this location

Tacos
Meg D.

You cannot get more authentic! Ordered 4 tacos and it was a mistake because its not the mini tacos! It was delish though, very tasty & flavorful. Imagine a truck with a resto set up on the outside. They even have a restroom, its a porta-restroom but its there. Over all, i enjoyed my dining experience. Staff is great, much much more than a food truck and the food was absolutely authentic.

Chorizo breakfast burrito

My favorite chorizo breakfast burrito and best salsa. Staff is very nice and service is fast!

a parking lot
Marcus F.

Locals breakfast/lunch spot that offers "tex-mex" cuisine out of a permanently parked food truck. What is Tex-Mex? Well in Texas it's puffy tacos and shredded orange cheese on everything. In San Diego it's called "Chili's". This food truck defines it through several "classic" tex-mex burritos that have unique ingredient combinations. Most of these could still be classified as "SoCal" taco shop offerings. I wanted to like the food at Cocina Tex Mex but the quality just wasn't there. This is Valley Center, not Del Mar, I totally get that but basic food preparation and quality was missed. The biggest issue was that the meat (asada) was of poor quality. Full of untrimmed fat and gristle which some pieces were 100% chewy fat.. Basically the stuff you cut off and toss out if you BBQ asada at your home. I understand it's cheaper to trim your own meat but that only works when the bad stuff is removed. Three of four burritos had issues with large pieces of fatty meat. The second issue was food temperature. Even though they were busy with customers, the rice and beans were luke warm. Same with the asada. Also the rolled tacos were fried too long and had a minuscule amount of meat inside. Clearly not one of their better days. * Service was friendly * Nice fruit stand next door * They did included a medium hot roasted pepper with each burrito. * Nice tortillas

El Paso burrito
Chari M.

We have been coming here 4x now since we moved here end of December. Friendly service each visit. We have enjoyed burritos by them, they are generous on meat amount in burritos! First visit I've tried their Tex-Mex burger, it's good but not to point I'll come back for, their burritos is what brings us back as well as their service. We love both their El Paso and Apache El Paso burrito - the creamiest guacamole with cilantro is amazing with their pork! We wish they could have option to add pineapple, even chorizo mixed in would be amazing, might just be me as I loved both burritos and wish I could combine them together into one haha) Apache burrito - both Carna Asada and chorizo is so good, rich in flavor in their chorizo and not greasy at all! Tempted to try their breakfast burrito next one of these weekends!

Lengua and Cabeza Tacos (top) Carne Asada Taco Plate (below)

this place rocks !! sincerely the hidden gem of Valley Center. Great little spot with nice seating in the shade, and the guy at the counter is very friendly. If you're looking for the most bang for your buck, with great quality Mexican and American food, this is the place. The street tacos are really good, and the lunch/dinner plates are a great deal. And all of the burger/sandwiches (which are HUGE btw) come with fries and a drink for $12.99 !! Please come through and support this place, it's always busy when I drive by and deservedly so!

Covered outdoor patio

Fantastic food, friendly, quick service, and a cute flower-filled outdoor patio. Can't wait to come back!

Here. Eat here!

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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5 months ago

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1 year ago

Their breakfast burritos are AMAZING. Service was super friendly too. A great choice that will definitely hit the spot!

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Best, tastiest rolled tacos I've ever had! Portions are well served and food is reasonably priced.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Food is excellent and service is great and ambiance is beautiful as it depicts an outdoorsy and country vibe!

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

Good family run business in this awesome community. Good service and a nice place to sit down by the lake.

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6 years ago

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Alberto S.

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Cenote Grill - Combination plate with Chile relleno, cheese enchilada, beans and rice

Cenote Grill

4.3(957 reviews)
8.4 mi
•$$

I've been coming to lunch here for a few years now. I get a craving for their poblano soup, and I…read morehave to, have to, have to order it. Usually a cup, sometimes a bowl. I honestly haven't tried too much on their menu because I can't finish their generously portioned entrees after a cup of the poblano. I usually go for one of their salads, the Asian chicken or the spinach salad. Or I'll get a la carte street tacos, the chicken or pork. I like the salsas that come with their complimentary chips. To this day I can't decide between them. The salsa verde has more of a kick but not too much heat. The salsa rojo is milder and thicker with nice flavor. Lots of retirees in the area coming to dine. It can get busy, especially Thursday and Friday lunchtime, and then you have to be patient for your food. Lisa in the front always has a sparkle and a kind word, and Guillermo remembers my drink order.

Cenote Grill is a casual Mexican grill decorated with stack-stone pillars and lighted topiary. It…read morehas a busy take-out counter, regular table service and ample complimentary parking. The menu was varied and the food was really good. The Thai chicken burrito was large and very tasty. My husband had a combination plate and said it was the best enchilada he's ever had! Complimentary chips-n-salsa was provided with not one, but two different salsas! The service was slightly slow, but friendly. The menus were a little sticky and there was food splashed on the wall at the table and a used napkin under one table. They seem to have a loyal local following of regulars, particularly an older crowd. We drove 15 miles to exclusively visit this restaurant as it had been on our list for a while. We would return if we were in the area. If their service was a little quicker and the cleaning was a little more sparkling, they'd get the extra star. (April 2026). Helpful?

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Jilberto's Taco Shop

Jilberto's Taco Shop

4.0(117 reviews)
7.0 mi
•$

This is the saddest news ever. This is the only local sit…read moredown restaurant and their food is the best. They have the best machaca in the world, their salsas, party trays, chicken enchiladas, beef tacos, shrimp diablo plate, ceviche tostada, chicken quesadillas, carne asada plate, rolled tacos, el jefe rolled tacos, birria tacos, everything there is so good. This is a huge loss to the community. We are so sorry to hear this and we hope you know how much we love and appreciate you up here. PLEASE BUILD A NEW ONE WITH A DRIVE THRU. The community needs you. We will all come and help build it. Please. Don't leave us.

The lady and I are definitely taco shop connoisseurs, so we can be very discerning from place to…read moreplace. Most know that one taco shop normally does not excel in every single thing on their menu. And we have our favorite spots for certain menu items no doubt about that. Over the years staying at the nearby Harrah's resort, I have been sent to this taco shop several times. Never had anything but great burritos, plates, and friendly service from here! The chorizo plate is my personal favorite but honestly I really haven't found anything we didn't like. I feel like we have tried a good cross-section of the menu, breakfast, rolled tacos, asada and more. It has all been very well prepared, good portions and great bang for the buck. I have them at 4.5 stars overall for the 6-10 times visited, which I'll round up to 5. No other taco shops around nearby to compare them to, but they have been very good to us. By the way, we've also been to the other two locations nearby in Valley center and they're exactly the same, just as awesome!

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Cocina del Charro - Tamale and Enchilada

Cocina del Charro

3.5(638 reviews)
9.1 mi
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I want there for a meeting and was quite thankful for what I was eating! I've been twice and was…read morenot disappointed. I am a risk taker so when I see unfamiliar items on the menu, I go for it, and this menu has a lot of unfamiliar items! I had a breakfast dish with pork eggs and peppers that popped in my mouth with flavor. The beans are messy and cheesy, just like I like them and the tortillas are just crispy enough. We were promptly seated and served by the attentive and approachable staff. The were not annoyed when we asked for more time to make meal choices which I appreciated. Once done, we were not rushed to leave and lingered doing business for awhile without being pressured. It looks fresh and new, with a very distinct design. Seating inside is an option, but the covered patio is definitely preferred. It's a great vantage point to watch the crowds of guests coming in. The next visit was just as great. It is now a regular spot for me to go weekly!

Always nice inside & great service. Our friends were with us and they've liked it ever since we…read moreintroduced them to this place long ago & go by themselves often. Good salsa & chips. Good Cadillac margaritas. We all shared the Cheese and Guacamole Crisp which is tasty (served with strips of California green chiles and fresh guacamole). Great beef tacos with lots of beef & great cheese enchilada too.

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Cocina del Charro
Cocina del Charro - Chips and salsa

Chips and salsa

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On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Taco Tuesday tacos

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

3.5(766 reviews)
11.4 mi
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"As a Medicare Agent in North San Diego, I often host events with friends in the senior market…read morearound Escondido. I really enjoy eating at establishments where the staff is friendly and memorable, and I always try to leave a review when a restaurant truly stands out. I have eaten at On The Border Mexican Grill twice in the last month with groups of 20+ friends, and we had an absolutely excellent experience. Sarah was our server on both occasions, and I am so grateful for her attention to detail and prompt service. Everyone in our group was thoroughly impressed with her expertise--in fact, her fantastic service is exactly why we returned the second time! I will definitely be back again knowing that my friends are in such good hands. The food was excellent, and the entire restaurant staff was incredibly welcoming. Highly recommend dining here and asking for Sarah!"

My wife and I have been loyal patrons of this restaurant for the last 10 years, and the chicken…read morefajitas have almost always been our go-to order. For a long time, the food quality was consistently high and the flavors were delicious. Unfortunately, during our most recent visit on June 14, 2026, we noticed a significant and disappointing change. It appears the kitchen has transitioned from using real chicken breast fillets to a lower-quality pressed chicken. The new meat has a rubbery, hard texture and is completely flavorless. It is incredibly frustrating when a restaurant that "has it right" decides to switch to inferior ingredients, especially when menu prices have already been adjusted for inflation. This location used to be our favorite stop when returning home from trips to Coronado, but after this experience, we will be looking for another exit and a different place to eat. The meal was genuinely unappetizing solely due to the decline in meat quality. It is a poor business move and a major disappointment.

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On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Cool wall

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Cocina Tex-Mex - mexican - Updated October 2026

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