The food is ok -- i've tried a few different items on the menu over the years and the quality varies both item to item or day to day. The real reason this place deserves 1 star is because the customer service is absolutely horrible, and the owner has made the place the most uninviting restaurant i've ever been in. They seem to exclusively employee extremely unfriendly girls at the counter who could not possibly care less about their crappy jobs or helping customers. The restaurant is covered in tons of handwritten signs (presumably written by the owner) of various "rules" the owner imposes on the customer-- it's very unwelcoming and makes customers feel like invaders in a place of business. There are also ridiculous fees and surcharges like $1 for credit/debit, and even worse $1 FOR A SODA REFILL. Come on man, this is 2016, charging that much for a soda refill is just bad business. Next they'll be charging customers to use the bathroom. Explains why the place is more or less empty the few times i've been in. The food is overpriced trash and the customer service sucks, which in my book makes this place skippable. read more

Delicious! Accommodating counter girl and owner. I'm surprised to find the bad reviews because the people were so patient and kind as I took my time with what to order. I am vegetarian and try not to eat cheese either so they showed me options and were really nice! This will be my new spot for Mexican in Vista. The owner told me that they take pride in their kitchen and that they've been there for 30years, I believe that says a lot about a place, more than a bad yelp review about forgetting maple syrup! read more

Ive been coming here with my girlfriend for the past 5+ months. They used to serve carrots in there carrot bar. Then they stopped and started serving them in little plastic bags with 3 carrots inside which is a joke. Now the past three times i came here they keep saying sorry we don't have any. Huge disappointment but that's not as big as my cali burrito i ordered. This is the second time ive gotten this small ass burrito i first thought this was a mistake and for the second time. I don't know if i will come back to this place anymore read more

El Bronco - Small cali burrito i ever had - Mexican Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Tried El Bronco for the first time yesterday. The place is clean, the service was friendly, helpful and polite. The grilled chicken chimichanga is huge & excellent! I'll be back for a good meal the next time I'm in the plaza. read more

BOMB bean and cheese burritos! And the rest of their food is great too. They are the real thing!!

El Bronco is a small Mexican restaurant nestled in Rancho Del Oro Shopping Center on Oceanside Blvd and College. It's clean and well maintained, with A rating by the department of San Diego. Expedient, friendly and worth the reasonable cost. Owned and operated by the same family for four generations. The chief is a man, but the other operations are run by women. A healthy treat to your taste buds, and a must to visit but bring the entire family and your work colleagues. Worth your while. God bless and eat healthy. read more

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This is my first time going here at this restaurant. I thought I was going to be impressed by the stars that this restaurant has. I ordered carne asada fries with everything and add-on shrimp (extra) When I got the order I had already left to eat it at work and I noticed it only had sour cream and cheese with the fries and shrimp. I told her everything, meaning EVERYTHING + sour cream + cheese + the shrimp that I paid extra for. So, it wasn't as satisfying and flavorful as I thought it would be. Maybe next time I'll come here again and try to explain to her what every thing really means. other than that, I am honestly a little disppointed. But, everyone makes mistakes. As far as customer service, she was a little rude and doesn't have any enthusiasm in her voice. Sounds like she has bit of an attitude. read more

This place needs to be shut down ! Do NOT eat here if you value your health ! We saw on google maps that this place had good reviews and we were all hungry for lunch. My husband and son were with me. We ordered our food and drinks. I opted for an iced tea. It was so rancid it smelled like sewage. It tasted even worse ! I couldn't smell it with the lid on but right as I took a sip the smell hit me and then the taste I am seriously very concerned for my health now. I'm worried I am going to get violently ill. I actually started crying it was so bad and the employees were just laughing !! My husband took the tea up to the lady at the counter and she just said it was cokes fault because coke is supposed to clean their iced tea machine !!! She didn't want to refund our money. My husband had to insist she Give us a full refund. I have already called the health department to report them. Please do not eat there ! I don't want you to go through what I did. They didn't even say sorry ! I am a culinary professional and this offends me so deeply! It's our jobs to prepare safe food and drink for the public. How dare they risk people's health like that ! Just do not eat there. The health department needs to shut them down! If I get sick I am filing charges against them ! read more

Jersey girl moving to the area and had awesome chicken taco combo. The tortillas were the best I've had yet and the tacos were filled with chicken. The rice was also amazing. My boyfriend had the carne asada burrito and it was big and delicious! Looking forward to visiting again soon! read more

Two things I judge a Mexican food shop: their breakfast burrito recipe and their salsa (also two things places can easily "half-ass" but no, El Bronco knocked it out of the park! The #18 breakfast burrito is one of the best I've had, and the red salsa is far from watered down, the red salsa was fire! Thank you El Bronco read more

When I took my new job in San Diego, I was excited for several reasons. But one of the trivial thoughts that occurred in my mind was "YAY, I'm gonna get to eat some bomb ass Mexican food." Because you know, logically speaking I figured the closer I got to Mexico, the better the Mexican food would get... WRONG. I mean, I've had some GREAT Mexican food in San Diego, don't get me wrong. But this CLEARLY wasn't one of them. A few months back I was visiting my friend at USD and we had said bomb ass Mexican food at a place called Super Bronco. I mean, it wasn't the absolute best I've had, but it was way better than the typical Albertos/Alertos/Filibertos/Albatross that's all over Orange County. So fast forward to today when I'm hungry and looking around for some bomb ass San Diego Mexican food and "El Bronco" pops up on my Yelp mobile app. I thought, Super Bronco, El Bronco ... YES! I found a local spot and it's gonna be great! At the very least it should be better than the two 2.5 star Albertos that popped up on the local search results. As I'm driving on over, I pass by a Taco Bell, a Del Taco and even a Chipotle which happens to be in the same plaza as El Bronco and I think to myself, "Suckas...why would anyone eat at those gringo places if you can have yourself some Super/El Bronco." Later, I would eat those words because as I sat down and ate my $6 wet chicken burrito, I realized maybe I should have gone to Chipotle. Maybe gringo Mexican food is for me. Maybe I don't like real Mexican food. Especially if this is what real Mexican food is. Then I thought better and realized, no...this place is WHACK. I've HAD real Mexican food. The kind of Mexican food that is so good you wish you could crawl back into your mother's womb and be born again, but to a Mexican woman this time so you can eat this kind of delicious Mexican food everyday. And there's no way this was real Mexican food. I don't even know where to begin in describing my meal experience. Initially, I was excited when the girl brought me my enormous plate of cheesy, saucy, heaping mound of wet chicken burrito madness. It was a sight to be seen. But then the smells, followed by the taste. It all went down hill. Like fast. About as fast as the housing market 3 years ago. The sauce had a weird taste. I couldn't put a finger on it at first. Then I realized what it was. It tasted like a can of Chef Boyardee. No joke. You know that canned, metallic, preserved tomato taste you get when you open up that can of 59cent Chef Boyardee Spaghettios? No? Well I do, because I grew up eating it. THAT'S what this burrito tasted like. Then as I'm picking at the shredded chicken, it dawns on me. This isn't some 6 hour braised chicken that's been stewing in delicious spices all day. This is canned shit. Like literally. You know that Chicken of the Sea canned tuna? But actually chicken? The kind you pack in your emergency earthquake kit, hoping to never have to eat because the only thing worse than losing your home to a ravaging 7.8 earthquake is having to eat canned chicken for 5 days until society rebuilds itself? Yea, that's what was in my burrito. Disgusting. I mean, come on North County! THIS is what you call Mexican food? I think I'll stick with Chipotle for now. At least until I find me some of that real bomb ass San Diego Mexican food I'm used to. read more

Absolutely horrible. I complained about a steak and egg Burrito that literally had only 5 pieces of steak. And the incredibly rude cashier tells me to "stop my drama". I say excuse me and she begins to swear at me in front of children. I swore back at the bitch but she started it. Horrible horrible customer service. read more

I used to come to this place when it was called "Super Bronco" and located in a different area in the shopping center. My husband and I decided to try it out this afternoon for a quick lunch. First off, the service was below average; the woman at the counter couldn't muster a smile even if I had flying unicorns come out of my butt and dance for her. So that was lame. Then the food. I ordered a California burrito and to my mistake, didn't ask if it had guac in it (most CA burritos do so I didn't think anything of it). The burrito was extremely dry, the meat looked old and as if it were sitting in a warm bin just waiting to be scooped for hours and hours. Plus, there was an ungodly amount of chewy, boingy fat. The fries inside were all burnt and lacked flavor. The tortilla holding this monstrosity together was also burnt. Oh yeah, and there was no guac. My husband ordered 3 rolled beef tacos. He received rolled chicken tacos. Chicken, not beef. Or maybe it was just really pale beef? Maybe the cow was just a little lighter than the other cows? I digress. The guacamole that sat upon these rolled tacos had absolutely no flavor and for lack of a better word, sucked. My daughter had a quesadilla. That was the only thing that was consumed happily. Perhaps that is this place's saving grace. The quesadillas. So go ahead, order the quesadilla here. It'll make your day. read more

This place definitely does not have their stuff together tonight and it's not busy. They keep screwing peoples orders up and then don't even remember what we ordered and they are taking forever to make the food, again, it is not busy whatsoever, there's literally 3 other people in here and we ordered before all of them yet we're still waiting and hey get their food, won't be visiting this place again. read more

It may seem I'm wasting my time, but trust me, this is much needed. So let me think how I can best describe my experience at this restaurant (if you want to call it that)... Overall, it was terrible. And terrible is putting it nicely. I'm not saying that I am a local genius by any means; but I do live right down the street and tend to enjoy some decent hole-in-the-wall Southern California Mexican food. But the problem is that it wasn't hole-in-the-wall; it was more like hole-in-your-gut and hole-in-your-pocket. This is the 3rd time I have frequented El Bronco, and it is the 3rd and final time I will go there. And I highly recommend this for anyone else. I should've learned my lesson by the 2nd time, but I figured "hey, 3rd time is the charm." Nope. Not even close. I ordered a run-of-the-mill California burrito. What most Californians consider (given the name) is a staple of our beloved Mexican food joints. The one I ordered was subpar and let me tell you why. First off, I consisted of 3 things: Steak (which was more like smoked beef jerky, sour cream (which I swear was mayonnaise), and cheese (and ohhhh was there lots of it). Second, it cost me $8.89 for a burrito and a drink. I can spend that much at chipotle and get higher quality eats. Mind you, there was one in the same shopping center; but I was running short on time and figured this be a "quicker"option. And 3rd? The girl at the front counter was rude and careless. She literally "chucked" my burrito into the bag, dumped some napkins it it, and threw some half-opened salsas on top of it all. All that I'm saying is simply put: El Bronco (across the board) makes terrible food at twice the price of the other guys with extremely terrible and rude workers. Honestly, drive down the street and choose Diego's, Alberto's, Eriberto's, Chipotle (if you're feeling healthy), Albertaco's, Raul's, Filiberto's, etc. etc. etc. before you even begin to contemplate eating at El Bronco. I hope they close because they are an abomination to the food industry as a whole. Don't go there; you will regret it. read more

Sorry, can't give a good review. Really wanted to since its so close to us and the only non-fast food in that complex open after 9pm on weekdays. (I work late and am desperate for good take out on those nights). We tried this a few times and my parents love this place ( but hubby and I are spoiled by previous neighborhood Bahia Grill and Rigoberto's). Husband didn't like the food at all, and he's not a picky guy- just likes burritos. I tried the chicken and the cheese enchiladas and not appetizing :( the sauce is a brown color ?! Was terribly sick afterwards, so probably gluten as a thickener in the sauce. I had tried the rolled tacos before and did not get sick so I was brave and ordered the enchiladas. Bummed. Celiacs and GF peeps bewarned! read more

Is carne asada fries supposed to consist of just cheese and sour cream ? That's what i got today.No flavor. Also it cost 12 dollars. Wow.

This place has been getting some bad reviews lately, and would like to give my El Bronco opinion. The thing is their food has been consistent for the 10+ years I have eaten here. I have yet to find a bean and cheese burrito that can even come near El Bronco's. I have tried SO many others hoping for the quality I find here. All I find elsewhere is soup like beans with very little taste that try to escape the tortilla wrapper with one false move. Their carne asada burrito is also very good. I feel it is my duty to give this place a deserved good review after eating hundreds of consistently great burritos over the years from this place. Good hot sauce also. Chips and salsa are a dollar, but well worth it. Make sure to bring cash if you don't want to pay the new dollar surcharge for credit/debt orders. Customer service here is not the greatest, but all I want is good food and they come through every time. read more

Very tasteless Mexican food. Carna asada is totally bland. Beef tacos a little better but for 12 bucks they should be awesome. They charge for refills which should be free with a 12 dollar meal. Last time i will go here. With so many better Mexican food options around go somewhere else read more

Horrible, and that's being kind. Very scary food. The burrito was just slop no substance. Tasteless and really awful! There are so many choices for Mexican why torture yourself with this place. Wow! Just WOW! Bad BAD BADDD!!!! read more

This use to be the place I loved in this area. All the way from when it was Super Bronco. Service has gotten worse, prices are outrageously getting higher and higher and quality not matching. The beans are really good, but that's about it. My new place is San Luis down the street east. Very nice people there, great prices, great food and clean! read more

Let's see where should I start. First of all the customer service at El Bronco is just straight up horrible. Basically if you don't look somewhat hispanic expect to be "gringoed" Which means skimpy burritos and different prices every time you come in. I tried to give this place a chance but after ordering their breakfast burrito several times only to find out that there is ONE sausage link and literally a dozen eggs packed into it I gave up. Every thing else on the menu is OK, nothing special just your typical So. Cal Mex. food except it is more expensive than other places. I literally live a block away from this place and cannot believe how rude they were to me on the day that I decided to ride my bike down there for a quick burrito after not going there for months. The store had just opened up and there was nobody inside. They have a pretty big dining area and I simply brought my bike inside just to set it down by the tables so that it wouldn't get stolen. I had planned on ordering something to go anyways and could not believe that as soon as I entered the store this lady comes running out from behind the counter screaming at me to get out. I couldn't believe it. Here I am a consistent customer getting yelled at for simply bringing my bike inside a restaurant so that it wouldn't get stolen. Anyways I have never came back since and I am amazed that businesses that operate like that still exist. read more

Good local spot, have huge selection and the staff was nice. Greeted promptly and was taken care of. Their salsa Verde is spicy and almost guac-like! I like how they open early. Quality is good! Only wish my burrito was bigger. But hey, portion control is key. read more

Terrible bland mexican food. Overrated. Rubios is better. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because when I returned my unsatisfactory wet burrito, they gave me two tacos as compensation. I was really rooting for this place too. Bummer. read more

The food wasn't good at all and it took for ever to get my food and I just ordered rolled tacos. Will not come here again. Save your time and money and just go up the street to San Luis Mexican Food read more

Been trying to love this place for 8 years. Chicken tacos are no bueno. The only thing I will order from here is the veggie burrito and the California burrito. I'm always re-trying the nachos and continue being disappointed. All in all it's ok but could be better. read more

My husband and I just ordered pollo asada fries. I specifically asked for no sour cream and add guacamole instead. My husband wanted his fries smothered in guacamole with no meat. I guess shame on us for not checking before we left. But the girl who took our order repeated it back to us very clearly when she rang us up, so we assumed she would communicate it properly to the cook. Apparently not. We were so hungry we rushed home to enjoy our fries, only to discover both were smothered in sour cream (we told the girl who took our order that we were lactose intolerant thus the 'no sour cream'). My husband, a vegetarian, had beef all over his 'meatless' smothered fries. And neither one had guac. Seriously? I mean, that couldn't have been more wrong. Are we being punked? We called to tell them we were on the way back and the phone was stuck on busy signal. Real professional. This will be the last time we eat here. read more

Love this place! Some of the best carne asada you'll have out of any of the taco shops in the area (dank Cali burritos!). Good sauces (not many people know there are two different green sauces here... you have to specifically ask for the tomatillo sauce. It has a little less spice, but a lot of flavor). The breakfast burritos and sandwiches are an awesome start to the day. Prices are average, but portions are huge. Very friendly staff. Definitely recommend trying this place out next time you need a burrito fix. read more

The breakfast burrito that I bought was really good. The service, however, was not that great. I felt rushed with my order. I ordered a large drink. They didn't have any large lids. I got attitude about that. As far as I am concern and as food as my was, it will be the last time I ever go there for my food. read more

Want to throw money in the trash and later get sick? Then DONT GO HERE. First the burrito i got seemed great since it was a huge california burrito but its trash inside . i got sick from eating that nasty burrito. the fries were undercooked ,hardly any carne asada in it and no guac?? they tried to cover up its bland and dry taste by adding horrible sour cream that seemed expired and dirty. never going back .the cook in the back didnt look the cleanest or seemed to have a clean hygene. he was eating while making orders. read more

This place is amazing! Grew up in the area, I have eaten at many local Mexican food places and this is for sure one of the absolute best! Great service every time and great food every time! A good number of options and vegetarian friendly. Try this place out, and try the carnitas burrito at least once. It's amazing! read more

I did some research and it turns out that in English, "El Bronco" means "The Bronco". Fascinating. The food is good and the prices are right so hold on for 8 seconds or whatever and give it a shot. read more

This place is alright, i tried the California burrito, i have tried many California burrito, & this one was missing something(s), like pico de gallo & maybe cheese IDR, The prices are average like other mexican restaurants. read more

I mostly come here for the breakfast burrito..definitely not the customer service. The woman behind the counter always has an unhappy disgusted look on her face and when I'm done ordering replys with a "that's it?" Overall the food is pretty good but the service is below my standards. read more

Soo good! Go here often. Friendly people ... Good food!!! I love the shrimp burrito... Bean and cheese and role tacos. California burrito is awesome too! They have awesome green salsa!! read more

Classic taco shop food and prices...nothing out of the ordinary. Good stuff!

I give this place two stars bc the girl was nice. But....the food sucked. We ordered rolled tacos and a torta. The cheese was not melted at all. And the torta fell apart. Wah waaaaah. read more

Gave this place a try. We had the chimichanga. The oil they cooked it with was rancid. Both my husband and I have the same opinion at the same time. We will not be going back to give it a second chance. Most of the time we give it a second chance because anyone can have a bad day. Rancid unacceptable. read more

My co-workers and I go to this place often (at least a few times a week)and My company always purchases burritos from them for the employees. The food is okay and the price is reasonable. It's the closest place near my work. Recently I called in an order of French toast to go. Once I got back to work to eat my food, I realized the lady had forgotten the syrup. No big deal except I wouldn't be able to go back to the restaurant until after work. So I called the restaurant and explained what happened and the lady already knew that she had forgotten the syrup. She apologized and said to come back and pick it up. I asked if I could also get a fresh order of French toast since my order was ruined. She said no! My breakfast was ruined and they weren't willing to fix it knowing How often My co-workers and I order from there. It's the way they acted and the fact that they weren't willing to even make an exception, not even once. Poor customer service!! read more

The carne asada nachos are money. Blows away other nachos from other taco shops in th area