Before arriving at Compadres in Atascadero, I had an unyielding craving for a sandwich. Alas! The lunchtime north-county hot spot, Harsh Harbor, was closed for dinner! After realizing this, my wife [personal tour-guide to the A-Town food scene] made an impromptu suggestion: We can have a Torta at Compadres across the way! At first, I was a bit sluggish to accept the torta as an equivalent to my craving. Sure, it's contents are sandwiched between two thick pieces of bread, but that's about where the juxtaposition ended in my mind. My affinity for sandwiches usually requires a heavy-hand of vineagar - sauerkraut, mustard, pepperoncini, pickle, etc... I never would have thought grilled steak with cheese, tomato, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and bread would work for me - but boy did it ever! The fatty, juicy combination of meat, cheese, crema and vegan cocaine (avocado) made for an amazing party in my mouth. And the main sell for my tastebuds came from an unlikely source, the carb envelope itself! Crispy and nom-tastic, the bread used for this Torta was especially memorable due to the fact that their was clearly a layer of charr-grilled cheese on the outside. While the Torta @ Compadres may not have satisfied my vinegar lust, it was successful in broadening my perspective on what constitutes a "real" sandwich. Now if we can only find a way to engineer some pickled food in there somehow...Eureka! The salsa bar! read more

El Compadre - TORTA-lly Awesome! - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

I love the Fiesta Salad! The citrus basil dressing makes this a refreshing unique taste choice. I love the colors of the veggies. I prefer more black beans less chicken breast ... they are generous. W the portions. Always friendly and clean this is a great local find. The enchiladas with the black beans minus the rice is another fav. Call ahead for to go food! I love supporting a local small business that is not a chain. I like that you can see the kitchen and how they keep it clean. I own a local small business one block over called RoCoco Luxe Boutique, New & Resale at 5985 Traffic Way if you want to try another great find! Seriously I love our downtown! read more

Very good! My Summer Fish Tostado was delicious and my hubby said his Fish Tacos were great! The chips were fresh and crispy and the Salsa Bar had a great selection of Salsas and condiments. Our waitress was polite and the food was served quickly. read more

Ignore the snobs about it being in a strip mall. The food is great! Everything we tried were solid 4's. The flavors were what you'd expect of Cali-Mexican food, but cooked well with good ingredients. Tortillas were soft and fresh and heated up on the grill perfectly. Meats were tender and well-seasoned. EXCEPTIONAL: Rajas con Queso Taco. It has strips of the type of chili and cheese used in a chilli releño (without the outside batter), but in a soft taco. It was DELICIOUS. Try it with the creamy cilantro salsa. YUM. Tables are spacious and seating is comfortable chairs. They can easily accommodate a larger group. Decor is cute and homey. read more

El Compadre - Seating is comfortable. Also, they do table service. - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

This is probably my favorite Mexican food place in Atascadero. Pretty good Mexican food here. The salsa and chips are fresh. I've also had their combo. It's a lot of food! read more

El Compadre - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

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I wanted something easy to eat, but not too heavy...so I picked up some tacos. Interestingly enough they came with lettuce. I tried one with and the rest without to see how I'd like it. I prefer to keep it street no lettuce. The carne asada was just okay, but the CARNITAS. MMM, so good! They had a crisp, charred taste from the grill...just the way I like it. read more

such good food. the service is amazing! its clean and i wont go anywhere else Compadre Burrito read more

Other stuff may be good, like burritos, but chicken tacos were awful. I asled if they made crunchy tacos. They arrived in premade shells. The chicken meat was bad tasting. Awful flavor. Tacos half full. Salsa bar at 5 pm not ready for dinner, mostly empty. I have eaten here many times over the years but not for a while. I won't be back. Taco Roco by Target is so much better and cleaner. Salsa doesn't have good flavor here either read more

El Compadre - I like crunchy, real, fried tacos. I irdered crunchy and got about half full in premade shells - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

I was told by my local relatives that this is the best spot in Atascadero. While I haven't eaten in too many places in town to validate this claim, this restaurant was great for lunch. Order up at the counter before grabbing a table. We were dining on a weekday just before 1pm and the place was almost full. My wife selected the Baja tacos, my uncle the fish tacos and I picked chicken. We all agreed that my uncle made the best pick. His salmon tacos were fresh with a little bite tempered by mango. My wife's halibut tacos were almost as tasty while I found my pollo tacos filled with tender and juicy chicken. Service is great here as our food was delivered promptly to our table. There is a salsa bar to load up on your tacos as you see fit. Plenty of drinks to choose from at the fountain and in a display case. Only caution is we found parking to be tight there and we had to make a lap around the lot before catching someone who was leaving. read more

BEST. CHEESEBURGER. EVER. Yes, I said it. El Compadre serves up the most delicious burger and fries...ever!! Yes, my husband and I go to a Mexican restaurant for a burger. No frozen beef patty at this establishment. You get a fresh "slab" of meat and a yummy bun and all the fixins (lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and pickles) too. The female cashier/waitress is so friendly and accommodating. Thank you, Luis, and crew for serving up a memorable meal. read more

El Compadre - Cheeseburger and steak fries - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

The place was clean and appeared to be a local favorite. Found the chips were unexciting and the salsa tasted canned. Asking for a more crispy taco yields a store bought taco shell. The flavors of the dishes were pretty bland. Staff were pleasant but one waitress and also doubles as the cashier does not help timeliness. CA Mexican food has a reputation that I found this not to come close to. Two stars for staff kindness and pleasant atmosphere. Not recommended. read more

The staff at compadres is very friendly. Carly was so helpful! Being Mexican I know what Mexican food should taste like (my mother cooks) Having said that the "Tortas ahogadas" are the best thing I have had. Try them. They won't disappoint. And for the price, it's a win. read more

El Compadre - Today's menu - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

Yup, this is place is a hole in the wall! The people were super friendly, the service was quick and efficient. To the person who gave it one star because they saw a cook pick his nose..You must have been at a different place. Here you order, pay, they prepare it and deliver it to your table. The only reason I couldnt give it a full 5 stars is because the salsa bar was very depleted. There was also more cilantro than anything in the pico de-gallo (sp?) sigh.. but we will return again! read more

This is great Mexican food with great people as owners and employees. I do not live in Atascadero or frequent the restaurants there but I have heard from several residents it's the best Mexican in town. I know it is a great place for lunch. The food is always great and the salsa bar is delicious. I have not had 1 dish that disappointed. Even the Ortega burger is great. Is it the best Mexican I have had any where? It's pretty close. read more

This place has the best Carnita Torta! Order it spicy. Since having one I've started ordering them everywhere in SoCal and NV and haven't found one better! read more

Food was good, the salsa wasn't spicy at all. The most disappointing thing was when I got the bill; my son ordered 4 shrimp tacos and instead of letting me know what the "fair market value" cost of each taco was, they charged me $32! Really? I paid $71 for a basic Mexican food meal and all I was told was, "Oh, I'll let the owner know." We have been regular customers for years but I will not grace their doors again. Very upsetting. read more

Great mexican food, the carne pastor was excellente ! Totally worth the walk while the tesla got charged. read more

El Compadre - Great carne al pastor burrito - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

Went back again to try the enchilada plate and it was so disappointing. Idk what happened but nothing had any flavor (no cumin, salt, garlic, etc.....) even the soda pumps weren't working well. The salsa bar was lacking and I wanted to like this place sooooo bad like last time but it was not happening. Still amazing prices and staff, 2 stars for that. read more

This restaurant has been my family's favorite for years! They use the freshest ingredients, always! My favorite menu items are the Shrimp Enchiladas & San Dieguito Burrito, and Chicken Torta. My husband and son always get the Tortas, huge Mexican sandwiches made with fresh big rolls from San Miguel Bakery! So good!! read more

Lunch was great here! Fast service food was luke warm. But tasty I had the verde enchiladas. The salsa bar had many options and you of course get free chips!!! read more

El Compadre - Verde enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

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Solid three stars. It could go up or down on my return visit. The food was fresh and they have a better than average salsa bar. I had a burrito and some soft tacos. I'd say a good average taste with good tortillas. Definitely worth a stop if your jumping off the freeway for a quick meal. read more

My fiancé and I had our very first date at El Compadre and I'd honestly say it's hard to decide sometimes which we love more: each other or the burritos we had that night. In all seriousness, El Compadre serves some of the most consistently delicious and authentic food around, and I look forward to stopping in for my San Dieguito burrito every time I come home from college for a break. The service is always with a friendly smile and hello, and the complimentary chips and handmade salsas just make the experience even greater. El Compadre will forever be a classic and a favorite place of mine! read more

Friendly staff that always gets out order correct. Wait for take out is never long, decent amount of seating, food always hot and delicious. One of our favorite spots for dinner. California burrito is amazing. read more

El Compadre is simple and straightforward. Good, basic Mexican cuisine. Great tacos. Very reasonable prices. A neighborhood favorite.

Great Mexican food!! The food was authentic, waitresses were attentive, prices were reasonable and most importantly ... the micheladas were delicious!! We tried the carne asada steak fries, asada gorditas, and el compadre burrito. Would definitely stop by again if I'm ever in the area. read more

El Compadre - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

El Compadre was a good find for my wife and I. We recently moved to Atascadero and saw this place on Yelp and thought we'd give it a try. Boy was it a good decision. It's a sit down and order restaurant so don't go up to the counter and pretend to order like I did. They'll ask if you'd like chips, but beware that they are $1.95. We didn't mind at all because the chips and many choices of self serve salsas were delicious. They have a very authentic menu with many choices, but they also have burgers too if you don't want Mexican food. I ordered the 2 item combination with a cheese enchilada and al pastor taco and my wife got the carnitas plate. They both come with rice and beans which are very decent. Although! The BEST parts were the al pastor and carnitas. My combination plate just came with one taco but they are very big and the meat is to die for! It's soooooo good. And the carnitas plate came with 4 tortillas and a mound of extraordinarily delicious carnitas! My wife even said it's probably the best carnitas she ever had. The price is very good for the portions you get. We had the two dinners and chips for just under $30 including tip. I think it may just be our new go to Mexican restaurant in Atascadero. I do recommend to anyone, especially if you're looking for good authentic Mexican style seasoned meats. Signing off, Bretzlaf read more

This was just the kind of quick, old school Mexican place we wanted for brunch. I was pleased that the server could get answers to my questions about gluten in various selections. But it was another case of the chips being fried in the same oil as flour-based menu items, so no chips and salsa for me again. We both enjoyed our meals: huevos rancheros for me and gordita for him; but neither was outstanding and everything needed a lot of salsa. And the service was slow despite the fact that we arrived just as they opened and the only other customers were a few high school students getting take out. It took almost half an hour to get food. Warning: the chile verde has pork in it, so don't order the huevos rancheros thinking they're vegetarian. My husband enjoyed the horchata because it wasn't overly sweet. read more

Excellent authentic Mexican food. Our goto spot.

Have gone here for years but this last weekend they catered my daughter's 16th birthday party and like always, it was delicious. The Puentes family went above and beyond and made us a good taco bar. The chicken and carne asada was cooked perfectly and the beans and rice were fantastic. They gave us just the right amount of salsas, tortillas, lettuce and cheese for or tacos as well. Everything was fresh and hot when we picked it up. Their food is authentic Mexican food and is my favorite in town. read more

El Compadre - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

I had the Camarones a la Diabla. My wife had a chicken chimichanga. Both were very good.

I'm not going to go far enough to say this is the answer to Atascadero's Mexican food wasteland, but it is a step in the right direction. A modest, clean interior and an order counter greet you when you step inside. The counter help are friendly and serve your food when it is ready. The salsa bar (who doesn't have one of these nowadays?) is adequate, and there is a nice variety of tastes. If you want a beer with your meal (yes please) just grab one, and a frosty mug from the cooler, and take it to the counter to pay for it. Carne Asada fries are not offensive, and the Carne Asada taco was delicious. They have an inexpensive children's menu, but we need to explore the menu further. We'll be back, but we won't be insisting our friends "have got to try this place" just yet. Right now it is an inexpensive place to pick up some casual Mexican food. read more

Standard Americanized fare. The fish taco would have been good except for the mango salsa heaped on top- ramekins are cheap, guys, serve it on the side. You make good fish, don't bury the flavor under mediocre salsa. They do have horchata, but it's the watery, industrialized version. Chips are thin and cold, salsa bar is broad spectrum but weirdly under-flavored- the table salsa had nice heat, but needed more salt & some sort of acid. It tasted like hot chopped tomatoes, there was very little bite or savor. More confirmation that the presence of french fries on the menu is never a good sign at a Mexican joint. read more

Solid hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Everything tasted super fresh. Great price. Relaxed atmosphere. Tasty food. read more

It's hard to find great Mexican food here in Central Coast, however, this place did justice!!! I tried the Carne asada fries and boy did they deliver!! It's like nachos, except you get fries instead which is fantastic!!! It was pretty big, so bring your appetite! An excellent salsa bar as well with fresh pico de gallo and delicious green sauce gave my carne asada fries a kick in the butt! Price was right and service was fine. Atmosphere may not look fancy, but what Mexican place is??? Doesn't matter as long as the food is delicious! Overall: Excellent food, great price, great service!!! read more

Good Mexican food. The only problem I have with them is that one of their employees decided to add on his own tip to my credit card for a take-out order, and did not let me know. When I checked my bank statement, the sale was $2 more than my receipt read. I spoke with the owner about this, and he made up all kinds of excuses as to why the tip was added on to my credit card without telling me. He never resolved it, and killed any trust I had in them. It's a shame. I guess they don't value their customers very much. read more

Love it here so much. The portions are huge and the food is always hot and tasty. The salsa bar has a very good selection of choices. They also have a very good horchata at the drink fountain. Some excellent menu items are the el burro vaquero, compadre burrito, California burrito, and the carne asada quesadilla. Prices are very reasonable I really do love this place. read more

Really good steak fries. Awesome tacos Super big and good bacon cheese burgers . Yummy salsa Two thumbs up !! read more

The best Mexican food around! And, one of the only ones left that don't use lard or put sour cream in their guacamole. The staff are all super nice and hardworking. The food is amazing and pretty consistent. Also, you've got to love a fully-stocked salsa bar. Protip: Get the torta. You can thank me later. read more

Worst chile relleno and enchilada dinner we have ever had. They didn't even remove the seeds from the chile. No flavor, beans and rice tasted prepackaged. Enchilada sauce obviously canned. We will not go back. read more

El Compadre - Seeds left in chile relleno - Mexican Near Me - Atascadero, California

We found the fairly food good and will return to try something different.