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El Encino

4.1 (43 reviews)
Closed 7:30 am - 10:00 pm

El Encino Photos

EL ENCINO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Classy
Good for groups
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - El Encino

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Cafecito
Yezy M.

Quick visit to Puerto nuevo Found this place for breakfast Great and visible location Such a beuty of decor - every thing about this decor had a great touch Food have to be honest... just o.k. Chilaquiles sauce was canned for sure Chicharrón was ham! Maybe I will stop next time for a drink

Dinner salad
Sergio A.

This place is consistently good. Good service, good bar and good food. The menu is very diverse and the number of different dishes I have tried proves the quality is in the kitchen. The latest meal was the dinner salad, garlic mushroom appetizer and shrimp costa azul. Huge flavor in each course. Try it yourself, and find out how special it is.

Top to bottom: avena, French toast, fruit plate.
Sharry S.

The staff is very attentive, they really focus on the clients. When I walked in they immediately stopped their conversation and led me to a table. Also, the food is very good and tastes homemade.

Chilaquiles sensillos
Patty G.

Delicious! Affordable prices and great ambience. Reminds me of a old western saloon with the classic country music.

Diana B.

Loved the food and ambience ! Party of 8. And everyone in my party was happy and pleased with their food . I got the ribeye with butter mushroom . Next time I'll keep it on the side as the steak was super juice I didn't need more . Small place Camaron a la diabla diabla.. bomb! I will definitely come back to rosarito just to eat here !!! Also! Every in expensive !

Sofia A.

Friday, early evening, not too many people so we got seated right away. Server was really friendly and polite. Chips and salsa came out right away. Drink order and food order was quick. Food came quickly. Food was good. We would come back.

Kieran Q.

This is a great place to eat dinner. The food is very different and delicious. Their beef ranchero plate is excellent and plentiful. I really liked their fresh guacamole. My wife had their milanesa and it was wonderful too. The servers are attentive and did a great job of serving us. If you are looking for a break from the norm then this is the place. While the food is the normal suspects their preparation methods and recipes are not.

Cute decor.
Elizabeth B.

The restaurant had cool decor pieces. I had ribeye that looked more like milanesa, the biggest disappointment. Beans, rice, eggs, and drinks were good. The tortillas were fresh and tasty. Great location. Service was meh.

Nice look on this restaurant!!!
Brian B.

The best breakfast in route to Ensenada the food is amazing and please try the orange juice is the best also the services is amazing

Don't underestimate this place. It's easy to over look it. BUT, the food was fresh and delicious. The service was on point, polite and fast. The decor was Ranchero style and warm. The cowboy steak was flavorful, tender and cooked to perfection. The chicken enchiladas suizas were delicious and authentic. We recently ate at Tapanco just down the street, and enjoyed the food here at El Encino over Tapanco.

Cranberry or Basil dressing
Denny B.

Stop the presses. Wake up your neighbors. Declare a holiday. The best steakhouse in the Rosarito Beach area has been found. Wildly better than El Nido (yuck), hugely better than Restaurant Angus Beef (yuck and gag), significantly better than La Estancia (cough) and decidedly better than the previous holder of the WSF (world steak federation) and ISF (international steak federation) diamond-studded belts - Tapanco. Hail Hail, the new king of the steak places in Baja - El Encino. I will explain. The location is between two favorite establishments just 3 miles south of downtown Rosaito - Gentlemen's Clubs - Bada Bing and Foxy's. With this place nestled (wedged) between those two strip bars (Gentlemen's clubs) gives new meaning to location, location, location. You may need a little time for the significance of that statement to form the correct mental image. Beautiful interior with a grand bar. All done in dark oak and comfortable seats. Lots of space between tables and walking areas. Impeccable wait staff. They serve breakfast thru dinner. We had dinner. Upon entering on a TUESDAY night, there was a trio of acoustic guitar players in the corner near the bar quietly singing romantic songs of Mexico and the US. The menu had some startling appetizers (which we will do next time), typical "Mexican" combination plates (for the sappy Gringos), a massive list of shrimp items, a big list of meats to include pork, beef, chicken, tongue and lamb, fresh local fish and some really cool desserts. In a simple thought, El Encino has it covered regardless of what you want (vegans can eat the plants in the parking lot). To help you choose, what to eat, the staff brings a huge platter to your table where the steaks, fish and other meats are presented along with an explanation of how they are prepared. Such class. We chose the Camarones Costa Azul (deep fried, huge shrimp filled with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon) and boneless Rib Eye steak (see photos) . Surprisingly, the meal started with a flavorful tortilla soup. A bright fresh salad (see photo) followed with our choice of dressings - cranberry or basil (see photo). How is that for classy and different???? Grilled fresh vegetables, including asparagus, was on the plates along with a baked potato. The shrimp had a bed of Mexican rice as well with avocado garnish. Woo-hoo. The steak was an absolute killer of a cut - flavorful and incredibly tender. The shrimp were to die for (with cheese and bacon it was a challenge for the Lipitor to keep up). HERE COMES THE MOST AMAZING PART OF THIS REVIEW.......Drum Roll.....two spectacularly prepared quality, three course meals and four soft drinks with TAX AND 15% TIP COST $40. Pick yourself up off the floor and read it again. $40 for two superb meals with tax AND 15% tip. Check the photos again. Where else can you find this? El Nido, Restaurant Angus Beef, La Estancia, and Tapanco you have just officially had your ass stomped by El Encino.

Entrance
Sheree L.

Wonderful food, great ambiance and service. We went here for breakfast on a Saturday morning. There was plenty of seating and the wait staff was friendly and quick to serve. My husband had the machaca beef and said it was wonderful. I had the divorced eggs with an enchilada. Wonderful sauces on both. We also had a side of chilaquiles...oh so good! I highly recommend this place.

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Photo of Rus M.
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10 months ago

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2 months ago

Great service, clean, nice ambiance, and great selection of food. I had vegetarian items and enjoyed it.

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5 months ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Think "Texas meets MX." Country music and authentic Mexican food. On Sunday morning, it was enjoyable. Not too loud.

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3 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Es un restaurante excelente la atención la comida muy buena todo me gustó lo recomiendo mucho

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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9 years ago

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6 years ago

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

Food and service was amazing!! Will most definitely come back every time were in Rosarito!!!

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

You won't regret coming here. An eclectic menu for everyone even with veggie options. I ordered the shrimp & fish kabobs & they were the !

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El Encino Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - El Encino

I had ribeye that looked more like milanesa, the biggest disappointment.

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Patagonia 1829

Patagonia 1829

4.7(71 reviews)
3.8 km
$$

I had a friend visiting Tijuana so we went for dinner the last day he was in town…read more Despite living in TJ for a few years now I have not been able to try any Argentinian restaurant yet. The only I did try was "El Tucumano" which was located in downtown TJ, but that was over 5 years ago when I was living in San Diego. At the time we left feeling that the overall experience was mediocre at best. Anyway so this time we left Playas de Tijuana at 830 pm and heading to Rosarito. We were not aware the the restaurants there close at 9 pm so best case we could get there 5 or 10 minutes before the time they would close. Giving the time restraints we called a few places just to make sure we were going to be fine. The first place we called was restaurant "El Gaucho", they said they close at 9 pm every day and they take orders till 845 pm. Since it was 842 or 843 pm they said to look for another restaurant as they were not taking us. Then, we moved to the next place we found on Google, that place was Patagonia. Although they also closed at 9 pm we thought we were unlikely going to be accepted, but the hostess on the phone said that they were going to accommodate us, she just asked if we knew what we wanted to that they could get started as the kitchen was about to close. Since we knew what we wanted to order we could order on the phone, making things easier for everyone. We got there exactly at 9 pm, we sat down, got a soda and a glass of wine and by the time we got the drink the food was already there, just out of the grill. Timing was beyond perfect, it could not get any better. We got a parrillada for 2, but indeed, the food that comes with it its for 2 big eaters, to be honest this would have been more than enough for 3 average eaters. The cuts were really tender and flavorfull, without significant fat pockets. It was really tasty, similar to the parrilladas you would get in good restaurants in Argentina. It came with 2 or 3 different steaks; flank steak, skirt steak and short ribs. The parrillada came also with corn on the cob, chorizo and morcilla as well as a side of fries . We also got 2 empanadas to start with and for dessert we got an alfajor (we were stuffed but we could not leave without trying a dessert). Overall we were were happy, I am Argentinian so I can definitely appreciate a good quality parrillada and it's not that living away from home for 25 years made me forget the standards I developed when I lived in Argentina. I was happy with the food, the generous servings we got along with the fair prices we paid and mostly with the fact that i could proudly show a Mexican friend how good the Argentinian parrilladas are. A few years ago I visited Mexico and they proudly took me to different places to try Mexico's best cuisine and I ended up getting nothing but their finest. Now, despite the limited options Tijuana has I was still able to catch up and get them to sample some of Argentinian's best beef. I could not be happier with the overall experiene at Patagonia in Rosarito.

Enjoyed this restaurant! Due to the outstanding reviews on Yelp, decided to trek on down from the…read moreSan Diego border to Rosarito to check this spot out. Patagonia is located right in the heart of downtown Rosarito, within a short walking distance of the beach and well-known Papas & Beer nightclub. Was slightly hard to find at first, though there is a small red sign from the storefronts on main street (Hwy 1) indicating where the restaurant is. The restaurant is actually located in a charming garden court slightly off the main street, co-located with a few other restaurants and shops. Got to the restaurant a little before 1:30 pm on a Friday, not too long after they opened for the day. Only one other set of customers was there at the time so I was able to be seated immediately. Was surprised by how small the spot is, almost felt like you were walking into someone's home rather than a restaurant, though I very much appreciated the old-school, "homey" feel and decor. 4-5 tables inside, another 4-5 tables outside, with the kitchen right in the front of the restaurant where you can see all the food being prepared. A couple of cats randomly roaming around the restaurant also added to the charm, LOL. Seems to be a family-owned restaurant judging from the size, decor, and the fact that the waiter who took my order was also helping in the kitchen. The waiter who greeted me spoke pretty good English so language barrier was no issue. I ordered the 16 oz grilled ribeye steak (Bife Patagonia), which comes with your choice of french fries (which I chose) or salad. There's not an extensive drink list here - mostly some wines, sangria, juices, and water - so I just went with some mineral water rather than the usual beer I would get at this type of restaurant. A few minutes after ordering they waiter brought out a few pieces of complimentary bread with homemade sauces. Small portioned, but very tasty! They then brought out the french fries before bringing out the steak, which I thought was a little odd (these are typically brought out at the same time), but wasn't a problem for me. The ribeye was very well-portioned, juicy, and damn good. Wouldn't say it's up there with the best I've ever had, or even the best I've had in Mexico, but it was good. At 695 pesos (~$35 dollars) I thought it was great value relative to comparable steakhouses both in Mexico and the U.S. Altogether with the 2 mineral waters I ordered (50 pesos each), my total bill came out to 795 pesos (~40) which was actually much less than I was expecting to pay going in. Patagonia does accept credit cards and they have their own free wi-fi. While most people who go to steakhouses like this dress up nicely, there is no dress code here. I was very casually dressed when I went here, as was the waiter and all the other workers who were there at the time. Very charming restaurant with good food at a great price! Definitely recommend checking out at least once if you happen to be in the area!

Photos
Patagonia 1829 - Kitchen

Kitchen

Patagonia 1829
Patagonia 1829 - Beautiful outdoor seating in the courtyard.

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Beautiful outdoor seating in the courtyard.

Urban Pirate - Urban pírate

Urban Pirate

4.6(14 reviews)
2.1 km

Great food! The food here is amazing would recommend. I got the fish & chips and they were…read moredelicious. The burgers were delicious, would have to come back!

It took us years of going to Rosarito, and staying three blocks from Urban Pirate Burger before we…read moreactually tried it. After all, who goes to Mexico for a burger? But after we'd been down there often enough that only eating street food was a novelty, and when some of our favorite local places were closed, we finally gave it a try. My wife and I love food, and eat a lot of it everywhere, so I don't say this lightly--their onion rings are as good as any we've had anywhere. Neither of us can think of a place with better onion rings, which is impressive for a food truck in Mexico. We also LOVE their fried shrimp, and their fried fish is pretty dang good as well. As the burgers go, I love the one with mushrooms on it (don't accidentally order the one that is ONLY a portobello mushroom, unless you don't want meat!), and the bacon burger is also pretty great. My wife loves the fries as well, though I'm not as big of a fan. They also allow dogs (including random street dogs, which is a very Mexico thing, so be aware), which is important to us. They also are co-located with a beer garden that has fire pits, when they are open. Which is also our biggest criticism, which almost led me to grade this place a 4 instead of a 5. They often claim to be open until 8 or even 9 when you ask them earlier in the day, and their official Yelp page says 7, but we have gone there at 645 and very sadly found them closed, so I recommend you go there at lunch when the sign is up, or closer to 6 than 7. And as far as the neighboring beer garden goes... I absolutely never depend on them being open.

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Urban Pirate
Urban Pirate - Hawaiian Burger dissected, and fries

Hawaiian Burger dissected, and fries

Urban Pirate - Urban Burgers delicious menu.

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Urban Burgers delicious menu.

Chamuyo - Cooked to perfection.

Chamuyo

4.9(42 reviews)
47.2 km

Quickly yelped a place to eat that was nearby and Chamuyo popped up. My husband and I stopped in,…read morewe did not need a reservation - this was a Saturday evening over Memorial Day weekend. We were greeted immediately and offered indoor or outdoor seating. We opted to eat outdoors. A tiny regret as smoking is allowed and people were smoking. But they soon left so not too much of a bother. We started by ordering drinks - they have a full bar. My husband ordered a double tequila & I ordered a Paloma. Not too strong or too weak, just perfectly prepared. My husband ordered the Chamuyo Shrimp U10, and I ordered the Rib Eye Center Cut Steak- medium well. Both came with a side of the criolla salad. The food, ambiance, and service was great. There was also about 30 minutes of live music by a duo performing son jarocho. Not sure if that's the proper phrasing but it was a nice treat. I'm not sure if they are regular performers or they just happened to be there that day. Overall a great dining experience to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.

This is a must restaurant every time we visit El Valle with the family. The meat quality is…read moreexcellent and their customer service is always on point. We have a great experience every time we dine and the asado comes with a full bottle that never disappoints. If you are a meat lover this is definitely the place for you.

Photos
Chamuyo - Tomahawk with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes

Tomahawk with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes

Chamuyo - La terraza de Chamuyo Valle de Guadalupe

La terraza de Chamuyo Valle de Guadalupe

Chamuyo

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Restaurant Angus Beef - Decor inside

Restaurant Angus Beef

3.1(16 reviews)
2.8 km
$$

Located in the same parking lot as Betuccini's Pizzeria & Trattoria, this steakhouse is open for…read morebreakfast, lunch and dinner. It has an extensive menu and a large dining area that is sectioned off in "corrals". It is an old western, charro decor complete with saddles and split rail fencing inside. The bar is only about 4 seats wide and has a table for those who wish to eat in the bar. As you walk through the building, it is hard not to notice the tons of firewood stacked everywhere that is destined to be used to cook your meal. In sampling the new operations menu, we found that the best pick was the Prime Rib which even at $20 after the peso exchange rate was a damn good meal. Dinner comes with excellent chips and some great salsas, a fresh, cold salad, your entree with baked potato and some beans straight from the pot. English is really not spoken by the staff, so it would help if you boned up on your restaurant Spanglish. The exchange rate offered by the restaurant was quite low, so pack a few pesos before going here. HIPSTER WARNING - NO CREDIT CARDS. Even though the place is named Angus Beef, most of the cuts (except the Prime Rib) are nowhere near prime or even choice. Over a few nights of visiting, I did notice some prime heifers on the hoof (local eye candy) at the bar and the dining room.

The atmosphere gets a 5 for sure- the rustic decor and intimate ambiance was really great. But the…read moreservice was hit or miss. The service was really great at first, but then my waiter disappeared forever. When I finished eating, he passed me like 5 times making eye contact each time but never stopped to see if I needed anything. I would have ordered dessert, but instead I went to the front desk to chase down a different waiter (mine was nowhere to be seen) To get my check. And the food gets a 2-3. The steak was severely undercooked, the baked potato was very small, and the sangria was from a mix and had no fruit in it. The guacamole and cheese appetizer was very good though. But all in all, there are better places nearby.

Photos
Restaurant Angus Beef - Decor...  old saddle

Decor... old saddle

Restaurant Angus Beef - Inside

Inside

Restaurant Angus Beef - Inside

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Inside

El Encino - steak - Updated July 2026

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