My husband, dog and I stumbled across this place after a 5 hour Jeep trail trip! This place is so awesome! The owners anf staff were so welcoming and accommodating to us and our dog! The food was so authentic and tasted so darn good. We stopped to have a drink out on the patio and ordered food to go. Carnitas burrito and a beef burrito. Got home took our first bite and thought wow this is really really good! I cant wait to come back! The setting is beautiful and the atmosphere was amazing! read more

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After backpacking for 2 nights in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, we were starving for some solid food. We had driven pass this place on the way in and thought to grab lunch here before we headed out. It's right on the main road, Valley of the Falls, with the name of the restaurant written in giant letters across the front of the building, it's hard to miss! Parking: they have a tiny lot in the back, and some spots right in front. We had to circle a little before we found a spot. A lot of times it looks, ppl park here temporarily for the small market next door, so just be patient. We ordered: - carnitas burrito enchilada style - bean and cheese burrito - hard shelled taco - side of guac and sour creem - check was around $25.00 The carnitas was delicious! Chunky style, not the shredded kind. Super tasty! My best friend loved her food too. Large portions! Also great complimentary salsa and chips to start with! read more

El Mexicano I - Enchilada style burrito - Mexican Near Me - Forest Falls, California

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I was out in Forest Falls for the first time in my life. Being a OC CALI Native! For we went on a day trip to see and explore the waterfalls! We had lunch here and I was very impressed with the quiet homemade feeling! The salsa was spot on fresh! Service great! We walked in and I believe they were just opening! Great meal! Will be back again to have lunch and a great day of hiking! Thank you again for the great service read more

Took friends of mine that we grew up with 60 years ago in forest falls . The meal was great ,ambiance great , service great ! This is a yearly dinner and we will be back next July ! I live I. Oregon . read more

I've never had a bad thing here! So good, salsa is always fresh and if you need a fri fix they have good fries too!! Love the people, love my community read more

It was excellent food in a very relaxed atmosphere. Definitely will return when we're in the area.

OMG! the place isn't really big, it's accommodating, they have walls of pictures of past years of people coming out to celebrate events in the community. The food is delicious! the restrooms are very clean. The service is excellent!! The one road is actually beautiful to look at from the window, especially when it snows.. sometimes it's a bit cold when you sit closer to the larger window area. The owner himself makes you feel very welcoming and so do the servers! I just wished they sold those homemade tortillas again. The salsa is to die for.. one very spicy and one for pleasure. I haven't been there on a Friday night, but I heard they have music and Karaoke. read more

It was our first time visiting this restaurant. It has a warm traditional interior decor, very fitting for its menu style and the mountain region. The food is absolutely delicious and tastes authentic. The portion size is impressive. The signature Fried Ice Cream is epic. We devoured every bite. An elderly gentleman was playing guitar and singing at the corner. We had a wonderful time. On our way back, driving not too far down the road, a bear came across our path. Very glad we were safe inside the vehicle because I really did not want to share my leftover or myself. read more

El Mexicano I - Fri d Ice Cream - Mexican Near Me - Forest Falls, California

The food is always excellent! Fish Tacos on Friday are the best we've ever had. The owners are friendly and make terrific salsa and home made tortilla chips. read more

The food is okay if you're looking for Mexican food in the area it is the only place available. Parking is limited. Service is good. The price is fair. read more

So thankful our only restaurant in town is so good! Their food is great and they have a large menu. Always ask what the soup is because they make really good soup - split pea and chicken tortilla are great, but nothing beats their pozole. Their shredded beef taquitos are the best I've found. It's a family owned/run business and everyone that works there is friendly and helpful. Totally recommend it. read more

Stopped here for a post hike meal,. My shredded beef taco with mole sauce was delicious. Enjoyed sitting out on the patio!

My parents live nearby and frequently eat here. I have enjoyed everything I have ordered. The ranch dressing and salsa are fire!

Stopped by here after a hike. Excellent Mexican food and delicious salsa. Staff was very friendly and kept tables clean. Only drawback is parking - not enough. But it's a tiny town. read more

Hubs and I stopped on our way back to the OC after camping in Heart Bar. The BEST salsa, heat and delicious! I'm not a fan of Spanish rice, but there's was delicious! Hubs had the Gordita and I, the Machacha. Both very good! The restaurant is adorable, we sat on the patio and enjoyed our brunch very much before heading back to the OC jungle. Will stop again when next we visit the area! read more

Great place in the mountains, definitely worth the stop if you are up the hill and the people that work there are amazing!

Food was horrible. tortas was dry.. hashbrowns were like mash potatoe. Service very bad. rude mexican lady. service very sad needs to re trained in customer service and re trained in her people skills. Would not recommend anyone coming here. Very surprised there still in busines. read more

We love this place. Authentic food, yummy beer and margs, friendly staff. BIG portions!! The location is off the beaten road which makes it feel secret and special. We've visited 4 times now and plan on returning soon! read more

El Mexicano I - Cozy fire at El Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Forest Falls, California

Forest Falls is gorgeous. Beautiful setting, and the restaurant is really cool looking, crammed full of art, a water buffalo head, paintings, posters, two prints of the Mona Lisa, and lots of license plates in a rustic setting. The owner is very friendly, and talked about his days in Mexico. We ate breakfast here. I ordered huevos con chorizo with beans and cheese, which was good but not mind-blowing. I did, however, nibble a bit on my gf's hash browns, which were made to perfection, and her omelette looked great, so I think my next breakfast might be that instead. Attentive and friendly. read more

Favorite Mexican food this side of the Mississippi! Mario and his family and employees are just the best. They take care of you and make sure your experience is fantastic. (And it always is!) The Shrimp Mojo de Ajo is my favorite! And my husband gets the enchilada and relleno combo with all green sauce instead of red! Sooo good! The beer is always cold too! read more

My husband and I stopped here because Apple Annie's was closed. We are so glad that we did! We have passed this restaurant every time we come to Oak Glen and eat at Apple Annie's. The food was fantastic... The service was a delight. But if you're expecting a gourmet experience, then skip this place. Only if you're looking for good food, best service at a good price then stop here. read more

Love stopping here after hiking the falls. The food is always fresh and delicious. I absolutely loved the carne asada taco salad

I've heard this is a good restaurant but I guess I'll never know. I called and tried to order a gift card for my father. I spoke to two different people and spent about 10 minutes of time and from what I can tell they do not offer gift cards they just kept telling me that the credit card machine was working. I'm sad that I can't treat him I live in orange county and I'm not driving out there just to purchase a gift card read more

The food is okay, the service is inconsistent and I can't stress this enough, check your receipts cause they are not always honest about their prices. Other than that the ambiance is fun read more

I have rated other Mexican restaurants within a 30 mile radius but this one is the best! Family owned for 35 years, 25 by the current owner. Authentic Mexican food at its best! Service can be a bit slow but it's worth the wait! They do not cut corners with any of their food! read more

El Mexicano I - Chicken Taco, Chile Relleno, rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Forest Falls, California

Went there on Sunday, August 23rd, for lunch out. All I saw was the sea of people waiting in line with NO MASKS and the worst part was none of the EMPLOYEES I saw outside wearing MASKS OR GLOVES. This is unacceptable in my opinion. But then almost all of Oak Glen business were packed with cars which equals a lot of people which equals to much higher probability of spreading COVID-19. Customers and business still don't get how bad it this virus is....sad. read more

Forest Falls is a beautiful mountain village and El Mexicano is a delightful restaurant with great salsa, generous gorditos eclectic art, friendly folks and live music at times. There is some parking in front and a few spaces in back, but not much. Also avoid using the men's room unless you can hold your breath for the duration. Fortunately the food and mood is great here! Neighbors greet each other while strangers feel welcome. It reminds me of the public houses one can find in England: a glad gathering place to nourish the body and the soul. read more

Stopped in for lunch yesterday and we split a chicken fajita plate. It was very tasty and exceeded our expectations. It was very good food. The place is semi-rustic and not much to look at from the outside. It was moderately busy and although we waited a while for our food it was worth it. Negatives: Chips were a bit stale but they are free. The ice tea was a bit weak. Prices a little high (but it's off the beaten path). Positives: Friendly wait staff (only one). The food. Lots of locals eating (always a good sign). I'd go again! read more

In my opinion the food tasted authentic...chile relleno on point....cheese enchilada on point! Felt welcomed right when we walked in! Apparently this is the first location & the second one is in Oak Glen! There was live music which was another perk! A hidden gem located in Forest Falls for sure! Had a tasty Michelada with my meal...we will be back no doubt!!! read more

Always had excellent service when we came here. Not only is it down the street from our house and the only restaurant in town, but the food is AMAZING. The enchilada style burrito is the best!! We even made a trip to visit their other restaurant in Oak Glen area, same great experience and could also bring our beagle to join us outside read more

This place is AMAZING! Service was great. Food was as authentic as it comes. I had a Chile relleno and cheese enchilada. Husband had beef taco and enchilada. Micheladas are even yummy! Everything tasted fresh! Beautiful ambiance. Highly recommend you stop here! read more

Weird food. They have basic dishes and wine and beer. We sat outside in August because it was very stuffy inside. Salsa was spicy. Chips weren't fresh. Basic restaurant and the only one so we are thankful! read more

Went here with Family while staying in forest falls, so good! I highly recommend, not only is it the only restaurant in area but it is so Yum and nicest people working there read more

Such pleasant visit for a dinner. We sat outside with our dogs. They gave us chips and salsa right away at our table before ordering. The salsa was spicy just right that you wanna keep eating. Every we ordered was great and tasty. I say my order of taco salad was the best:) I did not expect such an authentic Mexican restaurant in the middle of nowhere! I'd def stop for a next visit to the waterfall nearby! read more

The very best place in town! I absolutely love it! The Taquitos are my very favorite. Actually every thing is wonderful!

For a small-town restaurant, you never would expect this gem to have such fantastic tacos! And the horchata is great! If you are in the mood for some delicious tacos, and are in the area; this place will NOT disappoint (nor will their chips and salsa, I could make these into a meal in them of themselves) On the Emily restaurant scale, I'd give them at least an 8 out of 10. read more

After one of our first So Cal snows, the Hubby kids and I drive up towards the snow to see it, and grab a bite to eat. We stopped here because we had passed it several times before. Randomly asked if they had Hot Chocolate, and to my surprise they did, and it was AMAZING! Probably the best I've ever had!!! The food here was so good. We loved everything we ordered. And the service was very good. I asked if they had crayons for my kids to color, and our waitress who was likely one of the owners went and grabbed a secret stash she keeps for her grandkids. It was a very cozy, family oriented vibe. We were very please with our overall experience, and the pricing was good too. We will definitely be back for lunch and dinner with so many more items on the menu we'd like to try!! And we decided to make it a tradition to go up for hot chocolate after the first snow each year! read more

Very good food !! Love the beans chips too! Salsa is great ! Great service and friendly atmosphere

I'm giving this 4 stars because the food is good. Our waiter, Manuel was very rude when I asked about vegetarian dishes. He suggested a dinner salad! Then when I asked if they use lard in their beans he said yes and insisted that it's just a little , and I wouldn't notice. He then brought me a sample of the beans. I explained I appreciate it but I would not be eating them. He then ignored me and would only look at my lunch companion. Even when I would say thank you he wouldn't acknowledge me. He stayed at our table way too long talking about his family. AND he had drops of blood on his white shirt. I won't go back. read more

Will never return. Staff was friendly and food was good but triple check your bill! I was over charged for everything. Beer said $4.25 a bottle on the menu and was charged 5.95 ea. Same with food. I noticed it was charged higher than the prices I originally saw. Paid cash, was also shorted on change given. I guess they need the money more than I do. Sucks when you are in the area to support small businesses and discouraged like this. read more