Hilberto's Mexican Food

I live very close to Old Town San Diego and like trying many different family style Mexican…read morerestaurants. In fact over the many years I've lived here, I've tried most of them. Today I found myself in Santee running an errand and stumbled across El rancho cantina and grill. Since I was hungry I figured I would give it a shot and while am I glad I did! I ordered the chicken mole with flour tortillas and it was the best mole I've ever tried. And I've tried a lot! I'm still thinking about it and I literally licked the plate clean, if you don't believe me see the pictures! I don't make it to East county very often but I'm already thinking about making the trip back for more food, I was planning to order the chicken chimichanga but decided to go with the mole instead and wow!

WuzupWuzup!! Tried…read morethis place out yesterday. Here is what I thought about the place. Plenty of seating, great for parties, nice outdoor seating and okay parking lot with parking on the street options. Food is pretty decent as I tried the Chachi Burrito. I wish they offered bigger sized bowls for the salsa as the server would make multiple trips to replace them, which brings me to the service. Service was very slow and had to ask multiple times for salsa and chip replacements. I had to ask several times for water refill and Jamaica drink took over 15 minutes to get. Food was nearly done and finally brought it out to the table. My only complaints other than that the food is great. Chicken Mole had some nice spice to it and tasted delicious.

Bar

Fajitas

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Menu 1/2025

Bad Hombres Good Mexican Food

4.2(616 reviews)

0.9 mi

This place saved me when I first move to Santee. I probably lived out of this restaurant where the…read morefirst month since I was moving in and didn't have much time to set up the house or cook. It is a local hidden gem. As Mexican. This is probably the closest to authentic Mexican food. They do not skimp on food. The burritos are probably 5 pounds. Probably exaggerating but they're humongous and the Price point is good. The salsas can be a little spicier, but that's a unique factor. The bathrooms are always clean. That's a key point.

The name is what grabbed my attention to want to a Breakfast Burrito since we were in the area…read more I got a Bacon Breakfast Burrito and it was a great size for a burrito. Evenly portion with the egg, cheese, potato and bacon. The main reason why I can't give this place five stars is because the lack of flavor or seasoning. It was tasteless. I thought the salsa would help with the flavor, but even the salsa was on the bland side. I had really high hopes for this Mexican Shop, but maybe it was just this day for the lack of flavor. Other than that, the service was excellent. They had a long time of cars so I would assume the other items on the menu must be tasty. We ordered through the drive through so we didn't go inside to check it out, but we did like the double menus outside. One to look over what you want to get and the other to order at.

Chips w/ cheese. Bummer the cheese wasn't melted on the chips....

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Surf and turf fries, and tacos

Roberto’s Taco Shop - Santee

4.2(55 reviews)

1.6 mi

The burrito was huge, the rolled tacos were heaping and the beer was ice cold. By far the best we…read moreevery had.

Ordered take out from Roberto's…read more Solid bean and cheese burrito. I added sour cream. It was applied way too heavily for my tastes, but still good. Just messy. Carnitas Plate was excellent. Perfectly crispy edges. Served with rice, beans, Pico and guac. Fish taco was weird. It had guac on it, a first for me. No Baja Sauce? I scraped off the guac, decent fish. They have a $1.99 fish taco special every day - no limit. ONLY on the app. Not offered for walk-in, dine-in or call-in. And they have Baja Sauce on them, not guac!

Carne Asada Fries

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Carne Asada taco & Adobada taco

Cotijas Taco Shop

3.7(502 reviews)

1.1 mi

Heading back to San Diego. July 6th through the 13th, 2026 this will be one of the first places I…read morehit. They have such great food here. Miss it. You will not find anything like this in Tennessee that would compare to this food. You can find Mexican food in Crossville, Tennessee, but it's nowhere close to California Mexican food.

It was just Ok. The Boss Lady and I were hoping for great food, since we don't get this in East…read moreTexas, but it was somewhat disappointing. We miss SoCal Mexican and wanted to love this joint. The cheese on some of the plates was cold and not melted. The flavors were great and the salsas were on point! I had the fish tacos, which were good but I wish that they had a grilled option. Probably won't be going back

Comedor

Carne Asada Fries

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Carne Asada Chips

Sayulitas Mexican Food

4.2(233 reviews)

1.2 mi

First time here. Had a carne asada burrito and my son had the carne asada fries…read more The portions are huge! It is a little more pricy than other shops but worth it! My son's words "ITS FIRE!" Will definitely be going back to try other things!

We've ordered a few times and the food is amazing! However, the prices are very expensive…read moreunfortunately and we recently just had a bad experience with customer service. After spending almost $8 on a side of carne asada for my daughter, they put the extra meat into a burrito without me asking for some reason? When I called to say they forgot the side of meat, they asked me to bring back the burrito to remake it correctly and give me the side of carne asada. I had already cut the burrito in half and they still wanted it back, lol. I understand their reasoning but for it not being the customers fault, it was very disappointing to hear that. If you don't mind high prices for decent Mexican food, I recommend! Just please double check your orders!

California Burrito and Carnitas Burrito

California burrito

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California burrito - seriously the size of a newborn baby

Marieta's

3.6(332 reviews)

0.9 mi

I cannot say enough good about this neighborhood restaurant!…read moreThe staff, all of them, are just fantastic. There is a feeling of family for all who enter. Servers are super friendly, polite and helpful. A variety of seating choices, from the bar and booths upstairs to the main dining room for large parties as well as booths, to the patio/deck out front. We always feel welcome and appreciated. They also make their own tortillas!!!! Order a simple taco and you will be astonished! Chile relleno, albondigas, and tamales are all superior. An unsung gem of Oceanside!

This place is consistent and very good! An institution in Santee, I hope they stay forever!…read more The place is clean and well kept up despite being an older building. Staff is friendly and is happy to engage with Spanish for those who are learning! Yet fluent in English.

Chicken flautas, lunch menu

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Steak Quesadilla, appetizer

Cazadores Mexican Food

3.7(428 reviews)

0.8 mi

Surf in their Surf & Turf options is slackin. The shrimp would possibly be frozen shrimp or need to…read morebe cooked more. Also, I'm surprised the Surf & Turf burrito didnt have rice in it to soak up the juices.

I've been coming to Cazadores for well over a decade. Even after having moved out of San Diego I…read moremake a point to drop in just about every time I visit. The food has always been incredibly delicious, fresh, and consistent. The staff are also always helpful and friendly, even when I often come by late at night not far off from closing time. The restaurant is always clean and there's ample seating. Their salsas are some of the best I've had and are honestly a huge factor in what keeps me coming back. Can't wait to visit again and get my California burrito fix!

Fish tacos - delicious!

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Drive Thru

Los Amigos Mexican Food

4.0(154 reviews)

1.7 mi

Had Los Amigos on Tuesday night for dinner. Very nice Mexican Food place on Mast Blvd. I had a…read moreCarne Asado burrito that was huge! I finished the whole thing but it is plenty big enough to save for the next day. My wife also had the surf 'n turf burrito which was excellent as well.

The food is always great - fresh and delicious. The service…read moreis friendly and fast! One of our favorites

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Current menu with prices as of September 15th 2024.

Mr.Birria

4.3(706 reviews)

1.0 mi

The burritos are humongous. And in this economy, I can use that for two meals. Food is really good…read more Sal says have a lot of flavor and they even have a chili oil which is divine. All of the Mexican waters are made in house. The stuff is really nice. The one thing that I love about this place is at the meet is nicely clean. It doesn't have a lot of fat rendering. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but at this point, they know my name. It's great. Customer service or I just go too much‍

We came here yesterday because of all the 4.5-star Yelp reviews, and I can honestly say they were…read moreabsolutely deserved. This place completely lived up to the hype! The birria was incredibly delicious--full of flavor, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The restaurant was clean, the service was outstanding, and Jose made our experience even better. He was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely took great care of us. We enjoyed it so much that we're actually coming back again today! If you're looking for amazing birria and excellent customer service, I highly recommend Mr. Birria. We'll definitely be back again and again!

Carne Asada Fries - San Diego style with cheese, pico & crema

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Cheesy Birria Melt - dipped and loaded

Estrada's Mexican Food

3.6(199 reviews)

1.3 mi

Food is consistent and delicious!…read more Service is very friendly and they don't complain or charge extra when you want more salsa Ambiance is your typical Mexican shop. It's clean and the AC is working well on those hot days in Santee The only gripe I have is I wish they would open on Sundays

3.5 stars Came and got a carne asada burrito. They asked if…read moreI wanted it Mexican or American style. He told me the difference but I was still confused he said the Mexican style came with avocado and pico de gallo so I went with that. The burrito came on a nicely grilled tortilla, the meat was high quality and tender. I liked that it came with slices of avocado rather than guacamole. But there was something missing then I realized that it didn't have sour cream and cheese. After looking at the menu I noticed that I should have ordered the "Classico" which comes with sour cream, cheese and black beans. My fault, I guess that's what he was asking when I ordered. The place is casual and has about 8 tables inside and its own parking lot. The burrito was good but they have more options than I'm used to. Next time I'll order the "Classico" This place has real potential, just gotta try more stuff or look over the menu closer next time. Next time maybe crispy beef tacos, chimichanga or carnitas.

Cozy interior

Shrimp burritos

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Menu 1/2

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8 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

John A.

12 years ago

Get rid of the chick at the counter. Real attitude problem.Got to be the owners daughter, or something. Never seen anybody as rude. Foods okay, but not worth the attitude. (Copy of letter sent to the owner) You have the rudest front counter person I've ever encountered. Where does this lady get her manners? Just a FYI to you, as the owner, I've given your place of business the worst possible review. This lady needs to go. Not sure what her problem(s) is, and I don't think I'm the first to put you on alert of her rudeness, but be advised, we were scheduling a review shoot to give you some free advertisement but that lady you have working there has kill the shoot. We sat there for nearly an hour an observed her and her behavior with customers and I have to tell you, you are losing business because of her. You'll definitely be losing all my co-workers and mine until you get rid of "miss personality". Take it for what it's worth, even if she's your daughter, or some other type of relative, you really need to either send her to customer service training or get rid of her. I'm posting this letter on Yelp for anyone interested in Mexican Food in Santee. read more

Ryan R.

1 year ago

My family and friends have been eating there for over 30 years. Great, small family owned business that has been around as long as I can remember. Best Chimichanga in San Diego! read more

Trey D.

7 years ago

The woman at the cash register is rude and the customer service is poor. Simple substitutions are not allowed. Too many other choices in the area to have such an attitude. read more

Amanda D.

9 years ago

We can't stop! We eat at Hillbertos at least twice a week:) Breakfast, lunch or dinner they never disappoint :)

Jamie H.

14 years ago

Best ever. The guys and the girl that work there are always super friendly.

Rebekah C.

3 years ago

Definitely going back! Great food and great service.

Travis D.

17 years ago

Great hot sauce. Great fast food Mexican.

Jeffrey P.

16 years ago

Best mixed burritos in Ca.

Hilberto's Mexican Food - mexican - Updated October 2026

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Had an awesome experience eating here. I order the carne asada chips and let me just start by…read moresaying it was honestly one of the best I've tried so far. The carne asada was cooked and seasoned to perfection. I am definitely make this place one of my regular spots for Mexican food. Thank you Nataly for making my experience even more enjoyable. Very attentive and has great customer service. Feels and tastes like home.

I had a decent plate of Huevos a la Mexicana from this Rosarito's Mexican Food location in East…read moreCounty. It was a generous portion but I felt that they simply mixed some pico de gallo, heavy on the chopped tomatoes, with eggs. It also came with cilantro, which is normally not an ingredient in this dish. Perhaps as a garnish. It tasted pretty good, but the dish was missing those green peppers, notably the chopped serrano or jalapeno peppers. For this Mexican traditional breakfast, they should have freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and not pull from that already prepared pico de gallo. It will make a huge difference. The meal came with some corn tortillas, which were good. They re-fried beans and Mexican rice were both good. If you eat in, they offer you some tortilla chips. They had good chips and good eating with the beans and hot sauce. They ladies at the counter were nice. There's parking right out in front and only inside seating.

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Shrimp Soup is bom . Com! Service is excellent never had an issue and I am new to the area and the…read morestaff has always welcomed us and is very friendly. Overall great place.. everything we have tried so far such as soups, tacos and carne asada fries have been delicious. I have also taken photos of the menu since I noticed the menus here are from 3 years ago. They now have Birria tacos and Birria Soup!

Really great food. My husband has been coming here for years!…read more We came around 3-4pm on a Saturday and it wasn't very busy at all. But the employees were working hard prepping, cleaning, and stocking things. They were all working hard! I had a pollo asado torta and it was really good! Everyone else enjoyed their food as well. The bean burrito is huge! My son has a cheese quesadilla and a side of rice which was also good and felt like plenty of food. The bathroom was also clean.

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So I'm from the Bay Area visiting family down in San Diego. Up north there's relatively decent…read moreMexican food, but nothing on the level of Tapatio's. The only thing I can think that compares is Cholo's in LA. Where I'm from burritos are 20 bucks, and like I said they're decent, but you can tell level of care and competence at Tapatio's is on another strata. The tortillas are fried to a perfect crisp. The cheese is melted perfectly. The chili rellanos exquisitely dipped in just the right batter... the salsas are smoky sweet. Don't miss Tapatio's!

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Came here on the recommendation of a friend…read more The restaurant was located off of the roadway, and you wouldn't see it unless you knew where it was and turned into the driveway and drove to the back of the small shopping center. I walked in and the restaurant had ample seating and was clean inside. The lady at the counter was extremely nice and promptly took my order. The two "lite" burritos I ordered were $20. I love that this restaurant has a "lite" menu of options with significantly reduced fat. Within five minutes both the burritos were ready and I was pleasantly surprised that they were a really good size for the price I paid. The burritos were wrapped in aluminum foil, and were still very warm after a fifteen minute drive. I got the chicken and rice burrito. It was full of chicken all the way through. The burrito was really good and had no grease, which was awesome. It filled me up but didn't weigh me down. The ground turkey burrito was just the same with no grease, ample turkey, and a little kick of spice. I will definitely be back here in the future and will recommend it to family and friends.

Very disappointed to be making this review. I order my food, and paid with card (they charge a 4%…read morecharge for using card instead of cash, no problem) but I was not given a physical receipt because the employee said the printer was broken. Once I left, the employee behind the counter tipped himself an OUTRAGEOUS amount on my card, effectively forging my signature & stealing from me. I've come here for many years, but never again. Sad to see this place go so downhill.

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Food has always been plentiful and delicious. I don't normally eat from small places. I have not…read morebeen inside but my granddaughters says its nice. Service is very good over the phone. I'll keep going there.

Costumer service and food preparation…read more I ordered a California burrito cut in half, mind you wait time was insane there was only 1 person in dining room. When I asked how much longer the cashier attitude was you should have asked if I had orders before yours and I was like well I only saw one person here. 1 maybe she should suggest I have certain amount of tickets before your. I worked at taco shops and the way they worked was they would do 1 phone, and if they had in person 1 in person that way people wouldn't wait that long. So I asked to cancel and get a refund the girl said your is almost coming up but didn't really want to refund. To I waited. When I got to my car the burrito was dripping sour cream dripping!! Took a few bites and threw away it was too nasty to eat. ( maybe if it where just a little bit it would of been perfect, cause the meat tasted good the only thing is exaggerated sour cream. I was going to go back but I was going on a road trip and had my newborn with me.

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Just update to add current menu and prices. Prices shown online are outrageous, so call the shop to…read moreorder.

I was in the parking lot looking around to see what was nearby and saw this place had Mexican food…read moreso I decided to check it out. I expected it to be a small hole-in-the-wall type of spot but I was surprised by how spacious it was. I really liked the decor because it felt like I was stepping into a place you would find in Mexico. They had a salsa bar and I liked that they also had pickled onions which was a nice touch. The prices were good and I tried their special 3 rolled tacos. The ingredients were fresh and the tacos were really good. I enjoyed my visit and would come back again.

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