La Nacional
Order La Nacional Takeout or Delivery
La Nacional Photos
Business Info
La Nacional Popular Dishes
LA NACIONAL ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like La Nacional
Recommended Reviews - La Nacional
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
My first impression is this place definitely has some good potential. I wanted pozole soup for breakfast, but unfortunately is was not available until lunch, so I had to settle for a breakfast burrito, that came with bacon, eggs, cheese, and house potatoes for $11. On the menu it is called "El Basico." The burrito took a little longer than it should of to come out on a non busy morning. When It arrived, it looked promising but when I got into it, I quickly discovered that it came with a lot of potatoes, and very very few pieces of bacon. Refer to the picture. As a result, I pointed it out the the bar keep and he agreed and asked if I wanted a side of bacon to add to burrito, and I agreed. In the end they ended up re-firing the breakfast burrito, with better results, but in my opinion, still needing a little more bacon. Don't get me wrong it certainly came with more bacon, when comparing it to the first burrito. The burrito has good flavor and texture. The burrito was average to small in size to most, but definitely tasty. The bar was cool and apologetic. They should offer the pozole for breakfast. Like menudo, it's a great breakfast item and help with hang overs and such.
We just came for a Sunday lunch and saw they serve brunch until 2. We were seated, given menus, and told to order at the bar. There's cool Mexican art on the wall and table was clean and wiped down. There's not too big of a menu and what they have is made really well. The chips and salsa were good. I like how light the chips are. The free salsa had more and better flavor than the red, but both are good. I got El Bàsico burrito and it was like how I used to eat it growing up when my parents would make it for me. I asked for a side of the poblano salsa they use for the chilaquiles and it was so good! It became with a side of plain crema. I left full and happy! My wife got a Quesataco with a side of frijoles and papas. The taco had a lot of meat and was super tasty. They gave you a small side of consume and that didn't disappoint either. The papas didn't have too much flavor but were nice and crispy. The beans were my wife's favorite. They have a slight kick and bomb flavor. I'm glad to have this place in our neighborhood and I look forward to coming back again!
Mmmmmm mixed feelings about this place... We came for Chilaquiles! Missed the cut off of 1:30pm wha wha I asked the bartender to recommend another dish. He said "oh the flautas are good Krispy with chicken and Verde sauce"Well, maybe it's me but flautas are usually flour tortillas and rolled tacos are corn so when my rolled tacos came in a cute little cup with some Crema on them. I was like these are rolled tacos! Then I was disappointed, but it goes further than that, two of the the chicken tacos were inedible overcooked One was halfway decent the Crema and the salsa that came with them was delicious. But I have to say overall the service was not with a smile, very drab bartender, and waitress, lacking hospitality. The atmosphere here has a chill vibe and looks good esthetically but IDK So to recap... My husbands Pozole was amazing The fries were good They had great beer on tap, I mean who doesn't love a cold Pliny!
A friend told me about this place and we came here for their happy hour. Everything was good, there was only one server/bartender working but she somehow managed to make all the drinks and take all our orders in a very timely manner and was super helpful and kind. They have a decent sized happy hour menu with plenty of options (beer, wine and make your own margaritas). Very casual spot but good value and authentic.
One of Chula Vista's locals favorite spots. Located in the heart of third avenue in Chula Vista and walking distance from many other great bars and restaurants. First things first, I love that they have a multitude of drinks and alcohol you can try. Not just a brewery. Very open forum with cool air breeze. The staff are all very friendly and attentive. Quick to provide advice or offer you another drink. The place appears clean and the food is good. Big portions too so enough to share for sure. Bathroom line can be busy if there's many people. Parking isn't always the greatest either and mostly metered parking so arrive early or go on a non-busy day. Other than that, I'd recommend the spot and come back again.
Excellent chilaquiles!! Very close to my absolute favorite restaurant in Palm Desert. I love chilaquiles which don't try to behave like an elevated version of themselves - make good nachos that don't sog up quickly, a delicious sauce that lives up to its name, whether creamy, mild or spicy, give me some delicious creamy sour cream and a good side of beans. That is a good chilaquiles. This place had exactly this. We ordered the combination plates where you can mix and match - a Rojas and verde and a creamy poblano and verde. Both were excellent and I don't think you'll go wrong with choosing any of their chilaquiles options! We went at opening time on Sat, so the place was empty and we ordered at the bar. I don't know if that is how it works when it gets busier. It is an open space so I think it will have the tendency to get loud. There is paid street parking all along main street. I will definitely come back here for Chilaquiles. This is it!
I'm so bummed I didn't take a picture of my taco didn't take a picture of my drink. They were both excellent. I got the Carnitas tacos that actually they put so much meat on them that they made four tacos so I shared it with a friend and then my Whiskey was delicious. It was like a mix of whiskey and tequila put together. We're having the Mexico Honduras game so that was a lot of fun in arthritis. They have music love this place in the bartenders super awesome cool vibes.
Thank you for not holding back on spice and flavor. Pica pero sabe!!! Not sure if they're gonna like this but we took our kids (3 and 8yrs old) around 6pm on a Tuesday and it was a good spot for the entire fam. There was an option on the menu for everyone. Service was prompt and friendly. We had the quesadilla, tacos de papa, flautas, pozole, sopa de tortilla, and enchiladas. EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD. Including the drinks (chinga la gorra roja and a margarita).
Definitely would recommend for Happy Hour. I had the flautas and a quesadilla. The flautas reminded me of ones I've had in Mexico City; very flavorful and crispy. The bartender was very friendly. I had a refreshing beer that was on draft but I can't remember which one it was! I went on a weekday: like a Wednesday or Tuesday and it wasn't too packed which was also nice.
Bartender was great definitely a good spot for locals drinks were amazing shout out to Vasni
One of Chula Vista's hidden gems. Feels like you walk into an old Mexican Classic Cantina. Greeted with an open smile every time from the one of the best bartenders in San Diego Omar, he always makes us feel at home makes the best margaritas in San Diego. Thank you La Nacional for bringing a little of Mexico to Chula Vista.
This may be my new favorite happy hour spot! I came here last week with a friend after a long week of work. They had a decent selection of drinks, but my favorite was the food. It is served in small portions like in the cantinas I have been to in Mexico. We had the soup of the day and the falutas. Amazing food! Small portions, but filling and perfect. They serve them in those blue containers that remind me of my grandma's house growing up. Even the churros were amazing! The service was good and they were really chill. The place itself is pretty nice and basic, but welcoming. The only thing was that the music was really loud so it made it really hard to talk to my friend. I can't wait to come back and I highly recommend it. read more
I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of breakfast here thinking that it is a bar. We had the Chilaquiles with 2 sauces, poblano and tomatillo with Birria and Breakfast Tacos. They were delicious and good quantity of food. We had the blueberry pancakes for dessert and wow!! They were perfectly done. Better than breakfast places that I had been. You order and pay the food ahead at the bar and the bring the food to you. The staff was friendly and still checks on you if you need anything. read more
My first impression is this place definitely has some good potential. I wanted pozole soup for breakfast, but unfortunately is was not available until lunch, so I had to settle for a breakfast burrito, that came with bacon, eggs, cheese, and house potatoes for $11. On the menu it is called "El Basico." The burrito took a little longer than it should of to come out on a non busy morning. When It arrived, it looked promising but when I got into it, I quickly discovered that it came with a lot of potatoes, and very very few pieces of bacon. Refer to the picture. As a result, I pointed it out the the bar keep and he agreed and asked if I wanted a side of bacon to add to burrito, and I agreed. In the end they ended up re-firing the breakfast burrito, with better results, but in my opinion, still needing a little more bacon. Don't get me wrong it certainly came with more bacon, when comparing it to the first burrito. The burrito has good flavor and texture. The burrito was average to small in size to most, but definitely tasty. The bar was cool and apologetic. They should offer the pozole for breakfast. Like menudo, it's a great breakfast item and help with hang overs and such. read more
We just came for a Sunday lunch and saw they serve brunch until 2. We were seated, given menus, and told to order at the bar. There's cool Mexican art on the wall and table was clean and wiped down. There's not too big of a menu and what they have is made really well. The chips and salsa were good. I like how light the chips are. The free salsa had more and better flavor than the red, but both are good. I got El Bàsico burrito and it was like how I used to eat it growing up when my parents would make it for me. I asked for a side of the poblano salsa they use for the chilaquiles and it was so good! It became with a side of plain crema. I left full and happy! My wife got a Quesataco with a side of frijoles and papas. The taco had a lot of meat and was super tasty. They gave you a small side of consume and that didn't disappoint either. The papas didn't have too much flavor but were nice and crispy. The beans were my wife's favorite. They have a slight kick and bomb flavor. I'm glad to have this place in our neighborhood and I look forward to coming back again! read more
8 months ago
Mmmmmm mixed feelings about this place... We came for Chilaquiles! Missed the cut off of 1:30pm wha wha I asked the bartender to recommend another dish. He said "oh the flautas are good Krispy with chicken and Verde sauce"Well, maybe it's me but flautas are usually flour tortillas and rolled tacos are corn so when my rolled tacos came in a cute little cup with some Crema on them. I was like these are rolled tacos! Then I was disappointed, but it goes further than that, two of the the chicken tacos were inedible overcooked One was halfway decent the Crema and the salsa that came with them was delicious. But I have to say overall the service was not with a smile, very drab bartender, and waitress, lacking hospitality. The atmosphere here has a chill vibe and looks good esthetically but IDK So to recap... My husbands Pozole was amazing The fries were good They had great beer on tap, I mean who doesn't love a cold Pliny! read more
A friend told me about this place and we came here for their happy hour. Everything was good, there was only one server/bartender working but she somehow managed to make all the drinks and take all our orders in a very timely manner and was super helpful and kind. They have a decent sized happy hour menu with plenty of options (beer, wine and make your own margaritas). Very casual spot but good value and authentic. read more
One of Chula Vista's locals favorite spots. Located in the heart of third avenue in Chula Vista and walking distance from many other great bars and restaurants. First things first, I love that they have a multitude of drinks and alcohol you can try. Not just a brewery. Very open forum with cool air breeze. The staff are all very friendly and attentive. Quick to provide advice or offer you another drink. The place appears clean and the food is good. Big portions too so enough to share for sure. Bathroom line can be busy if there's many people. Parking isn't always the greatest either and mostly metered parking so arrive early or go on a non-busy day. Other than that, I'd recommend the spot and come back again. read more
2 years ago
Excellent chilaquiles!! Very close to my absolute favorite restaurant in Palm Desert. I love chilaquiles which don't try to behave like an elevated version of themselves - make good nachos that don't sog up quickly, a delicious sauce that lives up to its name, whether creamy, mild or spicy, give me some delicious creamy sour cream and a good side of beans. That is a good chilaquiles. This place had exactly this. We ordered the combination plates where you can mix and match - a Rojas and verde and a creamy poblano and verde. Both were excellent and I don't think you'll go wrong with choosing any of their chilaquiles options! We went at opening time on Sat, so the place was empty and we ordered at the bar. I don't know if that is how it works when it gets busier. It is an open space so I think it will have the tendency to get loud. There is paid street parking all along main street. I will definitely come back here for Chilaquiles. This is it! read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
I'm so bummed I didn't take a picture of my taco didn't take a picture of my drink. They were both excellent. I got the Carnitas tacos that actually they put so much meat on them that they made four tacos so I shared it with a friend and then my Whiskey was delicious. It was like a mix of whiskey and tequila put together. We're having the Mexico Honduras game so that was a lot of fun in arthritis. They have music love this place in the bartenders super awesome cool vibes. read more
8 months ago
1 year ago
Thank you for not holding back on spice and flavor. Pica pero sabe!!! Not sure if they're gonna like this but we took our kids (3 and 8yrs old) around 6pm on a Tuesday and it was a good spot for the entire fam. There was an option on the menu for everyone. Service was prompt and friendly. We had the quesadilla, tacos de papa, flautas, pozole, sopa de tortilla, and enchiladas. EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD. Including the drinks (chinga la gorra roja and a margarita). read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
9 months ago
The cocktails are fantastic and happy hour is well worth it with great food bar menu They decorated really festive for the holiday Love La Nacuob read more
2 years ago
Definitely would recommend for Happy Hour. I had the flautas and a quesadilla. The flautas reminded me of ones I've had in Mexico City; very flavorful and crispy. The bartender was very friendly. I had a refreshing beer that was on draft but I can't remember which one it was! I went on a weekday: like a Wednesday or Tuesday and it wasn't too packed which was also nice. read more
11 months ago
Bartender was great definitely a good spot for locals drinks were amazing shout out to Vasni read more
11 months ago
One of Chula Vista's hidden gems. Feels like you walk into an old Mexican Classic Cantina. Greeted with an open smile every time from the one of the best bartenders in San Diego Omar, he always makes us feel at home makes the best margaritas in San Diego. Thank you La Nacional for bringing a little of Mexico to Chula Vista. read more
1 year ago
What a lovely venue on a lovely San Diego day. Large open front windows with plenty of chairs to enjoys the breeze under the pretty yellow umbrellas. Good music setting a great vibe. The street tacos were perfect. The drinks were cold . They had a good selection of draft beers. Clean and spacious. The bartender was friendly and attentive and happily shook my class with ice to ensure the coldest drink possible.I am so happy I chose to stop in and will be back read more
8 months ago
11 months ago
10 months ago
1 year ago
Looking for a great brunch spot, happy hour, late night snack and drinks and overall good vibrations you can find that all here. read more
2 years ago
A Must Stop for Budget-Friendly Upscale Mexican Food and Drinks! We stumbled upon La Nacional by chance, as my family and I were just on a leisurely Mother's Day weekend stroll, and I'm so glad we did! The atmosphere is clean, well-organized, and very family-friendly. One of the best things was that they had several TVs, with one playing cartoons, which really helped keep our kids entertained while the adults could enjoy the meal in peace. The staff was warm and welcoming, and to my delight, they surprised me with complimentary champagne, complete with a lovely flower topper, to celebrate Mother's Day. It was such a thoughtful touch! The food? Wow. It wasn't just typical Mexican food--it was refined and incredibly fresh. Every dish was on point, and for how upscale the restaurant felt, the price point was very fair. A few months later, I returned for a night out with friends, and the vibe was completely different but equally amazing. The evening crowd was lively, the music was popping, and the drinks were top-notch. I'll definitely be back soon for another meal, maybe for my birthday! La Nacional is a must-visit whether you're with family or looking for a fun night out. Highly recommend! read more
2 years ago
Food on point, we got there early. Definitely enjoyed it before the crowds came in, watching the baseball game. Birria tacos where bomb with the consome, definitely seen this place popping but we chose the morning to avoid the loud environment. Will come back again, bar host was cool with good customer service. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
If you like tequila then you'll love this bar...a large majority of cocktails start with a tequila, there are some beers in tap and the one hard cider selection available. I came for happy hour and our table ordered a variety of items but I ordered the flautas for myself thinking they would be traditional style flautas but they are not, to me it was like eating frozen rolled taquitos. The music was kind of loud especially being there wasn't many ppl in the place yet as it was around 5PM. Overall it's a nice spot, service for food was in the slower side, my friends who had the beers from tap had no complaints. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
La Nacional is the spot--chill vibes, great food, and cocktails that slap. Vasni is the friendliest badass behind the bar, and Jules deserves a trophy for creating the Tejate Querer (aka liquid happiness) read more
11 months ago
11 months ago
Food: 3.8, service: 2.0. Therefore, 3 stars on average. We got the carnitas tacos and the camaron enchilado tacos, and a La Nacional margarita. Carnitas had crispy edges and good guac, and the camaron had big plump shrimp, with yummy tortillas. Margarita had passion fruit and was fine. Service though- the bartender didn't say a word to us for a good 5 minutes, even after we stepped up twice. When my dude asked about what was a good IPA on draft, he said "our draft list is there" and pointed at the QR code. Wow, so friendly. I would take the tacos to go to not deal with the tepid, dismissive service. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Page 1 of 3
More info about La Nacional
279 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Directions
(619) 623-3410
Call Now
Order Takeout or Delivery
Start Order
Full menu
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
La Nacional Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - La Nacional
You might also consider
![Yard House - [Mac + Cheese]² - With white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan and panko cheddar crust.](https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/hXcZdkgEilAgW_6cTURp9g/ls.jpg)
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
15 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
1 year ago
11 months ago
3 years ago
4 months ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
