If you are looking for a local Mexican restaurant, you have to try Lienzo Charro. It's a small place with big flavors. A hidden gem in Poway. The staff was super nice. They were playing World Cup so it was nice to be watching that while eating lunch. They also serve table chips and salsa, which was delicious! With the salsa was a little spicier. I ordered the carne asada del charro. The meat had so much flavor and it was super tender. The bf got the beef taco, chicken enchilada, and beef tostada combo and it was a lot of food. Everything was delicious and tasted fresh. We will be coming back anytime we are craving some good Mexican food. read more

Lienzo Charro - Table chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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Always a great spot to sit and relax. Cervezas and chips and salsa and whatever else your heart desires. Great food, excellent service and not far from anywhere I'm San Diego. I'll be back again. They sell gift certificates too! Perfect for any occasion . read more

Came for the first time after my mom's appointment, the place look small from outside but inside is very nice and clean with a lot of tables , friendly people, great customer service, the food was great with flavor, a lot of items to choose from the menu. read more

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Sharing knowledge with the Yelp Community while promoting a positive food experience, and a conversation to enjoy your journey. At random decided to stop by "Lienzo Charro Mexican Food and Grill" in Poway. Just saying if you happen to get hungry or have a craving for Mexican when at the Poway Road; Rancho Penasquitos Blvd exit 18 Northbound off-ramp on the I-15. May I suggest that you drive 3.5 miles to "Lienzo Charro Mexican Food and Grill" for some Sonoran Mexican style flavors. Because friendly service, and sharing a great meal really means a lot even today. Liking the diverse range of choices on the menu. Recognize their portions, and the value in being served fresh house salsa, with fresh hot chips. We ordered the specialty Burro Diablo, and the #4 Combo. Cost estimates are twenty-five to thirty dollars per person. Enjoy your journey. read more

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Haven't been here in years.... Boy have we been missing out! Great atmosphere, service, and amazing food. Big portions make up for the big prices...will be back soon... read more

Aloha all! To celebrate National Taco Day we dropped into a quaint little gem called Lienzo Charro just off of Poway Road. I found out a true Lienzo Charro is a specially designed arena where the sport of charreria (Mexican Rodeo) is performed. A significant venue for displaying Mexican heritage and community spirit. Lienzo Charro, the restaurant, celebrates Mexican heritage and community spirit through the delicious food and drink they offer. Food portions are large and dishes are authentic. I tried the Chicken Fajitas with a side of rice and beans. The chicken fajitas arrived on a sizzling skillet and the beans and rice on a large dish that included salsa fresca, sour cream and guacamole. Lastly, a basket of flour tortillas to wrap all of these delicious ingredients. It was a wonderful presentation and at this point, I truly felt like I was south of the border. The fajitas were tender slices of chicken perfectly sauteed with bell peppers, onions tomatoes and herbs. It was a feast for the eyes and palate. Our server, Miguel, did a wonderful job checking on us periodically to make sure we had everything we needed and the restaurant was casual and comfortable. It's a great place to relax and enjoy food and drinks with friends and family. read more

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I've waited a long time to leave a review here. I don't know why. Probably because I'm too busy enjoying the food! Being from a small town in NorCal, this Mexican restaurant gives me those mom and pop small business vibes I always look for down here in San Diego. Everyone who works here is very friendly. They definitely give off those "family vibes" and are always happy to see us. And that's always appreciate when we go out to eat. And when you look around, you can tell everyone that's eating here has been eating here for years. I always order the cheese enchiladas and my wife loves the carnitas plate with flour tortillas. Their rice and beans are next level. And I love their table chips and salsa. Overall I can't find a reason to give this place less than 5 stars. When you go out to eat, you can't underestimate the power of feeling like they love the fact you came in to their restaurant for dinner. These types of places deserve your business. Oh... and their food is always delicious. We've never had a bad meal here. read more

Lienzo Charro - Cheese Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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Best sit down Mexican restaurant in Poway. We always get chimichangas here lol Fast service and good prices with TVs for the games. read more

Lienzo Charro - Carnitas chimichanga combo! - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

Came in with a party of 6 on a busy Saturday evening. Family owned restaurant and we were served by multiple people on staff this time around. This is a very well run restaurant and no joke on the food, phenomenal food, on point service. Many margaritas were had and a cerveza to boot. I ordered the beef taco and cheese enchilada plate and it was delicious per usual. All members of our party enjoyed their food and time spent there. Thank you to the staff and definitely we will return!! read more

Lienzo Charro - Combination #1. Beef Taco and Cheese Enchilada Combo - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

Visited 8/5/2025 Wow Been driving past this place for many years and never stopped. Big mistake. Nice friendly spot to enjoy some of Poway Best Mexican Food. Nice AC and plunty of seating inside with some outside in the front of the restaurant. We ordered The #3 Three item Combo Plate. Chile Relleno's we're very tasty with a delicious house made sauce. The Beef Tacos are Stuffed Full of Meat and Cheese Enchiladas were super loaded with Delicious Goodness. Loretta ordered The Beef Flantas. Wow some of the best I've tasted in Poway or Escondido. She also decided to Try A 1/2 Order of The Charro Tostada Supreme. OMG. This place loads on the food on everything you order. Nice large servings at decent prices. I highly recommend Lienzo Charro. read more

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Saturday staple while in Poway. Menudo is always good, service is spot on and it feels like a Mexican restaurant, amazing smells and a warm welcoming vibe. If in Poway this is the ONLY Mexican Restaurant that happens to have a full bar. Food is a good as it looks on the plate. Soooo good! read more

Lienzo Charro - Carnitas Taco - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

My family and I have been coming to Lienzo for years! Amazing chips, salsa, drinks, etc!! They always accommodate our large group of 13 even when its getting close to closing time. We love their friendly service and always enjoy our time here. Love this place!! read more

We chose this restaurant by recommendation and ratings on Yelp while in Poway. We were pleasantly surprised at how busy it was as it indicated a popularity. The restaurant was clean, spacious and had ample helpers and waiters. We ordered a carne asada plate and a mole chicken enchilada. The food was very tasty! We recommend this place and will come back another time to try other dishes. Good cocktails, too! read more

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This place has great food and great service one of our regular spots. You can't go wrong every thing is good !!!. read more

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5 stars on the food. We drive from our home in RSF every week or oder from food delivery for their amazing cheese dip, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, soup; The menu has so many options. We love how peaceful it is here. Always friendly smiles by the staff. They are great giving us recommendations on new entrees to try. it seems like a small restaurant but when you go in, it's actually quite big. This is definitely our favorite restaurant in all of Rancho Santa Fe, and all of San Diego for Mexican food. We have a family member who has a food allergy to lettuce.. here they are avery accommodating for not putting the lettuce on the plate. read more

Lienzo Charro - Chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

Good food and great service. What else can you ask. Yes, they have a good selection of Mexican dishes and combinations at reasonable prices. There are not many sit-down Mexican restaurants in Poway and this is an excellent choice that is close by. read more

Unbelievable. This place was so awesome. Accommodating for a large group. Soup was so good amazing for a Sunday brunch! Wasn't a huge fan of beans but not a deal breaker Can't wait to go back. Plenty of seating. read more

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I got the pork chili verde omelet one day and the machaca plate the next! Both were delicious! Great food! Great margaritas! Great service! Staff was very accommodating and friendly. Food was reasonably priced. I would come here everyday if I lived closer! Highly recommend. read more

Tostada supreme my fav!! I love their shredded beef!! everybody's really nice and service is great! read more

Lienzo Charro - Tostada supreme my favorite!! - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

Food, food, food. Service and ambiance excellent as well as the food. Friday nights are generally pretty busy but we've been having Friday night dinner here for over 20 years. Staff are very nice and makes us feel like family. read more

First time back here in 20 years, wanted to try something different. Service was good. I judge most restaurants by their Chili Colorado. my wife has been wanting mole' . I ordered Colorado and she ordered Enchiladas Poblano. Th Colorado looked like carne asada beef (chopped) in a red sauce. very mild, not much heart to it. it could be served in senior living facility. The enchiladas poblanos were warm tortillas rolled with chicken breast meat and then covered in a dark red sauce. it was surprisingly dry and again the sauce was disappointing. Maybe our selections were poor but we ended up bringing 3/4 of the meal home and wondering what to do with it.They have a good selection of beer including Modelo Negra (draft), Cerveza Tecate and Carta Blanca. Again service was good but what we had was disappointing. read more

Food was delicious ! Staff was very considerate and great suggestions. Wholesome hole in the wall bar.

Very average Mexican food. Salsa was not spicy, and needed more salt. Good for heartier meals. I'm always disappointed when steak is advertised but it resembles ground beef. Service was good though! read more

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Huge menu from salads, soups, combos, tortas, burritos, enchiladas , brunch specialties and more! I had the chicken tortilla soup which was delicious and fully loaded with shredded chicken, rich broth, veggies, tortillas and avocados- totally yummy. Hubs had the rolled taco with guacamole, delicious. Server was friendly and hustled! read more

Lienzo Charro - Chicken tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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Been driving busy this place for 20 years and always thought it was a typical grab and go taco shop! Boy was I wrong! Sit down, chips and salsa. Full bar with great Margis, Bloody Mary's etc... they even have table service. Food is outstanding as I had a 3 item combo, Cheese enchilada, shredded beef taco and Chile Relleno. All were outstanding and I must say the beans and rice were the best I ever had. So glad I found this place after 20 years but as they say better late than never! read more

Who says you can't go to a restaurant only for dessert :D I was today year's old when I agreed to go to this restaurant only for dessert. It seems weird but I guess nobody says you can't? We came only for 1 thing but actually ended up ordering two things...I was craving Flan SOOOO BAD, and this popped up! The Flan - was eggy, but also cakey. It wasn't overly sweet, and it was a generous portion, good enough for two to be honest. but, we can never share a Flan.. The hubs and I also spontaneously ordered a half order of Churros (comes with chocolate chip ice cream). These are not your Costco run of the mill churros, really crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside! Service is good!! The staff are super friendly and didn't judge us for only eating dessert (near closing time). Ambiance is chill, very casual, will come back for dinner one of these days read more

Lienzo Charro - 2 Churros with Ice Cream (Half order) - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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We are happy to order here and always have a great time eating on the spot god is good to us all the time

Lovely spot for Mexican food! We came on a Sunday around 12:30pm and were seated immediately. Service was friendly and attentive. This place serves solid, hardy Mexican and breakfast food at extremely reasonable prices. Free chips + salsa too! Note that the salsa is not spicy at all. I had the adobada street tacos with beans and rice. I wasn't a fan of the sweetness of the meat which I felt could've been better offset if they had added more lime/onions/cilantro (tacos were mostly meat with guac and a bit of pico) but they were still delicious. My party also got the chilaquiles and the taquitos and had a wonderful experience, my friend was especially a huge fan of the spices in the potato sides served with a good amount of bell pepper. Lighting is a bit dim which is characteristic of the bar vibe that this place is going for. Lots of personality and art on the walls. Easy parking and all-around relaxed atmosphere! read more

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Great service! Complimentary chips and salsa. Dog friendly patio. The food was delicious. And bonus... they accept Synergy cards from Costco! The chile Colorado plate was a total splitter... we shall be back. Gracias. read more

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This is the place to go to in Poway. Drinks are on point and food is delicious. Service is top tier. Great family owned business with great ambiance. I enjoy their margaritas and everything I have eaten is delicious. A must try restaurant. read more

Hard to find a Mexican place in Poway where you can enjoy a beer or cocktail with your food after 8:00 p.m. But this place delivers. Easy parking, laid-back atmosphere, super friendly service and nice, warm chips. Large selection of Mexican draft beer. My Charro Tostada Supreme was a deal at $10.99. Tender chunks of pork. Might request a flat corn tostada next time instead of the puffy flour one. Wife's $7.99 half order may have been the smarter option! read more

I love this place,the food just so delicious! People here are so friendly and good service! Definitely will be back!

I've been coming here forever, and the service is top notch. The food is really good too. Try their pozole and also their chili colorado.

Not bad not great, for it being in poway.... It is the best in poway but that's not saying much haha, no one drives to poway for good Mexican food. We went for breakfast one day with a group of people that suggested it so we gave it a try. It was nice to see that they had a full breakfast menu which I took advantage of. I got the eggs Benedict, my bf got a chimichanga with rice and beans, our kids got, a breakfast burrito, chicken nuggets and fries, kids cheeseburger and fries and grilled cheese with fruit. Surprisingly the eggs Benedict were pretty good, poached egg was perfectly cooked but the potatoes that came with it was inedible, very old greasy taste and no other flavor. The hollandaise sauce was ok but lacked the acidic taste. The chimichanga was ok, small for what you would get even at a taco shop but fried nicely, the beans were not anything to come here for, the rice was decent. The kids chicken nuggets were those dinosaurs ones you can get at Costco but the fries were amazing. The kids cheeseburger was a great size for a kids portion but overly greasy even for kids that love grease. The grilled cheese was just a regular grilled cheese sandwich, nothing special about it, the fruit that came with it was fresh and had a good variety. The breakfast burrito was dry and lacked layers of flavor. Like I said in the beginning it's good for poway so if you are stuck here without transportation I would definitely recommend this place but if you can drive out of poway I wouldn't called this great Mexican food. read more

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The food was delicious. The place has not been updated in what looks like 30 years, but that's not what I needed in the moment. I wanted Mexican food. Prior to going here, my husband and I were at seaport village and went to a hip new spot with delicious cocktails. We wanted food too, so we were looking at $32 dollar breakfast burritos. What the heck? "Should we just go to lienzo charro back in Poway?", I said jokingly. "Actually, yeah.", he said. We finished our cocktails and drove back to our neck of the woods. So glad we did. The food was exactly what we wanted, as kids who grew up going to Mexican restaurants in the 90s. Give me the classic #1 combo (crispy taco with shredded beef and a cheese enchilada) and i will judge your entire restaurant based on that alone. They passed the test. It was delicious in such a nostalgic way. Best part was that you can choose albóndigas soup instead of rice & beans, which I did. It was PERFECTION. Not too salty, not bland, perfect flavor. Even ordered more to go. The margaritas are that classic simplicity as well. If you want good Mexican food, good service, and decent prices, come here. If you want hip, modern ambience and trendy flair, this isn't it. read more

Lienzo Charro - 1. Beef Taco and Cheese Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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I have been trying a few of their dishes. And all were very good. The Lienzo carne special is very good. So, are their rice and beans. read more

Everything! The service, the food and the ambience. Can't wait to go again!! It's like your mom's cooking.

Food was filling and taste good. A bit salty but the portion was great. Service was fast and attentive. Outside siting is good for kids and the inside is big enough for a full family. read more

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On several occasions, we have ordered several items "to go" from this great restaurant. Each time, ever plate was hot, fresh and fabulous. In the mornings, Lienzo Charro has many authentic Mexican breakfast dishes like Chilaquiles, but they also offer traditional American plates such as a variety of Eggs Benedicts, waffles, chicken fried steak and more. We loved that it had something for everyone. It's high quality food here and is not a typical taco shop. We loved how fresh, hot and delicious all the plates were. They prepped the food very fast and it's ready in record time. Yet it was very high quality dishes. Some of our favorite dishes were their Chile Rellenos, the Carne Asada steak plate and Enchiladas Suizsas. The food is handmade carefully with tons of fresh, savory flavor. They have great authentic rice and beans. We will order more great food from this Poway gem. Our whole family loves this place! It's our new favorite local Mexican restaurant. We will be back for more and more. Great 5 star authentic Mexican food! read more

Lienzo Charro - Yum Chicken fried steak - Mexican Near Me - Poway, California

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I have been dining at Lienzo Charro for lunch on a regular basis since February 2024. It has been a pleasure to get to know the servers and enjoy a relaxing lunch a couple of days a week. They are very helpful on any dietary restrictions or special menu requests which works very well for me. I usually have the a la carte items particularly the tacos (fish or carne asada) or enchiladas (chicken or cheese) or tostadas (carne asada). They do very well with groups and can accommodate individual checks which is a plus. The menu is very extensive including breakfast so I am sure there is something for everyone! Give it a try! read more