They are the best Mexican food place in Poway by far. I have tried many items on the menu and still everyone is very delicious. Other in the area leaves a odd tasted in your mouth. Most others just have no customer. It's like here our slop enjoy and move on. Lupe's staff is very friendly and happy. It may be little, but it has a great atmosphere thanks to the staff that cares for their customers and repeat business 5 *STARS+ :) read more

Had shrimp which was spectacular 4.5 points...carnitas good standard mexican fare... beans better than average

Our New favorite Mexican restaurant. Place looks old and not that clean but the food was good compared to other Mexican restaurant in Poway. Hope they can clean and remodel their place. Staff was always nice and friendly. read more

Lupe's is great authentic Mexican food. Family run business,lupe and Louis and the daughters and son make it a great experience. The Lamb on the weekend is fantastic as is everything I have ever ordered. The ceviche is fantastic when it's on special....I special order it ahead of time by the pound and pick it up with chips and tostada shells and bring it home and even take it on the road when I'm working out of town and staying in hotels. I've been going here since they opened and have taken alot of friends here and all were impressed....best kept secret in poway so give it a try, you will not be dissappointed read more

Very good food for a reasonable price I'm amazed at the number of fake reviews that some classless, shameless and worthless people write on yelp these days under assumed identities. As a real consumer myself, I know that most competing companies try their best to provide good quality services. Their survival depends on it. Yet some shady people out there use this and other websites as a blackmailing tool. Demanding discounts in exchange for a positive review. My bet is that the time will come when people will not be able to believe a word they read in this forum thanks to the freeloaders. read more

All I had were the rolled tacos and now I can say that I've finally found a place by me that sells real Mexican taco shop food! I can't wait toco snack and try other things on there menu. read more

Food here is tasty but the prices are a bit expensive. Still good food when you need to grab a bite of Mexican food and don't feel like driving all over town to find a good taco shop. The shop is a bit out dated but lets face it, we are looking for good food. read more

Tasty and authentic mexican vegetarian food!!! Great service and calming ambiance will definitely come back!!!

This hole-in-the-wall Taco Shop has restaurant grade food. Everything I've tried on the menu is delicious so far. The orchata is homemade, not out of the machine. You can still see the cinnamon sticks at the bottom, make sure you stir before you pour! The Campechana shrimp cocktail is to die for, with little pieces of octopus and lots of cilantro. The chimichanga is huge, and the chilli Verde ribs are tender and yummy! They have a variety of fresh salsas with chips. Yes, yes, yes! read more

Talk about authentic! This place is exactly that! The family went in and it sincerely felt like I was in a taco shop in Mexico. The decor resembles that as if we were in Mexico, Spanish fluently being spoken between the cashier, cook, and customer(s), and the same Daisy Fuentes looking newscaster in a mini dress on the television. All the bottled salsa fixin's at each table and freshly fried chips given to the customers for an appetizer as you wait for your food. You could literally see the oil on each chip! The horchata is in a plastic container where you spoon it out. It was DELICIOUS! We had the huarache with carne and I had the shrimp burrito. Both were quite good. I do wish that there was some spanish rice in my shrimp burrito, though. The meat on the huarache was well seasoned and everything was decently priced. :) read more

I'm judging this place on one experience only. I'm a little surprised at the rest of the reviews. In fact, maybe I ordered the wrong thing all together? I got 2 chicken tacos with rice and beans. I think the gal behind the counter was confused because I asked if they had 'regular' tacos, not rolled. Yes, I'm a gringo. When she told me yes she asked me if I wanted soft or fried. Well, I'm in a Mexican restaurant in San Diego. Fried of course! Grease, grease, grease! Turns out one can have too much grease. There was grease dripping from the taco as I ate it. On top of that the chicken was tasteless, bland, and filled with dark meat and gristle. I'll admit, I am kind of a chicken snob so please take that into consideration before taking this review too serious. I'm more of a white meat, shredded kind of girl. But maybe that is asking a lot of a 'true' Mexican spot. I respect the other reviews and maybe I'll give this place another go and try the enchiladas. But I wouldn't recommend the chicken tacos. read more

In my opinion, this is the best Mexican food in Poway and I've tried a lot of them. Since moving back to poway a few years ago, I've Been looking for a place to become MY Mexican place and I think I finally found it. The food is fresh, well portioned and flavorful and the service is excellent. I don't understand how they are so fast and still manage to make the food taste so fresh. I think the location makes a lot of people overlook it. It's in a tiny strip center and you could miss it if your not looking but I'm sure glad I started coming in. It's the kind of place I want to support with my business. read more

Place is bomb. Frequent visits at least once a week. Rosarito burrito or grilled chicken nachos are our constant. Best in Poway.

We drove out of the way some distance to come to this place because of the reviews. The nice young man behind the counter was the best feature of the place. They were out of chili rellenos at about 6 pm. The chicken tamale was quite bland and the cheese enchilada was good but basic. The salsa bar was nice and offered about 6 choices of salsas. The salsas weren't labeled so you find out how hot they are after you try them. The chips need work unless you like them thick, dark and tough. This place offers a variety of dishes and seems to have several shrimp dishes. This is a very casual place that is mostly for take out. It is not easy to find as it is tucked in a corner, not facing the road. The restaurant could be a bit cleaner but the service was excellent. read more

The carne asada burrito is kind of the benchmark "Mexican" food that I use to compare one restaurant to the next. Lupe's was very solid. At $4.75 it was a value. With guac, good spices and decent quality carne asada (not a bunch of gristle like a lot of places) I thought it was good and will definitely go back to try other dishes on their creative menu. read more

My family and I have really enjoyed Lupe's cafe. It is really 5 stars. First of all, it's the best Machaca burrito (for my wife and me) and Chimichanga (for my son in law) in the area. Also, I love Chili Rellenos, and trust me great ones are hard to find. They are so delicious at Lupe's they run out of them, so get there early. I also love (almost a perfect meal) the number 11, "Tampiquena". Wow, excellent steak and a great enchilada. Really, I can't say enough. The staff is friendly, the food great, you cannot beat it. My wife discovered it, now my whole extended family loves this restaurant. My daughter had a friend in from Washington DC and she was impressed also. Please keep up the great food. read more

Enchiladas are yummy goodness. Great selection of authentic Mexican food. Parking is iffy- small parking lot.

Hole in the wall place, but really good food. Had the Rosarito Burrito, their version of surf n turf, and it was really good. Will be back.

So far so good! Awesome food, friendly staff, great menu. This is my new favorite place to go to satisfy my mexican food craving. I'll definitely be back here! read more

I LOVE Lupes!!! I own a little hair salon right around the corner and the girls and I order lunch from there on a regular basis. Lupe is always friendly and if she has time will deliver the food to us! The machaca burrito is my favorite read more

This restaurant is the real deal if you are looking for a chef-driven restaurant that provides authentic Mexican tacos and other true Mexican dishes. I haven't tried everything on the menu yet, but intend to. The tacos are so hearty but not so heavy that you can't enjoy another one. Can't beat the prices either. It's actually surprising that you can get so much food without breaking the bank. Cannot wait to go back. read more

Authentic Mexican food. Horchata is awesome. Had enchiladas del sol and tacos, Our kids chowed down. I'll want to come back to try their Menudo! read more

Went there for lunch, had their Caldo De Res (Beef/Vegetable soup): the meat was tough and had fat on it. No tortillas offered, so I ate the pre-meal chips with it. The lady did bring me chopped cilantro and onion to put in the caldo but no rice. All in all the caldo was a disappointment. I order the same thing (at the same price) at Sarita's in Spring Valley so I know what to expect. Sarita's is 4 stars this one was 2 at best. Would never order it again. My co-worker ordered the carnitas plate (he got tortillas) and it looked yummy. Better luck next time (?) read more

the main thing i love about this place, is that lupe, is the cashier, waitress, and busperson. She is phenomenal, I just love her. But getting down to the food, i always get the huarache and it is exquisite, simple dish but incredibly delicious. and anyone that goes is pretty friendly and will share their table with you if they are all taken up, which is always the case during lunch. dont be shy and enjoy the best mexican food and people. read more

The food is always amazing! The salsa is really good and they have a good variety of them. I really love this place! The cashier lady could be a little nicer it's always the same one when I come in and she comes off very rude and annoyed. Other than that this place is great! read more

Excellent food ..can with a small group of adults with disabilities and they were treated great. Very patient waitress .. we'll be back!!..

My family comes here all the time. The prices and fair and the food is great. I always get the carnitas plate. The kid who is usually working the front is great- super friendly and helpful. I would recommend trying it if you like Mexican food:) read more

The most authentic Mexican food north of the border. Seriously delicious food. Period. Right next to Kaminskis in Poway. Check it out people!!! read more

I really wanted to like this place, been around for a while, blah, blah, blah. I went in Thursday, 2/20/2014 for a bean & cheese burrito at lunch, to go. What I ended up with when I got back to work was a mass of pretty much empty tortilla, hardly any beans and no cheese to be found anywhere. Salsas were good, except the molcajete, did not like that one very much. I will not go back. read more

I usually go to El Ranchito. I decided to try Lupe's last week after discovering all the good reviews. How many times have I driven past this place without much of a thought to it? BIG mistake. Big. HUGE. Hence why I love Yelp. I ordered the California Burrito, flautas and it was delicious! There was a little boy who took our order and he was so sweet and helpful. He told me to sample the cantaloupe water. Yeah...they make all different kinds of water out of fresh fruit! He rattled off at least five different kinds. And they're salsa selection is fresh and yummy. The cantaloupe water was very refreshing and lived up to it's name. This place is family run and I think they must put a little extra love in to their food. I just sent my man out to get us some Lupe's and I can't wait to try the carne asada fries! :) read more

First time here for lunch and the food is decent and fair in price. I ordered the carne asada burrito and the guacamole was very fresh. The burrito it was was pretty good too. Only thing was missing was some pickled jalapeños, but they only had the spicy carrots. read more

This is a great spot for some Mexican food! Staff is very friendly and nice. One of the best hole in the wall spots I've been to for Mexican food! read more

The food is palatable, but the service is TERRIBLE. The woman at the register knew us for all of 13 seconds before taking our order, but she did it with a barely veneered contempt that suggested our families had been enemies for generations. My 6 year old exclaimed that she was "scary" when we got our food. The hot carrots and the salsa were the highlight of the meal, but not good enough to justify a return. read more

I went back yesterday with my boyfriend and I was right before! This is great food! He had a veggie burrito and said it was amazing! I changed it up this time and had a tamale...it was great!!! They also give you chips and salsa if you dine in. :) I will be back...and you should visit it...its awesome! read more

Bomb breakfast burritos that aren't greasy....need I say more? Authentic TJ style plates and menudo!

I've eaten here approx. 5 times and all 5 times I thought the carne was lacking in flavor. Not sure why my coworkers love this place, actually I do... it's because of their inexpensive fish tacos. Lol. read more

First of 5 because they did not charge me for pickled carrots! Got the chimichanga and it was enough for 2 meals. Delicious.

I had a good California burrito (my taco shop benchmark) and liked the chunks of potatoes induced there burrito instead of the usual French fries. I received friendly service and they were very accommodating when I had to change my order after they had already started making it. I will definitely come back again to sample more of the menu. read more

Bad burrito, little flavor it has. Clean restaurant and free refills...................

This is my favourite place to eat Mexican food in San Diego. It's a small locally owned place, the epitome of "hole in the wall" but it is some of the best Mexican food I've ever tasted. It's family owned and I started going there because I work right across the street from it. The people who work there know me and they've never been anything but kind. The prices are good and the food is exceptional. If you dine in you get a complimentary order of chips with you food. All their salas are made fresh daily and there are usually 3-4 varieties to choose from. I can't imagine eating Mexican food anywhere else. read more