We came here to check out the banquet room and to have some dinner.....well it turns out the banquet room is available every single day.........except for Friday.........which is when we need it. Fudge I say....fudge......well we at least go to sample the last Marietas in the greater SD area. And unfortunately this one was the worst :-(.....If I could do a super sad face, I would. The restaurant is just kind of weird. The layout of the place isnt inviting at all and I almost felt uncomfortable in there. Intimate it is not! But anyways.....onto the food and service. We got seated and our waiter came over and took our order for some drinks. He brought back the drinks and then took our food order. We still had yet to get chips and salsa which is shitty. At the other locations, the bus boys are on top of it and get you your chips pronto. At this place not so much. The salsa is near identical to the one in Santee so that was awesome and the only good part of the meal. The chips were alright. Crunchy and all but they werent the freshest which was a downer. Our food came out pretty quick. The tacos were smaller than the other Marietas and this place tasted just like La Mesa......kind of bland.....WTF is up with that? We finished our meal and were ready to get the hell out of dodge. During our whole meal, nobody came by to see how we were doing. Nobody came by to refill our drinks. It was shitty service. The only reason we got a refill of chips is because our waiter asked us when he brought out the food. If not for that, there would have been no interaction with anyone. I usually tip very well but tonight I left the dude like 12% and that was the smallest tip I can rememeber leaving in my adult life. I will never come back here. The Santee and La Mesa locations are so much better. I love Marietas and have always had good times eating there....... except for tonight..........and thats a damn shame. read more

Wow, Marieta's recently changed management. Service is better, they expanded the liquor and beer selections, and they added more tv's for sports. The owners are committed and can be seen checking on every guest. I have been back several times since the change and my experience each time has been consistently great. All of the dishes on the menu are still delicious. I promise you will not find better Pozole or Carne Asada in East County. OMG ask for secret menu items: *Refried beans and chorizo - as advertised with gooey cheese. Excellent with chips! *Aguachile de camaron - shrimp, seasoned with chili peppers, lime juice, salt and slices of onion and avocado. Perfect appetizer. *Chiles Toreado - fresh jalapeños that are sauteed in oil until the skin is blistered all over. Spiccccy and delicious. Good with anything! The service is very friendly and attentive and if your Spanish is as bad as mine, you'll appreciate being able to order your meal without being laughed at. The food is legit and the portions are large. Marieta's is worthy of a drive to East County. Pros: Consistently good food Plenty of parking Nice sports bar Good for large parties Cons: East County read more

Best thing about this restaurant is their salsa. Second best thing is that you can order a pint (or more) of the salsa to take home with you. Third best thing is, you know, the food they serve. This location is larger than the Santee restaurant, but it can still get busy. We don't usually have to wait here, but I think the longest we've ever had to hang out before getting a table was maybe 20 minutes. The service can be a little shoddy, depending on which waiter you get. There are times when they're friendly and smiling, yet there are times where you get the surly one who looks and acts for all the world like they'd rather be anywhere else. That's actually a bit more prevalent at the Santee location, but you can sometimes get the not-so-friendly servers here, as well. The food is good, flavorful, and comes out fast (hardly ever enough time to finish the chips and salsa and ask for a refill!) I love the Chile Colorado and the Pollo Ranchero (the chicken meat is juicy and the sauce that they cover it in is slightly spicy.) Their enchiladas and flautas are good, as are the carnitas. They have some good combo deals, for those times when you can't quite decide if you want an enchilada or a taco. Everything comes with rice and refried beans (and all the chips and salsa you can handle!) The décor is more than a little dated, and sometimes it can be a little dark in there. Parking can sometimes be a pain, but they use a parking lot a short walk away. If you can't find parking there, you have to go with street parking. We've parked across the street and darted through traffic before - definitely not recommended! read more

I have gone to the La Mesa & Santee locations at least 200 times in the past 20 years & never been disappointed. I went to the El Cajon location today for the 1st time with a friend & it was HORRIBLE! I never complain & typically chalk it up to a lesson learned, but I ordered something I have had at the other locations hundreds of times, the Quesadilla Ranchera. When it came to the table, the plate had what looked like a puddle of water surrounding the quesadilla, I waited 10 minutes until a waiter walked by to ask for napkins to sop up the water. Did that & took a bite & it was soooooo salty ( and I'm a saltaholic!), I asked my friend to taste it & she agreed. So I pushed my plate with 2 small bites out of it to the edge of the table & my friend & I sat for another hour talking. Not once did the waiter come to see how everything was, even when he walked by 10 times. Then brought us our bill & I explained how salty it was & that the cook should taste it before serving that sauce to anyone. He said he couldn't take it off the bill but would give us 20% off. It should have been taken off, but whatever. Then the ladies at the table across asked if our food was super salty & we started talking about it, no other patrons in the place so the staff definitely heard us discussing it & hopefully that prompted them to taste in inedible food they were putting out there. Never again El Cajon, Never Again! read more

Move out here a month ago & have to say their margaritas are delicious Very friendly vibe, the decor is festive. Nice place! read more

WOW! The service was so fast! Seriously, they were on top of it! We tipped well to show our gratitude and we will be back! Their chips and salsa were sooo good! I ordered the no.11 combo plate which was delicious! (Chile relleno and enchilada) Hubby got the cheese enchilada plate and he loved it! My teenage son got the California burrito and scarfed it down with a giant smile! And my not so big of an eater got the 2 tequito child's plate and ate it all! I'm super impressed and we are all super happy and full. Thank you! read more

Marieta's - People normally show their pretty uneaten plates but not us lol we like to eat our food ! Sooooooo good!! - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Awesome queso fundido. I liked my burrito but you'll need to add salsa to it, it could be dry. Taste was good but definitely add some of their tasty salsa. Their tortillas are great. Also they brought me out some chips that were still warm. Love when the chips are still warm. Also their salsa was not spicy and I liked them. Tony is a great waiter. Hello Tony! Thanks bud. I'll go back and I won't reorder the burrito, I'll get enchiladas. Rice had good flavor too. Prices were ok, not cheap but not horrible. Good food good service easy parking. See ya soon tony read more

Great service and amazing margaritas (ask for tamarindo and tajín on the rim, you won't be disappointed!!). Had some cheese enchiladas that were super tasty as well! read more

My family ordered carne asada burrito, and breakfast burrito from this place last weekend. The meat in the carne asada was very dry and did not have any taste at all. There was nothing inside, but cilantro and onions. The tortilla on both burritos was hard. They came with beans loaded with water and that was tasteless as well. I wonder if they knew the kind of food they are serving at this place. read more

It's like having Old Town San Diego in east county! As soon as we sat down we were welcomed with a basket of homemade tortilla chips, salsa and spicy bean dip. We ordered drinks and they were brought out immediately! It was a fun atmosphere for a Wednesday night, there were mariachis playing music. All of our choices for dinner were delicious: flautas, no. 7 plate (with two burritos), giant 3 Amigos plate( chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas). This place passed my test; the chile verde plate ( pork in tomatillo sauce) was cooked to perfection! Almost as good as my moms, ain't no food more (Mexican) authentic than hers and this place was damn close! I WILL BE RETUNING for the happy hour to try their famous margaritas that are highly rated from other reviews I saw here on yelp. $1.25 adobada tacos are included in the happy hour menu (: ( TJ style ) read more

Marieta's - This place passed my test; the chile verde plate ( pork in tomatillo sauce) was cooked to perfection! Almost as good as my moms! - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Hands down the worst Mexican meal I've ever experienced. Based on the food, it's hard to believe they're still in business. The service was great, but the the food????? NEVER again ! read more

We arrived at about 630 and the restaurant was clearing out. I had asked them if different families could sit at separate tables, understanding we are eating out during covid. He said yes and set us up. The waiter was extremely impatient and rude. While I was ordering he would sigh and cut me off. He would rush us with our questions and said he could not split our check 4 ways even if we helped him. Mind you we were the only people there at this point. He then brought the one check and we were giving our cards and he said he could only charge one card! The food was ok, drinks weren't very strong at all and this is the second time we have come here and the same waiter is super rude. We won't come back. Not to mention it was so hot in there!! read more

My wife and I ate lunch here this morning. We have eaten at all of the other Marietta's restaurants in the area recently and this one is the one we like the least. I had the #1 combo meal, tamale, rice & beans and my wife had the chicken tortilla soup. We have eaten these menu items at each of the local Marietta's and they have always been excellent. Today, the quality and presentation of the tamale plate was bland. The chicken tortilla soup was burned with black burn marks on the majority of the chicken pieces. The host and server were pleasant and courteous, when we paid he thanked us for coming. He could have asked us how our meal was, but he turned away without saying anything else. We have been coming to this restaurant off and on for 30 years, but today was our last time. The quality of the food dishes we've had there is substandard compared to the other Marietta's in the area. read more

Was very disappointed. Used to go here years ago but apparently it's changed. We ordered two chicken salads that were priced at $7.95 and two iced teas. There wasn't much in the salad some chicken and some lettuce some avocado & no cheese. When we got the bill it was $30, apparently they charged us for a Caesar salad. Even then at that price there should've been a lot of stuff in that salad as that's a lot of money for two salads and ice teas. We're not very picky and we're very positive people usually. We didn't make a scene we just decided I'm not going back again. Pollo Loco has a better salad than what we were served. read more

I only have few things to say about this place. 1) customer service is GREAT. José was very nice always on top of everything and super professional so thank you José. 2) the food was just okay. Nothing authentic. My steak has no flavor at all. Although it was tender and a the portion was great. 3) parking lot might be an issue sometimes because of all the business in the shopping center but still not impossible to find one empty spot. 4) a little bit pricey for the quality of the food. I think is overrated. And finally, this place is perfect for big parties. Might not be the best Mexican restaurant but still decent food! read more

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I've been coming here for years. Each time I come, I feel the same warm atmosphere since I was a child. The margaritas are the best in town, and the fajitas are amazing! read more

Wow can't believe this one is still open. The service is the worst. I only go because my dad has been going for 39 years and now he is done. Too many letdowns. read more

Oct 30. So disappointed in the quality of the food. Not hot, not even warm. Cheese enchilada and beef taco both bland and without flavor. Husband had Chili Verde; said it was 'ok.' Had not been at this particular Marieta's in close to 10 years. Now I remember why. We won't be back. read more

I see how bad the reviews are for this restaurant so I was a little turned off but my girl and I went in there any ways to eat the other day. Carnitas tacos beans rice the salsa barbacoa everything was great so I'm not really getting the mixed reviews here. Anyways will definitely be back read more

It was a very nice welcoming place with respectful employees but I had ordered a Chile verde plate and the food was still kind of raw

I grew up in east county and met my daughter out there last night for pedicures and we decided to go to Marietta's because we wanted to sit down and catch up. I wish we would have gone to la posta taco shop instead. Marietta's has steadily been declining in food quality over the years. The service has ALWAYS been sub par. It took forever for a server to acknowledge us and take our order. When the food came. My daughters taquitos were under cooked and cold. It took another forever to get our check. I will not be going here again. I will not recommend it. Save your money and go to la posta. Seriously while I was sitting there looking around I thought. ... What would Gordon Ramsey of kitchen nightmares find behind the scenes. Hmmmmmmm! read more

I have been coming here for the past year and the food has been decent but recently they've raised the prices and the food has been horrible. I ordered a cheese enchilada and a beef tamale with rice and beans. The tamale tasted like it was sitting there for hours it was all hard and the beef inside tasted all charred, the beans were awful they had this weird metal canned taste. The customer service was not even there, not once did they ask us how our food was or if we needed refills on our drinks. I'll never return to this dump, I didn't leave no tip either. I should have complained but I was thinking what good will it do? I didn't want anymore of their crappy food. If I could give them zero stars I would, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, I would advise you to avoid this place at all costs. read more

Great service, great prices, and the atmosphere is always vibrant. They make great margaritas, and happy hour is always amazing. The new Sunday buffet is also one to try! Fresh made tortillas and cheap bloody Mary's. My son loves to get their deep fried ice cream and play with the toys from their quarter machines. We end up spending the whole afternoon there! read more

We just moved to the neighborhood and decided to try Marieta's as we had eaten at the La Mesa location before. The food was just okay and I agree with the other reviews that the food across the street at Panchos is much better for the money. As a former server, I have never tipped less than 15%. The service at this restaurant was the worst I have ever experienced. The entire staff ignores you and takes forever to do anything (refill drinks, take your order, bring the bill, etc). When they do speak to you, they are not friendly at all. We had to walk up front to get our bill which was almost $70 for 4 people. I only tipped $5 which was a first for me. Stay away from this restaurant, it is not worth your time or money! read more

It took me awhile to warm up to Marieta's. I was never really a big fan, but others in the family have raved about it. Over the years most of our visits have been to the La Mesa location, but Marieta's East is the new locale of choice, due mostly to convenience. I've been to Marieta's now on two consecutive trips to SD, so I guess you could say I am becoming a fan. My most recent visit was on a Monday night. Previously we were in on a Saturday night. The difference in crowd size was night and day. This particular Monday night was really slow, unfortunately the service was too. We had two gentlemen waiting on us. One was very friendly, the other not so much. The margaritas were good, as they always are. The house margarita is just south of nine bucks. I opted for a one taco combo and had to pay an extra $1.25 for fish. I ordered all beans and no rice. I got both. It wouldn't have been worth effort to send it back. The taco, beans and rice were all what you would expect from your typical Mexican restaurant. The salsa was fresh, the chips however weren't as good as previous visits. All in all, it was an OK visit. I look forward to returning the next time I'm "home" for the weekend and will update the review as soon as it warrants more stars. read more

What happened to this place? Like a previous post, this place has been going dowen hill for a while. Didnt tast any passion in the food what so ever. Plain plain plain. Service slow, beer was flat, and the decor was in very much need of a face lift. Loreto's Taco Shop in Spring Valley whips this place. Cant believe people still go here. I might have to try the one in Bonita from now on. lchingon read more

My wife and I started coming here over 40 years ago, but have not been back very often the last few years. In the past we have enjoyed our meals. After our meal last night we won't return. The chicken in my chicken tacos had no flavor except being overly salty. The meat had no texture and looked like "mashed chicken." My wife first tried a chicken enchilada but found it to be way too salty and contained the same "mashed chicken" as I had in my tacos. When she told our waiter he was very understanding and offered to bring her a beef enchilada. Unfortunately, that wasn't any better. It was also very salty and the beef was also "mashed." I'm an old guy who started eating Mexican food when I was very young. I've eaten it in several states and a few other countries. This was by far the worst Mexican food I ever had. read more

To start... How does this place not have 5 stars??? It's the BEST MEXICAN FOOD in town! Chips and salsa are amazing! The hot carrots as well. I love all their food, but I wouldn't mind just going for their chips and salsa, that's how delicious they are! Onto the food. I have tried pretty much every plate! My top 5 would be the fajitas (all are good), pollo Sonora, taquitos rancheros, enchiladas, & carne asada plate. Their beans are the best beans ever. Their staff/ service is great and very friendly. It's a great family oriented restaurant - bring the kids, they will enjoy it. Something I can't leave out, they now have a sit down bar "The R Bar" it's super neat , they have flatscreen to enjoy sports , unique bar stools and a few regular tables (sits 4) that you can enjoy one of their many appetizers. Plenty of parking and the wait to get seated is good. It can be a little longer on the weekends, but have a margarita while you wait :) Def check this place out if you haven't done so! Salud! read more

This place was "friday family dinner" for most of my youth. We kept coming back because the food was cheap, it was good, and you could get a table for 8 on a Friday without much hassle. Chips and salsa are excellent, so are the hot carrots. And because the service here is also very good, many times the attentiveness to the "chip basket refilling" was so spot-on i was half full when i got my entree. Carne Asada Plate, Fajitas, Enchilads Rancheros, even the Hamberguesa California(with ripping fries) were all top notch. The margarita's are damn good here as well. Oh, and i can't forget the old guy with the guitar singing songs. That dude is legend. He always looks like if some gringo asks him to sing La Bamba one more time, he is gonna break his guitar against a molcajete. If you are ever on this side of El Cajon(god help you), give Marieta's a spin. read more

I've been a regular here for years due to living so close to it but lately the service has taken a dive. The food is nothing special, except for the chips and salsa and the hot carrots. The waiters are dismissive, rude, and rush their clientele through meals. Also, the place is a little on the dingy side and could be a bit more hygienic. I'll be trying the La Mesa or Santee Marieta's next time. read more

Been coming here for years now. Good is always on point and drinks are always good. It is nice to come into an environment where the drinks and food are served pretty fast. Highly recommend! read more

I've been coming here for the past 8 years, and I am never disappointed! Margaritas are the BEST, service is always excellent, and the food comes out fast and is always delicious :) And their chips and salsa (and pico de gallo) are also amazing! :) read more

That was really good Chile Colorado so glad we decided to go here. Really enjoyed all the food and service was great. Will be back again. read more

Marieta's - Chile Colorado - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

I've eaten here and at the other location years ago but once I moved to PB I haven't come back until today. I have friends that enjoy the food, drinks and atmosphere and they told me I should check it out. I came in tonight and since I was alone I chose to eat at the bar. Manny was super nice, a good bartender and quality server. Honestly, my experience couldn't have been better. The chips and salsa were amazing. The shrimp cocktail was one of the best I've ever had. Jumbo shrimp with a generous amount of avocado, onion and cilantro. (Freaking delicious ). Then I had Tres fajitas with chicken, beef and shrimp. Yes, I took half home and I'm stuffed and happy. The only negative I can think of is that it's not cool drinking next door to the highway patrol main office. read more

Marieta's - Shrimp coctail.... delicious. - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

This is my absolutley favorite Mexican food place east of La Mesa for the service, the salsa, and their killer margaritas. Their salsa is HOT HOT HOT and slightly addictive. Because we are regulars, we always get great service and they anticipate our needs very well. We are greeted like family when we walk in and the staff is jolly and smiling. My favorite dish is the Chicken Mole enchilada...I actually think the Mole Sauce is slightly better at the La Mesa Marieta's but it's still amazing here. Did I mention they have the BEST chips and salsa on the PLANET? On the weekends, they have live music and they take requests! It's a super fun atmosphere on Saturday nights. For a neighborhood family mexican meal, this place is the best! read more

ZERO STARS. we should have walked out the second we saw that no one was in this place. The food was horrible and when I took a bite out of my quesadilla I found this black piece of hair in it! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. read more

Marieta's - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

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I've been coming here for 8 years and the food hasn't changed. It's still great! I usually go with the carne asada quesedilla or carnitas plate. I always go with the cadillac margarita b/c it's always quality. I always seem to miss the lobster specials, but they can't elude me forever! read more

Marieta's - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

My husband and I can't get enough of this restaurant! We come here all of the time and are never disappointed! The food is amazing and I highly recommend the carnitas and Polo Sonora- they are both really fresh and melt in your mouth! Even before the main entree comes out, the chips and salsa are homemade and a great way to start off the meal. The atmosphere is great as well! They have a wonderful bar and their ice cold margaritas can't be beat on a hot day. The decor and ambiance have been updated really nicely and the whole restaurant has a great vibe! The staff is always accommodating and I always have wonderful service. They even have a room for large parties and catering, and its prefect for birthdays, showers, and other events! read more

Made a quick trip way out here last night for a nice family dinner. The food was good. The service was average, but very attentive. Their menu covers all bases, offering something for everyone's mexican taste. It ranged from the cheap rolled tacos to lobster. I enjoyed a combination of cheese enchilada and beef taco. It was just what I expected, fair. Nothing wowwed me here, but I would go again if I happened to be in the area for some reason. Enjoy! read more

This is a great all around mexican restaurant with a classic feel. Sit down. Enjoy an excellent margarita and some traditional socal mex food. Monica and the staff are great. They make everything right. read more