Great place to bring the family. Food is the best and the relaxed atmosphere is great!!!

THE BEST in La Mesa Village!!! The food, service, and vibes are immaculate. We have always passed by and finally decided to stop by. They had such an amazing happy hour, I ended up getting a huge margarita for only $8 lol. A much needed size to start the weekend! The food was WOW. I had the pollo asado quesadilla with the rice and beans. It was delicious! The tortilla had the perfect crisp to it and the guac and sour cream paired very well. Don't even get me started on the dessert. The flan was perfectly cooked. It was caramelized just right and the whip cream was almost like ice cream! Definitely stop by for not only happy hour, but all their breakfast,lunch, and dinner options!! read more

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$16 for a bean and cheese burrito?!! No thanks!! Margaritas were not good! So disappointed! Had to ask for napkins, had to ask for silverware and then had to ask for the check!!! Not busy, service was lacking! read more

Ate here today for Mothers Day with the family(party of 8). Parking is limited. We had to park down the street and walk uphill to get to the restaurant. Thankfully we had a reservation. This place was packed, however we were seated in a few minutes. After about 20 minutes our order was taken. An hour later we received or food. I had carnitas, which was flavorful, however a little dry. I never saw a dedicated bar, however they do serve some alcohol. I attempted to use the bathroom, however it was locked. That indicates to me that it is small and intended for one person to use at a time. The restaurant looks to me like it was a house that was converted into a restaurant. I would not return. read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Generous portion of Carnitas. A little dry but flavorful. - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Breakfast at Mario's in La Mesa was a pleasant experience. Let's start with the positives. Cafe de olla was amazing! Not too sweet and tasted like cafe de casa de abuelita. The location was busy but we were seated right away. Cons. Parking. Very cool that they have a small parking lot, but the spots are small and today happened just to be crowded. The food was also good, but I wish we had been offered spicier salsa. Had to ask a couple of times for water and left there still not having received it. All and all it's a good home cooked Mexican food restaurant. I would try to come back when it's not a Sunday rush. read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

My first time here came early morning was walking around downtown La mesa while my daughter was getting her hair done me and hubby happened to see this place and decided to get breakfast the decor is so cute soon as we walked in were seated they gave us chips and salsa while we look at the menu food was delicious came out fresh such good flavor salsa had a nice kick service was amazing was taking care of the whole time will definitely be back please go if your in the area read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Chilaquiles Con Huevos - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Long overdue..... We stopped by one of our favorite places tonight for a little Taco Tuesday (been visiting since my childhood). The food is amazing and the staff is super attentive. This gem of a place has been around since 1982. It's a must try if you've never been. Great vibes all around. * Shrimp w/ Creamy Jalapeño Sauce * Carnitas Taco x 2 * Carne Asada Taco * Adobada Taco * Fish Taco #DiningWithTheAndersons #ComidaMexicana #TacoTuesday #MariosDeLaMesaRestaurant read more

Mario's deserves more recognition! We typically drive by Mario's on a daily basis and this last time we decided to stop by. Let me tell you, it was definitely worth the stop. It is located on the corner of La Mesa Blvd and Grant Ave, which gives the front of the restaurant such an amazing view. The inside of the restaurant looks amazing and very vibrant! Please note that this is a family owned restaurant and we had the privilege of meeting the owner. He along with his staff are very sweet and the service is phenomenal. To start, the chips and salsa were great and the salsa itself was delicious! I had the enchiladas plate, which came with beans and rice. The beans and rice were tasteful and exactly what I wanted/expected. The enchiladas were great and I would definitely get them again! If you're near La Mesa please support this business. They deserve all the support and recognition! read more

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What a fantastic find in La Mesa - thanks fellow Yelpers! It's been a minute since I've experienced some great authentic Mexican food and I was excited to get over to Mario's. We parked in their parking lot, located behind what we think use to be a house. We passed the softly lit patio and admired the glow and warmth. We noticed street parking is available along this downtown edge of La Mesa, which is also easy to walk. The gorgeous Christmas lights and exterior decorations should have prepared us for the eye candy awaiting inside, but WOW, what a burst of vibrant color the interior holds! We were greeted warmly immediately upon entering and shown to a table and offered drinks, chip and salsa. While noshing, we perused the menu and made our selections: Christmas + Mexican food = TAMALES! So I chose the in-house made pork tamale plate with ranchera sauce and cheese. Hubs chose the a la carte large beef burrito, also with ranchera sauce and cheese. BOTH WERE OUTSTANDING! Hit the mark perfectly for what we were craving. LOADS of delicious meat filled each of our selections. The masa of my tamale was light and fluffy. Hospitality was delightful and attentive, even as the restaurant filled with more locals and some large parties. Before leaving, we made use of the baños and were delighted to find adorable drawings of characters looking like they stepped from the "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland directing us towards the Damas and Caballeros "rooms". So cute! A delightful and delicious meal warmed our hearts on a chilly December night in La Mesa and we look forward to eating here again. Cheers! "CC" read more

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Uninspired, standard Mexican fare. I ordered the Baja Shrimp Burrito. The few shrimp, themselves, were delicious but enclosed in what seemed to be two tortillas (waaaay too much unappetizing floury crap), with a scant amount of the promised vegetables, and dripping in an unnecessary sauce. The accompanying refried bean were delicious, but it's hard to go wrong with refried bean. This was most certainly overpriced for what I got. The atmosphere is nice, tho'. It's a clean establishment, with beautiful tables and prettily upholstered seating. Free parking in the back. All-in-all, I'd rather drive across town to a more interesting, authentic, and better value than return here. read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Baja Shrimp Burrito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

It has been a while since I've been to Mario's de La Mesa. I heard the new family who owns and runs it now has made some positive changes to the menu, like adding the Taco Tuesdays special. Street tacos are $2.95 all day long. I came in for lunch and ordered an iced cold beer and two carnitas tacos and one carne asada tacos. The street tacos, although they were small, they came generously filled with their appropriate protein. The carnitas were very good. They were a touch dry but not by much. I liked that they were tender but also had some crispy bits inside as well. They came with only chopped white onions and cilantro. I was hoping for a little guacamole, which would have been great with the carnitas. Going double on the corn tortillas would have been good, too. The carne asada taco was good, too. The meat was well seasoned and tender to eat. The carne taco also only came with cilantro and onions. Where's the guac? Just a little. Both the green sauce that came with the tacos and the red hot sauce that came with the tortillas chips were very good. They had good flavor and heat. The tortilla chips they offer when you dine in are good eating. The service was very good. They lady who took my order and served was very nice. I liked that they served your beer in an ice cold glass or mug. That is the way to roll. read more

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Carina our waitress was amazing! Look at this food :) 3 taco trio, authentic rice and beans. Good chips. Nice patio :) read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

The restaurant is super cute and authentic. Food is yummy and service is nice! Would definitely come back.

Have wanted to try Mario's for years and finally made it for lunch. The atmosphere is festive and welcoming, and the service was attentive and friendly, but the food was a hit-or-miss situation. The chile relleno was a hit, but the carnitas were dry and the chicken mole was boring/lacking in any distinctive flavor. read more

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My first visit here, and it won't be my last. I wanted a change from that big Mexican restaurant in Grossmont Center, and my son recommended Mario's. It's really easy to find on La Mesa Boulevard, close to the intersection of University Avenue. Hard to miss after dark due to the bright attractive lighting. And to make matters even better, the sign outside proclaimed "Happy Hour"! Upon entry, we were greeted immediately, and offered a choice of seating locations. The decor is Mexican folksy, and rather relaxing. I noticed some outdoor tables and it seems this place is dog-friendly. Chips and salsa were served upon being seated. Fresh warm chips and excellent salsa! Not long after, the Happy Hour Lime Margaritas arrived in cute, rim-salted mason jars with handles. They were OK, typical of Happy Hour drinks. My entree was the Two Burritos Rancheros ($15.99), which was accompanied by generous portions of rice and refried beans. The Ranchero sauce was delightful. My order was one beef and one chicken burrito. These protein fillings were generous and quite tasty. I ended up with some take-home leftovers. I am not aware of how authentic my entree was, but it suited this American-born San Diego resident just fine. We declined the suggestion of dessert (Too full!). Service by Karen V was timely and personable. I am already scheming my next visit. read more

My family and I were looking for good Mexican mole but my mom was underwhelmed. Same thing for the albóndigas not bad just not great. I liked their fried food like their surtido mixto appetizer which is a medley of fried Mexican finger foods. I also liked their sautéed shrimp. Their rice and beans are delicious and authentic. Unfortunately the churros were also a miss. Not sure I'll give this place another try but maybe in person someday. read more

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OMM-Oh my mexican. Simple authentic and tasty. this might be the best mole in town and we added a fluffy Relleno which was the perfect pairing. Two skinny's and it's a complete meal. :) read more

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Looks packed from the outside, but once you step in, it opens up into a spacious, comfortable atmosphere. The vibe is great, and the food absolutely delivers--definitely worth it. read more

We have been to Mario's quite a few times. Never had a bad experience. Wait staff was friendly and attentive. It had a renovation about 3 1/2 years ago. My shredded beef hard shell taco and cheese and onion enchilada were on point. The Spanish rice was tender and flavorful. My honey had a bowl of menudo (no thank you) and he says it was very tasty. On the corner of Grant and LA Mesa Blvd. Nice neighborhood. I recommend! read more

The food here is amazing. There were so many choices to pick from but I got the two burritos rancheros. Amazing food with amazing sauce. My husband got the matcha a Sonora and loved his food. I would definitely come back again. The server was nice and came to check when needed. And the restaurant is just lovely. read more

I have always driven by this little cute and cozy Mexican restaurant but have always been too busy to stop. Today was the day finally I got to try Mario's! I really love that they have a parking lot of their own so you don't have to have that challenge of trying to find parking. I drove right in the parking lot and walked right in. It's a Saturday early afternoon and thankfully not too many people. They had festive both Spanish and American music playing in the background to enjoy while eating. I started off by ordering an iced tea. Of course, I was enjoying the chips and salsa at the table. The salsa is tangy with a little kick. The perfect spice, not too mild, not too spicy but just right! My entree consisted of one cheese and one chicken enchilada with rice and beans. A wonderful homemade taste and so flavorful! The decor is happy and delightful reminiscent of being in Mexico. My waiter was super efficient and friendly! Kudos to the cooks also for making such flavorful food! I will be returning to Mario's when I am in La Mesa, it is a little sweet Mexican cozy haven to escape to when one needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of life! Mario's of La Mesa thank you for providing the perfect restaurant experience! Tell them Carla sent you! #la mesa #san diego # city of la mesa # san diego magazine read more

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This place is complete b******* it said on the app that I could order a soup and get one free and they charge me for both soups and they said there's nothing I could do about it. I will never order from this place again. read more

The service here is always amazing! But the food is even better!! I've had fajitas at a few other restaurants near by but these are the most flavorful by far! read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Mixed Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great place if you are in the mood for authentic Mexican food! The service is top notch! Constantly getting checked up on, and never having empty glasses. The chips and salsa were wonderful and the guacamole was flavorful! The crunchy beef taco was really good, the beef was so juicy and the shell was nice and crunchy. The enchiladas were just okay to me, I wasn't a huge fan of the enchilada sauce. Other than that, excellent place if you want some fantastic service and large margaritas! read more

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Service was fantastic! Cozy atmosphere! Family friendly! Great happy hour! Delicious taco Tuesday!

What a awesome place. So incredibly welcoming and kind to the children. Beautiful outdoor seating and the food is outstanding. Love everything about this place. Thank You so much read more

Made an OpenTable reservation for 6 on a Saturday evening, they had our table ready and had comfortable seating. We ordered the guac to start and drinks, after that the server took a very long time ti come back and take our order. But once the order was taken the service was better, my whole family enjoyed their meal which came out in a timely fashion. The food was so good none of us really had leftovers! We had a Concha French toast that's on their breakfast menu for our dessert. Unfortunately I forgot to take more pictures, but next time I will. read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Concha French Toast - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

It was an amazing experience, the best cafe de olla and breakfast. I also met the owner, Juan, who was really nice and introduce himself. Beautiful restaurant, service and experience!!! Adri read more

On time service. Price of food can't be beat, and the quality is authentic and delicious.

Just around the corner from the main strip in La Mesa is a hidden gem. This authentically feeling restaurant is ready to serve you all of the flavors and textures: spicy, crunchy, juicy, cheesy, fresh, aromatic,... ove delicious! Read the specials board on your way in because they have LOTS of options here and everything that came out of the kitchen looked incredible. I will almost always get an enchilada plate when I go to a Mexican restaurant, there's something about the cheese, sauce, and bean/rice that are so comforting. they served some great food - so much so that I couldn't finish and was stoked to have leftovers. My friend got the carnitas plate and it was a HUGE portion of meat that was tender and carefully prepared. The staff were great and made sure we had everything we needed, they were present and available, but not overbearing. We got there for a very early dinner, around 4 and there were only a clfew other people inside. We walked down the block afterwards to help digest this amazing meal and when we came back around 530, we saw that it had filled up, which is great to see - I love when good businesses are doing well! read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Original Carnitas Plate - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Food very delicious and satisfying .. really good customer service, very sanitized and clean place to come and eat with your family . read more

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That was a two napkin taco! Freshly made, abundant ingredients, and huge chunks of avocado in the guacamole. The enchilada sauce is delicious and the beans clearly a family recipe. Patio ambiance, colorful dining rooms, a very satisfying experience. (If you don't know, look up their story. He used to be the busboy, now he owns the restaurant!) read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Beef taco, ala carte, after two big bites! Oh, and the salsa is a spicy delight! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

The best Carne Asada around. Amazing flavors. Great service. You can't go wrong. We've been coming here for years and it's as good as it gets. Enjoy! read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

We sat outside because I brought my dog, that's why it's a little dark. But the place is super cute and family friendly. The customer service is pretty friendly. The food is amazing!!! The salsa is pretty good and a little spicy. The enchilada is soooo good!! Perfect amount of meat and cheese! It's so delicious!! I ordered horchata also, and it tastes so fresh with the perfectly sweeten. My daughter got the hot chocolate, and she says it's the best hot chocolate. She ordered the enchiladas plate and loves it!! For dessert, we got the tres leches cake, and that's the best tres leches cake!! It's so fresh and delicious!! We will definitely be back to try more because it's so good!! #supportsmallbusiness read more

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Love this place. If you want to eat healthy, low fat Mexican food, Mario's makes it easy! I always order the single shredded chicken taco on lettuce instead of a tortilla, no sour cream, and avocado instead of guacamole. Then I add a side of their amazing pico de gallo- best anywhere! Juan the owner who often takes care of us is so sweet and never bats an eye at my crazy annoying order! They have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating so we can bring our corgi with us! read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Shredded chicken taco as a salad with pico de gallo added Fabulous and healthy!! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Large portions, delicious Mexican food and friendly and fun service! We came to Mario's for a work event and got to enjoy the entire outside patio area. I'm not sure why I don't come to La Mesa more often. They've got a surprising number of great spots. While this one fairs more casual, the food doesn't disappoint. I enjoyed the salad which was on a crispy fried tortilla and loaded with pollo asado. I also got a side of a mole enchilada. The mole was delicious! Everything tasted home cooked and comforting! Top it off with a beer on a sunny day and you're golden. Can't speak highly enough about the friendly service. Our waiter was a hoot and so nice! read more

Mario's De La Mesa Restaurant - Mole enchilada - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Came in during Oktoberfest and was disappointed. First off the staff are all super friendly and accommodating which is the only reason they get 2 stars and not 1. The food is not good at all, The salsas aren't good , and the margaritas taste like Gatorade. I feel like their using cheap ingredients and cutting corners on the margaritas by using a mixer which makes the drinks taste suuuuuper sweet. read more

When I'm in the mood for cheesy, good Mexican food, Mario's is where I go. Love this spot. It's super cute inside and they offer patio seating. The service is always friendly and you can tell they take pride in their work. Their portions are pretty big. They start off with chips and salsa, which is always fresh. Their menu is expansive and has all the favorites. They serve breakfast, have a wide variety of soups, and desserts. I really enjoy the chile relleno. It's a good size, never any seeds, and the sauce is good. You really can't go wrong with anything you order. Parking is ok. They have a small lot behind the restaurant and few street spots. It's just at the end of the village, so it's a little bit easier to find a spot. Try them out! read more

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We absolutely Love Mario's! Food and drinks are great, and just a overall perfect spot for my family and I. Has seating both outside and inside. read more

The setting is beautiful, very quaint inside. The service is good. The rice & beans are always good. But like others have noted, the main entree food is hit & miss. The carne asada had almost no flavor. Almost tasteless. That's the whole point of getting carne asada, rather than shredded beef--the flavor. It's the same thing with their beef enchilada--no flavor. Whenever I order their enchiladas, I keep having to ask for extra sauce, just to get some flavor on the beef. My wife says the carnitas is better. Tons of Mexican restaurants in San Diego, so I hope Mario's puts more effort into their beef dishes. read more