Masa Madre exceeded our expectations and after one meal, has quickly become our new go-to Mexican food restaurant! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a lovely date-night dinner spot. Great service and DELICIOUS food- we will be back in no time! Side note- I have only written one other review ever before reviewing Masa Madre. It was so yummy that we felt like we just had to review! I should have taken photos of my meal because it was beautiful, but dug into them right away. I highly recommend the chicken enchilada plate with red sauce... I will be having dreams about it later. Thank you for an amazing dinner, Masa Madre! read more

Really wanted to love this place being so close. Previous restaurant here had great food portions and prices. New place still has mom and pop feel but, the food is overpriced and portions much smaller than expected for that price. Flavors ok...but hard to like when you're comparing it to the previous restaurant not even close...very different food and approach, but still Mexican food. Bummer! read more

Last night was Cinco de Mayo so a few of us decided we wanted Mexican food. This place kept coming up in my Yelp feed as recommended and I knew it was pretty new having replaced the previous restaurant Las Brisas. So we decided to try it. It a small spot in a strip mall with several tables. It's been cleaned up a lot since las Brisas. You still order at the counter and they deliver your food to the table. Everything sounded good so it took a while for us to order. That's OK they were pretty busy. We ordered and got a table. It did take quite a while for the food to come but they apologized and brought us chips and salsa while we waited. They were really good and the salsa had a nice kick. We just sat and chatted until we got our food. Finally, our food came, and it had such a nice presentation. One of us got chili rellanos and a pork taco, one of us got mole enchiladas and I got chicken mole poblano. All of the dishes came with Spanish rice and beans.. We were so surprised, but it was really good. Definitely a good kick to the mole sauce, but it was very flavorful. We all enjoyed our whole meal. They have all kinds of beverages, but don't have their liquor license currently. We got a tamarind jarritos and water. The prices are fair especially for the portions and we all agreed we would come back soon to try more items! read more

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Says they open at 8:30 am on Friday drove here from an hour away and they are closed Food looked good in the pictures read more

Tasty and generous portions, the perfect mom-and-pop local restaurant! The staff were so friendly and REALLY saved the day when our planned catering fell through for a party. We expected a long wait or high pricing, but they were reasonably priced, fast and accompanied with hospitality. They turned out trays for 30+ people in less than half an hour with no advance notice. And, they were so hospitable, giving us a some sodas to sip while we waited. We will definitely be back! read more

Masa Madre - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

The Cali Burrito, carne asada street tacos, tasty Spanish rice, fresh chips, and spicy red salsa here are so good. I've also had their green chile verde enchiladas, and they were a 10/10. The staff is friendly, and I love that they have outdoor seating. The restaurant is clean and has a mom-and-pop shop vibe that I find inviting. On some weekends, they grill out front and serve street tacos for $1.99 each. I also love that they have plenty of beverage options, including soda, beer, kombucha, and sparkling flavored water. They also offer desserts such as arroz con leche and cheesecake. This is my favorite local Mexican food spot. read more

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5 for the flavor! I'm Mexican and this tasted like Grandma made it! The beans were fresh and tasty! The beef was tender and the veggies were fresh and flavorful! Definitely will come back. They are new, so not everything is up and going yet...but the more they grow and more people go they'll be able to build out! Worth supporting. Thank you Veronica and to our chef tonight read more

Masa Madre - Not sure I liked it lol! This was Steak Ranchero...Super good. - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

Finally got to try this restaurant for dinner. It was really good! Their chips are nice and light and salsa was perfect. My husband orders mole whenever a restaurant has it. He really liked their mole plate. They gave him a moist and tender chicken quarter with it. He was very happy. My mother had the grande nachos with carne asada. Her plate was very big but quality top to bottom. They used their light chips, great crèma, nice tasting, moist carne asada and really good guacamole. I had the chile relleno in a yellow sauce. It was a very nice plate. Can't wait to come back for breakfast. Nice to have this restaurant in Shadowridge! read more

The woman who owns this place is a sweetheart. For her, I want to say this is an exceptional place and it most likely is. I am not the greatest judge of Mexican food. None of the food is what I want. I have a very bland palette and I don't like things spicy. I'm not a fan of mole. Everything on the menu I wanted to change to my own preferences. Either it was too hot, or it had ingredients that I didn't like or it didn't have enough of something I wanted. The place is very clean. I like the tables on the sides of the restaurant, they are large. The middle tables are smaller. I would recommend this place to people who love the authentic food style. You will absolutely love it! For finicky people like me, stick to places designed to cater to the boring person who doesn't know better. I gave it four stars because my friends really enjoyed it. It is clean. The lady who owns it is awesome. So, maybe it's just me. read more

This is my second time coming here and I can say their green chilaquiles are phenomenal, taste is so homemade, sauce isn't spicy which i love. Service is warm, greeted as soon as I walk thru the door. Ordering is easy, just deciding is the hard part everything sounds delicious. Food is made to order, but doesn't take a very long time which is a bonus. This is my go to local spot for the best chilaquiles. read more

Masa Madre - Green Chilaquiles with an add- on of meat. I requested no rice and beans today. - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

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Very friendly service and great food! The freshly fried chips were a great touch to our experience. The enchilada sauce had great flavor and my mom enjoyed her tostada. We will be back to try more! Highly recommend for authentic homemade Mexican food. read more

Masa Madre - Enchiladas Suizas - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

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We live close by so my sons and I popped in after practice on Thursday evening, there was another family dining as well. My oldest son ordered a crispy chicken taco and my youngest ordered a grilled cheese. Both with french fries. The chicken taco arrived greasy with very dry shredded chicken, and the grilled cheese was made with what looked like plastic cheese that had melted and hardened. Neither boy liked their dinner, and both said they dont need to eat there again. Which kinds stinks cause my shrimp tacos were delish. A tish salty but very good flavor all around and the fresh hot tortilla chips that were served with dinner were amazing! But unfortunately, kids plates that my 6 and 8 year old dont want to eat when they would normally mow through them at any other restaurant dictates where we will dine. Best of luck Masa Madre. read more

The food is exceptionally fresh, high quality and delicious! We've been there several times in the past few weeks and haven't had a bad meal yet. The owners bought the previous restaurant, Las Brisas, and got off to a rocky start in the first month of operation, leading to some negative reviews from locals who didn't like the change. It didn't help that the previous owners gave no indication that they were leaving. As much as I loved Las Brisas, Masa Madré is even better! I hope they stay for many years. read more

Masa Madre - Chile Rellano - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

The food was amazing, the mole is slightly spicy but full of flavor! The place is super clean and the owner was super friendly! She accommodated my request and added both chicken and cheese. read more

Masa Madre - Mole enchiladas... could not wait so picture is not the best - Mexican Near Me - Vista, California

Sometimes I say 5 stars, would repeat, but in this case, I've already repeated. Just slow on writing up the review. We have had the steak (twice), the spicy shrimp, and a burrito. But what really stands out is the homemade guacamole with warm blue tortilla chips. It gets you into the proper, comfortable, having a fun meal with loved ones mood right away. Food is made with care and it shines through. Will be back again soon! read more

Lunch time and our family would ask for a Mexican, so the closest one was in formerly Las Brisas place. I knew the location, but the sign would be helpful (my YouTuber son suggested title for his next video "The food places I visited with no signs"). Veronica, the owner - formerly from CDMX, greeted us with old Las Brisas menu (some items were crossed out). By the way the place was empty and cold (with the door open). Actually food was not bad, both grilled shrimps Burrito and Pollo Asada Quesadilla were approved by my son and daughter in law, but our taco order is another story. Both Pollo Asada and Shrimp tacos were on a skimpy side (comparing to old Las Brisas one). Guacamole dip with the chips was another hit. One more thing - she prefers cash, otherwise there is a charge for a credit card (not sure how much, I didn't ask). The inside was redone in the middle only, I wish her good luck and it looks like, it will take a long time to see, if this small business will succeed. read more

Awesome new place - as of this review, open about two months (since January 2026 more or less). Only counter-service place I've been to throughout the county that has mole on several dishes. And it's a great mole. Asked for a side of that ultra-dark magic stuff, so I could pour it on my street tacos, and they were glad to oblige. Carnitas as good as any I've had. Several other menu offerings that stand out. Bonuses include bottled mexican beers, and I noticed a couple taps set up (also Mexican beers). read more

I wanted to like this place because it's a mom n pop shop and they seem like nice people, but here's what I would change. Food: Carne asada burrito was 90% white rice. Very bland. Menu: needs to be updated. Other customers were ordering things like Cali burritos, chicken Caesar salads, and other items that were not on the menu provided at the restaurant. Doesn't have to be a fancy printed menu, just print one with all the options on regular paper. Ambiance: Beautiful mural painting on wall, comfortable booths, but no music, just the humming sound of the refrigerators. read more

We went to this place last week for lunch after going to Las Brisas dozens of times over the years. The old Las Brisas reviews talk about the new ownership so I won't go into that. We really liked Las Brisas and most of their food was pretty good. Certain things could have been improved in my opinion, like the seasoning on the carna asada and the sides. I got the street tacos to compare since we would get those at Las Brisas quite often on taco tuesday. The beans and rice I think were significantly better than before; they tasted fresh, and the beans had cotija (I think?) on them. The old place I think the beans were a bit watery and the rice was just ok. The tortillas on the tacos were better. They tasted fresh and were thinner than before, and weren't covered in oil. The carnitas taco was definitely better as well with the meat being charred more than before. The only change that I felt wasn't quite as good was the pollo asada didn't have as much seasoning as before. I don't care much about the decor inside, but it was a little more modern than before. Overall I think they're doing great so far and it's worth a try if you liked the old place. read more

Fresh and delicious food! Lots of flavor and very welcoming people. Our new favorite local place. Come check it out.

Masa Madre has a new owner, and they are providing amazing food at a reasonable price. My wife and I come here often to enjoy a verity of authentic Mexican dishes and are always completely satisfied. I highly recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner to enjoy the wonderful flavors and great service. Today is Taco Tuesday for me and I'm ready for visit to Masa Madre :-) read more

What a gem! The mole is outstanding as is everything else I have tried there. We are lucky to have such a great restaurant right here in Shadowridge. Give them a try! read more

Wonderful experience at Masa Madre! If you're looking for a great restaurant in Vista that focuses on traditional, wholesome food, this is the place. My enchilada meal was delicious, healthy, and full of flavor...love how the owners focus on using old-world techniques and quality ingredients. The owners were kind and welcoming, and they are accommodate food allergies (which my husband has). The space already feels warm and inviting, and while they're still getting fully settled as a newer restaurant, it's exciting to see a place like this growing in the Vista / Shadowridge community. Highly recommend checking out Masa Madre if you appreciate thoughtfully prepared, traditional food and genuinely kind hospitality! read more

I wasn't aware that the former restaurant, Las Brisas, had changed hands as we called their number and placed an order. When I went to pick it up is when I realized it wasn't the same. Well, I thought OK, let's give it a shot. Unfortunately my experience was very disappointing. First impression was that it was unorganized, no menu's. Still sort of using the previous businesses. Fair enough. The real issue is the food. I made a simple order of a chicken taco and a carne asada burrito. The taco was very greasy and the burrito had very little flavor, was 90% rice and what carne was in there was very tough and I couldn't eat it. Hi hopes dashed. read more

The food is really good, and the staff are very nice. I've gotten tacos and quesadillas and they were both great. They also have really good salsa read more

Food was decent, customer service was decent. Decor decent. Was a bit pricey. Was just decent Mexican food, noting that made it stand out from all the other Mexican restaurants around. read more

Food is very fresh. Staff is friendly. It is clean inside less is more. This is compared to Las Brisas

Great little place. We like the fajitas. Delicious. The owner is very nice. This where Las Brisas used to be. I think the food is better. Give it a try. read more

Went to this new place for dinner the other night for the first time. Excellent Mexican food! Very fresh, good size portions and authentic.