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Nelly's Mexican Food

4.5 (220 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican, Fast Food

Order Nelly's Mexican Food Takeout or Delivery

Nelly's Mexican Food Photos

NELLY'S MEXICAN FOOD ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Nelly's Mexican Food

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Amazing affordable Mexican food!
K K.

"Amazing affordable Mexican food! So glad we found this little gem on our trip to Balboa. Flautas and taquitos were my kids' favorite, but I loved the flavor in the asada tacos the most! Honestly, I can't even feed my family of 4 at McDonald's for what we paid at Nelly's!"

Asada wet burrito with green salsa
Heidi R.

Quick and amazing customer service. Nelly and her mother are super nice and friendly. Cozy restaurant and a lot of kindness. Thank you so much for the experience 100% reccomend

Chile Verde Burrito
TinaMarie K.

Everything was fantastic! We decide to try this little spot out. They do not disappoint! Their menu is no frills and to the point. The service was excellent, they were very helpful and friendly. We decided to order a chile verde burrito and a bean cheese burrito. They were both delicious! We took our order to go and they packed us up chips and salsa to go with our burritos. we can't wait to go back.

Pork in Chile verde
Jacqueline H.

Our first time here. Followed the positive reviews. The food was good. Unfortunately their "aguas frescas" are from a mix, too sweet and the preservative leaves an after taste. The service is courteous and friendly. Prices are reasonable. Is wheelchair accesible, the tables are at average height.

Three taco combo, hits the spot and only $9.99.
Krissy R.

My coworker and I used to come here all the time, for the last couple of years we haven't because we got into a rut of going to the same places over and over closer to our work. I reminded her of this place the other day and we thought it would be nice to go again as we always enjoyed their food. So we went and it was as tidy and presentable as always, Nelly and her mother run the business together and remember all their customers. The mom in particular is very warm spirited and engages in conversations with her regulars, she makes you feel at home and like family. She recognized us right away and was very joyful that we stopped by, her smile lights up a room. We both ordered the three taco combo plate which includes your choice of meat, rice, and beans. The tortillas are lightly grilled with a bit of cooking oil which gives it that extra touch of love as they are lightly crisp which enhances any taco, no soggy tortillas falling apart here. I got one carne asada taco, one chicken, and last but defintely not least the tender carnitas which I requested chipotle sauce and guacamole on top. All the tacos had a generous amount of fresh meat, the rice was so good too! Next time I will get double rice, it is that scrumptious. I saw agua de pina and a sign that offers tacos for $1.99 on taco tuesdays. We will be coming back soon, we were pleased with the food and nurturing service. One last thing, the chips are perfectly fried and go great with their refried beans and salsas!

Outside view
Valerie V.

Stopped at a near market to this little restaurant, we were hungry decided to grab a bite cute cozy, nice service food was ok, the tacos didn't really have flavor though and my bf liquado tasted spicy I'm pretty sure cause of the blender but he said the chilaquiles were good

Insect in my drink.
Sean A.

Was passing by thought I would try this place based on the reviews definitely would not come back to this place. Nothing was clean, and as I was finishing up my drink, I noticed some type of insect inside the container. I had the three chicken enchilada plate. I would only give it about a 5 out of 10 rating.

Green chile plate
Ignacio Israel M.

Little mom and pop Mexican restaurant with a delicious green chile plate pair that with a Mexican coke and you are in for a treat, definitely would come back

2 shredded beef hard shell tacos
Evangelina R.

My wife and I stumbled upon this small business one day , I'm so glad we did . Wife asked for bean and cheese burritos so we , of course RUN to Yelp . Nellys comes up it's not a far drive so we go . The bean and cheese burritos are so good then we discover the hard shell tacos . You can do chicken or shredded beef , They come with lettuce,tomatoes, I think it's cojita cheese not sure, and crema. SO GOOD ! My daughter tried the cheese enchiladas she loved them my mother n law has tried the chilaquiles, those are good . So far everything we've tried was delicious give . Side note the woman who works there she's sweet ,

Pozole

My cousin and I are here this morning. We got birria, pozole, a pastor taco and a carnitas taco. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the lady that was working there, but the service was incredible. We dined in and she checked on us multiple times. Food was absolutely incredible and felt like home. We can't wait to try more things on the menu and will definitely be coming back!

Art inside the little restaurant 12/11/21

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7 months ago

Great food and service! Tacquitos are the best, they make them to order. Everything we have tried had been very good.

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5 months ago

The restaurant is cozy and felt like I was back home. But the food needs improvement, meat was overcooked. No good food options for kids.

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2 years ago

Great food as always! Very friendly. I'm happy this place is so close to me. I always get the menudo here.

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1 year ago

Amazing and responsive service! Good food with little wait time! Wet burrito was amazing definitely coming back!

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I usually order the burrito since the asada has great flavor. Kind people and quick service. Support your local spot!

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Nelly C.

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3 years ago

Hole in the wall. Made to order food. Asada was a little chunky and a tad bit bland, but overall it was good.

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Ask the Community - Nelly's Mexican Food

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I'm honestly not sure why this place has so many negative reviews. It's one of the few local…read morerestaurants where you'll still find Olga making fresh, handmade tortillas right in-house, and that alone sets it apart. They don't cheap out on drinks or food, and the quality is consistently great. Portions are generous, and you get far more sides and extras here than at most Mexican restaurants in the area. The staff of ladies who work here are phenomenal--warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. There is only one older gentleman I've seen be rude to customers, but aside from that single exception, the service is excellent across the board. I judge Mexican restaurants heavily based on how they make a Cadillac margarita, and this place absolutely delivers. Everything that comes out of the kitchen is perfectly cooked, plentiful, and clearly made with care. For me, this restaurant is a solid five out of five. It's one of those spots that deserves far more credit than it gets. If you're looking for quality, authenticity, and great value, it's worth a visit.

I ordered the chicken salad. The staff offered me a choice of ranch, Italian, or thousand island…read morefor dressing. I chose Italian, however she said they were out of it when she brought me my salad. I like that the salad came with avocado but the chicken was dry. The mariachi playing right in front of my table created a very lively ambiance. The restroom door distinguishes the gender. An Aztec woman was carved on the woman's room.

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Rocio's Mexican Kitchen - Guajaqueño Mole with Chicken.

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If you're looking for an authentic hidden gem, this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant is…read moreabsolutely worth the visit. They serve some of the best mole I've had in a long time! The meal started with complimentary chips served alongside both a sweet mole and a savory, tangy mole sauce. It was something I'd never experienced before, and it was incredibly delicious. I ordered the chicken enmoladas, and they were generously stuffed with chicken and smothered in rich, flavorful mole. Every bite tasted authentic, comforting, and incredibly satisfying. For dessert, our waiter recommended the plantains in tequila sauce paired with a café de olla. They were so amazing that we completely devoured the dessert before I even remembered to take a picture! As first-time visitors, my guests and I were genuinely impressed by the quality of the food, the authentic flavors, and the warm service. We'll definitely be back, and I highly recommend giving this place a try if you're craving authentic Mexican cuisine.

8/5/26 Read the reviews and it looked promising. This is a hole-in-a-wall mom n pop type of eatery…read morein the heart of Bell Gardens, home of La Diosa del Molé. Service is attentive, the food has its charm with in-house made tortillas. It really was a hard review to write because all the elements of a great restaurant is embodied in this hidden gem. I chalk it up to ordering the wrong items. The flavors did not pop for me. Hubby opted for the chorizo and he said it was decent and he described it as "diet chorizo"--that he'd probably needed to go back to Sinaloa to capture the true essence of "real" chorizo, the way it's meant to be. The star of his meal was the in-house made flour tortillas-now that's authentic! This is/was the reason that it leaned towards a 4 star. These looked and tasted phenomenal. The aroma took me back to the times when we visited Rosarito's Puerto Nuevo, as the lady made the tortillas by hand & pressed them in the comal, ahh, good times. I ordered the vegetarian omelette with beans & potatoes. The omelette was decent with fresh bell peppers & onions but the seasoning was so mild that I requested for salt & pepper. The potatoes appeared well seasoned in color but lacked that oomph that salt & pepper couldn't fix. My apple pancakes were average. While I appreciated the strawberry compote, there was no apple or apple taste in them. To wash everything down, I had cafe de olla, that was good. The aroma of the brown sugar & cinnamon was ever present. Estrella, our server was very welcoming, attentive and friendly, she gets 5 stars for her service with a smile & hospitality. Their lunch & dinner menu looked very appealing but we wanted breakfast items. We wish we were both molé enthusiasts then perhaps we would've better appreciated & enjoyed those offerings. Both indoor & outdoor seating (front & rear), parking is free & shared with their liquor store at this corner small plaza. Beware, no restrooms available. I'm glad we gave this little shop a try.

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Mami Felipa Cocina Mexicana - Quesadilla de Pollo

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What a pleasant surprise. Meaning sometimes you read a lot of five star reviews and you leave…read moredisappointed. Had the Divorciad burrito for lunch and it was delicious. (See attached picture). This restaurant is in such an obscure location, I can't believe I was going to a Burrito Track across the street for so many years not knowing this place existed. Friendly staff and prompt service. The unfortunate negative is it's location and I'm referring to parking. There must be 8 business crammed into this lot. With a bar to the right and a laudermat on its left finding a parking spot is like winning the lotto. Now layer in one driveway and you have to make a 3 point turn just to navigate to leave. The short answer is I will absolutely go back to this place as long as there is a parking space to be had.

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Fatima's Grill - Hot Cheetos burrito  de Asada

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First responders are always on the hunt for a late night bite between calls. My partner really…read moreknocked it out the park this time. He asked me if I liked Mediterranean. I respond with a resounding "hell yes!" I was hoping for a treat, but I had no idea that my expectations were going to be blown out of the water. At 10:30 at night place had tons of customers and the food was amazing. A woman by the name of Liza helped us out, letting us know that the food was made fresh so we might need some time, which we were definitely willing to take a chance on. I got the chicken kabob gyro, and my partner got a beef gyro. Both of us were grunting like animals between bites we kept yelling, " oh hell yeah!" Every bite was more delicious than the last. Their house packaged sauce called LebMex, a mix between Lebanese and Mexican I imagine, was just the right amount of heat and the whipped garlic butter that it was served with was out of this world. They also have some rarities in the refrigerator like tick tock famous pineapples soaked in Kool Aid and Warhead Lemonade. There were so many awesome selections on the menu that one could almost be paralyzed by the choices. Once we were done we had to round back to tell Liza how pleased we were and we swore an oath of duty to return as soon as we could to sample more of the delectable menu.

September 26, 2026…read more My wife and I placed an order through DoorDash online about 30 minutes before we arrived. When we arrived, we checked in, and an employee told us they were still preparing our food, so we waited patiently. Meanwhile, other customers who ordered at the counter received their food right away. We arrived at 11:15 PM, and after waiting for about 30 minutes, the arrogant employee told us that our order was not scheduled to be picked up until 12:30 AM. Our order had not even been started, so we decided to leave and cancel it. To make matters worse, there was a roach in the restaurant, which one of the customers had to kill.

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Nelly's Mexican Food - mexican - Updated October 2026

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