The BEST!!! I don't know who is leaving these bad reviews but my husband and I come from El Cajon at least 2-3 times a month to eat here! Flavor is everything and they got it!!! Service is amazing and they're all very kind. We always sit outside no matter if it's cold or not. We love their outdoor area!!! Oh and their salsa is the best. Flavor everywhere. I'm writing this review as I'm waiting for my food read more

Vallarta Express - Shredded beef, tacos, and surf and turf nachos - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I wrote a review about 3 years ago. They'd changed the rice to include peas...actually using those frozen veggie mixes. I didn't return for a couple years. I tried them again, and didn't get the rice. My bean burrito was yummy. I've gone in twice, as was satisfied. Yesterday, I decided I will never return. I realize inflation has raised prices everywhere, but they are ridiculously over-priced. I ordered a chicken burrito, 4 rolled tacos, and 2 small Horchatas. It was $32. Had I not been in a hurry to bring food to my friend during his short lunch hour, I would've drove through their to-go line or backed up my car. Usually I get a bean burrito, but it would've been too messy to eat in my friend's car, so I opted for something else. I did notice the price of a bean and cheese burrito, at $8.50. Seriously! Beans are still pretty inexpensive. My 4 rolled tacos were buried under a huge pile of shredded lettuce. Thanks for the salad that comes with 4 rolled tacos, where a minimum amount of beef was inside. A small Horchata was $4; large, $8. There's better food than yours, and not nearly as expensive. Friendly staff, but charging that much is more like sitting at a nice restaurant. You are open 24/7 which brings in quite a bit of revenue. There's almost always a line, so you're not lacking business. My friend, a Hispanic, knows his culture's food very well. He too was shocked at the price, and said the food was "so so." I will never return to your restaurant. Pretty sure you can afford to offer better prices. Your neighborhood competitors have much better prices. I'm a nice person, so I put tip money in their obligatory plastic container hanging from the take out window. Pretty nervy for drive-through service. Tips are generally given for sit down service, where the food is served. It's sad that so many businesses, especially ones that have regular traffic, take advantage of consumers. I will never return to your restaurant again. read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Not only did they try to overcharge me, they were rude to me when I called them out on it. I will never come back here again. The audacity of just how rude they are. $22 for two tacos,?? I don't think so. I went down the street to azteca and paid half the price and they were delicious. Azteca all the way screw this place read more

I come here for the super fries! They add lots of sour cream, cheese, and guacamole which is what I like. Their meat actually has flavor and I could taste a hint of char. Their orange hot sauce is good and creamy. I just wish that it was more spicy. It's not spicy at all so sometimes I would dump one small hot sauce cup into one bite. And I hate to ask for extra hot sauce. Some workers seems cool with giving extra and some doesn't. It's a hit or a miss. Their establishment is clean on all the times that I dined in. You're able to grab your own hot sauce if you eat in. There are indoor and outdoor tables as well as a drive thru. read more

Vallarta Express - Super fries to go - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I used them for a breakfast party because they are near my work and they are open 24 hrs. Everything went well from ordering, and delivery via Doordash. The 50 rolled tacos that i ordered was good too. They separate the cheese, letuce, guacamole and salsa which doesn't make your order soggy. read more

I just stopped by by tonight to get their surf and turf burrito and was incredibly disappointed. I am a frequent customer of the clairemont location. I'm giving this place 2 stars strictly as a quality comparison with the clairemont location. The amount of shrimp and steak included in their version of the surf and turf burrito is DRASTICALLY different at the same $15 price point. It was 50% rice and much smaller than what I'm used to. I'll never go to this location again and I advise anyone not to either. The green and red sauces were the same and still on point. read more

Food is good and decent but prices are getting more expensive. Cant justify a $15 burrito anymore. Also not good customer service as one of the ladies seems very rude when you ask questions about the menu and felt that we should already know what to order. We asked for extra salsa too and found about 20 salsa cups in our bag which also seemed like a waste or they needed to get rid of it. read more

Honestly, we only picked up the chicken soup, via drive-through because my husband was under the weather, but it was nice and hot and flavorful with lots of vegetables and served with tortillas. We will try other menu items from the restaurant in the near future. read more

My girlfriend and I stopped coming here because of the this one graveyard working man that starts at 3am is too stingy with the hot sauce. considering that every time I would go here, I usually hand out a 5 dollar tip to any other worker there besides this dude who I would only give 2 dollars cause he looks at you as if giving out 10 hot sauce would cost him his job. You would imagine to be nicer with someone who comes here and tip you. Oh yeah, on top of that, whenever you pull up to the speaker he waits at least 30 seconds before he goes on to take your order. This is the only guy that's stingy with the hot sauce and makes you wait. Shout out to the 2 female and the guy with the long hair that gives me the amount of hot sauce that I asked for, ya'll get 5/5 stars. As for Mr. Stingy that starts at 3am you get 1 star. P.S Throwing in 2 extra hot sauce on top of the 6 you can only give me and acting like you hooked it up was pretty funny. The containers for those sauce are less than a shot glass. You remind me of that stingy friend who you would ask for some Cheetos and they would only give you 2 pieces lmao. read more

Beware of getting gift cards from here. Received a 15.00 gift card as a gift - went through the drive through, got an order of around 6.00 for a quick snack. Handed the cashier my gift card and she gave me my order but no gift card back - I said don't I have about 9.00 left? She said 'we don't do gift card cash back here.' I said, so you just take a whole gift card regardless of the total? 'Well either that or you pay in cash. But we don't give balance gift cards or cash back.' Gave my whole gift card for an order that was less than half the total. So that's basically stealing? What kind of business is this?? read more

The food is inconsistently good but the service is not the greatest. The staff has a very ghetto attitude. They seem annoyed that you're ordering food. There's also a 50 cent charge for all credit card transactions. The receipt that they give you in the drive-through window doesn't show the charge but it's there. read more

This place charges $20.00 for an order of nachos... im never coming here again. Cotijas charges $14.99 so thats where ill go instead. Nobody should pay these prices ever! read more

This is an update on my last review, when I gave them 3 stars. Since then, we have had two bad orders. One order wasn't ours. Don't know what it was, but we were home with it, so we ate it and didn't complain. Today the shells on our fish tacos were TOUGH! We could hardly bite through them. We ended up throwing the tortillas away and ate the contents. Not good. Guess we'll have to find a new place! read more

I placed an order on DoorDash and went to pick this up when I was faced with a very rude unprofessional And vulgar cashier at the drive-through she would not assist me when I was asking her for a flower tortillas to go with my chicken soup she kept saying you didn't put flour tortillas or DoorDash doesn't give you an option to select this went on for quite a few minutes. I asked to speak to a manager. She told me there was no manager to talk to and would not let me speak to anybody else I could not believe this was happening as I was picking up the soup for sick family members at home and I could not believe how rude how unprofessional and how vulgar this girl was. I tried reaching out afterwards to management and was not able to get through. I did speak to someone at the Carlsbad store and he told me he would have the owner call me and I never received a call. It is obvious this place does not care about the customer service or how rudely their staff treats us I will never go back there again. It is unfortunate because I have been going to this location in La Mesa since at first opened. read more

We purchased a California omelet & immediately noticed that the omelet no longer had bacon or avocado. These ingredients were replaced with fillers such as vegetables. A complete disappointment! As the consumers only defense is writing a review, we hope that this will prompt the restaurant to reconsider & put these ingredients back into the omelet so the consumer gets what they're paying for! read more

Great service and fantastic!! Food! I love coming here at least once a week and no matter which Vallarta I go it's always bomb!

This is hands down probably my favorite taco shop in San Diego and I was raised here. I think it's because of how they cook their meat. Its true Carne Asada steak, seasoned to perfection, and their ingredients are always fresh. You can't go wrong with the California Burrito, Surf and Turf Burrito, Carne Asada Fries or their Carne Asada Quesadilla. They are all soooo delicious! read more

Vallarta Express is a classic to me. In college, Christian fries were my late night stress meal, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Nowadays, I doordash Vallartas, and this is my closest one. I honestly don't know if they deliver later at night, but I always loved that they're open late. I only ever get two things at Vallartas after trying a good chunk of the menu over the years--it's breakfast burritos and Christian fries. Everything else is ok, but this is San Diego. There's lots of great options for Mexican food that's better. In terms of delivery through DoorDash, I've always gotten my orders on time & without stuff missing so that's a win! Also in case you're not familiar with vallartas, the portions are huge. The breakfast burrito is literally bigger than my hand, but you'll be glad it is from how good they are! read more

Vallarta Express - Breakfast burrito is bigger than my hand lmao - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

I thought I would try this location again, although the results were the same. The reviews say it all. Basically, the concept of customer service must not be of importance. Today 08/29/25, 5:00pm,19 minutes to get to the drive through window, with only one car in front of me. After siting for another 6 minutes someone appeared at the register and started counting money in the register. As they counted it multiple times, I sat while they tried to figure it out. 6 minutes later, they opened the window (first time) and asked for my money. When I commented about the wait, they stated it was "shift change" and my food was not ready (1 burrito). Enough is enough, I left without my food. Management is clearly not concerned, how the employees are working / treating the customers. This has been the same, since they opened this location (see other reviews). read more

Delicious tacos: Camarones & Queso Pollo. Each of these tacos was more than enough on their own, so after eating both I was stuffed! Next time I got back, all I need is one. read more

Vallarta Express - Camarones Taco ( I requested w/out the crema) - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

See all

Came here on the fly before seeing the reviews. Breakfast burrito with bacon was perfect. I had mine without beans and added guacamole and they did not skimp. Green and red salsas were also really good. read more

Everytime I order carne asada fries from this location, they consistently deliver the best fries. Perfect ratio of fries, carne, guac, cheese, and sour cream. You also cannot forget the orange salsa, which is simply the best and I'm usually a verde person. If you want a taco shop that has consistently good service and bomb food, then pls come here. read more

Vallarta Express - a tray of food - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Ordered a bean and cheese burrito. Beans were cold cheese was cold. Tortilla was def reheated. Def not like the Vallarta on garnet. read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

We came through the drive through today, my family and I have been multiple times because the food is good, but we will no longer be coming to this restaurant chain because the service is SO bad. I only go drive thru and the people attending us never greet us properly, have been on the phone with personal calls, and have plainly just not said anything and just handed out the food. We ordered a cali burrito today and the lady gave us pollo asado.. the last time we checked a cli burrito is with carne asada. The lady wanted my mom to pay for a whole new burrito and when my mom confronted the lady that she just handed my mom her food and went on her way talking to co workers, she didn't even give my mom a chance to say "hey the food isn't properly made" which she tried to use against my mom later saying "you should have told me then". My mom asked for the manager and let her know it was because she was talking on her sweet time. No food is worth the service they give. If I could give 0 starts I would read more

I've only been to the clairemont location and must say there's a major difference in quality because all I can think when I opened my tacos is if I wanted to eat Taco Bell I would have gone there instead. Not only did they use taco shells but the juice from the tomato based chicken soaked through the shells and has completely fallen apart. Not to mention the boat load of soggy cheese. What a horrible, LAZY way to do Mexican crunchy tacos in San Diego read more

Vallarta Express - a lunch in a styrofoam container - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

DO NOT EAT HERE ! To start my day on 12/17/24 I shared a family breakfast with my wife and son at home . For lunch my wife and I shared a smoothie. My wife was hungry while we where out shopping later in the day so we stopped for tortas at the la Mesa location. My wife got a veggie torta and I got a carne asada torta . This carne asada was dry and cold . Must have been old and sitting out , I have been throwing up since 11pm 12/17 . Close to 12 hours not being able to hold down any fluids due to poor food handling etiquette. Totally unacceptable , the only thing different my wife and I ate all day long was the tortas . read more

I came at an odd time because I couldn't sleep, I tried to be understanding. I waited a really long time, and nobody was in line. I paid with my debit card, and they charged me more than they told me. Then... I never saw my debit card again. They didn't give me a receipt either... I hate to think they stole my debit card, but I'm pretty sure they did. read more

This establishment wasn't too crowded on a weekday during lunch but don't let that fool you. Their food is amazing. I grew up in SoCal but moved up to the PNW where mexican food just isn't the same. I had both their California Burrito and their Queso Burrito. I recommend the Queso Burrito hands down the components of the burrito itself makes it taste more fresh. I personally felt the Cali Burrito was kinda dry. If you're order one of their drinks just go for the larger size. You're already paying a few dollars and it's only a little more for the upgrade. read more

I have this love hate relationship with Vallarta. On the love side, the food is always on point. On the hate side., customer service is not the best. Drive through staff was polite but my order was wrong. I ordered a carnitas burrito and got a breakfast burrito at 9:00PM. I ate it because I was starving after a long day and was already home when I opened it. I know foodservice is hard but so is my job. I climbed multiple telephone poles all day and all I ask is that my order is right. On the plus side, that breakfast burrito was bomb. On the negative side, I may not order it again because I don't know which one it was. read more

I was craving Mexican and stopped by Vallarta in La Mesa. This was my first time at this location, but I have visited their other location in Mira Mesa. Overall great experience. Good value, big portion size, and they prepare your order efficiently. Ordered: cheese quesadilla, chips and guacamole, California burrito, chicken fajitas plate. Drive thru available and plenty of outdoor seating available on their patio. read more

See all

it's a pretty big portion i got the carne asada fries i didn't see it on the menu so i just asked for it. it was around $19 after tax it tasted more american than mexican but still okay i would probably only go back if i wanted something at night since they're always open. no wait for the food either. read more

Vallarta Express - carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Is it me or am i the unluckiest person coz i always seem to get the coldest $14 Carne asada burrito? I mean its three times in a row??? Fransisco why cant i get a hot burrito? Its sooo frustrating. The burrito is tasty, but it's always cold. The last time I even called it in and talked to the manager & she told me to save the receipt and when I went back, they wouldn't honor it. SMH.. And the cashiers arent the friendliest! Their expression is almost like they're having a root canal at the dentist. read more

I LOVE the chili relleno burrito!!! It hits every time. I've had the chili relleno burrito from a lot of other taco shops but vallarta does it the best and always does it with consistency. It has become my favorite burrito- a delicious, chili relleno wrapped up in a bomb ass big ass tortilla with beans and sour cream and cheese... sooooo good. If you like bean and cheese burritos with sour cream, you will LOVE the chili relleno burrito. It's a step up from that. It's like a boujie bean burrito. A fancy bean burrito if you will. read more

I'm in love with the Super Fries. Carne Asada Fries are one of my favorite items. My go-to place was Cotixan in Clairemont, but the last few times I've gone, I have been disappointed. Luckily this Vallarta Express location opened and is now one of my favorites. If I am going to pay $10 for Carne Asada Fries, I expect a large portion with awesome toppings. These Super Fries are loaded in a large take out box and smothered with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and carne asada. Personally, I ask for the guacamole on the side so I can enjoy them for multiple meals. I love to cover mine in the awesome red sauce. It is a creamy and perfectly spicy. It compliments the food wonderfully. The staff are not overly friendly, but they are efficient and my food is always make perfectly. No complaints here. read more

See all

Amazing and reasonably priced mexican food! Available at any hour! I always make a stop whenever Im in SD!

Awful food awful service. Ordered huevos rancheros and got a burrito. The girl said we don't serve huevos rancheros after 11 but it was only 10. Then she argued about what I ordered, seems like she just wanted to argue. They finally made the correct order but the eggs were raw. Not the yolk, I know that is runny, but the whites were not cooked. This used to be my go to but there are lots of other taco shops in La Mesa. read more

Today I came in for dinner this evening. Ordered my usual and two beers. One for while I wait for my food, then one for when my food is ready.. Today to my total dismay, the order taker said I have to order ANOTHER menu item in order to get a second beer. I've been coming to this La Mesa establishment for a quite while now. Never heard that rule. I inquired about this rule as I've never heard of this policy before today. "1 beer per menu item ordered" is what she reiterated. I don't post on Yelp much. Tried to reach out offline but your website offers no option to contact your management. That's honestly quite interesting and telling about your organization. That's fine though, you can have whatever rules you want. It's your business. I won't be back until you lift that policy/rule. Just know. Your staff are not very nice generally and they don't really care about your customers. They are act like zombies at the La Mesa location. Use that info any way you wish. I will not be back until you change your policy of one beer per menu item. Your food quality is really just mediocre. Not great at all, but I enjoyed coming there. Thank you. I hope to hear back from you. read more

Consistently rude female cashiers and waiters that don't know how to speak English or Spanish very well. Their food is mediocre, tasteless and the salsa is just ok. I have tried both their breakfast and lunch items over time - never again. Dont waste your time and hard earned money here! They dont deserve it! read more

Order roll taco chicken with EVERYTHING and this is the amountcheese they gived. I will never return. Two order of same thing both with this much cheese. read more

See all

After reading the reviews I was nervous to order here. I usually go to the one in Clairemont but I live closer to this one so I decided to try it. I ordered the Caesar salad with steak and it was bomb! They put a lot of steak in it and the green salad dressing it fire. I recommend the salad for sure. I haven't tried all the other things on the menu here but I will next time! read more