How this place is not out of business yet is beyond me. They not only messed up our order but laughed when asked for money back - my boyfriend literally had to get real with them to even get a refund by literally going off on them. I am convinced that the person that owns this place has literally created this location to only employ his children or family - because lets face it, these employees at this place are such terrible people, no one would hire these degenerates. I would normally never say this about employees ever - but the level of these people's maturity and how they treat customers is so subpar - it needs to be said. As a La Mesa resident - I would love for us to band together and literally stop giving this business a cent. That way a new place could hopefully open with enough class and respect for customers. And also the most important thing - make delicious food for people - which is a whole new conversation about this place. If I would have known that we would be getting this terrible place, I would have ensured to support Arby's enough for it to not shut down. read more

We love this place! The chicken isn't covered in oil like other places, so much meat, and awesome options. Maybe bad reviews are from awhile ago? Just started coming here recently and it's been great every time read more

This place was good at 1 point now the food is cold. I order a Cali burrito and was very cold the fries didn't look fresh the service is whatever you ask for no pico and still add pico read more

BEWARE of this place!!! I never write reviews but this has me livid! I went to purchase just a burrito & 5 rolled tacos that cost me $22.15 on Saturday which was pending until today where I got a new notification that my payment was updated with a tip of $20 that I did NOT GIVE to a new total of $44.30! I called them immediately to ask for a manager and a lady answered who also sounded just like the lady that ran my card through the drive-thru, and told me there is no manager today and I asked when will there be one there, and she said idk maybe try tomorrow. Clearly I am not going to get my money back from them so I filled fraud on my acct. DO NOT TRUST THEM! They are RUDE & there are reviews on here stating they add there own tip sometimes! read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Not asking for extra meat....I've been for their super tacos before and was impressed. However this last time I asked for Hal chicken and had beef. They said it would be $5 more: I asked why and got a response just. I wasn't asking for extra meat just half and half. Does it cost my Express to scoop half of the meat half-and-half? ...I don't think so! Am I asking for extra meat, no! read more

So, the food isn't bad. But every time I come here my order is WRONG. I've come here several times and avoiding putting a review because they do fix the problem once it's addressed. That's why I give them 2-stars. But it's such an inconvenience!! I order something it's wrong I go back wait for my order and go back home/work. Sometimes is the cashier putting it in wrong and more often than not it's the cooks that just didn't read what was entered. I won't be coming back solely because I don't have time to getting be asking them to fix their mistakes. Reading other reviews this is a PROBLEM mistakes are constant and not a once I awhile occurrence. read more

I love this place. A little pricy, but it always hits the spot. I get the BRC burrito, sub black beans and add sour cream and fries. Their spicy carrots, chips, and salsa are always great, also! Staff is friendly. read more

I was really looking forward to eating my carne asada plate. Until I found a FUCKING BUG. Get your shit together. read more

Vallarta Express - A fucking bug - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Food was good previously because they would clean the grill because of my allergies, this time they got lazy and didnt wanna cook it separately, i am very disappointed! read more

This place is always my go-to place whenever I come to San Diego for their surf and turf burritos and carne asada fries. We mostly order to-go through the drive-through and bring it home, but even then, the food tastes so fresh and delicious! The fries stay crunchy and the meat, soft & moist. The service is quick & easy, & they don't skimp out on the hot sauces! If you are going to eat in restaurant, the place is pretty laid back. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Vallarta Express - Surf and turf burrito, green & red hot sauce (both delicious), carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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So again my experience here was bad. To start the kid working in the front was rude. I wanted to order a large side of salsa and chips. Charging 7.50 for a side of salsa is a little steep, the chips were an additional 2.45. Then I'm waiting there for 15 minutes, the chips were made in about 5 but instead of giving them to me they proceeded to talk and ignore me, I finally asked if I could just have them. GO TO AZTECA OR ANYWHERE ELSE read more

Vallarta Express - Literally a couple spoon fulls of guacamole and cheese for 7 dollars... - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Good food but there is guacamole on almost everything. If you do not like avocado or have an allergy, stay away from here. I always say no guacamole and half the time they still add it. read more

Covid-19 Pros: - 24/7 on doordash Cons: - Very hit or miss with food quality and that makes me sad because I love the Genesee location - Skimpy with sauces - Long wait - Shitty drive-thru setup Final word: Make the drive to Clairemont to get your Vallarta fix. This location sucks. read more

I when to buy 2 Fajita Burrito today and I ordered two beef burrito fajitas and I was very disappointed! It almost had no meat! It had more onion than meat. and It tasted more like terrible vinegar. I will never return to this place again read more

Hands down, the fish burrito is consistently good and about $10. However, if you're ordering meat like a California, Carne Asada, or Surf n Turf, they kind of skimp on the meat. The red sauce is really good, but I'd skip the green sauce. They will skimp giving you the sauce as much as possible. They have tiny sauce containers and half fill them. I always say "skip the green, extra red" My ideal sauce to burrito ratio is 4-6 sauces per burrito. read more

This is my go to spot. They're open 24/7 and they're DELICIOUS. I get something different every time, but I highly recommend the carnitas quesataco. Their portions are extremely generous, so 1 will seriously fill you up. The nachos and fries are always good. And the salsa verde is killer, I love it. read more

Vallarta Express - Carnitas fries - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

So, I clock out for lunch and didn't bring food to work. I don't feel like having anything from a sit-down restaurant. I don't want anything from the corporate fast food chains. I outweigh my options and start driving down the street. This was definitely a lunch option for me since I work just down the street from here. So I went ahead and stopped by, especially having been to other locations elsewhere in San Diego. I got the al pastor burrito. I also helped myself to their salsa bar, which was decent. The portion was pretty filling. I enjoyed it, and the full feeling I got at the end of the meal was bliss. The main issue is that they tend to be pricier. Then again, all prices are going up everywhere. Still, I would only come here if I could afford it, which admittedly isn't always the case. Parking: Never an issue. The driveways might be narrow, but there is always space to park. FYI: - There is also outside seating. - Drive-thru service available. - They take card, and I don't recall if there was any fee to use it or not. I'd say there likely isn't. read more

Unlike the three Vallarta Express locations in San Diego, the one in La Mesa charges MORE for breakfast than anything else on the menu. You can get the exact same food at their other locations for MUCH less. Avoid this location! read more

BEST ROLLED TACOS EVER. I have tried other places and they can't top this place. Green salsa. Beef rolled tacos w everything on top. HEAVEN.

I love this place. It is great for those times when you know you want to be unhealthy and indulge in some great fast food Mexican cuisine. The best part of Vallarta Express in my opinion is the hot sauce. I will eat almost anything on the menu just to use it as a spoon for the sauce. I have had the bean burrito with extra cheese (great vessel to load the hot sauce on), the quesoritto (burrito with melted cheese on the tortilla how could you go wrong) and he Vallarta bowl with comes with a free drink and makes you leave feeling a tad bit healthier than when you eat an entire burrito. I will continue to go here when I am craving a quick and tasty burrito. I'd recommend it to anyone who is not on a diet. read more

Vallarta Express - I literally only come here so I can cover my food in this amazing hot sauce - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Today service sucked because I got no service. I walk in & no one person greeted me. I'm the only one waiting 2 be served all the while this female behind the counter on her phone. Smh. I just walked out. FYI always put ur damn phone & greet ur customers. read more

I'm glad I waited to review this place because I would have originally given it a 5 when it first opened. Although I still think it's the best taco shop in the vicinity, there is definitely room for improvement. As others have mentioned, in the beginning everything was rainbows and unicorns but lately I feel like they've been dropping the ball in quality/quantity. Don't know if this is a cook miscommunication but the last couple times my burritos have been smaller and one time I got my order wrong, but i didn't mind since it was something more expensive than I ordered lol. In terms of aesthetics, this is one of the nicer taco shops I've been to. Everything is clean and new, cool wooden tables. What could definitely be improved on is customer service, despite not being rude, it would be cool to get a thanks or a smile once in a while, especially since I'm kind of a regular lol. Maybe that's just how the morning crew is. Anecdote here but one time I went in the evening on the weekend and the girl at the counter was courteous and friendly, she even made recommendations. All in all, I give it a 3.5/5 cuz I'm cool like that. read more

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Ugh. I never write reviews. I went back to have them try to make it right like their sign says but things just got worse. Paid $10 for chicken soup. Got home and there were 3 small pieces of chicken in the whole container of soup. Also ordered rolled tacos. They forgot the guacamole. Went back to return soup and get my money back. I asked for a refund for the missing guacamole as well but was told they would only refund the soup. No apology, nothing and then smug rudeness from employee Miriam. Worst customer service ever. Called the number and of course no answer and no return call. Will never go back. read more

Vallarta Express - 3 measly pieces of chicken in the $10 chicken soup. - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

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So lame that they serve burritos that "fall apart" into a sloppy mess. Really upsetting for a $10 burrito. Won't be returning. read more

Vallarta Express - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came here on a quiet Friday afternoon and they were quite busy cooking up a storm. There are a few parking spots and a drive thru. Also it's very clean outside and inside, it think it's because they are fairly new. The staff are quite nice and like other Vallarta's, the menu is just as extensive and the prices are fair since the portions are huge. We ordered two carne asada tacos and two super fries with carne asada. The tacos were huge! There was enough meat to turn it into two tacos since each taco came with two tortillas. There was also a lot of pico de gallo as well. Wished there was guacamole on it but the salsa bar made up for it. The carne asada fries was a mountain of fries, meat, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. The fries weren't soggy, the meat was flavorful and plenty of it. Even when we took home, the fries held up pretty well. Oh and you can turn it into Christian fries too. It just means they add an egg and some bacon on top. As for the salsa bar, the pico de gallo was really good. Not salty at all and it was still chunky and had texture. I love their red sauce which is almost like an orange sauce. It's not spicy at all and you can add it to anything or straight drink it. It's pretty good. Their green sauce is just as good as well. I actually like their salsa bar because there's enough variety. I would definitely come back only because hey have lots of options on their menu and they have decent sized fries and tacos (and they are delicious too!). read more

I wasn't going to write a review because they have a sign at the Drive thru to contact them instead and let them make it right. I did and never even got an acknowledgement they received my email. How do I know they addressed the issue? Which is... The cash register at the drive thru has splatters of food/sauce all over it, in plain view. The cashier used the time waiting for my order to cook to slice avocados. Never washing her hands or putting on gloves after handling my cash. I'm not a germaphobe nor did I get sick. I just wanted them aware of what we can see while sitting at the window. And sit you do. Their food is so fresh it takes a while. I how they cleaned up their act, this day and age it goes a long way. 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

The place looks dirty, employees were not wearing masks and they got my order wrong. Unfortunately, I already paid and arrived home. Didn't eat the food. Took it as a sign. I wasn't going to write a review either, as they have some sort of customer service line, but nobody will answer the line or call back. Sun Tacos is right down the street and way better. Don't take the chance on this place. read more

Vallarta is a nice change from Cotija's, Taco Fiesta, Primo's, etc. Their red sauce here is delicious. I always ask for extra extra red and green. I really do think that they're rolled tacos here are the best in the area. I've tried a couple other items, burritos, fries, quesadillas - the rolled tacos are definitely the best. A taqueria the whole family agrees is the new champ in the area. read more

I'm 0/3 for getting an accurate drive-through order. I've had them give me chicken instead of beef, ignore my request to omit pepper and onions, and bafflingly, add beans to an item that doesn't list beans on the menu description. It's hard to double-check that a burrito is correct at a drive through window. I've tried calling for a resolution and the attitude is "what do you want me to do about it?" and literally a suggestion that I call another location to complain. The worst thing about this is the food is good, especially the Philly burrito. If I had a 90% chance of getting my order right, I could justify the higher-than-average prices and be a regular. read more

This is the absolute WORST Vallarta Express location I have ever been too. The food is semi decent, and better than most shops in the area. But it is not worth it. The location on Genesee is far superior. The person running the window is ALWAYS terrible to deal with. They are rude, short, and completely uninterested in what they are doing. When I pull up to the window they treat me the same way. But their mood changes as soon as they turn around to talk to the cooks or other coworkers. I have been ignored when asking for help before or after the food is passed to me. They package the food like crap, I have attached a picture of my last visit. Burritos usually not wrapped, boxes not closed. I have had heavy plates and combos stacked on top of rolled tacos or burritos. I would rather drive to clairemont then come here again. read more

Vallarta Express - This is how they packaged my food. - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

BEWARE! Food was alright. I have been there a couple times. when I looked at my bank statements, I noticed that they added their own tip to the transaction that I did not authorize! it was a couple dollars each time (total was 16.51 but was charged 18.51). I am working with my bank right now to hopefully dispute it because it is not right! This means they most likely do this to others. Will not be returning to this location. read more

I enjoyed a very good order of shredded beef rolled tacos from this newly opened Vallarta Express in La Mesa. It came with four crispy rolled tacos topped with creamy guacamole, fine shredded cheese, fresh shredded lettuce, a touch of sour cream, and some pico for about $5. The rolled tacos were well fried and came with decent amount of tender beef. They could of been a little more stuffed but it was good enough. The beef was tasty and so was the guacamole on top. They put a lot of lettuce on the rolls, so much so that I had to dig for them rolled tacos, but I am a big boy and was able to accomplish my task. They were some good rolled tacos and I would order them again. I tried all the salsas from the salsa bar and they were all very good with varied heat levels. My favorite was the creamy orange-red one given it had a quality robust flavor and a good medium heat. Service was quite friendly. They are opened 24 hours and provide a drive thru. read more

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The La Mesa location was delicious when it first opened, but the quality and service took a dive after about a year. It started with missing items / incorrect orders, which is forgivable if the food is great, but then it progressed to the quality of the food itself. There's now a chef who refuses to make anything that is not specifically on the menu (can't get shredded chicken on my nachos anymore because the menu calls for grilled chicken), sooo, I'm out. Sad story. read more

This place is so inconsistent. Ordered my usual California Burrito with crispy fries. The fries looked raw and there was cold cheese through out. read more

Vallarta Express - California Burrito. Soggy fries - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Very rude staff. I ordered a kids bean burrito and it was $8! Did not include a drink. Guy in the window was very rude and didn't understand basic manners. I said "thank you" when he gave me my change and then again when I got the food but he didn't even respond back. Beans were extremely salty and ended up throwing half the food away. read more

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!PAY IN CASH OR DOUBLE CHECK YOU BANK ACCOUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Placed my order in the drive thru, when I got to the window the cashier said that I had ordered two fajita plates rather then one. When I disputed this saying I only ordered one plate they said "no you said fajitas" I responded that I ordered a fajitas plate I never asked for more than one. They rolled their eyes at me and said I should pay attention when I order in the future. Than was clearly irritated with me for requesting a receipt. When I was checking my account, The following week I saw That they charged me twice, not only charged me for the incorrect order but also the correct one as well . When I tried to call I was hung up on. read more

I went here at 11:20 pm Monday I asked the cashier to let the let guy who cooks food use gloves to cook food because he was touching my food without gloves and he throw the food in the trash and I asked them for my money and they didn't want to give me my money back because I recorded the guy who cooks the food without gloves and they don't want to give me my money back until I delete the Viedo That's rude read more

This place is terrible. Worst burrito I've ever had. Cold fries and cold nasty flavored carne asada. The horchata tasted like a whisper of what it should. No flavor on anything. Cold ass food. Expensive for what?? Not quality or taste .. barf read more

They've always had sloppy food prep, and forgot things when they were handing out the food. And there's no inner restaurant basically with the same sort of loud spanish music playing non stop. But this time was the worst I've ever been there, going thru the drive thru I only had a big bill to pay with now I understand not having enough change but that view was altered by me being sandwiched between 4 other customers and there were at least 3 other people who left without even ordering. They've really gone downhill. read more