Birrieria Don Rafa

I tried the BirriaRamen. Great taste and great food. The orden de Birria was also very tasty. I accidentally ended up here because the line at house of pancakes was too long. Things happen for a reason, with that said I/we will be back here.

This has got to be my favorite Mexican place in San Diego. Oof their Birria de chivo is 🔥 and their pozole is amazing! I ate this last weekend and am craving it since then. Their salsa is so unique - very spicy yet flavorful. I am definitely gonna come back! One suggestion I have is that I don’t understand why we have to order at the door and then go sit. It does not make sense to us as customers. We anyway ordered more food after we sat down. If it is for takeout, it makes sense.

Delicious Birria, great for breakfast. It's a family ran business. One of those family spots that really care about their customers. I normally go on weekends with the occasional visit during the week and I am always satisfied. Side note: if you cant handle hot sauce, dont try their home made style salsa. Its spicy. However, its spicy but has great flavor. So I encourage you to try it and add fire to your food as you see fit. Every time you sit down here to eat you will get fresh cilantro, diced onions, lemons, and salsa to eat with your birria. They have oregano as well and various drinks as well as a few selections of beers.

Really good birria..from the I.E... was in town... this place is really good.. will be coming back to try different menu items.. so if you're looking for some good birria tacos.. this is the place to go.. nice atmosphere good customer service...nice prices...

The food was incredibly delicious and aromatic. Tender beef with beautiful authentic corn tortilla and sumptuous beans in a full-flavored broth. I had extraordinary spinach cucumber lime water that was to die for and so refreshing. They also have the wonderful coffee with cinnamon and cream that I love. The service was fantastic and they were gracious with their time as we arrived a bit late. Their prices are very reasonable and I would have paid more because of the high quality food. The experience was something I will definitely compare to other restaurants, and one which I intend to repeat very soon. Thank you, Birrieria Don Rafa!

If you're in the mood for authentic Mexican cuisine that packs a punch of flavor, look no further than Birrieria Don Rafa. Nestled in Chula Vista, this gem of a restaurant specializes in serving up mouthwatering birria that will tantalize your taste buds like never before. When you step through the doors of Birrieria Don Rafa, you're greeted with the irresistible aroma of simmering spices and slow-cooked meats. The star of the show here is undoubtedly the birria – a traditional Mexican dish known for its rich, savory flavors and tender, succulent meat. Whether you prefer it in taco form, as a stew, or atop a plate of rice and beans, Birrieria Don Rafa delivers a birria experience that is second to none. But what truly sets this restaurant apart is its fiery red sauce, guaranteed to add an extra kick to every bite. Made with a blend of spices and chilies, this sauce is not for the faint of heart – but for those who dare to indulge, it adds an unforgettable depth of flavor that elevates the birria to new heights. Parking is available in the back, making it convenient for diners to enjoy their meal without worrying about finding a spot. Whether you're grabbing a quick bite on your lunch break or settling in for a leisurely dinner with friends and family, you can rest assured that parking will be a breeze. Birrieria Don Rafa is a must-try destination for anyone craving authentic Mexican cuisine with a kick. From the flavorful birria to the spicy red sauce and everything in between, every dish is a testament to the passion and dedication of the chefs behind the scenes. So why wait? Head on over to Birrieria Don Rafa today and treat yourself to a culinary adventure you won't soon forget.

Food was good and server was polite and attentive. Horchata was delicious, I got the quesadilla with corn tortilla and lamb, which was very filling

Amazing food!! The goat Birria is well marinated and delicious!! Also I ordered the goat quesadilla, delicious! Will come back again for sure. The only little thing, the portions are a little bit small, but with high quality!

We've been here numerous times. Each time is better. The food is always so good and flavorful. Staff is very friendly. Would definitely recommend this place.

Best birria chilaquiles EVEEEERRR. First time trying then and it was mindblowing 🤤 even the rice and beans were amazing. Portions size were good could barely finish my plate and pricing reasonable Totally recommended 👌🏻👌🏻

Service is great, good variety and they have coffee from the pot.

The food is so good and service was excellent as well. We will be back

Food was delicious we ordered 2 birria tacos a plate of birria tatemada and 2 cafes de olla we'll be definitely be coming back

Daniel Tellez

I tried the BirriaRamen. Great taste and great food. The orden de Birria was also very tasty. I accidentally ended up here because the line at house of pancakes was too long. Things happen for a reason, with that said I/we will be back here.

rashmi

This has got to be my favorite Mexican place in San Diego. Oof their Birria de chivo is 🔥 and their pozole is amazing! I ate this last weekend and am craving it since then. Their salsa is so unique - very spicy yet flavorful. I am definitely gonna come back! One suggestion I have is that I don’t understand why we have to order at the door and then go sit. It does not make sense to us as customers. We anyway ordered more food after we sat down. If it is for takeout, it makes sense.

Michael C

Delicious Birria, great for breakfast. It's a family ran business. One of those family spots that really care about their customers. I normally go on weekends with the occasional visit during the week and I am always satisfied. Side note: if you cant handle hot sauce, dont try their home made style salsa. Its spicy. However, its spicy but has great flavor. So I encourage you to try it and add fire to your food as you see fit. Every time you sit down here to eat you will get fresh cilantro, diced onions, lemons, and salsa to eat with your birria. They have oregano as well and various drinks as well as a few selections of beers.

Sin V

Really good birria..from the I.E... was in town... this place is really good.. will be coming back to try different menu items.. so if you're looking for some good birria tacos.. this is the place to go.. nice atmosphere good customer service...nice prices...

Peggy Elliot

The food was incredibly delicious and aromatic. Tender beef with beautiful authentic corn tortilla and sumptuous beans in a full-flavored broth. I had extraordinary spinach cucumber lime water that was to die for and so refreshing. They also have the wonderful coffee with cinnamon and cream that I love. The service was fantastic and they were gracious with their time as we arrived a bit late. Their prices are very reasonable and I would have paid more because of the high quality food. The experience was something I will definitely compare to other restaurants, and one which I intend to repeat very soon. Thank you, Birrieria Don Rafa!

Tico Valenzuela

If you're in the mood for authentic Mexican cuisine that packs a punch of flavor, look no further than Birrieria Don Rafa. Nestled in Chula Vista, this gem of a restaurant specializes in serving up mouthwatering birria that will tantalize your taste buds like never before. When you step through the doors of Birrieria Don Rafa, you're greeted with the irresistible aroma of simmering spices and slow-cooked meats. The star of the show here is undoubtedly the birria – a traditional Mexican dish known for its rich, savory flavors and tender, succulent meat. Whether you prefer it in taco form, as a stew, or atop a plate of rice and beans, Birrieria Don Rafa delivers a birria experience that is second to none. But what truly sets this restaurant apart is its fiery red sauce, guaranteed to add an extra kick to every bite. Made with a blend of spices and chilies, this sauce is not for the faint of heart – but for those who dare to indulge, it adds an unforgettable depth of flavor that elevates the birria to new heights. Parking is available in the back, making it convenient for diners to enjoy their meal without worrying about finding a spot. Whether you're grabbing a quick bite on your lunch break or settling in for a leisurely dinner with friends and family, you can rest assured that parking will be a breeze. Birrieria Don Rafa is a must-try destination for anyone craving authentic Mexican cuisine with a kick. From the flavorful birria to the spicy red sauce and everything in between, every dish is a testament to the passion and dedication of the chefs behind the scenes. So why wait? Head on over to Birrieria Don Rafa today and treat yourself to a culinary adventure you won't soon forget.

Andrew Gong

Food was good and server was polite and attentive. Horchata was delicious, I got the quesadilla with corn tortilla and lamb, which was very filling

Ahmad Hirbawi

Amazing food!! The goat Birria is well marinated and delicious!! Also I ordered the goat quesadilla, delicious! Will come back again for sure. The only little thing, the portions are a little bit small, but with high quality!

Rita Vargas

We've been here numerous times. Each time is better. The food is always so good and flavorful. Staff is very friendly. Would definitely recommend this place.

Flor Garcia

Best birria chilaquiles EVEEEERRR. First time trying then and it was mindblowing 🤤 even the rice and beans were amazing. Portions size were good could barely finish my plate and pricing reasonable Totally recommended 👌🏻👌🏻

Jorge Zannatta

Service is great, good variety and they have coffee from the pot.

Michelle Gutierrez

The food is so good and service was excellent as well. We will be back

german morales

Food was delicious we ordered 2 birria tacos a plate of birria tatemada and 2 cafes de olla we'll be definitely be coming back

Awesome place. Great food. And the service was out of this world. Thank you.

Joe Quinones

Awesome place. Great food. And the service was out of this world. Thank you.

Great food. Authentic Mexican food with lots of flavor at reasonable prices

Food was amazing and delicious 10/10. But the service needs work. The hostess doing the bus boys work and the line of people waiting would back up. My tortillas showed up barely warm. By the time I made my taco my tortilla was cold already. Also fix your uneven tables.

I really like this place, the birria is really good and they have very good service. The only thing is that when you order on the phone, usually the order is not ready when you get there and you still have to wait. I took the 20 minutes they told me on the phone and when I got there it was not ready, I waited about 25 extra 🙃

My wife and I visited Birrieria Don Rafa on Sunday 1/14/2018. Both of us have been here before but this time around we ordered something different. My wife ordered menudo and I ordered carne en su jugo. My wife said that her menudo was excellent and very tasty. My carne en su jugo was good too but a little bit salty. Put a little bit less salt and it will be perfect. Service was great. The menudo plate was huge !!

We tried the Menudo Rojo with hominy, and the Quesadilla Ahogada de Chivo(goat). The Menudo was good with lots of hominy and came with corn tortillas. The Ahogado was very good, but not as large as expected. The goat meat was lean, tender, tasty, and not gamey at all. The birria broth was very good.

Birrieria Don Rafa is an authentic Mexican restaurant that specializes in birria. They also are well-respected maestros of menudo, and prodigies of pozole. If not for the wildly colorful wall art, Birrieria Don Rafa would be plain and humble in appearance. It's not fancy, but it's welcoming. As are the staff. Waitress Ilse, in particular, is a delight. On my visit here, I ordered the "Tatemada de Res," where a substantial amount of dry-roasted beef birria, seasoned and bearing crispy carnitas-like edges, is piled on an oval cast-iron sizzler adjacent to a serving of pinto beans, and accompanied by a concentrated beef broth served on the side in a cup. This dish arrives at the table with fresh corn tortillas, which inspires a DIY taco assembly process that leverages the lime, raw onions, cilantro, and hot sauce delivered to each table before the rest of the food comes out. The shredded beef is well-browned at the expense of being slightly over-done and dry. However, with the accompaniments provided, particularly the broth, the meat transforms into a nice tortilla filling that is characterized by its strong, concentrated beefy presence. I also tried the "Taco Chivo," a delicious taco featuring rich, juicy braised chunks of goat, with pinto beans in a fresh corn tortilla. Like the Birria, once you hit it with some onions and a little of the hot sauce on the table, you're in business. The "Menudo Rojo" is excellent, possessing a good, clean, and non-insinuating flavor. The distinctive spongy tripe, tender as it is, is paired with hominy to facilitate robust spoonfuls of fun textures to be extracted from the spicy red pepper broth. Spiked with Don Rafa's scorchingly spicy hot sauce, cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime, this is a tasty soup. Everything's good here, I look forward to returning!

Good food as always the service varies from time to time

Good birria. It was served with pinto beans, which I did not expect, but I did like it. The atmosphere is nothing special. It's all about the food. I believe there's parking in back behind if you can't find street parking. The server was nice and make sure I had everything I needed.

Rafael Buelna (Rafael)

My wife and I visited Birrieria Don Rafa on Sunday 1/14/2018. Both of us have been here before but this time around we ordered something different. My wife ordered menudo and I ordered carne en su jugo. My wife said that her menudo was excellent and very tasty. My carne en su jugo was good too but a little bit salty. Put a little bit less salt and it will be perfect. Service was great. The menudo plate was huge !!

Rod Gullo

We tried the Menudo Rojo with hominy, and the Quesadilla Ahogada de Chivo(goat). The Menudo was good with lots of hominy and came with corn tortillas. The Ahogado was very good, but not as large as expected. The goat meat was lean, tender, tasty, and not gamey at all. The birria broth was very good.

Jay Keyes

Birrieria Don Rafa is an authentic Mexican restaurant that specializes in birria. They also are well-respected maestros of menudo, and prodigies of pozole. If not for the wildly colorful wall art, Birrieria Don Rafa would be plain and humble in appearance. It's not fancy, but it's welcoming. As are the staff. Waitress Ilse, in particular, is a delight. On my visit here, I ordered the "Tatemada de Res," where a substantial amount of dry-roasted beef birria, seasoned and bearing crispy carnitas-like edges, is piled on an oval cast-iron sizzler adjacent to a serving of pinto beans, and accompanied by a concentrated beef broth served on the side in a cup. This dish arrives at the table with fresh corn tortillas, which inspires a DIY taco assembly process that leverages the lime, raw onions, cilantro, and hot sauce delivered to each table before the rest of the food comes out. The shredded beef is well-browned at the expense of being slightly over-done and dry. However, with the accompaniments provided, particularly the broth, the meat transforms into a nice tortilla filling that is characterized by its strong, concentrated beefy presence. I also tried the "Taco Chivo," a delicious taco featuring rich, juicy braised chunks of goat, with pinto beans in a fresh corn tortilla. Like the Birria, once you hit it with some onions and a little of the hot sauce on the table, you're in business. The "Menudo Rojo" is excellent, possessing a good, clean, and non-insinuating flavor. The distinctive spongy tripe, tender as it is, is paired with hominy to facilitate robust spoonfuls of fun textures to be extracted from the spicy red pepper broth. Spiked with Don Rafa's scorchingly spicy hot sauce, cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime, this is a tasty soup. Everything's good here, I look forward to returning!

ernesto chavez

Good food as always the service varies from time to time

Colin Rudolph

Good birria. It was served with pinto beans, which I did not expect, but I did like it. The atmosphere is nothing special. It's all about the food. I believe there's parking in back behind if you can't find street parking. The server was nice and make sure I had everything I needed.

It's good food. The waitress could've paid better care or attention. She must have been thinking about something outside of work. She was extremely distracted, or she just plain didn't feel like working.

Our family wanted to go to the Pancake house next door but their wait was 30-45 minutes. We stumbled upon Birrieria Don Rafa. The food was good but the service took awhile. They forgot one of the menudo dishes we ordered, we didn't have a large group either just the family of 4. Will we be back? Maybe, not anytime soon though.

I read the menu wrong, I asked if they could correct it and they said they would charge me double. So I ate my food uncomfortably, also, they were playing some strange podcast in the background the whole time, it was very annoying. 2 out of four in our group liked our food.

Food is great but the service is terribly slow. Although the wait staff is young and beautiful I will not be bringing my family back. It Took 15 minutes to order when the restaurant was half empty. Our waitress didn’t write our order down. It took an additional 20 minutes to get our food that was brought out by a different waitress and was incorrect. We had just started eating when the check was brought out. (If they wanted us to order and leave they should have bagged our incorrect order and shoved us out the door) We asked for extra tortillas and never received them. My mother in law had to get up to kitchen and ask for them. Our tortillas came after we were done eating. It takes a lot for my family and I to storm off declaring good day but this place pushed all the right buttons.

I've been here before and it's good, it is honestly. The last time my boyfriend and I went though it was busy, they took our name and we waited. But no one was cleaning tables for us to even get seated and even paying attention to us. So we left to eat somewhere else, never have I ever left a restaurant because of this reason.

My family and I ate here. Service was good. It was awkward to order before being sat at our table. We had never felt rushed to order at a dine in restaurant before. I got the quesa birria tacos and wife got chilaquiles, kids just got bacon and eggs. The chilaquiles and 3 quesabirria tacos came out first. Took 10 minutes from that point to get my kids eggs. I believe they forgot but failed to apologize or even address the fact that eggs were delayed. We got there right at open and restaurant was already hot. No air flow or AC. Our total for 4 drinks, chilaquiles, 3 birria tacos, 2 orders of eggs with bacon was $70+. Food was good. Host was friendly. But won't be coming back.

Sergio Soto

My family and I ate here. Service was good. It was awkward to order before being sat at our table. We had never felt rushed to order at a dine in restaurant before. I got the quesa birria tacos and wife got chilaquiles, kids just got bacon and eggs. The chilaquiles and 3 quesabirria tacos came out first. Took 10 minutes from that point to get my kids eggs. I believe they forgot but failed to apologize or even address the fact that eggs were delayed. We got there right at open and restaurant was already hot. No air flow or AC. Our total for 4 drinks, chilaquiles, 3 birria tacos, 2 orders of eggs with bacon was $70+. Food was good. Host was friendly. But won't be coming back.

Ordered pozole why they call it pozole its actually birria soup with some birria meat and they just added the maiz, what a joke and lie on their part, pozole is made with espinazo, pork meat and "patas" plus the traditional veggies. Unless they're from another country and not from mexico🇲🇽 and that is the style they make it. And actually that wasn't even good, the best birria in town is at Don Vicente menuderia once you have that one you will never come back.

This is not birria. They serve you bones in water. (NO MEAT!!) The tortillas are brushed with grease from grill. The soda taste like alka seltzer. The waitresses don't mind their guests. 🙈🙉🙊

The service needs much improvement. I walked in and waited to be seated for a few minutes even after the staff saw me standing and waiting. Once seated it took over 10 minutes for the waitress to come to my table and give me the menu. Not sure what I wanted and asked for a couple of minutes to decide. 20 minutes later I was out the door. She never came back with drinks or to even check on me. She walked by many times and not once she bothered to check on me. After ready ng the other reviews I think management should understand that even if the food is amazing it will not seel without good service. Service is a must in a restaurant. Patrons want a pleasant experience and not a poor one. Staff is not family friendly and that should change. I had their food prior to this new location and the food and service was good. That is not the case now.

I’ve been to this place about 5 times in the last ten years I could always say that food was good here until today. Our food was soggy and cold. No longer the place that use to be before. No longer a need for us to come back.

Unacceptable customer service. I went inside the restaurant and most of the tables were occupied and there was only 3 open tables but were dirty. I was stand by the door for them to acknowledge me and offer me a clean table, never happened. I sat down in the table that was the least dirtiest in hopes of the waitresses to come clean it and take my order. NEVER HAPPENED! I waited and waited. When I finally got acknowledge, I only got a “good morning,” never was I offered something to drink or at least an apology for the long wait. Past the 10 min wait, I decided to leave. Let me not forget, the MANAGER was there aware of the situation and did nothing.

The customer service was horrible, the workers continued to be rude to my family. They served us cold food and rolled there eyes when we asked for something. One of the employees was eating a lolly pop and laughing at us. So rude towards when we asked for them to divide our check so expensive for okay food. They added a 30$ tip they didnt even deserve it. Never again couldve just gone somewhere else. BE WARE I PAYED 75 DOLLARS FOR 3 SMALL BOWLS NO REFILLS.

Came into the restaurant and took a seat l, the waitress never acknowledged us, she took the order of the table next to us and then proceeded to clean another table without saying anything to us, never offered water or anything! That's just ridiculous, so we got up and left!!! Will never return!

Like 2 weeks ago, I invited my friends to this place, and told them about how great this place was , unfortunately we had a bad experience on this day, as we walk in, we waited 15 mins to be seated. No hostess, waitress or cashier seem to be around for a while ,then she finally showed up and told us where to seat . We waited for 45 mins and no one came to offer us a drink or take our order we wore really hungry we haven't ate nothing for a whole morning , WE WALK OUT ... and the lady cook and guy said why are u guys leaving ? I'm sorry we didn't say nothing, he saw we waited for a long time and still ask why are we leaving ,,, bad experience ever

Great place to eat birria! Hand down the best place to get some birria chilaquiles, birria tacos and birria enchiladas. The only reason i dod not include a photo is because i chowdown as soon as our order cane in. I would highly recommend. Update: We got two full orders of birria to go and it was 2 cups of pure broth with enough birria to make 1 taco with both orders. This place has gone completely down hill. Stay away

$12.75 for 1 taco. Not sides. No consome. Just the taco itself we are talking medium size taco. On a small plate. Ridiculous. Also they make you order at the door before they seat you.

Worst services in town. An Not a Family restaurant the waiter's are more interested in being sexy then customer service. I called my order in so I could just pick it up an get back to work. I had to wait 20 min for the food an was late to get back to work. I called my order in for a reason.

Ordered online. Got there and waited 30 min just to not be helped . Food was cold... no salsa. No condiments. No ORDER! Seen not one person take charge. They only care about dine in customers for their tips.